Le Van Hai^1,2, Lindong Zhai¹, Hyun Chan Kim¹, Jung Woong Kim¹, Jaehwan Kim^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.7, pp. 621-629, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.06466

Abstract This paper reports green nanocomposites made by blending polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with cellulose nanofiber (CNF) isolated from recycled deinked copy/printing paper (DIP). The reinforcement effect of DIPCNF in the nanocomposites is compared with other CNFs isolated from native cotton and hardwood by means of TEMPO-oxidation. The prepared PVA-CNF nanocomposites are characterized in terms of morphology, chemical interaction, structural, thermal and mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirm the reinforcing ability of cellulose nanofibers into PVA. By blending CNFs into PVA matrix, the thermal stability of the nanocomposites is improved and DIPCNF shows similar enhancement effect with COCNF… More >

Azam Sardari^1,2, Ali Asghar Sabbagh Alvani^1,2,3,*, Seyed Reza Ghaffarian^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.1, pp. 31-40, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.00045

Abstract In this study, three sorts of polyols were successfully synthesized from castor oil using a Dean-Stark quick, eco-friendly and high-efficiency method. For this purpose, castor oil was epoxidized in the presence of two types of catalysts including γ-alumina and formic acid, named as ECOAl and ECOF, respectively. Epoxidized castor oils were then characterized by use of hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) and oxirane oxygen content analysis. The relative percentages of conversion double bond to oxirane were obtained 96% and 74% for ECOAl and ECOF, respectively. Ring opening reaction of ECOAl was performed by two types of saponified castor oil as… More >

A. Abolins*, V. Yakushin and D. Vilsone

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.7, pp. 737-745, 2018, DOI:10.32604/JRM.2018.00119

Abstract Linseed oil was epoxidized using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), acetic acid (AcOH) and ion exchange resin Amberlite IR-120 as a catalyst. Epoxidized oil was separately dissolved in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or diethylene glycol butyl ether (DGBE) and phosphorylated with different amounts of phosphoric (H3PO4) acid (1%, 2%, 3% and 5%). The formation of phosphate polyesters was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. Based on the synthesized polyols, polyurethane (PU) coatings were prepared. PU coating based on linseed oil diethylene glycol ester polyol was used as the reference. For the characterization of coatings, mechanical tests and… More >

Edgars Vanags*, Mikelis Kirpluks, Ugis Cabulis and Zuzana Walterova

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.7, pp. 764-771, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2018.634111

Abstract In this work, free tall oil fatty acids were epoxidized with in-situ generated peroxyacetic acid. Reaction kinetics of epoxidation was investigated by oxirane content and iodine value titrimetric determination, as well as FTIR spectra analysis. A highly functional biobased polyol was synthesized by functionalizing epoxidized tall oil fatty acids with triethanolamine using Montmorillonite K10 as a catalyst. The obtained polyol was analyzed by FTIR and MALDI-TOF MS. The most common chemical and physical characteristics of obtained polyol were determined. More >

Jan Badorrek^1,2, Michael Walter^3,4,*, Marie-Pierre Laborie^1,2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.3, pp. 325-335, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634183

Abstract Doping lignin with carbon nanotubes is a promising strategy for cost-effective high-performance carbon fibers. We investigate the intermolecular interaction potential of CNT and organosolv lignin with two main approaches. Experimentally, oxidized purified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and beech organosolv lignins and derivatives are analyzed with their Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) to assess their mutual compatibility. Theoretically, dispersion-corrected density functional theory simulations of the interaction between model molecules and single-walled carbon nanotubes reveal the source of interactions. We find that oxidation enables and enhances the interaction between carbon nanotubes and organosolv lignin experimentally, which is in agreement with the enhanced polar… More >

Kahina Iggui^1,2,*,†, Mustapha Kaci², Nicolas Le Moigne¹, Anne Bergeret¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.3, pp. 288-298, 2018, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634184

Abstract The effects of accelerated photooxidation on the molecular weight and thermal and mechanical properties of Cast PHBV and PHBV/Cloisite 30B (3 wt%) bionanocomposites are investigated herein. Through size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis, a significant decrease in both weight and number average molecular weights was observed for all irradiated samples over time, resulting from the chain scission mechanism. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data indicated a decrease in degree of crystallinity and melting temperature after UV exposure, with the appearance of double melting peaks related to the changes in the crystal structure of PHBV. Thermal stability, tensile and thermo-mechanical properties were also… More >

María Belén Colombo Migliorero, Valeria Palermo^*, Patricia Graciela Vázquez, Gustavo Pablo Romanelli

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.3-4, pp. 167-173, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634108

Abstract The utilization and valorization of industrial waste is an effective strategy for environmental protection. Since the juice industry generates a huge amount of citrus waste, we studied the application of thermally treated orange peel in catalysis. On the other hand, Keggin heteropolyacids are excellent oxidant catalysts used as a replacement for conventional oxidants; however, their solubility in polar solvents and the low specific area limit their use as heterogeneous catalysts. The utilization of treated orange peel as heteropolyacid support for the selective oxidation of sulfides is presented here. Firstly, orange peel was thermally treated, and then it was incorporated with… More >

Liang Yang^1,2, Caizhuang Wang^3,*, Shiwei Lin^2,*, Yang Cao², Xiaoheng Liu¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.55, No.1, pp. 177-188, 2018, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2018.055.177

Abstract Understanding of metal oxidation is very critical to corrosion control, catalysis synthesis, and advanced materials engineering. Metal oxidation is a very complex phenomenon, with many different processes which are coupled and involved from the onset of reaction. In this work, the initial stage of oxidation on titanium surface was investigated in atomic scale by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a reactive force field (ReaxFF). We show that oxygen transport is the dominant process during the initial oxidation. Our simulation also demonstrate that a compressive stress was generated in the oxide layer which blocked the oxygen transport perpendicular to the Titanium… More >

G. Smith¹, E. Schlangen², P.E.J. Flewitt³, A.G. Crocker⁴, A. Hodgkins⁵

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.51, No.3, pp. 163-185, 2016, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2016.051.163

Abstract Two linked models have been developed to explore the relationship between the amount of porosity arising in service from both radiolytic oxidation and fast neutron damage that influences both the strength and the force-displacement (load-displacement) behaviour and crack propagation in pile grade A graphite used as a nuclear reactor moderator material. Firstly models of the microstructure of the porous graphite for both unirradiated and irradiated graphite are created. These form the input for the second stage, simulating fracture in lattice-type finite element models, which predicts force (load)-displacement and crack propagation paths. Microstructures comprising aligned filler particles, typical of needle coke,… More >