Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Alexander Bonhage, Thomas Raab, Anna Schneider, Alexandra Raab, William Ouimet, Jorg Voelkel, Shaghayegh Ramezany
Summary: Relict charcoal hearth (RCH) landforms are small circular microrelief features found in forests of the North-Eastern USA and Central Europe. Soils on RCHs are enriched in organic-(OC) and pyrogenic carbon (PyC), resulting in unique soil microhabitats. This study shows that RCHs can add significantly to a landscape's carbon storage, with high site densities having a greater effect.
Review
Forestry
Hana Johanis, Jiri Lehejcek, Vaclav Tejnecky
Summary: Protection and appropriate management of forests are crucial for climate change adaptation. Biochar amendments have the potential to improve forest soils, but their long-term effects have not been extensively studied. Relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) provide valuable data on changes in soil properties over several hundred years. Forest soils with biochar amendment show increased base cations, alkaline pH, and reduced bulk density, which is particularly beneficial for hostile environments. However, sites with favorable conditions may not see significant improvement or could be adversely affected.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Chuen-Hsu Fu, Jiunn-Cheng Lin, Ling-Chung Liu, Shwu-Hwa Wang, Yu-Jen Lin
Summary: This research tests and analyzes the properties of charcoal made from alien tree species, Cinnamomum Burnmannii, burned in an earthen kiln. The study shows that the charcoal has alkaline properties, high adsorption capacity, and a large specific surface area, making it suitable for developing value-added products for odor removal and water purification. Additionally, burning Cinnamomum burmannii charcoal can reduce carbon emissions and have positive impacts on environmental carbon reduction.
Article
Polymer Science
Miao Huo, Mingchao Ma, Yinuo Teng, Yuhan Xiao, Yunlong Guo
Summary: This study investigates the effect of particle alignment on the physical aging process of PMMA-TiO2 nanocomposites. The alignment of TiO2 particles was controlled using an external electric field, resulting in a transition from a uniform distribution to a pillar structure. The aging behavior was measured using differential scanning calorimetry, showing that randomly distributed nanoparticles accelerate aging, while aligned nanoparticles decrease the aging rate. The study also observed a dual-relaxation mechanism in the aging process. This research highlights the significance of particle alignment and structure in the aging behavior of polymer nanocomposites, which has implications for designing materials with improved stability in applications that require slow aging.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Alexander Bonhage, Thomas Raab, Anna Schneider, Thomas Fischer, Shaghayegh Ramezany, William Ouimet, Alexandra Raab, Florian Hirsch
Summary: This study investigated the SOC content and BC-derived carbon content in technogenic Au horizons and buried soils from 52 relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) sites in northwestern Connecticut. The results showed a significant increase in TOC and BPCA-derived carbon in the technogenic Au horizons compared to reference soils, indicating the long-term influence of historic charcoal production. In addition, the RCH soils exhibited additional TOC enrichment, which requires further explanation.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Qirui Yi, Jingyu Li, Runhua Zhang, Erni Ma, Ru Liu
Summary: Small particle diameter thermally expandable microspheres were prepared with varying homogenization speed. The optimized microspheres with small particle diameters showed stable expansion properties in wood, indicating potential for wood impregnation and successful expansion.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Galina Sadovska, Pavla Honcova, Jaroslava Moravkova, Ivan Jirka, Maryna Vorokhta, Radim Pilar, Jiri Rathousky, Dalibor Kaucky, Eliska Mikyskova, Petr Sazama
Summary: This work examines how the nanostructure affects the thermal stability of graphene-based materials in air. The results show that the stacking of graphene layers and the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups are the key factors influencing stability.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gopi Talluri, D. Arvindha Babu, V. S. Hariharan, B. S. Murty, R. S. Maurya
Summary: The limitations of current design strategies for eutectic multi-principal element alloys (EMPEAs) have been investigated and addressed using Scheil solidification simulations. The proposed design approach was experimentally validated by demonstrating a eutectic in the Al-Fe-Ti-V-Zr alloy system, with Fe identified as the eutectic forming element (EFE). Vacuum-arc-melting was used to fabricate the precisely designed Fex(AlTiVZr)100-x (x = 70, 73, and 75) alloys, and the alloy with x = 73 exhibited a fully eutectic microstructure, confirming the effectiveness of the design approach.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Valerio Di Lisio, Balthasar Braunewell, Cristina Macia-Castello, Margherita Simoni, Roberto Senesi, Felix Fernandez-Alonso, Daniele Cangialosi
Summary: This work presents a new sample-preparation methodology using fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) to investigate volatile materials. The protocol involves embedding the specimen in an inert silicone-oil-based matrix and gold sputtering for full encapsulation and isolation. The methodology is tested on carbon-based materials - resorcinol, corannulene, and perylene, revealing new thermodynamic stability and meta-stability regimes, such as glassy states, cold crystallization, and solid-to-solid transformations.
THERMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
S. P. Magalhaes da Silva, Monica A. Silva, Jose M. Oliveira
Summary: This study investigated the non-isothermal cold crystallization behaviors of cork-polymer composites based on polylactic acid matrix. The results showed that cork powder residues act as a nucleating agent, accelerating the crystallization rate and reducing the half-time crystallization values. Additionally, the addition of cork was found to decrease the cold crystallization temperature of the PLA matrix.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2021)
Review
Geography, Physical
T. Raab, A. Raab, A. Bonhage, A. Schneider, F. Hirsch, K. Birkhofer, P. Drohan, M. Wilmking, J. Kreyling, I. Malik, M. Wistuba, E. van der Maaten, M. van der Maaten-Theunissen, T. Urich
Summary: This article reviews the geomorphic effects, soil characteristics, and ecosystem features of relict charcoal hearths (RCHs), and explores their linkages with charcoal burning history. Current research suffers from methodological limitations and a lack of interdisciplinary studies, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research.
Article
Polymer Science
Zongling Yang, Lin Luo, Fangyu Fan, Jingcheng Su, Chongyin Zhou, Huan Kan
Summary: The study demonstrated that adding 5% nano-SiO2 improved the barrier properties of the composite film, while adding 7% nano-SiO2 significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the film. Nano-SiO2 also increased the melting temperature of the composite film, and through spray drying encapsulation, the stability of walnut oil microcapsules was improved by incorporating nano-SiO2 into the wall material.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Ana Beatriz de Sousa Barros, Janetty Jany Pereira Barros, Suellen Veloso Corte Real Coutinho, Ananda Karoline Calvacanti Albuquerque, Danilo Diniz Siqueira, Andreas Ries, Renate Maria Ramos Wellen
Summary: This study investigates the thermal stability of crosslinking polyethylene (XPE) in different environments. The results show that XPE has higher thermal stability compared to PE, with 0.5XPE exhibiting the best performance.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Mohamed H. Darweesh, Safaa H. El-Taweel, Bernhard Stoll
Summary: The thermal and mechanical properties of binary blends of polypropylene (PP) with a statistical copolymer (VM) were investigated. The two components were found to be miscible in the melt. DSC testing showed that the crystallization temperature of PP decreased with increasing VM content. The measurement of viscoelastic properties revealed a three-phase model, with VM mainly located in the mobile amorphous phase and PP in the rigid amorphous phase.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Shouang Wu, Bocheng Wang, Xiaoling Xu, Chonggang Wu, Tao Hu, Xuan Zheng, Xinghou Gong
Summary: The addition of S-MA compatibilizer had a positive impact on the dispersion and crystallization behavior of SBS in PLA blends. The study found that SBS exhibited both plasticization and dilution effects under different conditions, with the effects being enhanced with increasing S-MA content.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)