Swelling Process Research Articles

Extraction of Cellulose from Ulva lactuca Algae and Its Use for Membrane Synthesis.

Green algae are a sustainable source of biopolymers for the global demand due to their high photosynthetic efficiency. This article describes the extraction of cellulose from plant systems represented by Ulva lactuca species. In order to extract various substances, algae were finely ground with the help of solvents (liquid media). This was carried out to achieve the necessary conditions that help reduce the resistance this phase shows in regard to the transport and transfer of the species being extracted. The highest yield of extracted cellulose (20,944%) was obtained for the following factors: S/L = 1/20; conc. ethanol = 90%, conc. salts = 4 g/L. Hydrogel membranes are a unique class of macromolecular networks that contain a large fraction of aqueous solvent within their structure. With the cellulose extracted from algae, we obtained membranes which underwent the process of swelling in liquid media (ethyl alcohol) of different concentrations. The swelling of biocellulose membranes in alcoholic solutions of high concentrations was investigated. It was observed that the process of absorption of the alcoholic solution by the membrane occurred rapidly in the first part. After stabilization, the membranes continued to absorb at a slower rate until stabilization or saturation concentration was reached.

Role of Clay Minerals on Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity in Different Region of Iraq

This study aims to found out the effect of exchangeable sodium percentage and salinity on saturated hydraulic conductivity, from the effect of swelling and dispersion process on aggregates of soil. Eleven pedons were selected for this study; two pedons were selected from Salah Al-Deen governate, while in Baghdad governate pedons were four, three pedons from Wasit governate and two pedons from Basra governate. Measured some chemical, physical and mineralogical properties on these samples were taken from the surface and subsurface horizons of each pedon. The results showed that the clay has effect on physiochemical process, especially with high content of ESP, which effecting negative in soil properties (bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity). Whereas, the highest value of bulk density (1.47 – 1.66 Mg.m-3) which caused decreased in Ksat (1.22-2.03 cm.h-1) for P3, P4, P5, P7, P11, P8C1, P10C1, where showed high interaction between ESP and clay in case montmorillonite domance. The domance of chlorite mineral in P8AP, P9AP, P9C1 caused to increase Ksat value (4.02–5.90 cm.h-1) while the bulk density was decreased (1.33–1.38 Mg.m-3). Decreasing of ESP (9.19-12.04 %) and domance of chlorite and mica mineral in P6C1, P10AP, caused to increase Ksat value (8.17-10.90 cm.h-1).

Hydrogel Rivet with Unidirectional Shape Morphing for Flexible Mechanical Assembly.

Integrating diverse materials and functions into highly additive produce has piqued global interest due to the increasing demands of intelligent soft robotics. Nevertheless, existing assembly techniques, especially supramolecular assembly which heavily rely on precise chemical design and specific recognition, may prove inadequate when confronted with diverse external demands. Inspired by the traditional mechanical assembly, rivet connection, herein, a thermo-responsive hydrogel with unidirectional shape-morphing is fabricated and a stable mechanical assembly is constructed by emulating the rivet connection mechanism. This system employed poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) [P(AAm-co-AAc)] to induce continuous swelling and hexylamine-modified polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-C6) as a molecular switch to control the swelling process. The hydrogel rivet, initially threaded through pre-fabricated hollows in two components. Subsequently, upon the disassociation of alkane chainsthe molecular switch would activate, inducing swelling and stable mechanical assembly via anchor structures. Moreover, to enhance the assembly strength, knots are introduced to enhance assembly strength, guiding localized stress release for programmed deformations. Additionally, the system can be remotely controlled using near-infrared light (NIR) by incorporating photo-thermal nanoparticles. This work presents a universal and efficient strategy for constructing stable mechanical assemblies without compromising overall softness, offering significant potential for the fabrication of integrated soft robots.

Integrating Full-Length and Second-Generation Transcriptomics to Reveal Differentially Expressed Genes Associated with the Development of Corydalis yanhusuo Tuber.

Corydalis yanhusuo is a medicinal herb in China that has been widely used to treat various kinds of pain. The tuber is the main organ of C. yanhusuo used for medicinal purposes, but changes in related genes during the development of the tuber have rarely been reported. To identify the differentially expressed genes during tuber development, C. yanhusuo full-length transcriptomic sequencing was performed using single-molecule real-time technology, and tubers at three development stages were selected for comparative transcriptome analysis. A total of 90,496 full-length non-chimeric transcripts were obtained, and 19,341 transcripts were annotated in at least one public database. A total of 9221 differentially expressed genes were identified during the swelling process of C. yanhusuo tuber. A Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes associated with a "starch and sucrose metabolism pathway", "phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway", "isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis pathway", "zeatin biosynthesis pathway", and "brassinosteroid biosynthesis pathway" were predominantly enriched. In addition, the genes involved in cell wall metabolism were potentially associated with tuber swelling. These processes regulated and were involved in C. yanhusuo tuber development. The results provide a foundation for further research on tuber formation in medicinal plants.

Mechanism Explanation of Influence of Dry Density and Water Content on Bentonite Swelling Process

Mechanism Explanation of Influence of Dry Density and Water Content on Bentonite Swelling Process

Fast time-resolved micro-CT imaging of pharmaceutical tablets: Insights into water uptake and disintegration

We use dynamic micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) with a high temporal resolution to visualize water penetration through the porous network of immediate-release pharmaceutical solid tablets and characterize dynamic swelling and disintegration mechanisms. We process the micro-CT images using two theoretical scenarios that reflect different paths of pore structure evolution: a scenario where tablet porosity remains constant during the swelling process and a scenario where the tablet porosity progressively diminishes and eventually closes during the swelling process. We calculate the time evolution of the volume of water absorbed by the tablet and, specifically, absorbed by the excipients and the pore structure, as well as the formation and evolution of cracks. In turn, the three-dimensional disintegration pattern of the tablets is reconstructed. Restricting attention to the limiting scenario where tablet porosity is assumed fixed during the swelling process, we couple liquid penetration due to capillary pressure described by the Lucas–Washburn theory with the first-order swelling kinetics of the excipients to provide a physical interpretation of the experimental observations. We estimate model parameters that are in agreement with values reported in the literature, and we demonstrate that water penetration is dominated by intra-particle porosity rather than inter-particle porosity.

Resilient and Tough Conductive Polymer Hydrogel for a Low-Hysteresis Strain Sensor.

Conductive polymer hydrogels are vital in strain sensors, yet achieving high resilience and toughness is a challenge. This study employs a prestretch method to engineer a tough conductive polymer hydrogel with sufficient resilience. Initially, a blend film of polyvinylalcohol (PVA) and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) is prepared through solution casting, followed by a swelling process to form a PVA-EVOH hydrogel. This hydrogel, with PVA crystallites as crosslinking points, exhibits high toughness. The hydrogel is then immersed in pyrrole and ferric chloride solutions for in-situ polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy), creating a conductive PPy/PVA-EVOH hydrogel. Finally, a 200% prestretch is applied, breaking short chains within the network, eliminating energy dissipation at low strains. This results in a hydrogel with a 100% elastic deformation range, while maintaining high fracture toughness (1700Jm-2 ). The prestretched PPy/PVA-EVOH hydrogel functions as a strain sensor with low hysteresis, providing consistent strain measurements during loading and unloading. This outperforms the non-prestretched sample, which shows inconsistent responses between stretching and releasing.

Study of Gas Swelling Processes under Irradiation with Protons and He2+ Ions in Li4SiO4–Li2TiO3 Ceramics

One of the important areas of research in the energy sector is the study of the prospects for using new types of nuclear fuel, including tritium, which is one of the most promising types of fuel for thermonuclear energy. At the same time, for the production of tritium in the required quantities, the one that is the most optimal is the use of blanket materials based on lithium-containing ceramics. This is where tritium is released from lithium under the influence of neutron irradiation. The paper presents the results of an investigation of the influence of two-phase ceramics based on Li4SiO4–Li2TiO3 compounds on the resistance to external influences (mechanical loads) during the accumulation of hydrogen and helium (He2+) in the near-surface layer. The interest in such studies is primarily related to the search for solutions in the field of creating high-strength materials for tritium generation for its further use as nuclear fuel for thermonuclear fusion, as well as to the study of the mechanisms of the influence of different phases on the changes in the strength properties of ceramics, which provides an opportunity to expand fundamental knowledge in this area. The proposed method of obtaining two-phase ceramics by mechanical-chemical mixing and subsequent sintering into spherical particles enables the production of well-structured, high-strength ceramics of specified geometric dimensions (limited only by the dimensions of the mold) with a controlled phase ratio. During the experiments, it was found that increasing the content of Li4SiO4 phase in ceramics leads to an increase in strength characteristics (hardness, resistance to cracking) by 15–20% compared to single-phase ceramics. The most optimal composition of two-phase ceramics with high resistance to destructive embrittlement is the ratio of phases 0.75Li4SiO4–0.25Li2TiO3. One of the factors explaining the increase in resistance to destructive embrittlement under high-dose irradiation for two-phase ceramics is the increased dislocation density and the presence of interphase or intergranular boundaries, the high concentration of which leads to the creation of additional obstacles to the agglomeration of hydrogen and helium in the near-surface layer.

Функционально-технологические свойства сухих рыборастительных концентратов

The studies of the functional and technological properties of dry fish-vegetable concentrates (DFVC) justifing the technology of their use in food products are presented in the article. The important functional and technological properties that determine the consistency of products obtained by using dry concentrates are the degree of swell-ing and the kinematic viscosity of the mixtures. The samples for the study were dry fish vegetable concentrates from Sardinella (S. maderensis) based on minced fish fillet, minced fish fillet with carrots, minced fish fillet with corn flour and minced fish fillet with powdered okra. We studied the process of swelling of dry fish vegetable concentrate samples. According to the type of kinetic curves it was found that dry fish vegetables are characterized by limited swelling, which ends with the absorption of the solvent by natural biopolymers. In the course of the experiment it was found that the highest degree of swelling in dry fish vegetable concentrate was with okra (180%), the smallest – in dry concentrate from minced fish without herbal additives (140%). The degree of swelling of samples of dry fish and vegetable concentrate with okra and cornmeal is higher than that of dry fish vegetable concentrate with carrots. The highest kinematic viscosity was observed in solutions of DFVC with corn flour (3.03 mm2/s and okra (2.86 mm2/s), the lowest in the control sample without vegetable ingredients (2.21 mm2/s). Thus dry fish concentrates with okra and cornmeal are recommended for use in the preparation of sauces, pureed soups and molded culinary products.

DEM‐CFD analysis of swelling behaviors of binary particle systems with a microscopic diffusion model

AbstractSwelling, that is, volumetric expansion, of particles is ubiquitous in many industrial systems containing both swellable particles and non‐swellable particles. However, the interactions between these two types of particles and the internal stress distribution within the binary particle systems are not yet fully understood. The dynamic behavior of binary mixtures with both swellable and non‐swellable particles was explored for the first time in this study by employing a microscopic diffusion swelling model that considers the change in microstructure of swelling particles implemented in the discrete element method coupled with computational fluid dynamics (DEM‐CFD). The expansion of particle bed consists of super absorbent polymers (SAPs) particles, that is, the swellable particles, and polyformaldehyde (POM) particles, that is, the non‐swellable particles, in a rectangle container is then analyzed experimentally and numerically. The results show that a tapered pattern of SAP particles and an arch pattern of POM particles are formed during the swelling process. The Lacey index is used to quantify the mixing degree of the binary particle system, which increases with time until the POM particle layer is fully encompassed by SAP particles. The mean stress distribution within the particle system is also examined, revealing that the swollen SAP particles migrate upward through a “low‐stress channel,” pushing the POM particles in the central area outward. Moreover, it is found that, for case with a relative low friction, SAP particles penetrate the POM particle layer along the container walls, while for the cases with relative high friction, SAP particles penetrate the POM particle layers through the central regions of the container.

The Potential Usage of Bitumen Cold Mix and Tire Chips as Stabilization Material on Clay Soil Strength Characteristics

Clay is a soil with fine particle size less than 0.002 mm, low permeability, cohession, high swelling, and slow consolidation process. Due to that problem it needs some improvement to stabilize the condition of soil before the process of construction conducted. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of adding shredded tire and cold mix bitumen as the value of shear strength changing are cohession, friction angle, and shear strength with triaxial unconsolidated undrained test. To see the effect of those mixture, this study uses 48 soil samples with 4 variation of shredded tired (0%, 1%, 1,5%, and 2%) and 4 variation of cold mix bitumen (0%, 1%, 2%, dan 3%). The result of this study showed that the adding of shredded tired and cold mix bitumen in soil compositition can increase parameters of soil. The optimum cohession is on variation 1% SB+2% B (T99B2SB1) with the value 0.61 kg/cm2. Meanwhile the optimum value of friction angle is on variation 1.5% SB+ 1% B (T98.5B1SB1.5) with the value 7.43o. The shear strength as the sum of cohession and friction angle tends to increase with the optimum value about 0.995 kg/cm2 in variation 2% bitumen and 1% shredded tire (T99B1SB1). From the study, the adding of shredded tired and cold mix bitumen improve the shear strength. The optimum value of shear strength is on variation 2% B+1% SB (T99B1SB1) with the value 0.995 kg/cm2. This study shows that stabilization material used in this research can be an alternative material for soil stabilization.

Radiolabeling of Micro-/Nanoplastics via In-Diffusion.

Micro- and nanoplastics are emerging pollutants with a concerning persistence in the environment. Research into their environmental impact requires addressing challenges related to sensitively and selectively detecting them in complex ecological media. One solution with great potential for alleviating these issues is using radiolabeling strategies. Here, we report the successful introduction of a 64Cu radiotracer into common microplastics, namely polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyamide, and polyvinylidene dichloride, which allows the sensitive detection of mere nanograms of substance. Utilizing a Hansen Solubility Parameter screening, we developed a swelling and in-diffusion process for tetraphenylporphyrin-complexed 64Cu, which permits one-pot labeling of polymer particles.

Use of shear wave velocity for assessing engineering properties of compacted bentonite after swelling

The characteristics of compacted bentonite after swelling determine the long-term stability of barrier systems. Due to the fact that the current stress level is the most important variable in determining the performance of engineered geosystems, this study aims to investigate the stress states and the consequent change in engineering properties of compacted bentonites after swelling. A series of vertical and horizontal swelling pressure tests were performed for compacted bentonites with varying initial dry unit weights at varying pore fluid concentrations. The compacted bentonite samples after swelling were loaded to investigate the changes in lateral stress and deformability. In addition, the shear wave velocity was continuously measured during and after swelling processes. The results of this study demonstrate that the swelling pressure increased with increasing dry unit weight of tested materials and decreasing pore fluid concentrations. The changes in lateral stress and void ratio of compacted bentonite after swelling were only measurable when the applied vertical stress was greater than the swelling pressure, reflecting that the swelling pressure cancels out the externally applied stress. Most notably, this study reveals that the initiation and termination of the swelling process and the change in engineering properties of compacted bentonite after swelling can be determined by measuring shear wave velocity.

Swelling damage evolution of argillaceous slate in a water-rich environment

The swelling of rock is a key issue in engineering. With large infrastructure construction trending towards complex geological conditions, an increasing number of projects could suffer from soft-rock swelling. To solve this problem, an understanding of the evolution of damage occurring during the swelling process is essential. Argillaceous slate is a typical metamorphic rock and shows strong swelling characteristics in a water-rich environment due to its abundance of hydrophilic minerals. In this paper, argillaceous slate was selected as the research object. The evolution of damage in argillaceous slate during swelling was explored via laboratory tests that included swelling characteristic tests, soft-rock needle penetration tests and scanning electron microscope tests, and damage theory. The research findings reveal that the slate swelling process in a water-rich environment can be divided into three stages, with the swelling rate being highest in the early stage of the tests, then slowing over time and finally stabilizing. However, the strength of the argillaceous slate decreased rapidly in the early stage, and the degradation rate was generally slow in the later stage. After water absorption, the clay mineral particles begin to expand and the microscopic structure of the argillaceous slate becomes complicated, with the pore area increasing and the pore diameter decreasing. A low degree of microscopic damage was found to induce a high degree of macroscopic mechanical degradation. In addition, the damage mechanism that occurs during argillaceous slate swelling is discussed in this paper from both a microscopic and a macroscopic perspective. Indeed, a relationship between macroscopic mechanical degradation and microscopic damage to argillaceous slate was established that can provide theoretical support for further research on soft-rock swelling characteristics: the microscopic damage drives the macroscopic mechanical degradation.

A system of automated control of thermal vacuum impregnation and swelling of sealing elastomers

When determining the swelling of polymeric materials in aggressive environments by standard test methods, significant measurement errors occur which entails the necessity of improving laboratory methods and diagnostic tools to solve research problems by automation of existing testing processes and minimization or complete elimination of the subjective components of measurement errors. We present an automated control system (ACS) for the process of swelling of sealing elastomers used in the construction of containers, tanks and units for storage, transportation, operation and pumping of liquids of various origins and properties. Methods of hardware and algorithmic implementation of the developed automated system for studying and testing impregnation and swelling of sealing polymers are shown on the example of filling MBS elastomer samples with a standard working fluid. The results obtained can be used to reduce the time of impregnation and swelling of sealing elastomers due to the proposed filling method and the developed integrated automatic control system for the filling process.

Study of The Gas-Swelling Mechanisms in Silicon Carbide Ceramics under High-Temperature Irradiation with Helium Ions.

The purpose of this work is to simulate the processes of gaseous swelling in SiC ceramics as well as the associated changes in strength and thermophysical properties under high-temperature irradiation with helium ions. The choices of irradiation conditions (irradiation temperatures of 700 and 1000 K) and irradiation fluences (1015-1018 ion/cm2) are based on the possibilities of modeling the processes of destructive changes in the near-surface layer as a result of the accumulation of gas-filled inclusions during high-dose irradiation. During this study, it was found that an increase in the irradiation temperature of the samples from 700 to 1000 K leads to a decrease in the resistance to gas swelling, since with the temperature increase, the mobility of implanted helium in the near-surface layer grows, which results in an increase in the size of gas-filled bubbles and, as a result, accelerated destruction of the damaged layer. It has been established that in the case of irradiation at 700 K, the critical fluence for swelling associated with the formation of visible gas-filled bubbles on the surface is 5 × 1017 ion/cm2, while for samples irradiated at a temperature of 1000 K, the formation of gas-filled bubbles is observed at a fluence of 1017 ion/cm2. Measurements of the thermal conductivity coefficient showed that the formation of gas-filled bubbles leads to a sharp deterioration in heat transfer processes, which indicates that the created defective inclusions prevent phonon heat transfer. Changes in the strength characteristics showed that a decrease in hardness occurs throughout the entire depth of the damaged ceramic layer. However, with a rise in the irradiation fluence above 1017 ion/cm2, a slight damaged layer thickness growth associated with diffusion processes of helium implantation into the near-surface layer is observed. The relevance of this study consists in obtaining new data on the stability of the strength and thermophysical parameters of SiC ceramics in the case of helium accumulation and its subsequent radiation-induced evolution in the case of irradiation at temperatures of 700 and 1000 K. The data obtained during the experimental work on changes in the properties of ceramics will make it possible to determine the potential limits of their applicability in the case of operation under extreme conditions at elevated temperatures in the future.

Fungal spore swelling and germination are restricted by the macrophage phagolysosome

Many species of medically important fungi are prolific in the formation of asexual spores. Spores undergo a process of active swelling and cell wall remodelling before a germ tube is formed and filamentous growth ensues. Highly elongated germ tubes are known to be difficult to phagocytose and pose particular challenges for immune phagocytes. However, the significance of the earliest stages of spore germination during immune cell interactions has not been investigated and yet this is likely to be important for defence against sporogenous fungal pathogens. We show here that macrophages restrict the early phases of the spore germination process of Aspergillus fumigatus and Mucor circinelloides including the initial phase of spore swelling, spore germination and early polarised growth. Macrophages are therefore adept at retarding germination as well as subsequent vegetative growth which is likely to be critical for immune surveillance and protection against sporulating fungi.

Unleashing the potential of bio-based concrete: Investigating its long-term mechanical strength and drying shrinkage in real climatic environments

Natural climatic conditions have significant negative impacts on the long-term mechanical properties and dimensional stability of bio-based concrete considering the high water absorption of bio-aggregates and corresponding biodegradations. In this study, the effects of three hydrophobic treatments (integral mixing, aggregate coating, concrete coating) on the physical properties, mechanical strengths, and drying shrinkage characteristics of bio-based peach kernel shell concrete in real climatic natural environments are investigated. Results show that bio-based peach kernel shell concrete has lower mechanical strength in outdoor climatic conditions than in indoor standard curing conditions. The swelling and shrinkage process causes the visible microcrack and debonding between bio-based materials and mortar interface. The drying shrinkage of bio-based peach kernel shell concrete in outdoor conditions is highly dependent on real climatic environments, including temperature, humidity and rainfall. The hydrophobic surface-coated concrete exhibits excellent resistance to real climatic environments, as well as good mechanical strength and dimensional stability, with 15.7% less drying shrinkage in 18 months, compared to reference concrete. Moreover, cellulose and hemicellulose of heat-treated bio-aggregates do not degrade over time in outdoor conditions due to the enhanced biodegradation resistance. The hydrophobic surface coating treatment is recommended for enhancing the service life of bio-based peach kernel shell concrete in real climatic environments.

In vitro Anti-Inflammatory Egg Albumin Denaturation Assay: An Enhanced Approach

As a physical reaction to injury, infection, or destruction, inflammation is characterized by heat, redness, discomfort, swelling, and abnormal physiological processes. The inflammatory process is a complicated series of relationships among soluble substances and cellular elements that frequently include connective tissue damage. An uncontrolled inflammatory response is the primary cause of a wide range of disorders, including allergies, cardiovascular dysfunctions, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, placing a significant financial burden on individuals and, in turn, on society. Steroids, nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, and immunosuppressants are some examples of common medications for controlling and suppressing inflammatory crises; but they have several side effects, particularly stomach irritation that can cause gastric ulcers. Using natural goods has had a significant positive impact on the development of modern medicine. On such background, plants have historically been an excellent source of medication, and there are several records on the use of herbs in traditional medicine to treat a variety of inflammatory illnesses. However, there has been no scientific attempt to verify these spontaneous uses reported in the literature. Therefore, to conduct more studies and gather more data, scientists need to develop low-cost, straightforward in vitro methodologies to assess the efficacy of natural anti-inflammatory compounds. With this context in mind, this methodology focuses on in vitro anti-inflammatory methodology that can be used to evaluate natural anti-inflammatory substances. They are cost-effective, easy to operate, and dependable with minor alterations.

Лабораторная диагностика засухоустойчивости образцов суданской травы методом набухания семян в растворах осмотиков

The results of studies of the nature and intensity of swelling of seeds of Sudanese grass samples in hypertonic solutions of osmotics and distilled water in 2021-2023 made it possible to establish a significant effect of the genotype, conditions of the year and the duration of the experiment. The seeds of the studied samples were distinguished by different water absorption intensities during the experiment period. On average, over the years of research, a high intensity of the seed swelling process was established in the initial (in the 1-st and 2-nd hours – 47,9-55,6%) and the final period of the experiment (24 and 48 hours – 86,4-105,1%, respectively), with a significant slowdown in the increase in the mass of grains during the lag phase – 4-6 hours from the beginning of the experiment (62,6-67,9%). The most intense swelling was found in Sudanese grass seeds in a 2022 laboratory experiment: the average value for samples in the studied variants was 78,0%; in 2021 – 74,2%, in 2023 – 60,5%. Relatively drought-resistant under conditions of artificially simulated stress include varieties of Sudanese grass Allegoriya, Ambiciya, promising breeding lines – Faina, L-30/17, which are used in the selection of new varieties and hybrids with high adaptive potential, adapted to cultivation in arid regions of the Russian Federation. Keywords: DROUGHT RESISTANCE, SUDANESE GRASS, ARTIFICIALLY SIMULATED STRESS, SEED SWELLING