Understanding the compatibility between spider silk and conducting materials is essential to advance the use of spider silk in electronic applications. Spider silk is tough, but becomes soft when exposed to water. Here we report a strong affinity of amine-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes for spider silk, with coating assisted by a water and mechanical shear method. The nanotubes adhere uniformly and bond to the silk fibre surface to produce tough, custom-shaped, flexible and electrically conducting fibres after drying and contraction. The conductivity of coated silk fibres is reversibly sensitive to strain and humidity, leading to proof-of-concept sensor and actuator demonstrations.
In this paper activated carbon adsorbents produced from waste tires by chemical activation methods and application of microwave assisted KOH activation. The influence of radiation time, radiation power, and impregnation ratio on the yield and oil removal which is one of the major environmental issues nowadays and considered persistent environmental contaminants and many of them are suspected of being carcinogenic. Based on Box-Wilson central composite design, polynomial models were developed to correlate the process variables to the two responses. From the analysis of variance the significant variables on each response were identified. Optimum conditions of 4 min radiation time, 700 W radiation power and 0.5 g/g impregnation ratio
... Show MoreIn this study, the potential of adsorption of amoxicillin antibiotic (AMOX) from aqueous solutions using prepared activated carbon (AC) was studied. The used AC was prepared from an inexpensive and available precursor (sunflower seed hulls (SSH)) and activated by potassium hydroxide (KOH). The prepared AC was examined for its ability to remove AMOX from aqueous contaminated solutions and characterized with the aid of N2 -adsorption/desorption isotherm Brunauer–Emmett– Teller, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared. Zeta potential of the prepared activated carbon from sunflower seed hulls (SSHAC) were studied in relation to AMOX adsorption. The physical and chemical propert
... Show MoreA step to net-zero of carbon dioxide losses in the microalgae cultivation process was targeted in the current study. This research was carried out by using pre-dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) as a source of carbon with two doses of twenty-five and fifty millilitres.
The cost‐effective dual functions zeolite‐carbon composite (DFZCC) was prepared using an eco‐friendly substrate prepared from bio‐waste and an organic adhesive at intermediate conditions. The green synthesis method used in this study ensures that chemically harmless compounds are used to obtain a homogeneous distribution of zeolite over porous carbon. The greenly prepared dual‐function composite was extensively characterized using Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, field emission scanning electron microscope, dispersive analysis by X‐ray, and point of zero charges. DFZCC had a surface area o
This article presents the results of an experimental investigation of using carbon fiber–reinforced polymer sheets to enhance the behavior of reinforced concrete deep beams with large web openings in shear spans. A set of 18 specimens were fabricated and tested up to a failure to evaluate the structural performance in terms of cracking, deformation, and load-carrying capacity. All tested specimens were with 1500-mm length, 500-mm cross-sectional deep, and 150-mm wide. Parameters that studied were opening size, opening location, and the strengthening factor. Two deep beams were implemented as control specimens without opening and without strengthening. Eight deep beams were fabricated with openings but without strengthening, while
... Show MoreThis work is devoted to study the properties of the ground states such as the root-mean square ( ) proton, charge, neutron and matter radii, nuclear density distributions and elastic electron scattering charge form factors for Carbon Isotopes (9C, 12C, 13C, 15C, 16C, 17C, 19C and 22C). The calculations are based on two approaches; the first is by applying the transformed harmonic-oscillator (THO) wavefunctions in local scale transformation (LST) to all nuclear subshells for only 9C, 12C, 13C and 22C. In the second approach, the 9C, 15C, 16C, 17C and 19C isotopes are studied by dividing the whole nuclear system into two parts; the first is the compact core part and the second is the halo part. The core and halo parts are studied using the
... Show MoreQuadrupole Q moments and effective charges are calculated for 9C, 11C, 17C and 19C exotic nuclei using shell model calculations. Excitations out of major shell space are taken into account through a microscopic theory which are called core-polarization effects. The simple harmonic oscillator potential is used to generate the single particle matrix elements of 9,11,17,19C. The present calculations with core-polarization effects reproduced the experimental and theoretical data very well.