Low Surface Research Articles

Effects of abrasive grain size of flexible body-armor-like abrasive tool (BAAT) on high-shear and low-pressure grinding for zirconia ceramics

Zirconia ceramics exhibit remarkable performance. However, the high hardness and brittleness poses enormous challenges for machining. This study is integrally focused on preparing a flexible body-armor-like abrasive tool (BAAT) with enhanced tangential-to-normal force ratio. The rheological characteristics of the BAAT abrasive system with different abrasive grain were investigated. A series of grinding tests were conducted on a precision grinding machine. The grinding performance of the BAAT with different abrasive grain sizes was examined. Surface roughness (Ra) variation and tangential-to-normal force ratio were analyzed, together with the investigation of the three-dimensional surface morphology and surface hydrophilicity. It was found that smaller abrasive grain sizes ultimately generated lower surface roughness values after grinding. Under the optimal grinding conditions, the surface roughness (Ra) of zirconia ceramics decreased from 102 nm to 1.7 nm after 5 grinding strokes (∼1 min). Meanwhile, uniform grinding textures were obtained.

PVDF-Halloysite-Ceria Multifunctional Membrane for One-step Treatment to Industrial Effluent

Industrial wastewater, containing diverse pollutants like dyes and oils, poses detrimental environmental challenges. Membrane technology addresses this complexity well but requires tailored nanofiller modifications that enhance hydrophilicity, oleophobicity, and antifouling potential for efficient separation. In this context, our work focuses on the development of mixed matrix membranes (PV-H-C) – PVDF, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), and ceria nanoparticles – for effective dye and oil-water emulsion separation, enabling high flux recovery. The tubular structure of HNTs, with a lumen, enables the encapsulation and controlled distribution of ceria nanoparticles, preventing their agglomeration and leading to more uniform dispersion within the membrane matrix. HNTs porous structure, high surface area, and numerous adsorption sites within its nanotubes excel in rapid dye adsorption and ceria’s inherent hydrophobic properties along with low surface energy, forms a barrier against oil adhesion and spreading. Optimal results were achieved by loading 2% HNT and 1% ceria in the PVDF matrix, ensuring improved membrane performance. HNTs enhanced hydrophilicity and achieved pure water permeate flux of 1698L/m2.h.bar. Developed membranes are super-oleophobic with an underwater contact angle of 132° + 3°and show a 100% increase in dyes and oils separation efficiency as compared to the pristine PVDF membranes. This unique integration of ceria with halloysite nanotubes in PV-H-C membranes is pivotal, bestowing exceptional anti-fouling characteristics and reusability, while providing a one-step, comprehensive solution for the effective treatment of complex industrial wastewater that encompasses both oil and complex dyes.

Trends in clinical outcomes of older hemodialysis patients: data from the 2023 Korean Renal Data System (KORDS)

With an increasing aging population, the mean age of patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is globally increasing. However, the current clinical status of elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) is rarely reported in Korea. The current study analyzed the clinical features and trends of older patients undergoing HD from the Korean Renal Data System (KORDS) database. The patients were divided into three groups according to age: <65 years (the young group), n = 50,591 (35.9%); 65–74 years (the younger-old group), n = 37,525 (26.6%); and ≥75 years (the older-old group), n = 52,856 (37.5%). The proportion of older-old group undergoing HD significantly increased in incidence and decreased in prevalence from 2013 to 2022. The median levels of hemoglobin, serum creatinine, albumin, calcium, phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone significantly decreased in the older-old group. The proportions of arteriovenous fistula creation and left forearm placement showed decreased trends with age. Although the utilization of low surface area dialyzers increased with age, the dialysis adequacy, including urea reduction ratio and Kt/V was within acceptable range in the older-old group on HD. Over the past 20 years, the mortality rate in the older-old group has increased, with cardiovascular diseases decreasing and infectious diseases increasing. The incidence of elderly patients undergoing HD has increased over time, but the high mortality of the older-old group needs to be solved. Therefore, it is imperative to develop holistic strategies based on age and individual needs for patients with ESKD.

Resource classification of coal bed methane and its contribution in energy transition and decarbonization path of oil and gas industry (A synopsis of CBM Life Cycle Analysis)

World economies are becoming increasingly more dependent on energy and countries have a voracious appetite for energy therefore, the need for an abundant clean energy is becoming a necessity. Energy companies are challenging environmental costs of coal bed methane as with advancement of new technology the impact from production of coal bed methane can reduce and to a certain extent avoided or offset. Production of coal bed methane results in changes to the land, to surface water and to ground water systems. Carbon quantification is required to understand, monitor and manage these changes. Previous life cycle analysis for this resource class has lack of process design details because of which there is a knowledge gap in understanding of emission profile of coal bed methane’s production. The objective of this study is to add value and reduce the scientific gap with respect to the production techniques of coal bed methane and its environmental impact. Removal of water continuously from coal seams depletes ground water and may eventually lower surface water flows (streams and rivers). It can also change the flow of groundwater drawing fresh water into the coal seams. To better understand this phenomenon the work establishes the Coal Bed Methane production foundation by in depth understanding of · Coal Bed Methane reservoir types; · Coal Bed Methane depositional environment, generation, and geological distributions; · Coal Bed Methane resource energy supply methods by understanding its construction, production and processing. The study then uses Life Cycle Assessment approach and understands previous emission numbers of Coal Bed Methane’s resource development. The work does systematic analysis and summarizes the previously published Life Cycle Analysis to understand further the potential environmental impacts of resource development of Coal Bed Methane. This will help energy companies to understand the field development, production, and operations of coal bed methane’s resource in terms of carbon numbers thereby optimizing the operations through carbon management thus reducing the potential impacts.

Novel flow-electrode capacitive deionization system employing modified MOF-derived carbon electrodes for metal ion removal

Activated carbon (AC) as an electrode for capacitive deionization (CDI) is constrained by its low specific surface area and specific capacitance, leading to electrical double layer overlap (EDL). To address this issue, a flow electrode capacitive deionization system (MDC-FCDI) was developed, which used modified MOFs-derived carbon (MDC) as the electrode. The MDC electrode exhibited enhanced specific capacitance (145.78 F/g) and specific surface area (2458.44 m2/g). Compared to conventional FCDI, the MDC-FCDI system demonstrated a 35–39 % improvement in heavy metal removal efficiency from wastewater containing Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+. The selectivity of MDC-FCDI for heavy metals exhibited a unique “two-step phenomenon” that differed from what was observed in conventional CDI systems. In the MDC-FCDI system, high-valent ions experienced stronger electric field forces and preferentially occupied active sites on the electrode surface prior to the adsorption of ions with lower valence. The selectivity of the MDC-FCDI system for heavy metal ions is determined by three factors in the following order of priority: ionic charge, hydration radius, and ion feed concentration. This study offers a practical approach for expanding the range of MDC-FCDI applications.

Surface modification for enhanced Anti‐Wetting properties of electrospun omniphobic membranes in membrane distillation

AbstractMembrane wetting caused by substances in the feed solution with low surface tension has posed serious issues for membrane distillation (MD). Omniphobic membranes could be helpful when dealing with this problem because they strongly repel liquids with a wide range of surface tensions. We fabricated electrospun omniphobic membranes containing PVDF‐TEOS‐PFDTMS, PVDF‐HFP‐TMOS‐PFDTMS, and PVDF‐HFP‐TEOS‐PFDTMS. All electrospun membranes have shown contact angles >90°, but the electrospun membrane containing PVDF‐HFP‐TEOS‐PFDTMS has shown super repellence with a contact angle >150° and maintains stable salt rejection and water flux in direct contact MD processes in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant (up to 0.3 mM). Furthermore, the morphology and crystallinity of the electrospun membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and the percentage composition of elements was analyzed by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. liquid entry pressure, mechanical strength, and the porosity of the electrospun omniphobic membranes were also studied.

Chondroitin Sulfate-Based Nanocapsules as Nanocarriers for Drugs and Nutraceutical Supplements

Oil-core nanocapsules (NCs, also known as nanoemulsions) are of great interest due to their application as efficient carriers of various lipophilic bioactives, such as drugs. Here, we reported for the first time the preparation and characterization of NCs consisting of chondroitin sulfate (CS)-based shells and liquid oil cores. For this purpose, two amphiphilic CS derivatives (AmCSs) were obtained by grafting the polysaccharide chain with octadecyl or oleyl groups. AmCS-based NCs were prepared by an ultrasound-assisted emulsification of an oil phase consisting of a mixture of triglyceride oil and vitamin E in a dispersion of AmCSs. Dynamic light scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy showed that the as-prepared core–shell NCs have typical diameters in the range of 30–250 nm and spherical morphology. Since CS is a strong polyanion, these particles have a very low surface potential, which promotes their stabilization. The cytotoxicity of the CS derivatives and CS-based NCs and their impact on cell proliferation were analyzed using human keratinocytes (HaCaTs) and primary human skin fibroblasts (HSFs). In vitro studies showed that AmCSs dispersed in an aqueous medium, exhibiting mild cytotoxicity against HaCaTs, while for HSFs, the harmful effect was observed only for the CS derivative with octadecyl side groups. However, the nanocapsules coated with AmCSs, especially those filled with vitamin E, show high biocompatibility with human skin cells. Due to their stability under physiological conditions, the high encapsulation efficiency of their hydrophobic compounds, and biocompatibility, AmCS-based NCs are promising carriers for the topical delivery of lipophilic bioactive compounds.

First report of Diaporthe eres causing leaf spot on Rosa roxburghii Tratt in Guizhou Province, China.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt is a plant from the Rosaceae family whose fruits are rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other active components (Jiang, et al. 2024). In July 2023, about R. roxburghii 500 plants were investigated in a field of 6000 m2 in Guiding County (107°14'E, 26°45'N), Guizhou province, China, and the results showed a leaf spot incidence of s 20 to 30%. . The affected leaves had irregular, black lesions with a clear blackish brown boundary and faint black conidiomata in a brown center. Fifteen symptomatic leaves were collected from 10 plants washed with sterile distilled water, and 5 × 5 mm pieces of the infected tissues were cut. After surface sterilization for30 s with 75% ethanol, 2 min with 3% NaOCl, three washes in sterilized distilled water, the leaf pieces were dried and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25℃ for 5 days. Three isolates (H3-Y-1-1, H3-Y-1-2, H3-Y-1-3) with identical morphology were obtained, and the isolate H3-Y-1-1was selected for further study. The colonies on PDA exhibited irregular growth patterns, with white felty aerial mycelium on the upper surface, and white mycelium on the lower surface. Conidiomata were irregularly distributed over the agar surface. The isolate H3-Y-1-1 produced darkly pigmented pycnidia on PDA after 30 days and oozed milky mucilaginous drops. The fungus produced two types of conidia, α and β. Regular α conidia were 4.74 - 5.96 × 1.52 - 2.24 μm (n = 50), hyaline, elongated, biguttulate and non-septate. Beta conidia were 20.13 - 25.74 × 0.86 - 1.29 μm (n = 50), aseptate, hyaline, smooth, spindle shaped, slightly curved to bent. The morphological features were consistent with the description of Diaporthe eres (Pereira, et al. 2022). The pathogen was confirmed to be D. eres by amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), the partial β-tubulin (TUB), the partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) genes using primers ITS1/ITS4, Bt-2a/Bt-2b, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, respectively. Sequences from PCR amplification were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers PP411998 (ITS), PP502153 (TUB), PP502156 (TEF). BLAST searches of the sequences revealed (96%) (500/523nt), 97% (479/494 nt) and 99% (334/338 nt) homology with those of D. eres CBS 138594 from GenBank (OM698848, OM752196 and OM752197), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods placed the isolate H3-Y-1-1 in a well-supported cluster with D. eres CBS 101742. The pathogen was thus identified as D. eres based on the morphological characterization and molecular analyses (Feng, et al. 2013; Tao, et al. 2020). To assess its pathogenicity, healthy R. roxburghii potted plants were inoculated with H3-Y-1-1 spore suspensions. Symptomatic leaves mirroring field symptoms were observed after XX days of incubations at XX°C, while control plants exhibited no symptoms. Diaporthe eres was consistently reisolated from the infected leaves showing brown irregular or round lesions at the initial stage of the disease, expanding and become more irregular over time ultimately causing leaf curling and plant death. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot on R. roxburghii caused by D. eres in China. The disease may become a serious threat to fruit of R. roxburghii production in China. Therefore, detection of this pathogen is very important to ensure timely disease management.

Quantum size luminescence effect in local field enhancement of Ag NP added Er3+ glass system

This research investigates the effect of silver (Ag) addition on the photoluminescence enhancement properties of 20Li2O–5Bi2O3-(74-x)TeO2–1Er2O3-xAg glass samples, aiming to optimize luminescence for applications in optical amplifiers and laser technologies. The enhancement of luminescence properties for both upconversion 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 green band and 4F9/2 → 4I15/2 red peak luminescence observed are analyzed by quantum yield ξ and relative intensity enhancement (I/Io) parameters. The enhancement on green luminescence properties are observed with high ξgreen and I/Iogreen at x < 1 mol% which can be explained within the cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) framework due to very low dipolar localized surface plasmon mode volume Veff (∼10–20 × 10−22 m3) allowing stronger quantum size luminescence effect. Meanwhile, the quenching of ξgreen (0.61) at x≥ 1 mol% may indicate the weaker quantum size luminescence effect. An anomalous enhancement on red luminescence properties with high ξred (2.07) and I/Iored (1.79) at x = 1.25 mol% cannot be explained by CQED framework but from phonon-assisted energy transfer (PET) mechanism occurred due to structural changes. The near-field and far-field parameters of AgNP are simulated. Results demonstrated stronger near field electric field distribution enhancement at x = 0.5 mol% and x = 0.75 mol%. This suggests that an optimal AgNP radius exists for promoting the quantum size luminescence effect in our glass samples, falling within the range of 50.00–60.00 nm. Further supporting this conclusion, theoretical calculations using light intensity scattering efficiency (Qsca) revealed the highest values between 50.00 and 70.00 nm of AgNP radius in our glass samples.

Effect of graphene coating on flow boiling in a minichannel at sub-atmospheric pressures

Flow boiling in a mini-channel with graphene-coated sintered porous copper surface was investigated at sub-atmospheric pressures by analyzing bubble motion and flow patterns. A method of surface modification based on graphene coating was presented for thermal management systems operating at lower temperatures. The experiments were carried out at mass fluxes of 60 kg.m–2.s–1 and 120 kg.m–2.s–1 and sub-atmospheric pressures of 48 kPa and 68 kPa in a mini-channel with dimensions of 50 mm × 15 mm × 2 mm using HFE-7100 coolant as the working fluid. At sub-atmospheric pressures, the bubble nucleation site density decreases, and the bubble diameter increases while the bubble release frequency decreases. The existence of porous surfaces and HFE-7100 coolant with lower surface tension leads to the inception of boiling at lower wall superheats. The graphene coating promotes microlayer evaporation and consequently increases the nucleation site density by enhancing the thermal conductivity and wicking rate. Additionally, it provides stable annular flow at high heat fluxes, whereas intermittent-annular flow is observed for the untreated surface under the same condition. This enhancement results in a more pronounced increase in the boiling heat transfer for the graphene-coated surface. As a result, this study provides the high potential of graphene coatings for phase change heat transfer enhancement at sub-atmospheric pressures.

Solmers: Versatile hybrid resins for nanometric 3D printing of silica-based photonic components

Owning to their intrinsic properties, silica-based glasses are widely used in various technological fields, especially in photonics. However, high degree of flexibility is yet challenging in realization of next-generation miniaturized optical components. In this work, we develop an approach based on ‶Solmers″ hybrid resins allowing versatile two-photon polymerization 3D printing of silica glasses with 23 nm resolution, doping with Germanium and/or rare-earths elements. Other dopants such as gold nanoparticles were also incorporated for localized metallization. After 3D printing and sintering (1100–1300 °C), high optical quality glasses with low surface roughness (<0.2 nm) were obtained. Structural analyses confirmed the amorphous structure of silica glasses. Various mono- or multi-materials microstructures were successfully fabricated on fused silica substrates. Besides, this approach was extended to the functionalization of optical fibers for optical sensing applications in harsh environment (1000 °C). Compared to organic or organic-inorganic materials, these dense silica-based glasses with enhanced optical and structural properties will open new avenues for the development of emerging advanced optical components.

Hierarchical bio-inspired design and fabrication of all-dimensional superhydrophobic ultra-lightweight high-volume fly ash cement foams using novel ultrasonic-assisted siloxane-encapsulated pickering emulsions

Ultra-lightweight foamed cement (ULFC) exhibits super-high porosity and excellent thermal-insulation capabilities. However, the thermodynamic instability and high water-absorptivity of ULFC with high-volume fly ash have restricted its large-scale application. Superhydrophobic technology can significantly improve the substrates’ hydrophobicity, among which the nanocoating is a popular option but the water-repellent layer may be easily destroyed due to the mechanical damage. Therefore, the intrinsic superhydrophobization becomes a promising alternative to the coating scheme. Here, the internal superhydrophobic ULFC was formulated through introducing the ultrasonic-assisted siloxane-encapsulated Pickering emulsions, in which two Pickering structures containing n-dodecyltrimethoxysilane were stabilized by hydrophobic SiO2 and C–S–H nanoparticles, respectively. Compared with the SiO2 nanoparticles-stabilized dispersion, the droplets of C–S–H nanoparticles-stabilized Pickering emulsion were more stable and controlled-release in cement hydration environment. As such, the incorporation of the latter showed no negative impact on the setting times and static yield stress of the interstitial matrix, optimizing the homogeneity, mechanical strength and heat conductivity of ULFC. The combination of nanoscale foam stabilizer and Pickering emulsions could form the hierarchical waterproof structure with low surface free energy at the gas-solid interfaces, and the multiscale siloxane-grafted intertwined hydration products were responsible for the inner superhydrophobicity of ULFC. Therefore, under the water vapor-saturated environment, the water absorption of superhydrophobic samples showed only a slight increase as a function of time and the ULFC was still hydrophobic with a reduction of apparent water contact angle from 154.6° to 137.8°. From energy consumption analysis, the all-dimensional superhydrophobic ULFC had a potential application in heat-insulation building.

Impact of Low Freestream Turbulence and Surface Roughness on the Flat-Plate Boundary Layer Transition Under a High-Lift Airfoil Pressure Gradient

Abstract Effects of low incoming freestream turbulence level (Tu &amp;lt; 1%) and surface roughness on the transition of flat-plate boundary layers under a high-lift airfoil pressure gradient have been investigated. Time-resolved streamwise and wall-normal velocity fields with surface roughness values of Ra/C = 0.065 × 10−5, 4.417 × 10−5, and 7.428 × 10−5 have been measured at a fixed Reynolds number of 5.2 × 105 and freestream turbulence intensity of 0.2%. For the reference smooth surface of Ra/C = 0.065 × 10−5, a laminar separation bubble forms from about 64% to 83% of the chord length. Increasing surface roughness has little impact on the laminar boundary layer separation onset but reduces the height and length of the separation bubble and induces earlier transition. For Ra/C = 4.417 × 10−5, displacement thickness during transition is slightly thinner and the overall momentum deficit is slightly lower than those for Ra/C = 0.065 × 10−5. For Ra/C = 7.428 × 10−5, the separation bubble becomes hardly visible as the transition mode approaches the attached mode, and turbulent mixing by the wall-bounded turbulence becomes dominant. In addition, the portion of turbulent wetted area increases due to earlier transition, and momentum deficit increases more rapidly in the turbulent wetted area. Thus, the overall momentum deficit for Ra/C = 7.428 × 10−5 is larger than that for Ra/C = 0.065 × 10−5.

Integrated form-position measurement of large-aperture transparent elements based on stereoscopic phase measuring deflectometry

Abstract In the field of ultra-precision manufacturing and measurement, sub-aperture stitching is a widely employed technique for the measurement of complex optical components. Those influencing factors like system errors and numerical bias introduce notable stitching errors in the overlapped areas between sub-apertures, consequently degrading measurement accuracy. In addition, the surfaces forms, refractive indices, and positions are difficult to be specified simultaneously. In this paper, an integrated measurement method based on the stereo deflectometry is proposed, which can measure the surface form, refractive index, and relative position of large-aperture transparent components together. This method utilizes a Gaussian process regression model to decouple and predict the refractive index and relative positions of the upper and lower surfaces. Then, a robust sub-aperture stitching technique with an adaptive distance function is employed to correct the positioning errors of sub-apertures. The feasibility and effectiveness of this method are demonstrated. The final stitched surface results exhibit a measurement error of 320 nm and a thickness deviation of 28 µm.

Electromechanical coupling characteristics of multilayered piezoelectric quasicrystal plates in an elastic medium

AbstractQuasicrystals (QCs) have attracted tremendous attention of researchers for their unusual properties. In this paper, an exact electric‐elastic solution of the simply supported and multilayered three‐dimensional (3D) cubic piezoelectric quasicrystal (PQC) nanoplate with the nonlocal effect is derived. Based on the basic elasticity equation of 3D QCs, we construct the linear eigenvalue system in terms of the pseudo‐Stroh formalism, from which the general solutions of the extended displacements and stresses in any homogeneous layer can be obtained. The two‐parameter foundation model is utilized to simulate the interaction between the nanoplate and elastic medium. The propagator matrices are employed to connect the field variables at the upper interface to those at the lower interface of each layer. Based on the boundary conditions of the upper and lower surfaces of the laminate and foundation model, the solutions are employed to derive from the global propagator matrix. Compared with the conventional propagator matrix method, a new propagator method is reestablished to deal with numerical instabilities of the case of large aspect ratio and high‐order frequencies for QC laminates. Finally, typical numerical examples are presented to illustrate the influence of nonlocal parameters and elastic medium coefficients on phonon, phason, and electric variables of 3D PQC nanoplates.

Machinability and pulse characteristics of Ti-16Al-14Nb (α/β) alloy in wire-electric discharge machining process: A surface integrity study

The goal of the present work is to produce the efficient cutting of Ti-16Al-14Nb (α/β) alloy through wire-electric discharge machining and contemplate the terminologies such as machining ability, surface integrity and material removing capability. For this, the experimentation has been designed by considering three process parameters, pulse-on time ( Ton), pulse-off time ( Toff) and peak current ( Ip) at three significant levels (low, high, intermediate) in L27 order designed from design of experiments. The effect of these process variables on pulse characteristics, surface roughness ( Ra), kerfwidth ( Kw) and material removal rate ( MRR) is analyzed and mathematically modeled with analysis of variance. The results state that the highest MRR (0.521, 0.51, 0.506 mm3/sec) and low surface roughness (8.91, 8.89, 8.68 µm) values are observed at the highest level (110 µs, 15 µs, 8 A). If the pulse duration is kept at low ( Ton = 40µs, Toff = 3µs), the increase in peak current from 3 A to 8 A leads to a 64.54% increase in MRR and a 52.9% increase in Ra values. ANOVA results stated that Ton has contributed 20.4%, 35.8% and 19.3%, and Ip has contributed 43.1%, 30.5% and 46.6% influence on MRR, Kw and Ra respectively. The voltage–current characteristics studies confirmed that the strong intense pulses at a higher peak current (8 A) resulted in the increased MRR (0.521 mm3/sec) and Ra (8.43 µm) leading to the formation of swages and ridges. The surface integrity analysis derived from Abbott–Firestone curve agreed that the lowest level has shown better skewness ( Rsk = −0.274) and at highest level showed a larger deviation in skewness ( Rsk = +2.672) signifies that higher asymmetry (poor) of the surface.

Study on Water Entry of a 3D Torpedo Based on the Improved Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Method

The water entry of a torpedo is a complex nonlinear problem, involving transient impact, free surface deformation, droplet splashing, and fluid–structure coupling, which poses severe challenges to traditional mesh methods. The meshless smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method shows unique advantages in capturing the complex features of the water entry of the torpedo at different entry angles. However, it still suffers from some inherent shortcomings, such as low surface discretization accuracy, poor discretization flexibility, and low calculation efficiency. In this study, an improved adaptive SPH algorithm is proposed to investigate the water entry of the torpedo accurately and efficiently. This method integrates meshless point generation and adaptive techniques simultaneously. The numerical results demonstrate that when the torpedo vertically enters the water at different velocities, the induced impact loads acting on the head of the torpedo fluctuate significantly with two peak values in the initial stage and thereafter stabilize in a later stage. The impact load acting on the torpedo, the entry depth of the torpedo, the splash height of the droplets, and the size of the cavity generated around the torpedo increase with the increment in the entry velocity. When the torpedo enters the water at different entry angles under the same initial entry velocity, both the vertical and the horizontal movements of the torpedo are observed, which results in more complex variations in parameters along the x- and y-axes. The findings and the corresponding numerical method in this study can provide a certain basis for the future designs of the entry trajectory and the structural bearing capacity of torpedoes.

Recent progresses in synthesis and modification of g-C3N4 for improving visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics

ABSTRACT Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a widely studied visible-light-active photocatalyst for low cost, non-toxicity, and facile synthesis. Nonetheless, its photocatalytic efficiency is below par, due to fast recombination of charge carriers, low surface area, and insufficient visible light absorption. Thus, the research on the modification of g-C3N4 targeting at enhanced photocatalytic performance has attracted extensive interest. A considerable amount of review articles have been published on the modification of g-C3N4 for applications. However, limited effort has been specially contributed to providing an overview and comparison on available modification strategies for improved photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4-based catalysts in antibiotics removal. There has been no attempt on the comparison of photocatalytic performances in antibiotics removal between modified g-C3N4 and other known catalysts. To address these, our study reviewed strategies that have been reported to modify g-C3N4, including metal/non-metal doping, defect tuning, structural engineering, heterostructure formation, etc. as well as compared their performances for antibiotics removal. The heterostructure formation was the most widely studied and promising route to modify g-C3N4 with superior activity. As compared to other known photocatalysts, the heterojunction g-C3N4 showed competitive performances in degradation of selected antibiotics. Related mechanisms were discussed, and finally, we revealed current challenges in practical application.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation based superhydrophobic coatings: fabrication, rudiments, and constraints

AbstractPlasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) has evolved as a versatile technique for depositing low surface energy organic-based materials useful in fabricating superhydrophobic (SHP) coating materials. The application of silane-based polymeric organic materials atop PEO coating is the most common method to prepare coating materials for wetting and corrosion protection. Herein, the latest developments in PEO-based coatings employing polymeric/silane-based organic materials with the inclusion of ceramic oxides are reviewed, with emphasis on the structure, wettability, and corrosion resistance. The relevant and existing fundamental design theories and strategies for fabricating highly efficient SHP PEO coatings are also outlined and discussed. The systemic design of SHP coatings by deposition from organic particle dispersion and their inclusion into PEO-micropore layers, as well as the most important parameters affecting the properties of PEO-assisted SHP-based coatings, are highlighted. Furthermore, the merits and challenges of the PEO-assisted SHP-based coating fabrication are critically evaluated to identify remaining challenges and future research directions.

Water-Soluble, Self-Healing, and Debonding Primer for the Interface between Silicone Leather and Polydimethylsiloxane Composites.

The exceptional hydrophobicity and antifouling properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites have attracted extensive interest as a result of low surface energy. However, PDMS composites are hardly bound by common primers, greatly limiting their practical applications. To address this issue, an EPMS/VTMS (EV) primer synthesized by hydrolytic polycondensation of 3-[(2,3)-epoxypropoxypropyl]methyldiethoxysilane (EPMS) and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) in acidic conditions is proposed. Interestingly, the EV primer exhibits exceptional reactivity, self-healing capabilities, and strong adhesion to various substrates, including metals, plastics, and glass. The bonding aluminum plates are easily debonded by immersion in water without any residue left. Subsequently, the EV primer has been applied to the interface between silicone leather and the PDMS composite. Results show that the bonding strength for the silicone leather coated with the EV/PDMS composite is 16 times higher than that of the silicone leather modified with the PDMS composite. Meanwhile, the modified silicone leather exhibits impressive antifouling performance, including aqueous and oily stains, appreciable breathability, and excellent wear resistance, even if suffering from 20 000 cycles of abrasion. These excellent advantages for the modified silicone leather should be attributable to the synergistic effect of the EV primer and the PDMS composite. These findings pave the way to develop an ecofriendly debonding primer for PDMS composites, greatly facilitating applications of silicone leather.