Pure Ethyl Cellulose Research Articles

Ethylcellulose and bismuth sodium titanate-barium zirconate titanate (BNT-BZT) composite fibers for triboelectric energy harvesting

Green cellulose and toxic-free/rare earth-free nanomaterials are promising towards the development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) as energy harvesters for sustainable electronics. In this study, ethylcellulose (EC) and bismuth sodium titanate-barium zirconate titanate (BNT-BZT) are used as raw materials. An EC and BNT-BZT composite fiber mat was prepared by electrospinning and used as a positive triboelectric layer in a friction nanogenerator, while fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) was used as a negative triboelectric layer. After optimizing the electrospinning parameters and characterizing the materials, the developed TENG output power was studied as a function of the BNT-BZT doping concentration in the EC. At 2 wt% of doping, the output voltage of the TENG has a 3-fold increase compared with that obtained with a pure EC mat as the positive triboelectric layer. In addition, the TENG showed good output performance and operating stability after exposure to high temperature (70 ºC) and relative humidity (90 %). The maximum output power density of 134 μW/cm2 was obtained at a load resistance of 210 MΩ, showing good prospects in powering Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes.

Molecular transport of aromatic hydrocarbons through ethyl cellulose – Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blends

The evaluation of transport characteristics of membranes is crucial for understanding and controlling their separation properties and function in the dehydration process. In this study, the hydrophilic ethyl cellulose (EC) is modified by blending it with moderately hydrophobic acrylonitrile–butadienestyrene (ABS) copolymer to obtain desired flux and selectivity. The blend thin films (ABC) were prepared by solvent casting method and the non-porous (dense) nature of the ABC films were revealed from the FESEM analysis. The FTIR analysis confirms the blend formation. The surface wettability of the films was determined by water contact angle studies. The contact angle values were maximum for pure ABS films and minimum for pure EC films. As evident from TGA, blends prepared were thermally stable upto 300℃. UV–Visible spectroscopic data confirms the absorbance of UV radiation and transmittance of visible light through the pristine and blend films. The transport behavior of the ABC thin films was studied using three hydrocarbons viz. benzene, toluene and xylene. The effect of penetrant size and temperature on permeation were analysed in detail.

Preparation and Properties of Vegetable-Oil-Based Thioether Polyol and Ethyl Cellulose Supramolecular Composite Films

Ethyl cellulose (EC), an important biomass-based material, has excellent film-forming properties. Nevertheless, the high interchain hydrogen bond interaction leads to a high glass transition temperature of EC, which makes it too brittle to be used widely. The hydroxyl group on EC can form a supramolecular system in the form of a non-covalent bond with an effective plasticizer. In this study, an important vegetable-oil-based derivative named dimer fatty acid was used to prepare a novel special plasticizer for EC. Dimer-fatty-acid-based thioether polyol (DATP) was synthesized and used to modify ethyl cellulose films. The supramolecular composite films of DATP and ethyl cellulose were designed using the newly-formed van der Waals force. The thermal stability, morphology, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties of the composite films were all tested. Pure EC is fragile, and the addition of DATP makes the ethyl cellulose films more flexible. The elongation at the break of EC supramolecular films increased and the tensile strength decreased with the increasing DATP content. The elongation at the break of EC/DATP (60/40) and EC/DATP (50/50) was up to 40.3% and 43.4%, respectively. Noticeably, the thermal initial degradation temperature of the film with 10% DATP is higher than that of pure EC, which may be attributed to the formation of a better supramolecular system in this composite film. The application of bio-based material (EC) is environmentally friendly, and the novel DATP can be used as a special and effective plasticizer to prepare flexible EC films, making it more widely used in energy, chemical industry, materials, agriculture, medicine, and other fields.

Preparation of High‐Strength and High‐Permeability EC/PI/MOF Mixed Matrix Membrane**

AbstractGas separation technology is one of the difficulties in the chemistry and purification industry. To help solve this problem, we have prepared mixed matrix membranes containing Zr‐based metal‐organic framework (MOF), ethyl cellulose (EC) and polyimide (PI), and characterized them by FTIR, SEM and gas separation measures. The obtained mixed matrix membranes have good mechanical and thermal properties, the tensile strength of mixed matrix membranes improved by 5.44‐10.5 times compared to pure EC membrane. Especially, the mixed matrix membranes exhibited excellent CO2 permeability compared to pure EC and pure PI membranes. CO2 permeability of mixed matrix membrane contained 15 % MOF was 145.5 Barrer and the CO2/CH4 permselectivity was 11.95, which increased 2.21 times and 0.45 times compared to pure EC membrane. Comparison with 1991 and 2008 Robeson Upper Bound, the mixed matrix membranes were closer to the Robeson Upper Bound than pure EC membrane.

Development of TiO2 photocatalyzed EC/HTPB based oxygen scavenging mats by electrospinning method for packaging applications

In this work, oxygen absorption properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyzed ethyl cellulose (EC)/hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) blends have been studied. Oxygen scavenging samples were prepared using solution casting and electrospinning methods from two different binary mixtures, toluene/ethanol and ethanol/water, respectively. Morphological observations for electrospun mats confirmed that the addition of HTPB to EC matrix increased the tendency of the mixture to obtain a smooth fibrous structure compared to that of pure EC. Viscosity and FTIR-ATR measurements were carried out to study the stability and homogeneity of the blends in ethanol/water mixture. Applicability of Cox-Merz empirical rule led us to believe that catalyzed electrospinning blend was homogenous. A similar ratio of EC to HTPB in electrospun mats prepared in ethanol/water compared to the one prepared in toluene/ethanol is shown by FTIR-ATR spectra, which revealed the stability of the blends in this mixture. The oxygen absorption measurements depicted significant oxygen absorption capacity for cast films and electrospun mats which could reach about the averages of 54 cm3 (25 °C, 1013 hPa)/g and 59 cm3 (25 °C, 1013 hPa)/g, respectively, after 30 days. The oxygen scavenging capacity of electrospun mats was higher than cast films as a result of the higher surface area in the fibrous structure.

Preparation of butadiene-bridged polymethylsiloxane (BBPMS)/ethyl cellulose (EC) hybrid membranes for gas separation

Hybrid membranes containing different loadings of butadiene-bridged polymethylsiloxane (BBPMS) in ethyl cellulose (EC) were prepared by an one-pot blending method from a non-isolated solution of polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS) reaction with butadiene, and a solution of EC in THF. The semi-crosslinked BBPMS and the BBPMS/EC hybrid membranes having good compatibility were characterized by Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The BBPMS/EC hybrid membranes exhibited good membrane forming ability, heat resistance and mechanical properties. It was worth mentioning that the BBPMS/EC blended membranes exhibit good selectivity for CO2/N2 and O2/N2. Specifically, the blended membrane (BBPMS/EC-5:5) showed the highest ideal selectivities for CO2/N2 and O2/N2 were 25.5 (at a CO2 permeability of 175 Barrer) and 4.85 (at a O2 permeability of 33.2 Barrer), respectively. Compared to the pure EC membrane, the ideal CO2/N4 selectivity and the ideal O2/N2 selectivity of the blended membrane (BBPMS/EC-5:5) were increased by 41.8% and 53.0%, respectively. The modification strategy using semi-crosslinked polysiloxanes to enhance gas transfer of EC is promising for fabrication of high performance CO2 and O2 separation membranes.

Preparation and high CO2/CH4 selectivity of ZSM-5/Ethyl cellulose mixed matrix membranes

It is known that natural gas is extracted with a large amount of CO2, which reduces the amount of heat generated during the combustion of natural gas. How to remove some of the CO2 from the natural gas is a problem that needs to be solved. The significant breakthroughs of the membrane technology, specifically the mixed matrix membrane (MMM) has revealed a promising CO2/CH4 separation performance. In this study, a series of ZSM-5/EC mixed matrix membranes with ethyl cellulose (EC) as matrix and ZSM-5 as inorganic dispersant in tetrahydrofuran were prepared under high speed and ultrasonic vibration-assisted, the ZSM-5/EC membranes were fabricated by using the casting solution. The successful ZSM-5/EC mixed matrix membranes were confirmed by Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ZSM-5/EC membranes exhibited good membrane forming ability, heat resistance and mechanical properties; The CO2/CH4 selectivity of the ZSM-5/EC membranes were 10.7, 15.4, 19.7, 25.5 and 11.7, respectively, increased up to 1.3, 1.9, 2.4, 3.1 and 1.4 times as compared to pure EC (8.20) with a feed composition of 50:50 for CO2/CH4.

Partially miscible polymer blends of ethyl cellulose and hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene

The phase behavior of the recently developed blend of ethyl cellulose (EC) and hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) for oxygen scavenging applications was investigated using thermal and thermomechanical analysis as well as morphological and topographical images. The complexity in the phase structure of this system is most probably related to the presence of special hydrogen bonding interactions between the blend's components verified by FTIR-ATR measurements, which led us to expect some degree of miscibility in our blends. The presence of partial miscibility was predicted using the miscibility guideline by Coleman and Painter. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed well dispersed trapped microdomains in the matrix that may have been related to the HTPB rich phase. Moreover, atomic force microscopy (AFM) images showed different contrasts, which was translated to the presence of partial miscibility and conjugated phases in the system. In addition, DSC analysis was performed to verify this concept in conjunction with DMTA measurements. Although glass transition temperatures were not well pronounced by DSC measurements, DMTA curves obviously depicted turning glass transition temperatures from one at the lowest HTPB composition into two and three transitions at two higher HTPB compositions which confirmed the presence of partial miscibility in our blends. Oxygen absorption measurements demonstrated a proper oxygen scavenging efficiency for the blend in comparison with pure EC.

Development and characterization of ethyl cellulose nanosponges for sustained release of brigatinib for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) contributes to about 85% of lung cancer. By 2040, lung cancer cases estimated to rise to 3.6 million globally. Brigatinib (BG) acts as tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target the epidermal growth factor receptor of the epithelial lung cancer cells. BG loaded nanosponges (NSs) were prepared by the emulsion solvent evaporation technique using ethylcellulose (EC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a stabilizer. Eight formulations were developed by varying the concentration of the drug (BG), EC and PVA followed by optimization through particle characterization; size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), drug entrapment and loading efficiency. The optimized formulation BGNS5 showed particles size (261.0 ± 3.5 nm), PDI (0.301) and ZP(−19.83 ± 0.06 Mv) together with entrapment efficiency (85.69 ± 0.04%) and drug loading (17.69 ± 0.01%). FTIR, DSC, XRD, and SEM showed drug-polymer compatibility, entrapment of drug in EC core, non-crystallinity of BG in NS and confirm spherical porous nature of the NS. BGNS5 reflects drug release in a sustained manner, 86.91 ± 2.12% for about 12 h. BGNS5 significantly decreased the cell viability of A549 human lung cancer cell lines with less hemolytic ratio compared to pure drug BG and EC. Based on the aforementioned results BGNS5 could be used in the effective treatment of NSCLC.

Preparation and characterization of ethyl cellulose film modified with capsaicin

Pure ethyl cellulose film cannot extend the shelf life of food, and adding capsaicin as an antibacterial agent can inhibit the activity of microorganisms on the surface of the film. The main purpose of this work is to study the properties and specific performance of the film formed by adding capsaicin to ethyl cellulose system. Importantly, the transparent, soft, and stretchable ethyl cellulose-capsaicin composite membrane (EC-Cap) is generally easy to produce and is environmentally friendly. It is the first successful preparation by a casting method. It is worth noting that the FTIR analysis of the film shows that there may be an interaction between the phenolic hydroxyl group in Cap and the hydroxyl group in EC, which means that Cap has successfully participated in the film formation system. Therefore, the cap-containing film not only exhibits a low water absorption, when the cap is appropriate, the elongation at break of the film reaches a maximum of 61.34 % ± 1.37 %. Compared with pure EC membrane, EC-Cap membrane has greater antibacterial activity than pure EC membrane. The practical application of EC-Cap films in the protection of bell peppers has shown positive results, which makes it possible to apply these films to food packaging.

Preparation of Ethyl Cellulose Composite Film with Down Conversion Luminescence Properties by Doping Perovskite Quantum Dots

AbstractThe preparation and characterization of a perovskite quantum dot‐ethyl cellulose (PQD‐EC) composite film are described. The toluene suspension of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) was injected into the ethyl cellulose (EC) toluene solution to form the transparent solution. Then the composite film was prepared by solvent casting method. The composite film had the characteristics of high optical transmittance and excellent down conversion luminescent. When excited by ultraviolet (UV) 365 nm, it exhibited bright green emission centered at 518 nm. The analyses showed that the composite film exhibited excellent thermodynamic and mechanical properties similar to the pure EC film. Further, the sandwich‐like multilayer films was prepared by encapsulating the PQDs‐EC composite film with pure EC films to overcome the defect of PQDs susceptible to water. When used as coating film for solar cell, the composite film obtained an observable enhancement in the photoelectric conversion efficiency.

The influence of barium ferrite nanoparticles on morphological and mechanical properties of ethyl cellulose based nanocomposites

This study presents preparation and characterization of ethyl cellulose based nanocomposites. Successful use of simple solvent casting technique provided nanocomposites with high loads of barium ferrite magnetic nanopowder in the polymer matrix, promising significant improvement of mechanical properties. Investigation of morphology revealed formation of agglomerates that are still on nanoscopic level. Nanocomposite thin films with a higher content of the magnetic powder showed substantial enhancement of break strength, elongation and microhardness compared to the pure ethyl cellulose, which was the primary aim of this research.

Synthesis of soluble oligsiloxane-end-capped hyperbranched polyazomethine and their application to CO2/N2 separation membranes

ABSTRACTThree soluble hyperbranched polyazomethines containing oligosiloxane end group HBP-PAZ-SiOn were successfully synthesized. HBP-PAZ-SiOns were used as modifiers of ethyl cellulose (EC) and polysulfone (PS) membranes. Blend membranes, HBP-PAZ-SiOn/EC and HBP-PAZ-SiOn/PS were prepared by blending the THF solution of HBP-PAZ-SiOn with ethanol solution of EC and dichloromethane solution of PS, respectively. Surprisingly, the permeabilities for CO2 of the blend membranes were more than 15–16 times higher than those of pure EC and PS membranes without any drop of pemselectivity to N2. This unusual improvement has been achieved by both enhancement of diffusivity for carbon dioxide and nitrogen by the oligosiloxane groups and enhancement of affinity of the amino groups with carbon dioxide at the end groups of HBP-PAZ-SiOn.

PVP VA64 as a novel release-modifier for sustained-release mini-matrices prepared via hot melt extrusion.

The purpose of this study was to explore poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVP VA64) as a novel release-modifier to tailor the drug release from ethylcellulose (EC)-based mini-matrices prepared via hot melt extrusion (HME). Quetiapine fumarate (QF) was selected as model drug. QF/EC/PVP VA64 mini-matrices were extruded with 30% drug loading. The physical state of QF in extruded mini-matrices was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and confocal Raman microscopy. The release-controlled ability of PVP VA64 was investigated and compared with that of xanthan gum, crospovidone, and low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose. The influences of PVP VA64 content and processing temperature on QF release behavior and mechanism were also studied. The results indicated QF dispersed as the crystalline state in all mini-matrices. The release of QF from EC was very slow as only 4% QF was released in 24h. PVP VA64 exhibited the best ability to enhance the drug release as compared with other three release-modifiers. The drug release increased to 50-100% in 24h with the addition of 20-40% PVP VA64. Increasing processing temperature slightly slowed down the drug release by decreasing free volume and pore size. The release kinetics showed good fit with the Ritger-Peppas model. The values of release exponent (n) increased as PVP VA64 is added (0.14 for pure EC, 0.41 for 20% PVP VA64, and 0.61 for 40% PVP VA64), revealing that the addition of PVP VA64 enhanced the erosion mechanism. This work presented a new polymer blend system of EC with PVP VA64 for sustained-release prepared via HME.

Development and characterization of ricinoleic acid-based sulfhydryl thiol and ethyl cellulose blended membranes

Ethyl cellulose (EC) membranes can be combined with efficient plasticizers derived from renewable resources to form supramolecular systems. In this paper, a novel ricinoleic acid-based sulfhydryl triol (STRA) was first synthesized and used as a plasticizer for EC membranes. A supramolecular membrane of EC and STRA using van der Waals forces was designed. The morphology, hydrophilic performance, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. While pure EC is brittle, its membrane ductility and hydrophilic performance can be improved by integration with STRA. The highest tensile strength was found in EC/STRA (90/10) (8.37MPa). Impressively, the EC/STRA(60/40) and EC/STRA(50/50) elongation at break values were 17.4 and 20.2 times higher, respectively, than that of pure EC. This novel ricinoleic acid-based sulfhydryl triol can be used as a feedstock for hydrophobic EC membranes.

Gasoline desulfurization by a TiO2‐filled ethyl cellulose pervaporation membrane

ABSTRACTThe TiO2 nanoparticles were incorporated into an ethyl cellulose (EC) matrix to improve the pervaporation (PV) performance of the membrane for gasoline desulfurization. The microstructures of different EC membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray and transmission electron microscopy. The PV experiments showed that the hybrid membrane of EC/TiO2 demonstrated an improved permeation flux (J) of 7.58 kg m−2 h−1 and a sulfur enrichment factor (α) of 3.13 in comparison with the pure EC membrane, with a J of 3.73 kg m−2 h−1 and an α of 3.69. In addition, the effects of the operating conditions, including the operating temperature, layer thickness, crosslinking time, feed flow rate, and feed sulfur content level, on the PV performance of the EC/TiO2 membrane were investigated. Under a 100 mL/min feed flow rate and a 85 μg/g sulfur content, J of the 10 μm thick membrane increased to 7.58 kg m−2 h−1 with α of 3.13 compared to the pure EC membrane (3.73 kg m−2 h−1, 3.69) at 80 °C with 30 min of crosslinking time. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017: 134, 43409.

Polyethylenimine facilitated ethyl cellulose for hexavalent chromium removal with a wide pH range.

Ethyl cellulose (EC) composites modified with 20.0 wt % polyethylenimine (PEI) (PEI/ECs) demonstrated effective hexavalent chromium, [Cr(VI)], removal from solutions with a wide pH range. For example, 4.0 mg/L Cr(VI) solution with a pH below 3.0 was completely purified by 3.0 g/L PEI/ECs within 5 min, much faster than the as-received EC (2 h) and activated carbon (several hours). These PEI/ECs adsorbents has overcome the low pH limitation of Cr(VI) removal; for example, 4.0 mg/L Cr(VI) solution with a pH of 11.0 was completely purified within 15 min. These adsorbents followed chemical adsorption as revealed from the pseudo-second-order kinetic study. These PEI/ECs following the isotherm Langmuir model have a maximum adsorption capacity of 36.8 mg/g, much higher than pure EC (12 mg/g), tetrabutylammonium-modified celluloses (16.67 mg/g), and magnetic carbon (16 mg/g). The reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by the oxidation of amine groups and hydroxyl groups of PEI/ECs was verified as the main mechanism for the Cr(VI) removal.

Preparation of sustained-release coated particles by novel microencapsulation method using three-fluid nozzle spray drying technique

We prepared sustained-release microcapsules using a three-fluid nozzle (3N) spray drying technique. The 3N has a unique, three-layered concentric structure composed of inner and outer liquid nozzles, and an outermost gas nozzle. Composite particles were prepared by spraying a drug suspension and an ethylcellulose solution via the inner and outer nozzles, respectively, and mixed at the nozzle tip (3N-PostMix). 3N-PostMix particles exhibited a corrugated surface and similar contact angles as ethylcellulose bulk, thus suggesting encapsulation with ethylcellulose, resulting in the achievement of sustained release. To investigate the microencapsulation process via this approach and its usability, methods through which the suspension and solution were sprayed separately via two of the four-fluid nozzle (4N) (4N-PostMix) and a mixture of the suspension and solution was sprayed via 3N (3N-PreMix) were used as references. It was found that 3N can obtain smaller particles than 4N. The results for contact angle and drug release corresponded, thus suggesting that 3N-PostMix particles are more effectively coated by ethylcellulose, and can achieve higher-level controlled release than 4N-PostMix particles, while 3N-PreMix particles are not encapsulated with pure ethylcellulose, leading to rapid release. This study demonstrated that the 3N spray drying technique is useful as a novel microencapsulation method.

The Pervaporation Performance of C60-Filled Ethyl Cellulose Hybrid Membrane for Gasoline Desulfurization: Effect of Operating Temperature

The C60-filled ethyl cellulose hybrid membrane was prepared for removing sulfur from model gasoline by pervaporation (PV). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of the microstructure of EC/C60 hybrid membrane showed the existence of C60 clusters in the hybrid membrane, which could resemble the path of electron-rich gasoline components through the membrane. The result of the PV performance using the ethyl cellulose (EC) membrane and the EC/C60 hybrid membrane showed that permeation flux increased as the operating temperature increased, but the sulfur enrichment factor increased first and then decreased. The change of cross-linking time did not influence the variation trends of permeation flux and sulfur enrichment factor with operating temperature. In addition, the linear fitting results proved that sound linearity existed between the permeation flux and the operating temperature; the apparent PV activation energy of EC/C60 hybrid membrane was lower than that of the pure EC membrane. Therefore, ...

Effect of charge-transfer complex between gasoline components/C60 on desulphurization properties of C60-filled ethyl cellulose hybrid membranes

Abstract Ethyl cellulose (EC)/fullerene C 60 hybrid membranes were prepared for sulfur removal from gasoline. The effect of adding C 60 on desulfurization mechanism was investigated by the study of mass transfer behaviors of model gasoline components through membranes with different C 60 contents. The results showed that the transport mode of model gasoline components in membranes tended to Fickian diffusion. The increasing C 60 content did not change the transport mode of gasoline components in hybrid membranes, but severely increased the EC/C 60 –thiophene interaction. Meanwhile, sorption and diffusion coefficients of thiophene, toluene, and cyclohexene increased with the increasing C 60 content, leading to the increase of the overall permeation coefficient of all the components, predicting that sulfur enrichment factor and permeation flux increased. The charge-transfer complex interaction between different gasoline components and fullerene C 60 was studied, and the change regularity of permeation flux and sulfur enrichment factor corresponded to the desulfurization mechanism that concluded on dynamic sorption curves. These were verified by pervaporation experimental results of membranes with different C 60 contents. In the condition of EC:C 60 =1:0.007 (mass ratio), higher sulfur enrichment factor (5.03) and permeation flux (2.73 kg/m 2 h) were obtained compared to the pure EC membrane (3.75, 0.70 kg/m 2 h), which further proved that the addition of C 60 could be helpful for the removal of sulfur from gasoline effectively.