Yiguang Wang^1,2, Zhe Zhang¹, Xun Zhang^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1321-1337, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023266 - 31 October 2022

Abstract Fibre can enhance the mechanical properties of cement-based composites, but fibre also degrades their workability. However, the quantitative effects of fiber content and length-diameter ratio on alkali-activated materials are still unclear. Various aspect ratio, volume fraction of polyvinyl alcohol fibre (PVAF), and various water-binder ratio were employed to prepare a total of 26 groups of fibre reinforced alkali-activated composite (FRAAC). The influence of PVAF fibre factor (product of fiber volume fraction and length-diameter ratio) on flowability, compactness, strength, and crack fractal dimension of FRAAC was researched. The influence of water-binder ratio on the plastic viscosity… More >

Dongfang Huang^1,4, Peng Lv^1,2,3,4,*, Changlin Zhong^1,2, Xingsheng Zhou^1,2, Zhichen Liu⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1383-1400, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023261 - 31 October 2022

Abstract In this work, the microstructure, hydrogen storage properties, anti-oxide ability and rate limiting step of Zr(Cr_1−xCo_x)₂ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6) alloys have been investigated. After studying the crystal structure, we found that all alloy samples could show C14-type phase but the alloy sample x = 0 could also show a small amount of Cr phase. Rietveld fitting showed that lattice parameter and unit cell volume of C14-type phase decreased with increasing x. After further research, it was clear that the first hydrogen absorption capacity decreased with increasing x. But introducing more Co content had a positive influence More >

Yanfeng Zhu¹, Huidong Shi¹, Qing Ju¹, Dong Zhao¹, Yucai Shen^1,2,*, Tingwei Wang^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1303-1319, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023129 - 31 October 2022

Abstract Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) blend films were prepared with different contents of a multifunctional epoxide chain extender Joncryl ADR-4468 (ADR) or benzoyl peroxide (BPO). The long-chain-branching (LCB) introduced by ADR and branched/crosslinked entanglement induced by BPO increased melt elasticity, viscosity and compatibility, as indicated by thermal properties, rheological and morphological analyses. It was found that the elongation at break and the tensile strength were significantly improved, due to the enhancement of compatibility and the interfacial adhesion by the incorporation of ADR or BPO. The best mechanical properties were obtained in PBAT/PBSA/ADR (60/40/0.3) (A4T6A_0.3) More > Graphic Abstract

Ashish Malik^*, Sanjay Kumar Singh

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1271-1291, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023084 - 31 October 2022

Abstract An experimental program was conducted to determine the dynamic properties of pond ash (PA) and pond ash mixed with admixtures like crumb rubber (CR) and coir fiber (CF) which are wastes of different industries. Additives CR and CF were mixed separately with pond ash in a percentage ranging from 0%–20% at an interval of 5% and 0%–2% at an interval of 0.5% by weight of pond ash, respectively. Dynamic properties (Shear modulus, Number of cycles to initiate liquefaction, Degradation index and Damping ratio) for pond ash mixes were determined using strain-controlled cyclic tri-axial apparatus. The… More >

Sai Gong^1,2,#, Shanglin Xiang^1,#, Tingwei Wang^1,*, Dongyu Cai^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1063-1076, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023011 - 31 October 2022

Abstract Waterborne polymers are vital for coating industry to reduce carbon emissions. However, formation of robust and self-healable films at ambient temperature remains a challenge owing to high energy cost of film formation process. This work reports a solar-driven film formation of waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) containing disulfide bonds via in-situ incorporation of 2D titanium carbide (MXene) with ability to convert light to heat. Instead of directly mixed with WPUs, MXene is added to join the reaction with isocyanate-terminated pre-polymer before emulsification process. This approach not only prevents aggregation of MXene in water but stabilizes MXene against thermal More > Graphic Abstract

Yuzhi Wu¹, Cunzhen Geng^1,*, Chaochao Cui², Zhefeng Xin², Yanzhi Xia¹, Zhixin Xue^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1199-1208, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022976 - 31 October 2022

Abstract The sulfate groups in agar structure played a good role in the formation of fiber. However, commercially available agar is usually extracted from red algae by alkali treatment to decrease the content of sulfate group for the purpose of high gel strength. In this paper, an alkali-free method of agar extraction from Gracilaria lemaneiformis was proposed for the wet-spinning purpose. This method is environmentally friendly, reduces the extraction steps, saves energy, and reduces the production cost of agar fiber. The improved agar preparation process not only has higher agar yield, but also has higher molecular weight More > Graphic Abstract

Yalin Li^1,2,*, Yu Huang², Lei Liu¹, Haozhao Liu¹, Haiyang He¹, Dongxue Lu¹, Tingting Dong¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1237-1253, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022972 - 31 October 2022

Abstract

In this study, hydrogels were prepared from municipal sludge to recycle and realize the value-added utilization of the carbon components in this abundant waste material. The carbon sources were extracted from the municipal sludge using synthesised nano CaO₂ as an oxidant, and the carbon sources were graft copolymerised with acrylic acid monomer using N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent and ammonium persulfate as an initiator. The factors influencing the hydrogel preparation were investigated by single-factor experiments. Based on the results of the single-factor experiments, a hydrogel with a swelling ratio of up to 19768.4% at 12

… More > Graphic Abstract

Zhaopeng Wang, Shaowu Jiu, Hui Li^*, Kaifeng Zhang, Simeng Cheng

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1223-1236, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022893 - 31 October 2022

Abstract The preparation of cementitious materials by replacing part of the cement with activated coal gangue is of great significance to the cement industry in terms of carbon reduction and coal-based solid waste utilization. For this paper, cementitious material was prepared by firing activated coal gangue under suspension conditions and batching it with limestone powder using Inner Mongolia coal gangue as raw material. The optimal ratio was determined by testing the strength changes of the cementitious material at 3, 7, and 28 days of hydration, and the hydration process and mechanism were explored by combining the… More >

Yuchen Yang^1,2, Lin Ma^1,2,*, Jie Yu^1,2, Zewen Zhao^1,2, Pengfei You^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1153-1179, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.022719 - 31 October 2022

Abstract The use of nanorefrigerants in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) units is believed to affect the cycle environment performance, but backed with very few relevant studies. For this purpose, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been performed for the ORC system using nanorefrigerant, the material and energy input, characteristic indicators and comprehensive index of environmental impact, total energy consumption and energy payback time (BPBT) of the whole life cycle of ORC system using Al₂O₃/R141b nanorefrigerant were calculated. Total environmental comprehensive indexes reveal that ECER-135 index decrease by 1.5% after adding 0.2% Al₂O₃ nanoparticles to R141b. Based on… More >

Chengtao Gao^1,2, Yang Wu³, Haibo Xie^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1137-1152, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.021473 - 31 October 2022

Abstract

Due to the increasing demand for modified polylactide (PLA) meeting “double green” criteria, the research on sustainable plasticizers for PLA has attracted broad attentions. This study reported an open-ring polymerization method to fabricate cellulose (MCC)-g-PCL (poly (ε-caprolactone)) copolymers with a fully sustainable and biodegradable component. MCC-g-PCL copolymers were synthesized, characterized, and used as green plasticizers for the PLA toughening. The results indicated that the MCC-g-PCL derivatives play an important role in the compatibility, crystallization, and toughening of the PLA/MCC-g-PCL composites. The mechanical properties of the fully bio-based PLA/MCC-g-PCL composites were optimized by adding 15 wt% MCC-g-PCL,

… More > Graphic Abstract