Wax from Pyrolysis of Waste Plastics as a Potential Source of Phase Change Material for Thermal Energy Storage

Over the past half-century, plastic consumption has grown rapidly due to its versatility, low cost, and unrivaled functional properties. Among the diff erent implemented strategies for recycling waste plastics, pyrolysis is deemed the most economical option. Currently, the wax obtained from the pyrolysis of waste plastics is mainly used as a feedstock to manufacture chemicals and fuels or added to asphalt for pavement construction, with no other applications of wax being reported. Herein, the thermal pyrolysis of three common waste polyolefin plastics: high-density polyethylene(HDPE), low-density polyethylene(LDPE), and polypropylene(PP), was conducted at 450 ℃. The waste plastics-derived waxes were characterized and studied for a potential new application: phase change materials(PCMs) for thermal energy storage(TES). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that paraffin makes up most of the composition of HDPE and LDPE waxes, whereas PP wax contains a mixture of naphthene, isoparaffin, olefin, and paraffin. Diff erential scanning calorimetry(DSC) analysis indicated that HDPE and LDPE waxes have a peak melting temperature of 33.8 ℃ and 40.3 ℃, with a relatively high latent heat of 103.2 J/g and 88.3 J/g, respectively, whereas the PP wax was found to have almost negligible latent heat. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and DSC results revealed good chemical and thermal stability of HDPE and LDPE waxes after 100 cycles of thermal cycling. Performance evaluation of the waxes was also conducted using a thermal storage pad to understand their thermoregulation characteristics for TES applications.

Towards implementation of alloy-specific thermo-fluid modelling for laser powder-bed fusion of Mg alloys

Multi-physics thermo-fluid modeling has been extensively used as an approach to understand melt pool dynamics and defect formation as well as optimizing the process-related parameters of laser powder-bed fusion(L-PBF).However,its capabilities for being implemented as a reliable tool for material design,where minor changes in material-related parameters must be accurately captured,is still in question.In the present research,first,a thermo-fluid computational fluid dynamics(CFD)model is developed and validated against experimental data.Considering the predicted material properties of the pure Mg and commercial ZK60 and WE43 Mg alloys,parametric studies are done attempting to elucidate how the difference in some of the material properties,i.e.,saturated vapor pressure,viscosity,and solidification range,can influence the melt pool dynamics.It is found that a higher saturated vapor pressure,associated with the ZK60 alloy,leads to a deeper unstable keyhole,increasing the keyhole-induced porosity and evaporation mass loss.Higher viscosity and wider solidification range can increase the non-uniformity of temperature and velocity distribution on the keyhole walls,resulting in increased keyhole instability and formation of defects.Finally,the WE43 alloy showed the best behavior in terms of defect formation and evaporation mass loss,providing theoretical support to the extensive use of this alloy in L-PBF.In summary,this study suggests an approach to investigate the effect of materials-related parameters on L-PBF melting and solidification,which can be extremely helpful for future design of new alloys suitable for L-PBF.

Wigner function of optical cumulant operator and its dissipation in thermo-entangled state representation

To conveniently calculate the Wigner function of the optical cumulant operator and its dissipation evolution in a thermal environment, in this paper, the thermo-entangled state representation is introduced to derive the general evolution formula of the Wigner function, and its relation to Weyl correspondence is also discussed. The method of integration within the ordered product of operators is essential to our discussion.

A review of understanding electrocatalytic reactions in energy conversion and energy storage systems via scanning electrochemical microscopy

To address climate change and promote environmental sustainability,electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems emerge as promising alternative to fossil fuels,catering to the escalating demand for energy.Achieving optimal energy efficiency and cost competitiveness in these systems requires the strategic design of electrocatalysts,coupled with a thorough comprehension of the underlying mechanisms and degradation behavior occurring during the electrocatalysis processes.Scanning electrochemical microscopy(SECM),an analytical technique for studying surface electrochemically,stands out as a powerful tool offering electrochemical insights.It possesses remarkable spatiotemporal resolution,enabling the visualization of the localized electrochemical activity and surface topography.This review compiles crucial research findings and recent breakthroughs in electrocatalytic processes utilizing the SECM methodology,specifically focusing on applications in electrolysis,fuel cells,and metal–oxygen batteries within the realm of energy conversion and storage systems.Commencing with an overview of each energy system,the review introduces the fundamental principles of SECM,and aiming to provide new perspectives and broadening the scope of applied research by describing the major research categories within SECM.

Mechanical properties of gangue-containing aluminosilicate based cementitious materials

High performance aluminosilicate based cementitious materials were produced using calcined gangue as one of the major raw materials. The gangue was calcined at 500℃. The main constituent was calcined gangue, fly ash and slag, while alkali-silicate solutions were used as the diagenetic agent. The structure of gangue-containing aluminosilicate based cementitious materials was studied by the methods of IR, NMR and SEM. The results show that the mechanical properties are affected by the mass ratio between the gangue, slag and fly ash, the kind of activator and additional salt. For 28-day curing time, the compressive strength of the sample with a mass proportion of 2：1：1 （gangue： slag： fly ash） is 58.9 MPa, while the compressive strength of the sample containing 80wt% gangue can still be up to 52.3 MPa. The larger K^＋ favors the formation of large silicate oligomers with which AI（OH）4- prefers to bind. Therefore, in Na-K compounding activator solutions more oligomers exist which result in a stronger compressive strength of aluminosilicate-based cementitious materials than in the case of Na-containing activator. The reasons for this were found through IR and NMR analysis. Glauber＇s salt reduces the 3-day compressive strength of the paste, but increases its 7-day and 28-day compressive strengths.

Effect of annealing on two different niobium-clad stainless steel PEMFC bipolar plate materials

Niobium (Nb)-clad stainless steels(SS) produced via roll bonding are being considered for use in the bipolar plates of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) stacks. Because the roll bonding process induces substantial work hardening in the constituent materials, thermal annealing is used to restore ductility to the clad sheet so that it can be subsequently blanked, stamped and dimpled in forming the final plate component. Two roll bonded materials, niobium clad 340L stainless steel (Nb/340L SS) and niobium clad 434 stainless steel (Nb/434 SS) were annealed under optimized conditions prescribed by the cladding manufacturer. Comparative mechanical testing conducted on each material before and after annealing shows significant improvement in ductility in both cases. However, corresponding microstructural analyses indicate an obvious difference between the two heat treated materials. During annealing, an interlayer with thick less than 1 μm forms between the constituent layers in the Nb/340L SS, whereas no interlayer is found in the annealed Nb/434 SS material. Prior work suggests that internal defects potentially can be generated in such an interlayer during metal forming operations. Thus, Nb/434 SS may be the preferred candidate material for this application.

Preparation and Characterization of Cathode Materials La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3-x)Ca_xCo_(0.9)Fe_(0.1)O_(3-δ) by Reverse Titration Co-Precipitation Method for ITSOFC

The precursors of La0.7Sr0.3-xCaxCo0.9Fe0.1O3-δ(LSCCF, x=0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) as the cathode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (ITSOFC) were prepared by reverse titration co-precipitation method with metal-nitrates as starting materials and mixed alkali (NaOH and Na2CO3) as a precipitating agent. The formation process of LSCCF from the precursors was monitored by TG-DSC, and the crystal structure and particles morphology of the precursors which were calcined at 600, 800, 1000 ℃ for 3 h were characterized using XRD, SEM technologies. Compared with the solid state reaction of constituent oxides, when the pH value of the precipitating solution was in the range of 9.1～9.5, the LSCCF powders from the precursors caclined at 800 ℃ for 3 h had high purity, homogeneous and single perovskite phase. The electrical conductivity of the LSCCF samples sintered at 1200 ℃ for 3 h, which was measured as a function of temperatures from 100 to 800 ℃ by DC four-probe method in air, decreased with x from 0.05 to 0.20. The value of electrical conductivity was almost equal because of Ca2+, Sr2+ co-dopant resulting in the 'mix effect' while x=0.10 or 0.15. The electrical conductivity of all doped samples was higher than 100 S·cm-1 at intermediate temperatures from 500 to 800 ℃, and there was good compatibility between the LSCCF cathode and Ce0.8Sm0.2O2 electrolyte.

Electrospinning organic solvent resistant preoxidized poly(acrylonitrile)nanofiber membrane and its properties

A high performance preoxidized poly(acrylonitrile)(O-PAN)nanofiber membrane with excellent solvent resistance,thermal stability and flexibility was fabricated by the preoxidation of electrospun PAN nanofiber membrane.The performance of resultant O-PAN nanofiber membrane was optimized by altering the PAN concentration and preoxidation temperature.The results showed that the O-PAN nanofiber membrane which made from PAN concentration of 14%(mass)and preoxidation temperature of 250.0
℃ have a more optimal comprehensive performance.In the long-term separation test of SiO2 particle(1 μm)in DMAc suspension,the permeate flux of O-PAN nanofiber membrane stabilized at 227.91 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1)(25
℃,0.05 MPa)while the SiO2 rejection above 99.6%,which showed excellent solvent resistance and separation performance.In order to further explore the application of the O-PAN nanofiber membrane,the OPAN nanofiber membrane was treated with fluoride and used in oil/water separation process.The O-PAN nanofiber membrane after hydrophobic treatment showed excellent hydrophobicity and good oil/water separation performance with the permeate flux about 969.59 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1)while the separation efficiency above 96.1%.The O-PAN nanofiber membrane exhibited a potential application prospect in harsh environment separation.

Effect of Preparation Methods on Hydriding Properties of La1.5Mg17 Ni0.5 Composite Materials

La1.5Mg17Ni0.5 hydrogen storage materials were prepared by hydriding combustion synthesis (HCS) and mechanical alloying (MA) method respectively. The experimental results show that the hydrogen absorption properties of La1.5Mg17Nio.5 prepared by MA are better than that by HCS. La1.5Mg17Nio.5 prepared by MA can absorb 6.73 mass% hydrogen at 523 K within 1 min, and 4.92 mass% hydrogen at 423 K. The improvement of hydriding properties of La1.5Mg17Ni0.5alloy prepared by MA can be ascribed to the formation of nano-crystalline and defects during the mechanical alloying.

Practice of Integrating Specialized Courses into Ideological/Political Education——Taking “Solid Luminescent Materials” as an Example

At present,the education of specialized courses in science and engineering still focuses on imparting specialized knowledge,which seriously lacks the embodiment of educating students.Taking the specialized course“Solid Luminescent Materials”as an example,the new mode of ideological/political teaching is integrated into the specialized course,giving full play to the role of the main position of the specialized class,so as to realize the aim of teaching specialized knowledge in cooperation with educating students and imperceptibly influencing the ideological/political teaching.In this paper,the design of ideological/political knowledge points and the integration of ideological/political cases are carried out from the aspects of teaching concepts,teaching contents and teaching cases.By adhering to the cooperation between moral and financial classroom and specialized education,the educational function of university specialized courses can be effectively brought into play,which is expected to guide students to enhance their awareness of energy conservation,environmental protection,innovation and patriotism.

Study on Thermal Expansion Coefficient of Sealing Materials for Ceramic Metal Halide Lamps

With Al2O3, Dy2O3, and SiO2 as starting materials, the basic glass of Al2O3-Dy2O3-SiO2 system was prepared by conventional melting technology, and their thermal expansion coefficients （TECs） at different anneal time were investigated. TECs of the basic glass, which were heat-treated under different temperature, were also investigated. The result showed that TECs of the basic glass gradually approached a fixed value as the anneal time was extended, which suggested that most of the inner stress had been eliminated. After heat treatment, the contents of Dy2O3, Dy2Si2O7, and a new crystal increased up to 1200 ℃ and decreased below 1250 ℃, which was consistent with the TEC change of crystallized samples. This suggests that the crystal has a direct effect on TECs of the crystallized samples.

Studies on Gas Sensitive Materials of γ-Fe_2O_3 Doped with Rare Earth Oxides

Fine powders of γ-Fe_2O_3,doped with Y_2O_3,CeO_2,Eu_2O_3 or Tb_2O_3 have been prepared by the chemical co-precipitation method.The sensitivity of gas sensation has been measured with respect to the relative resist- ance change in the ceramic matrix upon introduction of inflammable gases.The structure of the materials has been studied with X-ray diffraction spectroscopy(XRD),electron diffraction spectroscopy( ED) and transmis- sion electron microscopy(TEM).The addition of rare earth oxides,which improves ceramic microstructure of γ-Fe_2O_3,improves gas sensitivity of γ-Fe_2O_3.The stability can be increased because of the increase of phase transition temperature.In addition,the selectivity of gas sensation of γ-Fe_2O_3 can be improved because of the variation of rare earth oxides.

Effect of silicate solutions on metakaolinite based cementitious material

High performance metakaolinite based cementitious materials were prepared with metakaolinite as main component, and the different modules of Na and Na-K silicate solutions as diagenetic agent. The results show that the mechanical properties are affected by different silicate solutions, compressive strengths of pastes hydrated for 3 d and 28 d with Na-K silicate solution (The modulus is 1) are about 43.68 and 78.52 MPa respectively. By analyzing the mechanical properties of Metakaolinite based cementitious materials, the diagenetic effect of lower module is better than higher module, and Na-K silicate solution is better than Na silicate solution. The structure of the Na and Na-K silicate solutions is studied with IR and ^(29)Si NMR, the reason of the lower module and Na-K silicate solution improving the mechanical properties is that the low module silicate solution has lower polymeric degree of silicon dioxide, and the higher polymeric degree of silicon oxide tetrahedron(Q^4) in Na-K silicate solution is less han Na silicate solution.

Effect of Hot Carrier on Amplitude Modulation and Demodulation of Gaussian High Power Helicon Wave in Homogeneous Longitudinally Magnetized Strain Dependent Dielectric Material

In the present communication, the hydrodynamic model is used to investigate the amplitude modulation as well as demodulation of an electromagnetic wave of high power helicon pump wave into another helicon wave in strain dependent dielectric material incorporating carrier heating (CH) effects. The consideration of CH in modulation and demodulation is prime importance for the adding of new dimension in analysis of amplification of acoustic helicon wave. By using the dispersion relation, threshold pump electric filed and growth rate of unstable mode from the modulation and demodulation of the high power helicon wave well above from the threshold value will be discussed in the present analysis. The numerical analysis is applied to a strain dependent dielectric material, BaTiO3 at room temperature and irradiated with high power helicon wave of frequency 1.78 × 1014 Hz. This material is very sensitive to the pump intensities, therefore during studies, Gaussian shape of the helicon pump wave is considered during the propagation in stain dependent dielectric material and opto-acoustic wave in the form of Gaussian profile (ω0,κ0) is induced longitudinally along the crystallographic plane of BaTiO3. Its variation is caused by the available magnetic field (ωc), interaction length (z) and pulsed duration of interaction (τ). From the analysis of numerical results, the incorporation of CH effect can effectively modify the magnitude of modulation or demodulation of the amplitude of high power helicon laser wave through diffusion process. Not only the amplitude modulation and demodulation of the wave, the diffusion of the CH effectively modifies the growth rate of unstable mode of frequency in BaTiO3. The propagation of the threshold electric field shows the sinusoidal or complete Gaussian profile, whereas this profile is found to be completely lost in growth of unstable mode. It has also been seen that the growth rate is observed to be of the order of 108 - 1010 s-1 but from diffusion of carrier heating, and that its order is enhanced from 1010 - 1012 s-1 with the variation of the magnetized frequency from 1 to 2.5 × 1014 Hz.

An Investigation of Stimulating the Autoclave Curing Process of Resin Matrix/Fiber Reinforced Composite Material, Ⅰ: Process model

A mathematical model is made which describes the curing process of composites constructed from continuous fiber-reinforced, thermosetting resin matrix prepreg materials, and the consolidation of the composite is developed. The model provides the variation of temperature distribution, the cure reaction process in the resin, the resin flow and fibers stress inside the composite, and the void variation and the residual stress distribution. It can be used to illustrate the mechanism of curing process and optimize the cure cycle of composite material in order to ensure the quality of a product.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Li₂MnSiO₄with Different Crystal Structure as Cathode Material in Lithium Rechargeable Batteries

Li2MnSiO4 with different crystal structure was synthesized by solid state reaction method. Their crystal structure and electrochemical properties have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and charge-discharge test. The material prepared at 900oC in N2 atmosphere had γ-phase and its crystal structure changed to β-phase by post-heating at 400oC in air after 900oC sintering. In electrochemical measurement, two materials (γ- and β-phase) showed ~3 and ~45mAh/g, respectively. The different capacities of these two materials might be due to the change of crystal structure.

Additive manufacturing of magnesium and its alloys: process-formabilitymicrostructure-performance relationship and underlying mechanism

Magnesium and its alloys,as a promising class of materials,is popular in lightweight application and biomedical implants due to their low density and good biocompatibility.Additive manufacturing(AM)of Mg and its alloys is of growing interest in academia and industry.The domain-by-domain localized forming characteristics of AM leads to unique microstructures and performances of AM-process Mg and its alloys,which are different from those of traditionally manufactured counterparts.However,the intrinsic mechanisms still remain unclear and need to be in-depth explored.Therefore,this work aims to discuss and analyze the possible underlying mechanisms regarding defect appearance and elimination,microstructure formation and evolution,and performance improvement,based on presenting a comprehensive and systematic review on the relationship between process parameters,forming quality,microstructure characteristics and resultant performances.Lastly,some key perspectives requiring focus for further progression are highlighted to promote development of AM-processed Mg and its alloys and accelerate their industrialization.

New light fields based on integration theory within the Weyl ordering product of operators

The development of quantum optics theory based on the method of integration within an ordered product of operators(IWOP)has greatly stimulated the study of quantum states in the light field,especially non-Gaussian states with various non-classical properties.In this paper,the two-mode squeezing operator is derived with integral theory within the Weyl ordering product of operators using a combinatorial field in which one mode is a chaotic field and the other mode is a vacuum field.The density operator of the new light field,its entanglement property and photon number distribution are analyzed.We also note that tracing a three-mode pure state can yield this new light field.These methods represent a theoretical approach to investigating new density operators of light fields.

Doping organic hole-transport materials for high-performance perovskite solar cells

Single-junction and tandem perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have achieved impressive power conversion efficiencies(PCEs)of 25.7%and 31.3%,respectively,which makes it to be one of next-generation photovoltaic technologies[1−9].Inter-face engineering[3,5,10−12],composition engineering[13]and ad-ditive engineering[7,14,15]have made remarkable contribu-tions to efficiency enhancement.Compared with efficiency,the long-term operational stability of PSCs jogs along,which is far from the requirements of commercialization.Currently,almost all regular n-i-p PSCs were accomplished with classic-al organic hole-transport materials(HTMs),i.e.,PTAA[16]and spiro-OMeTAD[2,4,6].However,the highly efficient PSCs with the above organic hole-transport layers(HTL)usually suffer from instability.To facilitate hole transport and extraction,LiTF-SI and tBP are frequently employed to dope organic HTLs but this would sacrifice device stability.The use of these hygro-scopic p-dopants endows the devices with poor moisture sta-bility.

Investigation of Electronic, Elastic and Dynamic Properties of AgNbO3 and AgTaO3 under Pressure: Ab Initio Calculation

Based on the density functional theory within the local density approximation (LDA), we studied the electronic, elastic, and dynamic properties of AgNbO3 and AgTaO3 compounds under pressure. The elastic constants, optic and static dielectric constants, born effective charges, and dynamic properties of AgNbO3 and AgTaO3 in cubic phase were studied as pressure dependences with the ab initio method. For these compounds, we have also calculated the bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, shear modulus, Vickers hardness, Poisson’s ratio, anisotropy factor, sound velocities, and Debye temperature from the obtained elastic constants. In addition, the brittleness and ductility properties of these compounds were estimated from Poisson’s ratio and Pugh’s rule (G/B). Our calculated values also show that AgNbO3 (0.37) and AgTaO3 (0.39) behave as ductile materials and steer away from brittleness by increasing pressure. The calculated values of Vicker hardness for both compounds indicate that they are soft materials. The results show that band gaps, elastic constants, elastic modules, and dynamic properties for both compounds are sensitive to pressure changes. We have also made some comparisons with related experimental and theoretical data that is available in the literature.