Search results for: POLYESTERS, COATINGS, CHEMICAL STRUCTURE
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Optimization of boron-doping process of titania nanotubes via electrochemical method toward enhanced photoactivity
PublicationIn this work, we were focused on the development of the electrochemical approach resulting in a stable boron doping of titania nanotubes. The doping procedure concerns anodic polarization of as-anodized titania in a H3BO3 solution acting as n boron precursor. The series of attempts were taken in order to elaborate the most beneficial doping conditions. The parameters of electrochemical doping allowing to obtain boron-doped titania...
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Consequences of New Approach of Chemical Stability Tests of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)
PublicationThere is a great need of broaden look on stability tests of active pharmaceuticalingredients (APIs) in comparison with current requirements contained in pharmacopeia.By usage of many modern analytical methods the conception of monitoring the changesof APIs during initial stage of their exposure to harmful factors has been developed. Newknowledge must be acquired in terms of identification of each degradation...
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ACTIVATED BIOCHAR AS AN ADSORBENT OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PublicationThe use of biomass, especially waste biomass, as an alternative energy source is a very important issue today. Pyrolysis is a process of thermal degradation of raw material and one of its products is biochar. This product is mainly distinguished by its high carbon content, and by improving its quality through activation, it can be more widely used. Activated biocarbon has a strongly developed surface and porous structure, and as...
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Analysis of the impact of wastewater discharge on recipients: synergistic approach
PublicationThe dissertation presents the analysis of chemical and microbial composition of wastewater and examines the impact of wastewater discharge on the environment. Various case studies were analysed: from small settlements in a pristine European Arctic, to large municipal wastewater treatment plants in areas subjected to greater anthropogenic pressure. In order to comprehensively analyse the impact of wastewater discharge on the receiving...
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Performance tuning of chitosan-based membranes by protonated 2-Pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid-sulfolane DES for effective water/ethanol separation by pervaporation
PublicationToday, the applicability of deep eutectic solvents (DES) in various fields, including membrane science and technology, is extensively investigated. In pioneering works, we have implemented different DES as a component of chitosan (CS)-based flat membranes for pervaporation (PV) separation. Herein, we present a new protonated (by sulphuric acid) 2-Pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid: sulfolane DES, as a green additive for its chemical...
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Shape memory thin films of Polyurethane: Does graphene content affect the recovery behavior of Polyurethane nanocomposites?
PublicationThin nanocomposite films of polyurethane have received remarkable attention due to their shape memory properties. As most of the reports focus on the beneficial aspects of the presence of nanofillers such as graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) introduced into shape memory polymers, some research results reveal the opposite trend. The polyether/polyester-based polyurethane was synthesized through a condensation polymerization and the...
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The role of hydrogen bonding on tuning hard-soft segments in bio-based thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s
PublicationThis work describes the preparation of bio-based thermoplastic poly(ether-urethane)s (TPU) via a prepolymer method and investigates the effect of varying the interphase hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) on physicochemical, thermal and mechanical properties. This was achieved by varying the glycol type and molar ratio of [NCO]/[OH] groups used during the prepolymer chain extending step. The TPUs’ chemical structure was analyzed by Fourier...
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Molecularly imprinted polymers applied in capillary electrochromatography and electrophoresis techniques
PublicationMolecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic materials with predetermined selectivity for a particular analyte or group of structure-linked chemicals which make them an ideal separation component. The process of developing and applying new types of MIPs in the field of environmental analytical chemistry has been broadly discussedi n many scientific studies in recent years. The use of new types of MIP sorbents as unique sorption...
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Structure and performance properties of environmentally-friendly biocomposites based on poly(ɛ-caprolactone) modified with copper slag and shale drill cuttings wastes
PublicationThe potential application of two types of industrial wastes, drill cuttings (DC) and copper slag (CS), as silica-rich modifiers of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated. Chemical structure and physical properties of DC and CS fillers were characterized using X-ray diffractometer, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, particle size and density measurements. PCL/DC and PCL/CS composites with a variable content of filler (5 to 50...
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Optimization of Saccharification Conditions of Lignocellulosic Biomass under Alkaline Pre-Treatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis
PublicationPre-treatment is a significant step in the production of second-generation biofuels from waste lignocellulosic materials. Obtaining biofuels as a result of fermentation processes requires appropriate pre-treatment conditions ensuring the highest possible degree of saccharification of the feed material. An influence of the following process parameters were investigated for alkaline pre-treatment of Salix viminalis L.: catalyst concentration...
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Toward Polyethylene–Polyester Block and Graft Copolymers with Tunable Polarity
PublicationThe synthesis and characterization of polyethylene–polyester block and graft copolymers and their potential as compatibilizers in polyethylene-based polymer blends are being described. The various routes to functionalized polyethylenes and the corresponding block/graft copolymers have been compared and evaluated for their scalability to industrial scale production. Hydroxyl chain-end and randomly OH-functionalized HDPE as well...
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Interrelationship between total volatile organic compounds emissions, structure and properties of natural rubber/polycaprolactone bio-blends cross-linked with peroxides
PublicationNatural rubber/polycaprolactone (NR/PCL) bio-based blends with different organic peroxides were prepared using an internal batch mixer and subsequently cross-linked at 170°C. Two types of commonly used organic peroxides, dicumyl peroxide and di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide, were applied as free-radical initiator. Cross-linking efficiency of NR/PCL blends were investigated using oscillating disc rheometer measurements,...
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Fermentative Conversion of Two-Step Pre-Treated Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrogen
PublicationFermentative hydrogen production via dark fermentation with the application of lignocellulosic biomass requires a multistep pre-treatment procedure, due to the complexed structure of the raw material. Hence, the comparison of the hydrogen productivity potential of different lignocellulosic materials (LCMs) in relation to the lignocellulosic biomass composition is often considered as an interesting field of research. In this study,...
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Physicochemical Properties and Application of Silica-Doped Biochar Composites as Efficient Sorbents of Copper from Tap Water
PublicationThis article concerns research on new sorption materials based on silica-doped activated carbon. A two-stage synthesis involved pyrolysis of plant material impregnated in a water glass solution , followed by hydrothermal activation of the pyrolysate in KOH solution. The resulting composite can be used as a sorbent in drinking water filters. The proposed method of synthesis enables the design of materials with a surface area...
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Low-Coherence Interferometric Fiber-Optic Sensors with Potential Applications as Biosensors
PublicationFiber-optic Fabry-Pérot interferometers (FPI) can be applied as optical sensors, and excellent measurement sensitivity can be obtained by fine-tuning the interferometer design. In this work, we evaluate the ability of selected dielectric thin films to optimize the reflectivity of the Fabry-Pérot cavity. The spectral reflectance and transmittance of dielectric films made of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) with...
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Highly Occupied Surface States at Deuterium-Grown Boron-Doped Diamond Interfaces for Efficient Photoelectrochemistry
PublicationPolycrystalline boron-doped diamond is a promising material for high-power aqueous electrochemical applications in bioanalytics, catalysis, and energy storage. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process of diamond forma-tion and doping is totally diversified by using high kinetic energies of deu-terium substituting habitually applied hydrogen. The high concentration of deuterium in plasma induces atomic arrangements and steric...
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The possibility of use by-products for synthesis of emulsifiers
PublicationIn the last years the interest in use of materials originated from natural sources, e.g. vegetables to produce attractive products still grows. According to that, also the synthesis of these products should be adequate to the green chemistry requirements. The typical example observed in recent years focuses on utlization of bioglycerol - the by - product of global biodiesel manufacturing. The still growing production of biodiesel...
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Culturable bacteria community development in postglacial soils of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, Antarctica
PublicationGlacier forelands are excellent sites in which to study microbial succession because conditions change rapidly in the emerging soil. Development of the bacterial community was studied along two transects on lateral moraines of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches (denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis). Environmental conditions such as cryoturbation and soil composition...
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Sustainable upcycling of brewers’ spent grain by thermo-mechanical treatment in twin-screw extruder
PublicationThermo-mechanical treatment of brewers’ spent grain (a by-product of beer manufacturing) was successfully performed via the extrusion process. The impact of temperature (from 30 to 180 °C), throughput (from 1 to 5 kg/h) and screw speed (from 75 to 375 rpm) on particle size, color, chemical structure, antioxidant activity and thermal stability of resulting material, as well as correlations between particular properties, were investigated....
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Formation of Highly Conductive Boron-Doped Diamond on TiO2 Nanotubes Composite for Supercapacitor or Energy Storage Devices
PublicationIn the present paper, we report the phenomena of the formation of the novel composite nanostructures based on TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) over-grown by thin boron-doped diamond (BDD) film produced in Microwave Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE MWCVD). The TiO2 nanotube array overgrown by boron-doped diamond immersed in 0.1 M NaNO3 can deliver high specific capacitance of 7.46 mF cm−2. The composite electrodes were characterized...
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Silicon oxycarbide ceramics as anodes for lithium ion batteries: influence of carbon content on lithium storage capacity
PublicationWe report here on the synthesis and characterization of silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) in view of its application as a potential anode material for Li-ion batteries. SiOC ceramics are obtained by pyrolysis of various polysiloxanes synthesized by sol–gel methods. The polysiloxanes contain different organic groups attached to silicon, which influence the chemical composition and the microstructure of the final ceramic product. The structure...
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Low-Coherence Interferometric Fiber-Optic Sensors with Potential Applications as Biosensors
PublicationFiber-optic Fabry-Pérot interferometers (FPI) can be applied as optical sensors, and excellent measurement sensitivity can be obtained by fine-tuning the interferometer design. In this work, we evaluate the ability of selected dielectric thin films to optimize the reflectivity of the Fabry-Pérot cavity. The spectral reflectance and transmittance of dielectric films made of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) with...
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Chemical-Assisted Mechanical Lapping of Thin Boron-Doped Diamond Films: A Fast Route Toward High Electrochemical Performance for Sensing Devices
PublicationThere is an urgent need for an effective and economically viable increase in electrochemical performance of boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes that are used in sensing and electrocatalytic applications. Specifically, one must take into consideration the electrode heterogeneity due to nonhomogenous boron-dopant distribution and the removal of sp2 carbon impurities saturating the electrode, without interference in material integrity....
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Graphene oxide aerogels for adsorptive separation of aromatic hydrocarbons and cycloalkanes
PublicationEfficient separation of benzene and cyclohexane has critical importance for production of commodity chemicals, and is one of the most challenging separations in the industry. Physisorption by recyclable, porous solids has a significant potential in substituting energy-intensive azeotropic or extractive distillation methods. Reduced graphene oxide aerogels (rGOAs) are emerging materials holding great promise for connecting unique...
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Phototransformation of three selected pharmaceuticals, naproxen, 17α-Ethinylestradiol and tetracycline in water: Identification of photoproducts and transformation pathways
PublicationTransformation products (TPs) may be formed during various processes, however, it was proved that one of the main mechanisms responsible for degradation of pharmaceuticals in natural waters is photolysis. Three compounds were selected, tetracycline (TC), 17-α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and naproxen (NAP), for degradation experiments which were performed using a xenon lamp emitting light with a spectrum closely approximating that of...
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Self-Organization of Graft Copolymers and Retortable iPP-Based Nanoporous Films Thereof
PublicationPolyolefins might become inexpensive alternatives to the existing membranes based on polyethersulfone. Here we disclose the production of retortable, well-defined PP-based nanoporous membranes derived from amphiphilic graft copolymer precursors. The graft copolymers, containing a polypropylene backbone and polyester grafts, were obtained by grafting lactones, specifically δ-valerolactone and ε-caprolactone, from well-defined randomly...
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Supramolecular deep eutectic solvents and their applications
PublicationIn recent years, the growing awareness of the harmfulness of chemicals to the environment has resulted in the development of green and sustainable technologies. The compromise between economy and environmental requirements is based on the development of new efficient and green solutions. Supramolecular deep eutectic solvents (SUPRADESs), a new deep eutectic solvent (DES) subclass characterized by inclusion properties, are a fresh...
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Overcoming carboxylic acid inhibition by granular consortia in high-load liquefied food waste fermentation for efficient lactate accumulation
PublicationGranular sludge, a self-aggregating spherical biofilm, possesses better stability compared to flocculent sludge under extreme conditions. This study compared the ability of anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) and flocculent waste activated sludge (WAS) to convert food waste (FW) into highly-valuable optically active lactic acid (LA), a central and versatile intermediate platform molecule. Different loadings (30–60 g volatile suspended...
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Structure and properties comparison of poly(ether-urethane)s based on nonpetrochemical and petrochemical polyols obtained by solvent free two-step method
PublicationThe application of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) is becoming more and more extensive, and the decreasing of used petrochemical monomers and reduction of energy for the polymerization and processing processes is getting increasingly important. In this paper, we confirmed the positive influence of high bio-based monomers contents (by replacing petrochemical polyol and glycol by bio-based counterparts) on processing and properties...
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Mechanical Properties of Bio-Composites Based on Epoxy Resin and Nanocellulose Fibres
PublicationThe aim of our research was to investigate the effect of a small nanocellulose (NC) addition on an improvement of the mechanical properties of epoxy composites. A procedure of chemical extraction from pressed lignin was used to obtain nanocellulose fibers. The presence of nanoparticles in the cellulose pulp was confirmed by FTIR/ATR spectra as well as measurement of nanocellulose particle size using a Zetasizer analyzer. Epoxy...
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Visible light photocatalysis employing TiO2/SrTiO3-BiOI composites: Surface properties and photoexcitation mechanism
PublicationA series of binary TiO2/SrTiO3 and ternary TiO2/SrTiO3_BiOI composites have been synthesized using multistep preparation method. Characterization of the obtained photocatalysts covered complex analysis including morphology + y (SEM), BET specific surface area, porosity, optical properties (DRS), chemical composition of surface (XPS), crystal structure and crystal size (XRD). UV–vis and Vis ligh induced photocatalytic activity was...
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Salt melt synthesis of curved nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructures: ORR kinetics boost
PublicationImplementing metal-free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and revealing crucial chemical or topographical parameters driving their activity are vital for the development of power cells. The carbon-based catalysts are very often synthesized through carbonization of biopolymers, in particular, those one containing nitrogen groups such as chitosan. Unfortunately, the resulting carbonaceous materials usually...
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Effect of Polymerization Statistics on the Electronic Properties of Copolymers for Organic Photovoltaics
PublicationStatistical block copolymers, composed of donor (D) and acceptor (A) blocks, are a novel type of material for organic photovoltaics (OPVs) devices. In particular a new series of polymers based on PBTZT-stat-BDTT-8, recently developed by Merck, offers high solubility in different solvents, and a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) in different device architectures. Although it is known that the electronic properties of these...
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Processing and structure–property relationships of natural rubber/wheat bran biocomposites
PublicationIn this work, wheat bran was used as cellulosic filler in biocomposites based on natural rubber. The impact of wheat bran content [ranging from 10 to 50 parts per hundred rubber (phr)] on processing, structure, dynamic mechanical properties, thermal properties, physico-mechanical properties and morphology of resulting biocomposites was investigated. For better characterization of interfacial interactions between natural rubber...
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Microwave radiation in the synthesis of urethane prepolymers
PublicationThis paper describes the use of microwave radiation in the synthesis of urethane prepolymers in bulk (without solvent). The prepolymers were synthesized using 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and poly (ε-caprolactone) diol (PCL) at a molar ratio of 4:1. The reaction was carried out without a catalyst in the reactor with a conventional heating system (oil bath) or in the microwave reactor (MW Reactor NOVA 09) at temperatures...
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Influence of the boron doping level on the electrochemical oxidation of the azo dyes at Si/BDD thin film electrodes
PublicationIn this study the efficiency of electrochemical oxidation of aromatic pollutants, such as reactive dyes, at boron-doped diamond on silicon (Si/BDD) electrodes was investigated. The level of [B]/[C] ratio which is effective for the degradation and mineralization of selected aromatic pollutants, and the impact of [B]/[C] ratio on the crystalline structure, layer conductivity and relative sp3/sp2 coefficient of a BDD electrode were...
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The influence of the Cu2O deposition method on the structure, morphology and photoresponse of the ordered TiO2NTs/Cu2O heterojunction
PublicationThe increased interest in highly ordered titania structures exhibiting tubular shape that could be directly formed onto the stable substrate is related with the intensive research on their modification enabling absorption of light within the wide solar spectrum and its further conversion into electric or chemical energy. Among others, formation of uniform 3D heterojunctions based on the TiO2 nanotubes attracts attention since porous...
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The ONETEP linear-scaling density functional theory program
PublicationWe present an overview of the ONETEP program for linear-scaling density functional theory (DFT) calculations with large basis set (planewave) accuracy on parallel computers. The DFT energy is computed from the density matrix, which is constructed from spatially localized orbitals we call Non-orthogonal Generalized Wannier Functions (NGWFs), expressed in terms of periodic sinc (psinc) functions. During the calculation, both the...
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Efficient Method for the Concentration Determination of Fmoc Groups Incorporated in the Core-Shell Materials by Fmoc–Glycine
PublicationIn this paper, we described the synthesis procedure of TiO2@SiO2 core-shell modified with 3-(aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS). The chemical attachment of Fmoc–glycine (Fmoc–Gly–OH) at the surface of the core-shell structure was performed to determine the amount of active amino groups on the basis of the amount of Fmoc group calculation. We characterized nanostructures using various methods: transmission electron microscope...
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Eco-friendly Route for Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomers with Bio-based Hard Segments Composed of Bio-glycol and Mixtures of Aromatic–Aliphatic and Aliphatic–Aliphatic Diisocyanate
PublicationApplication of bio-based diisocyanates with low volatility instead petrochemical diisocyanates has positive impact on environment by reduction of hazardous effects on living organisms and lead to bio-based polyurethanes (bio-PUs) with good usage properties. This work was focused on the synthesis and chosen properties examination of partially bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (bio-PUs) obtained using diisocyanate mixtures,...
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Bio‑derived polyurethanes obtained by non‑isocyanate route using polyol‑based bis(cyclic carbonate)s—studies on thermal decomposition behavior
PublicationNon-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) constitute one of the most prospective groups of eco-friendly materials based on their phosgene-free synthesis pathway. Moreover, one of the steps of their obtaining includes the use of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which allows for the promotion of the development of carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies. In this work, non- isocyanate polyurethanes were obtained via three-step synthesis...
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Low temperature growth of diamond films on optical fibers using Linear Antenna CVD system
PublicationIt is not trivial to achieve a good quality diamond-coated fibre interface due to a large difference in the properties and composition of the diamond films (or use coating even) and the optical fibre material, i.e. fused silica. One of the biggest problems is the high temperature during the deposition which influences the optical fibre or optical fibre sensor structure (e.g. long-period gratings (LPG)). The greatest advantage of...
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Structural, thermal and physico-mechanical properties of polyurethane/brewers’ spent grain composite foams modified with ground tire rubber
PublicationIn this work, brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and ground tire rubber (GTR) waste fillers were applied as low-cost reinforcement phase in rigid polyurethane foam (PUR). PUR/BSG/GTR composites were prepared by a single step method, using polyglycerol as partial substitute of commercially available petrochemical polyols. Foaming parameters, chemical structure, dynamic mechanical properties, thermal stability, physico-mechanical properties...
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Biopolyols obtained via crude glycerol-based liquefaction of cellulose: their structural, rheological and thermal characterization
PublicationIn this work lignocellulose biomass liquefaction was used to produce biopolyols suitable for the manufacturing of rigid polyurethane foams. In order to better evaluate the mechanism of the process, pure cellulose was applied as a raw material. The effect of time and temperature on the effectiveness of liquefaction and the parameters of resulting biopolyols were characterized. The prepared materials were analyzed in terms of their...
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Effect of hybrid modification by ceramic layer formation in MAO process and laser remelting on the structure of titanium bio-alloy Ti13Nb13Zr
PublicationTo improve the biological properties of titanium alloy Ti13Nb13Zr, hybrid modifications involving micro-arc oxidation (MAO) and Nd: YAG laser remelting were carried out in two combinations. The first consisted of laser modification before the production of the ceramic layer by the micro-arc oxidation process, and the second combination involved Nd: YAG laser modification after the MAO process. The creation of developed surface...
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Fabrication and characterization of boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond-coated MEMS probes
PublicationFabrication processes of thin boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond (B-NCD) films on silicon-based micro- and nano-electromechanical structures have been investigated. Nanocrystalline boron doped -diamond (B-NCD) films were deposited using Microwave Plasma Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition (MW PA CVD) method. The variation of B-NCD morphology, structure and optical parameters were particularly investigated. The use of truncated...
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The preparation and evaluation of core-shell magnetic dummy-template molecularly imprinted polymers for preliminary recognition of the low-mass polybrominated diphenyl ethers from aqueous solutions
PublicationThe design, preparation process, binding abilities, morphological characteristic and prospective field of application of dummy-template magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (DMMIP) for preliminary recognition of the selected low-mass polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE-47 and PBDE-99) from aquatic environment were investigated. The surface of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanopowder (50-100 nm particles size) was modified with tetraethoxysilane...
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Exposure to Bisphenol A Analogs and the Thyroid Function and Volume in Women of Reproductive Age—Cross-Sectional Study
PublicationBisphenols (BPs) are commonly known plastifiers that are widely used in industry. The knowledge about the impact of BPs on thyroid function is scarce. Proper thyroid functioning is especially important for women of reproductive age, as hypothyroidism affects fertility, pregnancy outcomes and the offspring. There are no studies analyzing the influence of BPs on thyroid function and volume in non-pregnant young women. The aim of...
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Influence of synthesis conditions on glass formation, structure and thermal properties in the Na 2 O-CaO-P 2 O 5 system doped with Si 3 N 4 and Mg
PublicationOxynitride phosphate glasses and glass-ceramics were prepared using new synthesis routes for phosphate glasses. Materials were melted from pre-prepared glass samples in the system Na-Ca-P-O with addition of Mg and/or Si3N4 powders under different preparation conditions. The melting process was conducted at 1000–1500 °C either under air or nitrogen atmosphere to obtain materials with different nitrogen content. Their topography...
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Self-organized multilayered graphene-boron doped diamond hybrid nanowalls for high performance electron emission devices
PublicationCarbon nanomaterials like nanotubes, nanoflakes/nanowalls and graphene have been used as electron sources due to their superior field electron emission (FEE) characteristics. Nevertheless, these materials show poor stability and a short lifetime, preventing them from being used in practical device applications. The intention of this study was to find an innovative nanomaterial, possessing both high robustness and reliable FEE behavior....