High Thermal Treatment Research Articles

Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Distribution of Oligosaccharides, Pinitol, Soysapapogenol A, and Fatty Acids in Soybean.

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (100-600 MPa for 10-60 min) and thermal treatment (boiling for 10-60 min) on oligosaccharides, pinitol, and soyasapogenol A as taste ingredients in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) (cv. Yukihomare) were evaluated. Additionally, soybean-derived fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid in pressurized soybeans were quantitatively analyzed. Sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose concentrations were decreased in all tested pressure and time combinations; however, pinitol concentrations were increased by specific pressure and time combinations at 100-400 MPa for 10-60 min. While the soyasapogenol A content in boiled soybeans decreased with increasing boiling time, that of pressurized soybeans was altered by specific pressure and time combinations. At the lower pressure and shorter time combinations, the essential fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid showed higher contents. Stearic acid and oleic acid contents of pressurized soybeans increased at mild pressure levels (300-500 MPa). In contrast, the combination of higher pressure and longer time results in lower essential fatty acid contents. Non-thermal-pressurized soybeans have the potential to be a high-value food source with better taste due to the enrichment of low molecular weight components such as pinitol, free amino acids, and the reduction of isoflavones and Group A soyasapogenol.

Overcoming strength-ductility tradeoff with high pressure thermal treatment

Conventional material processing approaches often achieve strengthening of materials at the cost of reduced ductility. Here, we show that high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) treatment can help overcome the strength-ductility trade-off in structural materials. We report an initially strong-yet-brittle eutectic high entropy alloy simultaneously doubling its strength to 1150 MPa and its tensile ductility to 36% after the HPHT treatment. Such strength-ductility synergy is attributed to the HPHT-induced formation of a hierarchically patterned microstructure with coherent interfaces, which promotes multiple deformation mechanisms, including dislocations, stacking faults, microbands and deformation twins, at multiple length scales. More importantly, the HPHT-induced microstructure helps relieve stress concentration at the interfaces, thereby arresting interfacial cracking commonly observed in traditional eutectic high entropy alloys. These findings suggest a new direction of research in employing HPHT techniques to help develop next generation structural materials.

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure and thermal treatment on polyphenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of Phaseolus coccineus L.

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesHigh hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a nonthermal technology that has been applied to several innovative food products, extending shelf life while preserving sensory characteristics and nutritional value. This technology is feasible to apply to legumes, like beans, to soften them and reduce preparation time. Traditionally, before bean consumption, soaking and cooking processes are carried out to develop palatability; however, this involves a loss of compounds with high biological activity such as dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, and polyphenols, which are of interest due to their antioxidant capacity and related benefits linked to a reduction in the risk of several diseases. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of HHP against traditional cooking on polyphenols and the antioxidant capacity of four Phaseolus coccineus L. cultivars: three Mexican (purple, brown, and white) and one Spanish (white).FindingsThere was a higher loss of polyphenols in beans where only heat treatment was applied compared to those treated by HHP. The highest antioxidant capacity (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl and ferric‐reducing antioxidant power) was observed in colored samples with a higher content of total polyphenols.ConclusionsThe use of HHP decreases the cooking time of beans by 15 min while preserving the polyphenol content and antioxidant properties.Significance and NoveltyHHP can be an alternative for the legume food industry, to reduce cooking time, while preserving or improving their composition and functionality.

Physiological thermal responses of three Mexican snakes with distinct lifestyles.

The impact of temperature on reptile physiology has been examined through two main parameters: locomotor performance and metabolic rates. Among reptiles, different species may respond to environmental temperatures in distinct ways, depending on their thermal sensitivity. Such variation can be linked to the ecological lifestyle of the species and needs to be taken into consideration when assessing the thermal influence on physiology. This is particularly relevant for snakes, which are a very functionally diverse group. In this study, our aim was to analyze the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in three snake species from central Mexico (Crotalus polystictus, Conopsis lineata, and Thamnophis melanogaster), highlighting how it is influenced by their distinctive behavioral and ecological traits. We tested both physiological parameters in five thermal treatments: 15 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 33 °C, and 36 °C. Using the performance data, we developed thermal performance curves (TPCs) for each species and analyzed the RMR data using generalized linear mixed models. The optimal temperature for locomotion of C. polystictus falls near its critical thermal maximum, suggesting that it can maintain performance at high temperatures but with a narrow thermal safety margin. T. melanogaster exhibited the fastest swimming speeds and the highest mass-adjusted RMR. This aligns with our expectations since it is an active forager, a high energy demand mode. The three species have a wide performance breadth, which suggests that they are thermal generalists that can maintain performance over a wide interval of temperatures. This can be beneficial to C. lineata in its cold habitat, since such a characteristic has been found to allow some species to maintain adequate performance levels in suboptimal temperatures. RMR increased along with temperature, but the proportional surge was not uniform since thermal sensitivity measured through Q10 increased at the low and high thermal treatments. High Q10 at low temperatures could be an adaptation to maintain favorable performance in suboptimal temperatures, whereas high Q10 at high temperatures could facilitate physiological responses to heat stress. Overall, our results show different physiological adaptations of the three species to the environments they inhabit. Their different activity patterns and foraging habits are closely linked to these adaptations. Further studies of other populations with different climatic conditions would provide valuable information to complement our current understanding of the effect of environmental properties on snake physiology.

The impact of thermal treatment on the mechanical properties and thermal insulation of building materials enhanced with two types of volcanic scoria additives

The need to substitute cement with eco-friendly building materials has increased in recent years, and attempts to enhance the mechanical and thermal insulation properties of these materials are ongoing. Therefore, the present study aims to use two different types of scoria as substitutes for cement in building materials and investigate the impact of thermal treatment on improving mechanical characteristics and thermal insulation. Black and red volcanic scoria, both before and after thermal treatment at different temperatures (600, 700, 800, and 900 °C), were utilized as cement substitutes in concrete specimens. Concrete specimens with different proportions (0–30 % wt.%) of black and red scoria were cured for different durations (14, 21, 28, and 91 days), and then tested for compressive strength. The compressive strength of specimens increased with increasing curing time, but decreased when scoria content exceeded wt.10 %. Furthermore, thermal treatment positively impacted the compressive strength of concrete specimens with red scoria, but negatively affected those with black scoria, owing to the increase in crystalline phases with increasing temperature. The specimen containing 10 % red scoria thermally treated at 900 °C and cured for 91 days yielded the highest compressive strength (60 ± 1.22 MPa). Further, the thermal insulation analysis of the concrete specimens with each type of thermally treated scoria was performed on day 28 of curing. The thermal insulation increased as the proportions of black and red scoria increased, which involved increasing the thermal treatment temperature of both scoria from room temperature to 900 °C on day 28 of curing. Additionally, the thermal insulation of concrete specimens treated with red scoria was more optimized than that of concrete treated with black scoria, particularly at high thermal treatment temperatures, and more than seven times as much as that of ordinary concrete. The lowest thermal conductivity value of the specimen was 0.157 ± 0.01 W m−1 K−1. Based on the findings, concrete with thermally treated red scoria is a suitable eco-friendly building material with high compressive strength and efficient thermal insulation properties.

The development of Au-titania photoanode composites toward semiflexible dye-sensitized solar cells

Considering the widespread use of windows in modern urban landscapes, converting these substrates into photovoltaic devices would remarkably impact modern energy generation. A flexible dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) architecture is preferred for such applications. A key component of the DSSC is the dye-sensitized photoanode. Herein, we examine different nanoparticle composites within the semiconductor anode formulation and their effect on device performance. Mesoporous titania particles (TiO2) modified with Au-nanoparticles (TiO2@AuNPs) were synthesized using precipitation strategies to assess the solvent effect on the particle size and the efficiency of the devices. The materials were then fully characterized through SEM, XRD, and DRS before and after thermal treatment. A paste prepared from the synthesized semiconductors was applied onto the substrate using the doctor blading technique. The use of high thermal treatment for glass substrates (HTT), low-temperature thermal treatment (LTT), and LTT combined with 2 h of UV curing (LTT_UV) was explored. In the case of ITO/PET (flexible substrate) only low temperature thermal treatment were used (LTT and LTT_UV). After characterization (XRD and DRS), the anodes were loaded using a metal-free dye. To complete the comparison, several groups of cells were characterized: considering solvent (EtOH and EtOH:H2O), thermal treatment (HTT, LTT, and LTT_UV), and semiconductor material (TiO2 and TiO2@AuNP). Rigid (glass anode-glass cathode) and semiflexible (flexible anode-glass cathode) DSSCs were obtained with efficiencies from 0.03% to 2.4%, with a substantial performance difference seen using different thermal treatments, and a mild to low effect on semiconductor composition and the used substrate.

Stability of amorphous Li-La-Zr-Ta-O coating for high-voltage cathodes in sulfide-based solid-state batteries

Nickel-rich high-voltage cathodes require a protective layer to suppress chemical reactions and to increase stability in sulfide-based solid-state batteries. Garnet-type Li6.75La3Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 (LLZTO) can serve as a protective layer for cathodes because of its high Li-ion conductivity and low electron transferability. To crystallize LLZTO on the cathode surface, high thermal treatment (>700 °C) is necessary, which invariably leads to interdiffusion of elements, and consequent detrimental interface degradation. For this work, we proposed an amorphous LLZTO coating for LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode particles and investigated the stability of the interface at a full charge (4.55 V vs. Li/Li+) state with an argyrodite sulfide-based solid-state battery.

Ultra-stable pickering emulsions stabilized by zein-cellulose conjugate particles with tunable interfacial affinity

Designing solid particles with desirable interfacial affinity from plant-based ingredients is a key area in sustainable food production. Here, a chemical approach is introduced to fabricate conjugate particles by combining a water-insoluble plant protein (zein) and a hydrophilic polysaccharide (cellulose) through Schiff-base reaction. Zein assembles and precipitates into anisotropic particles after forming conjugates with cellulose. The wettability of conjugate particles at the interface can be precisely engineered by adjusting the ratio of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic components. The three-phase contact angle of a water droplet sitting on the substrate made of particles can be adjusted in a range from around 130°–40° when they are submerged in corn oil. The interfacial absorption kinetics of conjugate particles shows 2 to 4 times improvement than the particles made from sole material sources. The optimal polymer ratio is found to be 1:1.5 and 1:2 (zein:cellulose) for the corn oil-water system. In association with the enhanced interfacial affinity, emulsions stabilized by conjugate particles exhibit superior stability against droplet coalescence and bulk phase separation when going through the isoelectric point of the protein (around pH 6), high ionic strength, long-term storage, and thermal treatment. It has been found that 0.5 wt% conjugate particles are enough to stabilize emulsions containing more than 60 vt% oil. • Anisotropic particles are obtained through the precipitation of zein after forming conjugates with cellulose. • The interfacial absorption kinetics of conjugate particles shows 2 to 4 times improvement than the particles made from sole material sources. • The optimal polymer ratio is found to be 1:1.5 and 1:2 (zein:cellulose) for the corn oil-water system. • 0.5 wt% conjugate particles can stabilize emulsions containing more than 60 vt% oil.

Promising Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Derivatives; A Case Study for Preparations, Fabrication Mechanisms, and Applications in Perovskite Solar Cells

Graphene (G) has been a game-changer for conductive optical devices and has shown promising aspects for its implementation in the power industry due to its diverse structures. Graphene has played an essential role as electrodes, hole transport layers (HTLs), electron transport layers (ETLs), and a chemical modulator for perovskite layers in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) over the past decade. Nitrogen-doped graphene (N-DG) derivatives are frequently evaluated among the existing derivatives of graphene because of their versatility of design, easy synthesis process, and high throughput. This review presents a state-of-the-art overview of N-DG preparation methods, including wet chemical process, bombardment, and high thermal treatment methods. Furthermore, it focuses on different structures of N-DG derivatives and their various applications in PSC applications. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for N-DG derivatives for the continuous performance improvement of PSCs have been highlighted.

Pipeline Processing via the Combination of Heat and Corona Treatments for Improving the Poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) Fiber Surface and Anti-Aging Performances.

Although many strategies have been reported for modified poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber surfaces, the absence of approaches with the potential of applications in industries limits the further applications of the fibers in a wide field. Herein, PBO fibers are modified by heat treatment combined with corona discharge treatment, which is a continuous industrialized method. Then, the surface morphology, wettability, orientation, and crystallinity of the PBO fibers are characterized in detail. Systematic experiments demonstrate that the high thermal treatment can improve the orientation and crystallization degree of the fibers, as well as the degradation resistance. In addition, owing to the synergistic mechanism of ozone and high-frequency shock, the corona discharge treatment increases the contents of O and N elements on the surfaces, which improves the superficial properties of the fibers. Based on the modification of PBO fibers, the inter-laminar shear strength between the fiber and the resin for the composite increases to 94.8%, and the tensile strength of the composite increases to 29.2%, compared to those using untreated fibers. In general, the proposed modification strategy not only easily improves the surface properties and the mechanical properties of composites but also can be used with great potential in industrial production.

Enhancing the thermal conductivity of amorphous polyimide by molecular-scale manipulation

Due to their remarkable mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties, polymers are widely utilized in industry. However, the low thermal conductivity of polymers limits more extended applications of them that require high degrees of heat dissipation. Here, we demonstrate that the combination of increased chain orientation and powerful intermolecular interaction can boost the thermal conductivity of polyimide (PI). The thermal conductivity values of electrospun individual PI nanofibers (INF-PI) and hot-pressed nanofibrous PI films (HP-PI) formed with these nanofibers were as high as 0.44 and 0.98 W m−1 K−1, respectively, at room temperature. The former and the latter were measured by the suspended microdevice and hot-disk methods, respectively. These values are considerably higher than the solution-casting PI film (SC-PI) value of 0.1 W m−1 K−1. Furthermore, molecular-scale structural characterizations revealed that the electrospinning process improved chain orientation and that high pressure and thermal treatment during the hot-pressing process facilitated the formation of π–π interactions, resulting in an exceptionally high thermal conductivity in HP-PI.

Thermosonication combined with ε-polylysine (TSε): A novel technology to control the microbial population and significantly improve the overall quality attributes of orange juice

At present, most commercial orange juice still uses high temperature-long time thermal treatment (HTLT) to prolong its shelf life. However, HTLT treatment can have many negative effects on the overall quality of juice. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore novel non-thermal sterilization techniques to produce high-quality orange juice. In this study, we compared the inactivation effects of thermosonication (TS), TS combined with ε-polylysine (TSε), TS combined with nisin (TSN) and HTLT on the bactericidal effects of natural microflora in orange juice. On this basis, the effects of TSε and HTLT treatments on the comprehensive quality characteristics of orange juice were further explored. The results showed that TSε and HTLT treatments had better effect on controlling the number of microorganisms and inactivating endogenous enzymes, and ε-polylysine showed a significant synergistic lethal ability (p < 0.05) to the total bacterial count and yeast in orange juice. With HTLT treatment, sterilization is not achieved because Alyciclobacillus spores are not inactivated, and it could be replaced by inactivation or pasteurization when the Alyciclobacillus are high. In addition, TSε treatment maintained sensory quality, which was significantly better in TSε-treated juice compared to HTLT-treated juice. Moreover, TSε treatment markedly enhanced or strongly retained the functional substances of orange juice. The contents of polyphenols and carotenoids increased by 12.53% and 36.46%, respectively, while the antioxidant activities of ORAC, DPPH, and FRAP increased by 53.27%, 14.42%, and 7.26%, respectively. Additionally, the retention rate of ascorbic acid was as high as 85.42%. Therefore, as a novel non-thermal inactivation microbial technology, TSε treatment contributes to the improvement of organoleptic quality and functional characteristics of orange juice.

Stability of acidified milk drinks: Comparison of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and thermal treatments

There is a search for effective stabiliser activity and alternative pasteurisation techniques for acidified milk drinks (AMD). In the present study, AMD were prepared at three different pH (4.0, 4.5 and 5.0) and high methoxyl pectin (HMP) levels (0.2, 0.5 and 0.8%) by thermal (75 °C, 15 min) and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (100, 300 and 500 MPa, 5 min) treatments. To achieve minimum steric stability, 0.5% HMP was required. HMP at 0.5%, pH 4.0 and 4.5, produced high protein solubility (60–70%), low storage sedimentation (10–15%) and mean particle size values in the range of 1.70–3.00 μm for all samples. Heat treatment induced lower particle size variation than HHP treatment. Heat-treated samples also showed lower Turbiscan stability index (TSI) values and smaller delta backscattering (ΔBS) variations. Nonetheless, HHP could replace heat treatment at 0.5% HMP concentration and pH 4.0–4.5.

Quality Changes in Black Chokeberry Juice Treated by Thermal-Assisted High Hydrostatic Pressure during Cold Storage.

The effects of thermal-assisted high hydrostatic pressure (TAHHP), high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), and thermal pasteurization (TP) treatments on the quality of aronia juice were evaluated in this study. The results showed that TAHHP and HHP significantly decreased the aerobic plate counts of aronia juice. No significant differences in terms of physicochemical properties, such as pH and total soluble solids, were observed between aronia juice treated with high pressure or thermal pasteurization treatment after 28 days of storage. TAHHP and HHP affected the colour and antioxidant characteristics of aronia juice, though to a significantly lower extent than TP. This result demonstrates that TAHHP and HHP can better maintain the original quality of aronia juice than TP. In summary, both TAHHP and HHP can maintain the microbiological safety and original quality characteristics of aronia juice. TAHHP can effectively increase the safety and duration of cold storage of aronia juice, and hence is highly useful for the juice industry.

2D Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite ferroelectric film for high-performance, self-powered and ultra-stable UV photodetector boosted by ferro-pyro-phototronic effect and surface passivation

2D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) perovskites have attracted enormous attention in optoelectronic fields compared with their 3D counterparts. However, most of the reported perovskite ferroelectrics-based self-powered photodetectors (PDs) are fabricated from bulk single crystals rather than perovskite thin films with improved reproducibility, flexibility, and less preparation time. Nevertheless, the defect sites at surfaces and grain boundaries of 2D perovskites polycrystalline films make them vulnerable to humidity. Herein, the highly crystallized 2D RP perovskite ferroelectric films are successfully obtained. Then, a passivation method is applied on 2D perovskite film by an in-situ reaction with 4-fluoro-phenylethylamine iodide (4-FPEAI), which reduces the defect sites and endows the perovskite films with the outstanding hydrophobic property. Then, the as-prepared 2D-perovskite ferroelectric thin films were fabricated into self-powered PDs. Boosted by the ferro-pyro-phototronic effect, the self-powered PDs demonstrate excellent optoelectronic performances at 360 nm, with dark current less than 1 × 10−12 A, a peak responsivity over 1 A W−1, a detectivity of 1.5 × 1014 Jones and fast response/recovery speed. The photoresponsivity and specific detectivity are both enhanced by 67.8 times regarding the relative peak-to-peak current, compared with those only based on the photovoltaic induced photocurrent. Further, the PDs show high stability towards high humidity and thermal treatment.

Pyroelectric and Ferroelectric Properties of Hafnium Oxide Doped with Si via Plasma Enhanced ALD

Devices based on ferroelectric hafnium oxide are of major interest for sensor and memory applications. In particular, Si-doped hafnium oxide layers are investigated for the application in the front-end-of-line due to their resilience to high thermal treatments. Due to its very confined doping concentration range, Si:HfO2 layers based on thermal atomic layer deposition often exhibited a crossflow pattern across 300 mm wafer. Here, plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition is explored as an alternative method for producing Si-doped HfO2 layers, and their ferroelectric and pyroelectric properties are compared.

Effects of High Pressure Processing and Thermal Treatment on the Interaction between α-Lactalbumin and Pelargonium-3-Glucoside.

In this study, high pressure processing (HPP) and thermal treatment were comparatively evaluated by examining their impacts on the binding behavior and interaction between α-lactalbumin (α-La) and pelargonium-3-glucoside (P3G) under pH values of 6.0, 7.4, and 8.0. The methods of circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching, dynamic light scattering, and molecular simulation were used to characterize the effects of processing-induced changes in protein structure, size distribution, binding site conformation, and residue charges on their binding characteristics between them. The results indicated that the thermal treatments significantly increased the quenching constants of the complex at pH 7.4/8.0 and 60/80 °C, as well as the accessible fraction of protein at pH 8.0/80 °C. Both HPP and thermal treatments increased the random coil content and showed limited effects on the α-helix and β-sheet contents of α-La and caused the aggregation of the complex to varying degrees. Molecular dynamic simulation and docking analyses revealed that the binding site of the complex did not change under different processing conditions, but the solvent-accessible surface area varied under different conditions.

Antioxidant capacities of the extracts from Perilla frutescens L. leaves using pressurized liquid extraction and conventional techniques

Perilla frutescens L. is an edible plant used as a food item as well as a folk medicine for human diseases in some Asian countries. Due to limited studies in the extraction of total phenols responsible for its high bio-functional properties, this study is aimed to compare the yields, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacities of the extracts between pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) at 100°C with or without ultrasonic treatment and conventional extraction techniques. A batch mode of the PLE system was utilized with the use of water and 50% aqueous ethanol as extraction solvents. Hot water extraction at 80°C and soxhlet extraction were employed as conventional techniques. The extraction yields from each technique were determined before their TPC and antioxidant capacities were examined. The results showed that PLE with and without ultrasonic treatment enhanced the extraction process of TPC as compared with conventional ones. Consequently, PLE resulted in higher antioxidant capacities and lipid peroxidation-inhibiting activity than conventional extraction technique (p &lt; 0.05). However, PLE of bioactive components from Perilla frutescens L. leaves with higher thermal treatment should be considered in future studies.

Facile auto-combustion synthesis of calcium aluminate nanoparticles for efficient removal of Ni(II) and As(III) ions from wastewater

ABSTRACT We herein report the synthesis of monoclinic calcium aluminate (CaAl2O4) nanoparticles via a facile auto-combustion method followed by calcination. We performed the auto-combustion method using aluminium nitrate and calcium nitrate as oxidants and different fuels as reductants such as urea, glycine, and a mixture of urea and glycine, with various fuel-to-oxidant equivalence ratios . Then, the combusted samples were calcined at different temperatures; 600 and 800 °C. The products were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscope, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope. CaAl2O4 nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of 40.4, 38.8, and 33.7 nm were obtained after calcination at 800 °C using the aforementioned fuels, respectively. TEM images revealed that CaAl2O4 nanoparticles tend to form partially sintered aggregates owing to the high thermal treatment temperature, so they have non-uniform shapes. The produced CaAl2O4 nanoparticles exhibited good absorptivity toward Ni(II) and As(III) ions form aqueous media. The maximum sorption capacities (qm) of CaAl2O4 for the removal of Ni(II) and As(III) were found to be 58.73 and 43.9 mg.g−1, at pH 7 and 5, respectively. The equilibrium isotherms and adsorption kinetics studies revealed that the adsorption data fitted well Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order models, respectively. Besides, the adsorption of Ni(II) and As(III) ions on CaAl2O4 nanoparticles is physisorption. Overall, the obtained results indicated that calcium aluminate nano-adsorbent is a good candidate for the removal of Ni(II) and As(III) ions from wastewater, due to its high efficiency, stability, and re-usability.

Evolution of C-rich SiOC ceramics

AbstractIn this Part II of the paper on the evolution of carbon-rich Si–O–C polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs), emphasis is placed on the strengths and limitations of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques with high lateral resolution, i. e., electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) and energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM). Here, the identical SiOC materials, as described in Part I. EELS studies confirmed the progression of structural rearrangements within the SiOC matrix temperatures exceeding 1200 °C. High-resolution TEM imaging showed that the SiOC matrices are indeed predominantly amorphous even upon high thermal treatment. Energy-filtered TEM analysis revealed, in contrast to the results obtained by Raman spectroscopy (Part I), that the excess free carbon phase undergoes a pronounced rearrangement within the amorphous microstructure. HRTEM characterization revealed the distribution of phases within the amorphous SiOC matrix; information that is not accessible by integral spectroscopic techniques. Discrepancies between the interpretation of experimental results obtained by local versus integral characterization tools are discussed in detail.