Polypyrrole-Coated Zein/Epoxy Ultrafine Fiber Mats for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

To reduce the environmental pollution and meet the needs for wearable electronic devices, new requirements for electromagnetic interference(EMI) shielding materials include flexibility, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Herein, we reported a polypyrrole-coated zein/epoxy(PPy/ZE) ultrafine fiber mat which was inherently biodegradable and skin-friendly. In addition, it could maintain its ultrafine fibrous structure after coating, which could provide the mat with mechanical compliance, high porosity, and a large specific area for high EMI shielding. With the assistance of the epoxide cross-linking, the breaking stresses of the PPy/ZE fiber mats could achieve 3.3 MPa and 1.4 MPa and the strains were 40.1% and 83.0% in dry and wet states, respectively, which met the needs of various wearable electronic devices. Along with the extension in the PPy treatment duration, more PPy was loaded on the fiber surfaces, which formed more integrated and conductive paths to generate increasing conductivities up to 401.76 S·m^(-1). Moreover, the EMI shielding performance was raised to 26.84 dB. The biobased mats provide a green and efficient choice for EMI shielding materials, which may be a promising strategy to address EMI problems in multiple fields.

Formulating Novel Halogen-Free Synergistic Flame Retardant Epoxy Resins for Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Composites

The most common process to manufacture advanced composites is the costly autoclave.One of the out-of-autoclave alternatives is the low-cost vacuum assisted resin infusion(VARI)which produces quality parts with less pollution.Epoxy resin is a widely used composite matrix resin,but its high flammability limits its use as interior composite parts for vehicles.The usual flame retardant for epoxy involves halogen,which is effective but has high smoke toxicity.As a result,halogen-free flame retardant epoxy resin systems become dominant.In this paper,phosphorus flame retardant was combined with benzoxazine(BOZ)to produce synergistic effect and achieve satisfactory flame retardance,as well as mechanical improvement for the epoxy resin.Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA),thermal gravitational analysis(TGA),the cone calorimeter(CC),and limiting oxygen index(LOI)were used to characterize the resins.The results showed significant improvement on the flame retardance of the synergistically modified resins.Specifically,the carbon residue increased by 113.6%,and the char thickness increased by 6 to 7 times,compared to those of the flammable benchmark resin.The LOI reached 33 and passed the UL94 V-0 vertical burn rating.The modified resins also exhibited adequate stability and viscosity suitable for VARI processes.

Laser ablation mechanism and performance of glass fiber-reinforced phenolic composites:An experimental study and dual-scale modelling

Both experimental and simulation approaches were employed to investigate the laser ablation mechanism and performances of Glass Fiber Reinforced Phenolic Composites(GFRP).During the ablation process,the difference in thermal conductivities of the glass fibers and the resin matrix as well as their discrepant physical and chemical reactions form a conical ablation morphology.The formation of a residual carbon layer effectively mitigates the ablation rate in the thickness direction.A higher power density results in a faster ablation rate,while a longer irradiation time leads to a larger ablation pit diameter.To account for the variation in thermal conductivity between the fiber and resin,a macro-mesoscale model was developed to differentiate the matrix from the fiber components.Finite element analysis revealed that laser irradiation leads to phenolic decomposition,glass fiber melting vaporization,and residual carbon skeleton evaporation.The dual-scale model exhibits precise prediction capabilities concerning the laser ablation process of GFRP,and its accuracy is confirmed through the comparison of simulation and experimental results for the GFRP laser ablation process.This model provides a feasible method for performance evaluation and lifetime prediction of GFRP subjected to continuous wave laser irradiation.

Simultaneously improving the EMI shielding performances and mechanical properties of CF/PEKK composites via MXene interfacial modification

In this study, two-dimensional MXene (Ti3 C2 Tx ) was employed to modify the interface of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetherketoneketone (CF/PEKK) composites, in order to simultaneously improve the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performances and mechanical properties. The obtained CF/PEKK composites possessed outstanding EMI and mechanical performances, as anticipated. Specifically, the CF/PEKK composites modified with MXene at 1 mg mL–1 exhibited an excellent EMI shielding effectiveness of 65.2 dB in the X-band, a 103.1% enhancement compared with the unmodified CF/PEKK composites. The attractive EMI shielding performances of CF/PEKK composites originated from enhanced ohmic losses and multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves with the help of the MXene and CF layers. In addition, CF/PEKK composites achieved the best mechanical properties by optimizing the dispersion concentration of MXene to 0.1 mg mL–1 . The flexural strength, flexural modulus, and interlaminar shear strength of CF/PEKK composites reached 1127 MPa, 81 GPa, and 89 MPa, which were 28.5%, 9.5%, and 29.7% higher than that of the unmodified CF/PEKK composites, respectively. Such improvement in mechanical properties could be ascribed to the comprehensive effect of mechanical interlocking, hydrogen bonds, and Van der Waals forces between the introduced MXene and CF, PEKK, respectively.

Temporal evolution of atmospheric cascade glow discharge with pulsed discharge and radio frequency discharge

Atmospheric cascade discharges with pulsed discharge and radio frequency(RF)discharge were experimentally investigated by the temporal evolution of discharge spatial profile and intensity.The indium tin oxide(ITO)coated glass was employed as the transparent electrode to capture the discharge distribution above the electrode surface.It is demonstrated that in the pulsed discharge with dielectric barrier,the first discharge at the rising edge of pulse voltage is uniformly ignited and then forms an expanding plasma ring on the ITO electrode surface,which shrinks to the same diameter as that of bare stainless steel electrode with the generation of second discharge at the falling edge of pulse voltage.The discharge profiles along the electrode surface and discharge gap of the successive RF discharge are dependent on the intensity and spatial distribution of residual plasma species generated by the pulsed discharge,which is determined by the time interval between the pulsed discharge and RF discharge.It is demonstrated that the residual plasma species before the RF discharge ignition help to achieve the stable operation of RF discharge with elevated intensity.

Functionalization of Nylon Fabrics with Dopamine Deposition and TiO2 Nanoparticles Immobilization

Ultraviolet(UV)radiation can cause degradation or aging of many polymers and shorten the working-life of their products.Thus,UV protective covers are required in various occasions.Textiles with the UV-shielding function possess unique properties compared with those covers in board or film shapes.TiO_2 nanoparticles(NPs),which were reported to have superior UV blocking function,can be used to produce UV protective covers in combination with fabric.However,efficient and environmentally friendly immobilization of TiO_2 Nps onto the fabrics is challenging.Polydopamine(PDA),a biomimetic synthetic polymer,has attracted great attentions recently due to its superior affinity to various materials and facile application procedure.Hence,in this research,the surface of nylon fabrics was modified by PDA to immobilizeTiO_2 NPs.Themodificationconditionswere systematically optimized.The immobilization of the NPs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR)and scanning electron microscope(SEM).The functionalized nylon fabrics were proved to exhibit improved UV protection properties even after washing.This work provides a new and versatile surface modification technique for textiles.

A waterproof,environment-friendly,multifunctional,and stretchable thermoelectric fabric for continuous self-powered personal health signal collection at high humidity

Thermoelectric sensors have attracted increasing attention in smart wearables due to the recognition of multiple signals in self-powered mode.However,present thermoelectric devices show disadvantages of low durability,weak wearability,and complex preparation processes and are susceptible to moisture in the microenvironment of the human body,which hinders their further application in wearable electronics.Herein,we prepared a new thermoelectric fabric with thermoplastic polyurethane/carbon nanotubes(TPU/CNTs)by combining vacuum filtration and electrospraying techniques.Electrospraying TPU microsphere coating with good biocompatibility and environmental friendliness made the fabric worn directly and exhibits preferred water resistance,mechanical durability,and stability even after being bent 4000 times,stretched 1000 times,and washed 1000 times.Moreover,this fabric showed a Seebeck coefficient of 49μVK−1 and strain range of 250%and could collect signals well and avoided interference from moisture.Based on the biocompatibility and safety of the fabric,it can be fabricated into devices and mounted on the human face and elbow for long-term and continuous collection of data on the body’s motion and breathing simultaneously to provide collaborative support information.This thermoelectric fabric-based sensor will show great potential in advanced smart wearables for health monitoring,motion detection,and human–computer interaction.

Fe_(3)O_(4)@C 3D foam for strong low-frequency microwave absorption

Low-frequency microwave absorbing materials have been challenging for many years.Three-dimensional dielectric/magnetic porous materials are beneficial for improving the low-frequency microwave absorbing performance because of natural resonance and improved impedance matching.In this study,Fe_(3)O_(4)@C 3D foam was prepared by carbothermal reduction method and the microwave attenuation performances and mechanisms were studied.By adjusting the content of Fe_(3)O_(4)@C 3D foam in paraffin composites,the low-frequency microwave attenuation capacity could be effectively optimized.The minimum reflection loss(RLmin)of paraffin composite with 40%(in mass fraction)loading exhibits-54.7 dB at 4.1 GHz for a thickness of 4.0 mm.Surprisingly,the paraffin composite with 50%(in mass fraction)loading could almost cover 2–4 GHz(S-band)in the thickness range of 3.5–5.5 mm.The strong low-frequency microwave attenuation property of Fe_(3)O_(4)@C 3D foam is mainly attributed to excellent low-frequency impedance matching,natural resonance,interfacial/dipole polarization,multiple reflection and scattering.This method provides a new perspective for preparing lightweight and high performance low-frequency microwave absorbing materials.

Enhancing Molecular Chain Entanglement and π-π Stacking Toward the Improvement of Shape Memory Performance of Polyimide

Thermoplastic polyimides(PIs)with shape memory potential have received growing attention in recent years.In this work,highperformance thermoplastic PIs were fabricated by introducing PIs with chain rigidity(r-PI)into PI with chain flexibility(f-PI).The influences of molecular chain entanglement andπ-πinteractions on their thermomechanical and shape memory properties were investigated.The degree of molecular chain entanglement was quantitively characterized based on dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA).Theπ-πinteractions were investigated in detail by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and UV-Vis spectroscopy.It was found that the entanglement density increased andπ-πinteractions became stronger with the introduction of r-PI into f-PI,leading to the improvement of shape recovery.Moreover,a broad and increased glass transition temperature(T_(g))was achieved,endowing the PIs with multiple shape memory properties.The synergistic effects of increased entanglement density and enhancedπ-πinteractions were beneficial to regulating interchain interactions and thereby achieving high shape memory performance of the PIs.

Numerical simulation of atmospheric pulsemodulated radio-frequency glow discharge ignition characteristics assisted by a pulsed discharge

A one-dimensional self-consistent fluid numerical model was developed to study the ignition characteristics of a pulsc-tmxlulated(PM)radio-frequency(RF)glow discharge in atmospheric helium assisted by a sub-microsecond voltage excited pulsed discharge.The temporal evolution of discharge current density and electron density during PM RF discharge burst was investigated to demonstrate the discharge ignition characteristics with or without the pulsed discharge.Under the assistance of pulsed discharge,the electron density in RF discharge burst reaches the magnitude of 1.87 x 1017-3m within 10 RF cycles,accompanied by the formation of sheath structure.It proposes that the pulsed discharge plays an important role in the ignition of PM RF discharge burst.Furthermore,the dynamics of PM RF glow discharge arc demonstrated by the spatiotcmporal evolution of the election density with and without pulsed discharge.The spatial profiles of electron density,electron energy and electric field at specific time instants arc given to explain the assistive role of the pulsed discharge on PM RF discharge ignition.

Kenyan Wool Fiber Properties Sampled from Different Sheep Body Parts

This study provides information on fleece characteristics for stakeholders in a wool trade to make sheep farming more viable and profitable for farmers. Wool fiber samples were taken from four sheep body parts of the 95 sheep. Tests were conducted to analyze the fiber diameter,length,color,and strength. Correspondingly,fiber surface morphology and the medullated fibers were also analyzed and the results were reported. The fiber characteristics from the shoulder and flank were better than those shorn from back and belly/legs. From the results, the values of the measured parameters suggest potential for improvement of economical qualities and in fostering the economic and industrial development

Part Thickness Variation during the Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Process

An experimental procedure was designed to monitor the preform thickness change real-time throughout the vacuum assisted resin infusion( VARI) process. Two kinds of liquid with different viscosity were infused with different post-filling time. The variation of the part thickness during the VARI process was studied. And the effect of the post-filling time on the part thickness was investigated.The results indicate that the compaction behavior of the preform can be divided into three stages,and the fiber volume fraction varies with the post-filling time in a similar sinusoid form. In addition,the post-filling should be overtime for the greatest fiber volume fraction,and when the resin is infused with higher viscosity,the greatest fiber volume fraction is higher.

Thermo-mechanical properties of RTM-made carbon fibre/polyimide composite attaching collar under transient heating

This study focuses on the thermo-mechanical properties of Carbon Fibre/Polyimide Composite(CFPC)attaching collars under transient heating.The CFPC attaching collars were fabricated by a high-temperature resin transfer moulding process,and their thermo-mechanical properties under the conditions of simultaneous transient heating and bending load were investigated.The results show that the attaching collar tends to fail at 118% of the limit load.The failure mode includes the fracture of the connecting screws,local extrusion damage of the hole edges,and slight ablation damage at the outer plies.And there is no observable residual deformation in the composite attaching collar.Furthermore,considering that the material properties vary with temperature,a progressive damage model based on the sequential thermo-mechanical coupling method was established to study the failure mechanism of the attaching collar.Finally,the damage factor of the CFPC was calculated to assess the safety status of the attaching collar.The results show that the primary damage modes of the composite attaching collar are intralaminar failure,which mainly occurs at the heat insulation layer and the hole edges,and these slightly affect the structural bearing capacity.A good correlation between the experiment and FEA is obtained.The test methods and analysis models proposed contribute to the safety assessment of composite structures under transient heating.