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Bio-based polyamide 56 (PA56) is an environmentally friendly polymer but has not been widely used due to its inherent disadvantages of low impact strength and brittleness. In this paper, polyethylene and maleic anhydride grafted EPDM were used to co-modify PA56. The core-shell structure of PP and EPDM-g-MAH could increase the impact strength of the composites by a factor of 4.5 without significant loss of toughness. The toughness and rigidity of PA56 were balanced while the thermal stability and crystalline properties were maintained in a betterstate. This gives PA56 great potential for the automotive and construction machinery industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane separation technology, as an important means of treating oily wastewater, is considered to be one of the most promising oil/water separation technologies. However, problems such as membrane contamination and single separation performance have also hindered its wider application. In this study, polydopamine (PDA)-Ag nanospheres were prepared by oxidant-induced dopamine polymerization and in situ reduction with silver ions, and assembled onto silanized poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) filtration membranes by a vacuum-assisted operation. The separation efficiency of the PDA–Ag@PVDF filter membrane for the dichloroethane oil-in-water emulsion was 98.8%, and the removal rate of malachite green dye in the emulsion was as high as 98%. After multiple separation/UV irradiation cycles, the flux recovery rate was greater than 98.7%. The PDA–Ag@PVDF filter membrane is a multifunctional and self-cleaning separation membrane, whose excellent properties make it promising in the field of oil/water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-training algorithm is a classical semi-supervised learning algorithm that uses a small number of labeled samples and a large number of unlabeled samples to train a classifier. However, the existing self-training algorithms consider only the geometric distance between data while ignoring the data distribution when calculating the similarity between samples. In addition, misclassified samples can severely affect the performance of a self-training algorithm. To address the above two problems, this paper proposes a self-training algorithm based on data editing with mass-based dissimilarity (STDEMB). First, the mass matrix with the mass-based dissimilarity is obtained, and then the mass-based local density of each sample is determined based on its k nearest neighbors. Inspired by density peak clustering (DPC), this study designs a prototype tree based on the prototype concept. In addition, an efficient two-stage data editing algorithm is developed to edit misclassified samples and efficiently select high-confidence samples during the self-training process. The proposed STDEMB algorithm is verified by experiments using accuracy and F-score as evaluation metrics. The experimental results on 18 benchmark datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed STDEMB algorithm. • Mass-based dissimilarity is used to o account for the effects of data distribution. • A prototype tree was designed to efficiently identify high confidence samples. • A two-stage data editing algorithm was developed for editing misclassified samples. • Numerous experiments were conducted to prove the performance of the proposed STDEMB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were first non‐covalently functioned by tannic acid (TA), then blended with nitrile rubber (NBR) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) with NBR:EPDM:TA‐MWCNT = 70:30:5. TA‐MWCNT and the composites had been characterized by various techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Raman analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), mechanical properties testing, thermal‐oxidative aging testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicated that TA molecules were successfully absorbed to the surface of MWCNT. And compared with NBR/EPDM/MWCNT composites, the compatibility between NBR and EPDM had been significantly improved. The NBR/EPDM/TA‐MWCNT exhibited excellent mechanical properties and thermal‐oxidative aging properties due to the phenolic hydroxyl groups on the surface of TA‐MWCNT, which had high chemical reactivity and physical adhesion. These phenolic hydroxyl groups gave TA‐MWCNT better dispersion in the rubber matrixes and can participate in the vulcanization process, creating the firm interface between the rubber matrixes and the surface of MWCNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing graph-based dimensionality reduction algorithms need to learn an adjacency matrix or construct it in advance, therefore the time complexity of the graph-based dimensionality reduction algorithms is not less than O (n 2 d) , where n denotes the number of samples, d denotes the number of dimensions. Moreover, the existing dimensionality reduction algorithms do not consider the cluster information in the original space, resulting in the weakening or even loss of valuable information after dimensionality reduction. To address the above problems, we propose Fast Anchor Graph Preserving Projections (FAGPP), which learns the projection matrix, the anchors and the membership matrix at the same time. Especially, FAGPP has a built-in Principal Component Analysis (PCA) item, which makes our model not only deal with the cluster information of data, but also deal with the global information of data. The time complexity of FAGPP is O (n m d) , where m denotes the number of the anchors and m is much less than n. We propose a novel iterative algorithm to solve the proposed model and the convergence of the algorithm is proved theoretically. The experimental results on a large number of high-dimensional benchmark image data sets demonstrate the efficiency of FAGPP. The data sets and the source code are available from https://github.com/511lab/FAGPP. • Our model learns a projection matrix while preserving some structure in raw data. • The proposed model has linear time complexity, which makes it adapt to large data sets. • The proposed model has the ability to capture global information of data. • A novel iterative optimization algorithm is proposed to solve the proposed model. • We put forward a theorem to prove the convergence of the proposed algorithm. • Many experiments have verified the efficiency of the proposed FAGPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic core‐regular nanostructures composed of magnetite and regular Prussian blue was prepared by self‐sacrificial macro‐oriented method. Magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) was vertically oriented on the surface of home‐made screen‐printing electrode with the help of constant magnetic field (CMF).Then regular nanostructured Prussian blue (RPB) was realized by chemical reaction through an aerosol deposition. Finally, glucose oxidase (GOx) was immobilized by glutaraldehyde cross‐linking to fabricate glucose biosensors. The linear range of CMF‐RPB/MGO sensor towards glucose was 0.03∼1.35 mM, and the detection limit was 13.4 μM. The CMF‐RPB/MGO sensor could apply to analyze glucose in human serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypropylene (PP)/wood flour/fiber (WF) composites with strong interfacial compatibility were prepared, and properties of the composites were studied. First, the wood fiber was surface modified by alkali treatment—this process is also termed as fibrillation that creates rough surface, cavities, and much interspace between smaller fibrils. Then multi-monomer grafted copolymers of PP (MPP-St) and PP wax (MPPW-St) were synthesized. The so synthesized MPP-St/MPPW-St well compatibilized the interfaces of the PP/alkali-treated WF (TWF) composites. Mechanical property and water resistance results demonstrated that synergistically compatibilized PP/TWF composites had a better performance than composites compatibilized by MPE-St or MPPW-St separately, uncompatibilized composites, and PP/untreated wood flour (UWF) composites. The interfacial structures of all these composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. A three-dimensional mold was constructed to reveal that MPP-St affords a strong interfacial interaction between PP and rough surface of treated fiber, while MPPW-St supplements the interfacial interaction by permeating into the interspace between smaller fibrils of alkali-treated fiber. The mold fitted the results very well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel ensemble scheme for extreme learning machine (ELM), named Stochastic Gradient Boosting-based Extreme Learning Machine (SGB-ELM), is proposed in this paper. Instead of incorporating the stochastic gradient boosting method into ELM ensemble procedure primitively, SGB-ELM constructs a sequence of weak ELMs where each individual ELM is trained additively by optimizing the regularized objective. Specifically, we design an objective function based on the boosting mechanism where a regularization item is introduced simultaneously to alleviate overfitting. Then the derivation formula aimed at solving the output-layer weights of each weak ELM is determined using the second-order optimization. As the derivation formula is hard to be analytically calculated and the regularized objective tends to employ simple functions, we take the output-layer weights learned by the current pseudo residuals as an initial heuristic item and thus obtain the optimal output-layer weights by using the derivation formula to update the heuristic item iteratively. In comparison with several typical ELM ensemble methods, SGB-ELM achieves better generalization performance and predicted robustness, which demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of SGB-ELM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Anti-freezing conductive semi-IPN hydrogel was constructed by PAM, SA and LiCl. • Sodium alginate enhanced mechanical toughness (elongation at break ∼2100%). • LiCl contributed to sensitivity (GF = 17.45 in high strain) and anti-freezing property. • PAM/SA/3M LiCl hydrogel could maintain stretchable and conductive at −30 °C. As an ideal material for flexible sensors, electrically conductive hydrogels (ECHs) has been faced with water loss and easy freezing, which affects the conductive and tensile properties. Polyacrylamide/sodium alginate/LiCl (PAM/SA/LiCl) hydrogel was constructed to enhance the anti-freezing property without deficiencies of tensile and electrical performance. A semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) was formed by PAM and SA through hydrogen bonding, which performed excellent mechanical property (fracture strain 2100%, fracture stress 110 KPa). LiCl contributed to the high ionic conductivity (up to 21.7 S/m) and sensitivity (Gauge Factor (GF) = 17.45). Double hydrogen bonding of SA and PAM, hydration of LiCl and ion interaction between SA and lithium ion improved the anti-freezing performance and mechanical property of the hydrogel together. The proportion of non-freezing water in system was proved to be significantly increased. The comprehensive properties of the hydrogels were evaluated and PAM/SA/3M LiCl hydrogel kept conductive without obvious loss of stretchability at −30 °C. The PAM/SA/LiCl hydrogel integrates remarkable toughness, conductivity, sensitivity and anti-freezing property, which is a suitable choice in smart wearable devices, soft robots and medical monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A porous PDMS–PU sponge with excellent wettability was employed in this investigation for the fast absorption of oils and organic solvents. In this study, a robust superhydrophobic sponge was based on a simple dipping–coating method and HCl corrosion. The as-prepared PDMS–PU sponge possesses the advantages of convenient adsorbent collection and good recyclability. By combining the special wettability and high roughness, the sponges exhibited high absorption capacity and selectivity when used as absorptive materials for separate oil–water mixtures. Thus, these sponges show great potential for the large-scale removal of organic contaminants or oil spills from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The conductive films prepared in this study have high conductivity and stability. • Graphene oxide is reduced by ascorbic acid to enhance the conductivity of films. • The π-π electron action in the films improves the conductivity and stability. Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate has been applied widely in various fields due to its excellent mechanical properties and high conductivity, but the dispersion instability limited its further development and application. The storage stability and water resistance of films were improved by making use of the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene (sulfonate-co-acrylic acid) (PEDOT:PSA) to play an important role as the conducting component. In this article, the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) doped PEDOT:PSA conductive films were fabricated via carboxyl groups crosslinking between PEDOT:PSA and graphene oxide (GO), followed by chemical reduction of GO with ascorbic acid in the presence of PEDOT:PSA. The carboxylic crosslinking and strong π-π interactions between RGO and PEDOT made films surface more homogeneous and greatly enhanced the conductivity and stability of the films. The conductivity of the films was up to 8.16 S·cm−1 and the electrical resistance changed only 30% after 20 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mussel-inspired one-step modification has been developed to coat polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sponges with polydopamine/octadecylamine for oil sorption. The durable and hydrophobic sponge with self-healing properties may be useful to prevent the degradation by graphite particles residing on the material surfaces and maintain the oil/water separation efficiency. The coated PDMS sponge showed oil absorbency in the range from 830% to 4300% for various organic solvents, with the maximum absorption capacity reaching up to 43 times of its weight. Furthermore, PDMS sponges showed little loss of their absorption capacities and original weights after 20 absorbing/recovering cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyvinyl chloride (PVC)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foam composite was modified by glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) innovative and prepared by sheet molding method with foaming agent azodicarbon amide (AC) and crosslinking agent bis-tert-butylperoxy diisopropylbenzene (BIPB). The properties of PVC/TPU foam composites effected by GMA content were investigated by the density, impact, tensile, and flexible test. The experiment indicated that with the addition of GMA, the impact strength tensile strength and flexible modulus were firstly rose to maximum at a fast rate and then decreased slightly. The properties significantly increased at a low content of modifier GMA. The results observed by differential scanning calorimetry indicated that new crosslinking network between PVC and TUP formed after the addition of GMA. The foam quality and cell morphology were studied by SEM and then statistics. With the addition of 0.6 phr BIPB and 0.5 phr GMA, the cell size of PVC/TPU composite is 80-130 µm and cell wall is 10-15 µm. Furthermore, the cells have more uniform distribution and fewer collapse when compared with the material without GMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital cardiovascular diseases are the most common form of birth defects in humans. A substantial portion of these defects has been associated with inappropriate induction, migration, differentiation and patterning of pluripotent cardiac neural crest stem cells. While TGF- β-superfamily signaling has been strongly implicated in neural crest cell development, the detailed molecular signaling mechanisms in vivo are still poorly understood. Results: We deleted the TGF-β type I receptor Alk5 specifically in the mouse neural crest cell lineage. Failure in signaling via ALK5 leads to severe cardiovascular and pharyngeal defects, including inappropriate remodeling of pharyngeal arch arteries, abnormal aortic sac development, failure in pharyngeal organ migration and persistent truncus arteriosus. While ALK5 is not required for neural crest cell migration, our results demonstrate that it plays an important role in the survival of post-migratory cardiac neural crest cells. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that ALK5-mediated signaling in neural crest cells plays an essential cell-autonomous role in the pharyngeal and cardiac outflow tract development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Developmental abnormalities in endocardial cushions frequently contribute to congenital heart malformations including septal and valvular defects. While compelling evidence has been presented to demonstrate that members of the TGF-β superfamily are capable of inducing endothelial-to-mesenchymal transdifferentiation in the atrioventricular canal, and thus play a key role in formation of endocardial cushions, the detailed signaling mechanisms of this important developmental process, especially in vivo, are still poorly known. Several type I receptors (ALKs) for members of the TGF-β superfamily are expressed in the myocardium and endocardium of the developing heart, including the atrioventricular canal. However, analysis of their functional role during mammalian development has been significantly complicated by the fact that deletion of the type I receptors in mouse embryos often leads to early embryonal lethality. Here, we used the Cre/loxP system for endothelial-specific deletion of the type I receptor Alk2 in mouse embryos. The endothelial-specific Alk2 mutant mice display defects in atrioventricular septa and valves, which result from a failure of endocardial cells to appropriately transdifferentiate into the mesenchyme in the AV canal. Endocardial cells deficient in Alk2 demonstrate decreased expression of Msx1 and Snail, and reduced phosphorylation of BMP and TGF-β Smads. Moreover, we show that endocardial cells lacking Alk2 fail to delaminate from AV canal explants. Collectively, these results indicate that the BMP type I receptor ALK2 in endothelial cells plays a critical non-redundant role in early phases of endocardial cushion formation during cardiac morphogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A rapid and efficient microwave-assisted synthesis N-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) derivatives of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole5-carboxamide is described. These tetrazole pyrazole amides have interesting bacteriocidal, pesticidal, herbicidal and antimicrobial activities. They were identified by IR and 1H NMR elemental analyses. The target compounds were obtained in a shorter reaction time compared to conventional heating methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood plastic composite (WPC) has been widely used in many fields in recent years. However, the entry of water can destroy the interfacial adhesion between wood fibers and plastic matrix, eventually decreasing the properties of WPC. In order to solve a series of problems caused by absorbing water, we manufactured coextruded WPC which includes a shell layer and a core layer by coextrusion technology. Then many coextruded and un‐coextruded WPCs samples of the same size were conducted in 60°C water to accelerate the process of water absorption (WA), which were taken out at regular intervals for testing. WA, dimension stability, and flexural properties of two types of WPC were measured, respectively. The results showed that the WA of coextruded WPC (1.99%) was significantly lower than that of un‐coextruded WPC (6.02%) in 60°C water after 192 hours. It also indicated much better dimension stability of coextruded composites because of the restriction of the shell layer. The retention values of flexural properties of coextruded WPC after soaking 192 hours (flexural strength: 25.22 MPa; flexural modulus: 4.00 GPa) are much higher than those of un‐coextruded WPC (flexural strength: 21.43 MPa; flexural modulus: 2.90 GPa). Therefore, coextruded WPC has more prominent properties advantages compared with un‐coextruded WPC in a high temperature and high humidity environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the vacuum assisted resin infusion (VARI) process was employed to prepare anionic polyamide 6/montmorillonite (APA6/MMT) nanocomposites. The ɛ‐caprolactam and MMT mixture are infused into the mold by vacuum. At the same time, the anionic polymerization of ɛ‐caprolactam proceeds all the way which results in fast viscosity rise. To make the VARI process has more practical application value, enough infusion time is necessary. Three types of MMT were chosen in this paper: Na+‐MMT, OMMT‐CTAB, and OMMT‐AUA. In order to study the effects of MMT on infusion process and material's performance, conversion, and temperature test, X‐ray diffraction analysis, transmission electronic microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Molau test, and mechanical test were performed. The results indicated that the OMMT‐AUA can both further improve the material's performance and has longer infusion time for VARI process. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1481–1491, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The machines currently used to recycle residual plastic film operate by picking up the plastic film using an arc-shaped spring-finger and removing the plastic film with a rotary roller. This method is problematic because it has a lower recycling rate. The film is also easily to wind around the operating parts of the mechanism which would lead the film to be difficult to remove. According to the characteristics of film, a clamping and conveying device for removing agricultural residual plastic film pneumatically has been designed. The device is mainly composed of a film-pickup mechanism, a clamping-conveying mechanism and a film pneumatic removal mechanism. The structure, dimensions and the operating parameters of these mechanisms were determined through discussion and analysis. The materials of the scraper and the conveying belt were determined. The position of the scraper component relative to the conveying belts was also obtained by calculation. The process of picking up the film and raising it with a shovel was analyzed. The pressure force acting on the clamped film (applied by one of the scrapers) was theoretically analyzed and tested. In order to convey the agricultural residual plastic film (ARPF), it was found that the minimum clamping force was 4.58 N. Field experiments showed that the film could be scooped up from the ground with shovels and successfully fed into the clamping-conveying mechanism. The film could be clamped stably throughout the film conveying process and removed smoothly by the pneumatic removal mechanism, which prevented the film from adhering to, or winding around, the parts of the mechanism. When the operating speed of prototype was 5-5.5 km/h, the results of the field experiment indicated that the average recycling rate of the ARPF was 92.5% and the average removal rate of the ARPF reached 97.8%. The results of this research may provide references for the development of new machines to recycle residual plastic film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the functional role of Smad7 in granulosa cells. Design: Granulosa cell culture and molecular biological techniques were used to investigate regulation and function of Smad7. Setting: Research laboratory. Animal(s): C57bl/j hybrid mouse. Intervention(s): Primary mouse granulosa cells were isolated and grown in culture for all messenger RNA expression experiments. Smad7 promoter constructs were evaluated with a luciferase reporter system in SIGC cells to determine sites activating Smad7 expression. Main Outcome Measure(s): Overexpression (Smad7 complementary DNA) and downregulation (Smad7 small interfering RNA) of Smad7 in primary mouse granulosa cells were used to evaluate the functional role of Smad7 in granulosa cells. Result(s): Smad7 expression was upregulated by treatment with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) but not activin or activation of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate pathway. The promoter of Smad7 was activated by TGF-β. Truncation of the promoter or mutation of the Smad response element at −141 eliminated TGF-β activation of the promoter. Smad3 was not specifically required for TGF-β–stimulated expression of Smad7, though activation of the TGFBR1 receptor was. When Smad7 was overexpressed in granulosa cells, apoptosis was markedly increased. When Smad7 expression was reduced with small interfering RNA, then the TGF-β–induced apoptosis was blocked. Conclusion(s): Smad7 mediates apoptosis induced by TGF-β in mouse granulosa cells, suggesting that dysregulation of Smad7 could impair folliculogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive hydrogels usually suffer from weak mechanical properties and are easily destroyed, resulting in limited applications in flexible electronics. Concurrently, adding conductive additives to the hydrogel solution increases the probability of agglomeration and uneven dispersion issues. In this study, the biocompatible natural polymer chitosan was used as the network substrate. The rigid network employed was the Cit3−ion crosslinked chitosan (CS) network, and the MBA chemically crosslinked polyacrylamide (PAM) network was used as the flexible network. Tannic acid-reduced graphene oxide (TA-rGO), which has excellent conductivity and dispersibility, is used as a conductive filler. Thus, a CS/TA-rGO/PAM double network conductive hydrogel with excellent performance, high toughness, high conductivity, and superior sensing sensitivity was prepared. The prepared CS/TA-rGO/PAM double network conductive hydrogels have strong tensile properties (strain and toughness as high as 2009 % and 1045 kJ/cm3), excellent sensing sensitivity (GF value was 4.01), a wider strain detection range, high cycling stability and durability, good biocompatibility, and antimicrobial properties. The hydrogel can be assembled into flexible wearable devices that can not only dynamically detect human movements, such as joint bending, facial expression changes, swallowing, and saying, but also recognize handwriting and enable human-computer interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) was used to regulate the morphology and functionalization of NaYF 4 :Yb3+, Er3+ upconversion luminescent nanoprobe (UCNPs). • The UCNPs@SHMP fluorescent sensor could detect Fe(III) with low detection limit in industrial circulating cooling water. • This strategy has the potential to develop a visual method for monitoring the corrosion of circulating cooling water system. The iron ion in industrial circulating cooling water is an important indicator for early warning of equipment corrosion and control level. It is interesting to construct an upconversion luminescence iron ion nanoprobe with a common inorganic phosphate water treatment agent. Herein, inorganic phosphate sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) was used to regulate the morphology and functionalization of NaYF 4 :Yb3+, Er3+ upconversion luminescent nanoprobe (UCNPs) and applied to fluorometric detection of trace Fe(III) in water based on the fluorescence quenching which is caused by the selective coordination between hexametaphosphate on the surface of UCNPs and Fe(III). The structure, morphology, and luminous intensity of UCNPs were regulated by disodium hydrogen phosphate (ADSP), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) and sodium hexametaphosphate(SHMP). The UCNPs functionalized with SHMP has high sensitivity and selectivity for Fe(III) detection. The linear range and detection limit are 1.0–50 μM and 0.2 μM, respectively. The method has satisfactory results for the detection of trace Fe(III) in industrial circulating cooling water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive hydrogels are promising flexible conductors for human motion monitoring. However, this kind of wearable strain sensor has often shown weak mechanical properties. To overcome the inherent mechanical weakness and improve the electrical conductivity, CNT-Br/PEDOT:PSS/PAAS triple-network penetrating conductive hydrogels (CBP) are fabricated. The n-butylimidazolium bromide salt-functionalized MWCNTs (CNT-Br) as conductive fillers form a three-dimensional conductive path through the crosslinking agent XR-100, penetrating with the skeleton of crosslinking sodium polyacrylate. The conductive liquid PEDOT:PSS is further evenly dispersed in the penetrating double network to further enhance the electrical conductivity of the hydrogels. CNT-Br without obvious agglomeration significantly improved the thermal stability and mechanical properties of CBP. Moreover, CNT-Br enabled the PEDOT:PSS components to be more evenly dispersed in the PAAS matrix. Due to the good conductive paths inside the hydrogels, the maximum electrical conductivity (CBP10) increases to 10.35 mS cm−1, which is 415% higher than that of pure P1. Our work provides a method to prepare conductive hydrogels with high electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical properties, which can be used for human joint motion detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel method has been successfully developed to prepare the polyamide 6/polystyrene/montmorillonite (APA6/PS/MMT) blends. The X-ray diffraction analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy analysis, contact angle measurement, water absorption measurement, thermogravimetric analysis and mechanical properties test were performed separately to study the effects of P(St-co-IEM)-MMT-MPS on crystallinity, morphology, water resistance, thermal stability and mechanical properties. The results indicate the addition of MMT can promote the formation of the γ-phase. Moreover, it can improve the interfacial compatibility, water resistance, thermal stability and toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)‐modified Kaolin was prepared by the reaction between kaolin and PDMS. MC nylon 6/kaolin and MC nylon 6/kaolin‐PDMS composites with different filler contents were prepared through in situ polymerization. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis show that the feeding of kaolin improved thermal stability and crystallinity of nylon. When 1 wt% addition of kaolin‐PDMS, the tensile strength and impact strength of the as‐prepared composites reached a maximum value of 77.7 MPa and 4.5 kJ/m2, respectively, exhibiting remarkable mechanical properties. Meanwhile, the water absorption capacity of the as‐prepared composites was greatly reduced by 60% with the addition of kaolin, and the modified kaolin possesses even better performances. The results show that the treated kaolin can greatly enhance the properties of cast nylon and has an outstanding application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the interfacial adhesion between Na-montmorillonite (Na-MMT) and polyisobutene (PIB) matrix, it is necessary to modify Na-MMT in organic way. Organic montmorillonite (OMMT) was successfully modified by Na-MMT with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) intercalation reagent. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) result showed that the d-spacing of Na-MMT was increased from 1.424 to 2.480 nm after organic modification. PIB/OMMT hot melt pressure-sensitive adhesive (HMPSA) samples were prepared by melt-intercalation process. The amount of OMMT was optimized according to the system stability and adhesion performance. The effects of OMMT content on rheological, adhesion and thermal properties of PIB HMPSA were investigated. Adhesion performance and system stability of PIB HMPSA were greatly improved by adding moderate amounts of OMMT. In addition, the sample containing 1 wt% OMMT exhibited optimal adhesion property and excellent stability, meanwhile, its 180° peel strength was 1.19 times greater than pristine sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified cellulose acetate, modified chitosan, titanium dioxide membrane (MCA-MCS-TiO 2) was prepared for oil-water emulsion separation and Cu(II) adsorption. This membrane shows excellent hydrophilicity and underwater oleophobicity. After being modified, the water contact angles of the membranes attain 13.7°, and the underwater oil contact angles reach 157.24°. The membrane exhibits high oil-water separation efficiency (99.4%) for cyclohexane, at the same time, the adsorption amount of Cu(II) on the membrane was measured. The variables include the ratio of modified cellulose to modified chitosan, the initial concentration of Cu(II), and the pH of Cu(II) solution. When pH = 7, the adsorption capacity of the membrane to Cu(II) reaches 220.67 mg g−1. When the concentration of Cu(II) solution is 1000 mg L−1, the adsorption efficiency is as high as 97.0%. Image 1 • MCS-MCA-TiO 2 membrane is an efficient oil-water emulsion separation material and Cu (II) adsorbent. • The separation efficiency of oil-water emulsion reaches a maximum of 99.4%. • Maximum adsorption capacity of MCS-MCA-TiO 2 membrane for Cu (II) is 220.67 mg. g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Simultaneous oil-in-water emulsion separation and heavy metals/dyes adsorption. • Novel organic-inorganic hybrid gel coatings with mesoporous structure. • Fast oil/water separation and highly efficient water-soluble contaminants removal. • Excellent reusability, anti-fouling property and considerable chemical stability. A novel approach for simultaneously removing oil droplets and water-soluble contaminants from stabilized oil/water emulsion has been developed. Herein, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/SiO 2 hybrid coatings were fabricated via "one-step" hydrolysis and co-condensation, which possesses unique mesoporous structures (pore diameter ≈ 9.31 nm) and abundant amino groups. Hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes adhered firmly by the hybrid coatings, are endowed with superhydrophilicity/underwater superoleophobicity, excellent antifouling performance, ultrahigh water flux (6343.2 L m−2 h−1 bar−1), highly efficient oil-in-water emulsion separating capability (filtrate flux = 544.26 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) and gravity-driven separation capability. Moreover, copper ion (Cu2+) and methyl blue (MB) can be effectively absorbed from water phase, with considerable adsorption capacities (Q c) of 52.8 mg/g and 41.88 mg/g, respectively. After 5 reusing cycles, the relative removal efficiencies (RE) are still higher than 86.89% and 99.76%, respectively. Moreover, with the outstanding reusability and considerable chemical durability, the as-prepared membranes are promising candidate in practical application for wastewater treatment, bridging the gap between contaminants adsorption and oil/water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

pH-Responsive smart non-woven fabrics (NWFs) with double transformations were prepared via the in situ grafting of Ag nanoparticles through an oxidation–reduction reaction and were modified using a mixed thiol-molecule solution, including HS(CH2)10CH3, HS(CH2)10COOH and HS(CH2)11OH. A NWF continuously separates immiscible oil–water mixtures with high selectivity and has considerable flux under gravity. The wettability of NWFs with an optimal thiol concentration shows reversible switches between superhydrophilicity–superhydrophobicity–superhydrophilicity, which corresponds to different conditions such as acidic, neutral and basic. The as-prepared NWFs had great oil absorption capacities and possessed high oil–water separation efficiency. This simple approach to fabricate pH-responsive NWFs has provided a facile and versatile strategy for effectively separating oil–water mixtures, which can be further applied for water treatment, purification of solvents or fuels and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Styrene maleic anhydride (SMA)-g-APA6 copolymer was firstly synthesized by free radical polymerization of styrene and followed by anionic polymerization of ε-caprolactam. The polyamide 6 (APA6)/polystyrene (PS) blends were successfully prepared via anion polymerization. Among in, SMA was acted as both compatibilizer and macromolecular activator. A series of APA6/PS blends with different SMA addition amounts were synthesized to study the effect of SMA on crystallinity, morphology, water resistance, thermal stability and mechanical properties using X-ray diffraction analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy analysis, contact angle measurement, water absorption measurement, molau test, thermogravimetric analysis, stretching and impact test. Correlational analysis proved that the obtained SMA-g-APA6 copolymer has good dispersion with PS. In addition, APA6/PS blends possess good mechanical properties, thermostability and hydrophobic property. Highlights • The caprolactam is a reactive solvent for free radical copolymerization of styrene. • The SMA is used as both compatibilizer and macromolecular activator. • With the improvement of dispersibility of PS, the mechanical and hydrophobic properties are improved greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nylon-6-b-polydimethylsiloxane copolymer was synthesized with macroinitiator through in situ polymerization. The macroinitiator with two chain-growing centers per molecule is based on hydroxyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) functionalized with diisocyanate. The influence of PDMS contents on the properties of copolymers was studied. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the melting temperature, crystallization temperature and crystal form of samples, and the results showed that the crystallinity of polymers decreased. The mechanical properties of samples were studied by notched-impact testing and tension test. The notched impact strength was improved by 200% with PDMS concentration up to 4 wt%. The form of scaly was seen by scanning electron microscope proved the improvements of the impact strength of the copolymer. The water contact angles test showed that the surface tension of copolymers decreased with the PDMS content increasing and the surface of copolymer changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the energy density and optimize the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors, a new double network calcium alginate/polyaniline (CA/PANI) aerogels were designed in this study, in which sodium alginate (SA) cross-linked by Ca2+ was the first network and the phytic acid cross-linked PANI was the second network. Due to the strong hydrogen bonds between PANI and CA, and the ionic cross-linking between CA molecular chains, CA/PANI aerogels can form a stable porous network structure with excellent performance, such as high BET specific surface area (330 m2/g) and high conductivity (2.66 S/cm). The aerogel further used as a supercapacitor electrode showed enhanced capacitive performance (463 F/g at 0.5 A/g). After repeated 10,000 galvanostatic charge/discharge tests, more than 84% of the initial capacitance could be maintained, while the capacitance retention of PANI was only 45%. Therefore, this aerogel showed great potential as an electrode material for supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, wearable services that are flexible and based on conductive hydrogels have rapidly evolved and found numerous applications. These conductive hydrogels must possess remarkable mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and sensing stability, while also being able to withstand low temperatures. However, creating hydrogels that meet all these requirements can be a lengthy and complicated process. Herein, we quickly (10 s) generated a double network conductive hydrogels (PHTF@DNH) using the double autocatalytic system consisting of TA (Tannic acid) and Fe3+. Due to the hydrogen bonding interactions between polyacrylamide (PAM), chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (HACC), TA, cross-linking of N, N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA), and ionic conduction of sodium citrate (Na 3 Cit), the hydrogel exhibit excellent tensile property (stress of 177.40 kPa, elongation at break of 788%), compressive performance (compressive strength of 1.1 MPa at 80% deformation), desirable toughness (702.60 kJ/m3), and exceptional cyclic compression and swelling properties. The hydrogel-based sensors show exceptional electrical conductivity (59.02 mS/cm), sensitivity (GF value of 1.13 at 100–550% strain), broad detection range and good signal stability. Even at −30 °C, the hydrogels still maintained stable. Eventually, it is harmless to human skin. We believe that the PHTF@DNH offer a new approach to the manufacture of sensitive wearable electronic devices. [Display omitted] • Double network conductive hydrogels (PHTF@DNH) were prepared under double autocatalytic conditions. • The hydrogel showed exceptional electrical conductivityand sensitivity. • The hydrogel exhibited excellent mechanical and swelling properties. • At a very low temperature (−30 °C), the hydrogel could maintain stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, hydrogels have attracted extensive attention due to their unique properties. More and more studies have added new functions to hydrogels through modification, but the modified hydrogels only show unique properties in a specific aspect, which limits the application of hydrogels. Therefore, how to endow hydrogels with two or more functions at the same time has become a research hotspot. In this study, polyacrylamide and chitosan quaternary ammonium salt were used as the matrix of the hydrogel. The surface of magnetic ferric oxide nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) was modified by tannic acid (TA). TA and Fe 3 O 4 NPs were connected by coordination bonds to improve the surface properties of Fe 3 O 4 NPs. Then aniline molecules were coated on the surface of Fe 3 O 4 -TA NPs by the electrostatic attraction through in-situ chemical polymerization under the action of sulfuric acid doping to obtain composite Fe 3 O 4 NPs with electromagnetic dual functions. The electromagnetic bifunctional hydrogel was prepared by introducing the composite Fe 3 O 4 NPs into the hydrogel through physical doping. The results showed that the hydrogel had excellent mechanical properties (the tensile strength was 113.3 kPa, the elongation was 1070%). Due to the existence of polyaniline, the hydrogel showed outstanding electrical properties (the conductivity was up to 24.3 mS/cm and the gauge factor was up to 9.43). In addition, Fe 3 O 4 NPs gave the hydrogel good magnetism, and the hydrogel underwent a certain deformation in the switching magnetic field, which further expanded the application field of the hydrogel. Synthesis process and structure of electromagnetic bifunctional hydrogel. [Display omitted] • Tannic acid used as coupling agent to connect Fe 3 O 4 with polyaniline. • Fe 3 O 4 composite particles act as physical cross-linking points in the hydrogel. • Hydrogels have electromagnetic dual functions and high sensing sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PDMS-PU (polydimethylsiloxane-polyurethane) sponge decorated with In(OH)3 (indium hydroxide) and BCP (bromocresol purple) particles is shown to be a room-temperature ammonia sensor with high sensitivity and excellent reproducibility; it can accomplish real-time detection and monitoring of ammonia in the surrounding environment. The superhydrophobic and yellowish In(OH)3-BCP-TiO2-based ammonia-responsive (IBT-AR) sponge changes to a purple superhydrophilic one when exposed to ammonia. Notably, after reacting with ammonia, the sponge can recover its original wettability and color after heating in air. The wettability, color and absorption signal of IBT-AR sponge have been measured for sensing ammonia using the water contact angle, macroscopic observation and UV-vis absorption spectrometry, respectively. The minimum ammonia concentrations that can be detected by the sponge wettability, color and absorption signal are 0.5%, 1.4 ppm and 50 ppb, respectively. This kind of sponge with smart wettability and color is a promising new ammonia detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting polymers with inherently good flexibility and conductivity are good candidates for stretchable conductor applications, such as wearable electronics and healthcare devices. In this article, the crosslinked PAA (polyacrylic acid, n-PAA) hydrogels were fabricated via the reaction between hydrophilic groups of polymers in the presence of the water-based silicone crosslinking agent. By using the PEDOT:PSA (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate-co-acrylic acid) as a conducting component, the conductive hydrogels prepared by this method are highly conductive with a value of 2.00 S cm−1, highly stretchable with 800% strain and exceedingly stable in ambient air for a long time; also they possess superior properties to similar crosslinking methods. The resistance change with stretching is almost strain-insensitive up to 50% strain after 1000 fatigue cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A smart sponge with porous structures and switchable hydrophobic–oleophilic or hydrophilic–underwater–oleophobic properties by varying the medium pH is successfully fabricated. This special sponge with a controllable wetting surface is prepared simply by introducing active hydroxyls on the surface of a fabricated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) sponge and then esterifying it with picolinic acid. Under the synergistic action of raw PDMS chains and functionalized chains in different media the water contact angles decrease from 138° (pH = 7.0) to 10° (pH = 2.0), whereas the oil contact angles increase from 0° (pH = 7.0) to 140° (pH = 2.0) from neutral or alkaline to very acidic media underwater. The basic structure, chemical components, element type, contact angle and restorability of the sponge are also investigated. Owing to its stability and great practicability, this functionalized pH-responsive sponge can be directly used for oil/water separation. The switchable oil capture and release in aqueous media by our functionalized sponge can provide a new avenue to avoid secondary pollution in oil/water separation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increase in marine oil pollution, efficient remediation strategies are required to completely remove the oily wastewater. The construction of self-healing coatings with high separation efficiency has become a hot research topic. In this study, the hybrid coatings of nano-silica synergized with self-healing silicon elastomer were prepared on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics by two combination strategies. Different combination strategies conferred various bonding states between the nanoparticles and the elastomer, affecting the hydrophobicity and stability of the materials. Self-healing silicon elastomer was prepared based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) crosslinked by iron-based coordination. The prepared hybrid fabrics exhibited high hydrophobicity with a water contact angle (WCA) of 145˚, and could maintain the hydrophobic properties after 20 cycles of mechanical abrasion. It realized 97% separation efficiency of multiple types of oil-water solution, even severe mechanical abrasion occurred, which still basically returned to the initial level after self-healing. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to choose a sensitive, selective, simple, rapid, cost-effective and reliable analytical method for a given complex sample, a strategy was proposed for the evaluation of an analytical approach to determining multi-pesticide residue in complex agricultural product matrices, using leek as an example. In this work, the matrix effect of most of pesticides were in the range of −50% to −90%. A simple thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used to evaluate the effect of cleanup. The results agree well with that of matrix effect described above. More than 91% of the investigated compounds achieved recoveries were in the range of 70–120%. The limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.1–3.5 ng/g and 0.4–11.5 ng/g, respectively. The strategy can be used to analyze multi-pesticide residue or related chemicals in diverse agricultural product matrices to provide technical guidance in choosing an analytical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solar-driven hydrogel composed of photothermal polydopamine (PDA) nanocoating, linear chitosan (CTS), and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) crosslinking network was successfully synthesized to remove heavy metal ions from contaminated water. The as-prepared PDA/CTS/PNIPAM (DCN) hydrogel can achieve hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase transition driven by solar energy when the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) was reached. The micromorphology, wetting behavior, swelling behavior, compression properties, photothermal responsiveness, and adsorption properties of hydrogels were studied one by one. The cross-linking of the controllable active nanogel (ANG) along with the modification of PDA endowed DCN hydrogel with a regular and interpenetrating porous structure, which enabled DCN to have excellent elasticity and withstand up to 80 % compressive deformation. And the hydrophilic groups of CTS and PDA reduced the water contact angle of DCN hydrogel to 13°, which was conducive to resisting the erosion of oil substances. The excellent photothermal conversion enabled DCN hydrogel to reach VPTT in only about 11 min under a simulated sunlight source. In addition, DCN hydrogel had excellent selective adsorption for Pb2+ and Cu2+, and the maximum theoretical adsorption capacities were 42.63 mg/g and 38.55 mg/g, respectively. It was also found that the volume phase transformation of hydrogel significantly enhanced its ability to resist external interference and effectively prevented the loss of heavy metal ions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, electrically conductive hydrogels (ECHs) have attracted extensive attention for their potential applications in flexible wearable sensors and human motion monitoring. However, many ECHs are prone to damage during use, limiting their application. In this study, a quick and simple one-pot in situ copolymerization method was used to introduce the double network (DN) structure with good mechanical properties into the conductive hydrogel, providing a new method for preparing the multi-function DN hydrogel. A novel conductive hydrogel was prepared by introducing sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCNa) and polydopamine (PDA) reduced graphene oxide (D-rGO) into polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel. Among them, the well-dispersed D-rGO nanofillers provided a good electron conduction pathway. CMCNa/PAM matrix was physically and chemically crosslinked with Fe3+ and N, N′-methylene- bis -acrylamide (MBA), which made the hydrogel had better mechanical properties and pH sensitivity than pure PAM hydrogel. The conductive hydrogel designed by us had better sensitivity (gauge factor (GF) value was 6.44), wider strain detection range (0–500%), better cycle stability and durability compared with other conductive hydrogels by using a composite conductive mechanism of electron and ion conductivity. More notably, D-rGO/CMCNa/PAM hydrogel could detect large-scale changes in human movement (such as bending of fingers and wrists) and sensitive signals without obvious allergic reactions to human skin, which offered great possibilities for practical applications as flexible strain sensors. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The nano-matrix composite membranes were prepared by a two-step method. • PAA-g-MWCNT/TiO 2 @PES membranes is anti-fouling, antibacterial and photocatalytic. • PAA-g-MWCNT/TiO 2 and PES were combined by physical interaction. The synthesis of composite nano-matrix membranes from a variety of nanoscale materials will impair the comprehensive properties of the materials. Therefore, it is not easy to prepare multifunctional nano-matrix membranes with excellent performance. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have superiority in absorption of impurities and contaminants in aqueous solution. Therefore, Polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membrane modified by CNTs and PAA-g-MWCNT/TiO 2 (AMT) organic-inorganic hybrid particles is synthesized. And a new nano-matrix composite membrane PAA-g-MWCNT/TiO 2 @PES (AMTP) is prepared after the combination of the two particles, which endows the new composite membrane with three major effects of fouling resistance, photocatalysis and antibacterial properties. When the amount of AMT was 1 wt%, AMTP had the highest anti-pollution rate (31.21%); the best flux recovery rate (85.76%) and the degradation efficiency of MB and MO reached 90.03%, 62.36% within 2 h; the antibacterial rate was 98.12 %. When the dosage was 2 wt%, the antibacterial rate of AMTP reached 100 %. AMTP nano-matrix composite membranes have considerable adaptability and practicability of a wide application in the wastewater recovery and recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Real-time monitoring of dielectric measurements was performed by DRS. [•] Dielectric parameters were obtained by fitting Cole–Cole equation to DRS data. [•] Hanai method was employed to estimate the phase parameters. [•] Dependences of the obtained parameters on the extractive time were investigated. [•] Result of dielectric analysis was confirmed reasonable by interfacial electrokinetic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan(CTS) has excellent adsorption capacity for heavy metal ions, the combination of chitosan with hydrogels provides a new development direction for chitosan-based adsorbents, and further improvement of adsorption can be achieved by modifying the chitosan on this basis. A semi-interpenetrating polymer network(semi-IPN) hydrogel was successfully synthesized for the removal of heavy metal ions by combining α-ketoglutaric acid grafting chitosan (KCTS) with polyacrylamide(PAM) cross-linked by N,N-methylenebis(acrylamide). This semi-IPN hydrogel had the porous structure with high specific surface area, which can expose more active sites and provide an interface for chitosan to fully contact waste water. And it had excellent selective adsorption for Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) in a mixture of five heavy metal ions. Many influencing factors affecting adsorption have been investigated, such as initial concentration of metal ions, adsorption time, pH of solution, ionic strength, and adsorbent dosage. The adsorption data were simulated well by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and adsorption isotherms were fitted well Langmuir isotherm model. At 30 °C and pH 5.0, the theoretical maximum adsorption capacities of Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) by KCTS/PAM hydrogel were 72.39, 61.41, and 51.89 mg/g, respectively. After five adsorption-desorption cycles, the adsorption capacity of Cu(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) still maintained above 90% of initial adsorption capacity. XPS analysis illustrated that the adsorption mechanism of heavy metal ions was mainly due to coordination and ion exchange. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The solubility of succinic anhydride in acetone, acetonitrile, 2-propanol, ethyl acetate, acetonitrile+ethyl acetate, acetone+ethyl acetate was determined with temperature range from 278.15 to 333.15K under atmospheric pressure using the analytical stirred-flask method. The solubility of succinic anhydride in these solvents increased with increasing temperature. The experimental data were well correlated with the modified Apelblat equation and the Buchwski–Ksiazaczak λh equation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new corn starch adhesive modified by starch- g-polyvinyl acetate (starch- g-PVAc) and epoxy resin is described in this study. Starch- g-PVAc is used as high cohesive energy component to improve the dry shear strength of the starch adhesive. Although the epoxy resin, which can easily crosslink with the oxidized starch, is used as water-resistant component to improve the wet shear strength. Because there is no chemical reaction happening between polyvinyl acetate and epoxy resin, both the dry shear strength and the wet shear strength of the corn starch adhesive are notably increased. Considering all the related factors, the optimum of the modification is achieved when the dosage of starch- g-PVAc and epoxy resin is 70% of the oxidized starch latex with m(Ep): m(starch- g-PVAc) = 1:2. That is, the epoxy resin is 23% in mass fraction and starch- g-PVAc 47% in mass fraction. The dry shear strength is 4.50 MPa, and the wet shear strength is 2.51 MPa. The modified corn starch has a broad prospect in the application of plywood industry. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Data on corresponding solid–liquid equilibrium of itaconic acid in different organic solvents are essential for industrial design and further theoretical studies. In this study, the solubility of itaconic acid was measured in methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, acetonitrile, 2-propanol, ethyl acetate, and acetone with the temperature range of 283.15–328.15K by the analytical stirred-flask method under atmospheric pressure. The experiment results showed that the solubility of itaconic acid was highest in methanol and followed by 2-propanol, ethanol and 1-propanol. For the temperature range investigated, the solubilities of itaconic acid in the solvents increased with increasing temperature. Results of these measurements were well-correlated with the modified Apelblat equation and the Buchowski–Ksiazaczak λh equation. The calculated solubilities showed good agreement with the experimental data. The modified Apelblat equation was found to regress the solubility data much better than the Buchowski–Ksiazaczak λh equation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]