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Metallic foam composite phase change materials (MF-PCMs) have a high thermal energy storage capacity. However, obtaining a high heat transfer coefficient and a consistent temperature distribution remains challenging. Here, we present a novel double-gradient void metallic foam construction. Furthermore, we build a three-dimensional numerical model to study how pore size, porosity, and diameters affect heat transport and thermal storage performance. The results show that the homogeneity of the cooled wall temperature distribution is well improved by the enhancement of thermal conductivity produced by this double-gradient design. With a graded gradient, the maximum deviation between the individual temperature and the average temperature of the cooled wall is within 15 K, as the total thermal storage capacity is close to 75.5 % of the pure PCMs. Meanwhile, for pure PCMs, this deviation can reach 67 K. These characteristics hold promise for lithium-ion battery thermal management because the spaces between neighboring individual cell units must absorb and retain the heat emitted. Our novel composite structure offers a significant method for designing battery temperature control.

Virus filtration membranes contribute to the virus safety of biopharmaceutical drugs due to their capability to retain virus particles mainly based on size-exclusion mechanisms. Typical product molecules like monoclonal antibodies with 9–12 nm in hydrodynamic diameter have to be transmitted by >95% while small viruses, e.g. parvoviridae (B19, MVM, PPV) with a diameter of 18–26 nm, have to be retained by at least 99.99%. Therefore, membrane fouling caused by product aggregates, which are similar in size compared to the viruses that have to be retained, is a common observation. Minimal membrane fouling is a requirement for economical processes and is influenced by both the membrane surface chemistry and the membrane structure, particularly with regard to the pore size gradient (PSG). In this work, virus filtration membranes were challenged with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in order to determine PSGs for a wide range of different commercial and non-commercial parvovirus retentive membranes differing in structure, material and surface chemistry. GNP adsorption to the membrane material was suppressed by the use of an anionic surfactant, allowing to gain insights into size-exclusion properties of the membranes. Membrane performance with regard to fouling was further investigated by determination of protein mass throughputs up-to a defined membrane flux decay using solutions containing intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) as model protein. Additionally, the fouling mechanism of IVIG was investigated and confirmed to be caused by trace amounts of species larger than IVIG monomers and dimers, which were already present in the feed. The fouling results are discussed in relationship to the determined PSGs, since the porous support structure of virus filtration membranes can act as a depth pre-filter protecting the separation-active layer from particulate foulants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solvent-free microsphere sintering technique was developed to fabricate scaffolds with pore size gradient for tissue engineering applications. Poly(D,L-Lactide) microspheres were fabricated through an emulsification method where TiO 2 nanoparticles were employed both as particulate emulsifier in the preparation procedure and as surface modification agent to improve bioactivity of the scaffolds. A fine-tunable pore size gradient was achieved with a pore volume of 30 ± 2.6%. SEM, EDX, XRD and FTIR analyses all confirmed the formation of bone-like apatite at the 14 th day of immersion in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) implying the ability of our scaffolds to bond to living bone tissue. In vitro examination of the scaffolds showed progressive activity of the osteoblasts on the scaffold with evidence of increase in its mineral content. The bioactive scaffold developed in this study has the potential to be used as a suitable biomaterial for bone tissue engineering and hard tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A method for preparing glass fibre media with good oleophobic properties and mechanical strength was developed. • Trends in pressure drop and droplet penetration ratio of combined filters over time were investigated systematically. • Filter with decreasing pore size gradient had low pressure drop and best comprehensive performance for submicron droplets. • A mechanism of filter with increasing pore size gradient to improve filtration efficiency for submicron droplets was proposed. • A drainage layer was conducive to capturing re-entrained micron droplets. Pore size is a key factor that influences the removal of oil mist droplets by a coalescence filter. However, the influence of the pore size distribution among different filter layers on filtration performance has not been thoroughly explored. In this work, a method for preparing glass fibre filtration media with a specific structure as well as good oleophobic properties and mechanical strength was developed by combining the wet-spinning method and immersive modification. The prepared single-layer media were combined in various three-layer structures with increasing pore size gradient, decreasing pore size gradient and uniform pore size distribution. The trends in the pressure drop and droplet penetration ratio of the resulting combined filters over time were analysed systematically. The results demonstrated that in the combined filter, the first layer material had a significant influence on the filtration process and steady-state performance. Throughout filtration, the pressure drop of the filter with a decreasing pore size gradient had layering characteristics, which was conducive to capturing droplets within different particle size intervals in different stages and thereby relieving the operational pressure on different layers. Hence, the filter with a decreasing pore size gradient had a relatively low steady-state pressure drop and the best comprehensive filtration performance for submicron droplets. However, the filter with an increasing pore size gradient had the highest separation efficiency for submicron droplets and its concentration of steady-state downstream droplets was 19% lower than that in the filter composed of three layers of minimum pore size materials. The proposed mechanism by which the filter with the increasing pore size gradient improved the coalescence filtration efficiency for submicron droplets was based on capillary theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel bi-layered multiphasic scaffold (BLS) have been fabricated for the first time by combining melt mixing, compression molding and particulate leaching. One layer has been composed by polylactic acid (PLA) presenting pore size in the range of 90–110 µm while the other layer has been made of polycaprolactone (PCL) with pores ranging from 5 to 40 µm. The different chemo-physical properties of the two biopolymers combined with the tunable pore architecture permitted to realize monolithic functionally graded scaffolds engineered to be potentially used for interface tissues regenerations. BLS have been characterized from a morphological and a mechanical point of view. In particular, mechanical tests have been carried out both in air and immersing the specimens in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution at 37 °C, in order to evaluate the elastic modulus and the interlayer adhesion strength. Fibroblasts and osteoblasts have been cultured and co-cultured in order to investigate the cells permeation trough the different layers. The results indicate that the presented method is appropriate for the preparation of multiphasic porous scaffolds with tunable morphological and mechanical characteristics. Furthermore, the cells seeded were found to grow with a different trend trough the different layers thus demonstrating that the presented device has good potential to be used in interface tissue regeneration applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop scaffold able to mimic the natural gradient properties of tissues, biphasic and triphasic approaches were adopted. In this work, polycaprolactone/polyethylene glycol (PCL/PEG) scaffolds were prepared by using a combination of melt mixing and selective leaching without harmful solvents. The method permitted to develop three-layer scaffolds with high control of porosity and pore size. The mechanical properties were evaluated under physiological condition in order to simulate the real conditions of work. Co-culture of osteoblastic and fibroblastic mice cells were carried out in order to study the differential cellular permeation through the different pore size layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface tissue engineering (ITE) is used to repair or regenerate interface living tissue such as for instance bone and cartilage. This kind of tissues present natural different properties from a biological and mechanical point of view. With the aim to imitating the natural gradient occurring in the bone–cartilage tissue, several technologies and methods have been proposed over recent years in order to develop polymeric functionally graded scaffolds (FGS). In this study three-layered scaffolds with a pore size gradient were developed by melt mixing polylactic acid (PLA) and two water-soluble porogen agents: sodium chloride (NaCl) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Pore dimensions were controlled by NaCl granulometry while PEG solvation created a micropores network within the devices. Scaffolds were characterized from a morphological and mechanical point of view in order to find a correlation between the preparation method, the pore architecture and compressive mechanical behavior. Biological tests were also performed in order to study the effect of pore size gradient on the permeation of different cell lines in co-culture. To imitate the physiological work condition, compressive tests were also performed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution at 37 °C. The presented preparation method permitted to prepare three-layered scaffolds with high control of porosity and pore size distribution. Furthermore mechanical behaviors were found to be strongly affected by pore architecture of tested devices as well as the permeation of osteoblast and fibroblast in-vitro . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gas diffusion layer (GDL) is the primary component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) that aid in supplying reactant gases from the flow channel to the catalyst layer. It improves the discharge of water generated by the electrochemical reaction from the catalyst layer to the flow channel. Since the GDL is composed of pores that range from nanometer to micrometer in size, it is susceptible to water flooding. Thus, water discharge capability should be enhanced by increasing the capillary pressure gradient. In this study, the porosity and average pore size of the GDL are varied in the planar direction by varying the gasket thickness in the in-plane direction. Furthermore, the effects of the disposition of perforations in the GDL on PEMFC performance are investigated by forming perforations by mechanical processing. A total of three types of GDLs were fabricated, with the same number of perforations on the inlet, outlet, and the entire area of the GDL. Performance tendencies of the GDL were confirmed in both the porous flow channel mimicking the flow channel currently used in fuel-cell electric vehicles and the serpentine flow channels. • Effects of the compression ratio of gas diffusion layer. • Effects of the gradient of porosity in the in-plane direction. • Effects of the gradient of average pore size in the in-plane direction. • Effects of disposition of perforations in gas diffusion layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the up-and-coming power sources for automotive vehicles. To generate a stable performance during driving, the PEMFC needs to achieve an optimized water management under various humidity conditions. Being the path for the two-phase flow of fuel, air, and water, the gas diffusion layer (GDL) is a critical component, which influences water balance. In this study, a pore size gradient structure is introduced in the substrate of a GDL to control the local capillary pressure gradient, which is the driving force of the water flux inside the PEMFC. Through measurements of steady-state performance, transient response, voltage instability and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it was found that the pore size gradient structure improves the cell performance regardless of the relative humidity conditions used (50% and 100%). Furthermore, it is possible to hold the water on the membrane for higher ion conductivity and drain it toward the channel to secure gas supply toward the catalyst layer. In addition, it was also confirmed that the structural change enhances the bending stiffness of the GDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We describe the manufacture of track-etch membranes with controlled gradients of pore size and density along the length of the membrane. Gradient of track density is obtained by controlled motion of a screen between the swift ion beam and the polymer material. Linear gradient of pore size is obtained by a dipping process at constant velocity in alkali solution. The two steps are linked by the desired characteristics of the membrane. Membranes were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Examples are given with pore radius gradient of 3nm/cm and a theoretical model of flow in a channel with such kind of porous wall is presented. This two-step process is rather simple and presents numerous variants at will. The method could be extended easily to produce any desired parameter variation, or to maintain some characteristics constant along the membrane, as for instance porosity, pore internal area or hydraulic resistance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Foams with a pore size gradient are promising materials for tissue engineering applications where a complex architecture involving morphological variations in space must be mimicked, e.g. in bone tissue repair. In this paper, a technique to obtain a porous scaffold with a pore size gradient is presented. The preparation procedure is based on Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS), by imposing a different thermal history on the two sides of a polymeric solution. In this way, a gradient in thermal history is produced, which will generate a pore size monotonously varying along scaffold thickness. By controlling some parameters easy to manipulate, such as demixing temperature and/or residence time in the miscibility gap region, the pore size range can be easily tuned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin self-supporting ceramic TiO2-layers with a graded pore structure were prepared by using centrifugal deposition of powders and sols with different particle size distributions from mixed, diluted suspensions. During the evaporation drying step the layers have a strong tendency to warping and crack-formation because of the resulting difference in the capillary pressure in the upper and the bottom side pores. Four drying methods were investigated concerning their suitability for diminishing or eliminating capillary forces and for the production of planar, crack-free dried specimens. The drying techniques used in the experiments are briefly introduced. It should be emphasized that the most successful drying method for the layers mentioned above is a combination of microwave drying and subsequent critical point drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we combined three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with flow perfusion bioreactors to evaluate the gradient effects of scaffold architecture and mechanical stimulation, respectively, on tumor cell phenotype. As cancer biologists elucidate the relevance of 3D in vitro tumor models within the drug discovery pipeline, it has become more compelling to model the tumor microenvironment and its impact on tumor cells. In particular, permeability gradients within solid tumors are inherently complex and difficult to accurately model in vitro. However, 3D printing can be used to design scaffolds with complex architecture, and flow perfusion can simulate mechanical stimulation within the tumor microenvironment. By modeling these gradients in vitro with 3D printed scaffolds and flow perfusion, we can identify potential diffusional limitations of drug delivery within a tumor. Ewing sarcoma (ES), a pediatric bone tumor, is a suitable candidate to study heterogeneous tumor response due to its demonstrated shear stress-dependent secretion of ligands important for ES tumor progression. We cultured ES cells under flow perfusion conditions on poly(propylene fumarate) scaffolds, which were fabricated with a distinct pore size gradient via extrusion-based 3D printing. Computational fluid modeling confirmed the presence of a shear stress gradient within the scaffolds and estimated the average shear stress that ES cells experience within each layer. Subsequently, we observed enhanced cell proliferation under flow perfusion within layers supporting lower permeability and increased surface area. Additionally, the effects of shear stress gradients on ES cell signaling transduction of the insulin-like growth factor-1 pathway elicited a response dependent upon the scaffold gradient orientation and the presence of flow-derived shear stress. Our results highlight how 3D printed scaffolds, in combination with flow perfusion in vitro, can effectively model aspects of solid tumor heterogeneity for future drug testing and customized patient therapies.

A solvent-free microsphere sintering technique was developed to fabricate scaffolds with pore size gradient for tissue engineering applications. Poly(D,L-Lactide) microspheres were fabricated through an emulsification method where TiO 2 nanoparticles were employed both as particulate emulsifier in the preparation procedure and as surface modification agent to improve bioactivity of the scaffolds. A fine-tunable pore size gradient was achieved with a pore volume of 30±2.6%. SEM, EDX, XRD and FTIR analyses all confirmed the formation of bone-like apatite at the 14 th day of immersion in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) implying the ability of our scaffolds to bond to living bone tissue. In vitro examination of the scaffolds showed progressive activity of the osteoblasts on the scaffold with evidence of increase in its mineral content. The bioactive scaffold developed in this study has the potential to be used as a suitable biomaterial for bone tissue engineering and hard tissue regeneration., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)