Concentrated Salt Solutions Research Articles

Performance Analysis of Air Gap Membrane Distillation Process Enhanced with Air Injection for Water Desalination

Water scarcity is a global issue, and desalination is an alternative to providing fresh water. Renewable energies could be used in thermal desalination to produce freshwater from high saline concentration solutions. In this paper, the experimental performance of an air-injection-Air Gap Membrane Distillation (AGMD) module is presented. The effect of the operation parameters (saline solution temperature, air flow, and salt concentration) on the distilled water rate was evaluated. The air injection enhanced the distilled water rate by 22% at the highest air flow and a solution flow rate of 80 °C, compared to the conventional condition (without air injection) at a salt concentration of 100,000 ppm. Under the same operating conditions, the increase was 17% at a salt concentration of 70,000 ppm. The maximum distilled water rate was 14.10 L/m2·h at 80 °C and an airflow of 1.5 L/min with the highest salt concentration, while it was also 14.10 L/m2·h at the lower salt concentration was 14.10 L/m2·h. The distilled water quality also improved as the air flow increased, since a conductivity reduction of 66% was observed. With the described mathematical model, 94% of the calculated values fell within ±10% of the experimental data for both salt concentration conditions.

Experimental Study and Analysis of the Static and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Graphene Oxide Cement Soil Under Composite Salinity Erosion

In coastal and saline-alkali regions, cement soil materials face significant challenges from salt erosion and both dynamic and static loads, threatening their structural stability. To enhance the mechanical properties of cement soil, this study explores the incorporation of graphene oxide (GO). We subjected GO cement soil specimens to various concentrations of a composite salt solution (with a NaCl to Na2SO4 mass ratio of 1:1) in erosion experiments lasting 7 and 30 days. The specimens were analyzed through unconfined compressive strength tests, split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine changes in stress-strain curves, peak stress, and energy dissipation. The results indicate that the dynamic and static peak stresses, energy absorption, and energy absorption efficiency of the GO cement soil specimens are inversely related to the concentration of the mixed salt solution. Notably, in a 4.5g/L erosion environment after 7 days, an increasing trend was observed in static peak stress, energy absorption, and energy absorption efficiency. Additionally, when the salt concentration was fixed, these properties showed a positive correlation with impact gas pressure. SEM analysis revealed that the nucleation effect of GO and its strong bonding with the cement matrix significantly improved the microstructure of the specimens by reducing pores and defects, thus enhancing density and overall performance. Furthermore, in an 18g/L erosion environment, a notable presence of ettringite (AFt) was identified in the GO cement soil specimens.

Hofmeister effect driven dynamic-bond cross-linked dialdehyde xylan hydrogels with rapid response and robust mechanical properties for expanding stent

The biomedical field urgently needs for programmable stent materials with nontoxic, autonomous self-healing, injectability, and suitable mechanical strength, especially self-expanding characteristics. However, such materials are still lacking. Herein, based on gelatin and dialdehyde-functionalized xylan, we synthesized 3D-printable, autonomous, self-healing, and mechanically robust hydrogels with a reversible Schiff base crosslink network. The hydrogels exhibited excellent mechanical properties and automatic healing properties at room temperature. The solid mechanical properties originate from the Schiff base, hydrogen bonding interactions, and xylan nanoparticle reinforcement of the polymer networks. As a proof of concept, the Hofmeister effect enabled the hydrogel to contract in highly concentrated salt solutions. In contrast, the same hydrogel expanded and relaxed in dilute salt solutions (quick response within 10 s), showing ionic stimulus-response and excellent shape memory characteristics, which demonstrated that the prepared hydrogel could be used as self-expanding artificial vascular stents. In particular, good biocompatibility was confirmed by cytotoxicity and compatibility tests, and ex vivo arterial experiments further indicated the feasibility of these artificial vascular scaffolds (the expansion force reached 1.51 N). Combined with its ionic stimuli-responsive shape memory ability, the strong mechanical, self-healing, 3D-printable, and biocompatibility properties make this hydrogel a promising material for artificial stents in various biomedical applications.

Effect of Chloride Solution on Liquid Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soil in Selected Sites in Erbil /North Iraq

This study is an attempt to investigate the effect of NaCl, CaCl2, KCl, and NH4Cl solutions with different concentrations (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%) on the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of Sarbasty and Mamwastayan soil samples /Erbil Governorate. The soil samples' liquid and plastic limits were found by using the cone penetrometer method. The Results showed that the soil's liquid, plastic limits, and Plasticity index decreased with increasing salt solution concentration. Maximum reduction of liquid limit and plastic limit in Sarbasty was from 53.6 to 34.3 and in Mamwastayan from 35.9 to 27.2, both accomplished by adding a concentration of 7.5% of KCl and CaCl2 respectively. According to the Unified Soil Classification System, the Sarbasty soils were classified as high plasticity clay (CH), and Mamwastayan low plasticity clay (CL). After adding different concentrations of salt solution to the soil, the Sarbasty soil classification changed from CH to CL. Mineralogically these soils are composed of non-clay minerals of calcite and quartz and clay minerals consisting of Montmorillonite, Chlorite, swelling Chlorite, Kaolinite, Illite, Palygorskite, and Illite- Chlorite. Sarbasty soil was the most effective salt chloride solution than the Mamwastayan soil sample swelling.

Phosphate-Driven Interfacial Self-Assembly of Silk Fibroin for Continuous Noncovalent Growth of Nanothin Defect-Free Coatings.

Silk fibroin is a fiber-forming protein derived from the thread of Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons. This biocompatible protein, under the kosmotropic influence of potassium phosphate, can undergo supramolecular self-assembly driven by a random coil to β-sheet secondary structure transition. By leveraging concurrent nonspecific adsorption and self-assembly of silk fibroin, we demonstrate an interfacial phenomenon that yields adherent, defect-free nanothin protein coatings that grow continuously in time, without observable saturation in mass deposition. This noncovalent growth of silk fibroin coatings is a departure from traditionally studied protein adsorption phenomena, which generally yield adsorbed layers that saturate in mass with time and often do not completely cover the surface. Here, we explore the fundamental mechanisms of coating growth by examining the effects of coating solution parameters that promote or inhibit silk fibroin self-assembly. Results show a strong dependence of coating kinetics and structure on solution pH, salt species, and salt concentration. Moreover, coating growth was observed to occur in two stages: an early stage driven by protein-surface interactions and a late stage driven by protein-protein interactions. To describe this phenomenon, we developed a kinetic adsorption model with Langmuir-like behavior at early times and a constant steady-state growth rate at later times. Structural analysis by FTIR and photoinduced force microscopy show that small β-sheet-rich structures serve as anchoring sites for absorbing protein nanoaggregates, which is critical for coating formation. Additionally, β-sheets are preferentially located at the interface between protein nanoaggregates in the coating, suggesting their role in forming stable, robust coatings.

Effect of salt solution concentration and cation types on the mechanical properties of bentonite as a barrier material

Effect of salt solution concentration and cation types on the mechanical properties of bentonite as a barrier material

Tough, antimicrobial, recyclable hydrogel with tree-trunk-inspired core‐sheath structure for efficient all-day desalination

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation, an economically friendly freshwater harvesting technology, faces the challenge of achieving efficient all-day desalination. Inspired by the core‐sheath structure of tree trunks, herein, a hydrogel evaporator features internal vertical lamellar sodium alginate (SA) pores supported by aramid fiber (AF) networks and surface covered with a dense layer of copper sulfide (CuS) and was fabricated through freeze-drying-cycling alternating immersion method. The internal vertical SA lamellar structure endows the hydrogel with strong water transport capability, while the high photothermal conversion ability of the surface CuS layer enables rapid water evaporation. Therefore, as 2D evaporators, the evaporation rate in highly concentrated salt solutions (15 wt%) is up to 2.07 kg m-2 h-1 under 1.0 sun. As 3D evaporators, efficient evaporation is achieved throughout the day by compensating evaporation at the sides and top. Under the irradiation of 0.2 and 0.8 suns outdoors, the evaporation rate of the 3D evaporator can reach 7.47 kg m-2 h-1 and 12.60 kg m-2 h-1, respectively, and its total evaporation is 4.72 times higher than that of the 2D evaporator. Notably, the hydrogel evaporator has excellent anti-salt properties, antimicrobial properties, and recyclability. This work provides valuable guidance for designing and developing practical hydrogel evaporators.

An Electrically Small Patch Antenna Sensor for Salt Concentration Measurement of NaCl Solution.

In this paper, a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-based patch antenna is proposed as a microwave sensor to measure the salt concentration of NaCl solution. The microwave sensor consists of an RF-4 substrate, where a small copper disc is attached on the top as the radiator, a larger copper disc integrated with two CSRRs is attached on the bottom side as the finite ground plane, and a coaxial feeding port is introduced at the ground plane center. During salt concentration sensing, only the top disc is immersed into NaCl solution. The results indicate that the proposed microwave sensor can measure salt concentrations ranging from 5‱ to 35‱ with a maximum sensitivity of 0.367 (kHz/(mg/L)). The proposed microwave sensor is low-cost, low-profile, electrically small, lightweight, and easy to fabricate, and it also can be applied to other solutions' concentration sensing.

Preparation, characterization, and stability of chitosan-tremella polysaccharide layer-by-layer encapsulated astaxanthin nanoemulsion delivery system

In this study, a layer-by-layer (LBL) encapsulated astaxanthin (Ast) nanoemulsion delivery system based on chitosan (CS) and tremella polysaccharide (TP) was successfully developed. The system constructed an Ast-CS-TP emulsion with high encapsulation efficiency and an excellent stability profile by utilizing the opposite charge properties of CS and TP. This study evaluated the effects of different stresses (including temperature, salt addition, pH, UV irradiation, and centrifugal force) on the emulsion's stability. To further investigate the protective mechanism of the emulsions, we performed antioxidant activity experiments after UV treatment. Additionally, an in vitro digestion experiment was conducted to assess the behavior of Ast emulsion under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The stability correlation coefficients were calculated using the Python database Pandas. The results showed that Ast-CS-TP emulsions exhibited turbidity and enhanced homogeneity with a small particle size of around 400 nm and a high absolute zeta potential of 35 mV and exhibited excellent stability under various stresses. The Ast-CS-TP emulsions also exhibited pH-responsive release at pH ≥ 7, consistent with pH changes in the gastrointestinal tract, and were stable in highly concentrated salt solutions. We found that the CS and TP layers significantly improved the photostability of Ast. CS and TP significantly enhanced Ast's oral bioavailability. The stability correlation coeffcients showed that pH and salt concentration were the largest factors that affected the stability of the emulsion. This study provided important insights into the encapsulation and targeting of Ast, providing a theoretical foundation and technical guidance for the comprehensive utilization of Ast.

Modeling of the separation process of a two-phase liquid in a high-temperature gas environment

Obtaining a high-quality highly dispersed salt solution can be realized from a salt solution by the method of ultrasonic exposure. As you know, concentrated salt solutions can be presented in the form of a gas-liquid medium. The influence of ultrasound, in the case of wetting a surface vibrating with an ultrasonic frequency by a thin layer, leads to the formation of a cavitation layer in the liquid layer and capillary waves on its surface, from the ridges of which, at a certain intensity of oscillations, finely dispersed aerosol droplets are detached.The detachment of droplets from the vibrating surface leads to the formation of finely dispersed salt aerosol, which saturates the heated air, which is tangentially fed into the cylindrical working chamber with further separation of hydrodynamic processes. Part of the aerosol wets the heated inner surface of the cylindrical chamber with the formation of a thin film, which gravitationally flows down the vertical solid surface and is subjected to active evaporation with the removal of the salt phase, and the second part is subjected to additional grinding and active evaporation in the central turbulent flow and centrifugal turbulent flow of hot air with additional by removing the salt phase. In order to intensify the salt removal process, the surface on which the film is formed can be profiled. Ultrasonic dispersion of the salt solution to a finely dispersed state allows to significantly increase the surface of contact with the heated air, which allows to intensify the diffusion process.

Research on the Rheological Performance of Fast-Melting SBS-Modified Asphalt under Complex Environmental Factors

Currently, fast-melting SBS (Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene)-modified asphalt is widely used in pavements. However, in practical applications, complex environmental factors accelerate the deterioration of asphalt material properties, significantly affecting the service life of roads during their operational period. This study aims to examine the effects of complex environmental factors, including thermal oxidation, ultraviolet radiation, and various concentrations of salt solutions, on the high and low-temperature rheological properties of fast-melting SBS-modified asphalt (abbreviated as SBS-T-modified asphalt). Pressure aging–ultraviolet aging coupling and pressure aging–ultraviolet aging different concentration salt solution coupling were selected as the aging groups to simulate complex environmental conditions. Additionally, base asphalt and pressure-aged asphalt were used as control groups. The rheological properties of SBS-T-modified asphalt were evaluated using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and bending beam rheometer (BBR). The results indicate that multiple-factor coupling aging reduces both the high-temperature and low-temperature performance of SBS-T-modified asphalt compared to single-factor aging, although the impact on rheological properties is not consistent across all conditions. After the combined effects of UV aging and pressure aging, the rutting resistance and high-temperature performance of SBS-T-modified asphalt are most severely impacted. However, when coupled with salt-solution aging, the rutting resistance of SBS-T-modified asphalt improves, with the complex modulus increasing by approximately 30%. This indicates that the presence of the salt solution enhances the high-temperature performance of the asphalt. An analysis of the low-temperature rheological properties of SBS-T-modified asphalt based on Burgers model shows that the low-temperature rheological performance of SBS-T-modified asphalt worsens under three-factor coupling aging compared to two-factor or single-factor aging, leading to poorer crack resistance. Notably, after adding salt solutions, the thermal sensitivity of SBS-T-modified asphalt increases significantly, with the ΔTc value decreasing approximately sixfold for every 2% increase in salt concentration.

Analysis of broadband linear polarization-converting meta-materials and their sensing and detection functions

In this paper, we present a broadband perfect-reflective linear polarization-converting metamaterial, which achieves perfect-reflective linear polarization conversion over a broadband frequency range of 28.15 GHz–60.80 GHz, and the narrow-band perfect-polarization-converting peaks appearing at the high frequency of 67.121 GHz can be used for microwave solution concentration detection. The design consists of a surface metal resonator structure, a Roggers 5880 dielectric layer and a copper metal backing. The surface metal resonator is a combination of a circular open ring, a square open ring, and a centrally located cross-metal cross ring nested in a modified, highly anisotropic structure. The perfect polarization transition peak at the high frequency band can be used for the solution detection function, which can detect the concentration of salt solution, glucose solution, and alcohol solution. When the refractive index of the solution sample to be tested changes gradually from 1.0 to 1.4, the polarization conversion peak shows obvious frequency shift, and the peak polarization conversion rate is always kept above 99%. The polarization principle was analyzed using surface electromagnetic field distribution and related theories, and the sample structure was processed and tested. The designed super-surface polarization conversion structure has potential applications in the field of microwave detection and microwave communication.

Micrometer-Scale Graphene-Based Liquid Cells of Highly Concentrated Salt Solutions for In Situ Liquid-Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy.

In situ liquid-cell transmission microscopy has attracted much attention as a method for the direct observations of the dynamics of soft matter. A graphene liquid cell (GLC) has previously been investigated as an alternative to a conventional SiN x liquid cell. Although GLCs are capable of scavenging radicals and providing high spatial resolutions, their production is fundamentally stochastic, and a significant compositional change in liquids encapsulated in GLCs has recently been pointed out. We found that graphene-based liquid cells were formed in nano- to micrometer sizes with high reproducibility when the concentration of the encapsulated aqueous salt solution was high. In contrast, when we revisited conventional fabrication methods, water-encapsulated GLC was formed with low yield, and any electron diffraction spots from ice were not confirmed by a cooling experiment. The reason for this was the presence of intrinsic defects in the graphene, the presence of which we confirmed by the etch-pit method. The shrinkage of a water-encapsulated cell and a decrease in the bubble area in an aqueous (NH4)2SO4 solution cell suggested that volatile water molecules and gas molecules can leak from the cells during the fabrication and observation processes. Further revision of the conditions for the formation of liquid cells and a reduction in the number of intrinsic graphene defects are expected to lead to the provision of graphene-based liquid cells capable of encapsulating dilute aqueous solutions or pure water.

Induction of Viable but Non-culturable (VBNC) State in Shigella flexneri Under Osmotic and Nutritional Stresses at Low Temperature

Background: Viable but non-culturable (VBNC) is a specific physiological state in which living bacteria lose the ability to grow and form colonies on conventional bacterial growth media; however, these cells remain metabolically active. Objectives: Considering the importance of the pathogenicity of Shigella flexneri and the possibility of its transmission through contaminated water and food, we aimed to study the possibility of this bacterium entering the VBNC state under osmotic and nutritional stresses at low temperature (4°C). Methods: Shigella flexneri was inoculated in distilled water and NaCl solutions with concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30% at 4°C. The cultivability of the bacteria was checked daily. After observing the loss of cultivability, entry into the VBNC state was assessed using RT-PCR, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. Results: After cultivation of S. flexneri in different concentrations of salt solution, the time of non-cultivability was observed at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%, respectively, on days 19, 20, 21, 22, 22, 24, and 24. Expression results of ipaH and ipaD genes using RT-PCR, along with the presence of live cells detected by flow cytometry and fluorescent staining, indicated that the cells had entered the VBNC state. Conclusions: Shigella flexneri can survive and enter the VBNC state under nutritional and osmotic stresses at low temperatures (4°C). In this state, although the bacterium is alive, it cannot be detected by conventional culture-dependent methods. Due to the potential risk of bacterial recovery, conventional techniques may be insufficient to detect the presence of pathogens in the VBNC state when evaluating water and food.

Adsorption of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm associated compounds on silica probed with molecular dynamics simulations.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a potentially pathogenic bacterium that commonly colonizes surfaces through the formation of biofilms. Silica glass is a common material in the built environment, especially in laboratory and medical spaces. The chemical and physical mechanisms by which S. aureus initially adheres to surfaces are unclear. In this study, the adsorption of several S. aureus biofilm associated compounds on silica is probed using molecular dynamics simulations. Model compounds containing a phosphorylated backbone, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), or D-alanine (D-Ala) were simulated across a range of pH. GlcNAc adsorption is unfavorable and insensitive to pH. D-Ala adsorption is unfavorable across the range of tested pH. Phosphorylated backbone adsorption is unfavorable at low pH but favorable at high pH. Adsorbate titration and solution salt concentration were probed to establish effects of molecular charge and charge screening. Hydrogen bonding between compounds and the silica surface is a key factor for stronger adsorption. The findings of this study are important for the rational design of improved silica surfaces through chemical functionalization or through the application of optimal chemical disinfectants that discourage the initial stages of biofilm growth.

De Novo Design and Characterization of Amphiphilic Peptides with Basic Side Chains for Tailored Interfacial Chemistries.

Lysine-leucine (LK) peptides have been used as model systems and platforms for 2D material design for decades. LK peptides are amphiphilic sequences designed to bind and fold at hydrophobic surfaces through hydrophobic leucine side chains and hydrophilic lysine side chains extending into the aqueous subphase. The hydrophobic periodicity of the sequence dictates the secondary structure at the interface. This robust design makes them ideal candidates for controlling interfacial chemistry. This study presents the de novo design and characterization of two novel peptides: LRα14 and LHα14, which substitute lysine with arginine and histidine, respectively, in the helical LKα14 sequence. This modification is intended to expand the LK peptide platform to a new basic interfacial chemistry. We explore the stability of the new LRα14 and LHα14 designs with respect to changes in pH and salt concentration in bulk solution and at the interface using circular dichroism (UV-CD) and vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy, respectively. Notably, the structural stability of the peptides remains unaffected across a wide range of pH and ionic strength values. At the same time, the variation of side-chain chemistry leads to a wide spectrum of interfacial water structures. By extension of the LK platform to include arginine and histidine, this study broadens the toolbox for designing tailored interfacial chemistries with applications in material and biomedical sciences.

Transparent Cellulose Aerogels from Concentrated Salt Solutions: Synthesis and Characterization

AbstractIn this work, nanostructured and transparent cellulose aerogels are synthesized via a purely salt induced approach from non‐modified microcrystalline cellulose type II. The production process requires in contrast to state of the art methods no pretreatment of cellulose or use of expensive cellulose‐solvents: it consists of hydrogel formation via cross‐linking of cellulose with calcium ions, a solvent exchange and a supercritical drying step. A systematic multiparameter study reveals that a high level of structural control is achievable: ratios of macro‐ to mesoporosity and the size of mesopores can be tailored by adjustment of the calcium ion content, while keeping a high overall porosity in the range of 92% – 96 %. The build‐up of homogeneous, fine pore structures results in a significant increase of the specific surface area as compared to conventional calcium‐free aerogels (684 vs. 300 m2 g−1). Remarkably, the Ca2+‐cross‐linking renders aerogels transparent, with Rayleigh scattering being the dominant scattering mechanism. Additional ion exchange to Ca2+ in the hydrogel‐state leads to further reduction of the pore size and to products with optimized optical properties, e.g., light transmission of 91% at an incidents light wavelength of 800 nm and a substrate thickness of 1.5 mm.

Effects of chemical solution components on the contact angle of typical minerals in soil: quartz, orthoclase and plagioclase

Different chemical solutions can significantly change the contact angle (CA) of soil, but few studies have studied the change rule and action mechanism of the CA from the mineral composition of soil essence. In unsaturated soil mechanics, the CA is an important parameter to calculate the wet suction between soil particles in unsaturated soil. When the chemical composition of the soil pore liquid changes, the CA will also change, which will affect the wet suction and other parameters, thus changing the macroscopic mechanical properties of the soil. In this study, the CA of air-solution-mineral phases with different solution components (pH, type and concentration of salt solution) of different minerals (quartz, orthoclase and plagioclase) were measured. The results show that the CAs of quartz, orthoclase and plagioclase all rise first and then drop with the rise of pH. The peak CAs are pH = 5, pH = 4 and pH = 3, respectively. Quartz, orthoclase and plagioclase all have valley values in different concentrations of NaCl and KCl solutions. In CaCl2 solution, only quartz has valley value, while orthoclase and plagioclase increase monotonously. Quartz in soil plays a main role in the influence of soil CA, followed by orthoclase and plagioclase. The CA of different minerals in different chemical solutions is mainly controlled by electric double layer interaction and functional groups interaction. In different salt solution environment, in addition to the above two effects, the mineral CA is also affected by the surface tension.

Ketone modification of alkyd synthesized from waste PET as a sustainable option: A comparative study of coating and thermal properties of alkyd–melamine–ketone resin systems

AbstractThis study aims to prepare alkyd–melamine–ketone combinations from short‐oil alkyd resins synthesized using coconut oil fatty acid and waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) intermediate (bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate, BHET) for coating applications with a green technology approach. For this aim, waste PET flakes obtained from post‐consumer water bottles were depolymerized by the glycolysis reaction. Purified depolymerization intermediate (BHET) was incorporated into the formulation of the four‐component alkyd resin, completely instead of the diol. For comparison, reference alkyds without waste PET were also synthesized. Then, ketone modifications of alkyd resins were carried out using cyclohexanone formaldehyde (CHF) resin by blending method. For this, firstly, melamine formaldehyde (MF) resin was added to the alkyd resin at a ratio of 40% by weight to obtain alkyd–melamine formaldehyde (Alkyd–MF) resin. Then, ketone‐modified blends were prepared at ratios of Alkyd–MF/CHF of 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 by weight. The effect of using ketone (CHF) resin at different ratios and the presence of BHET on the coating properties and thermal behaviors of alkyd–ketone blend films were investigated. At the end of the study, high‐gloss (151–154 GU) and medium‐hard (71–120 König second) films exhibiting excellent adhesion (100%) were obtained from alkyd–ketone blends. In both the reference and PET‐based blend series, adding CHF resin to the alkyd–amino (Alkyd–MF) resin improved all physical coating properties. Moreover, with increasing CHF resin ratios, hardness, gloss, and abrasion properties increased in both series. Although acceptable and usable results have been obtained in all ratios of CHF resin (20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%), the optimum CHF resin ratio for each physical coating properties has changed depending on the desired properties and expectations. These blend films resisted corrosive chemicals such as concentrated alkali, acid, and salt solutions for 72 h without damage, and at the end of the 18 h not affected by water. Acetone, toluene, methanol, and ethyl acetate did not affect these films in any way. All films performed excellently in repeated environmental resistance testing over 10 cycles, simulating changing climate conditions. In the chemical coating tests, superior results were obtained with all CHF resin ratios. The thermal resistance of Alkyd–MF/CHF blend films was found to be quite high. The incorporation of CHF resin into the alkyd–amino (Alkyd–MF) resin improved thermal resistance, and as the amount of CHF resin increased the thermal stability increased in both blend series. Moreover, the thermal resistance of PET‐based blend films was higher than their counterparts in reference blends due to the use of long‐chain BHET having an aromatic unit.Highlights Alkyd–MF/CHF blends using alkyds with and without PET were prepared. Good physical/excellent chemical coating properties/high thermal resistance. Incorporation of CHF into Alkyd–MF improved coating/thermal properties. CHF significantly improved the individual alkali resistances of the alkyd. As CHF increased, physical coating properties/thermal resistance increased. The thermal stabilities of the PET‐based blend were even higher.

A simultaneous energy self-sufficient desalination and energy output process based on a novel membrane stack design

Electrodialysis (ED) uses electric energy to conduct the desalination, while bipolar membrane reverse electrodialysis (BMRED) converts the chemical energy containing in acids and alkalis into electric energy. Here, a novel membrane stack (BMRED-ED) based on BMRED and ED was designed to realize the simultaneous energy self-sufficient desalination and energy output process. The stack was studied in two different operation modes systematically. Results of the open-loop operation mode demonstrate that the maximum power density (Pd,max) can obtain a highest value of 4.53 W·m−2, and the maximal average apparent permeability (α) between the open circuit voltage (OCV) and theoretical electromotive force (EMF) is 92.23 %. Results of the closed-loop operation mode indicate that the final desalination ratio (ξdel) can attain as high as 89.57 %, and the corresponding energy utilization ratios of the desalination (ηdes) and the energy output (ηout) are 0.90 % and 14.00 %, respectively. Moreover, the effect of desalinated salt solution concentrations and discharging current densities on the closed-loop operation performance are much more remarkable than that of cation species in the alkali and salt solutions. This work provides a feasible and competitive strategy for simultaneous energy self-sufficient desalination and energy output.