The properties of carbonized lignin nanoparticles were investigated to determine if this material could be used as an environmentally-friendly alternative to carbon black. The observed surface area of the carbonized lignin was found to be higher than that of carbon black because the powder is highly porous. The lignin nanoparticles were able to be produced in such a way as to give a similar size as carbon black nanoparticles, with ...
The authors have prepared a shape-stabilized composite phase change material (ss-CPCM) using paraffin encapsulated in SiO2. SiO2 was chosen because of its low cost, such that the resultant ss-CPCM would be a feasible option for use at the commercial or industrial scale. The composite was examined using FTIR and XRD and it was confirmed that it had excellent chemical compatibility and stability. The thermal storage capability and thermal conductivity results ...
The authors have dispersed mesoporous silica (MPSiO2) nanoparticles in water and determined the thermal conductivity for each of the resulting nanofluids. It was determined that the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid was greater than that of water, so these nanofluids have potential for use in heat exchanger applications....
The authors prepared silica aerogel/polyurethane composites by two different methods for the comparison of the two methods. The objective was to study the thermal insulation and hydrophobic properties of the composites to evaluate their potential for use as fabric membranes. It was found that the composites are better thermal insulators than polyurethane alone, and that they also have improved hydrophobic properties. It was also determined that the thermal conductivities ...
Polystyrene/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PS/MWCNT) nanocomposite foams were prepared in order to determine if these foams exhibited a reduced thermal conductivity in comparison to pristine polystyrene foam. The thermal conductivity of foams can be broken down into three modes of conduction: gas conductivity, solid conductivity, and radiative conductivity. The PS/MWCNT foams had decreased gas and radiative conductivities in comparison to the pristine PS foam; however, the solid conductivity ...
