Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Content Research Articles

Soybean-based memristor for multilevel data storage and emulation of synaptic behavior

Electronic devices based on biological materials have shown great application potential in many fields, so they have become a hot topic of research. In this paper, biomaterial soybean and one-dimensional nanomaterial multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were mixed as the active layer to fabricate Al/soybean MWCNT/ITO/glass memristor devices. The device shows a bipolar resistive switching characteristic, and the retention time exceeds 104 s. By adjusting the concentration of MWCNTs, the ON/OFF current ratio can be modulated in the range of 1–104, and the endurance of the device is enhanced by increasing the MWCNT concentration. By changing the compliance current, the device can realize multilevel storage and improve the storage density. The write-read-erase-read process can still be completed under low voltage (±2 V), which opens up a new way for the fabrication of low power consumption memristor devices. In addition, the device successfully simulates the potentiation and suppression behavior of biological synapses, showing promise for making new breakthroughs in the field of implantable neural system research for biological memristor-based artificial synapses.

The Effect of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on the Heat-Release Properties of Elastic Nanocomposites

Of great importance in materials science is the design of effective functional materials that can be used in various technological fields. Nanomodified materials, which have fundamentally new properties and provide previously unrealized properties, have acquired particular importance. When creating heating elements and materials for deformation measurement, it is necessary to understand the patterns of heat release under conditions of mechanical deformation of the material, as this expands the potential applications of such materials. A study of elastomers modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been carried at the MWCNTs concentration of 1–8 wt.%. The modes of heat release of nanomodified elastomers at a voltage of 50 V at different levels of tension are reported. The increment of the MWCNTs concentration to 7 wt.% leads to an increment in the power of heat emissions. It is worth noting the possibility of using the obtained elastomer samples with MNT as sensitive elements of strain sensors, which will allow obtaining information about physical and chemical parameters following the principles of measuring the change in electrical resistance that occurs during stretching and torsion. The changes in conductivity and heat emission under different conditions have been studied in parallel with Raman mapping and infrared thermography. The reported studies allow to make the next step to develop flexible functional materials for the field of electric heating and deformation measurement based on elastic matrices and nanoscale conductive fillers.

Fabrication of multiwalled carbon nanotube‐reinforced rapeseed‐oil‐based polyurethane coatings for anticorrosive applications

AbstractThis work describes the synthesis of a hydroxy‐terminated oligomer for polyurethane preparation (HTO‐PU) from rapeseed oil, salicylic acid and toluene diisocyanate. HTO‐PU was further incorporated with different amounts of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to produce HTO‐PU@MWCNT nanocomposites. These nanocomposites were then converted to coatings using mild steel strip as a substrate and allowed to cure at room temperature. Fourier transform infrared and NMR spectroscopic techniques were used for structural elucidation. Surface morphology was determined using scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Thermal stability (>300 °C) of these coatings was evaluated through thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Contact angle values suggest that incorporation of MWCNTs enhanced the hydrophobicity of HTO‐PU coatings. Physicomechanical results reveal that these coatings are highly glossy, scratch resistant and impact resistant possessing good adhesion and excellent pencil hardness. The optimum concentration of MWCNTs was found to be 1.0 wt. %, below and above which the coating performance was observed to deteriorate. The corrosion resistance and barrier properties of these coatings were examined using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the results of which suggest excellent corrosion inhibition efficiency of HTO‐PU@MWCNT‐1.0 coatings until 28 days. This study suggests a step towards synthesis of MWCNT‐incorporated green PU coatings for protective applications. © 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry.

Carbon Nanotube Migration in Melt-Compounded PEO/PE Blends and Its Impact on Electrical and Rheological Properties.

In this work, the effects of MWCNT concentration and mixing time on the migration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) within polyethylene oxide (PEO)/polyethylene (PE) blends are studied. Two-step mixing used to pre-localize MWCNTs within the PE phase and subsequently to observe their migration into the thermodynamically favored PEO phase. SEM micrographs show that many MWCNTs migrated into PEO. PEO/PE 40:60 polymer blend nanocomposites with 3 vol% MWCNTs mixed for short durations exhibited exceptional electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) and electrical conductivity (14.1 dB and 22.1 S/m, respectively), with properties dropping significantly at higher mixing times, suggesting the disruption of percolated MWCNT networks within the PE phase. PE grafted with maleic anhydride (PEMA) was introduced as a compatibilizer to arrest the migration of MWCNTs by creating a barrier at the PEO/PE interface. For the compatibilized system, EMI SE and electrical conductivity measurements showed a peak in electrical properties at 5 min of mixing (15.6 dB and 68.7 S/m), higher than those found for uncompatibilized systems. These improvements suggest that compatibilization can be effective at halting MWCNT migration. Although utilizing differences in thermodynamic affinity to draw MWCNTs toward the polymer/polymer interface of polymer blend systems can be an effective way to achieve interfacial localization, an excessively low viscosity of the destination phase may play a major role in reducing the entrapment of MWCNTs at the interface.

Fabrication and Characterisation of MWCNT/Polyvinyl (PVC) Polymer Inclusion Membrane for Zinc (II) Ion Removal from Aqueous Solution.

Heavy metal pollution has prompted researchers to establish the most effective method to tackle the impacts of heavy metals on living things and the environment, which include by applying nanoparticles. An example is the employment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as an additive in an intermediate membrane or polymer inclusion membrane (PIM). The MWCNTs were added to enhance the properties and reinforce the transport performance of zinc (II) ion (Zn2+) removal from the source phase to the receiver phase by the PIMs. The present study constructed a membrane with a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)-based polymer, dioctyl phthalate (DOP) plasticiser, and bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (B2EHP) carrier incorporated with different concentrations of MWCNTs. The contact angle (CA), water uptake, ion exchange capacity (IEC), and porosity of the fabricated membranes were evaluated. The membrane was also characterised by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Subsequently, the fabricated PIM (W1) and mixed matrix (MM)-PIM (W2–W5) samples were assessed under different parameters to acquire the ideal membrane composition and effectiveness. Kinetic modelling of Zn2+ removal by the fabricated PIMs under similar conditions was performed to reveal the mechanisms involved. The average removal efficiency of the membranes was >99% at different parameter conditions. Nevertheless, the W3 membrane with 1.0 wt% MWCNT immersed in a 5 mg/L initial Zn2+ concentration and 1.0 M receiver solution for seven hours at pH 2 demonstrated the highest percentage of Zn2+ removal. The experimental data were best fitted to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (PFO) in kinetic modelling, and the permeability and flux of the W3 at optimum conditions were 0.053 m s−1 and 0.0532 mol m−2 s−1, respectively. In conclusion, the transport mechanism of Zn2+ was enhanced with the addition of the MWCNTs.

Effect of X-ray exposure on nano-mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube incorporated silicone polymer nanocomposites: An AFM-based study

Nano-mechanical properties of silicone polymer-based nanocomposites loaded with multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) as nanofillers are probed here using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique. Further, the effects of MWCNT concentration and X-ray exposure on the nano-mechanical and topographic properties of the polymer nanocomposites are systematically studied. The root mean square surface roughness is found to increase by ∼123% when the neat polymer matrix is loaded with 2.5 wt.% of MWCNT, whereas, for a fixed MWCNT concentration, the surface roughness is found to increase by ∼171% after X-ray irradiation. This is attributed to the X-ray induced polymer degradation, polymer pull-out and poor filler-matrix interaction leading to the aggregation of MWCNT. Adhesion force and adhesion energy are estimated from the AFM-based force-displacement curves. Both quantities are found to increase with MWCNT concentration. After an exposure to diagnostic X-rays (30–70 keV), the adhesion force is found to increase by ∼4 times, which is attributed to the increased tip-surface contact area due to the higher surface roughness of the X-ray exposed samples. Further, the variation of adhesion energy with filler concentration is found to be in agreement with the theoretical values obtained from the Johnson, Kendall and Roberts (JKR) model. The elastic modulus is found to increase with the filler concentration due to an increase in adhesion force. The obtained results are beneficial for the optimal design of nanofiller loaded polymer nanocomposites for various applications, including the fabrication of lead-free radio-opaque nanocomposites.

Effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in soil on earthworm growth and reproduction, enzymatic activities, and metabolomics

Increased production and environmental release of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) increase soil exposure and potential risk to earthworms. However, MWCNT toxicity to earthworms remains unclear, with some studies identifying negative effects and others negligible effects. In this study, to determine whether exposure to MWCNTs negatively affects earthworms and to elucidate possible mechanisms of toxicity, earthworms were exposed to sublethal soil concentrations of MWCNTs (10, 50, and 100 mg/kg) for 28 days. Earthworm growth and reproduction, activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms (1A2, 2C9, and 3A4) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione-s-transferase (GST)), and metabolomics were determined. Effects of MWCNTs on earthworms depended on exposure concentration. Exposure to MWCNTs did not significantly affect growth and reproduction of individual earthworms. Exposure to 50 mg/kg MWCNTs significantly increased activities of CYP2C9, CYP3A4, SOD, CAT, and GST but clearly reduced levels of L-aspartate, L-asparagine, and glutamine. With exposure to 100 mg/kg MWCNTs, toxic effects on earthworms were observed, with significant inhibition in activities of CYP isoenzymes and SOD, significant reductions in L-aspartate, L-asparagine, glutamine, and tryptophan, and simultaneous accumulations of citrate, isocitrate, fumarate, 2-oxoglutarate, pyruvate, D-galactose, carbamoyl phosphate, formyl anthranilate, hypoxanthine, and xanthine. Results suggest that toxicity of MWCNTs to earthworms is associated with reduced detoxification capacity, excessive oxidative stress, and disturbance of multiple metabolic pathways, including amino acids metabolism, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, pyruvate metabolism, D-galactose metabolism, and purine metabolism. The study provides new insights to better understand and predict the toxicity of MWCNTs in soil.

Sacrificial Template Method to Fabricate Highly Sensitive Porous Capacitive Pressure Sensor for Full Pulse Waveform Detection

Due to the recent advancements in sensing technology, skin mountable wearable devices have gained much attention due to their non-invasive usage and wearer comfort for health care monitoring. For instance, monitoring pulse waveform from the wrist arterial sites bears tremendous information about cardiovascular health and can show abnormalities such as hypertension or arterial fibrosis. Acquiring a high-quality pulse waveform from the wrist artery requires high-pressure sensitivity and fast response time. However, the need for building highly sensitive and low-cost fabrication of the sensors for subtle physiological monitoring is still challenging. Targeting these issues, this study presents a facile and cost-effective approach to realizing a flexible capacitive pressure sensor by sandwiching porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer functionalized by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) fabricated by sacrificial template method for physiological monitoring. The fabrication steps for the dielectric layer involve mixing sucrose as the porogens and MWCNTs as the functionalizing material with PDMS followed by casting the mixture in a mold and curing of the PDMS. Subsequently, the sucrose particles are dissolved in water. The sucrose particles are easily dissolved in water leaving a highly uniform and porous structure behind. The dielectric layer is then sandwiched between two conductive textile based electrodes for physiological monitoring. The electromechanical tests were performed for different concentration of MWCNTs content in porous PDMS to obtain the best sensing performance. The champion sensor exhibits ultrahigh-pressure sensitivity of 2.41kPa-1 and a minimum detection limit of 1.4Pa in contrast to the sensor exhibiting only 0.31kPa-1 without addition of any MWCNTs. In addition, the pressure sensor shows a fast response time of 0.18s and excellent cyclic stability over 6000 cycles. The ultrahigh-pressure sensitivity comes from the addition of conductive MWCNTs filler that increases the dielectric permittivity. The highly porous structure of the polymer reduces the typical viscoelastic effects of polymer resulting in fast response time. The pressure sensor could detect arterial pulse waveform from the wrist artery with all the key characteristic points showing its promises for low-cost physiological monitoring. The detailed results will be discussed during the presentation.

Analysis of the thermoelectrical performance of samples made of Coir Agricultural Wastes combined with MWCNT

A biomaterial made of coir and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) is presented which exhibits a relatively high-Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR) and thermal insulation properties. Bolometers usually offer acceptable thermal isolation, electrical resistance, and high TCR. Fibers from agricultural waste materials such as coir has a synergistic effect as thermal insulating material and noise reducer. Based on it, powdered coir pills were used as pilot samples, as well as 2 other samples with different dispersions of MWCNTs, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution. The 3 kinds of samples were thermo-electrically characterized to determine their bolometric performance. Thermal conductivity of k = 0.045 W/m K was obtained by solving the Fourier’s law substituting the data into the equation describing heat flux on the sample around room temperature. Results show that adding different concentrations of MWCNT to powdered coir will lead to films with lower electrical resistance, therefore the thermal conductivity increases while thermal resistance decreases. Finally, the bolometric performance shows a maximum peak with a relatively high TCR of − 40.4% at a temperature of 300.3 K, this synthesized material outperforms by almost 1 order of magnitude larger than commercial materials. Results in this work also indicate that it is possible to tune bolometric parameters of this kind of samples and to use them as thermal insulators in the construction industry, when building roofs and walls.

Role of multi-walled carbon nanotubes as a growth regulator for Basella alba (Malabar spinach) plant and its soil microbiota

The effect of pure multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was studied on the development and morphology of the Basella alba plant. The plants were treated with varying sonicated concentrations of MWCNTs. The parameters taken into consideration were germination percentage of seeds, protein content in the plant, estimation of chlorophyll concentration, and the effect on the soil microbial community after treatment with MWCNTs. A boost in vigour index was recorded with the 200 µg ml−1 concentration of MWCNTs. Increment in other parameters like protein content, chlorophyll concentration, and microbial community in soil samples have also been observed. All parameters showed higher efficiency in a concentration-dependent manner of MWCNTs compared to control by testing the significance of results through statistical one-way ANOVA analysis. The uptake of MWCNTs by plants was confirmed by SEM–EDX analysis of treated and control leaf tissue sections. This study concludes that MWCNTs exhibit significant growth effects with no toxicity to Basella alba.Graphical

Carbon Nanotube Ink Dispersed by Chitin Nanocrystals for Thermoelectric Converter for Self-Powering Multifunctional Wearable Electronics.

The screen-printing process of conductive ink can realize simple and large-scale manufacture of micro/nano patterns for producing wearable electronic products. Herein, chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs) are used as a dispersant for the preparation of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) ink with high viscosity and uniformity by ultrasound treatment. ChNCs can interact with MWCNT in noncovalent ways, including π-π and hydrophobic interactions. ChNCs/MWCNT (CCNT) ink does not aggregate even after standing for 3 months with a maximum MWCNT concentration of 33mg mL-1 and dispersion efficiency of 91.1%. Using CCNT ink, a paper-based thermoelectric generator (TEG) is manufactured by screen-printing technology. With good thermoelectric and strain sensing properties, CCNT coated paper can stably collect human energy at room temperature to realize self-powering. The CCNT coated paper-based TEG can convert thermal voltage signals into musical notes, monitor the changes in human behavior and respiratory rate, and monitor joint movements. Moreover, CCNT coated paper has no cytotoxicity by CCK-8 and live/dead staining. This work puts forward a strategy of green preparation of MWCNT-based ink by adding renewable chitin, which opens up a new way to apply MWCNT-based ink in self-powering wearable multifunctional sensors.

Nonwoven Mats Based on Segmented Biopolyurethanes Filled with MWCNT Prepared by Solution Blow Spinning.

To prepare nonwoven mats constituted by submicrometric fibers of thermally responsive biopolyurethanes (TPU) modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), solution blow spinning (SBS) was used. The TPU was the product of synthesis using poly(butylene sebacate)diol, PBSD, ethyl ester L-lysine diisocyanate (LDI), and 1,3-propanediol (PD) (PBSe:LDI:PD) as reactants. TPU was modified by adding different amounts of MWCNT (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 wt.%). The effect of the presence and amount of MWCNT on the morphology and structure of the materials was studied using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively, while their influence on the thermal and electric behaviors was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and capacitance measurements, respectively. The addition of MWCNT by SBS induced morphological changes in the fibrous materials, affecting the relative amount and size of submicrometric fibers and, therefore, the porosity. As the MWCNT content increased, the diameter of the fibers increased and their relative amount with respect to all morphological microfeatures increased, leading to a more compact microstructure with lower porosity. The highly porous fibrous morphology of TPU-based materials achieved by SBS allowed turning a hydrophilic material to a highly hydrophobic one. Percolation of MWCNT was attained between 2 and 3 wt.%, affecting not only the electric properties of the materials but also their thermal behavior.

Effect of Particle Size and MWCNTs Content on Microwave Absorption Characteristics of Cobalt

In today’s ever-developing electronic world, tremendous efforts are being made to develop highly efficient microwave absorbing materials with thin thickness and broad bandwidth while maintaining a simple manufacturing procedure. Since so much study is devoted to structural and component designing of microwave absorbers, the mechanism of microwave absorption still has potential for improvement. It is critical to have fundamental mechanistic knowledge of microwave absorption by absorbing materials with diverse types of geometries and components. It is also important to explore the influence of different physical/chemical characteristics of absorbing materials on microwave absorption performance. The methodical and thorough examination of these issues may provide internal information on the interaction of the microwave absorber’s components and subsequent structural design. Therefore, in this article, by taking cobalt (Co) as the base material, an attempt has been made to comprehend the microwave absorption mechanism of Co milled at various times, which results in changes in particle size and morphology. A significant change in the microwave absorption of Co has been observed with changed morphology after milling. The enhancement in microwave absorption characteristic of milled Co with the addition of different wt% of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has also been analyzed. MWCNTs in milled Co increase interfacial polarization and multiple reflections in the sample, resulting in microwave attenuation. The prepared Co/MWCNTs composite samples yielded excellent bandwidth with low coating thickness. The effective bandwidth of 10 GHz (3.73–13.73 GHz) was obtained for the composite of 20 h wet-milled Co and 2 wt% MWCNTs, with a coating thickness of 2.5 mm. To further enhance the microwave absorption bandwidth and reduce coating thickness, a genetic algorithm (GA)-assisted multi-layering approach has been implemented for designing triple-layer microwave absorbers. The optimized triple-layer result for combination 5W4–10W1–20W2 shows an effective bandwidth of 13.65 GHz (4.35–18 GHz), with an overall coating thickness of 2.31 mm.

Mechanical properties and microcosmic mechanism of multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced ultra-high strength concrete

There have been much research on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified cement-based materials. However, few studies utilized multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) to prepare the ultra-high strength concrete (UHSC). This study aims to discover a new UHSC reinforced by MWCNTs and reveal the enhancement mechanism of MWCNTs. In this study, the mechanical properties of UHSC with different contents of MWCNTs (both dispersed and undispersed) were tested. The element distribution and microstructure of UHSC were observed by energy-dispersive spectrum (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, the pore structures of UHSC were exhibited through X-ray CT images. The result shows that the compressive strength and flexural strength of UHSC reached the maximum value with the addition of 0.1 wt% dispersed MWCNTs. The dispersed aqueous solution of 0.1 wt% MWCNTs can be uniformly distributed in the UHSC matrix, and MWCNTs can fill the initial defects and bridge the microcracks inside the UHSC. Moreover, with the addition of 0.1 wt% dispersed MWCNTs, the number of pores decreased by 59.98%, and the porosity of UHSC decreased by 14.41%. The expectation of this study is to provide a reference for the better preparation of UHSC.

Effect of MWCNTs surface functionalization group nature on the thermoelectric power factor of PPy/MWCNTs nanocomposites

This work aims to put forward the role of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) surface functionalization on the enhancement of thermoelectric (TE) power factor of new nanocomposite-based polypyrrole/surface modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PPy/MWCNTs), prepared by a facile in-situ oxidative polymerization process. In fact, MWCNTs’ content was fixed to ∼11 wt%, and their surfaces were respectively modified with different functional groups (benzoic acid (-D1), benzene tricarboxylic acid (-D3), -O, -COOH, -NH2 and -SH). After running all the required, spectral, structural, morphological, and thermoelectrical characterizations, it is revealed that the nanocomposites-based functionalized MWCNTs remarkably increase the Seebeck coefficient, and thus enhancing the material’s power factor. This improvement of TE power factor was attributed to the coating homogeneity and the good interaction between PPy and MWCNTs mainly through π–π stacking between the polymer chains and the nanotubes as well as electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and electrons donor/acceptor groups interactions due to the functional groups grafted on the nanotube’s sidewall. The highest power factor value (0.51 μWm−1K−2) was obtained with PPy/MWCNTs-SH, which means an enhancement of 8 folds compared to pure PPy. Considering the content of MWCNTs and the ease of preparation process, these results might help to develop future TE materials and devices.

Effect of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes on rheological behavior and electrical conductivity of poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate)/acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

AbstractIn this work, the effect of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on electrical conductivity and rheological behavior of poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) (EVA)/acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBR) blends containing 0 to 7 wt% MWCNTs are investigated. The theoretical calculations according to the interfacial free energy of the components revealed that the nanofillers had a tendency to locate in NBR domains. However, the rheological, electrical, and morphological studies indicated that the majority of the MWCNTs remained in the EVA phase. Shear creep measurements of the molten materials showed that the creep stability improved steadily with the increase in MWCNTs content. The creep behaviors of the materials, except EVA, were analogous to the Burgers model prediction and all four parameters of the model increased in value with the increase in the nanofillers content in comparison with those of the unfilled blend. The rheological studies indicated that the damping factor (tanδ) for the materials containing small amounts of the nanofillers reached a maximum and subsequently decreased with rising temperature. However, for the materials having 1 wt% MWCNTs and higher, the tanδ values were smaller at the highest temperature (200°C) than those of the lowest temperature (100°C) investigated in this work. The electrical percolation threshold was also found to take place at about 2.80 wt% MWCNTs loading.

The effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the thermo-physical properties of shape stabilised phase change materials for buildings based on high density polyethylene and paraffin wax

The inherent low thermal conductivity and inferior mechanical properties of polymer based shape stabilised phase change materials (SSPCMs) restrict their wide applications in building sections. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with excellent thermal and mechanical properties were incorporated into SSPCMs based on blends of a low molecular weight HDPE (lv-HDPE) and paraffin waxes by extrusion. Their suitability for latent heat thermal energy storage was evaluated. The MWCNTs were uniformly distributed within the SSPCM matrix and were wetted by the SSPCM. The SSPCMs with MWCNTs had latent heats up to 53 J g−1 with 0.5 wt% MWCNTs. Both the Young's moduli and yield stress of lv-HDPE50H-PW50 with MWCNTs composites were lower than that of unfilled lv-HDPE50H-PW50 at low MWCNT loading (≤1 wt%). They then went up with an increase in MWCNT loading (from 1 wt% to 3 wt%). This is due to the formation of an inter-connected network of MWCNTs. Similar results were obtained for both flexural moduli and stress. However, there is no significant difference of the compression moduli between unfilled lv-HDPE50H-PW50 blend and those MWCNT blends. The thermal conductivity increased with increasing MWCNTs content and the greatest enhancement was 29 % for SSPCM with 3 wt% MWCNTs. It will therefore contribute to the decarbonisation of buildings.

Strain self-sensing capability of a tidal turbine blade fabricated of PU-foam/glass fiber/epoxy composites using MWCNTs

A novel marine composite structure (experimental tidal turbine blade) made up of a polyurethane (PU) foam/glass fiber/epoxy resin composite with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is proposed herein to self-sense its strain under a structural test scenario. To achieve this, MWCNTs were deposited onto glass fiber fabric by spray-coating technique in order to form an effective electrical percolation network onto the external skin surface of the tidal turbine blade which enables piezoresistive capability. After MWCNT deposition, the blade was manufactured by means of one-shot resin transfer molding (RTM) in a closed and heated metallic mold specially designed with a blade geometry of 67 cm length. The results confirm that the spray coating technique is a viable method to deposit MWCNTs onto glass fiber surface and form electrical networks into the blade at a relatively low MWCNT concentration. Finite element analysis (FEA) predicted a suitable structural blade design with a maximum failure index value of 0.9 attained in the blade shear web. The measured longitudinal strains of the tidal turbine blade were in good agreement with the numerical strain values predicted with FEA. Electromechanical tests carried out on a structural test rig designed and instrumented for tidal turbine blades showed that the electrical resistance change response of carbon nanotube (CNT) network integrated into the blade was capable of following the mechanical curve response up to the blade limit load, confirming its ability to self-sense its strain in real time.

Mechanism, rheology and self-healing properties of carbon nanotube modified asphalt

• The rheological properties of MCNT modified asphalt exhibited different results. • The initial healing temperature of MCNT modified asphalt will increase with the modifier. • The self-healing properties of modified asphalt show great inconsistencies at different temperatures. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MCNT) are widely employed to modify the bitumen due to their excellent properties. However, there is limited research on using MCNT to accelerate the self-healing properties of bitumen. In this study, MCNT was adopted to achieve this aim. The compatibility and modification mechanism were observed by a Fluorescence Microscope (FM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Then, the rheological properties were investigated using a DSR and BBR machine. Finally, the initial healing temperature and self-healing properties were evaluated. Results indicated it will occur agglomeration when the content of MCNT exceeds 1.5%, and the modification mechanism between MCNT and bitumen is physical blending. The high-temperature and low-temperature rheological performance will be improved and decreased with MCNT respectively, which is consistent with the results of master curves. Furthermore, the incorporation of MCNT will reduce the flow behavior index and thus increase the initial healing temperature. There is no difference in healing effect at room temperature; however, modified asphalt with 1.5% content MCNT exhibited the best healing efficiency when they are healed at their respective healing temperatures.

Nontargeted metabolomic analysis to unravel alleviation mechanisms of carbon nanotubes on inhibition of alfalfa growth under pyrene stress

Carbon nanotubes have displayed great potential in enhancing phytoremediation of PAHs polluted soils. However, the response of plants to the coexistence of carbon nanotubes and PAHs and the associated influencing mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, the effect of carbon nanotubes on alfalfa growth and pyrene uptake under exposure to pyrene was evaluated through sand culture experiment and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC-TOF-MS) based metabolomics. Results showed that pyrene at 10 mg kg−1 obviously reduced the shoot fresh weight of alfalfa by 18.3 %. Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) at 25 and 50 mg kg−1 significantly enhanced the shoot fresh weight in a dose-dependent manner, nearly by 80 % at 50 mg kg−1. Pyrene was mainly accumulated in alfalfa roots, in which the concentration was 35 times as much as that in shoots. MWCNTs greatly enhanced the accumulation of pyrene in alfalfa roots, almost by two times at 50 mg kg−1, while decreased pyrene concentration in shoots, from 0.11 mg kg−1 to 0.044 mg kg−1 at MWCNTs concentration of 50 mg kg−1. Metabolomics data revealed that pyrene at 10 mg kg−1 trigged significant metabolic changes in alfalfa root exudates, downregulating 27 metabolites. MWCNTs generated an increase in the contents of some downregulated metabolites caused by pyrene stress, which were restored to the original level or even higher, mainly including organic acids and amino acids. MWNCTs significantly enriched some metabolic pathways positively correlated with shoot growth and pyrene accumulation in shoots under exposure to pyrene, including TCA cycle, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, cysteine and methione metabolism as well as alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism. This work highlights the regulation effect of MWCNTs on the metabolism of root exudates, which are helpful for alfalfa to alleviate the stress from pyrene contamination.