Clad Composites Research Articles

Enhancements in Hydrogen Storage Properties of Magnesium Hydride Supported by Carbon Fiber: Effect of C–H Interactions

Carbon-based materials with excellent catalytic activity provide new ideas for the development of magnesium-based hydrogen storage. C-H bonding interactions may play a key role in performance improvement. In this work, we comprehensively compare the magnesium-carbon cloth composites (CC) prepared by method of dry ball milling and wet impregnation. The results were that the hydrogen release activation energy (Ea) of MgH2@CC composites prepared by wet immersion method was 175.1 ± 19.5 kJ·mol−1, which was lower than that of pure MgH2 (Ea = 213.9 ± 6.4 kJ·mol−1), and the activation energy of MgH2-CC composites prepared by ball milling method was 137.3 ± 8.7 kJ·mol−1, which provided better results. The kinetic enhancement should be attributed to C-H interactions. The presence of carbon carriers and electron transfer to reduce the activation energy of Mg-H bond fracture. These results will provide further insights into the promotion of hydrogen ab-/desorption from metal hydrides.

Composite Textile with Electroconductive and Magnetic Properties

Composite Textile with Electroconductive and Magnetic Properties

Flexible AIE/PCM composite fiber with biosensing of alcohol, fluorescent anti-counterfeiting and body thermal management functions

Alcohol sensing plays a critical role in medical detection and personal health management. AIE materials with high sensitivity, selectivity and fast response have been widely used in biosensing, but their application in the field of alcohol sensing still needs further research and development. Furthermore, developing flexible phase change materials (PCMs) is significant for the research of human-body thermal management. In this study, a kind of flexible polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/polyethylene glycol (PEG)/Py-CH (pyrene-based AIE molecule)/SiO2@h-BN composite fiber textile (PAB) with alcohol sensing performance, writable fluorescence property, and human body thermal management function has been prepared via electrospinning technique. The PAN/PVP fiber matrix successfully integrated AIE fluorescent sensing material and PCM into a multi-functional composite with great shape stability. Owing to the introduction of novel pyrene-based Py-CH with AIE characteristic, this innovative textile exhibited wonderful fluorescent properties, including sensitive alcohol fluorescence sensing, writable fluorescence performance and variable temperature fluorescence. Furthermore, proposed PAB textile delivered a high energy storage density of 87∼90 J/g, excellent thermal reliability, great comprehensive mechanical flexibility and enhanced thermal conductivity for flexible human body thermal management. Hence, this flexible multifunctional AIE/PCM composite sensing textiles can be widely used in alcohol sensing, fluorescence anti-counterfeiting and flexible body thermal management.

Bioinspired fireproof textiles with hierarchical micropore for radiative cooling and perspiration

Even though the huge potential in significantly decreasing the energy consumption for cooling buildings and the human body is presented by radiative cooling technology, there is still a long way to realize its real-commercial application, considering comprehensive performances, such as safety, comfort, longevity, and production cost. Inspired by the biological micro-nano structures of Cyphochilus, we develop a one-step, large-scale, and low commercial-cost method to prepare multifunctional composite textiles, with effective cooling, fire safety, and directional water transportation. The high emissivity (96.8 %) in the atmospheric window and high reflectivity (97.1 %) in the solar waveband are successfully achieved. When exposed to direct sunlight, composite textiles can achieve up to 5 °C below commercial textiles at a solar intensity of 750 W•m−2. Besides, the directional water transportation and the excellent mechanical strength further improve the practical application. This work proposes a radiatively cooled composite textile to achieve personal thermal management and fire protection to meet the needs of specialty garments such as firefighting suits.

Multi-interfaced FeCoNi@C/carbon cloth composites for eliminating electromagnetic wave pollution

To tackle the increasing electromagnetic pollution, new and efficient electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA) and shielding (EWS) materials are urgently needed. Multi-component synergism and complex microstructure design are effective measures to improve the EWA and EWS properties. However, how to implement the above designs still faces huge challenges. Herein, multi-interface carbon-coated FeCoNi nanoneedles grown on carbon cloth (FeCoNi@C/CC) were synthesized by a combination of hydrothermal process and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology with the concept of “green synthesis”. Using acetylene as the carbon source and atmosphere, the FeCoNi ternary hydroxide can be transformed into a multiple magnetic component (Fe3O4, Ni, and Co metals) by simple annealing. Simultaneously, a uniform carbon layer is formed on the surface, resulting in a composite system with a variety of heterogeneous interfaces and loss mechanisms. Additionally, the dielectric and magnetic loss capacities can be effectively adjusted by changing the temperature of CVD. The optimized FeCoNi@C/CC as filler exhibits remarkable EWA performance with a minimum reflection loss of −69.3 ​dB at a thickness of 1.82 ​mm and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth of 6.80 ​GHz. Moreover, the composites as an integrated component also show a fascinating electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency of 42.2 ​dB. This work provides a guide for the structural design of high-performance electromagnetic protection materials with multi-heterogeneous interfaces.

A novel bacillus-shaped CoNi ZIF-MXene@MWCNT carbon cloth electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of salidroside

A meticulously engineered bacillus-shaped CoNi ZIF-MXene@MWCNT carbon cloth (CC) composite was synthesized through a one-step immersion method, which was employed in the development of a novel electrochemical (EC) sensor for the sensitive detection of salidroside (SAL) in Rhodiola. Characterization of the CoNi ZIF-MXene@MWCNT CC was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and EC methods. The bacillus-shaped composite showcased an exceptionally high rate of active site exposure, superior conductivity, and electrocatalytic efficiency, attributed to the synergistic effects of the constituent materials. The remarkable electrocatalytic capability facilitated the redox reaction of SAL, marked by a significant enhancement in the current signal. This led to a concentration-dependent response enabling the quantitative detection of SAL. The mechanism of the redox reaction might be the oxidation of the phenolic hydroxyl group of SAL. Demonstrating high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability, this novel bacillus-shaped composite-based EC sensor achieved a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.0958 µ g/mL for SAL, within an effective linear range of 0.5–500 µg/mL. Importantly, the EC sensor proved to be adept at practical detection of SAL in Rhodiola samples with complex matrices, and the salidroside content of Rhodiola crenulata was much higher than that of Rhodiola rosea, indicating that Rhodiola crenulata may have a higher medicinal value, offering a promising avenue for rapid and sensitive detection of SAL.

Integration of prolonged phase-change thermal storage material and radiative cooling textile for personal thermal management

Efficient passive thermal regulation clothing is of great importance for personal thermal comfort in extremely hot environments. Phase-change textiles have been made for personal thermal regulation, however, achieving prolonged thermal comfort remains challenging due to their limited latent thermal storage duration. Here, a bilayer polyvinyl butyral (PVB) composite textile, integrating prolonged phase-change thermal storage and radiative cooling, is fabricated for personal thermal regulation. The PVB composite textile has a high reflectivity of 90.1 % in the solar wavelength range and a high emissivity of 95.7 % in the atmospheric window. More importantly, encapsulating 70 wt% of phase change microcapsules (PCMC) into the PVB membrane (denoted by PVB-PCMC70) gives a total enthalpy of fusion 124.3 J g−1, which compensates for the deficiency in radiative cooling power during the day. This results in a maximum additional temperature reduction of 10.4 °C compared with textile without the PCMC. Furthermore, the PVB composite textile demonstrates a capacity for effectively mitigating abrupt temperature fluctuations, ensuring sustained thermal comfort throughout the daytime. Moreover, the PVB composite textile shows practical applicability, including washability, flexibility, thermostability, moisture permeability and breathability.

Carbonyl iron/glass fiber cloth composites: Achieving multi-spectrum stealth in a wide temperature range

Multispectral camouflage in a wide temperature range is still a challenging issue owing to the incompatibility of stealth mechanisms corresponding to different spectra. Herein, we develop a flexible flaky carbonyl iron (FCI)/glass fiber (GF) cloth, using all-in-one design of microwave absorption and infrared (IR) stealth to eliminate the above contradictions. Due to micron-scale gaps and height differences on the surface of GF cloth modified with Fe3O4, FCI gains a special vertical structure, which not only induces multiple eddy centers in FCI to enhance magnetic loss but also reduces the microwave reflection area, achieving a synergistic improvement in attenuation and impedance characteristics. Therefore, FCI/GF cloth with a thickness of 2.0 mm obtains a maximum effective absorbing bandwidth of 5.82 GHz in a range of 25–400 °C. On the other hand, combination of FCI and GF cloth decreases IR emissivity while maintaining wonderful heat insulation performance, allowing objects over 250 °C to obtain promising thermal IR camouflage. The all-in-one design successfully breaks barriers faced by traditional hierarchical radar-IR compatible stealth materials such as strong reflection, great thickness, loss and impedance mismatch.

Composite Warp-Knitted Textile with Wet–Thermal Comfort, Support, and Antimicrobial Activity for Personal Long-Term Healthcare

Composite Warp-Knitted Textile with Wet–Thermal Comfort, Support, and Antimicrobial Activity for Personal Long-Term Healthcare

Rational construction of ZnFe2O4 decorated hollow carbon cloth towards effective electromagnetic wave absorption

As typical magnetic materials, ferrites and their composites play dominant roles in the design of high-performance electromagnetic wave (EW) absorber. Solvent thermal method is the most popular route for synthesizing ferrites, while systematical comparison research about the influence of reaction solvents of solvent thermal process on ferrite based material's EW absorption performance has rarely been carried out. Thus in this work, we adopted cotton fabric as raw material, and synthesized two kinds of zinc ferrite decorated hollow carbon cloth (CC@ZnFe2O4) composites through solvent thermal reaction where deionized water and ethylene glycol was adopted as reaction solvents, respectively. After comprehensive and detailed comparison of the structures and performances of these two ferrite composites, the CC@ZnFe2O4 synthesized in deionized water phase possesses an ideal optimal absorption efficiency for EW, that is the minimum reflection loss (RL min) of −46 dB, while the effective absorption bandwidth of CC@ZnFe2O4 composites synthesized in ethylene glycol phase is wider (4.9 GHz). The synergistic effect of impedance matching, interface polarization, magnetic resonance, and multiple reflections co-determined the ideal EW absorption performances of these two samples. The research can not only provide new guidance for the secondary utilization of waste textiles, but also become an important reference for the preparation of ferrite based high-performance EW absorbers through solvent thermal method.

Superhydrophobic stretchable conductive composite textile with weft-knitted structure for excellent electromagnetic interference shielding and Joule heating performance

Conductive composite textiles (CCTs) as multifunctional integrated platform provide an effective path for developing flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites. However, conventional CCTs suffer from EMI shielding performance failure or the loss of textile's intrinsic properties under large tensile strain. Hence, in this work, a stretchable EMI shielding CCT that retains the inherent attributes of textile is proposed via weft-knitting and in-situ chemical Ag deposition. The complete and continuous silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) conductive networks bring excellent conductivity (38560 S/m) and ultrahigh EMI shielding performance (80.1 dB) in unstretched state. When tensile strain is applied, the fibers are gradually straightened from flexural state within 40 % strain, and then begin to be stretched at bigger strains, which benefits from the weft-knitting structure. Therefore, the conductive networks on the fiber surfaces are well protected from damage in the initial 40 % strain range, resulting in a stable EMI shielding performance (51.7 dB) even after 1000 cycles of 100 % tensile strain. Crucially, the CCT preserves good air permeability, softness and lightness even though a series of modifications and tensile strains are applied. Other than the EMI shielding perforamnce, the excellent superhydrophobicity (the contact angle of 158°) imparts the textile with the capability to tackle complex environments easily. Moreover, the textile can readily be heated to 73.4 °C at a low voltage of 0.5 V, showing outstanding Joule heating performance. Even after a long period of heating (3600 s), the textile maintains superior thermal stability, indicating potential applications in wearable heaters. In brief, this multifunctional CCT has excellent comprehensive properties and is expected to further expand the applications of EMI shielding textiles.

Flexible and Breathable Piezoresistive Sensors Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide/Silk Fiber/Carbon Cloth Composites for Health Monitoring

Flexible and Breathable Piezoresistive Sensors Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide/Silk Fiber/Carbon Cloth Composites for Health Monitoring

MXene/Cellulose Composite Cloth for Integrated Functions (if-Cloth) in Personal Heating and Steam Generation

Given the abundant solar light available on our planet, it is promising to develop an advanced fabric capable of simultaneously providing personal thermal management and facilitating clean water production in an energy-efficient manner. In this study, we present the fabrication of a photothermally active, biodegradable composite cloth composed of titanium carbide MXene and cellulose, achieved through an electrospinning method. This composite cloth exhibits favorable attributes, including chemical stability, mechanical performance, structural flexibility, and wettability. Notably, our 0.1-mm-thick composite cloth (RC/MXene IV) raises the temperature of simulated skin by 5.6 °C when compared to a commercially available cotton cloth, which is five times thicker under identical ambient conditions. Remarkably, the composite cloth (RC/MXene V) demonstrates heightened solar light capture efficiency (87.7%) when in a wet state instead of a dry state. Consequently, this cloth functions exceptionally well as a high-performance steam generator, boasting a superior water evaporation rate of 1.34 kg m−2 h−1 under one-sun irradiation (equivalent to 1000 W m−2). Moreover, it maintains its performance excellence in solar desalination processes. The multifunctionality of these cloths opens doors to a diverse array of outdoor applications, including solar-driven water evaporation and personal heating, thereby enriching the scope of integrated functionalities for textiles.Graphical

In-situ growth coating of MIL-88/100(Fe) on carbon cloth for adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue

The majority of efficient photocatalysts are powder-like, making recycling difficult. In this work, carbon cloth (CC) was used as the substrate, two MOF cloth composites MIL-88@CC and MIL-100@CC were prepared at room temperature, and the morphology and structure of MOF cloth composites were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of photocatalytic degradation tests show that the two heat-treated MOF cloth composites have excellent degradation effects on MB. The two MOF cloth composites can degrade above 97 % of MB (20 mg/L) within 30 min under the irradiation of 250 W high-pressure mercury lamp and stirring, far exceeding the raw MOF cloth. The presence of oxygen vacancy defects is thought to have improved the heat-treated MOF cloth's photocatalytic efficiency by upsetting the symmetry of the material and facilitating electron and hole separation.·OH and·O2- were found to be the main reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the degradation process, according to quenching studies and electron spin resonance (ESR) research. In addition, the macroscale MIL-88@CC and MIL-100@CC have considerable potential for degrading dyes, which presents a practical solution to sustainable development concerns.

IMPLEMENTING THE NAXI ETHNIC CLOTHING ELEMENTS IN MODERN OUTFIT DESIGNS

ABSTRACT
 
 China's ancient ethnic minority clothes contain remarkable cultural elements, and among its treasures is the unique Naxi dress, the nation's oldest-standing traditional ethnic clothing. This study analyses the traditional Naxi clothing's structure, colour, fabric, motif characteristics, and accessories. These studies specify traditional Naxi clothing as the primary goal, which is fashioned in contemporary ways. Through an investigation of clothing composition and culture, the four main elements that constitute Naxi costumes should be applied to contemporary clothes. Firstly, the term "variability" designates a distinct style that differs in appearance depending on the way it is dressed. Secondly, the term 'colour contrast' denotes a high level of visual contrast. Third, material difference' integrates various materials into one. Fourth,' symbolic meaning' provides meaning to the wearer. As a consequence of this research, two modern clothing outfits were created with the implication of the unique character of Naxi costume clothes as a fashion design product, based on the traditional cultural characteristics of the Naxi people. By integrating components of traditional Naxi clothing and emphasising innovation, this study investigates and offers novel ideas for contemporary clothing design while simultaneously preserving traditional cultural elements for future generations.
 
 Keywords: Naxi people, Naxi traditional costumes, cultural elements, modern appeal

Electrocatalytic Performance of Carbon Layer and Spherical Carbon/Carbon Cloth Composites Towards Hydrogen Evolution from the Direct Electrolysis of Bunsen Reaction Product

Electrocatalytic Performance of Carbon Layer and Spherical Carbon/Carbon Cloth Composites Towards Hydrogen Evolution from the Direct Electrolysis of Bunsen Reaction Product

Flexible Wearable Ti3C2Tx Composite Carbon Fabric Textile with Infrared Stealth and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effect

AbstractTi3C2Tx materials have been developed to have application space in many fields, but there are not many works that can be compatible with infrared (IR) stealth and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding at the same time. To realize the multiband high EMI shielding of Ti3C2Tx materials, and to achieve stealth effect in the IR band, in this work, a composite textile is prepared by combining the Ti3C2Tx material with a carbon cloth and sputtering a very thin gold film on the surface. This composite textile can realize high EMI shielding compatible with IR stealth, in which the EMI shielding efficiency for microwave Xa‐band (8GHza‐12.4GHz) is up to 71.8 dB, for microwave Kaa‐band (26.5GHza‐40GHz) is up to 75.02 dB, and for terahertza‐band is about 30 dB. IR emissivity is as low as 0.1, and the lowest emissivity under a certain temperature reaches 0.07, which can withstand a high temperature of 500 °C. In addition, this composite textile has flexible and bendable wear. The thickness of the whole textile is about 400 µm, of which the Ti3C2Tx material thickness is only about 10 µm, the thinnest reaches 2 µm. Such a textile can be used in both people's livelihood and military applications, which has far‐reaching significance.

AgNWs/Fe3O4@NC Conductive Network Hierarchical Assembly to Prepare Flexible EMI Shielding Textile.

With the rapid development of high-power electronic instruments and communication technology, efficient electromagnetic shielding materials with strong absorption of electromagnetic waves and low reflection characteristics have become the focus of the world's attention. This study designs and synthesizes N-doped carbon-coated hollow Fe3O4 nanospheres (Fe3O4@NC) by spraying Ag nanowires (AgNWs) on textiles as conductive networks. Because of the high permeability and hollow structure Fe3O4@NC, electromagnetic wave goes through a unique process of "absorption, reflection, and reabsorption" when it passes through the surface of the composite textile. In X-band (≈8.2-12.4GHz), the average electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) reaches 50.1dB, while the reflectance shielding efficiency (SER) is only 2.6dB, and the average reflectance power coefficient (R) is as low as 0.45. The composite fabric has excellent properties and provides an effective strategy for electromagnetic interference shielding based on absorption.

Resistance of Heterogeneous Metal Compositions to Fracture under Dynamic and Cyclic Loads

This paper presents the results of experimental data analysis, which indicate an increased resistance of heterogeneous multilayer clad composites to dynamic loading destruction compared with homogeneous materials. The reason for this is the crack retardation caused by lamination at the boundary of the layers. The destruction of heterogeneous compact composite samples by cyclic off-center stretching also occurs with crack retardation, with the fractogram clearly demonstrating the transverse tightening of the sample section. We argue that crack nucleation plays a decisive role in the process of dynamic destruction of heterogeneous composites obtained by both multilayer cladding and explosion welding. This study presents generalized calculated data confirming the influence of the sign and magnitude of residual stresses (the appearance of a stress discontinuity) on the conditions of fatigue surface crack nucleation and propagation. Unlike homogeneous materials obtained by casting, forging (rolling), or cladding, which are characterized by a linear dependence of the crack propagation velocity on the dynamic stress intensity coefficient, for multilayer composites consisting of strong and viscous layers, a sharp crack deceleration is observed. This is due to the transition of the crack boundary between the strong and viscous layers. This paper presents studies of the corresponding properties of adjacent layers on the integral characteristics of the deposited composite.

Study on microwave absorption performance of nickel cobalt bimetallic nanosheet arrays @ hydrophilic carbon cloth composite with core-sheath structure

Magnetic metal/carbon matrix composites have gained significant attention as vital microwave absorption materials (MAMs) in recent years, owing to their multifarious microwave loss mechanisms, adjustable chemical composition, and microstructure. In this study, we describe the successful synthesis of nickel-cobalt bimetallic nanosheet arrays @ hydrophilic carbon cloth (NiCo-BNSAs @ HCC) composites with a distinctive core-sheath structure, low density, and high toughness using a solvothermal method followed by a high-temperature pyrolysis process. Despite their low density and high toughness, these composites exhibit outstanding MA properties at low matching thicknesses. Among them, S2 exhibited the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of −75.4 dB at 1.35 mm, with its optimal effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL＜−10 dB) extending to 3.6 GHz at 1.10 mm. Our analysis indicates that the incorporation of NiCo-BNSAs nanosheets not only enhances the multiple scattering of EM waves but also improves interfacial polarization loss and dipole polarization loss. This study provides valuable insights into the rational construction of high-performance magnetic metal/ carbon matrix MAMs with a core-sheath structure.