G. X. Sui

Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Magnesium Salt Whisker/ABS Composites

ABSTRACT Magnesium salt whiskers (M-HOS)-reinforced acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composites were prepared via twin-screw extrusion compounding and followed by injection molding, and the mechanical properties of the composites were studied. The effect of the surface treatment of the whiskers using isopropyl tri-(dioctylpyrophosphoryl) titanate coupling agent on the mechanical properties of the ABS/M-HOS composites was also investigated. It was found that the M-HOS whiskers are good reinforcements for ABS and can be incorporated into ABS through traditional melt processing techniques for plastics. However, only a moderate improvement in the mechanical properties was found for the composites containing surface-treated whiskers. Further investigations should be carried out to find a more suitable coupling agent for M-HOS whiskers.

Hierarchically structured cellulose aerogels with interconnected MXene networks and their enhanced microwave absorption properties

Hierarchically structured cellulose aerogels with interconnected Mxene (Ti3C2Tx) networks are prepared via freeze-casting and chemical cross-linking processes. The individual MXene nanosheets are effectively combined together with cellulose to form a conductive network by covalent cross-linking and hydrogen-bond interaction. This unique structure of aerogel composites presents a low density (0.31 g cm−3) with excellent microwave absorption performance. The typical aerogel with its paraffin exhibits the minimum reflection loss (RL) of −43.4 dB at 11.2 GHz with a thickness of 2 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth of 4.5 GHz as a result of multiple reflection effects, conductive loss and polarization relaxation. These lightweight Ti3C2Tx MXene/cellulose aerogel composites are potential materials for high-performance microwave absorption applications in aeronautics.