Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhilei Wei, Zhejian Zhang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Zhiyuan Li, Tao Li, Jiabin Hu, Shunjian Xu, Zhongqi Shi
Summary: The research successfully developed a novel method for fabricating unidirectional porous AlN ceramics via freeze casting and combustion synthesis route, allowing for control over microstructure, open porosity, thermal conductivity, and compressive strength by adjusting the raw material ratios. The optimal products exhibited controllable structure wavelength and open porosity, with anisotropic thermal conductivity and compressive strength, showing significant promise for a wide range of industrial applications.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Camila Alves Moreira, Marta Fernanda Zotarelli, Marieli de Lima
Summary: This study compared the effects of different drying methods on the rehydration capacity and functional properties of quail egg powder. The results showed that the powder obtained by liquid freeze-drying had the best foaming capability but poor emulsifying properties. The powder obtained by convective oven drying had low rehydration capacity but good gel formation and emulsifying capacity. The powder obtained by foam-mat drying had very stable foams and emulsions. The choice of the best method depends on the intended application of the powder.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mercedes A. Bettelli, Antonio J. Capezza, Fritjof Nilsson, Eva Johansson, Richard T. Olsson, Mikael S. Hedenqvist
Summary: Glycerol-plasticized wheat gluten was used to produce soft high-density biofoams. The addition of food grade ammonium bicarbonate as a blowing agent resulted in the largest pore size and highest saline liquid uptake. Foams were also obtained without a blowing agent due to rapid moisture uptake by the dried protein powder.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Yuwei Du, Min Zhang, Arun S. Mujumdar, Wenchao Liu, Chaohui Yang
Summary: Instant foods have gained widespread attention due to the fast pace of life and increasing demand for high-quality convenience foods. Adjusting processes and formulas can optimize the quality of compound formula foods, while freeze drying can overcome shortcomings of conventional methods. New technologies like microwave freeze drying and infrared drying are suitable for instant food production.
Article
Polymer Science
Husamettin D. Ozeren, Xin-Feng Wei, Fritjof Nilsson, Richard T. Olsson, Mikael S. Hedenqvist
Summary: Research found that in the dry system, glycerol mainly breaks the protein-protein hydrogen bonds, while in the moist system, glycerol is outcompeted by water in forming hydrogen bonds with proteins, making glycerol less effective as a plasticizer. Molecular dynamics simulations successfully predicted the concentration at which efficient plasticization occurs, providing detailed insights into plasticizer mechanisms that are difficult to obtain through experiments.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Wenjie Wu, Hewei Liu, Zhongyue Wang, Peng Lv, Ertao Hu, Jiajin Zheng, Kehan Yu, Wei Wei
Summary: The study introduces a novel method of preparing oriented boron nitride/polyvinyl alcohol (BN/PVA) composites using ice-templated self-assembly followed by hot pressing, resulting in a dense composite material with high thermal conductivity. The approach shows potential for application in advanced electronic packaging technology, especially in the design of thermal interface materials.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Veronica Guadalupe-Moyano, A. Socrates Palacios-Ponce, Cristina M. Rosell, Fabiola Cornejo
Summary: This study aimed to compare the impact of freeze-drying and oven-drying on the quality of gluten-free banana bread. The results found that freeze-dried banana flour bread outperformed oven-dried bread in terms of specific volume, resilience, and color. Additionally, the freeze-dried bread had higher levels of resistant starch and rapidly digested starch, resulting in a higher glycemic index. Despite similar nutritional fractions, the freeze-dried bread exhibited improved characteristics.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
J. Lee, J. Kim
Summary: To enhance the thermal properties of polymer composite materials, a three-dimensional thermally conductive network is used to build high-speed conductive pathways. The MXene/acid-treated carbon nanotube/polyethylene glycol (MX/O-CNT/PEG) composite material with a 3D foam structure showed significantly improved thermal conductivity compared to pure PEG and composites with randomly dispersed fillers. This study presents an advanced process to enhance the thermal conductivity of polymer composites.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jooyoung Lee, Wonyoung Yang, Geunhyeong Lee, Youngsung Cho, Jooheon Kim
Summary: A continuous and oriented thermal pathway is crucial for efficient heat dissipation. The aluminum nitride/reduced graphene oxide/poly(dimethylsiloxane) (AlN/rGO/PDMS) composite material is fabricated with a 3D foam structure, achieving significantly improved thermal conductivity through a through-plane direction pathway.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Baoxin Fan, Lu Xing, Kaixia Yang, Yijun Yang, Fanjie Zhou, Guoxiu Tong, Wenhua Wu
Summary: In this study, ultrathin graphene nanosheet-based foams were successfully synthesized for highly integrated electronic devices in the 5G/6G era. The texture, defects, graphitization, EM parameters, EMI SE, and thermal conductivity of the graphene foams were modulated by calcination temperature and PEG 20000/NaCl mass ratio. The optimized EMI SE and thermal conductivity were achieved at a calcination temperature of 800 degrees C and a PEG 20000/NaCl mass ratio of 0.530. These graphene foams exhibited excellent EMI shielding effectiveness, high thermal conductivity, and lightweight structure for advanced electronic packaging applications.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Antonio J. Vela, Marina Villanueva, Grazielle Nathia-Neves, Felicidad Ronda
Summary: Ultrasound treatment results in reduction of particle size and modification of color parameters in flours, while the water removal method has a significant impact on the final characteristics of the treated flours.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Chun Chang, Liwei Liu, Pan Li, Guizhuan Xu, Chunbao Xu (Charles)
Summary: Both wheat straw and crude glycerol were used as feedstocks to produce biopolyols through liquefaction process. The synthesized biopolyols were further used to prepare flame-retardant PU foams with the incorporation of flame retardants, resulting in improved fire performance.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yun-Lin Liu, Chao-Fan Li, Hong-Xia Zhai, Muhammad Riaz Ahmad, Dong Guo, Jian-Guo Dai
Summary: CO2 capture and utilization is an important measure for environmental protection by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers used ordinary Portland cement, fly ash, CO2 gas, and animal protein foaming agent to prepare CO2 foam concrete (CFC) in order to achieve carbon fixation of cement and optimize the performance of foam concrete. The performance of CFC was investigated through testing mechanical, thermal, water absorption, and drying shrinkage properties, as well as microscopic characterization. The results showed that CFC with 20% CO2 volume had a higher compressive strength and lower drying shrinkage compared to the control group. XRD and SEM analysis revealed enhanced CaCO3 intensity and refined microstructure in CFC with increasing CO2 content.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tony Thomas, Arvind Agarwal
Summary: The challenges in processing advanced composite materials with 2D reinforcement include extensive agglomeration in the matrix. The 3D architecture of 2D graphene sheets in a Graphene Foam assembly provides an effective solution to this issue, offering improved photon and electron conduction pathways along with enhanced mechanical properties. The freeze-drying technique has been highlighted as an advantageous method to produce 3D graphene nanoplatelets foam with a similar hierarchical structure to CVD GrF, showcasing its versatility in scalability and ability to tailor pore shape and morphology.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhen Wang, Sen Ma, Binghua Sun, Fengcheng Wang, Jihong Huang, Xiaoxi Wang, Qingdan Bao
Summary: Starch and gluten, the primary macromolecules in wheat flour, exhibit varying thermal properties. Understanding the thermal behavior of starch, gluten, and their complexes is crucial for the production and quality control of flour products. The complexity of starch-gluten systems makes it challenging to accurately describe their interactions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Antonio J. Capezza, William R. Newson, Faraz Muneer, Eva Johansson, Yuxiao Cui, Mikael S. Hedenqvist, Richard T. Olsson, Thomas Prade
Summary: Replacing current disposable and non-biodegradable sanitary products with sustainable alternatives is a priority for the industry. We evaluated the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of biobased baby diapers and found that only a few alternatives had lower emissions than commercial diapers. Recycling the functionalization agent reduced emissions by 13%. Overall, we demonstrated that using biobased materials can reduce GHG emissions in sanitary articles.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sirui Liu, Mercedes A. Bettelli, Xinfeng Wei, Antonio J. Capezza, Benedikt Sochor, Fritjof Nilsson, Richard T. Olsson, Eva Johansson, Stephan V. Roth, Mikael S. Hedenqvist
Summary: Hygroscopic biopolymers like proteins and polysaccharides have unstable mechanical properties due to humidity variations. Thicker samples of wheat gluten, a highly hygroscopic biopolymer, exhibit greater mechanical stability than thinner samples, which is attributed to slow water diffusion caused by the rigid polymer structure. Moisture uptake in glycerol-plasticized wheat gluten is significantly slower in thicker plates, taking more than a year to reach saturation compared to one day in thinner plates. The moisture-induced changes in mechanical properties are also affected by swelling-induced mechanical effects.
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Victor M. Perez-Puyana, Antonio J. Capezza, William R. Newson, Carlos Bengoechea, Eva Johansson, Antonio Guerrero, Mikael S. Hendeqvist
Summary: The functionalization of keratin from poultry feathers was evaluated using one- versus two-stage processes with two functionalization agents (succinic anhydride-SA and ethylene dianhydride-EDTAD). The functionalization improved liquid swelling capacities of keratin, with up to 400% water, 300% saline, and 85% blood uptake compared to non-functionalized keratin. One-stage functionalization with EDTAD showed better performance and resource-saving advantages over two-stage processes, making it a potential liquid absorbent material.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patric Elf, Husamettin Deniz Ozeren, Per A. A. Larsson, Anette Larsson, Lars Wagberg, Robin Nilsson, Poppy Thanaporn Chaiyupatham, Mikael S. S. Hedenqvist, Fritjof Nilsson
Summary: The development of wood-based thermoplastic polymers that can replace synthetic plastics is environmentally important. This study used molecular dynamics simulations and experiments to investigate the influence of ring opening on the properties of dialcohol cellulose and how temperature and water affect these properties. The simulations showed that ring opening had a higher impact on providing molecular mobility at high temperatures, which was also observed in experiments. This opening had the strongest effect on processability above the glass transition temperature and in wet conditions, and it also lowered the glass transition temperature. The results demonstrate the valuable use of molecular dynamics in developing wood-based materials with optimal thermoplastic properties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Adrian Eliasson, Mikael Hedenqvist, Anders Brolin, Lars Wagberg, Eva Malmstrom
Summary: Ultrasonication was used to incorporate glycerol or urea into paper films, increasing their ductility to 35%. This study aimed to enhance the ductility of cellulose-rich materials by adding low molecular weight plasticizers such as glycerol, urea, citric acid, and tannic acid. Ultrasonication was employed to mechanically disintegrate the fibers and aid in plasticizer absorption. Glycerol or urea combined with ultrasonication resulted in both internal and external fibrillation of the fibers, significantly increasing ductility, while citric or tannic acid reduced ductility due to the formation of covalent cross-links in the fibers.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Muchao Qu, Zixin Xie, Shuiyan Liu, Jinzhu Zhang, Siyao Peng, Zhitong Li, Cheng Lin, Fritjof Nilsson
Summary: This study examines the factors influencing the electrical behavior of elastic strain sensor nanocomposites and describes the sensor mechanisms for nanocomposites with conductive nanofillers. It also evaluates the purely geometrical contributions to resistance change. The theoretical predictions suggest that the highest Gauge values are achieved for mixture composites with filler fractions slightly above the electrical percolation threshold, especially for nanocomposites with a rapid conductivity increase around the threshold. Manufactured PDMS/CB and PDMS/CNT mixture nanocomposites with 0-5.5 vol.% fillers were analyzed, and the PDMS/CB with 2.0 vol.% CB showed a very high Gauge value of around 20,000. These findings will aid in the development of optimized conductive polymer composites for strain sensor applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
William R. Newson, Antonio J. Capezza, Ramune Kuktaite, Mikael S. Hedenqvist, Eva Johansson
Summary: Protein modification plays a vital role in the production of sustainable materials, as it can alter the structure and properties of proteins by changing pH and using crosslinking agents. The study found that protein modification under basic conditions resulted in better crosslinking and tensile properties after thermal pressing. The combination with other treatments further improved the material's performance.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ana Isabel Mendoza, Pierre Larroche, Fritjof Nilsson, Mikael Hedenqvist, Emma Stromberg, Henrik Hillborg, Rosana Moriana
Summary: Optimized superhydrophobic and self-cleaning nanocomposite surfaces were achieved by spraying surface modified ZnO nanoparticles onto PDMS and using hydrophobic modifiers. The research correlated surface parameters and particle surface distribution as well as agglomeration using image analysis. The study provided insights into the design and modeling of superhydrophobic self-cleaning PDMS/ZnO nanocomposite surfaces.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hafeez Ur Rehman, Mikael S. Hedenqvist, Yujie Chen, Yutong Guo, Hua Li, Hezhou Liu
Summary: Current methods for making and disposing synthetic polymers are largely unsustainable. This study introduces a new elastomer network based on helicene, which has self-healing, recycling, and degradation features. The material meets the requirements of recyclable materials and recyclable packaging.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mikael Unge, Hannes Aspaker, Fritjof Nilsson, Max Pierre, Mikael S. Hedenqvist
Summary: Electrical conductivity of polyethylene is influenced by its semicrystalline structure and morphology. This study presents a model for charge transport simulations in polyethylene, which takes into account the segmentation rules defined through quantum chemistry calculations. The results show that the model can explain the conductivity and activation energy of polyethylene.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL THEORY AND COMPUTATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gustav Krantz, Christian Moretti, Miguel Brandao, Mikael Hedenqvist, Fritjof Nilsson
Summary: Global warming and environmental concerns drive the search for alternative fuels in international shipping. A life-cycle analysis (LCA) is used to assess the environmental impact of different fuels to find the most sustainable alternative. However, most LCA studies do not consider marginal emissions, which are important when predicting large-scale fuel transitions. This study aims to assess the marginal emissions of several currently available marine fuels to identify the most promising option. The results show that, despite lower average emissions, biofuels exhibit equally or higher marginal greenhouse gas emissions due to limited availability of climate-efficient biofuels. Additional measures are needed to significantly reduce the climate footprint of shipping.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bjoern K. Birdsong, Billy W. Hoogendoorn, Fritjof Nilsson, Richard L. Andersson, Antonio J. Capezza, Mikael S. Hedenqvist, Stefano Farris, Antonio Guerrero, Richard T. Olsson
Summary: Graphene oxide (GO) was used as a template to synthesize silicon oxide (SiOx) based 2D-nanomaterials with similar morphological features as the GO sheets. By controlled condensation reaction with low concentrations of GO, 2D-nanoflakes consisting of GO-flakes coated with a silica precursor were obtained. The GO template was fully removable without affecting the nanoflake morphology, providing a method for large-scale preparation of SiOx-based 2D nanosheets.