Expanded Polystyrene/Tyre Crumbs Composites as Promising Aggregates in Mortar and Concrete.

A composite material comprising expanded polystyrene (EPS), granulated tyre rubber (GTR), and a compatibilizer is demonstrated as a possible replacement for fine and coarse agglomerates in mortar and concrete systems, respectively. Two different polymer blending processes (solvent/low shear blending and melt/high shear blending) are used, and the resulting composite material utilized as aggregate to replace sand and cement for mortar and concrete block development. Critical properties such as workability, compressive and flexural strengths, water absorption, bulk density, and porosity are measured before and after aggregate replacement.

Comprehensive review on collagen extraction from food by-products and waste as a value-added material.

The consumption of animal products has witnessed a significant increase over the years, leading to a growing need for industries to adopt strict waste control measures to mitigate environmental impacts. The disposal of animal waste in landfill can result in diverse and potentially hazardous decomposition by-products. Animal by-products, derived from meat, poultry, seafood and fish industries, offer a substantial raw material source for collagen and gelatin production due to their high protein content.

Silver Coated Multifunctional Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Polymeric Composites as Electro-Responsive and Piezo-Resistive Artificial Muscles.

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are a class of shape-changing polymers with exceptional mechanical properties and potential as artificial muscles/polymer actuators. In this study, multifunctional LCE actuators with strain sensing and joule heating responsivity are developed. LCEs are successfully synthesized using the thiol-ene two-staged michael addition polymerization (TMAP) method.

Nanocellulose: A Fundamental Material for Science and Technology Applications.

Recently, considerable interest has been focused on developing greener and biodegradable materials due to growing environmental concerns. Owing to their low cost, biodegradability, and good mechanical properties, plant fibers have substituted synthetic fibers in the preparation of composites. However, the poor interfacial adhesion due to the hydrophilic nature and high-water absorption limits the use of plant fibers as a reinforcing agent in polymer matrices.

An ultralight, elastic carbon nanofiber aerogel with efficient energy storage and sorption properties.

The fabrication of ultralight strong carbon nanofiber aerogels with excellent elasticity is still a challenge. Herein, 3D mesoporous graphene/carbon nanofibers (G/CNF) were prepared for the first time from polyacrylonitrile/poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PAN/PVPh) electrospun fibers. Through hydrogen bonding interactions between PAN and PVPh polymer chains, traditional soft carbon nanofibers can be converted to form hard nanofiber aerogels with excellent mechanical, electrical, and sorption properties.

Nanofibrillar micelles and entrapped vesicles from biodegradable block copolymer/polyelectrolyte complexes in aqueous media.

Here we report a viable route to fibrillar micelles and entrapped vesicles in aqueous solutions. Nanofibrillar micelles and entrapped vesicles were prepared from complexes of a biodegradable block copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(lactide) (PEO-b-PLA) and a polyelectrolyte poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in aqueous media and directly visualized using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The self-assembly and the morphological changes in the complexes were induced by the addition of PAA/water solution into the PEO-b-PLA in tetrahydrofuran followed by dialysis against water.

Individual dispersion of carbon nanotubes in epoxy via a novel dispersion-curing approach using ionic liquids.

The effective dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a thermoset was achieved using ionic liquid as the dispersion-curing agent. We preferentially dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) down to individual tube levels in epoxy resin. Here the dispersion is ruled by the depletion of physical bundles within the MWCNT networks, for which molecular ordering of ionic liquids is considered responsible.

A simple and effective approach to vesicles and large compound vesicles via complexation of amphiphilic block copolymer with polyelectrolyte in water.

This work reports for the first time a simple and effective approach to trigger a spheres-to- vesicles morphological transition from amphiphilic block copolymer/polyelectrolyte complexes in aqueous solution. Vesicles and large compound vesicles (LCVs) were prepared via complexation of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in water and directly visualized using cryo-TEM. The complexation and morphological transitions were driven by the hydrogen bonding between the complementary binding sites on the PAA and PEO blocks of the block copolymer.

Multiple vesicular morphologies in AB/AC diblock copolymer complexes through hydrogen bonding interactions.

We report for the first time multiple vesicular morphologies in block copolymer complexes formed in aqueous media via hydrogen bonding interactions. A model AB/AC diblock copolymer system consisting of polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) and polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) was examined using transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dynamic light scattering. The complexation and morphological transitions were driven by the hydrogen bonding between the complementary binding sites on PAA and PEO blocks of the two diblock copolymers.

Microphase separation through competitive hydrogen bonding in self-assembled A-b-B/C diblock copolymer/homopolymer complexes.

We present a study of microphase separation induced by competitive hydrogen bonding in A-b-B/C diblock copolymer/homopolymer complexes where the diblock copolymer A-b-B is immiscible and the homopolymer C can interact unequally with both A and B blocks through hydrogen bonding. A model system containing poly(2-vinyl pyridine)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (P2VP-b-PMMA) and poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PVPh) in tetrahydrofuran was investigated. In these self-assembled complexes, microphase separation takes place due to the disparity in intermolecular interactions.