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At least 109 records · Page 6

Humidity effects on soluble core mechanical and thermal properties (polyvinyl alcohol/microballoon composite) type CG extendospheres, volume 2

This document constitutes the final report for the study of humidity effects and loading rate on soluble core (PVA/MB composite material) mechanical and thermal properties under Contract No. 100345. This report describes test results procedures employed, and any unusual occurrences or specific observations associated with this test program. The primary objective of this work was to determine if cured soluble core filler material regains its tensile and compressive strength after exposure to high humidity conditions and following a drying cycle. Secondary objectives include measurements of tensile and compressive modulus, and Poisson's ratio, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for various moisture exposure states. A third objective was to compare the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite using 'SG' and 'CG' type extendospheres. The proposed facility for the manufacture of soluble cores at the Yellow Creek site incorporates no capability for the control of humidity. Recent physical property tests performed with the soluble core filler material showed that prolonged exposure to high humidity significantly degradates in strength. The purpose of these tests is to determine if the product, process or facility designs require modification to avoid imparting a high risk condition to the ASRM.

Source record↗

Polyvinyl pyridine microspheres

Microspheres are produced by cobalt gamma radiation initiated polymerization of a dilute aqueous vinyl pyridine solution. Addition of cross-linking agent provides higher surface area beads. Addition of monomers such as hydroxyethylmethacrylate acrylamide or methacrylamide increases hydrophilic properties and surface area of the beads. High surface area catalytic supports are formed in the presence of controlled pore glass substrate.

Rembaum, Alan↗

Polyvinyl pyridine microspheres

Microspheres are produced by cobalt gamma radiation initiated polymerization of a dilute aqueous vinyl pyridine solution. Addition of cross-linking agent provides higher surface area beads. Addition of monomers such as hydroxyethylmethacrylate acrylamide or methacrylamide increases hydrophilic properties and surface area of the beads. High surface area catalytic supports are formed in the presence of controlled pore glass substrate.

Rembaum, Alan↗

Structural and magnetic characteristics of PVA/CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nano-composites prepared via mechanical alloying method

Highlights: • Single phase CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} nano-particles synthesized in one step by mechanical alloying. • PVA/CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} magnetic nano-composites were fabricated via mechanical milling. • FTIR confirmed the interaction between PVA and magnetic CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} particles. • Increasing in milling time and PVA amount led to well dispersion of CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. - Abstract: In this research, polyvinyl alcohol/cobalt ferrite nano-composites were successfully synthesized employing a two-step procedure: the spherical single-phase cobalt ferrite of 20 ± 4 nm mean particle size was synthesized via mechanical alloying method and then embedded into polymer matrix by intensive milling. The results revealed that increase in polyvinyl alcohol content and milling time causes cobalt ferrite particles disperse more homogeneously in polymer matrix, while the mean particle size and shape of cobalt ferrite have not been significantly affected. Transmission electron microscope images indicated that polyvinyl alcohol chains have surrounded the cobalt ferrite nano-particles; also, the interaction between polymer and cobalt ferrite particles in nano-composite samples was confirmed. Magnetic properties evaluation showed that saturation magnetization, coercivity and anisotropy constant values decreased in nano-composite samples compared to pure cobalt ferrite. However, the coercivity values of related nano-composite samples enhanced by increasing PVA amount due to domain wall mechanism.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Technical Note: Preliminary investigations into the use of a functionalised polymer to reduce diffusion in Fricke gel dosimeters

Purpose: A modification of the existing PVA-FX hydrogel has been made to investigate the use of a functionalised polymer in a Fricke gel dosimetry system to decrease Fe{sup 3+} diffusion. Methods: The chelating agent, xylenol orange, was chemically bonded to the gelling agent, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to create xylenol orange functionalised PVA (XO-PVA). A gel was created from the XO-PVA (20% w/v) with ferrous sulfate (0.4 mM) and sulfuric acid (50 mM). Results: This resulted in an optical density dose sensitivity of 0.014 Gy{sup −1}, an auto-oxidation rate of 0.0005 h{sup −1}, and a diffusion rate of 0.129 mm{sup 2} h{sup −1}; an 8% reduction compared to the original PVA-FX gel, which in practical terms adds approximately 1 h to the time span between irradiation and accurate read-out. Conclusions: Because this initial method of chemically bonding xylenol orange to polyvinyl alcohol has inherently low conversion, the improvement on existing gel systems is minimal when compared to the drawbacks. More efficient methods of functionalising polyvinyl alcohol with xylenol orange must be developed for this system to gain clinical relevance.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Development of aircraft lavatory compartments with improved fire resistance characteristics. Phase 4: Sandwich panel decorative ink development

Five chemically different resin systems with improved fire resistance properties were studied for a possible screenprinting ink application. Fire resistance is hereby defined as the cured ink possessing improvements in flammability, smoke emission, and thermal stability. The developed ink is for application to polyvinyl fluoride film. Only clear inks without pigments were considered. Five formulations were evaluated compared with KC4900 clear acrylic ink, which was used as a baseline. The tests used in the screening evaluation included viscosity, smoke and toxic gas emission, limiting oxygen index (LOI), and polyvinyl fluoride film (PVF) printability. A chlorofluorocarbon resin (FPC461) was selected for optimization studies. The parameters for optimization included screenprinting process performance, quality of coating, and flammability of screenprinted 0.051-mm (0.002-in.) white Tedlar. The quality of the screenprinted coating on Tedlar is dependent on viscosity, curing time, adhesion to polyvinyl fluoride film, drying time (both inscreen and as an applied film), and silk screen mesh material and porosity.

Jayarajan, A.↗

Silicon-Based Anode and Method for Manufacturing the Same

A silicon-based anode comprising silicon, a carbon coating that coats the surface of the silicon, a polyvinyl acid that binds to at least a portion of the silicon, and vinylene carbonate that seals the interface between the silicon and the polyvinyl acid. Because of its properties, polyvinyl acid binders offer improved anode stability, tunable properties, and many other attractive attributes for silicon-based anodes, which enable the anode to withstand silicon cycles of expansion and contraction during charging and discharging.

Yushin, Gleb Nikolayevich↗

Plastic scintillator with effective pulse shape discrimination for neutron and gamma detection

In one embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount of 5 wt % or more; wherein the scintillator material exhibits an optical response signature for neutrons that is different than an optical response signature for gamma rays. In another embodiment, a scintillator material includes a polymer matrix comprising at least one of: polyvinyl xylene (PVX); polyvinyl diphenyl; and polyvinyl tetrahydronaphthalene; and a primary dye in the polymer matrix, the primary dye being a fluorescent dye, the primary dye being present in an amount greater than 10 wt %. A total loading of dye in the scintillator material is sufficient to cause the scintillator material to exhibit a pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) figure of merit (FOM) of about at least 2.0.

Zaitseva, Natalia P.↗

The CWS Experiments – An Experimental Study of the Effects of Chlorine on Thermal Neutron Absorption

The Chlorine Worth Study (CWS) experiments consist of layers of Zero Power Physics Reactor plates moderated by high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride with the goal to produce a thermal critical experiment. A thick high density polyethylene reflector surrounds the experiments. Aluminum fuel trays and frames were used to conduct the intrinsic heat generation of the plutonium plates away from the core and out to the top plate and the platen, both acting as heat sinks. The goal of the CWS experiments was to provide benchmark critical experiments that were sensitive to chlorine and matched the sensitivity of criticality safety applications for aqueous chloride operations at PF-4 at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The specific aqueous chloride PF-4 applications were solutions of 30 g/L plutonium, 300 g/L plutonium, and 600 g/L plutonium. The CWS experiments were designed using prototype methods developed by the ARCHIMEDES and EUCLID projects at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The CWS experiments were performed in December of 2021 at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site on the Planet critical assembly. It is intended that the CWS experiments will be evaluated and submitted to the ICSBEP in the future as criticality safety benchmarks.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Durability of polymeric encapsulation materials in a PMMA/glass concentrator photovoltaic system

We examined the durability of polymeric encapsulation materials using outdoor exposure at the nominal geometric concentration of 500 suns. The results for 36-month cumulative field deployment are presented for materials including: poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), (EVA); polyvinyl butyral (PVB); ionomer; polyethylene/polyoctene copolymer (PO); thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS); poly(diphenyl dimethyl siloxane) (PDPDMS); and poly(phenyl-methyl siloxane) (PPMS). Measurements of the field conditions including ambient temperature and ultraviolet (UV) dose were recorded at the test site during the experiment. Our measurements for the experiment included optical transmittance (with subsequent analysis of solar-weighted transmittance, UV cut-off wavelength, and yellowness index), mass, visual photography, photoelastic imaging, and fluorescence spectroscopy. While the results to date for EVA are presented and discussed, examination here focuses more on the siloxane materials. A specimen recently observed to fail by thermal decomposition is discussed in terms of the implementation of the experiment as well as its fluorescence signature, which was observed to become more pronounced with age. Modulated thermogravimetry (allowing determination of the activation energy of thermal decomposition) was performed on a subset of the siloxanes to quantify the propensity for decomposition at elevated temperatures. Supplemental, Pt-catalyst- and primer-solutions as well as peroxide-cured PDMS specimens were examined to assess the source of the luminescence. Furthermore, our results, including the change in optical transmittance, observed failure modes, and subsequent analyses of the failure modes are described in the conclusions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Degradation in Photovoltaic Encapsulant Transmittance: Results of the Second PVQAT TG5 Artificial Weathering Study

The optical degradation of encapsulants from ultraviolet (UV) radiation has historically resulted in a significant loss in performance throughout the life of a photovoltaic (PV) module. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) test methods have recently been developed to screen for PV encapsulants prone to loss in optical performance. The present study was performed to benchmark polymeric packaging materials relative to IEC 62788-1-4 (covering the measurement of optical transmittance) and IEC 62788-1-7 (on the durability of transmittance), provide feedback toward improvement of the methods, and develop insight regarding optical degradation. Contemporary materials were examined, including poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA), thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), polyolefin elastomer (POE), and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) encapsulants; a poly(ethene-co-tetrafluoroethene)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (ETFE/PET) transparent backsheet; and a polystyrene (PS) working reference material. The use of silica-, specialty-, and rolled-glass was also compared in laminated coupons. Specimen size was separately examined from 2.5 to 12.5 cm. Weathering was performed with a xenon source, using IEC TS 62788-7-2 methods A2, A3, A4, and A5 (chamber temperature of 55 degrees C, 65 degrees C, 75 degrees C, or 85 degrees C), respectively. Characterizations were made using a UV-visible-near-infrared (UV-VIS-NIR) spectrophotometer (transmittance and reflectance, with and without an integrating sphere), a UV-VIS fluorescence spectrophotometer, a camera, and an optical microscope. Performance was analyzed, including solar weighted transmittance, yellowness index, UV cut-off wavelength, and haze (scattering). Separate Arrhenius analyses were performed to assess retention of transmittance and changes in yellowness index. The activation energy for both characteristics was found to range from 15-80 kJ mol-1, with an average of 48 kJ mol-1, similar to the average of 45 kJ mol-1 identified in the previous international PV Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT) Task Group 5 (TG5) study of more traditional encapsulants. The separate degradation modes of discoloration and scattering were distinguished in the encapsulants using a comprehensive spectral characterization. Based on these results, the IEC 62788-1-7 pass/fail criteria of 5% change in transmittance was confirmed to identify a known bad encapsulant.

durability↗

Characterisation and heat treatment of chloride-contaminated and humidified PuO2 samples

To mimic the reactions that have occurred between plutonium dioxide (PuO2) and degraded polyvinyl chloride during prolonged storage, batches of PuO2 powders with varying specific surface area (4-38m2 g1) were exposed to dry hydrogen chloride gas forming a surface-sorbed exchangeable chloride species that was readily leached by dilute caustic solution. One batch was also humidified under a 95% relative humidity atmosphere. Heat treatment at temperatures between 100 and 950 C steadily reduced the leachable chloride content at least when the initial leachable chloride surface coverage was calculated to be > 0.5 monolayer (ML). Variations between samples are attributed to differences in surface area as well as production route and period of interim storage in air or humidified atmospheres. The data are consistent with surface species and reactions proposed in the literature for HCl adsorption on to TiO2. This indicates that it is interactions between hydrogen chloride/chloride and water/hydroxyl species on the PuO2 surface that are key to understanding the behaviour of these materials when heated in a furnace. These data will inform the design of a future thermal stabilisation process for chloride-contaminated PuO2.

Sutherland-Harper, Sophie↗

Quantifying the Influence of Size, Shape, and Density of Microplastics on Their Transport Modes: A Modeling Approach

Microplastics (MPs) pose significant risks to marine ecosystems and human health, necessitating accurate predictions of their distributions in aquatic environments for effective risk mitigation. However, understanding MP transport dynamics is challenging because of the inadequate representation of MP characteristics such as size, shape, and density in numerical models. Further, the accuracy of the MP vertical profiles in existing models has not been thoroughly validated. Thus, we developed an MP transport model within the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model framework (FVCOM-MP) by integrating MP characteristics. We validated FVCOM-MP against experimental and analytical data, focusing on various MP transport modes and transitions. FVCOM-MP successfully replicates MP profiles in different transport modes, including the bedload, surface-load, suspended-load, and mixed-load modes. Additionally, we introduce phase diagrams for classifying MP transport modes based on particle characteristics, enhancing our understanding of MP dynamics in aquatic systems. The transport modes for a number of real-world MP particles, including fishing line, plastic bag/bottle fragments, synthetic fibers, tire wear particles, polyvinyl chloride and expanded polystyrene pellets, were analyzed with these phase diagrams.

Microplastic transport, Settling velocity, Rising ↗

PVA and PEG functionalised LSMO nanoparticles for magnetic fluid hyperthermia application

La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} magnetic nanoparticles are synthesized by a solution combustion method and functionalised with polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene glycol. The induction heating characteristics of coated magnetic nanoparticles (42 °C) were observed at a reasonably low concentration (5 mg/mL). Remarkably, coated magnetic nanoparticles exhibited a promisingly high specific absorption rate with varying magnetic field and constant frequency. The surface analysis is carried out by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A reduction in the agglomeration of the particles was observed when the magnetic nanoparticles were functionalised with polyvinyl alcohol or polyethylene glycol and can be confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering studies. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements indicate superparamagnetic behaviour at room temperature before and after coating. Colloidal stability revealed a considerably higher zeta potential value for coated system. In vitro cytotoxicity test of the magnetic nanoparticles indicates that coated nanoparticles have no significant effect on cell viability within the tested concentrations (1–5 mg mL{sup -1}) as compared to uncoated La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3}. All these findings explore the potentiality of La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} nanoparticles for magnetic fluid hyperthermia. - Highlights: • Surface functionalization of LSMO nanoparticles — first time with PVA • Surface functionalization of LSMO nanoparticles — first time with PEG • BSA protein — first time used as dispersion medium for stability of LSMO nanoparticles • The heating ability observed at low concentration • Improved efficiency of magnetic fluid hyperthermia treatment with surfactants.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Large-scale and shape-controlled synthesis and characterization of nanorod-like nickel powders under microwave radiation

Graphical abstract: The nanorod-like pure nickel were fabricated via hydrothermal liquid phase reduction route under microwave irradiation with hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent as well as polyvinyl alcohol as a dispersant and/or structure directing agent. The materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, HRTEM, and selected-area electron diffraction, etc. The lattice expansion for Ni powders was explained in detail. As-prepared Ni sample was of obvious shape anisotropy with length diameter ratio of 5. Magnetic measurements shown that the magnetic properties of Ni nanorod-like (fcc) were quite different from those of hexagonal closed-packed (hcp) Ni nanoparticles. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The synthesis of nanorod-like nickel under microwave irradiation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nitrogen generated in reaction as a shielding gas. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The lattice expansion for Ni powders was explained in detail. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Magnetic properties of Ni were quite different from those of Ni nanoparticles. -- Abstract: The nanorod-like nickel powders were fabricated via hydrothermal liquid phase reduction route under microwave irradiation with hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent as well as polyvinyl alcohol as a dispersant and/or structure directing agent. The morphology and structure of as-prepared products could be easily tuned by adjusting process parameters such as pH value and microwave irradiation time. The resulting materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). The results demonstrated that pure nickel powders with face-centered cubic (fcc) structure were prepared at relatively mild condition and no characteristic peaks of nickel oxide in the XRD pattern were found. The phenomenon of lattice expansion for Ni powders was explained in details according to the XRD theory. As-prepared Ni sample was of obvious shape anisotropy with length diameter ratio of 5. Magnetic measurements shown that the magnetic properties of nanorod-like (fcc) Ni powders were quite different from those of hexagonal closed-packed (hcp) Ni nanoparticles. Furthermore, it had more strong ferromagnetic properties than that of Ni powders both bulk and nanoparticles.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗