Zhaohe Dai^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.26, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI:10.32604/icces.2023.09223

Abstract The flexible and clinging nature of ultra-thin films require the understanding of their elastic and adhesive properties in a wide range of circumstances from fabrications to applications. Simultaneously measuring both properties, however, is extremely difficult as the film thickness diminishes to nanoscales. In this talk, I will show our recent work that addresses such difficulties through peeling by vertically pulling thin films off from the substrates (we thus refer to it as “pull-to-peel”). Particularly, we perform in-situ pull-to-peel of graphene and MoS2 films in a scanning electron microscope and achieve simultaneous determination of their Young’s moduli and adhesions to gold… More >

Hongxing Shang^1,*, Xu Liang¹, Shengping Shen¹

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.25, No.1, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI:10.32604/icces.2023.09816

Abstract Flexoelectricity is the coupling effect of polarization and strain gradients, which tends to be more pronounced in thin films owing to size dependency. When subjected to in-plane compression, a filmsubstrate system will form complex wrinkle morphologies along with large-area and tunable strain gradients. The wrinkle-induced strain gradients can locally break the inversion symmetry of dielectrics and thus introduce flexoelectric polarization. Here, an electromechanical coupling model is developed to theoretically deal with flexoelectric polar patterns in wrinkled thin films. By analyzing the energy competition of elastic potential and electrostatic energy, the amplitude, wavelength, and critical strain of the wrinkles with flexoelectricity… More >

Xiaoyan Liu^1,2, Zhao Qin^1,2,*, Yuxiang Ma^1,2, Huamin Liu^1,2,*, Xuede Wang^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.8, pp. 3203-3225, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.027613

Abstract Packaging is a food preservation technology widely used in the world. Naturally-sourced, biodegradable polymers are becoming increasingly popular in the food packaging sector. Packaging films prepared using cellulose as raw material would contribute to resource sustainability, but the difficulty of cellulose solubilization limits their further development. In view of this, a series of novel solvent systems (LiCl/DMAc, ILs, TBAH/DMSO, NMMO, alkali/urea solutions, metal-complex solutions) were used to prepare high-strength and high-performance cellulose-based films; their characteristics and the mechanisms involved were investigated. Composite films prepared by blending cellulose with various polymers (synthetic polymers, natural polymers, proteins and enzymes, metal particles, and… More > Graphic Abstract

Shuang Zhao¹, Shenglan Chen², Shuan Ren¹, Gang Li³, Ke Song^1,4, Jie Guo^1,4, Shima Liu^1,4, Jian He^1,4, Xianwu Zhou^1,4,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.6, pp. 2531-2553, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026066

Abstract Petroleum-based materials, such as plastic, are characterized by adverse environmental pollution; as a result, researchers have sought alternative degradable plastics that are environmentally friendly, such as polylactic acid (PLA). PLA has shown great potential to replace petroleum-based plastics. In this study, seven different samples of unmodified Pueraria lobata root powder (PRP) with different contents (i.e., 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 wt%) and three different modified PRPs (i.e., treated with NaOH, NaOH-KH-550, and Formic) were used to reinforce polylactic acid (PLA) via solution casting process. These prepared PRP/PLA composite films were characterized using SEM, FTIR, UV-visible spectra analysis,… More > Graphic Abstract

Ruyu Yan^1,2,3,4, Jian Fang^1,*, Xiaohua Yang^2,3,4,5,6, Na Yao^2,3,4,5,6, Mei Li^2,3,4,5,6, Yuan Nie^2,3,4,5,6, Tianxiang Deng^2,3,4,5,6, Haiyang Ding^2,3,4,5,6, Lina Xu^2,3,4,5,6, Shouhai Li^2,3,4,5,6,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.4, pp. 1937-1950, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.025126

Abstract Ethyl cellulose (EC), an important biomass-based material, has excellent film-forming properties. Nevertheless, the high interchain hydrogen bond interaction leads to a high glass transition temperature of EC, which makes it too brittle to be used widely. The hydroxyl group on EC can form a supramolecular system in the form of a non-covalent bond with an effective plasticizer. In this study, an important vegetable-oil-based derivative named dimer fatty acid was used to prepare a novel special plasticizer for EC. Dimer-fatty-acid-based thioether polyol (DATP) was synthesized and used to modify ethyl cellulose films. The supramolecular composite films of DATP and ethyl cellulose… More > Graphic Abstract

S.K. Pankaj¹, C. Bueno-Ferrer¹, N.N. Misra¹, L. O’Neill², A. Jiménez³, P. Bourke¹, P.J. Cullen^1,4,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 77-84, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634129

Abstract The effects of dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment on zein fi lm containing thymol as an active ingredient were evaluated. The plasma discharge was optically characterized to identify the reactive species. A signifi cant increase in the fi lm roughness (p < 0.05) was observed due to the etching effect of DBD plasma, which was correlated with the increase in the diffusion rate of thymol in the food simulant. The diffusion of thymol from the zein fi lm was measured in aqueous solution. The kinetics of thymol release followed the Fick’s law of diffusion as shown by the high correlation… More >

Kristine Koch^1,*, Daniel Johansson², Kalle Johansson³, Karin Svegmark⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 134-144, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634110

Abstract Properties of starch triacetate fi lms from different botanical origins were evaluated. Tensile and barrier properties, glass transition temperatures and moisture uptake were measured, and the molecular structure was characterised. High-amylose starches were good fi lm formers, normal potato starch formed continuous but brittle fi lms and potato amylopectin formed very brittle fi lms even after plasticisation. Barley amylopectin did not form continuous fi lms. Different plasticisers were studied and diacetin was shown to perform better than the standard plasticiser triacetin. All fi lms were water resistant, and the best fi lms gave water vapour barriers in the range of… More >

Raquel Fernández^*, Connie Ocando, Susana C. M. Fernandes, Arantxa Eceiza, Agnieszka Tercjak

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 49-55, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634134

Abstract The main goal of this work was the development of photoactive multilayer fi lms. Taking into account that chitosan is a biodegradable, biocompatible, nontoxic, and antibacterial biopolymer, the fabrication of chitosanbased multilayer fi lms can be an interesting pathway to obtain biopolymer-based fi lms in which properties can be combined with a light-responsive material, such as an azobenzene-containing polymer. In particular, the layer-by-layer technique was used for the fabrication of the optically active fi lms consisting of alternating layers of chitosan and an azopolymer. The infl uence of the pH and the number of bilayers on the structure and properties… More >

Shams B. Ali¹, Sarmad Fawzi Hamza Alhasan¹, Evan T. Salim^2,*, Forat H. Alsultany³, Omar S. Dahham^4,5

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.11, pp. 2819-2834, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.021609

Abstract The pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technology was used to effectively create conductive nano and micro hafnium oxide with great purity and transparency for (HfO₂) nanofilms. In many optoelectronics devices and their applications, the presence of a high dielectric substance like a nano HfO₂, between the metal contacts and the substrates was critical. We used the Pulsed Laser Deposition method to fabricate an Al/HfO₂/p-Si Schottky barrier diode where the nanostructured HfO₂ films as an intermediate layer and varied substrate temperatures. The optical result reveals a high degree of transparency (93%). The optical bandgap of deposited HfO₂ films was observed to vary… More >

Jingjing Liao^1,2, Jinxing Li², Fuxian Yang², Yan Zhu², Hongyan Wang³, Guanben Du^1,2,*, Hisham Essawy⁴, Xiaojian Zhou^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.2, pp. 359-372, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.016335

Abstract Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based films containing Chinese bayberry tannin (BT) were prepared by cross-linking using glyoxal, glutaraldehyde and dialdehyde starch, individually. The presence of cross-linkers was evident to promote the transparency and decrease the moisture content of PVA/BT films, while the water solubility stayed almost unchanged in the cross-linked PVA/BT films. All cross-linkers provided promotion of the water vapor permeability, mechanical property and thermal stability of PVA/BT films. The best water vapor barrier capacity was found in case of glutaraldehyde cross-linked PVA/BT film, while the highest tensile strength was encountered in case of glyoxal cross-linked PVA/BT films, compared with the uncross-linked… More > Graphic Abstract