Search Results (6,565)

Transparent glazing systems are increasingly required to provide simultaneous control over light transmission, solar heat gain, thermal losses, surface contamination, and environmental durability, creating new challenges for the development of multifunctional coating technologies. This review critically examines advanced optical and self-cleaning coatings developed for transparent glass and polymeric substrates, with particular emphasis on the relationships between materials chemistry, surface/interface chemistry, microstructure, and functional performance. Dielectric multilayers, metal oxides, ceramic coatings, sol-gel-derived hybrid systems, and emerging chromogenic materials are discussed in terms of their chemical compositions, structural characteristics, and mechanisms governing optical, thermal, and surface properties. Particular attention is given to structure–property relationships associated with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmission, near-infrared (NIR) management, thermal emissivity, solar modulation, wettability, and self-cleaning behavior, together with their implications for energy-efficient transparent glazing and greenhouse environments. The influence of coating architecture, porosity, surface roughness, interfacial interactions, and deposition conditions on functional performance and long-term stability is critically evaluated. The advantages and limitations of representative deposition strategies are further compared, considering scalability, process compatibility, substrate sensitivity, and application to heat-sensitive polymeric films. Environmental degradation mechanisms induced by ultraviolet irradiation, moisture, thermal cycling, and mechanical stresses are analyzed to identify the key factors governing coating durability and sustainability. Finally, current knowledge gaps and emerging research directions are identified, highlighting the need for rational materials design, multifunctional integration, scalable fabrication, and improved structure-property-durability correlations for next-generation transparent glazing and greenhouse applications. Full article

High wind-power penetration increases balancing requirements in integrated energy systems (IESs), while solvent-storage-assisted carbon capture power plants (CCPPs) and electric vehicle (EV) aggregators provide complementary flexibility at different timescales. This paper proposes an electric–carbon dual time-shift coordinated dispatch approach coupling carbon-energy shifting with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electrical-energy shifting. First, a reduced-order model represents the dominant thermal inertia and short-term response of solvent regeneration. Second, EV availability uncertainty is characterized by Monte Carlo sampling, with quantile-based power and mobility-energy envelopes incorporated into aggregate SOC and mobility constraints together with a throughput-based battery-degradation cost. Finally, a 15-min mixed-integer linear programming model integrating power-to-gas, hydrogen-blended combined heat and power, thermal storage, and tiered carbon trading is solved using CPLEX. Compared with the baseline, the proposed coordinated dispatch strategy reduces operating cost from USD 77.19 × 10⁴ to 58.65 × 10⁴, net carbon emissions from 5841.71 to 2742.46 tCO₂, and the wind-curtailment rate from 42.98% to 1.15%. Specifically, relative to the same system without EV–V2G coordination, incorporating EV–V2G further reduces operating cost and net carbon emissions by 0.93% and 3.93%, respectively, while lowering the wind-curtailment rate from 4.23% to 1.15%, corresponding to a 72.8% relative reduction. Frequency-band analysis shows that the CCPP and electrolyzer provide the two largest contributions to low-frequency balancing, at 42.85% and 30.02%, respectively, whereas EV–V2G and CHP provide the two largest contributions to higher-frequency balancing, at 45.37% and 23.71%, respectively. The main limitations are the reduced-order regenerator model, fleet-level EV aggregation without distribution-network constraints, and fixed equipment capacities. Full article

Bamboo contains abundant hydrophilic components such as hemicellulose which result in poor interfacial compatibility with epoxy resin and, consequently, limit its application in bamboo–epoxy composite packaging materials. In this study, we subjected bamboo (aged 3–4 years) to vacuum heat treatment to investigate the effects of treatment temperature (140, 160, and 180 °C) and holding time (4 and 6 h) and systematically evaluated the resulting changes in density, surface color, microstructure, mechanical behavior, and thermal stability. It was found that temperature serves as the dominant factor regulating bamboo color. With the increase in the heat treatment intensity, the lightness and yellowness of bamboo decrease, and the redness rises first and then falls, while the total color difference increases continuously. The optimal flexural strength and modulus of the treated bamboo are obtained at 140 °C, while its maximum tensile strength appears at 160 °C for 4 h. However, prolonged exposure at 180 °C causes marked mechanical degradation of the treated bamboo, which is attributed to the damaged fibrous structure. As for thermal stability, heat treatment removes heat-sensitive components, thereby increasing the 5% mass loss temperature and thermal degradation activation energy. Among all conditions, the sample treated at 160 °C for 6 h exhibits the best overall thermal stability, whereas excessive treatment at 180 °C destroys cellulose microcrystals and reduces the activation energy at high conversion rates. Considering the surface appearance, mechanical performance and thermal resistance comprehensively, the heat treatment at 140–160 °C with a 4 h holding time is the optimal modification process, which can provide theoretical and data support for the pretreatment of bamboo-based eco-friendly packaging composite materials. Full article

This work presents the design of a novel multi-component surface-coating system incorporating expandable graphite (EG), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), aluminium tri-hydroxide (ATH), alginate, and D-glucosamine hydrochloride (DGH). Importantly, the coated polyurethane (PU) foams demonstrated performance within the corresponding Hazard Level 3 limits for the measured parameters, including Maximum Average Rate of Heat Emission (MARHE), smoke density, and toxicity, providing preliminary indications of their potential for railway fire safety applications. Systematic variations in EG loading revealed substantial improvements in flammability metrics, with the EG-rich formulation achieving a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 73%, MARHE of 18 kW m⁻², and significantly reduced smoke production. EG transformed the fire behaviour even at high external heat fluxes from flaming to self-extinguishing and only smouldering, promoting rapid formation of a dense, thermally insulating char. Combined interactions between EG, inorganic, and biobased additives reinforced char integrity, suppressed degradation rates, and enhanced condensed-phase protection. Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed increased residue yields (up to 52 weight percentage at 600 °C). Overall, this multi-functional coating offers a cost-effective, low-toxicity strategy for producing flame-resistant PU foams for demanding transportation and construction applications. Full article

Time-series foundation models are designed to continue observed trajectories, whereas model predictive control (MPC) must compare counterfactual rollouts under candidate future actions. A forecaster whose predictions are invariant to those actions cannot rank controls by predicted plant response, irrespective of forecast error. We formalize this forecasting-to-control gap and convert pretrained Chronos-2 into an action-conditioned dynamics model. Chronos-2 Hybrid combines low-rank target-domain adaptation, separate process-history and future-decision pathways, and gated residual fusion. Removing future-decision conditioning degraded action-response fidelity in all ten Quadrotor seeds. In bidirectional transfer between two 660 MW thermal power units, the unit-balanced area under the sulfur dioxide trajectory root-mean-squared error (RMSE) learning curve was 14.95% lower than that of an input-matched scratch model; at 6 and 24 h of target labels, the RMSEs were 29.0% and 18.5% lower. A separate Benchmark Simulation Model No. 1 study showed the same low-budget pattern under long process memory. Across eight outcome independently matched desulfurization system episodes, the normalized emission–effort performance index was 29.8–69.6% lower during strategy-assisted operation. These results identify the action-conditioned interface required to use a pretrained forecaster in MPC and show why forecast error alone is insufficient to assess control readiness. Full article

Harsh-environment pressure sensing requires piezoelectric materials that can simultaneously withstand elevated temperature, mechanical loading, and structural degradation. GaN is a promising lead-free piezoelectric semiconductor owing to its wide bandgap, high thermal stability, and non-centrosymmetric wurtzite structure. However, its piezoelectric output can be significantly affected by free-carrier compensation in unintentionally n-type GaN. Here, we report a flexible all-inorganic piezoelectric pressure sensor based on a directly grown h-BN/GaN heterostructure thin film. The h-BN layer was deposited on GaN/Si by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, followed by backside Si removal, electrode deposition, and transfer onto a flexible Cu foil substrate. Structural characterizations confirmed the formation of a compact h-BN/GaN interface with clear lattice fringes, preferential out-of-plane orientation, and characteristic Raman signatures of both h-BN and GaN. Compared with the flexible GaN/Cu reference, the h-BN/GaN device exhibits modified interfacial electrical transport behavior, enhanced voltage and current-density outputs, and prolonged transient voltage retention. Finite-element simulations reveal modified electrostatic potential distribution after h-BN integration, while electrical and interfacial characterizations suggest electronic structure modulation and reduced carrier compensation effects at the heterointerface. Raman optothermal analysis indicates an improved relative/local thermal response of the h-BN/GaN device under identical optical excitation conditions, supporting its enhanced thermal robustness. Under 200 psi at 400 °C, the h-BN/GaN sensor maintains an output voltage of approximately 27.65 mV, about 2.32 times that of the GaN reference. This work demonstrates an interfacial engineering strategy based on two-dimensional h-BN integration for constructing flexible, thermally robust, and high-output piezoelectric sensors for harsh-environment monitoring. Full article

Food processing can modify legume structure and improve its applicability in protein-fortified foods. This study investigated the effects of six pretreatments, including peeling, roasting, atmospheric steaming, high-pressure steaming, sprouting, and microwaving, on the processing characteristics and quality attributes of wheat bread containing 50% red kidney bean flour (RKBF). Results showed that thermal pretreatments reduced the gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) of composite flours by 4.6–13.2% and increased dough water absorption rate by 5.7–9.7% compared with untreated RKBF. Hydrothermal treatments significantly improved dough rheology and structural integrity by increasing glutenin macropolymer (GMP) content, reducing free sulfhydryl levels, altering protein secondary structure, and optimizing starch and gluten distribution. Atmospheric steaming increased the bread specific volume from 3.37 to 3.53 cm³/g and reduced hardness by 16%. Incorporation of RKBF also reduced rapidly digestible starch from 64.91% in wheat bread to 48.99–56.16% and increased resistant starch from 11.76% to 21.27–25.55%. Moreover, volatile analysis identified 42 compounds, with thermal pretreatments effectively reducing beany flavor compounds. Peeling alleviated dark coloration but further reduced bread volume, whereas sprouting-induced protein degradation adversely affected dough formation and gluten structure. Overall, atmospheric steaming exhibited the best balance between processing performance and nutritional quality, showing a significant improvement in the bread quality containing 50% RKBF. Full article

Lightweight and high-strength sandwich panels are used across aerospace, transportation, marine, energy, civil and protective systems because large face separation can provide high flexural rigidity and specific load capacity at low mass. This review treats the panel as a coupled material–structure–interface–process system rather than ranking core topology in isolation. A scoping-review workflow was updated to 24 July 2026 and yielded a curated evidence corpus of 112 total references. The review reports the search and screening logic explicitly, uses descriptive rather than field-wide bibliometric claims, and organizes the synthesis around component roles, governing mechanisms, connection regions, performance requirements and application-driven selection. Conventional foam, honeycomb and corrugated cores are compared with lattice-truss, auxetic, origami/kirigami, hierarchical, bio-inspired, graded and triply periodic minimal-surface (TPMS) architectures. Particular emphasis is placed on face-core and nodal junctions, static and dynamic failure-mode competition, fatigue and environmental degradation, fire/thermal/acoustic functions, additive-manufacturing defects, modelling fidelity, and active/adaptive concepts using shape-memory alloys and piezoelectric actuation. Cross-study numerical envelopes that could not be traced to harmonized test conditions are not used as universal rankings; instead, a mechanism-based screening matrix identifies design strengths, limitations and reporting requirements. The synthesis indicates that engineering deployment depends on preserving intended load paths in the as-manufactured panel, controlling interfaces and defects, validating multi-hazard durability and connections at scale, and integrating multifunctional or adaptive functions without creating new weak links. Full article

Olive leaf extract (OLE) contains polyphenolic compounds with reported antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In this study, OLE obtained by Naviglio extraction was incorporated into zirconia-based sol–gel hybrids at theoretical contents of 8, 25, 33, and 50 wt%. Colorimetric analysis showed that OLE acted as a natural coloring agent, producing composition-dependent changes from yellow to orange–brown tones. FT-IR spectra retained the characteristic bands of the zirconia-based matrix together with OLE-related contributions, while shifts in the O–H and Zr–O regions indicated changes in the local chemical environment after incorporation. Thermal analysis showed a progressive increase in the onset temperature of the main degradation stage, from 296.2 °C for bare ZrO₂ to 320.4 °C for ZrO₂/OLE50%, suggesting a stabilizing effect of OLE within the hybrid matrix. Release experiments in 95% (v/v) ethanol showed a clear dependence on OLE content. ZrO₂/OLE8% released almost completely within 5–6 h, whereas ZrO₂/OLE25% showed an initial burst followed by slower release, reaching 75–80% after 24 h. ZrO₂/OLE33% and ZrO₂/OLE50% showed slower release without a clear burst phase and released less than 30%. Agar-diffusion tests showed no enhancement of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli or Enterococcus faecalis. These preliminary findings provide a basis for further investigation into the valorization of olive leaf extract as a natural component for the development of colored functional hybrid materials. Full article

The influence of amino-functionalized double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTNH₂) on the curing behavior and multifunctional properties of an epoxy resin was systematically investigated. Isothermal FTIR analysis, interpreted using Kamal’s autocatalytic model and model-free isoconversional DSC analysis, showed that the presence of amino-functionalized nanotubes accelerates the initial epoxy curing reaction, increasing the primary reaction rate constant, reducing the activation energy, and confirming the catalytic role of the nanotube surface amino groups. Thermal–mechanical analysis indicated the formation of an interphase characterized by locally reduced crosslink density resulting from reactions between the functionalized nanotubes and the epoxy precursor. This interphase slightly lowers the glass transition temperature and the onset of thermal degradation without significantly affecting the overall thermomechanical performance. The incorporation of the filler also produces a remarkable increase in electrical conductivity, with an electrical percolation threshold between 0.1 and 0.3 wt%. Conversely, moisture diffusion and equilibrium water uptake remain essentially unchanged, demonstrating that the low nanotube content does not significantly alter the diffusion pathways or the polarity of the crosslinked network. Full article

The utilization of protein-rich agricultural by-products offers a sustainable strategy for developing plant-based meat analogs. This study investigated the effects of cold-pressed hemp seed cake (HSC) incorporation at levels of 0–20% on the pasting, thermal–rheological, textural, and structural properties of high-moisture meat analogs produced by extrusion. Increasing HSC incorporation significantly reduced peak viscosity, indicating altered starch–protein–fiber interactions within the blends. During temperature-sweep measurements, all formulations exhibited elastic-dominant behavior, with the storage modulus remaining higher than the loss modulus throughout heating and cooling. Although the initial viscoelastic moduli decreased with increasing HSC content, the final moduli after cooling were comparable to those of the control. Incorporation of 15% and 20% HSC significantly decreased hardness from 44.02 to 38.88 N and chewiness from 1730.20 to 1517.31 g, whereas springiness, cohesiveness, and the hardness degradation ratio remained largely unchanged. Fibrous structures were maintained in all formulations, while cutting strength tended to increase and the texturization degree numerically increased from 1.04 to 1.15 at 20% HSC. These findings demonstrate that HSC can replace up to 20% of the conventional protein–starch blend while maintaining thermal viscoelasticity and anisotropic fibrous structure, although producing a moderately softer high-moisture meat analog. Full article

A novel furan-functionalized polyisoprene (Furan-PIP) was synthesized via a one-pot, redox-initiated cascade approach using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) as the initiating system. The polymerization of isoprene proceeded through radical emulsion polymerization, accompanied by in situ epoxidation of the resulting double bonds, followed by ring-opening and furanization reactions. The chemical structure of Furan-PIP was qualitatively characterized by FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The appearance of characteristic signals at δ 3.97 and 3.37 ppm (furan ring protons) and δ 8.43 ppm (formyloxy proton) in the ¹H NMR spectrum, together with the corresponding FT-IR absorptions at 1725 cm⁻¹ (C=O) and 1015 cm⁻¹ (furan ring), confirmed the successful incorporation of furan and ring-opened moieties. Residual epoxide signals were negligible, indicating near-complete consumption of epoxy groups during the cascade process. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) revealed a high-molecular-weight polymer ($\overline{{\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{n}}}$ = 45,892 g/mol, PDI = 2.362). The Furan-PIP exhibited a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −49.6 °C and a single-stage thermal degradation at 312 °C. Subsequently, a pre-synthesized antibacterial zinc complex Zn(L-Cl) was physically encapsulated into the Furan-PIP matrix to fabricate a composite material. The composite exhibited time-dependent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) over 48 h, leveraging the intrinsic antibacterial property of Zn(L-Cl) previously reported by our group. This work presents a simple and efficient strategy for preparing furan-functionalized elastomers with potential applications in antibacterial materials. Full article

Citrus processing generates massive volumes of citrus-processing by-products rich in polyphenols, pectin, and essential oils, yet most of these materials are disposed of with low-value utilization, causing biomass loss and environmental pressure. Physical-assisted extraction techniques represent promising strategies for recovering high-value bioactive components from citrus-processing by-products. This narrative review assesses mainstream conventional and physical-assisted extraction routes (acid-assisted, ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, and supercritical CO₂ extraction) for phenolic compounds, pectin, and essential oils derived from citrus-processing by-products, summarizes optimal operational parameters, and compares their downstream food, biomaterial, and environmental remediation applications. Key findings demonstrate that ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction generally deliver higher extraction yields and better preservation of thermally sensitive bioactives relative to conventional reflux extraction; nevertheless, industrial-scale translation faces multiple bottlenecks, including high equipment investment, raw-material seasonal variability, incomplete solvent-recovery workflows, and scarce unified multi-dimensional evaluation benchmarks. Major limitations of existing research include the predominant focus on laboratory-scale yield optimization, with insufficient systematic quantitative comparisons covering energy consumption, product functional quality, life-cycle assessment (LCA), and techno-economic performance. Furthermore, thermal-driven oxidative degradation of d-limonene and polyphenols persists as a critical challenge hindering final product quality. Future perspectives highlight the need to establish standardized raw-material pretreatment protocols, combine chemical-based evaluation metrics and ISO 14040-compliant LCA frameworks to balance environmental benefits and economic profitability, and advance pilot-scale validation for hybrid coupled extraction processes. Key conclusions: although citrus-processing by-products possess enormous biorefinery potential, bridging laboratory-scale feasibility and industrial commercialization still requires joint progress in extraction-process optimization, safety validation, and circular-economy-oriented technical innovation. Full article

This study investigated a high-temperature heat pump for industrial steam production at 200 °C. Considering refrigerant thermal degradation at elevated temperatures, R1336mzz(Z) was selected because of its thermal stability. Two systems were analyzed: a flash tank (FT) cycle producing steam using a water valve and flash tank, and a steam generator (SG) cycle directly generating steam in the gas cooler. Unlike previous studies focusing primarily on cycle-level thermodynamic performance, this study systematically compares two steam production configurations for a 3 MW-class HTHP by considering heat pump–steam loop interactions and further evaluates their economic and environmental feasibility through LCC and LCCP analyses. Applying an internal heat exchanger reduced the operating pressure and increased the heat pump coefficient of performance (COP) by up to 13%, depending on the pressurized water temperature. In the FT cycle, lowering the valve outlet temperature from 180 °C to 150 °C increased the heat pump COP to a maximum of 3.06. However, the additional mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) power limited the overall system COP to 2.29–2.44. In the SG cycle, the system COP ranged from 1.94 to 2.54 according to the saturated water temperature at the gas cooler inlet, although operation at lower water temperatures approached the critical region, resulting in a narrower operating margin. LCC and LCCP analyses showed that replacing conventional boilers with heat pumps reduced operating costs by 26–59%, depending on regional energy prices, with payback periods of 2.27–8.76 years. Heat pump adoption also reduced life cycle climate impacts by 13–72%. These results demonstrate that high-temperature heat pumps can provide an economically and environmentally viable alternative for industrial steam production at 200 °C. Full article

The growing interest in bio-based and bioactive materials, as well as sustainable production techniques, has driven the development of multifunctional hybrid systems. This study reports the fabrication of novel microcapsules with a double-layer alginate–PEG–chitosan shell, with or without a core, via coaxial electrospraying, followed by ionotropic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexation. PEG1000 and PEG1500 were incorporated into the shell as phase change materials, and thyme oil–oleic acid served as a hydrophobic bioactive core. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared analyses confirmed the structural integrity and effective shell–core integration. Thermogravimetric analyses showed enhanced thermal stability in double-layer alginate–PEG–chitosan biopolymer network shell and thyme oil included core system, with a delayed degradation up to 370.0 °C and reduced mass loss compared to the alginate–chitosan control sample. Differential scanning calorimetry over ten heating–cooling cycles demonstrated significant phase transition enthalpies (70.5–91.8 J·g⁻¹ at 37.6–48.5 °C), confirming efficient thermal energy storage and release governed by the PEG content. Aqueous suspensions prepared from microcapsules exhibited reversible temperature-dependent swelling–deswelling behavior between 20.0 and 55.0 °C, governed by hydrogel properties of the alginate–chitosan shell interactions. The microcapsules exhibited pronounced pH-dependent swelling (enhanced at pH 7.0), high water solubility, and good antioxidant activity. These findings highlight the broad application potential of bio-based shell–core microcapsules, e.g., active food packaging, biomedical dressings, protective coatings, pharmaceutical and biomedical delivery systems and functional textiles. Full article