Comparative study of singlewalled, multiwalled, and branched carbon nanotubes melt mixed in different thermoplastic matrices

In this contribution, three different types of CNTs, namely single-walled (SWCNT), multi-walled (MWCNT) and branched MWCNTs were melt mixed in amounts of 0.1–10 wt.-% in polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) using a small-scale microcompounder. The filler dispersion of compression-moulded samples was characterized using light and electron microscopy, and the electrical and thermal properties were measured. The lowest electrical percolation thresholds were found for composites of PP/SWCNT, PP/branched MWCNT and PC/branched MWCNT, which percolated already at <0.1 wt.-% CNT loading. Low values of electrical volume resistivity of about 3 Ohm·cm (PVDF), 7 Ohm·cm (PP) and 2 Ohm·cm (PC) could be reached when loading with 2 wt.-% branched MWCNT. A homogeneous dispersion in the macro- and microlevel was observed especially for composites containing branched MWCNTs. For all CNT types, a matrix nucleation effect was found in PP and PVDF using differential scanning calorimetry

Screening of Different Carbon Nanotubes in Melt-Mixed Polymer Composites with Different Polymer Matrices for Their Thermoelectrical Properties

The aim of this study is to reveal the influences of carbon nanotube (CNT) and polymer type as well as CNT content on electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient (S), and the resulting power factor (PF) and figure of merit (ZT). Different commercially available and laboratory made CNTs were used to prepare melt-mixed composites on a small scale. CNTs typically lead to p-type composites with positive S-values. This was found for the two types of multi-walled CNTs (MWCNT) whereby higher Seebeck coefficient in the corresponding buckypapers resulted in higher values also in the composites. Nitrogen doped MWCNTs resulted in negative S-values in the buckypapers as well as in the polymer composites. When using single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) with a positive S-value in the buckypapers, positive (polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT)) or negative (polyamide 66 (PA66), polyamide 6 (PA6), partially aromatic polyamide (PARA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)) S-values were obtained depending on the matrix polymer and SWCNT type. The study shows that the direct production of n-type melt-mixed polymer composites from p-type commercial SWCNTs with relatively high Seebeck coefficients is possible. The highest Seebeck coefficients obtained in this study were 66.4 µV/K (PBT/7 wt % SWCNT Tuball) and −57.1 µV/K (ABS/0.5 wt % SWCNT Tuball) for p-and n-type composites, respectively. The highest power factor and ZT of 0.28 µW/m·K2 and 3.1 × 10−4, respectively, were achieved in PBT with 4 wt % SWCNT Tuball

Nouvelles représentations des consommations d'énergie

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It starts at home? Climate policies targeting household consumption and behavioral decisions are key to low-carbon futures

Through their consumption behavior, households are responsible for 72% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, they are key actors in reaching the 1.5 °C goal under the Paris Agreement. However, the possible contribution and position of households in climate policies is neither well understood, nor do households receive sufficiently high priority in current climate policy strategies. This paper investigates how behavioral change can achieve a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in European high-income countries. It uses theoretical thinking and some core results from the HOPE research project, which investigated household preferences for reducing emissions in four European cities in France, Germany, Norway and Sweden. The paper makes five major points: First, car and plane mobility, meat and dairy consumption, as well as heating are the most dominant components of household footprints. Second, household living situations (demographics, size of home) greatly influence the household potential to reduce their footprint, even more than country or city location. Third, household decisions can be sequential and temporally dynamic, shifting through different phases such as childhood, adulthood, and illness. Fourth, short term voluntary efforts will not be sufficient by themselves to reach the drastic reductions needed to achieve the 1.5 °C goal; instead, households need a regulatory framework supporting their behavioral changes. Fifth, there is a mismatch between the roles and responsibilities conveyed by current climate policies and household perceptions of responsibility. We then conclude with further recommendations for research and policy

C9ORF72 knockdown triggers FTD-like symptoms and cell pathology in mice

The GGGGCC intronic repeat expansion within C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD. This mutation results in toxic gain of function through accumulation of expanded RNA foci and aggregation of abnormally translated dipeptide repeat proteins, as well as loss of function due to impaired transcription of C9ORF72. A number of in vivo and in vitro models of gain and loss of function effects have suggested that both mechanisms synergize to cause the disease. However, the contribution of the loss of function mechanism remains poorly understood. We have generated C9ORF72 knockdown mice to mimic C9-FTD/ALS patients haploinsufficiency and investigate the role of this loss of function in the pathogenesis. We found that decreasing C9ORF72 leads to anomalies of the autophagy/lysosomal pathway, cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43 and decreased synaptic density in the cortex. Knockdown mice also developed FTD-like behavioral deficits and mild motor phenotypes at a later stage. These findings show that C9ORF72 partial loss of function contributes to the damaging events leading to C9-FTD/ALS

MODELISATION NUMERIQUE DU COMPORTEMENT MECANIQUE DE SYSTEMES ENCHEVETRES

We employ a discrete simulation adapted from molecular dynamics techniques in order to study the mechanics of entangled semiflexible fibers. Each fiber is discretized by a small number of segments allowed to stretch and bend. A few hundred fibers, initially straight and placed and oriented at random are simulated during incremental compressions in the three directions of space or incremental shear. This model can take into account geometrical parameters (volume fraction, aspect ratio, orientation distribution...) as well as “material” parameters (flexibility, nature of contacts...). This model is also employed to generate samples used to validate image analysis techniques.Un modèle numérique basé sur des techniques de dynamique moléculaire a été développé pour étudier le comportement mécanique d'ensembles de fibres enchevêtrées. Pour limiter le nombre de degrés de liberté, les fibres sont discrétisées en une suite de segments. Le modèle permet de prendre en compte des paramètres géométriques (fraction volumique, facteur de forme, distribution d'orientation...) et des paramètres « matériaux » (flexibilité, frottement aux contacts...). Les comportements macroscopiques d'ensembles de fibres orientées aléatoirement ont été identifiés en fonction de ces paramètres, enrichissant ainsi les lois d'échelles simples de la littérature. Des informations microscopiques telles que l'évolution du nombre de contacts en fonction des sollicitations (compression isostatique, cisaillement) ont également pu être obtenues numériquement. Ceci a notamment permis de valider des techniques d'analyse d'image, ensuite appliquées à des images de tomographie aux rayons X de laines d'acier

Carbon footprint mitigation of the Food System in France. To what extent fossil fuels and transportation matter?

International audienceLimiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires deep changes in the dietary patterns and the entire food system, from the farm to fork.The aim of this research was to assess:-the carbon footprint of the French dietary pattern adopting a comprehensive approach of the food system;-the relative contributions to the total footprint of the different stages: agricultural production, processing, freight transport, distribution, out-of-home eating, travel for household food purchases, and food preparation in the home;-the transportation carbon footprint by country of origin for various dietary patternsA global approach is proposed rather than a Life Cycle assessment (LCA), based on a process of disaggregation and allocation of food volumes and environmental impacts at different stages. It begins with the French population consumption patterns that determine the demand for food products, and reconstructs the upstream phases of the production and distribution sectors.The main greenhouse gas is CO2, which accounts for 46% of the total carbon footprint, methane accounts for 29% and N2O for 23%. Transportation is the bulk of the CO2 emissions (39%) and half of the CO2 emissions from freight transport come from imports. Agriculture accounts for 30%, Services and Residential 19% and Food transformation 12%.Reducing fossil fuel consumption, and especially these related to transportation, for instance through reduction of importations, is an essential step in GHG emission reduction strategies for the food system, beside the reduction of animal-based food consumption and the changes in farming practices

Climat : faut-il manger moins de viande ?

International audienc

Climat : faut-il manger moins de viande ?

International audienc