Binder Agent Research Articles

Facile CVD Fabrication of Vertically Aligned MoS2 Nanosheets with Embedded MoO2 on Molybdenum for High-Performance Binder-Free Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes.

The demand for compact energy storage devices necessitates the development of high-performance anode materials directly integrated with current collectors, minimizing or eliminating the need for binders or additives. With its layered structure and high theoretical capacity, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is regarded as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, we report chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of self-integrated, vertically aligned MoS2 nanosheets with embedded molybdenum dioxide (MoO2) directly on a molybdenum foil and explore its potential as an anode material for LIBs. The results show that the formation of the MoO2/MoS2 hybrid structure occurs through partial conversion of the initially grown MoO2 crystals to MoS2 layers under controlled sulfurization reactions. The self-integrated hybrid material, devoid of additional conductive or binder agents, exhibits remarkably efficient transfer of ions and electrons, facilitated by the high electrical conductivity of MoO2 and exposed active sites of MoS2. Electrochemical studies reveal an impressive areal capacity of 253 μA h cm-2 for the MoO2/MoS2 hybrid material on a molybdenum foil. In addition, the Li-ion diffusion coefficient value is estimated to be 0.798 × 10-10 and 1.14 × 10-10 cm2/s for the delithiation and lithiation processes, respectively. The capacity of LIBs can be significantly enhanced by engineering the MoO2/MoS2 anode material, making it a promising candidate for overcoming the limitations of single-anode materials. Our findings show that CVD can be a potential approach toward the fabrication of binder and conducting agent-free anodes directly on current collectors for advanced LIBs.

Mass granulation of Al-promoted CaO-based sorbent via moulding-crushing methods for cyclic CO2 capture

Calcium looping (CaL) process, as an effective way to achieve CO2 mitigation from high-temperature flue gas streams, is one of the most promising alternatives to amine scrubbing (a well-established technology for industrial post-combustion CO2 capture). CaO sorbent is considered to be an ideal CO2 adsorption material. Moreover, the development of granulation/pelletization techniques along with the mass preparation of the CaO-based sorbent is imperative for realistic large-scale applications. This work proposes two practicable moulding-crushing techniques for the scale-up granulation of CaO-based sorbents, in which the kilogram-scale produced Al-promoted CaO-based sorbent powders were first moulded and subsequently crushed into the granules of target sizes. Three types of organic acids–acetic acid, citric acid and malonic acid were employed as peptizing agents to optimize the granulation process. As a result, the anti-attrition properties and compressive strength of the synthetic sorbents were elevated owing to the introduction of an appropriate amount of acetic or malonic acid, for it expedited the disintegration of the pseudo-boehmite (served as binder agent) particles into sol particles, which allowed for tighter bonding of sorbent particles. In addition, corncob powder acted as a pore-forming agent, enhancing the porous structure of the sorbent particles due to the gases released from the thermal decomposition of organic groups during calcination. Nevertheless, the results revealed that the porous and loose structure adversely affected the mechanical strength of the granules.

Mimosa pudica Mucilage as a Functional Polymer in Pharmaceutical Applications

Mimosa pudica mucilage has emerged as a versatile natural polymer with considerable potential for pharmaceutical applications due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and unique physicochemical properties. This study explores the extraction, characterization, and evaluation of Mimosa pudica mucilage, focusing on its use as a functional polymer in drug delivery systems. The mucilage was characterized for its organoleptic properties, swelling index, solubility, flow properties, and ash content. Results indicate that Mimosa pudica mucilage exhibits good swelling and gelling properties, making it ideal for use as a binder, disintegrant, and controlled-release agent in pharmaceutical formulations. Its high purity, as reflected by low ash values, and favorable flow properties further enhance its suitability for solid dosage forms. The findings of this study suggest that Mimosa pudica mucilage can serve as a promising alternative to synthetic polymers, offering advantages in terms of safety, cost, and environmental sustainability.

Effect of Conductive Carbon on the Cycling Performance of Dry-Processed Cathode with High Mass Loading for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The cathode in lithium-ion batteries is conventionally produced by wet slurry process, which poses a technical challenge in manufacturing thick electrodes due to the migration of binder and conductive agent. To address these issues, interest in the dry process using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder for electrode manufacturing is increasing. Dry process is based on the fibrillation of PTFE induced by shear force, facilitating the complete binding of electrode components. It offers the advantage of uniformly dispersing conductive agents and binders, enabling the utilization of high-loading cathodes. In accordance with the cycling progresses, especially in thick electrodes, active materials on the separator side continuously participate in oxidation/reduction reactions, while those on the current collector side contribute less to these reactions. This highlights the crucial role of conductive agents in optimizing electrode performance. In this study, we explore the influence of the morphology of conductive carbon on the cycling performance of dry-processed cathode in lithium-ion batteries. In contrast to conductive carbon that establishes electron pathways through point-contact, the fibrous structure of conductive carbon promotes line-contact, thereby ensuring longer and more uniform electron pathways within the high-loading electrode. It facilitates the comprehensive utilization of active materials, even at a distance. Consequently, fibrous carbon achieved higher electrical conductivity, leading to enhanced electrochemical performance. The high mass-loaded LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode with areal capacity of 8 mAh cm-2, fabricated through a dry process using 1 wt.% PTFE exhibited good electrochemical performance. XPS and XRD analyses were conducted to investigate the deterioration of active materials, and the morphology of active materials was compared by SEM analyses.

Perspectives of Insulating Biodegradable Composites Derived from Agricultural Lignocellulosic Biomass and Fungal Mycelium: A Comprehensive Study of Thermal Conductivity and Density Characteristics.

The research suggests a production method of insulating composites created from lignocellulosic agricultural biomass with fungal mycelium as a binder agent and offers a deeper investigation of their thermophysical properties. Particularly, the samples were meticulously evaluated for density and thermal conductivity. The function was built on the suggestion by the authors regarding the thermal conductivity-weight ratio indicator. The metric was initially introduced to assess the correlation between these parameters and was also applied to qualitatively evaluate the biocomposite among other commonly used natural insulations. An applied polynomial trend analysis indicated that the most effective densities for the wheat, hemp, and flax, which were 60, 85, and 105 kg·m-3 respectively. It was determined that the optimal density for wheat and hemp composites corresponded to values of 0.28 and 0.20 W-1·kg-1·m4·K of the coefficient, respectively. These values were superior to those revealed in other common natural insulating materials, such as cork, cotton stalks, hempcrete, timber, etc. As a result, the proposed insulating material may offer numerous opportunities for application in industrial settings of civil engineering.

Operando Stress Evolution in Hard Carbon Anodes – Insight into the Mechanical Degradation Induced Failure Mode in Rechargeable Sodium Ion Batteries

Microstructural instabilities in electrodes arising from cycling induced stress is a primary failure mode in rechargeable batteries. Therefore, a quantitative knowledge of the cycling induced stress evolution in rechargeable battery electrodes is important for understanding the electrode microstructural instabilities during cycling that can potentially inform the electrode design to prolong battery cycle life. The cycling induced stress in electrodes typically arises from the volume changes associated with insertion/extraction of the electroactive species in the electrode matrix. For example, operando measurement of lithiation-delithiation induced stress in graphite electrodes that typically show 10% volume change has previously resulted in useful information that correlates well with the lithiation-delithiation mechanism in graphite anodes1. The size of the shuttling-electroactive species can be taken as an indicator of the cycling induced stress magnitude that drives the electrode microstructural instabilities. In this regard, quantification of the cycling induced stress in rechargeable Na-ion battery electrodes is warranted for understanding mechanical degradation induced failure modes owing to the larger size of the electroactive species, i.e., Na ions (vs. Li-ion).Hard carbons as potential anodes in rechargeable sodium ion batteries has gained considerable attention in the recent past due to their superior Na-ion storage capability (vs. graphite that is a canonical anode in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries). However, hard carbon anodes typically show significant capacity fade that can potentially arise from cycling induced mechanical degradation of the anodes. Operando stress measurements coupled with comprehensive electrode microstructural characterization will provide valuable insights in this context. Here we report on the operando stress evolution in hard carbon anodes in rechargeable sodium ion batteries as probed by Multiple Optical-beam Sensing (MOS) technique that basically involves monitoring the spacings among a group of laser spot (Fig. 1). Preliminary measurements have shown that the stress correlates with the potential with a maximum around 12 MPa in compression during sodiation and tensile stress of ~ 2MPa during desodiation. Operando stress measurements are performed in hard carbon anodes in two different electrode configurations – typical composite anodes (with binder and conductive agents) and hard carbon thin film anodes (without binder and conductive agents). The thin film configuration is considered to evaluate intrinsic stress response in hard carbon anodes in absence of any secondary phase. A comparison of operando stress response in these two types of hard carbon anodes along with comprehensive electrode microstructural characterization will be presented. Additionally, attempts will be made to shed light on the current debate in the mechanism of sodium storage in hard carbon anodes by comparing operando stress response of hard carbons from multiple sources along with their structural characterization (Raman, XPS, surface area etc.). V. A. Sethuraman, N. Van Winkle, D. P. Abraham, A. F. Bower, and P. R. Guduru, Journal of Power Sources, 206, 334–342 (2012). Figure 1

Application of Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Glycerol Monostearate as Binder Agents for Protein Powder Production from Honey Bee Brood Using Foam-Mat Drying Technique.

This study investigates the development of protein powder from honey bee drone broods using foam-mat drying, a scalable method suitable for community enterprises, as well as the preservation of bee broods as a food ingredient. Initially, honey bee broods were pre-treated by boiling and steaming, with steamed bee brood (S_BB) showing the highest protein content (44.71 g/100 g dry basis). A factorial design optimized the powder formulation through the foam-mat drying process, incorporating varying concentrations of S_BB, glycerol monostearate (GMS), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The physicochemical properties of the resulting powder, including yield, color spaces, water activity, solubility, protein content, and total amino acids, were evaluated. The results showed that foam-mat drying produced a stable protein powder. The binders (CMC and GMS) increased the powder's yield and lightness but negatively affected the hue angle (yellow-brown), protein content, and amino acid content. The optimal quantities of the three variables (S_BB, GMS, and CMC) were determined to be 30 g, 6 g, and 1.5 g, or 80%, 16%, and 4%, respectively. Under this formulation, the protein powder exhibited a protein content of 19.89 g/100 g. This research highlights the potential of bee brood protein powder as a sustainable and nutritious alternative protein source, enhancing food diversification and security.

Foam-laid extensible paper for improved extensibility and press-forming performance

This study was motivated by the recent raising interest for the sustainable plastic-free dry 3D formable materials. 3D forming processes are capable to produce large unit quantities, but the process conditions for packaging applications have been typically very demanding for cellulose-based materials. This study covers some of the key factors affecting the extensibility of cellulose fibre-based materials and presents a laboratory-scale development study of a press-formable material concept. The investigation focused on comparisons of two refining concepts for bleached softwood kraft (BSK) pulp and two sheet forming concepts, namely water-laid and foam-laid forming. Additionally, influence of thermoplastic additives on the extensibility and 3D forming performance were investigated. In-plane compaction was applied with Expanda® laboratory device. Performance of the materials was evaluated by tensile tests and depth of the 3D formed shapes. In this study, in-plane compaction at first in cross-machine direction (CD) and then in machine direction (MD) led to over 30% elongation with BSK-based laboratory sheets containing latex as a binder and foaming agent. In addition to high elongation, optimal strength was needed for the best press-forming performances. In-plane compaction was the most significant factor regarding the elongation, but it also decreased the strength of the materials. Similar press-forming performance was found with two materials with either highly anisotropic or more isotropic elongation. The elongation anisotropy was created by one-way and two-way in-plane compactions. The results indicate that a reasonable performance for BSK-based materials for 3D forming applications can be reached using the presented concept.

Novel Ni(II) and Zn(II) Schiff base metal chelates as promising DNA binder, Antioxidant and Antifungal agents

<p>Schiff base ligands and their 3d-metal chelates have gained significant attention due to various applications in various scientific platforms. Due to their chelating propensity, they possess a wide range of biological, biochemical, catalytic, clinical, dying, and pharmacological properties.<strong> </strong>Here, in present studies,<strong> </strong>two novel Ni(II) and Zn(II) transition metal chelates have been synthesized by condensing their metal salts with Schiff base ligand 4-chloro-2-(2,5-dimethoxybenzylideneamino)-5-nitrophenol<strong> </strong>originated from 2,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde and 2-amino-4-chloro-5-nitrophenol. The synthesized Schiff base ligand and its metal chelates have been Spectro-chemically examined by FT-IR, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, <sup>1</sup>HNMR, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Powdered-XRD. These compounds are biologically reactive and exhibit antifungal, antioxidant, and DNA-binding activity. The Ni(II) metal chelate gives better biological activity than the Zn(II) metal chelate and parent Schiff base ligand.</p>

Investigating Thermal Decomposition Kinetics and Thermodynamic Parameters of Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene-based Energetic Composite

Background: Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB)-based energetic compositions have been developed for enhanced blast energetic composite, composite rocket propellant formulations, metal cutting, demolition, welding and explosive reactive armour in civil and military applications. The types and choice of curing agents are crucial in enhancing the mechanical and structural integrity of the binder. To understand the stability and safety of energetic composites for potential applications, it is necessary to understand the thermal decomposition kinetics and thermodynamic parameters clearly. Objective: The main objective is to study the decomposition kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of energetic composites cured by different curing agents. Methods: A series of energetic composites based on HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7- tetrazocane) and HTPB-based binder system cured with various curing agents were prepared by the cast cured method. The curatives, namely MDI (4,4’-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate), IPDI (isophorone diisocyanate), TDI (toluene dissocyanate) and TMDI (2,2,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate) were used. The thermal analysis method was employed to investigate the thermal decomposition characteristics, which are closely associated with the thermal stability and safety considerations during handling, processing, and storage. The kinetic parameters for thermal decomposition reactions were studied by employing the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method. The thermodynamic parameters of the activation enthalpy, activation Gibbs energy free and activation entropy of all energetic composites were also determined by the theory of activated complex. Results: The thermogravimetric results show that the thermal stability is almost similar for all composites cured with the different types of curing agents. The average activation energy of the energetic composites cured with IPDI, MDI, TMDI and TDI was 207.5, 237.3, 243.3 and 187.6 kJ/mol, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters for the thermal decomposition process show that they are generally thermodynamically stable and non-spontaneous. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs of all the samples clearly indicate that HMX crystals are well embedded in the polymer matrices. result: The thermogravimetric results show that the thermal stability and thermal decomposition behaviour do not change significantly by varying the type of the curing agent in the HTPB-based binder. The SEM micrographs of all the samples clearly indicate that HMX crystals are well embedded in the polymer matrices. The averaged activation energy for the HMX/HTPB/MDI, HMX/HTPB/IPDI, HMX/HTPB/TDI and HMX/HTPB/TMDI samples obtained from FO method was 237.3, 207.5, 187.6 and 243.3 kJ/mol, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters including the activation enthalpy, activation Gibbs free energy and activation entropy for the thermal decomposition process show that they are generally thermodynamically stable and non-spathaceous. Conclusion: The thermal stability of all energetic composites is almost constant. The activation energy of the prepared energetic composites is significantly varied with varying the type of curing agents in the HTPB-based binder system. The thermodynamic parameters indicate that composites possess superior stability and thermal safety. The SEM micrographs indicate that HMX crystals of prepared composites are embedded in the polymer matrix.

Spinning of Carbon Nanofiber/Ni–Cu–S Composite Nanofibers for Supercapacitor Negative Electrodes

The preparation of composite carbon nanomaterials is one of the methods for improving the electrochemical performance of carbon-based electrode materials for supercapacitors. However, traditional preparation methods are complicated and time-consuming, and the binder also leads to an increase in impedance and a decrease in specific capacitance. Therefore, in this work, we reduced Ni-Cu nanoparticles on the surface of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (CNFs) by employing an electrostatic spinning method combined with pre-oxidation and annealing treatments. At the same time, Ni-Cu nanoparticles were vulcanized to Ni–Cu–S nanoparticles without destroying the structure of the CNFs. The area-specific capacitance of the CNFs/Ni–Cu–S–300 electrode reaches 1208 mF cm−2 at a current density of 1 mA cm−2, and the electrode has a good cycling stability with a capacitance retention rate of 76.5% after 5000 cycles. As a self-supporting electrode, this electrode can avoid the problem of the poor adhesion of electrode materials and the low utilization of active materials due to the inactivity of the binder and conductive agent in conventional collector electrodes, so it has excellent potential for application.

The Performance Study of Microstrip Patch Antenna Made of Polyurethane - Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Composite

In this paper, the performance of microstrip patch antenna that is made of fully biodegradable materials has been studied. The polymer resins of Polyurethane as a binder agent were produced using polyol extracted from palm oil while the host composites were made from oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber. The performance of Polyurethane – Oil Palm (PolyOP) Empty Fruit Bunch composite as a microwave dielectric substrate was tested by fabricating microstrip patch antenna on it. The performance of fabricated patch antenna was measured using Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) and is compared with simulation results obtained from High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) simulator. The difference of percentage in resonant frequency, return loss, bandwidth and VSWR between simulation and measurement were found to be 0.4%, 75.2%, 67.9%, and 12.7%, respectively.

Superior initial Coulombic efficiency and areal capacity of hard carbon anode enabled by graphite-assisted carbonization for sodium-ion battery

Hard carbons are perceived as promising anode materials in sodium-ion batteries, while their practical implementation is largely impeded by the insufficient initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE). Hard carbons with self-supporting architecture are intriguing to enhance ICE owing to the omission of binder and conductive agent; whereas elaborate architecture and microstructure design are still required to further raise the ICE to the level of commercial graphite in lithium-ion batteries, especially under high areal capacity. Herein, we propose a graphite-assisted pressurization strategy during carbonization to achieve remarkable ICE and high areal capacity in resulting self-supporting cellulose tissue derived hard carbon anode. The intimate contact of graphite plate enables suitable local ordering of pseudo-graphitic nanodomains with low intrinsic defects, responsible for enhanced ICE. While the pressure-reinforced dense yet self-interwoven fibrous networks render high areal capacity. Consequently, the as-prepared self-supporting hard carbon anode displays remarkable ICE to 95% and areal capacity of 2.4 mAh cm−2, far exceeding the reported value of less than 0.8 mAh cm−2. Meanwhile, the rate and durability are not scarified under such superior ICE due to the well-manipulated pseudo-graphitic nanodomains and porous fibrous networks. The practicality is further demonstrated in coin-type and pouch-type full cells delivering high capacity and long-term stability. Our finding offers an impetus for the development of high ICE and areal capacity for sodium-ion battery anode.

Physical Characteristics of Fishbone Gelatin (Gel Strength, Viscosity, and pH): Review

Gelatin is a polypeptide molecule derived from collagen, the main protein that forms the skin and bones in animals. Gelatin serves various functions in the food industry, acting as a stabilizer, whipping agent, gel-former, and binder agent. Research on utilizing fish bones for gelatin production has been widely conducted. Gel strength, viscosity, and pH are some of the physical characteristic parameters of fish bone gelatin. Gelatin's ability to transition between the gel and sol phases, or its reversible nature, is reflected in its gel strength. Viscosity of gelatin reflects the molecule's ability to flow in solutions, whether they are simple organic liquids or dilute suspensions, playing a crucial role in maintaining emulsion stability. The acidity level (pH) in fish bone gelatin is influenced by the pH of the hydrolysis or extraction solution, while the source of gelatin, acidity level, extraction method, temperature, and duration also impact the gel strength and viscosity values. Therefore, there is a need for a study on the physical characteristics such as gel strength, viscosity, and pH of fish bone gelatin.

Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Ti6Al4V Alloy Foams produced by Powder Metallurgy Method

In this study, it was aimed to production titanium alloy implants, which are widely used in the biomedical industry, as foamed materials under different mechanical alloying and sintering conditions using the powder metallurgy method Tİ6Al4V alloy is good mechanical properties, good biocompatibility properties and good corrosion resistance used as hard tissue replacements and implants. Similar mechanic properties with bone are expected from the implant to work coherently for long cycles of use and without any failure. Especially, elastic modulus of implant must be similar with bones, if not, some damages at bone surface and fallowing repeats of implant surgeries are reported. This situation has a destructive effect on health, finance, and comfort of the patient/user of the implant. In this study, powder metallurgy and space holder removal methods were used to produce porous Ti6Al4V specimens. Throughout the project study different space holder materials and binder agents were used. As weight percent, 20%, 30%, 40%, 60%, 70%, 80% porous specimens were pressed at uniaxial press machine, and sintered to the 850 ºC at argon atmosphere in furnace to reduce the oxidation to the level as low as possible. The E-Modulus values of the specimens reached the desired values with increasing porosity. It was obtained as 88 MPa in the specimen with 80% porosity, decreasing inversely proportionally, especially from the 60% porosity rate.

Using multi-threshold non-local means joint distribution method to analysis the spatial distribution patterns of binder and fibers in gas diffusion layers of fuel cells

The gas diffusion layer (GDL) in fuel cell plays a crucial role in mass transfer, electron conduction and structural support. The distribution of binder and hydrophobic agent directly affects the mass transfer and conductivity of the fuel cell. In this study, a multi-threshold segmentation-based image processing method was used to distinguish between pores, fibers, and binder in the GDL. The relationship between binder distribution and fiber density as well as the thickness of the binder layer was investigated. Specifically, the study first utilized a joint distribution map based on grayscale values and non-local means values, with global Rényi entropy as the optimization objective. A bee algorithm was employed to search for the global optimal point, achieving threshold segmentation of micro-scale images. Subsequently, by comparing the results of element segmentation using one-dimensional and multi-dimensional segmentation methods, a three-dimensional convolutional kernel of different sizes was used to obtain the distance from each point in the structure to the edge, effectively separating adherent fibers. Finally, convolutional methods were used to analyze the relationship between the thickness of the binder layer and fiber density. It was found that there is a positive correlation between thickness and spatial density of fibers when the fiber layer is thin. These research findings provide theoretical basis for the content and distribution of binder in the basal layer process of GDL fabrication, and contribute to a more accurate description of the microstructure and properties of actual materials, enhancing the understanding of the preparation process and microstructure properties of GDL in fuel cells. The image processing method utilized in this study enables the computation of crucial parameters within the GDLs' multi-component segmentation algorithm, utilizing a limited sample size. Additionally, it offers valuable insights into the spatial distribution characteristics of fibers and the presence of thin matrix layers. These findings highlight the potential of this method for future applications in the realm of realistic three-dimensional structural reconstructions, thus holding promising prospects for further advancements in this field.

The Effect of Gelatin on Water Holding Capacity, Water Activity, Water Content, and Randement of Chicken-Liver Meatball

Gelatin (C102H151N31) was used as the addition on chicken liver meatballs and had functioned as a binder agent to improve the texture of the liver which crumbles easily by binding the water during heating. The objective of this research was determining the effect of gelatin as the addition in different levels on WHC, Aw, water content, and randement of chicken liver meatball. The materials used for this research were chicken liver meatballs added with different levels of gelatin consisting of 0%, 3%, 6%, and 9%. The method of this research used experimental research, counted with Completely Randomized Design (CRD) used 4 treatments and 4 replications. Variables of this research were WHC, Aw, water content, and randement. The result showed that average of WHC on each level are 46.39% ; 47.97% ; 48.73% ; 49.24%, Aw: 0.88; 0.88; 0.88; 0.90, water content: 69.00%; 68.38%; 66.50%; 64.37%, randement: 94.04%; 96.12%; 97.10%; 100.20%. Addition of gelatin did not give significant effect on WHC, Aw, water content, and randement. In conclusion, the addition of gelatin in different levels on chicken liver meatball did not give significant effect on WHC, Aw, water content, and randement

Polyacrylic co-maleic acid as an anti-scaling binder for air–cathode microbial fuel cell: An oxygen reduction reaction perspective

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a binder commonly used in air–cathode MFC fabrication. Herein, the performance of poly acrylic co-maleic acid (PMA) as a binder and anti-scaling agent for cathode was evaluated for application in an air–cathode MFC. Two different cathode catalysts were tested for applicability in MFC, viz., (a) Vulcan-XC: with PMA (MFC-1), with PDMS (MFC-3), and (b) Nitrogen-doped carbon catalyst (NDCP) with PDMS (MFC-2) and with PMA (MFC-4). The PMA, as an alternative to costly PDMS, prevented scale formation on the cathode surface and helped to sustain the performance of MFC-3 and MFC-4 for over 30 days. As evidenced by the cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, MFC-4 (NDCP and PMA) showed the best cathodic current density owing to the core–shell structure formed by nitrogen and carbon atoms in NDCP. In the future, using PMA can prevent scale formation over the (air) cathode surface and deliver a stable performance of MFC without any need for costly binder agents, such as PDMS.

Conductive composite binder for recyclable LiFePO4 cathode

In order to solve the problem of poor conductivity of traditional LiFePO4 cathode binders, we developed sodium alginate-Congo red copolymers (SA-CR) as water-soluble electrically conductive and mechanically robust composite binder. Unlike most other electrically conductive polymer binders, the procedure is straightforward and low-cost to prepare SA-CR binder. Various SA -CR copolymers were prepared with different degree of compounding of CR to investigate the effect of CR on the electrochemical and physical properties of the prepared electrodes. The copolymer whose composition was filled with a mixture of SA and CR at a 3:1 mass ratio showed the best cell performance, due to the well-balanced electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. It exhibited a specific capacity of 118.8 mAh/g at the 100th cycle with 92.1% capacity retention, significantly better than the 108.5 mAh/g of conventional acetylene black electrodes. CR as a conduction-promoting agent in water-soluble composite binder favors the formation of continuous and homogenous conducting bridges throughout the electrode and increases the compaction density of electrode by reducing the conducting agent content of acetylene black and thus the improvement of electrode performance is realized.

Multifunctional applications of cellulose/sodium alginate aerogel material: Antibacterial, adsorption, and heat insulation

In this work, cellulose aerogel (CellA) was synthesized from raw cellulose derived from coconut peat and sodium alginate wherein zinc ion played as the binder agent. The investigation focused on the alternation of cellulose to sodium alginate ratio, which caused differentiation in characteristic aspects, mechanical strength, and antibacterial capability. Among them, the corresponding ratio of 10:1 (CellA-10 sample) was found to be the optimal one thanks to the prosperous bactericidal properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Besides, the fabricated material also possessed relatively applicable heat insulation of 0.064 W/m.K. Upon the surface modification with stearic acid, the material exhibited better hydrophobicity via the water contacting angle of 113o whilst its adsorption capacity towards organic liquids reaching up to 17 g/g. Conclusively, the obtained results suggest the highly promising synthesized CellA material in environmental remediation and antibacterial or heat insulation sectors.