Nano silver-embedded electrospun nanofiber of poly(4-chloro-3-methylphenyl methacrylate): use as water sanitizer

Spun of improvised cis-1,3,4,6-tetranitrooctahydroimidazo-[4,5-D]-Imidazole (BCHMX) in polystyrene nanofibrous membrane by electrospinning techniques

Development of ultra-fine fiber technology and nano-sized materials are widely taking place to enhance the characteristic of different materials. In our study, a newly developed technique was used to produce improvised nano energetic fibers with the exploitation of cis-1,3,4,6-Tetranitrooctahydroimidazo-[4,5-d] imidazole (BCHMX) to spin in a polystyrene nanofiber membrane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the synthesized nanofibrous polystyrene (PS)/BCHMX sheets with clear and continual fiber were imaged with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Characterization of the produced nanofiber was examined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Explosive sensitivity was also evaluated by both BAM impact and friction apparatus. Thermal behavior for the synthesized PS/BCHMX fiber and the pure materials were also investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The results show enhancement in the fabrication of nano energetic fibers with a size of 200-460 nm. The TG confirms the high weight percentage of BCHMX which reaches 60% of the total mass. PS/BCHMX fiber was confirmed with the XRD, FTIR spectrum. Interestingly, XRD sharp peaks showed the conversion of amorphous PS via electrospinning into crystalline shape regarding the applied high voltage. The synthesized PS/BCHMX nanofiber was considered insensitive to the mechanical external stimuli; more than 100 J impact energy and  > 360 N initiation force as friction stimuli. PS/BCHMX is considering a candidate tool to deal with highly sensitive explosives safely and securely for explosives detection training purposes.

Well-Dispersed Silver Nanoparticles on Cellulose Filter Paper for Bacterial Removal

In this study, a polydopamine (PDA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI)-assisted approach was developed to generate well-distributed PDA/PEI/silver (PDA/PEI/Ag) nanocomplexes on the surfaces of commercial cellulose filter papers to achieve substantial bacterial reduction under gravity-driven filtration. PDA can bind to cellulose paper and act as a reducer to produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), while PEI can react with oxidative dopamine and act as a dispersant to avoid the aggregation of AgNPs. The successful immobilization of PDA/PEI/Ag nanocomplexes was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) were used as pathogen models to test the efficacy of the PDA/PEI/Ag nanocomplex-incorporated filter papers. The PDA/PEI/Ag nanocomplex-incorporated filter papers provided a substantial bacterial removal of up to 99% by simple gravity filtration. This work may be useful to develop a feasible industrial production process for the integration of biocidal AgNPs into cellulose filter paper and is recommended as a local-condition water-treatment technology to treat microbial-contaminated drinking water.

Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Aligned Electrospun Fibers

This review paper examines the current state-of-the-art in fabrication of aligned fibers via electrospinning techniques and the effects of these techniques on the mechanical and dielectric properties of electrospun fibers. Molecular orientation, system configuration to align fibers, and post-drawing treatment, like hot/cold drawing process, contribute to better specific strength and specific stiffness properties of nanofibers. The authors suggest that these improved, aligned nanofibers, when applied in composites, have better mechanical and dielectric properties for many structural and multifunctional applications, including advanced aerospace applications and energy storage devices. For these applications, most fiber alignment electrospinning research has focused on either mechanical property improvement or dielectric property improvement alone, but not both simultaneously. Relative to many other nanofiber formation techniques, the electrospinning technique exhibits superior nanofiber formation when considering cost and manufacturing complexity for many situations. Even though the dielectric property of pure nanofiber mat may not be of general interest, the analysis of the combined effect of mechanical and dielectric properties is relevant to the present analysis of improved and aligned nanofibers. A plethora of nanofibers, in particular, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) electrospun nanofibers, are discussed for their mechanical and dielectric properties. In addition, other types of electrospun nanofibers are explored for their mechanical and dielectric properties. An exploratory study by the author demonstrates the relationship between mechanical and dielectric properties for specimens obtained from a rotating mandrel horizontal setup.

Effects of Technical Textiles and Synthetic Nanofibers on Environmental Pollution

Textile manufacturing has been one of the highest polluting industrial sectors. It represents about one-fifth of worldwide industrial water pollution. It uses a huge number of chemicals, numerous of which are carcinogenic. The textile industry releases many harmful chemicals, such as heavy metals and formaldehyde, into water streams and soil, as well as toxic gases such as suspended particulate matter and sulphur dioxide to air. These hazardous wastes, may cause diseases and severe problems to human health such as respiratory and heart diseases. Pollution caused by the worldwide textile manufacturing units results in unimaginable harm, such as textile polymers, auxiliaries and dyes, to the environment. This review presents a systematic and comprehensive survey of all recently produced high-performance textiles; and will therefore assist a deeper understanding of technical textiles providing a bridge between manufacturer and end-user. Moreover, the achievements in advanced applications of textile material will be extensively studied. Many classes of technical textiles were proved in a variety of applications of different fields. The introductory material- and process-correlated identifications regarding raw materials and their transformation into yarns, fibers and fabrics followed by dyeing, printing, finishing of technical textiles and their further processing will be explored. Thus, the environmental impacts of technical textiles on soil, air and water are discussed.