Sample preparation is an important step when testing the mechanical properties of materials. Especially, when carbon nanotubes (CNT) are added to epoxy resin, the increase in viscosity complicates the casting of testing specimens. We present a vacuum casting approach for different geometries in order to produce specimens from functional nanocomposites that consist of epoxy matrix and oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The nanocomposites were characterized with various mechanical tests that showed improved fracture toughness, bending and tensile properties performance by addition of oxidized MWCNTs. Strengthening mechanisms were analyzed by SEM images of fracture surfaces and in-situ imaging by digital image correlation (DIC).
Cobalt is recognized as an active catalyst in ethane dehydroaromatization (EDA) reactions due to its efficient ethane cracking capability. In order to optimize cobalt's strong ethane cracking capability, it was loaded onto HZSM-5 zeolite through impregnation. This study was conducted with Co-loaded HZSM-5 catalysts with an incipient wetness impregnation method and witnessed an increase of catalytic activity with a long induction period.
In this study, ex-situ catalytic pyrolysis of oxygen-containing polycarbonate (PC) was conducted to prepare carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and H-rich syngas. This study examined the influence of the active metal components (Ni and Fe), catalyst pre-reduction, and pre-deoxygenation of pyrolysis volatiles on the catalytic performance and mechanism. Results show that the reductive constituents in pyrolysis volatiles make it difficult to reduce the Fe oxides, thus hindering the CNTs growth on Fe catalysts, compared to Ni catalysts.
Department of Chemistry, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Institute of Biomimetic Materials & Chemistry, Anhui Engineering Laboratory of Biomimetic Materials, Division of Nanomaterials & Chemistry, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
Corn stover, as an abundant agricultural residue, has not been well reutilized due to the lack of efficient utilization methods. Based on micro/nanoscale structure design of corn stover, we report an environmentally friendly strategy to prepare micro/nanostructured corn stover-based building blocks. Then, through the directed deformation assembly approach, a high value-added corn stover structural material (CSSM) that with higher strength and more excellent thermal stability than most widely used plastics and wood-plastic composites can be prepared.
High-performance infrared light sources have significantly influenced the fields of photonics and optoelectronics. However, achieving infrared light emission with low energy consumption, high brightness, and rapid response remains a huge challenge. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) could be an important candidate for infrared light emitters because of their superior electron mobility and phonon transport efficiency.
This paper addresses the trade-off between sensitivity and sensing range in strain sensors, while introducing additional functionalities through an innovative 4D printing approach. The resulting ultraflexible sensor integrates carbon nanotubes/liquid metal hybrids and iron powders within an Ecoflex matrix. The optimization of this composition enables the creation of an uncured resin ideal for Direct Ink Writing (DIW) and a cured sensor with exceptional electromechanical, thermal, and magnetic performance.
