New Type Of Material Research Articles

Importance and role of neotaphonomic collections: the example of microvertebrate and experimental collection management

ABSTRACT The development of taphonomy has improved our knowledge of site formation and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. It has also stimulated many neotaphonomic analyses that bring clues to some of the alterations and modifications processes of fossilisation and accumulations. This article aims to show that such neotaphonomic analyses and experiments, by generating a lot of valuable material and associate data, need to be integrated into official collections for future preservation. We will focus here upon two examples of neotaphonomic collections: 1 owl pellet microvertebrate collections and 2 collections resulting from experimental work (simulation and monitoring). We detail some problems for incorporating such new type of materials in Museums and some requirements for their curation. In the era of open science, there is a need to improve the management and curation of such unconventional collections to incorporate them into future classical comparative research, training and education as well as exhibitions.

Frontispiece: Composite materials based on covalent organic frameworks for multiple advanced applications (EXP2 3/2023)

The moon (COFs) trees by the sea are filled with different types of new materials to represent the various COFs-based composites, and the water lanterns on the sea carry the multiple advanced applications of COFs-based composites into a brighter future. We believe that COFs-based composites will certainly continue to emerge, and the different properties they bring will be more widely used in various research fields.

Investigations on influences of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) on pull-out properties of studs in steel-concrete composite bridge

Stud plays an important role in the connection of steel-concrete composite bridge (SCCB). The stud is under pull-out load in the negative moment zone of SCCB. Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) are a new type of materials with tensile strain hardening and multiple cracking behavior to strengthen SCCBs. In this study, the cyclic pull-out effect on the ECC-stud connection was studied through pull-out tests. The stud diameter (d=13/16 mm) and the embedment depth (hef=40/60/80 mm) are included as design parameters, resulting in a total of 18 specimens of six scenarios. The failure mode, load-bearing capacity, and ductility factor of the specimens under cyclic loading are compared with those under monotonic loading, and the stiffness, energy dissipation capacity, and residual displacement of the specimens under cyclic loading are analyzed. Based on the experimental results, under cyclic loading, the concrete cone failure and splitting failure occur, and the threshold of hef/d between the two failure modes is 3.75–4.62, which is smaller than the threshold of the monotonic scenarios. Both concrete and splitting failure modes show ductile failure characteristics because of the bridging effect of fibers in ECC. The load-bearing capacity and ductility factor under cyclic loading are lower than those under monotonic load. This is because, under cyclic loading, the specimens show cumulative damage, which, however, is weakened due to the strengthening effect of ECC. As d and hef increase, the load-bearing capacity, ductility factor, stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity increase correspondingly, and the residual displacement decreases. The stud with a larger d shows a more obvious ductility holding stage.

Progress in the Synthesis and Catalytic Properties of Molybdenum Carbide Materials

Molybdenum carbide is a new type of material with excellent physical and chemical properties due to the intercalation structure formed by the insertion of carbon atoms, which not only has the properties of a functional material, but also has excellent catalytic properties in the fields of hydrogenation and hydrogen production reactions. This paper reviews the properties and synthesis methods of molybdenum carbide, systematically introduces the advantages and disadvantages of different methods, and finally summarizes the applications of molybdenum carbide in catalytic hydrogenation, catalytic hydrogen production and photoelectric catalysis, and analyzes the current challenges and future directions of molybdenum carbide materials.

Improving BaTiO3 Energy Storage Characteristics by Doping Bi(Mg2/3Ta1/3)

With the continuous development of modern technology, the demand for energy storage materials is also increasing. Ferroelectric energy storage materials, as a new type of material with broad application prospects, have unique advantages in storing, transmitting, and converting energy. In this work, (1-x)BaTiO3-xBi(Mg2/3Ta1/3)ferroelectric ceramics were synthesized in a solid-state solution. The sample of x=0.18 (0.88BT-0.12BMT) has excellent energy storage density. The excellent energy density of 3.24J/cm3 at 260 kV/cm and the energy efficiency of 83 % at room temperature for 0.88BT-0.18BMT ceramics were achieved.

Artificial p–n‐like Junction Based on Pure 2D Organic–Inorganic Halide Perovskite Structure Having Naphthalene Diimide Acceptor Moieties

Abstract2D organic–inorganic perovskites are an emerging class of materials with great potential for optoelectronics since a wide variety of large functional chromophores can be regularly incorporated. Among this new type of materials, hybrid perovskite systems incorporating strong electron acceptor molecules are considered as a promising approach to designing a new type of functional 2D perovskites for optoelectronics. In this work, a rare example of organic–inorganic 2D perovskite incorporating strong acceptors such as naphthalene diimide (NDI) building blocks between inorganic sheets is presented. This hybrid architecture forms highly air‐stable thin films with a structure consisting of inorganic perovskite monolayers of metal‐halide octahedra separated by bilayers of NDI‐based organic cations. The presence of strong electron‐accepting moieties in this multifunctional donor–acceptor hybrid heterostructure leads to a rare type II heterojunction in which the excitons can be efficiently dissociated via the electron‐transfer process and in which holes and electrons can be easily confined in the inorganic and organic sublayers, respectively. Such an ultimate p–n heterojunction shows improved photoconduction properties with a photocurrent multiplied by ≈40 under white‐light illumination in comparison to a similar 2D perovskite structure containing optically and electrically inert alkyl chains as organic components.

Adsorption of Methyl Orange Dyes on Oriented Co/Fe-MOF Bimetallic Organic Framework in Wastewater Treatment

The production of highly efficient and reusable adsorbents that can be used in pigment treatment has been of great scientific interest. Metallic organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered a new type of material with extremely diverse structures and can be used as adsorbents to remove environmental pollutants. The selected Co/Fe-MOF material was synthesized in this study by using the solvent-thermal method. Then, the effects of several influencing factors such as adsorbent dosage, pH, initial concentration of MO, and exposure time on the adsorption capacity of methyl orange (MO) dyes by Co/Fe-MOF were evaluated. Under acidic conditions (pH 4), the effective removal of MO from aqueous solution reached equilibrium after 60 min upon exposure to MO at the concentration of 200 mg/L, and the adsorption capacity was 137.6 mg/g. The two models of adsorption isotherms, Freundlich and Langmuir, showed good compatibility with the experimental data, and the calculated correlation coefficients (R2) were both greater than 0.96. The MO adsorption efficiency was proposed to fit the pseudo-quadratic and pseudo-first-order kinetic models. Therefore, MOF materials can be considered as a potential agent for wastewater treatment, thereby providing a possible solution to solve water pollution.

Characterization of self-prestressing iron-based shape memory alloy bars for new structures

As a new type of material for prestressed strengthening, iron-based shape memory alloys (Fe-SMA) have been extensively studied by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) and used in many demonstration structural strengthening projects across Europe. However, research on Fe-SMA in new structures remains insufficient. Therefore, aiming at the application in new structures, this paper proposed a new application method by combining the Fe-SMA bar and the corrugated plastic pipe, i.e., placing the Fe-SMA bar into the corrugated plastic pipe and filled with high-temperature resistant mortar. The effects of the prestrain level, activation temperature, and additional end threaded anchors on the prestress generated in the Fe-SMA bar were tested. In addition, to analyze the difference between the concrete-covered environment and the air-exposed environment on the generated prestress, tests on bare Fe-SMA bars were performed. A prediction model of the long-term prestressing retention of the Fe-SMA bar was proposed based on the monitored data. The test results show that the Fe-SMA bars can generate a prestress of 218–343 MPa in the concrete environment. With the increase in prestrain level and activation temperature, the prestress generated in the Fe-SMA bar increases. The additional end thread anchorage system can improve the effective prestress of the Fe-SMA bar in concrete. In addition, the prestress loss mainly occurred in the early stage and gradually slowed down with time; for example, the prestress loss after activated for 24 h accounted for approximately 42.3%∼55.1% of the total loss in 1000 h. The prediction results show that the prestress retention of the Fe-SMA bar with a reasonable prestrain level and activation temperature can be stably maintained above 79% after 50 years of service.

Evaluation of an Imine-Linked Polymer Organic Framework for Storage and Release of H2S and NO

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nitric oxide (NO) are especially known as toxic and polluting gases, yet they are also endogenously produced and play key roles in numerous biological processes. These two opposing aspects of the gases highlight the need for new types of materials to be developed in addition to the most common materials such as activated carbons and zeolites. Herein, a new imine-linked polymer organic framework was obtained using the inexpensive and easy-to-access reagents isophthalaldehyde and 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine in good yield (64%) through the simple and catalyst-free Schiff-base reaction. The polymeric material has microporosity, an ABET surface area of 51 m2/g, and temperature stability up to 300 °C. The obtained 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine imine-linked polymer organic material has a higher capacity to adsorb NO (1.6 mmol/g) than H2S (0.97 mmol/g). Release studies in aqueous solution showed that H2S has a faster release (3 h) from the material than NO, for which a steady release was observed for at least 5 h. This result is the first evaluation of the possibility of an imine-linked polymer organic framework being used in the therapeutic release of NO or H2S.

Investigation of the structure and ionic conductivity of a Li3InCl6 modified by dry room annealing for solid-state Li-ion battery applications

Progress in new sustainable technologies depends on the development of battery materials, specifically on safer, low-cost, and higher energy density batteries. One new type of materials are the halide solid electrolytes (HSEs), which have been shown to exhibit high ionic conductivity, deformability, and oxidative stability. Here, the synthesis of Li3InCl6 (LIC) HSEs by ball-milling followed by dry room annealing is investigated. Crystal structure, particle size, and ionic conductivity are analyzed using a combination of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Dry room annealing increases the presence of impurities in the sample but also increases the Li+ ionic conductivity up to 1.03 mS cm−1. Additional pulsed-field gradient and relaxation time NMR measurements were performed to understand the lithium diffusion in the LIC samples. Two-dimensional diffusion – T2 relaxation correlation and T2 relaxation exchange measurements showed that there are multiple unique Li atomic motion sites, which are correlated to different rates of diffusive, micrometer-scale motion. This work outlines a simple solid-state synthesis approach and a novel strategy for designing advanced materials, understanding the ionic conduction, as well as the challenges in scalable wet processing of halide-based cathode sheets for solid-state battery applications.

Enhancing the Biological Oxidation of H2S in a Sewer Pipe with Highly Conductive Concrete and Electricity-Producing Bacteria.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) generated in sewer systems is problematic to public health and the environment, owing to its corrosive consequences, odor concerns, and poison control issues. In a previous work, conductive concrete, based on amorphous carbon with a mechanism that operates as a microbial fuel cell was investigated. The objective of the present study is to develop additional materials for highly conductive concrete, to mitigate the concentration of H2S in sewer pipes. Adsorption experiments were conducted to elucidate the role of the H2S reduction. Additionally, electricity-producing bacteria (EPB), isolated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, were inoculated to improve the H2S reduction. The experimental results showed that inoculation with EPB could decrease the concentration of H2S, indicating that H2S was biologically oxidized by EPB. Several types of new materials containing acetylene black, or magnetite were discovered for use as conductive concrete, and their abilities to enhance the biological oxidation of H2S were evaluated. These conductive concretes were more effective than the commercial conductive concrete, based on amorphous carbon, in decreasing the H2S concentration in sewer pipes.

Novelty Cosmetic Filters Based on Nanomaterials Composed of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles.

The following work describes the synthesis of new physical filters based on TiO2/SiO2 and TiO2/Ag nanostructures. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) were applied as control material and a popular physical UV filter. The advantage of using materials on the nanometer scale is the elimination of the skin whitening effect that occurs when using photoprotective cosmetics containing titanium dioxide on a macro scale. In addition, the silica coating makes the material less harmful, and the silver coating enriches the material with antibacterial properties. Nanoparticles and nanostructures have been characterized by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX), the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) methods. Due to the use of physical filters in anti-radiation protection cosmetics, water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion has been prepared. All cosmetic formulations have been tested for stability. The sun protection research with the Sun Protection Diagnostic SP37 was carried out. These studies made it possible to determine the natural sun protection time and to compare the synthesized materials. Furthermore, one of the most important parameters when describing this type of cosmetic is water resistance, which has also been measured. The results show that the new type of material of TiO2/Ag used as a new physical filter in emulsion W/O shows the best sun protection compared with other obtained nanomaterials. It is most likely due to the improved optical properties of the combination of noble metals, for example, silver with TiO2.

A novel aminated lignin/geopolymer supported with Fe nanoparticles for removing Cr(VI) and naphthalene: Intermediates promoting the reduction of Cr(VI)

A novel, inexpensive and eco-friendly aminated lignin/geopolymer supported with Fe nanoparticles (Fe@N-L-GM) composite was successfully synthesized using kaolin and lignin as the major precursors. The prepared Fe@N-L-GM had larger specific surface area, rich oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing functional groups, greater electron transfer ability and interconnective porous structure. The Fe@N-L-GM could be employed as the adsorbent of Cr(VI) and the activator of potassium peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for treatment of Cr(VI) and naphthalene (NAP) in wastewater. The adsorption and degradation results indicated that the maximum adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) could reach 65.83 mg g−1, whereas the maximum NAP degradation efficiency could reach 97.81 %. The adsorbed Cr(VI) was mostly converted to the low toxic Cr(III) through the reduction of electron donors such as Fe(II), amino and hydroxyl groups. The quenching experiment results confirmed that ·OH might be the crucial ROSs in mediating NAP degradation. In the simultaneous removal experiment of Cr(VI) and NAP, the Cr(VI) removal rate was significantly improved in the presence of NAP, while phenol as the degradation intermediate of NAP might be the main substance for promoting the reduction of Cr(VI). This work provided the theoretical foundation and a new type of material for the simultaneous removal of heavy metal and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Experimental and numerical study of drag reduction and heat transfer enhancement in a vertical pipe using water/polyisobutylene/nano-SiO2 polynanofluids

Poly-nanofluids (PNFs) are a new type of material that is manufactured by dispersing nanoparticles in dilute polymer solutions. This study looked at heat transfer and drag reduction using a water/polyisobutylene/nano-SiO2 PNF through a vertical copper pipe under conditions of constant heat flux. The effects of ploy-isobutylene (PIB) polymer solution, water/nano-SiO2 nanofluid, and aqueous PNF on heat transfer and drag reduction in a vertical pipe have been studied, separately. All prepared solutions had Reynolds numbers ranging from 7000 to 22000. Nano-SiO2 particles with an average size 20 nm and concentration ranges of 0.1–1 wt.% have been dispersed in aqueous PIB solutions as base fluids with 10–50 ppm concentration of the polymer. The optimal nanoparticle and polymer concentrations for the prepared nanofluid, polymer solution, and PNFs were 0.75 wt.% and 50 ppm, respectively. The friction factor of PNFs at optimal concentrations was 75% less than pure water. Ansys Fluent software was employed to verify the findings of the experiment and simulate the heat transfer and drag reduction phenomena at optimal conditions. Based on the results, the experimental and numerical data were in reasonable agreement, with a deviation of less than 5%.

Multifunctional properties and applications of ultra-light porous metal materials

Porous metallic material is a new type of material with a special structure, which undergoes structural changes under certain conditions, thus forming a new structural unit. Due to their unique porosity and pore size structure, ultralight porous metallic materials have unique multifunctional properties, such as absorption and buffering of vibration energy, energy absorption and weight reduction, thermal insulation, vibration and noise reduction, and tunable performance, and thus are widely used in aerospace, energy industry, transportation, and biomedical fields. This paper reviews the research progress of ultra-light porous metal materials at home and abroad in recent years, including the basic structure and main properties of ultra-light porous metal materials, and discusses their application fields. Although China started late in this field, it has taken a place in the international arena with the continuous research work. In the future, we should focus on basic research and engineering application research to lay a solid foundation for China to achieve technological breakthrough in this field.

Prediction of future breakthroughs in materials synthesis and manufacturing techniques: a new perspective of synthesis dynamics theory.

The continuous development of different kinds of materials plays a significant role in social productivity. However, the lack of a complete synthesis kinetic theory has resulted in the absence of scientific guidance for the emergence of advanced manufacturing technologies, limiting the research and production of new types of materials. The present work aims at obtaining the basic form of the diffusion flux-driving force equation through the concept of ion diffusion so as to establish a synthesis kinetic theory. Using this theory, the scientific principles of existing synthesis technologies are summarized, and the key directions that future manufacturing technologies need to break through are proposed as well. Based on a comprehensive analysis of this theory, the feasible directions are discussed, providing strong support for the early realization of targeted design and manufacturing of new materials with specific functions.

Research on Anti-erosion Performance and Application of Metal Foam

Erosion wear is an essential problem in the industrial field. When a large number of tiny particles in the fluid medium continue to impact the material, the material will often experience surface fatigue and fracture, which will cause structural damage, resulting in wear or even failure of the material surface. It is first necessary to study the mechanism of erosion wear to settle this problem. At the same time, to deal with erosion and wear, researchers try to solve the problem from the perspective of surface coating materials and erosion-resistant structures. As a new type of material, metal foam exhibits characteristics such as porosity, lightness, strength, and rigidity. In particular, the shape and structure of metal foam itself can withstand significant impact loads, and its energy-absorbing structure can effectively bear and disperse the impact of microscopic particles on the material during the erosion process. This article will start with the characteristics of the metal foam itself, discuss its anti-erosion performance, and discuss its specific application direction, expecting to put forward valuable research on the practicability and performance of the metal foam.

Research progress of catalysts for aldol condensation of biomass based compounds.

Research progress of catalysts of the aldol condensation reaction of biomass based compounds is summarized for the synthesis of liquid fuel precursors and chemicals. In summary, an acidic catalyst, alkaline catalyst, acid-base amphoteric catalyst, ionic liquid and other catalysts can catalyze the aldol condensation reaction. The aldol condensation reaction catalyzed by an acid catalyst has the problems of low conversion and low yield. The basic catalyst catalyzes the aldol condensation reaction with high conversion and yield, but the existence of liquid alkali is difficult to separate from the product. The reaction temperature needed for oxide and hydrotalcite alkali is relatively high. The basic resin has good catalytic activity and at a low reaction temperature, and is easy to separate from the target product. Acid-base amphoteric catalysts have received extensive attention from researchers for their excellent activity and selectivity. Ionic liquid is a new type of material, which can also be used for the aldol condensation reaction. In the future application of aldol condensation, the development of strong alkaline resin is a good research direction.

Effect on Strength of Different Fiber Orientation Angles of the Composite Plate Under Out of Plane Load

Composite materials obtained by combining two or more materials macroscopically; It is expressed as a new type of material with low specific gravity, high strength and high rigidity properties. Composite materials are materials that are used under different loads and can be produced in various constructions. In this study, the effects of fiber orientation angle degrees on stress and deformation in composite plates with different fiber materials were investigated using the finite element method. Graphite, glass and aramid as fiber materials; Epoxy was chosen as the matrix material. According to the analysis results, while the stress and deformation values increased as the fiber angle increased in the graphite and aramid fiber epoxy matrix composite plates, the stress and deformation values did not change at different fiber angles in the glass fiber epoxy matrix composite plate.

Designing an object-oriented architecture for the finite element simulation of structural elements

This paper reports the development of an architecture and software implementation of the library of classes for the finite-element analysis of problems in the theory of elasticity with an open-source code. The practical necessity of such systems is due to the fact that in modern equipment there are new types of materials whose structural elements' calculation has certain features. As a result, it is necessary to update the relevant scientific software or even devise a new one. A flexible software architecture is designed to reduce the time and complexity of such updates. Existing implementations of the method of finite elements with open source have been analyzed: it was revealed that there are no systems aimed at the most flexible and user-friendly architecture. The system of abstract classes proposed in the current work corresponds to known SOLID principles of object-oriented design and makes it possible to scale the already developed analysis program for new tasks in an easy and understandable way. To test the quality of the developed system from the point of view of software engineering, the maintainability index and cyclomatic complexity code metrics were used. The values of these metrics for the modules of the PyFEM system core vary in the following ranges: from 1 to 18 for the maintainability index, and from 22 to 100 for cyclomatic complexity. PyFEM testing was performed on the task of determining the stressed-strained state of the turbine rotor blade. Due to the ease of implementation, it was possible to build a set of effective and intuitive classes that make it possible to solve numerically the static and dynamic problems in the theory of elasticity. The developed class library can be used in the development of both universal and specialized software designed to analyze multiphysics problems.