Nonthermal Plasma Technology as a Versatile Strategy for Polymeric Biomaterials Surface Modification: A Review

In modern technology, there is a constant need to solve very complex problems and to fine-tune existing solutions. This is definitely the case in modern medicine with emerging fields such as regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The problems, which are studied in these fields, set very high demands on the applied materials. In most cases, it is impossible to find a single material that meets all demands such as biocompatibility, mechanical strength, biodegradability (if required), and promotion of cell-adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. A common strategy to circumvent this problem is the application of composite materials, which combine the properties of the different constituents. Another possible strategy is to selectively modify the surface of a material using different modification techniques. In the past decade, the use of nonthermal plasmas for selective surface modification has been a rapidly growing research field. This will be the highlight of this review. In a first part of this paper, a general introduction in the field of surface engineering will be given. Thereafter, we will focus on plasma-based strategies for surface modification. The purpose of the present review is twofold. First, we wish to provide a tutorial-type review that allows a fast introduction for researchers into the field. Second, we aim to give a comprehensive overview of recent work on surface modification of polymeric biomaterials, with a focus on plasma-based strategies. Some recent trends will be exemplified. On the basis of this literature study, we will conclude with some future trends for research

A fluorescent oil detection device

On April 20th 2010, the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history happened in the Gulf of Mexico. It is estimated total more than 4 million barrels oil spilled to Gulf of Mexico. More than two million gallons had been used. This had made the threat to coastal and sea ecosystem even greater and long term. Real-time monitoring is also a critical topic for oil spill response. In-situ monitoring devices are needed for rapid collection of real-time data. A new generation of instruments for spilled oil detection is reported in this paper. The main hypothesis in this research is that the sensitivity of the new instrument based on a micro-fluidic-optic chip can be higher than its conventional sized counterparts. The adoption of the micro-fluidic-optic chip helped to miniaturize the sample extraction unit and also to integrate the optical detection on the same chip substrate. Only the monitoring and displaying unit and the power supply were external to the micro-fluidic-optic chip. In this way, the micro-fluidic-optic chip is replaceable and can be disposable. This also helps to eliminate the need for cleaning the fluidic components, which may be very difficult in micro-scales because of surface tension and flow resistances. Liquid-Liquid extraction unit for sample pre-concentration and micro-optic components for fluorescence detection are the key microfluidic components and have been designed and fabricated on a single disposable chip. In the Liquid-Liquid extraction system, different designs are compared and electromagnetically actuated micro-valves and peristaltic pumps have been designed and fabricated to control the aqueous sample fluid and the organic phase solution. In the micro-optic detection system, different designs are compared and an out-of-plane lens was designed, fabricated, and integrated to enhance the measurement sensitivity. The experimental results of the integrated system have proved that the liquid-liquid extraction functioned very well and the overall measurement sensitivity of the system has been increased more than six hundred percent. An overall oil detection sensitivity blow 1ppm has been achieved. The research work presented in this dissertation has proved the feasibility of this novel oil detection instrument based on micro-fluidic-optic chip. This detection system may also be used for detection of other samples that can be measured based on fluoresce principles

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

"Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems.

Fast-degrading PLA/ORMOGLASS fibrous composite scaffold leads to a calcium-rich angiogenic environment

The success of scaffold implantation in acellular tissue engineering approaches relies on the ability of the material to interact properly with the biological environment. This behavior mainly depends on the design of the graft surface and, more precisely, on its capacity to biodegrade in a well-defined manner (nature of ions released, surface-to-volume ratio, dissolution profile of this release, rate of material resorption, and preservation of mechanical properties). The assessment of the biological behavior of temporary templates is therefore very important in tissue engineering, especially for composites, which usually exhibit complicated degradation behavior. Here, blended polylactic acid (PLA) calcium phosphate ORMOGLASS (organically modified glass) nanofibrous mats have been incubated up to 4 weeks in physiological simulated conditions, and their morphological, topographical, and chemical changes have been investigated. The results showed that a significant loss of inorganic phase occurred at the beginning of the immersion and the ORMOGLASS maintained a stable composition afterward throughout the degradation period. As a whole, the nanostructured scaffolds underwent fast and heterogeneous degradation. This study reveals that an angiogenic calcium-rich environment can be achieved through fast-degrading ORMOGLASS/PLA blended fibers, which seems to be an excellent alternative for guided bone regeneration

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

"Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems.

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for New Materials and Components

Remanufacturing and Advanced Machining Processes for Materials and Components presents current and emerging techniques for machining of new materials and restoration of components, as well as surface engineering methods aimed at prolonging the life of industrial systems. It examines contemporary machining processes for new materials, methods of protection and restoration of components, and smart machining processes. • Details a variety of advanced machining processes, new materials joining techniques, and methods to increase machining accuracy • Presents innovative methods for protection and restoration of components primarily from the perspective of remanufacturing and protective surface engineering • Discusses smart machining processes, including computer-integrated manufacturing and rapid prototyping, and smart materials • Provides a comprehensive summary of state-of-the-art in every section and a description of manufacturing methods • Describes the applications in recovery and enhancing purposes and identifies contemporary trends in industrial practice, emphasizing resource savings and performance prolongation for components and engineering systems The book is aimed at a range of readers, including graduate-level students, researchers, and engineers in mechanical, materials, and manufacturing engineering, especially those focused on resource savings, renovation, and failure prevention of components in engineering systems

Functional materials in desalination: A review

This paper reviews various functional materials used in desalination. Desalination of the abundant seawater resource has emerged as a promising technology to meet the current fresh water demands. For improved performance, often functional materials such as photocatalysts, electrocatalysts, photothermal materials, sorbents, antibacterial materials and magnetic materials are utilized in thermal, membrane-based and other desalination technologies. With an aim to provide an insight on the existing research on functional materials and the purpose behind using such in desalination, this review collates different research studies of various functional properties and the subsequent materials utilized for those properties. New generation materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene form a major part, where they exhibit multiple functionalities with improved water transport properties, and thus have been deemed as very attractive enhancers to the desalination technology. Nevertheless, most of the functional materials, such as nano-TiO2, nano-zeolites, graphene, CNTs and magnetic nanoparticles suffer from several limitations such as specialized synthesis techniques, agglomeration, leaching and environmental and health concerns. This review focuses on such challenges and suggests improvements for enhanced incorporation of these in the desalination technology. Lastly, emerging new technologies, advanced fabrication methods and novel functional hybrid materials are reviewed to equip the readers with the latest research trends. Thus, a comprehensive review is essential which will provide current and future researchers an insight on the importance and significance of utilizing functional materials in various desalination technologies

Material Formulation and Process Optimization Towards Fabricating Robust 3D Printed Structures

This dissertation focuses on understanding and addressing the fundamental physicochemical phenomena that lead to weak interfaces and structural warpage in material extrusion 3D printing. Polymeric feedstocks used for this manufacturing technique were manipulated through the incorporation of additives that alter the dynamics of the matrix during and after printing. In Chapter II, adhesion between layers of structures printed from PEEK was strengthened through a combination of low-molecular weight additive incorporation and post-printing thermal annealing. Chapter III reports a method for decreasing the irreversible thermal strain of structures printed from poly(lactic acid) by introducing nanographene and photoinitiator additives into the feedstock and printing with in situ ultraviolet illumination. Chapter IV describes follow-up work in which a similar approach was taken to decrease the irreversible strain of structures printed from the high-performance polymer poly(ether ether ketone). Finally, Chapter V explains how synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering can be used to analyze the interfaces between printed layers. The data presented in this chapter demonstrates how polymeric additives modify the crystallinity of the bulk polymer matrix, leading to augmented interfacial strength