Mechanical upcycling of single-use face mask waste into high-performance composites: An ecofriendly approach with cost-benefit analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented demand for PPE, with single-use face masks emerging as a critical tool in containing virus transmission. However, the extensive use and improper disposal of these single-use face masks, predominantly composed of non-biodegradable plastics, has exacerbated environmental challenges. This research presents an innovative method for mechanically upcycling PPEs used in medical sectors i.

Advancing structural batteries: cost-efficient high-performance carbon fiber-coated LiFePO cathodes.

Structural batteries (SBs) have gained attention due to their ability to provide energy storage and structural support in vehicles and airplanes, using carbon fibers (CFs) as their main component. However, the development of high-performance carbon fiber-based cathode materials for structural batteries is currently limited. To address this issue, this study proposes a cost-efficient and straightforward method for creating a high-performance structural lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO) positive electrode by coating carbon fibers at mild temperatures and pressures.

High Performance Carbon Fiber Structural Batteries Using Cellulose Nanocrystal Reinforced Polymer Electrolyte.

In recent years, structural batteries have received great attention for future automotive application in which a load-bearing car panel is used as an energy storage. However, based on the current advances, achieving both high ionic conductivity and mechanical performance has remained a challenge. To address this challenge, this study introduces a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) reinforced structural battery electrolyte (CSBE) consisting of CNC, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TriG) electrolyte containing a quasi-solid additive, e.

A Hydrothermal-Assisted Ball Milling Approach for Scalable Production of High-Quality Functionalized MoS Nanosheets for Polymer Nanocomposites.

The most known analogue of graphene, molybdenum disulfide (MoS) nanosheet, has recently captured great interest because it can present properties beyond graphene in several high technological applications. Nonetheless, the lack of a feasible, sustainable, and scalable approach, in which synthesizing and functionalization of 2H-MoS nanosheets occur simultaneously, is still a challenge. Herein, a hydrothermal treatment has been utilised to reduce the effect of breaking mechanisms on the lateral size of produced nanosheets during the ball milling process.

Low-Cost Carbon Fibre Derived from Sustainable Coal Tar Pitch and Polyacrylonitrile: Fabrication and Characterisation.

Preparation of high-value pitch-based carbon fibres (CFs) from mesophase pitch precursor is of great importance towards low-cost CFs. Herein, we developed a method to reduce the cost of CFs precursor through incorporating high loading of coal tar pitch (CTP) into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer solution. The CTP with a loading of 25% and 50% was blended with PAN and their spinnability was examined by electrospinning process.

The Effects of UV Light on the Chemical and Mechanical Properties of a Transparent Epoxy-Diamine System in the Presence of an Organic UV Absorber.

Despite several excellent properties including low shrinkage, good chemical resistance, curable at low temperatures and the absence of byproducts or volatiles, epoxy resins are susceptible to ultra violet (UV) damage and their durability is reduced substantially when exposed to outdoor environments. To overcome this drawback, UV absorbers have been usually used to decrease the rate of UV degradation. In this present study, the effects of UV light on the chemical, mechanical and physical properties of cured epoxy structure, as well as the effect of an organic UV absorber, Tinuvin 1130, on the epoxy properties were investigated.

Catalyzed Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Lignin-Based Curing Agent for the Curing of High-Performance Epoxy Resin.

In this study, lignin, an aromatic compound from the forestry industry, was used as a renewable material to synthesize a new aromatic amine curing agent for epoxy resin. Firstly, lignin was separated from black liquor and hydroxyl groups were converted to tosyl groups as leaving groups. Then, primary amination was conducted using an ammonia solution at high pressure and temperature, in the presence of a nano-alumina-based catalyst.

Collision-induced activation: Towards industrially scalable approach to graphite nanoplatelets functionalization for superior polymer nanocomposites.

Scale-up manufacturing of engineered graphene-like nanomaterials to deliver the industry needs for development of high-performance polymer nanocomposites still remains a challenge. Herein, we introduce a quick and cost-effective approach to scalable production of functionalized graphite nanoplatelets using "kitchen blender" approach and Diels-Alder chemistry. We have shown that, in a solvent-free process and through a cycloaddition mechanism, maleic anhydride can be grafted onto the edge-localized electron rich active sites of graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) resulting from high collision force, called "graphite collision-induced activation".

Fish DNA-modified clays: Towards highly flame retardant polymer nanocomposite with improved interfacial and mechanical performance.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) has been recently found to be an efficient renewable and environmentally-friendly flame retardant. In this work, for the first time, we have used waste DNA from fishing industry to modify clay structure in order to increase the clay interactions with epoxy resin and take benefit of its additional thermal property effect on thermo-physical properties of epoxy-clay nanocomposites. Intercalation of DNA within the clay layers was accomplished in a one-step approach confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, and XRD analyses, indicating that d-space of clay layers was expanded from ~1.

Enhancement of photocatalytic degradation of furfural and acetophenone in water media using nano-TiO-SiO deposited on cementitious materials.

In the present study, silicon dioxide (SiO) nanoparticles were loaded to titanium dioxide (TiO) nano-particles by sol-gel method to make a high porosity photocatalyst nano-hybrid. These photocatalysts were synthesized using titanium tetrachloride and tetraethyl orthosilicate as titanium and silicon sources, respectively, and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope methods. Subsequently, the optimizations of the component and operation conditions were investigated.