Application of Chitosan Flocculant to Conditioning Sludge

The dewaterability of activated sludge conditioned by chitosan flocculant was studied. The effects of chitosan characteristics such as molecular weight, degree of deacetylation, and dose on the dewaterability were investigated. The sludge dewaterability is evaluated in terms of specific resistance to filtration, residual turbidity of supernatant, moisture content of cake, and settling rate. Sludge dehydrating behaviors conditioned with CTS, PAM and PAC flocculants were compared. The conditioning was also carried out with dual flocculants in two stages. It is found that the sludge conditioned with CTS has better dewaterability than that with PAC. The optimum conditions with chitosan are: dose 0.8 - 1.2 g per 100 g dry cake, molecular weight 300,000, and degree of deacetylation 70%. The conditioning in two stages with dual flocculants is found to be more effective than that with single flocculant.     

Preparation and characterization of chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite composite used as bone substitute materials

Chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite composites with different weight ratios were prepared through a co-precipitation method using Ca（OH）2, H3PO4 and chitosan as starting materials. The properties of these composites were characterized by means of TEM, IR, XRD, TGA, burn-out tests and universal matertial testing machine. The results showed that the HA synthesized here was poorly crystalline carbonated nanometer crystals and dispersed uniformly in chitosan phase and there was no phase-separation between the two phases. The addition of n-HA resulted in a decrease of decomposing temperature of chitosan. Because of the interactions between chitosan and n-HA, the mechanical properties of these composites were improved, and the maximum value of the compressive strength was measured to be about 120MPa corresponding to the chitosan/n-HA composite with a weight ratio of 30/70.     

Water-soluble chitosan nanoparticles as a novel carrier system for protein delivery

High MW chitosan (CS) solutions have already been proposed as vehicles for protein delivery. The aim of the present work is to investigate the potential utility of water-soluble chitosan (WSC) as vehicles to load and deliver proteins. WSC nanoparticles (WSC NP) with various formations were prepared based on ionic gelation of WSC with pentasodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) anions. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein drug incorporated into the WSC nanoparticles. Blank and BSA-loaded WSC nanoparticles were examined and determined to have a spherical shape with diameters between 35―190 nm, and zeta potential between 35―42 mV. FTIR confirmed that the tripolyphosphoric groups of TPP linked to the ammonium groups of WSC in the nanoparticles. Some factors affecting delivery properties of BSA have been investigated. Altering the concentration of BSA from 0.05 to 1 mg/mL enhanced the loading capacity of BSA but decreased loading efficiency simultaneously. Also, with the introduction of poly ethylene glycol (PEG), BSA release accelerated. Nanoparticle preparation from WSC with various deacetylation degrees (DDs) from 72.6% to 90% and MWs ranging from 3.5 to 15.8 kDa promoted loading efficiency and decreased the release rate. These results indicate that WSC nanoparticles are promising carriers for protein delivery.     

Preparation and Adsorption Ability of Polysulfone Microcapsules Containing Modified Chitosan Gel

Chemically modified chitosan beads containing polyethyleneimine （PEI） were prepared to improve the metal ion adsorption capacity of the chitosan beads and their mechanical stability and to limit their biodegradability. The modified beads were encapsulated with the polymer material polysulfone by a novel surface coating method named the emulsion phase inversion method. The adsorption properties of the modified beads and the microstructures of the polysulfone coating layer were then analyzed. The experimental results showed that the PEI was successfully linked onto the chitosan beads. The density of the -NH2 groups in the modified beads was significantly increased, while the water content was reduced. The coating layer thickness was about 200 pm. The modified chitosan gel beads had excellent Cu（ll） adsorption capacity, with a maximum Cu（ll） adsorption capacity 1.34 times higher than that of the unmodified beads. The results show that even with the polysulfone coating the adsorption kinetics of the modified beads is still better than those of the unmodified beads. The modifications improve the mass transfer performance of the chitosan beads as well as the bead stability.     

In situ synthesis of Fe-based alloy clad coatings containing TiB_2–TiN –(h-BN)

Fe-based alloy coatings containing TiB2–TiN –(h-BN) were synthesized in situ on Q235 steel substrates by a plasma cladding process using the powders of Fe901 alloy, Ti, and h-BN as raw materials. The effects of Ti/h-BN mass ratio on interfacial bonds between the coating and substrate along with the microstructures and microhardnesses of the coatings were investigated. The results show that the Ti/h-BN mass ratio is a vital factor in the formation of the coatings. Free h-BN can be introduced into the coatings by adding an excess amount of h-BN into the precursor. Decreases in the Ti/h-BN mass ratio improve the microstructural uniformity and compactness and enhance the interfacial bonds of the coatings. At a Ti/h-BN mass ratio of 10/20, the coating is free of cracks and micropores, and mainly consists of Fe-Cr, Fe3B, TiB2, TiN, Ti2N, TiB, FeN, FeB, Fe2B, and h-BN phases. Its average microhardness in the zone between 0.1–2.8 mm from the coating surface is about Hv0.2 551.5.     

Effective adsorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol on hydrogenated graphene: kinetics and isotherms

The effective adsorption capability of a hydrogenated graphene （H-Gr） was demonstrated. The H-Gr was firstly prepared by heating graphene （Gr） in a hydrogen flow at 1,000 ℃. The specific surface area, layer number, zeta potential, surface defects, surface compounds groups and elemental ratio of H-Gr were investigated. Taking 2,4-dichlorophenol as a target pollutant, the adsorption ability of H-Gr was evaluated. The results showed that the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo- second-order equation well. For the adsorption isotherms, the equilibrium data of H-Gr were found to fit to Langmuir model, which was different from the Freundlich model of Gr. The adsorption capacity of H-Gr was high to 287.01 mg/g, almost three times as much as that of Gr, which was benefit from the increase of specific surface area and zeta potential. This work suggests that H-Gr may be a potential candidate for the adsorption of aromatic compounds from water and has great prospect for practical application.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a hot-extruded Al-based composite reinforced with core–shell-structured Ti/Al_3Ti

An Al-based composite reinforced with core–shell-structured Ti/Al_3Ti was fabricated through a powder metallurgy route followed by hot extrusion and was found to exhibit promising mechanical properties. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the composite sintered at 620°C for 5 h and extruded at a mass ratio of 12.75:1 reached 304 MPa and 14%, respectively, and its compressive deformation reached 60%. The promising mechanical properties are due to the core–shell-structured reinforcement, which is mainly composed of Al_3Ti and Ti and is bonded strongly with the Al matrix, and to the reduced crack sensitivity of Al_3Ti. The refined grains after hot extrusion also contribute to the mechanical properties of this composite. The mechanical properties might be further improved through regulating the relative thickness of Al–Ti intermetallics and Ti metal layers by adjusting the sintering time and the subsequent extrusion process.     

Kinetics of Dyes Adsorbed by Chitosan

A study on adsorption of Acidic Blue RAWL and Cationic Blue X-GRRL dyes by chitosan have been conducted. The adsorption kinetic parameters including adsorption rate K and effective diffusing coefficient D'i under the optimal pH ranges have been determined. Analysis through the enthalpy calculation reveals a substantial thermodynamic difference between the adsorption processes of the two dyes, which helps to understand the adsorption mechanism by chitosan.     

聚乙二醇插层石墨氧化物复合材料在水中无超声剥离

A novel method for exfoliating graphite oxide (GrO) was implemented through the mass water absorption of a GrO–poly(ethylene glycol) (GrO–PEG) composite. The GrO–PEG composite was prepared by intercalating PEG into the lamellae of GrO, and the variation of the basal spacing was measured by X-ray diffraction analysis. The yield of graphene was measured with an ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, and the properties of graphene oxide (GO) were characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Increasing intercalation time was found to improve the yield of GO, whereas increasing the PEG molecular weight had the opposite effect. The GO sheets produced from the intercalation–absorption–exfoliation process were found to be a four-layer structure. TEM and Raman analyses indicate that the graphitized structure and oxygen groups of GO were preserved during the exfoliation process. Most importantly, the results show that good-quality GO could be prepared via a mild method involving water absorption of a GrO–PEG composite.     

Exfoliation of poly(ethylene glycol)-intercalated graphite oxide composite in water without sonication

A novel method for exfoliating graphite oxide(GrO) was implemented through the mass water absorption of a GrO–poly(ethylene glycol)(GrO–PEG) composite. The GrO–PEG composite was prepared by intercalating PEG into the lamellae of GrO, and the variation of the basal spacing was measured by X-ray diffraction analysis. The yield of graphene was measured with an ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer,and the properties of graphene oxide(GO) were characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy(TEM), Raman spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Increasing intercalation time was found to improve the yield of GO, whereas increasing the PEG molecular weight had the opposite effect. The GO sheets produced from the intercalation–absorption–exfoliation process were found to be a four-layer structure. TEM and Raman analyses indicate that the graphitized structure and oxygen groups of GO were preserved during the exfoliation process. Most importantly, the results show that good-quality GO could be prepared via a mild method involving water absorption of a GrO–PEG composite.     

Preparation and performance of lipophilic α-zirconium phosphate with high thermal stability and its application in thermal-plastic polymers

To prepare lipophilic α-zirconium phosphate with high grafting ratio and thermal stability(OZrP-HT) and explore its potential application in thermal-plastic polymers,a novel method was developed by surface lipophilicity enhancement strategy.The commercial a-zirconium phosphate(a-ZrP) was pre-intercalated by n-propylamine(PA) and grafted by silane coupling agents.Then the pre-intercalated PA was removed by heattreatment,and the obtained OZrP-HT was utilized to fabricate the phosphorous-containing polyester(P-co-PET)/OZrP-HT nanocomposites by melt-blending method.The prepared OZrP-HT and P-co-PET/OZrP-HT nanocomposites were characterized by Wide Angle X-ray Diffraction(WAXD),Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR),Thermogravimetric Analysis(TGA),Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM),etc.The results show that OZrP-HT with high grafting ratio(13.78 wt%) and thermal stability(T_(onset)= 368℃) was successfully prepared via this novel method and was uniformly intercalated by P-co-PET molecular chains.OZrP-HT had no significant effect on the fiber processability of P-co-PET polymer,and flame retardant properties of(P-co-PET)/OZrP-HT nanocomposites were improved.This method may be suitable for organic modification of general inorganic layered compounds and could extend the potential applications in thermo-plastic polymers.     

Electrification of mineral particles by electron beam irradiation

A novel way for electrification of mineral particles by electron beam irradiation was proposed.The effect of irradiation dose on charge/mass ratio was investigated experimentally.The charge/mass ratio of electrified mineral powders after irradiation was measured by an instrument based on the principle of electrostatic induction.The experimental results showed that the charge/mass ratio is largely dependent on radiation dose and electric physical properties of minerals.The mechanism of electrification by electron beam irradiation is discussed.It is suggested that the essential of electrification by electron beam irradiation is a process of retardation and charge deposition of incideent elecytrons in materials.     

Protein adsorption on the poly（L-lactic acid） surface modified by chitosan and its derivatives

Surface modification of biomaterials has been adopted over the years to improve their biocompatibility. In this study, aiming to promote hydrophilicity and to introduce natural recognition sites onto poly（L-lactic acid） （PLLA） films, chitosan and its derivatives, carboxymethyl chitosan（CMC） and N-methylene phosphonic chitosan （NPC）, were used to modify the surface of PLLA films by an entrapment method. Radiolabeled （^125I） proteins were used to measure the amount of protein adsorbed to PLLA surfaces. Fibronectin （Fn） was used to study the protein adsorption on the modified PLLA surfaces, including isotherm adsorption and adsorption kinetics of single protein, competitive adsorption of binary proteins system and serum multi-proteins and the desorption behavior in serum solution. The results showed that in the isotherm adsorption, Fn had a larger adsorption capacity on the CS-modified surface at lower concentrations, but had a high adsorption capacity at CMC-modified surface at higher concentrations. In the study of absorption kinetics, Fn had a fastest adsorption equilibrium and a highest equilibrium adsorption capacity at the CS-modified surface, while it was opposite at the PCS-modified surface. When BSA and serum were added, it had the greatest effect on the adsorption of Fn on the PCS-modified surface. After 6 hours soaking in the desorpUon study, Fn had reached desorption equilibrium on all the modified surfaces, which had different effects on the desorption rate and the remaining percentage of Fn.     

The Chain Structure of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyacrylonitrile

The chemical composition, molecular weight and its distribution, the bonding structure and the regulation of ultrahigh molecular weight polyacrylonitrile （UHMW-PAN） prepared by aqueous suspension polymerization were determined by FIIR, viscometry, GPC, ^3H-NMR and ^13CNMR. The mechanical properties of the porous hollow fiber prepared by UHMW-PAN were discussed to provide a theoretical basis for the preparation of ideal precursors of the porous hollow oxidation fiber.     

Preparation of a cationic azobenzene dye-montmorillonite intercalation compound and its photochemical behavior

Montmorillonite/cationic azobenzene dye (GTL) intercalation compounds were prepared by the conventional ion exchange method. As compared with that of pure GTL, the thermal stability of the intercalated GTL was greatly enhanced, and the absorption band corresponding to azobenzene group in intercalated GTL shifted towards a longer wavelength by 55 nm, which could be ascribed to the strong conjugation of GTL supramolecular order structure (J cluster) confined in a nanoscale space of montmorillonite interlayer gallery. The microstructures of the resulting intercalation compounds could be successfully controlled by varying the amount of dye loaded as evidenced by the basal spacing of the intercalation compounds. The intercalated azo dye in the montmorillonite interlayer space exhibited reversible trans-to-cis photoisomerization and thermal cis-to-trans reaction. FTIR proved the successful intercalation of GTL into the silicate layer.     

Effect of the CaO/SiO_2 mass ratio and FeO content on the viscosity of CaO–SiO_2–“FeO”–12wt%ZnO–3wt%Al_2O_3 slags

An effective process for recycling lead from hazardous waste cathode ray tubes(CRTs) funnel glass through traditional lead smelting has been presented previously. The viscous behavior of the molten high lead slag, which is affected by the addition of funnel glass, plays a critical role in determining the production efficiency. Therefore, the viscosities of the CaO–SiO_2–"FeO"–12wt%ZnO–3wt%Al_2O_3 slags were measured in the current study using the rotating spindle method. The slag viscosity decreases as the CaO/SiO_2 mass ratio is increased from 0.8 to 1.2 and also as the FeO content is increased from 8wt% to 20wt%. The breaking temperature of the slag is lowered substantially by the addition of FeO, whereas the influence of the CaO/SiO_2 mass ratio on the breaking temperature is complex. The structural analysis of quenched slags using Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy reveals that the silicate network structure is depolymerized with increasing CaO/SiO_2 mass ratio or increasing FeO content. The [FeO_6]-octahedra in the slag melt increase as the CaO/SiO_2 mass ratio or the FeO content increases. This increase can further decrease the degree of polymerization(DOP) of the slag. Furthermore, the activation energy for viscous flow decreases both with increasing CaO/SiO_2 mass ratio and increasing FeO content.     

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ULTRA-HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE)(PET)FIBER

This paper reports the spinning and drawing behavior of Ultra-high Molecular Weight polyethylene Terephthalate) (UHMW-PET) fibers. The as-spun fibers were produced by dry-jet wet spinning of a 15%-17% solution in 50:50(v:v) trifluroroacetic acid and dichloromethane. Both molecular weight and polymer solution concentration have marked effect on the drawability of the as-spun-fibers. The maximum extension drawing ratio (EDRmax) of as-spun fiber increases with increasing molecular weight, whereas optimal concentration to achieve the EDRmax of as-spun fibers decreases with increasing molecular weight. Drawing speed and temperature during the first step have remarkable effect on the drawability of these fiber during the second step. Relatively lower drawing temperature and drawing speed (19 ℃ , 60 mm/min) during the first drawing step was beneficial to mechanical properties of ultimate fibers. At the range of 210 ℃ to 230 ℃, the draw ratio (DR) during the second step increases with increasing temperature.     

Research on Influence Factors of Surfactivity of Polyester Polyether Block Copolymer

Polyester polyether block copolymer （PPBC） was synthesized by ester-exchange and polycondensation reactions using dimethyl terephthalate （DMT）, ethylene glycol （EG） and polyethylene glycol （PEG） as monomer. The effects of PEG molecular weight, mol ratio of DMT to PEG （nDMT/nPEG）, temperature and time of polycondensation reaction and vacuum degree in the reaction system on the surface tension and critical micelle concentration （CMC） of PPBC aqueous solution were studied. It was found that both the molecular weight and the concentration of PEG can affect PPBC＇s surface activity obviously, and the optimum synthesis condition of PPBC used as surfactant is as follows： PEG molecular weight is 1 500, tool ratio of DMT to PEG is 3, temperature and time of polycondensation reaction is 260℃ × 1 h, vacuum degree of condensation reaction is 0.03-0.05 MPa. It was proved by surface tension measurement of PPBC aqueous solution that the PPBC synthesized in this condition is a good surfactant with excellent surfactivity.     

硫脲甲醛树脂吸附银离子的实验研究与理论模拟

Polythiourea resin was synthesised with thiourea and formaldehyde and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The effects of temperature, time, pH and initial concentration on the properties of polythiourea resin adsorption influence to silver ions were discussed by static adsorption method. In addition, experiments have also been carried out on the study of adsorption isotherm. In order to further understand the adsorption characteristics of polythiourea resin, the adsorption functional characteristics of Ag(Ⅰ) were studied by density functional B3LYP method.     

Synthesis of higher molecular weight PAN and its copolymers for carbon fibers

Higher molecular weight polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was obtained by the free-radical suspension copolymerization of itaconic acid (IA) and acrylonitrile (AN) which was carried out in DMSO/H₂O using 2,2'-azodiisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator. The effects of polymerization parameters, such as IA monomer concentration and DMSO/H₂O ratio, on the conversion of polymerization and number-average molecular weight are specially described. The copolymerization reaction rate and the number-average molecular weight of the resultant copolymers decrease with the result of high chain transfer constant of DMSO. For the copolymerization of AN and IA, with the inclusion of the good solvent DMSO, the solution degree of AN in DMSO/H₂O is higher than that in water, as a result, the resulting copolymer pellets range from soft bulk to solid grain, as characterized by the use of SEM. Higher molecular weight P(AN-co-IA) copolymers have a lower initiation of exothermal reaction temperature and wider DSC exothermal peaks compared with PAN homopolymers, which corresponds with the results of an IR study.