Types Of Materials Research Articles

Do biodegradable plastics increase public acceptance of littering?

Abstract This study provides much needed evidence for the debate on whether introducing biodegradable plastics could increase public acceptance of littering. We show there is validity to the concerns being raised but also that this outcome is not inevitable. We investigated perspectives on leaving conventional plastics, biodegradable plastics and paper in the natural environment, as part of a large-scale survey undertaken across four countries (the Netherlands, Australia, India and the Philippines, with over 1,000 respondents per country). The results show that opinions vary markedly between countries. In the Netherlands, more than 80% of respondents do not think it is okay to leave a food wrapper in the natural environment, regardless of the material it is made from, and responses are not influenced by beliefs regarding the persistence of different materials in the environment. It appears that the use of biodegradable plastics is unlikely to increase acceptance of littering in such a culture. In contrast, responses in India, the Philippines and Australia differ based on the type of material and by how long a respondent believes the material will last in the environment. In general, comfort with a food wrapper being left in the natural environment increases for biodegradable plastics compared to conventional plastics, and again for paper. The use of biodegradable plastics could have an influence on littering in such cultures.

ESTUDO COMPARATIVO DE MODELO TRADICIONAL E ALTERNATIVO DE ESCORAMENTO PARA LAJES MACIÇAS E NERVURADAS

This work’s main focus is to present an alternative shoring system and compare it to conventional methods. What sets it apart is the agility and more efficient reuse of its parts, speeding up the stages of concreting slabs. The work presents this alternative, due to an increasing demand for shoring services. And with that, came the need to create methods to optimize the shoring service when making slabs. Companies have been developing new systems over time, seeking to find more economical and more sustainable solutions. Initially, the study presents an introduction to solid and ribbed slabs, showing their characteristics, citing their advantages and disadvantages. After that, the study covers the types of shoring and materials most used on the market, comparing them with the aim of showing their advantages and disadvantages. After talking about all this, the alternative method that is the focus of the work is presented, showing its main characteristics, how it is assembled and disassembled and why it is superior to conventional methods in making slabs.

Analysis of the Energy Potential of Waste Biomass Generated from Fruit Tree Seedling Production

The depletion of conventional fuels and the state of the natural environment have influenced global policy, dictating a new direction for development and approaches to the use of renewable resources. One such resource is woody biomass, which can be used for energy purposes. A type of raw material with an unrecognized potential for utilization is waste biomass from the production of fruit tree seedlings. In this study, thirteen popular species of rootstock produced in Poland were collected and subjected to comprehensive analyses. After determining the calorific value of the collected wood waste, a comprehensive analysis of their suitability for energy purposes was conducted. The highest calorific value of 19.51 MJkg−1 was recorded for waste biomass obtained from Mahaleb Cherry rootstocks in the first year of research, compared to P14 with 17.96 MJkg−1. The content of other elements was also advantageous for Mahaleb Cherry. Considering the relatively large production of this type of waste biomass, it can be concluded that it has great energy potential and can largely meet energy needs in regions where fruit tree seedlings are mass-produced. Implementing the use of such raw materials in energy production will result in a reduction of anthropogenic impacts on the environment by decreasing the demand for standard energy resources.

A non-functional requirements classification model based on cooperative attention mechanism fused with label embedding

Intelligent classification of software requirements is a hot research issue in the field of requirements engineering. Complete and accurate identification of functional requirements (FRs) and non-functional requirements (NFRs) is the primary task of requirements engineering. However, in real software projects, NFRs are easily neglected and may become a potential risk of project failure. Text is the main source of information about software requirements. With the increasing scale of software projects, a large number of complex types of text materials are used for software requirements analysis. Manual identification of NFRs of software projects has the problems of easy omission, ambiguity, vagueness, and high time-consuming cost. Based on the above existing defects, a deep neural network model named CAFLE is designed in this paper to solve it. CAFLE is composed of two parts, Text-label cooperative attention encoder (TLCAE) and Label decoder (LD). TLCAE adopts a Bi-directional long short-term memory network (Bi-LSTM) and multi-head cooperative attention mechanism to generate an encoded representation of the mutual involvement of requirement classification labels and requirement text. LD is an LSTM decoder with an attention mechanism constructed for the multi-class classification task of requirement text. LD utilizes the representation generated by TLCAE for prediction. Experimental results on the PROMISE benchmark dataset show that CAFLE outperforms existing NFRs classification methods with an F1 score of 95%.

Estimation of Influence of Target Material Type on Penetration Capability of 12.7 mm Armor-Piercing Projectile

In the study an estimation of the influence of target material type on the penetration capability of the 12.7 mm API-T (armor-piercing incendiary with tracer) projectile is performed. The literature review contains 14 references regarding 12.7 mm ammunition studies. A relatively large number of metallic targets are taken into consideration in a computer simulation that assesses the influence of the target type on the penetration capabilities of the given projectile. By comparing the acquired findings with the data of other authors, the numerical model was first successfully validated. Simulation results indicate that bainitic steels are by far the most resilient steels. Because of their hardness, these steels displayed significant erosion of the penetrator tip and significant projectile fragmentation upon impact. Iron targets, as expected, performed worse than steel targets, with more penetration seen. Mild steel had a significantly deeper penetration compared to armor steel. The performance of other steels employed in the study was comparable. Numerical simulations have shown to be a very effective technique in ammunition and armor design, resulting in substantial time and cost savings (fewer experimental experiments). Furthermore, by utilizing simulations, researchers can estimate certain physical processes that would be challenging to detect in actual testing.

Recent Advances in Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent Materials in Type II Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a novel, dual-stage cancer treatment approach that combines light energy and photosensitizers to destroy cancerous and precancerous cells through the generation of radicals (Type I) or singlet oxygen (Type II). Since the early 2010s, PDT has advanced significantly, with the focus shifting toward the exploration of molecules capable of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) as viable alternatives to traditional metallic complexes and organometallic compounds for producing the necessary active species. TADF molecules exhibit higher energy conversion efficiency, long-lived triplet excitons, tunable photophysical properties, and a small singlet-triplet energy gap, facilitating efficient intersystem crossing and enhanced singlet oxygen generation. As metal-free luminophores, they offer benefits such as reduced health risks, high structural flexibility, and biocompatibility, which can significantly enhance PDT treatment efficacy. Notably, in 2019, a pivotal shift occurred, with researchers concentrating their efforts on identifying and investing in potential molecules specifically for Type II PDT applications. This review presents the innovative use of materials characterized by closely spaced S1 and T1 orbitals, crucial for the efficient generation of singlet oxygen in PDT. Exploring these materials opens new avenues for enhancing the efficacy and specificity of PDT, offering promising for future cancer treatments.

Experimental study on the mechanical properties of non-reinforced UHPC element under biaxial stress states

The ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) has been gradually applied in bridge and building engineering to replace normal concrete as a new type of cementitious material. The biaxial strength criteria of UHPC play an essential role in engineering design and research. However, the experimental research on biaxial strength of UHPC is still lacking. In this study, four groups of biaxial loading tests on UHPC planar elements were carried out, using the Planar Bi-directional Element Tester (PBET) developed by Tsinghua University, including biaxial compressive test, biaxial tensile test, biaxial tension-compression sequential test, and biaxial tension-compression proportional test. The biaxial stress ratio is also studied as a key parameter. Based on the test results, the typical failure modes under different biaxial loading conditions as well as the biaxial strength criteria of UHPC are revealed. Taking the biaxial strength criteria of normal concrete as a reference, the complete biaxial strength envelope equations of UHPC are finally derived.

Transition metal ions-chelated COFs derived bifunctional oxygen catalysts for rechargeable Zn-air batteries

Improving energy conversion efficiency and battery cycle stability is an essential goal in energy conversion and storage, while a critical factor in achieving this goal is the design of effective bifunctional catalysts. The covalent organic framework is a new type of high molecular material that can be employed as an ideal template for quantitative chelate metal ions to synthesize highly efficient bifunctional catalysts with high dispersion metal active sites. In this work, the Fe2Ni1/NiFe2O4@NCG bifunctional catalysts are constructed by employing metal-chelated COFs and MA/GO mixture as primary precursors combined with a high-temperature pyrolysis strategy. COFs and MA serve as chelators and spacers to improve the dispersion of metal nanoparticles. The Fe2Ni1/NiFe2O4@NCG composite exhibits a large BET surface area and hierarchical structure with plentiful nanoparticles on the carbon layers. HRTEM proves the coexistence of FeNi and NiFe2O4. The optimal Fe2Ni1/NiFe2O4@NCG-800 composite shows satisfactory catalytic O2 performance, providing a half-wave potential of 0.857 V for ORR and an overpotential of 244 mV for OER. Meanwhile, DFT calculations prove that electron redistribution occurs at the interface between FeNi and NiFe2O4 after combination. The Fe2Ni1/NiFe2O4@NCG-based liquid and solid-state ZABs perform very well, exhibiting large specific capacities (796 mAh·g−1 for aqueous ZAB; 742 mAh·g−1 for solid-state ZAB) and stable charge-discharge cycle performance (300 h for aqueous ZAB; 180 h for solid-state ZAB).

The plasticisation model of dye diffusion: Part 3

AbstractPreviously published kinetic‐derived data reported for the temperature‐dependent diffusional behaviour of two direct dyes and a reactive dye within both cellophane and cotton substrates, in the presence of both a constant amount and varying amounts of added inorganic electrolyte, and over a diverse range of dyeing temperatures, were re‐evaluated using the Williams–Landel–Ferry equation. The experimentally observed diffusivity of the various anionic dyes within both types of cellulosic material and the structural relaxation times of the respective, water‐plasticised, cellulose I and cellulose II macromolecules, were shown to be intrinsically related, thermally regulated phenomena. The plasticisation model of dye diffusion seems to offer a plausible explanation of the temperature‐dependent diffusional behaviour of direct dyes and reactive dyes within cellulosic fibre/polymers in the presence of added inorganic electrolyte.

INVESTIGATION ON THE STRENGTH OF E-GLASS FIBER/AA5052-H32 FIBER METAL LAMINATES CONNECTED USING RIVETED JOINTS

Fiber metal laminates (FMLs) belong to a class of composite materials comprising layers of metal sheets and fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), configured in a specific sequence. This study investigates the tensile strength of FML specimens joined by riveted joints. FML plates were fabricated using AA5052 aluminium alloy, E-glass fibers, epoxy resin, and layered double hydroxide (LDH) via a hand layup process. The experimental parameters included the pattern of rivets, type of rivet materials, and rivet size. Tensile strength, the output response, was evaluated using Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array design, followed by testing on a universal testing machine. The main effect plot and 3D surface plots were employed to analyze the tensile test results. Maximum tensile strength was held by the test specimen which was connected by the rivets made up of mild steel. From the ANOVA results presented in Table 6 , it was inferred that the number of rivets used for joining the FML specimens (pattern) played a major role in deciding the tensile strength of the specimens (57.25%). A regression equation, derived from Design Expert software, established the relationship between input variables and the tensile strength of FML specimens. ANOVA was conducted to assess the impact of each process variable on achieving optimal tensile strength. This research contributes novelty by integrating LDH into FML fabrication and demonstrates practical significance through systematic optimization of riveting parameters to enhance tensile strength. Quantitative and qualitative analyses underscore the effectiveness of the proposed FML configuration, validating its potential for structural applications.

Low Area Specific Resistance La-Doped Bi2O3 Nanocomposite Thin Film Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications.

In the context of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), vertically aligned nanocomposite (VAN) thin films have emerged as a leading material type to overcome performance limitations in cathodes. Such VAN films combine conventional cathodes like LaxSr1-xCoyFe1-yO3 (LSCF) and La1-xSrxMnO3 (LSM) together with highly O2- ionic conducting materials including yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) or doped CeO2. Next-generation SOFCs will benefit from the exceptionally high ionic conductivity (1 S cm-1 at 730 °C) of Bi2O3-based materials. Therefore, an opportunity exists to develop Bi2O3-based VAN cathodes. Herein, we present the first growth and characterization of a Bi2O3-based VAN cathode, containing epitaxial La-doped Bi2O3 (LDBO) columns embedded in a LSM matrix. Our novel VANs exhibit low area specific resistance (ASR) (8.3 Ω cm2 at 625 °C), representing ∼3 orders of magnitude reduction compared to planar LSM. Therefore, by demonstrating a high-performance Bi2O3-based cathode, this work provides an important foundation for future Bi2O3-based VAN SOFCs.

Effect of shrinkage-mitigating materials, fiber type, and repair thickness on flexural behavior of beams repaired with fiber-reinforced self-consolidating concrete

While self-consolidating concrete (SCC) has emerged as a highly effective approach for the repair of concrete structures, there have been few investigations regarding the effect of the combination of different fiber and shrinkage-mitigating material types (shrinkage-reducing admixture, SRA; superabsorbent polymer, SAP; and expansive agent, EA) on the flexural behavior of repaired structures. This study aims to explore the influence of three different shrinkage-mitigating materials (1.25%–2.5 % SRA, 4%–8% EA, and 0.2%–0.4 % SAP), four fiber types (two macro synthetic fibers, MSFA and MSFB; 5D hooked steel fibers, 5D; a combination of 80 % 3D hooked steel +20 % short steel fibers STST) on fresh and hardened properties, cement hydration, and drying shrinkage of fiber-reinforced self-consolidating concrete (FR-SCC). Specifically, the effect of different shrinkage-mitigating materials, fiber types, and two repair thicknesses corresponding to 1/3 and 2/3 of the total height of prismatic element on the flexural performance of composite specimens repaired using FR-SCC was studied. The bond strength between existing concrete and FR-SCC was also investigated to reveal the flexural behavior of the composite beams. The results indicate that prismatic specimens repaired with FR-SCC made with 1.25 % SRA showed excellent flexural performance compared to those repaired using FR-SCC made with 4%–8% EA and 0.2%-0.4%SAP. The adverse effect of the incorporation of 4%–8% EA and 0.2%–0.4 % SAP on flexural behavior of repair specimens can be attributed to a lower existing concrete-FR-SCC interfacial and fiber-matrix bond strengths. Using SRA, EA, or SAP in FR-SCC improved bond strength with substrate by 10%–60 % compared to FR-SCC without any shrinkage-mitigating materials. The use of 1.25 % SRA showed the highest bond strength, which increased by 10%–37 % and 33%–44 %, respectively, compared to that made with SAP and EA. As the increase in the repair thickness of specimens, the incorporation of SRA, EA, or SAP had different efficiencies to enhance the flexural toughness and residual strength of the repair specimens. Furthermore, the incorporation of 5D fiber and 1.25 % SRA in SCC showed excellent flexural performance, followed by MSFA, STST, and MSFB fibers. The increase in the repair thickness from 1/3 to 2/3 of the total height of the composite beam enhanced the flexural toughness and residual strength by a maximum of 133 % and 160 %, respectively, attributing to fiber type and the increase in fiber volume at the cross-section of specimens.

Food Functional Powders with Redox Capacity and Antioxidant Properties Obtained from Food Losses and Waste of Olive Oil Industry

Food powders were produced from olive pomace (Coratina, COP, and Arbequina, AOP) using freeze-drying with maltodextrin (MD) and native corn starch (NS) as wall materials in varying proportions. Optical microscopy revealed that OP was partially recovered by MD and NS. COP presented a total polyphenol content (TPC) of 53.8 g GAE/kg; meanwhile, AOP was 31.9 g GAE/kg. Accordingly, powders obtained from COP presented higher TPC than those from AOP. NS allowed obtaining powders with higher TPC and antioxidant activity. The greatest encapsulation efficiency was achieved by using 15% MD, achieving values of 94.9% for COP and 89.4% for AOP. Hydroxytyrosol was identified as the predominant polyphenol in the powders. It was demonstrated that powders could be added to food formulations and withstand cooking temperatures up to 220 °C without suffering a significant thermal degradation. Chemometric analysis of MIR and NIR spectra evidenced that they are analytical techniques capable of differentiating OP varieties and wall material types, besides variations in OP concentration. Results derived from this study demonstrated that it is feasible to give added value to olive pomace, obtaining powders rich in antioxidants to be used as ingredients of functional foods.

Study on structure and electrical properties of BNBT-La2/3ZrO3 ceramic

BNT-based energy storage dielectric material is a new type of multifunctional material with environmental friendliness, high energy storage density, and excellent temperature stability. It is a research hotspot where different components are introduced into BNT-based ceramics to obtain ceramic materials with high energy storage density. In this study, 0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNBT) was selected as the substrate and doped with La2/3ZrO3 (LZ). Through the modification of La3+/Zr4+ at A/B sites, wider optical bandgap and finer grains with exceptionally large electrical breakdown strength and relatively strong relaxation behaviors in the appropriate range were obtained. Ultimately, an ultra-high energy storage density of 6.48 J/cm3 was attained at 480 kV/cm with a La2/3ZrO3 concentration of 0.07 mol%. In addition, the BNBT-LZ ceramics exhibited a good frequency-stabilized dynamic range (Wrec = 3.29 ± 6.7 % J/cm³, 10–200 Hz) and temperature stability (Wrec = 3.63 ± 9.9 % J/cm³, 20–160 °C), together with excellent charge-discharge performance(t0.9 = 3.36 μs). All these characteristics demonstrate that the modification of BNT-based ceramics by La3+/Zr4+ has a significant effect on the energy storage density. The results show that the BNBT-LZ system can be used as a promising dielectric material for high energy storage density capacitors.

Magnetic field-assisted nanochain formation of intermixed catalytic Co-Pd nanoparticles.

Engineering on the nanoscale often involves optimizing performance by designing and creating new types of nanostructured materials. Multifunctional nanoparticles can be formed by combining elements that carry fundamentally different properties. The elements can be chosen based on the desired functionality, and by combining, e.g., magnetic, and catalytic elements, it is possible to self-assemble nanoparticles into catalytically active magnetic nanochains. However, mixing and assembling nanoparticles in a controlled way is challenging, and it is not obvious how the intermixing of the elements influences the properties of the individual nanoparticles. In this work, we synthesize and assemble intermixed magnetic and catalytic Cobalt-Palladium (Co-Pd) nanoparticles into multifunctional nanochains. The magnetic behavior is explored by studying the magnetic field-directed self-assembly of the nanoparticles into elongated nanochains. The catalytic properties are determined by measuring CO oxidation at elevated temperatures. Our results confirm that the magnetic and catalytic functionalities of the individual elements are retained when intermixed, which implies the potential to create nanochains with dual functionality that can be assembled in a controlled way.

Pneumonia aspirativa em cão

Aspiration pneumonia is a pathology resulting from the inhalation of liquid or solid contents via the airways, which leads to inflammation in the lung parenchyma. The course of the disease varies according to the amount and type of material aspirated, as well as the animal's general state of health. The symptoms of the disease are usually acute and severe. In this sense, the drug therapy chosen for treatment depends on the degree of lung involvement and the clinical signs. The surgical procedure of total or partial lobectomy can be advantageous when the lung lesions are irreversible and clinical therapy has been unsuccessful. The aim of this paper is to report the case of aspiration pneumonia in a Labrador retriever bitch who presented with pulmonary crackles after drowning and was given a pulmonary lobectomy. Computed tomography was used to confirm the diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia. This highlights the importance of carrying out complementary tests in order to offer the animal a better therapeutic approach

Modeling of 2-D Periodic Array of Dielectric Bars with a Low Reflection Angle for a Wind Tunnel High-Power Microwave Experiment

Two-dimensional periodic dielectric bars have potential applications in high-power microwave (HPM) radiation effect experiments performed in wind tunnels. Such a bar is designed to consist of two types of dielectric materials, and two lined-up blocks can be considered as a period along the bar. Under plane excitation, the theoretical period length of the beat wave pattern fits well with the simulation result, which requires modifying the previously presented field-matching method. The phase distribution on the cross-section can be non-uniform when two different guiding modes are excited independently and propagate along different materials. Directional reflection with a low reflection angle can be obtained by reasonably choosing the parameters of the dielectric array. The designed array can decrease the returned-back microwave power toward the microwave source by 6 dB according to the numerical simulation, which included the wind tunnel, the input antenna, the test target, and the reflect array in one model.

Effect of various wood paints on light intensity during combustion

This study was carried out to determine the effects of various covering wood paints on light intensity during combustion in wood materials and panels. For this purpose, 13*13*72 mm samples prepared from Oriental beech (Fagus oriantalis L.), Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.), sessile oak (Quercus petraea L.), medium density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard were painted with acrylic, synthetic and cellulosic paint (lacquer paint) according to ASTM-D-3023. Light intensities of the samples during combustion were determined according to ASTM E 160–50. Light intensity was determined to be highest in Oriental beech, lowest in particleboard, and highest in acrylic paint, lowest in synthetic paint, according to the type of paint. Light intensity was determined as; According to the type of material, the highest spontaneous combustion was determined as particle board (865.3), the lowest as Scots pine (839.5), and according to the interaction of material type, paint type and number of layers, the highest as YL+Ab+I (particle board painted with a single layer of acrylic paint) (888.2), the lowest as Sç+Sb+II (Scottish pine painted with two layers of cellulosic paint) (776.4). Accordingly, if the application of the investigated materials in decoration is considered, it has been determined that the most suitable and lower risk decoration element against the danger of smoke suffocation in the event of fire will be materials made of particle board and painted with acrylic paint. This situation can be said to be advantageous in terms of life safety if the results found here are taken into consideration in places where there is a fire risk.

Source apportionment and driving factor identification for typical watersheds soil heavy metals of Tibetan Plateau based on receptor models and geodetector

The identification and quantification of soil heavy metal (HM) pollution sources and the identification of driving factors is a prerequisite of soil pollution control. In this paper, the Sabaochaqu Basin of the Tuotuo River, located in the Tibetan Plateau and the headwater of the Yangtze River, was selected as the study area. The soil pollution was evaluated using geochemical baseline, and the source apportionment of soil HMs was performed using absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR), edge analysis (UNMIX) and positive matrix decomposition (PMF). The driver of the source factor was identified with the geodetector method (GDM). The results of pollution evaluation showed that the HM pollution of soil in the study area was relatively light. By comparison, UNMIX model was considered to be the preferred model for soil HMs quantitative distribution in this study area, followed by PMF model. The UNMIX model results show that source 1 (U-S1) was dominated by As, with a contribution rate of 53.31%; source 2 (U-S2) was dominated by Cd and Zn, whose contribution rates are 50.35% and 46.60% respectively; source 3 (U-S3) was dominated by Pb, with a contribution rate of 45.58%; source 4 (U-S4) was dominated by Cr, Cu, Hg and Ni, with contribution rates of 60.58%, 60.07%, 51.58% and 56.45%, respectively. The GDM results showed that the main driving factors of U-S1 were distance from lake (explanatory power q = 0.328) and distance from wind channel (q = 0.168), which were defined as long-distance migration sources. The main driving factors of U-S2 were parent material type (q = 0.269) and distance from Tuotuo river (q = 0.213), which were defined as freeze-thaw sources. The main driving factors of U-S3 were distance from town (q = 0.255) and distance from county road (Yanya Line) (q = 0.221), which were defined as human activity sources. The main drivers of U-S4 were V (q = 0.346) and Sc (q = 0.323), which were defined as natural sources. The GDM results of the 3 models were generally consistent with the analytical results of similar types of sources, especially the results of PMF model and Unmix model can basically verify each other. The research results can provide important theoretical reference for the analysis of HM sources in the soil of high-cold and high-altitude regions.

Unlocking new possibilities in ionic thermoelectric materials: a machine learning perspective

Abstract The high thermopower of ionic thermoelectric (i-TE) materials holds promise for miniaturized waste-heat recovery devices and thermal sensors. However, progress is hampered by laborious trial-and-error experimentations, which lack theoretical underpinning. Herein, by introducing the simplified molecular-input line-entry system, we have addressed the challenge posed by the inconsistency of i-TE material types, and present a machine learning model that evaluates the Seebeck coefficient with an R2 of 0.98 on the test dataset. Using this tool, we experimentally identify a waterborne polyurethane/potassium iodide ionogel with a Seebeck coefficient of 41.39 mV/K. Furthermore, interpretable analysis reveals that the number of rotatable bonds and the octanol-water partition coefficient of ions negatively affect Seebeck coefficients, which is corroborated by molecular dynamics simulations. This machine learning-assisted framework represents a pioneering effort in the i-TE field, offering significant promise for accelerating the discovery and development of high-performance i-TE materials.