Surface Of Stainless Steel Mesh Research Articles

Bi2MoO6 nanofilms on the stainless steel mesh by PS-PED method: Photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium as a pharmaceutical pollutant.

For the first time, Bi2MoO6 nanofilms were successfully synthesized by simultaneous pulse sonication-pulse electrodeposition (PS-PED) on the stainless steel mesh surface. Bismuth molybdate films were formed under various combinations of electrodeposition and sonication (sono-electrodeposition) in continuous and pulse modes. Porous Bi2MoO6 films synthesized by PS-PED method and showed the highest efficiency in photocatalytic degradation in comparison with other films. Bi2MoO6 film obtained from PS-PED had a thickness of 13.78nm while, the thickness for the electrodeposition method was 39.52nm. The high photocatalytic efficiency is attributed to the high surface roughness and low thickness of film synthesized by PS-PED method. Indeed, ultrasound played a key role in the synthesis of films with high surface roughness. On the other hand, shock waves and micro-jets could be dissolved diffusion problems and reduced the dendrite like structures in deposition process. Simultaneous application of pulse modes for both combined methods led to more growth of crystallographic planes. This is due to reaction of ions on the surface in interval relaxation times and produce more nuclei for growth. In order to obtain a high efficiency, response surface methodology was used for optimization of effective variable parameters (ton, toff and sonication amplitude) in film preparation.

Sono-electrodeposition of novel bismuth sulfide films on the stainless steel mesh: Photocatalytic reduction of Cr (VI)

In this work, for the first time, bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) film formed on the stainless steel mesh surface as a suitable substrate. Different films were synthesized by various combinations of the two methods (sonochemistry and electrochemistry) in continuous and pulse modes. The Bi2S3 films characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). To reach the best film for photocatalytic reduction of Cr (VI), different films were deposited on the substrate by changing three independent variables including pulse times (ton, toff) and sonication amplitude. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) applied for optimization of independent variables by using Central Composite Design (CCD). Here, the films prepared by sono-electrodeposition in pulse modes led to high photocatalytic efficiency in comparison with other films. The results confirmed that ultrasound affected the morphology of film due to the production of cavitation, micro jets and acoustic streaming. On the other hand, ultrasound decreased double layer thickness and dissolved diffusion problems. Sono-electrodeposition in pulse modes produced films with pumice and fractal like structures. The high photocatalytic activity attributed to special morphologies that have key roles in separation of hole/electron pairs and light multi-scattering.

Enhanced hydrophobicity of stainless-steel mesh surface by carbon nanotube arrays from flame

Vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) arrays were synthesized directly on the stainless-steel (SS) mesh with grooves by flame method. The results from comprehensive characterizations confirmed the MWCNTs were prepared as array structures with good hydrophobicity on the surface of the SS mesh and were connected into a complete layer. The static contact angle of surface of the MWCNTs hydrophobicity coating was increased from the 113° to 141° as the growth of MWCNT arrays. The scalability from the hydrophobicity of the MWCNT arrays have been also verified when MWCNTs were anchored on another flexible substrate by the static contact angle test and water droplet rolling experiment. At the same time, the lipophilicity of MWCNTs was verified by dynamic contact angle test and oil-water separation experiment.

Novel method of square wave voltammetry for deposition of Bi2S3 thin film: Photocatalytic reduction of hexavalent Cr in single and binary mixtures

In this work a new method of square‒wave voltammetry was performed for electrodepositing of Bi2S3 film on the stainless steel mesh surface as low-cost and effective substrate in visible light harvesting. First, the obtained porous film was characterized by X‒ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman analysis. In following, photocatalytic activity of film for reduction of hexavalent Cr was evaluated under sunlight irradiation. Results suggested that the presence of voids having several nanometers to 2 μm diameters on the film surface plays key role in photocatalytic processes. Indeed, surface voids as trapping cites and producing routs leads to multiple scattering of visible light. It can be noted that morphology of thin film, substrate structure, and diameters of voids are the main parameters to achieving the high reduction efficiency. Cr(VI) was completely reduced within 100 min under sunlight irradiation. Photoreduction mechanistic studies induced by Bi2S3 film suggested that active oxygen species such as HOO• and O2 have significant role in photocatalytic reaction. Finally, the evaluation of simultaneous photocatalytic process of binary mixture (Cr(VI) and Rhodamin B) was shown synergistic improvement of Cr(VI) and Rhodamin B degradation due to rapid surface reactions.

Robust superhydrophobic mesh with excellent chemical resistance for separation of complicated boiling water/oil mixtures

Nowadays, inferior mechanical stability and poor resistance to chemical corrosion and hot water severely restricted the broad applications of superhydrophobic materials. In this work, a robust superhydrophobic mesh was prepared by using the cured thermoset phenolic resin (TPR) to anchor the hydrophobic SiO2 nanoparticles on stainless-steel mesh surface (SiO2@TPR-SSM). The obtained superhydrophobic SiO2@TPR-SSM exhibits excellent resistance to various mechanical, chemical and high temperature damages. Violent hand kneading or 70 cycles of abrasion by sandpaper could not make the superhydrophobicity of SiO2@TPR-SSM lose. And it would not cause effect on its wettability with immersion in various organic solvents, or strong acid and high-concentration salt solution for 192 h. Even in boiling water or in the environment of 0 °C to 240 °C, the SiO2@TPR-SSM still could retain its superhydrophobicity. Moreover, the obtained superhydrophobic SiO2@TPR-SSM shows high separation capability in separating various water/oil mixtures and the separation cycles are larger than 200. And it also demonstrates high separation capability for boiling strong acid, base and high-concentration salt water/oil mixtures, which makes the SiO2@TPR-SSM into a promising material in industrial separation practice under harsh conditions.

Hydrogen-bonded methylcellulose/poly(acrylic acid) complex membrane for oil-water separation

The contamination of water with oil spills and organic pollutants have become a global environmental challenge which requires urgent solutions. In this work, membranes for oil-water separation are fabricated by forming a reusable and stable layer with methylcellulose (MC) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) on stainless-steel mesh (SSM) via a chemical bath deposition method. Due to the interactions between the carboxyl group (–COOH) in PAA and the hydroxyl group (–OH) in MC through hydrogen bonding, MC/PAA complex membranes will be formed on the surface of SSM. The MC/PAA membrane is then modified by trichloromethylsilane (TCMS) to obtain the hydrophobicity and oleophilicity. This design can adequately repel water and let oils penetrate through the membrane freely. A high flux of 1055 L m−2 h−1 and an excellent separation efficiency of 99.9% are achieved when using the as-prepared membrane to separate sunflower oil/water mixture. This facile and low-cost method for fabricating oil-water separators has potential to be widely used in the fields of oil and petroleum industries.

The coaxial MnO2/CNTs nanocomposite freestanding membrane on SSM substrate as anode materials in high performance lithium ion batteries

The coaxial MnO2/CNTs nanocomposite freestanding membrane is prepared via a simple two-step process, including that CNTs are grown on the surface of stainless steel mesh by chemical vapor deposition and then MnO2 is coated onto the surface of CNTs using electrodeposition. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate that MnO2 nanoflakes are uniformly deposited on the surface of CNTs to form the coaxial MnO2/CNTs nanocomposites freestanding membrane. The thickness of MnO2 shell is in range of 25–50nm. Electrochemical characterizations shows that the initial discharge capacity of MnO2/CNTs nanocomposites freestanding membrane is as high as 2062mAhg−1 based on the total mass of MnO2/CNTs nanocomposites, and its capacity retention is 80% after 260cycles compared with the second cycle. The result suggests that the as-prepared coaxial MnO2/CNTs nanocomposite freestanding membrane anode indicates excellent cycle stability and good rate capability. Moreover, it can be prepared on a large scale and suitable for industrial production due to its simple and low-cost prepared process.

Facile preparation of grass-like hierarchical structured γ-AlOOH coated stainless steel mesh with superhydrophobic and superoleophilic for highly efficient oil-water separation

A superhydrophobic and superoleophilic γ-AlOOH membrane on stainless steel mesh was fabricated by an inexpensive, template-free hydrothermal method using Al(NO3)3·9H2O and Na2C2O4 as starting materials. A novel γ-AlOOH film with a grass-like structure was synthesized and grass-like grains were tightly connected to form a hierarchical microstructure, which created a rougher stainless steel mesh surface. The influences of the additive amount of Na2C2O4and Al(NO3)3·9H2O onmorphologyand water contact angle of productswerediscussed. The prepared film is superhydrophobic not only for pure water but also for corrosive water under acidic or alkaline conditions. The obtained superhydrophobic and superlipophilic coated mesh exhibited high efficient oil/water separation. Besides the maximum diesel-water separation efficiency reach 99.6%, a high water intrusion pressure value of 2.2 kPa is also calculated, which make it promising application in large-scale, high-efficient and reusable oil/water separation filed.

Ag nanoparticles loading of polypyrrole-coated superwetting mesh for on-demand separation of oil-water mixtures and catalytic reduction of aromatic dyes

Herein, a catalytic mesh with unique wettability, high oil-water separation efficiency and excellent catalytic performance towards aromatic dyes was fabricated. Polypyrrole (PPy) was firstly pre-coated on pristine stainless-steel mesh (SSM) surface via cyclic voltammetry approach. Subsequently, a simple electrodeposition process was performed to prepare and anchor Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto the PPy-coated SSM surface. The PPy-coated mesh with anchored AgNPs was denoted as PPy/AgNPs-coated SSM. The obtained PPy/AgNPs-coated SSM exhibited dual superlyophobic properties and were able to achieve on-demand separation to deal with various of light oil (ρoil < ρwater) and heavy oil (ρoil > ρwater)-water mixtures. Importantly, benefitting from AgNPs on mesh surface, the obtained PPy/AgNPs-coated SSM exhibits exceptional catalytic activity. As proof-of-concept three typical aromatic dye molecules (methylene blue, rhodamine B and Congo red) can be effectivity degraded. Additionally, the degradation of aromatic dyes and oil-water separation were achieved simultaneously when the PPy/AgNPs-coated SSM was converted to water-removing mode. Therefore, the present work is of great significance to the development of novel oil-water filtration membranes and can open a new avenue towards the practicability of metal nanoparticle catalysts in wastewater treatment.

Polymer-infiltrated approach to produce robust and easy repairable superhydrophobic mesh for high-efficiency oil/water separation

A superhydrophobic and superoleophilic polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle film-coated stainless-steel mesh (PINF-SSM) was prepared with a novel and facile nature-inspired approach. The approach involves the use of low-cost raw materials and simple spray coating of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles onto stainless-steel mesh (SSM) surface. With acrylic resin pre-coating layer on both surfaces, it is conveniently transformed into an integrated polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle film on SSM after annealing above the resin’s glass transition temperature. The obtained PINF-SSM shows robust superhydrophobicity after multiple cycles rubbing with sandpaper, long-term UV irradiation, long-term storage, and exposure to strong acidic, alkaline, and saline solutions. The as-prepared PINF-SSM was successfully used to separate various oil/water mixtures with high-efficiency for at least 50 cycles and collect oil slick on water surface efficiently. Sequential coating thermoplastic acrylic resin and hydrophobic silica nanoparticles on the surface of SSM allow for extended storage time of the coating materials, easy resin processing with high silica content, quick repairing, and easy recovery of the superhydrophobic surface, making it suitable in various oil/water separation practices.

Long-Life Air Electrode for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

Energy storage technology is attracting more attention with world-wide increase of renewable energy deployment, such as solar and wind power. With energy storage, electrical energy from photovoltaic cells or wind turbines can be stored when production exceeds consumption and back to the grid when load is demanded. The energy storage devices can also serve as a part of distributed power generation system for remote islands or uninterruptible power supply applications. Usually the system is installed in rural areas and even subjected to harsh temperatures and punishing humidity. Therefore, reliable and efficient energy storage is required. However, most existing mature energy storage technologies, such as Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-ion, can barely satisfy both issues of safety and low cost. Metal air batteries have high theoretical specific energy density, being capable of fulfilling multiple needs for the next generation of mobile/stationary energy storage system. They are also environmentally benign, and inexpensive; frequently used metal anodes including Al, Zn, and Fe are naturally abundant. However, an air electrode with the capability of possessing both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) efficiently is still not well developed at the moment. In the present work, the bifunctional air electrode composed of alpha phase of manganese oxides or silver particles, as ORR catalysts, grown on the surface of stainless steel mesh catalyzing OER, was fabricated via electro-deposition method. This as-synthesized oxygen electrode was used directly for zinc-air battery assembly without polymer binders, which have low conductivity and suffer from detaching when immersion in alkaline solutions, leading to battery failure and short cycle life. In our system, the zinc-air battery was assembled with as-synthesized air cathode, 6M KOH/0.2M zinc acetate electrolytes and zinc foil anode. The battery was operated at the current density of 20 mA/cm2and its charge/discharge potential was 1.95V/1.15V, respectively. In addition, it showed stable performance with >80% coulombic efficiency over 1000 recharge cycles. Acknowledgement: Authors would like to thank the Bureau of Energy (BOE), Ministry of Economy Affair (MOEA), Taiwan for the financial support.

Inspired by Stenocara Beetles: From Water Collection to High-Efficiency Water-in-Oil Emulsion Separation.

Inspired by the water-collecting mechanism of the Stenocara beetle's back structure, we prepared a superhydrophilic bumps-superhydrophobic/superoleophilic stainless steel mesh (SBS-SSM) filter via a facile and environmentally friendly method. Specifically, hydrophilic silica microparticles are assembled on the as-cleaned stainless steel mesh surface, followed by further spin-coating with a fluoropolymer/SiO2 nanoparticle solution. On the special surface of SBS-SSM, attributed to the steep surface energy gradient, the superhydrophilic bumps (hydrophilic silica microparticles) are able to capture emulsified water droplets and collect water from the emulsion even when their size is smaller than the pore size of the stainless steel mesh. The oil portion of the water-in-oil emulsion therefore permeates through pores of the superhydrophobic/superoleophilic mesh coating freely and gets purified. We demonstrated an oil recovery purity up to 99.95 wt % for surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions on the biomimetic SBS-SSM filter, which is superior to that of the traditional superhydrophobic/superoleophilic stainless steel mesh (S-SSM) filter lacking the superhydrophilic bump structure. Together with a facile and environmentally friendly coating strategy, this tool shows great application potential for water-in-oil emulsion separation and oil purification.

Air Electrode Study for Rechargeable and Long-Life Zinc-Air Batteries

Energy storage technology has become a vital element in the design of electrical networks, especially when renewable energy systems are included. Some other application conditions should be kept in mind that renewable energy system installations are often in remote locations and even subjected to harsh temperatures and punishing humidity. Therefore, reliable and efficient energy storage in both off-grid and on-grid schemes are ultimate developing objects. However, current energy storage technologies, including Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-ion, can barely satisfy both issues of long cycle lifetime and low capital cost. Amongst most developing technologies, the zinc air battery not only provides high theoretical energy capacities, but also includes several advantages, like low cost, environmentally benign and naturally abundant. Some issues remain, hindering commercialization of this technology. One of them is the development of air cathodes possessing both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) efficiently. Hence, much work on bifunctional catalysts development has been done and published by researchers over the world in the past few years. For example, metal oxides/conductive nanocarbon hybrids is proven as an efficient approach to enhancing catalytic activity, such as Co3O4/graphene, CoO/NCNT, and MnxOy/NC. Spinel Mn–Co oxides were also found to be highly active for both ORR and OER. Additionally, long cycle life is a must for us as well. Herein, the bifunctional air electrode composed of alpha phase of manganese oxides or silver particles, as ORR catalysts, grown on the surface of stainless steel mesh catalyzing OER, was fabricated via electro-deposition method. This as-synthesized oxygen electrode was used directly for zinc-air battery assembly without the need of polymer binders mixing for coating on a desired gas diffusion electrode such as carbon papers. Commonly used binders have low conductivity and suffer from detaching when immersion in alkaline solutions, leading to battery failure and short cycle life. In our system, the zinc-air battery was comprised of as-synthesized air cathode, 6M KOH and zinc foil anode. The battery was operated at the current density of 10 mA/cm2 and its charge/discharge potential was 1.97V/1.15V, respectively. Most importantly, it showed stable performance with >80% coulombic efficiency over 2000 recharge cycles (over 600 hours). Acknowledgement: Authors would like to thank the Bureau of Energy (BOE), Ministry of Economy Affair (MOEA), Taiwan for the financial support.

Modified stainless steel for high performance and stable anode in microbial fuel cells

The surface modification of the stainless steel mesh (SSM) was conducted by acid etching, binder-free carbon black (CB) coating and the low-temperature heat treatment below 400°C to improve the microbial bioelectrocatalytic activity for use as high-performance anode in microbial fuel cells. The modified SSM, such as SSM/CB-400, could generate a high current density of up to 1.91mAcm−2, which was nearly three orders of magnitude higher than the untreated SSM electrode (0.0025mAcm−2). Moreover, it was stable and recovered the equal current density after removal of the formed biofilms. Surface characterization results demonstrate that the performance improvement was attributed to the CB/Fe3O4 composite layer formed onto the surface of the SSM, which protected the biofilms from being poisoned by the Cr component in the SSM and ensured a rapid electron transfer from biofilms to the SSM surface. The CB/Fe3O4 composite layer showed excellent corrosion-resistant under the oxidizing potential of+0.2V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Rising the heating temperature to 500°C, the SSM-500 and SSM/CB-500 electrodes suffered from corrosion due to the formation of α-Fe2O3 crystals.

Metal–Organic Framework 199 Film as a Novel Adsorbent of Thin-Film Extraction

In this study, metal–organic framework (MOF)-199 was in situ grown on the surface of stainless steel mesh by a facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis strategy. A piece of the MOF-199-coated film was used as adsorbent in thin-film extraction. With octahedral shape, accessible macropores, and high surface area-to-volume, the MOF-199 coating exhibited excellent extraction ability and enhanced mass transfer rate toward six studied aldehydes. The proposed thin-film extraction-high-performance liquid chromatography method was applied successfully for the determination of aldehyde in human exhaled breath condensates of lung cancer patients and healthy people. The experimental conditions were optimized systematically. Under the optimal conditions, a wide linear application range was obtained with linear correlations (r) above 0.995; the limits of detection were from 1.3 to 20.3 nmol L−1. Reasonable recoveries were achieved between 74 and 120 %. The method possesses the potential advantages of simple setup, convenient operation, fast analysis and factory sensitivity, and little matrix interference. It supplies us with a new possibility for non-invasive monitoring of trace aldehyde metabolites in complex biological samples.

Superhydrophobic and Superoleophilic Boron Nitride Nanotube‐Coated Stainless Steel Meshes for Oil and Water Separation

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) that can directly grow on the surface of stainless steel mesh via a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth process are developed by a simple, cheap and scalable approach. The resultant superhydrophobic and superoleophilic BNNT-coated meshes can efficiently separate insoluble oil from water. Most importantly, such BNNT-coated meshes are stable and durable making it a promising candidate for oil-polluted water treatments.

Fabrication of a Superhydrophobic Water-Repellent Mesh for Underwater Sensors

A superhydrophobic mesh is a unique structure that blocks water, while allowing gases, sound waves, and energy to pass through the holes in the mesh. This mesh is used in various devices, such as gas- and energy-permeable waterproof membranes for underwater sensors and electronic devices. However, it is difficult to fabricate micro- and nano-structures on three dimensional surfaces, such as the cylindrical surface of a wire mesh. In this research, we successfully produced a superhydrophobic water-repellent mesh with a high contact angle (>150°) for nanofibrous structures. Conducting polymer (CP) composite nanofibers were evenly coated on a stainless steel mesh surface, to create a superhydrophobic mesh with a pore size of 100 μm. The nanofiber structure could be controlled by the deposition time. As the deposition time increased, a high-density, hierarchical nanofiber structure was deposited on the mesh. The mesh surface was then coated with Teflon, to reduce the surface energy. The fabricated mesh had a static water contact angle of 163°, and a water-pressure resistance of 1.92 kPa.

Stainless steel mesh supported nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers for binder-free cathode in microbial fuel cells

In this communication, we report a binder-free oxygen reduction cathode for microbial fuel cells. The binder-free cathode is prepared by growth of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (NCNFs) on stainless steel mesh (SSM) via simple pyrolysis of pyridine. The interaction force between NCNFs and SSM surface is very strong which is able to tolerate water flush. The NCNFs/SSM cathode shows high and stable electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction, which is comparable to that of Pt/SSM and ferricyanide cathode. This study proposes a promising low-cost binder-free cathode for microbial fuel cells.