Percolation behaviors of model carbon black pastes

Electromagnetic Interference Shields Based on Highly Crystalline Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Although the convenience provided by electromagnetic waves used for information exchange is increasing, the energy of unwanted electromagnetic waves unintentionally emitted from devices is increasing as the devices work with higher frequency. In view of this vulnerability, thin films as lightweight electromagnetic wave shields against noise will be necessary for information protection. We propose the fabrication of lightweight electromagnetic wave shields using highly crystalline single-walled carbon nanotubes (HC-SWCNTs), which can be made large and flexible using a method based on a wet process, utilizing the optical and conductive properties of HC-SWCNTs. Electromagnetic wave shields are mainly classified into conductive, dielectric, and magnetic absorbers. We have developed a material synthesis technology for HC-SWCNTs and attempted to form an aqueous composite film using HC-SWCNTs and an organic binder. As a result, we found that the high crystallinity of CNTs suppresses the contact resistance between CNTs and we succeeded in constructing a flexible electromagnetic wave shielding film that can absorb electromagnetic waves in a wide bandwidth equivalent or superior to that of metal foil. This thin film can be applied to curved surfaces as desired because of its wet process, and it is expected to be a lightweight shield that can be used ubiquitously.

Multiscale structural and rheological features of colloidal low-methoxyl pectin solutions and calcium-induced sol-gel transition

The multiscale structural and rheological features of a series of dilute and semidilute low-methoxyl (LM) pectin solutions and a representative pectin/calcium sol-gel sample were systematically explored using a comprehensive combination of dynamic (DLS) and static light/X-ray scattering (SALS/SLS/SAXS), rheology, and microscopy (OM/SEM) characterizations. The study focused on the rarely explored colloidal aspect of LM pectin solutions and sol-gel transition, in contrast to the polymeric features extensively explored in previous studies. A highly uniform colloid-like, micron-sized agglomerate species was revealed in dilute solutions, with a progressively increased degree of flocculation in the semidilute regime (≥1.5 wt%). The agglomerate species in these solutions was resolved to be formed by random associations of individual pectin chains (L = 30 nm, r = 0.4 nm). Adding a critical amount of Ca²⁺ (10 wt%) to a semidilute solution (2 wt%) has an instant and pronounced effect of enhancing the agglomerate flocculation and resulting in a locally jammed state. Meanwhile, the agglomerate interior underwent microstructural transformation, leading to hierarchical structures defined by intermediate (spherical) aggregate species (R_g,aggregate ≈ 150 nm) and its packing cylindrical bundle (d ≈ 4 nm) composed of five pectin chains. Novel rheological features observed during the LM pectin/Ca²⁺ sol-gel transition include the following: the dynamic modulus data exhibited excellent TTS (gelling time/relaxation time superposition) as previously observed for weakly attractive colloidal gels. Three yield points were noticed for the final gel sample, suggested to mark the bond breaking of the cluster network, cage breaking of the resulting jammed flocculates, and, eventually, breakup of a flocculate into smaller agglomerates with increasing stress amplitude.

Pore Development during the Carbonization Process of Lignin Microparticles Investigated by Small Angle X-ray Scattering

Application of low-cost carbon black from lignin highly depends on the materials properties, which might by determined by raw material and processing conditions. Four different technical lignins were subjected to thermostabilization followed by stepwise heat treatment up to a temperature of 2000 °C in order to obtain micro-sized carbon particles. The development of the pore structure, graphitization and inner surfaces were investigated by X-ray scattering complemented by scanning electron microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. Lignosulfonate-based carbons exhibit a complex pore structure with nanopores and mesopores that evolve by heat treatment. Organosolv, kraft and soda lignin-based samples exhibit distinct pores growing steadily with heat treatment temperature. All carbons exhibit increasing pore size of about 0.5-2 nm and increasing inner surface, with a strong increase between 1200 °C and 1600 °C. The chemistry and bonding nature shifts from basic organic material towards pure graphite. The crystallite size was found to increase with the increasing degree of graphitization. Heat treatment of just 1600 °C might be sufficient for many applications, allowing to reduce production energy while maintaining materials properties.

Rheological and Textural Properties of Apple Pectin-Based Composite Formula with Xanthan Gum Modification for Preparation of Thickened Matrices with Dysphagia-Friendly Potential

Modifying the consistency of a given edible fluid matrix by incorporating food thickeners is a common nursing remedy for individuals with dysphagia when adequate water consumption is a concern. As apple pectin (AP) offers nutraceutical benefits, properly formulated apple pectin (AP)-based thickeners featuring xanthan gum (XG) can be superior candidates for preparation of dysphagia-friendly matrices (DFMs). Our recruited DFMs exhibit fluid-like behavior (loss modulus > storage modulus, G" > G') at lower AP concentrations (2 and 5%, w/w); they turn into weak/critical gels (G' ≈ G") as the concentration becomes higher (9%). In contrast, XG-DFMs display gel-like attributes with G' > G", even at rather low concentrations (<1%) and become more resistant to sugar, Na+, and Ca2+ modifications. The composite matrix of AP1.8XG0.2 (constraint at 2%) exhibits a confined viscosity of 278 ± 11.7 mPa∙s, which is considered a DFM, in comparison to only AP- or XG-thickened ones. The hardness measurements of XG0.6 and AP1.2XG0.8 are 288.33 ± 7.506 and 302.00 ± 9.849 N/m2, respectively, which potentially represent a promising formulation base for future applications with DFMs; these textural values are not significantly different from a commercially available product (p > 0.05) for dysphagia nursing administrations.

Rheological and rheo-birefringence features of semidilute ethyl cellulose dispersions under steady shear flow

We have conducted comprehensive rheological and rheo-birefringence characterizations of a series of semidilute ethyl cellulose (EC)/α-terpineol dispersions under steady shear flow. The EC dispersions investigated have commonly been utilized as a binder agent in fabricating metal/metal-oxide pastes for a number of industrial applications, and were recently demonstrated to foster nearly monodisperse spherical aggregates under dilute conditions. Herein, semidilute EC dispersions are shown to exhibit rheological features practically no different from those known for standard entangled polymer solutions. The corresponding rheo-birefringence responses, however, reveal microstructural features that are reminiscent of general colloidal systems. The steady-state feature reveals a universal stress-birefringence relationship at various EC concentrations, along with a common critical stress (∼200 Pa) at which the EC network breaks into smaller clusters. The transient feature displays prominent and long-persisting periodic oscillations that have previously been observed only for nearly monodisperse rod-like colloids or liquid crystals. The overall findings shed new light on the role of EC serving as a commonplace polymer binder in industry and, from a scientific perspective, raise interesting questions related to the characteristic rheological and microstructural features of general polymer dispersions in overlapped regimes.

THE PAYNE EFFECT: PRIMARILY POLYMER-RELATED OR FILLER-RELATED PHENOMENON?

The hysteretic softening at small dynamic strains (Payne effect)—related to the rolling resistance and viscoelastic losses of tires—was studied as a function of particle size, filler volume fraction, and temperature for carbon black (CB) reinforced uncrosslinked styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) and a paste-like material composed of CB-filled paraffin oil. The low-strain limit for dynamic storage modulus was found to be remarkably similar for CB-filled oil and the CB-filled SBR. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements on the simple composites and detailed data analysis confirmed that the aggregate structures and nature of filler branching/networking of carbon black were virtually identical within oil compared to the high molecular weight polymer matrix. The combined dynamic rheology and SAXS results provide clear evidence that the deformation-induced breaking (unjamming) of the filler network—characterized by filler–filler contacts that are percolated throughout the material—is the main cause for the Payne effect. However, the polymer matrix does play a secondary role as demonstrated by a reduction in Payne effect magnitude with increasing temperature for the CB-reinforced rubber, which was not observed to a significant extent for the oil–CB system.