Glass Surface Research Articles

Transparent superhydrophilic acrylic resin@GO-Fe3O4 coatings for glass surfaces with highly efficient visible-light-induced self-cleaning and anti-fogging properties

A transparent layer containing acrylic resin, graphene oxide and Fe3O4 have been studied based on its potential application including photocatalytically active and self-cleaning coatings. In this study, a transparent and superhydrophilic acrylic resin@graphene oxide-Fe3O4 (PA@GO-Fe3O4) composite coating has been successfully deposited on a glass substrate by dip coating technique to provide a thin film with a self-cleaning and photocatalytically active surface. The prepared samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis diffused transmittance (DTS) and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The photocatalytic activity of the coated surfaces was investigated by the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV and visible light irradiation. The glass film of PA@GO-Fe3O4 (5 %) with an average roughness of 20.71 nm exhibited 76 % and 72 % MB photodegradation efficiency for 450 min under UV and visible light illuminations. The transparency of the glass coated film decreased to 76 % relative to that of the non-coated bare glass (92 %). The hydrophilicity of the glass coated film facilitated the formation of a thin water layer, which can increase self-cleaning property of glass coated film and augment the anti-fog effect. Therefore, the PA@GO-Fe3O4 composite coating exhibits significant superhydrophilicity, self-cleaning, and antifogging properties.

Improve anti-glare ability of helicopters based on the anti-reflective structure of bionic moth eyes

This thesis focuses on the issue of glare during helicopter night navigation, which is caused by the high reflectivity of cockpit instruments, displays, and windshield surfaces. This can result in pilot eye fatigue and pose a serious threat to flight safety. To address this problem, a bionic moth eye antireflection structure is designed and prepared on the windshield glass surface using a combination of self-assembly and reactive ion beam technology. The aim is to reduce the surface reflectivity of the windshield glass and prevent glare. The anti-reflective structure comprises of conical structures with a size cycle of 15 nm and a structure height of 2000 nm. The surface of both sides is microstructured, resulting in a reduction of surface reflectivity from 8% to 0.5% at the wavelength of 300 nm to 800 nm. The passing rate is increased from 92% to 99.5%, and the applicable angle is greater than 50°). The anti-glare ability is improved by about 16 times. This thesis proposes a solution to the problem of glare during helicopter night navigation by designing and implementing a bionic moth eye antireflection structure on the windshield glass surface using self-assembly and reactive ion beam technology. The results show a significant reduction in surface reflectivity and improved anti-glare ability, which can contribute to enhancing flight safety.

Effect of tubular-typed charcoal height variations on efficiency in passive interfacial solar desalination

Passive solar desalination is a process of reducing the salt content of salt water to produce fresh water by utilizing solar heat. In recent years, interfacial heating has been proposed as an alternative to evaporation by creating localized heat on the water surface. Charcoal is an absorbent, heat storage, and wettability material, so the evaporation process not only occurs on the surface of seawater but also on the surface of the charcoal, which results from this wettability. The height of the charcoal indicates the distance the steam travels to reach the glass surface for the condensation process, thereby speeding up evaporation. The experiment was carried out in 4 single-slope-type basins using tubes filled with charcoal as high as 30, 40, and 50 mm for 8 hours in the sun. The results showed that adding heat-absorbing material to the basin was able to accelerate seawater to reach its boiling point so that it could evaporate. The temperature and humidity in each basin also have a similar changing trend where temperature is strongly influenced by solar radiation. The use of charcoal can also increase the rate of convection and evaporation heat transfer in the basin, as well as the maximum efficiency in basin 4 with an efficiency value of 56.40%, basin 2 at 53.17%, basin 3 at 51.62%, and basin 1 44.17%. Efficiency is obtained from the desalination efficiency equation, namely the ratio of the latent heat of vaporization to the solar energy entering the system

Simulation and Modeling of the Adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus onto Inert Surfaces under Fluid Shear Stress.

Bacterial adhesion to biotic and abiotic surfaces under fluid shear stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of infections linked to medical implants and tissues. This study employed an automated BioFlux 200 microfluidic system and video microscopy to conduct real-time adhesion assays, examining the influence of shear stress on adhesion kinetics and spatial distribution of Staphylococcus aureus on glass surfaces. The adhesion rate exhibited a non-linear relationship with shear stress, with notable variations at intermediate levels. Empirical adhesion events were simulated with COMSOL Multiphysics® and Python. Overall, COMSOL accurately predicted the experimental trend of higher rates of bacterial adhesion with decreasing shear stress but poorly characterized the plateauing phenomena observed over time. Python provided a robust mathematical representation of the non-linear relationship between cell concentration, shear stress, and time but its polynomial regression approach was not grounded on theoretical physical concepts. These insights, combined with advancements in AI and machine learning, underscore the potential for synergistic computational techniques to enhance our understanding of bacterial adhesion to surfaces, offering a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Selected Physical, Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Fresh Fruit Bunches for Processing of Palm Oil

Data on engineering properties of palm fruits enable the design of machinery for optimal production of palm oil. Specific physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics of fresh fruit bunches are examined in this study. Fresh palm fruit's selected mechanical, chemical, and physical characteristics were determined using standard formulas and equations. One hundred fresh fruit bunch samples were used to ascertain the physical characteristics of the fruit bunches. While the chemical properties were ascertained using suggested standard equations and formulae, the fresh fruit bunches were tested for their strength properties under compression when loaded under an INSTRON Universal Testing Machine. Using the Microsoft Excel program, statistical analysis was performed on the collected data. The average length, breadth, thickness, geometric mean, sphericity, surface area, true mass, true volume and true density mean for palm fruits were 3.35±0.48 cm, 1.92±0.32 cm, 2.24±0.33 cm, 2.42±0.25 cm, 0.73±0.08 cm, 18.61±3.62 cm2, 7.99±1.81 g, 7.01±1.72 cm3, 1.17±0.24 g/cm3 respectively. The average static coefficient of frictions for palm fruits were 0.46±0.13, 0.64±0.18, 0.57±0.21 and 0.59±0.22 while the average angle of reposes was 24.48±6.08, 31.62±9.14, 29.26±6.80, and 29.91±9.11 on wood, mild steel, glass and stainless-steel surface respectively. The energy at break, force at break, deformation at break, strain at break, and stress at break for the palm fruits were 6.87±0.95 J, 2.22±0.80 kN, 14.58±3.02 mm, 0.36±0.08 mm/mm and 123.46±44.31 MPa respectively. The moisture, ash, fat, crude fibre, crude protein, and carbohydrate contents (proximate composition) of the palm fruits were 22.80±0.02%, 0.52±0.01%, 46.47±0.06%, 18.66±0.01%, 2.4±0.21%, and 9.14±0.30% respectively. The sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and zinc contents of the palm fruits were 58.75±0.07 ppm, 94.20±0.14 ppm, 68.45±0.64 ppm, 5.21±0.00 ppm, 1.22±0.00 ppm, 1.60±0.00 ppm and 55.70±0.28 ppm respectively. This study has provided relevant information which will help engineers to develop a more efficient palm fruit extraction machines that will in turn increase the productivity and profitability of the farmers and food processors. These measured engineering properties of palm fruits help in development of palm fruit processing machines.

Chitosan-Surfactant Composite Nanocoatings on Glass and Zinc Surfaces Prepared from Aqueous Solutions.

Hydrophobic coatings from chitosan-surfactant composites (ca. 400 nm thick by UV-Vis spectroscopy) for possible corrosion protection were developed on glass and zinc substrates. The surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS or sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, and SDBS) were added to the chitosan by two methods: mixing the surfactants with the aqueous chitosan solutions before film deposition or impregnating the deposited chitosan films with surfactants from their aqueous solutions. For the mixed coatings, it was found that the lower surface tension of solutions (40-45 mN/m) corresponded to more hydrophobic (80-90°) coatings in every case. The hydrophobicity of the impregnated coatings was especially significant (88° for SDS and 100° for SDBS). Atomic force microscopy studies revealed a slight increase in roughness (max 1.005) for the most hydrophobic coatings. The accumulation of surfactants in the layer was only significant (0.8-1.0 sulfur atomic %) in the impregnated samples according to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Polarization and electron impedance spectroscopy tests confirmed better barrier properties for these samples (40-50% pseudo-porosity instead of 94%). The degree of swelling in a water vapor atmosphere was significantly lower in the case of the impregnated coatings (ca. 25%) than that of the native ones (ca. 75%), measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Accordingly, good barrier layer properties require advantageous bulk properties in addition to surface hydrophobicity.

Effect of electroinductive conditions on biofilm production capacity of some industrially important bacteria

Biofilms are intricate microbial deposits on biotic and abiotic surfaces, with significant medical and biotechnological implications. This study explored biofilm formation by Acetobacter aceti ATCC15973, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027, Serratia marcescens ATCC14756, Gluconobacter oxydans ATCC19357, Rhodobacter sphaeroides ATCC17023, and Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633 on wood, glass, steel, PVC, and PET surfaces using qualitative methods. Effects of electrical stimulation (6V, 4.5A), magnetic fields (1000 G), and electromagnetic flux (5 mT) on biofilm formation were assessed via Crystal Violet Binding Assay. G. oxydans ATCC19357 exhibited highest adherence on PVC and wood (2.0145 and 2.402 log cfu/ml, respectively) under electrical stimulation. A. aceti ATCC15973 showed highest adherence on steel, PET, and glass (1.944, 0.9005, and 0.876 log cfu/ml). R. sphaeroides ATCC17023 demonstrated highest adherence on PVC, steel, PET, and glass (1.0895 to 1.7495 log cfu/ml) under magnetic induction; B. subtilis ATCC6633 had highest wood adherence (1.491 log cfu/ml). G. oxydans ATCC19357 showed highest overall adhesion with electromagnetic induction. PVC supported highest biofilm growth (39 %). Biophysical factors varied in enhancing biofilm formation, suggesting potential for bacterial immobilization technologies in bioremediation and industrial fermentation

Anti-fogging properties of amphiphilic copolymer films deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD)

This study demonstrates the deposition of an amphiphilic copolymer as an anti-fogging coating on the glass and mirror surfaces. For this purpose, copolymer films of 2,2,2,3,4,4,4,4 hexafluorobutyl acrylate (HFBA) with 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were synthesized using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). During the iCVD process by adjusting the flow rate ratio of the monomers, the amount of fluorinated moiety in the P(HFBA-DMAEMA) was systematically tuned, which was confirmed through FTIR and XPS analyses. According to the water contact angle measurements, coatings were shown to be more hydrophobic with increasing fraction of fluorine atoms in their structures. The P(HFBA-DMAEMA)-deposited surfaces showed outstanding and long-lasting anti-fogging performance while maintaining high optical transmissivity. Films were observed to be functional in terms of anti-fogging behavior even after 1-year from the initial coating process, which confirms the durability of the films.

Enhanced Photoluminescence of Plasma-Treated Recycled Glass Particles.

Recycled soda-lime glass powder is a sustainable material that is also often considered a filler in cement-based composites. The changes in the surface properties of the glass particles due to the treatments were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and optical spectroscopy. We have found that there is a relatively high level of carbon contamination on the surface of the glass particles (around 30 at.%), so plasma technology and thermal annealing were tested for surface cleaning. Room temperature plasma treatment was not sufficient to remove the carbon contamination from the surface of the recycled glass particles. Instead, the room temperature plasma treatment of recycled soda-lime glass particles leads to a significant enhancement in their room temperature photoluminescence (PL) by increasing the intensity and accelerating the decay of the photoluminescence. The enhanced blue PL after room-temperature plasma treatment was attributed to the presence of carbon contamination on the glass surface and associated charge surface and interfacial defects and interfacial states. Therefore, we propose blue photoluminescence under UV LED as a fast and inexpensive method to indicate carbon contamination on the surface of glass particles.

Characterization of the TCO Layer on a Glass Surface for PV IInd and IIIrd Generation Applications

In the dynamic field of photovoltaic technology, the pursuit of efficiency and sustainability has led to continuous novelty, shaping the landscape of solar energy solutions. One of the key elements affecting the efficiency of photovoltaic cells of IInd and IIIrd generation is the presence of transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layers, which are key elements impacting the efficiency and durability of solar panels, especially for DSSC, CdTe, CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) or organic, perovskite and quantum dots. TCO with low electrical resistance, high mobility, and high transmittance in the VIS–NIR region is particularly important in DSSC, CIGS, and CdTe solar cells, working as a window and electron transporting layer. This layer must form an ohmic contact with the adjacent layers, typically the buffer layer (such as CdS or ZnS), to ensure efficient charge collection Furthermore it ensures protection against oxidation and moisture, which is especially important when transporting the active cell structure to further process steps such as lamination, which ensures the final seal. Transparent conductive oxide layers, which typically consist of materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or alternatives such as fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), serve dual purposes in photovoltaic applications. Primarily located as the topmost layer of solar cells, TCOs play a key role in transmitting sunlight while facilitating the efficient collection and transport of generated electrical charges. This complex balance between transparency and conductivity highlights the strategic importance of TCO layers in maximizing the performance and durability of photovoltaic systems. As the global demand for clean energy increases and the photovoltaic industry rapidly develops, understanding the differential contribution of TCO layers becomes particularly important in the context of using PV modules as building-integrated elements (BIPV). The use of transparent or semi-transparent modules allows the use of building glazing, including windows and skylights. In addition, considering the dominant position of the Asian market in the production of cells and modules based on silicon, the European market is intensifying work aimed at finding a competitive PV technology. In this context, thin-film, organic modules may prove competitive. For this purpose, in this work, we focused on the electrical parameters of two different thicknesses of a transparent FTO layer. First, the influence of the FTO layer thickness on the transmittance over a wide range was verified. Next, the chemical composition was determined, and key electrical parameters, including carrier mobility, resistivity, and the Hall coefficient, were determined.

Impact of Chemical Corrosion on Mechanical Properties of Boroaluminosilicate Pharmaceutical Glasses.

Boroaluminosilicate (BAS) glasses have excellent chemical durability and mechanical properties and are widely used in the pharmaceutical packaging industry. The corrosion behavior of boroaluminosilicate (BAS) glasses have been investigated for many years; however, the impact of chemical corrosion on mechanical properties of boroaluminosilicate glasses has not been well understood. In this work, the BAS glass samples were corroded in a 20 mM Glycine-NaOH buffer solution (pH = 10) at 80 °C for various durations. Within the corrosion durations, the corrosion of the glass is dominated by congruent dissolution. The results show that the elemental composition and structure of the glass surface are not altered significantly during the congruent dissolution, and the corrosion rate is mainly affected by the Si concentration in the solution. The structural change in the process of micro-crack decay is the main factor affecting the mechanical properties of the glass surface. Corrosion leads to the growth of micro-cracks and tip passivation, which causes the hardness and elastic modulus of the glass to first decrease and then increase. As corrosion proceeds, the microcracks are completely destroyed to form micropores, and the pore size and number increase with the corrosion process, resulting in the decrease in surface mechanical properties again. This work reveals the main influencing factors of congruent dissolution on mechanical properties and provides an important reference for the improvement of pharmaceutical glass strength.

Assessment of elimination efficacy on foodborne pathogenic microbes and foulant precipitates using phytic acid and sulfamic acid

This research investigated the comparative efficacy of sulfamic acid (SA) and phytic acid (PA), both individually and in combination, for treating potential foodborne pathogens and pre-formed foulants. Pathogens studied included Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli DH5α, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and vegetative Bacillus cereus, in suspended aqueous solutions, as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm on quartz glass surfaces. Inactivation kinetics for Listeria monocytogenes revealed concentration-dependent rate constants (k) of 6.6(±0.2) × 10−6 M and 2.8(±0.1) × 10−8 M for single treatments of SA and PA, respectively, and ranged from 6.9(±0.3) to 50.7(±2.3) × 10−6 M for combined treatments with PA pre-treatment concentrations of 75–758 μM. Observable cellular abnormalities in Listeria monocytogenes, such as membrane vesiculation, chelation, cellular disruption, biomolecule leakage, and lipid peroxidation, were identified after exposure to PA or SA, either individually or in combination. The optimized combined treatment of PA and SA achieved significant removal (i.e., >3-log; 99.9%) of potential foodborne pathogens under simulated food-washing process conditions. Additionally, over 90% descaling efficacy was observed for pre-formed foulants such as CaCO3 precipitates and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm on quartz glass surfaces with the combined treatment. These findings provide novel insights into the versatile utility of PA and SA for optimizing combinational water disinfection systems and addressing (in)organic foulant scaling on surfaces in the food processing industry.

Durable self-cleaning anti-fog and antireflective titanium-based micro-nano structures on glass by laser marker ablation

Hierarchical micro-nano structured glass surfaces were produced by a low-cost laser marker ablation of Titanium-coated glass. The samples were systematically analyzed in terms of composition, structure, morphology, transparency, and anti-fog performance. The influences of varying laser scan hatch distance and Titanium (Ti) coating thickness on the resulting surface properties were studied. The results showed that the surface exhibited a 30 μm-sized periodic hillock-hollow micro-structure, with widely dispersed nanoparticles of approximately 50 nm in diameter all over the micro-structure. The most favorable surface characteristics were achieved with a 250 nm Ti coating and a 0.03 mm hatch distance, resulting in a notable enhancement of the average transmission of the glass by 1.29 % over a wide spectral range spanning from 400 nm to 1100 nm. Additionally, the treated surface exhibited super-hydrophilicity, evidenced by a contact angle of 0°, thereby demonstrating excellent anti-fog performance in fog tests that remained effective for an impressive duration of 318 days. It also exhibits exceptional anti-fouling and self-cleaning attributes, which remain effective over a span of 459 days. This outstanding antifog self-cleaninng performance and broadband transmission enhancement was, for the first time, co-achieved for laser treated glass. These accomplishments hold substantial practical relevance in diverse applications.

A trade-off between desiccation resistance and developmental humidity for pupation height in the North Indian seasonal population of Drosophilid-Zaprionus indianus

Drosophila larvae and pupae are vulnerable to seasonal abiotic stressors such as humidity and temperature. In wild low-humidity habitats, desiccation stress can occur as Drosophila larvae forsake wet food in search of a drier pupation site. Henceforth, the hypothesis that developmental humidity impacts pupation height, affecting larval and pupae water balance and fitness-related traits, was examined. Accordingly, warm-adapted Drosophilid- Zaprionus indianus from two seasons were reared under season-specific simulated conditions, with significantly varying relative humidity (summer RH: 40%; rainy RH: 80%), but nearly identical temperatures. A trade-off between pupation height and developmental humidity was observed. Drier summer conditions lead to pupae wandering farther from drier glass surfaces, resulting in higher pupation height (17.3 cm) while rainy pupae prefer wet food, resulting in lower pupation height (7.12 cm). Additionally, density-dependent pupation height was developmental humidity-specific, with most rainy-season pupae pupated on wetter food, while dry summer pupae pupated on glass surfaces or cotton. Nevertheless, flies from far pupation exhibited greater desiccation resistance, fecundity, and copulation duration than those from near pupation. The cuticular lipid mass of larvae and pupae was higher during far-than-near pupation, indicating decreased water loss rates compared to near-pupation. Finally, pupae eclosion (%) was unaffected by greater humidity (85%) in either season. Still, it considerably decreased at lower humidity (RH: 0% and 38%) for rainy pupae, further supporting the selection of low-humidity desiccation resistance in pupae. In conclusion, low humidity is crucial for survival of pre-adult stages of Zaprionus indianus under desiccation stress and for preference of pupation site.

Anti-adhesive, anti-biofilm and fungicidal action of newly synthesized gemini quaternary ammonium salts

Newly synthesized gemini quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) with different counterions (bromide, hydrogen chloride, methylcarbonate, acetate, lactate), chain lengths (C12, C14, C16) and methylene linker (3xCH2) were tested. Dihydrochlorides and dibromides with 12 carbon atoms in hydrophobic chains were characterized by the highest biological activity against planktonic forms of yeast and yeast-like fungi. The tested gemini surfactants also inhibited the production of filaments by C. albicans. Moreover, they reduced the adhesion of C. albicans cells to the surfaces of stainless steel, silicone and glass, and slightly to polystyrene. In particular, the gemini compounds with 16-carbon alkyl chains were most effective against biofilms. It was also found that the tested surfactants were not cytotoxic to yeast cells. Moreover, dimethylcarbonate (2xC12MeCO3G3) did not cause hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes. Dihydrochlorides, dilactate and diacetate showed no mutagenic potential.

Surface stress redistribution and thermal performance of tempered vacuum glazing with printing sintering support pillars

The support stress distribution of the printing sintering support pillars (PSSP), which became rounded due to the shrinkage that occurred in sintering formation, was different from that of the conventional cylindrical metal support pillars (CMSP). In this paper, ANSYS software was used to establish the mechanical simulation model of tempered vacuum glazing with PSSP. The influence of PSSP arrangement (spacing D, and three arrangement styles of square, regular triangle, and regular hexagon) on the mechanical properties of tempered vacuum glazing were analyzed, including the maximum stress σ1max on tempered glass (T-glass) surface, the maximum deformation ω1max of T-glass, and the maximum stress σ2max on the PSSP. The simulation results showed that when the PSSP were arranged in a square with D of 50 mm, σ1max, ω1max, and σ2max were 26.39 MPa, 7.82 μm, and 546.72 MPa, respectively, which met the requirements of the evaluation indexes of mechanical properties of tempered vacuum glazing, and had the least number of PSSP. The mechanical properties of tempered vacuum glazing with regular triangle arrangement of PSSP were better than those of square and regular hexagon arrangements, and the σ1max, ω1max and σ2max of which were 16.24 MPa, 7.25 μm and 489.66 MPa respectively, but with a too large number of PSSP. Optimization of the triangle layout angle and side length could reduce PSSP numbers. When the PSSP were arranged in an isosceles triangle with a 65° base angle and 50 mm bottom length, the mechanical properties of tempered vacuum glazing were the best. The triangular arrangement of PSSP had an optimization effect on the surface stress redistribution of tempered vacuum glazing, and the number of stress peaks was twice that of the square arrangement. Meanwhile, tempered vacuum glazing samples were made and the surface stress, thermal conductivity tests were conducted. The results showed that the measured values of peak and valley stress had an error of ±2.8 MPa compared to the simulated values. The simulation results were reliable and the surface stress redistribution of tempered vacuum glazing was present. The measured heat transfer coefficient of tempered vacuum glazing with PSSP was 0.7402 W m−2 K−1, slightly higher than that of tempered vacuum glazing with CMSP. The difference between them was not significant.

Mechanical Properties of Glass Plate During Anticlastic Cold Bending

Anticlastic glass surfaces play a significant role in free-form glass facades. For realizing anticlastic surface, cold bending by loading at the corner of the plate is more adaptive and more economic than traditional hot bending method. Previous research on anticlastic cold bending mainly focuses on the description of instability phenomenon and qualitative analysis of parameters. However, the failure mechanisms of glass plates during cold bending and the influence of lamination remains unclear. In this paper, the anticlastic cold bending test was conducted to explore the influence of various factors, including aspect ratio, scale and composition of the plates. Subsequently, an effective finite element model was established and validated by test results, which is used for further explore the cold bending controlling condition for better engineering practice. The failure modes are considered as instability and strength failure. For laminated glass, maximum stresses can be derived from monolithic glass based on equivalent thickness method. The instability is induced by the compression area in the middle surface of glass plate which is significantly influenced by the composition of the laminates. Consequently, thin glass laminates exhibit enhanced stability because a reduced glass to PVB thickness ratio changes the compression area from bi-directional to uni-directional.

Comparative analysis of combustion characteristics and economy between air assisted combustion and oxy-fuel combustion in glass furnaces

The oxy-fuel combustion is an effective means to improve the high energy consumption, pollution, and economic cost of glass furnaces. In this paper, the combustion characteristics in the flame spaces of traditional natural gas/air assisted combustion glass furnace (GF-NAC) and reformed natural gas/oxy-fuel combustion glass furnace (GF-NOC) are analyzed and compared by means of numerical calculation. More importantly, a systematic quantitative comparative analysis is conducted on the economic performance of the two glass furnaces from the perspectives of fixed and operating costs. The results show that enhanced combustion performance of GF-NOC over GF-NAC is found with flames being extended across the entire width of the furnace in GF-NOC. A more uniform temperature distribution within the furnace is consequently accomplished in GF-NOC. The flame center temperature, the average furnace temperature, and the average glass surface temperature in GF-NOC are increased by 7.42 %, 1.17 %, and 7.96 %, respectively, compared to GF-NAC. Furthermore, a reduction in gas velocity by 50 % at the arch in GF-NOC is observed to mitigate the erosive effects of high-temperature gas flows on the furnace crown. According to the service life of glass furnace of 15 years, the GF-NOC can save 420 M (million yuan) (12.8 %) compared to the GF-NAC. Although the fixed cost of GF-NOC is 9.82 M (5.43 %) higher than that of GF-NAC due to the expenditure on oxygen production equipment, the difference is offset by operating costs. Compared to GF-NAC, GF-NOC can save operating costs of 28.7 M (15.87 %) per year.

Repulsion, Acceleration, and Coalescence between Water Droplets on Superhydrophobic Glass by Triboelectrification.

Manipulating the motion of water droplets on surfaces, which is crucial for various applications, such as microfluidics and heat transfer, presents considerable challenges, primarily due to the significant influence of capillary forces. This effect becomes more pronounced when droplets are in close proximity, often resulting in undesired coalescence. Triboelectrification, which involves charging pure water droplets, is a promising approach to enhance the ability to manipulate water droplets. For effective triboelectrification, charges must accumulate within the droplets; this ensures efficient and sustained droplet manipulation while minimizing dissipation. Low-friction, superhydrophobic, insulating surfaces are ideal for this purpose. However, few studies have explored the application of insulating superhydrophobic surfaces to manipulate droplet motion. In this study, we investigated the behavior of water droplets on insulating superhydrophobic quartz surfaces after triboelectrification. The droplets acquired significant charge when dripped onto a superhydrophobic glass surface. Consequently, these charged droplets exhibited behaviors such as repulsion and acceleration from one another, uphill movement, and rapid long-distance transport to specific positions. These advancements in droplet manipulation techniques hold promise for diverse fields such as microfluidics and heat exchangers.

Unlocking the potential of multicomponent mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles: An approach to enhanced ion therapy

This work presents the synthesis and characterization of a multicomponent mesoporous bioactive glass (MMBG) derived from the composition of 58S glass modified with copper, zinc, and boron. Morphological data revealed the presence of spherical particles with an average size of 616 nm and a specific surface area of 295 m2·g−1. X-ray diffractogram analysis confirmed the lack of long-range order in the MMBG, indicating the presence of a disordered vitreous structure characteristic of glass. The structural scenario of the bioactive glass MMBG reveals a characteristic configuration of borosilicate glasses, where the [BO4] polyhedra, along with SiO4 tetrahedra, constitute the backbone of the glassy matrix. Concerning zinc and copper ions, they function similarly to calcium in compensating for the remaining negative charges within the borosilicate network, behaving as typical network-modifying ions. The presence of these heavy ions, coupled with the formation of the borosilicate network in MMBG, led to a 20 % increase in density compared to 58S glass. Additionally, alterations in the chemical composition and structure of MMBG resulted in a reduction in molar volume compared to 58S, indicating a decrease in the volume occupied by one mole of oxygen in the glass matrix, thereby increasing the oxygen packing density. The pH studies reveal that changes in the chemical composition of MMBG did not compromise its chemical reactivity in aqueous environments. The capability of MMBG glass to act as a bioactive agent for ion therapy is evidenced by its ability to deliver Zn and Cu ions, as substantiated by the gradual disappearance of absorption in wavenumber range of 690–470 cm−1, attributed to the vibration of Zn-O and Cu-O bonds. Preliminary in vitro assay for bioactivity in SBF revealed that the formation of apatite layer on the surface of MMBG glass was notably thicker and denser compared to 58S glass. This result highlights the superior bioactive response of the MMBG bioactive glass, indicating its potential as an exceptionally favorable material for various biomedical applications.