Designing fire safe composites

Composites are increasingly used in transportation (railway, aircrafts,…) and their applications are more and more oriented toward structural parts. However the fire risk linked to the use of such organic materials has to be strongly reduced to keep this attractiveness and hence flame retardant solutions have to be used to fire proof them. A classical way to achieve fire performance is to incorporate fire retardants (FRs) in the bulk of the polymeric matrix of the composites at loading between 15 and 40wt%. However with such an approach, flammability properties of the composites will be achieved at the expense of their outstanding mechanical properties. To overcome those drawbacks, different innovative approaches have been developed recently in our group and two of them will be presented in the talk. The first one consists in applying an intumescent coating on the exposed surface of the composite (2D epoxy/carbon fibers) used in aeronautical applications. The efficiency of this method will be demonstrated in term of fire performances comparing a coated and an uncoated sample. The fire test is performed according to ISO 2685 standard with a flame temperature of 1100°C and a thermal flux of 116 kW/m². Figure 1 shows the advantage of using a fire protective coating. A decrease of the temperature measured at the backside of the composite linked to the formation of a protective char is indeed observed. In addition, this kind of composite must also resist to the environmental conditions while maintaining its ability to resist to fire. The durability of the coating exposed to various ageing conditions will be thus discussed. The second approach is based on the modification of the fibres of the composite using sol-gel FRs finishing. 4 plys PA11/flax fabrics laminated composites have been prepared and the fabrics have been fully FR treated or only partially (the top ply only) using precursors containing silica and phosphorous. The materials were characterized using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) X-ray mapping (figure 2) demonstrating that the FR treatments are homogeneously present on the fibres. The influence of the type of precursor on the FR properties of the treated textiles and of the final composites has been evaluated by cone calorimetry at 35kW/m². Decrease in the flammability was observed also when the upper ply was the only FR treatment

Atmospheric pressure plasma spraying of silane-based coatings targeting whey protein fouling and bacterial adhesion management

International audienc

Graphite based heat exchangers for fouling control in dairy industry

Fouling of heat exchangers is a major problem in the dairy industry. Deposits indeed produce a thermally insulating layer over the surface of the heat exchanger that decreases the heat transfer toward fluids and increases the pressure drop. Additionally , fouling can seriously affect the quality of food products by favoring the development of harmful bacteria, and thus increase the costs and environmental impacts because thorough cleaning procedures have to be used. In this context, fouling control solut ions are thus required. The present work thus aimed at testin g graphite -based materials to heat exchangers for the dairy industry. The fouling behavior was analyzed for four commercial graphite plates, submitted to pasteurization conditions in a pilot pasteurizer

Biomimetic nanostructured surfaces for antifouling in dairy processing

In dairy pasteurization equipment, fouling is an ongoing problem. Indeed, when heated, milk and its derivatives generate mineral and proteinaceous deposits on stainless steel walls. This heat-induced fouling impairs the process through the addition of an increasing thermal resistance to the system. Deposits are also a threat to food safety as they provide micro-organisms with good settlement opportunities. As a consequence, fouling mitigating strategies are needed. Biomimetic surfaces in particular, inspired from the surface morphology of lotus leaf could be considered for their self-cleaning abilities. Its dual-scale roughness (i.e. a micro roughness supporpsed by nanoscale roughness) allows for the composite Cassie-Baxter wetting state due to air remaining trapped between the liquid and the solid surface. As a result, those surfaces possess very high contact angles (typically higher than 150o) and very low contact angle hysteresis (typically less than 10°). However, a major limitation of this type of surface is the difficulty to maintain a stable Cassie-Baxter state over time: depending on the experimental conditions (pressure, vibration, evaporation, surface defect) the liquid penetrates sooner or later into the structures degrading their anti-biofouling properties. To overcome this limitation, it has been proposed to impregnate the textured surface by a liquid of low surface tension (usually an inert oil not miscible with water). This led to SLIPS surfaces (Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces). Even if these surfaces present low contact angle, their hysteresis is also almost null whatever the experimental conditions leading to antifouling properties [1].   This work aims at designing Cassie-Baxter and SLIPS surfaces and test them in dairy processing conditions to assess their antifouling properties. To this end, 316L stainless steel surfaces were texturized via femtosecond laser irradiation to generate dual-scale (cauliflower-like) structures [2]. Some of the fabricated surfaces underwent further modifications: (i) silanization with perfluorodecyltrichloro-silane or (ii) silanization followed by impregnation with a fluorinated oil to create Slippery Liquid Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) [3]. All surfaces were tested for their fouling properties in a pilot pasteurization equipement (UMET-PIHM, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Villeneuve d'Ascq) [4] allowing to mimick industrial conditions of the pasteurization process. Thorough characterizations were performed on the surfaces before and after fouling, to (i) establish clearly their surface properties (wettability, surface energy, roughness) and (ii) to investigate the impact of the different surface properties on heat-induced dairy fouling compared to a native stainless steel as reference. A wide range of analytical tools such as Goniometry, cross-section Electron Probe Micro-Analysis X-ray mappings, and Scanning Electron Microscopy were implemented to this end. Outstanding results were obtained regarding antifouling properties of dual-scaled roughness surfaces in dairy processing conditions, with a reduction of fouling by more than 90% in weight. References [1] T.-S. Wong, S. H. Kang, S. K. Y. Tang, E. Smythe, B. D. Hatton, A. Grinthal, and J. Aizenberg, ?Bioinspired self-repairing slippery surfaces with pressure-stable omniphobicity,? Nature, vol. 477, pp. 443?447, 2011. [2] A.-M. Kietzig, S. G. Hatzikiriakos, and P. Englezos, ?Patterned Superhydrophobic Metallic Surfaces,? Langmuir, vol. 25, no. 8, pp. 4821?4827, 2009. [3] A. K. Epstein, T.-S. Wong, R. A. Belisle, E. M. Boggs, and J. Aizenberg, ?Liquid-infused structured surfaces with exceptional anti-biofouling performance,? PNAS, vol. 109, no. 33, pp. 13182?13187, 2012. [4] M. Jimenez, G. Delaplace, N. Nuns, S. Bellayer, D. Deresmes, G. Ronse, G. Alogaili, M. Collinet-Fressancourt, and M. Traisnel, ?Toward the understanding of the interfacial dairy fouling deposition and growth mechanisms at a stainless steel surface: A multiscale approach,? J. Colloid an interface Sci., vol. 404, pp. 192?200, 2013

The TESS-Keck Survey. XI. Mass Measurements for Four Transiting sub-Neptunes orbiting K dwarf TOI-1246

Multi-planet systems are valuable arenas for investigating exoplanet architectures and comparing planetary siblings. TOI-1246 is one such system, with a moderately bright K dwarf (V=11.6, K=9.9) and four transiting sub-Neptunes identified by TESS with orbital periods of 4.31 d, 5.90 d, 18.66 d, and 37.92 d. We collected 130 radial velocity observations with Keck/HIRES and TNG/HARPS-N to measure planet masses. We refit the 14 sectors of TESS photometry to refine planet radii (2.97±0.06 R⊕,2.47±0.08 R⊕,3.46±0.09 R⊕, 3.72±0.16 R⊕), and confirm the four planets. We find that TOI-1246 e is substantially more massive than the three inner planets (8.1±1.1M⊕, 8.8±1.2M⊕, 5.3±1.7M⊕, 14.8±2.3M⊕). The two outer planets, TOI-1246 d and TOI-1246 e, lie near to the 2:1 resonance (Pe/Pd=2.03) and exhibit transit timing variations. TOI-1246 is one of the brightest four-planet systems, making it amenable for continued observations. It is one of only six systems with measured masses and radii for all four transiting planets. The planet densities range from 0.70±0.24 to 3.21±0.44g/cm3, implying a range of bulk and atmospheric compositions. We also report a fifth planet candidate found in the RV data with a minimum mass of 25.6 ± 3.6 M⊕. This planet candidate is exterior to TOI-1246 e with a candidate period of 93.8 d, and we discuss the implications if it is confirmed to be planetary in nature

The TESS-Keck Survey. XI. Mass Measurements for Four Transiting Sub-Neptunes Orbiting K Dwarf TOI-1246

Multiplanet systems are valuable arenas for investigating exoplanet architectures and comparing planetary siblings. TOI-1246 is one such system, with a moderately bright K dwarf (V = 11.6, K = 9.9) and four transiting sub-Neptunes identified by TESS with orbital periods of 4.31, 5.90, 18.66, and 37.92 days. We collected 130 radial velocity observations with Keck/HIRES and TNG/HARPS-N to measure planet masses. We refit the 14 sectors of TESS photometry to refine planet radii (2.97 +/- 0.06 R (circle plus), 2.47 +/- 0.08 R (circle plus), 3.46 +/- 0.09 R (circle plus), and 3.72 +/- 0.16 R (circle plus)) and confirm the four planets. We find that TOI-1246 e is substantially more massive than the three inner planets (8.1 +/- 1.1 M (circle plus), 8.8 +/- 1.2 M (circle plus), 5.3 +/- 1.7 M (circle plus), and 14.8 +/- 2.3 M (circle plus)). The two outer planets, TOI-1246 d and TOI-1246 e, lie near to the 2:1 resonance (P (e)/P ( d ) = 2.03) and exhibit transit-timing variations. TOI-1246 is one of the brightest four-planet systems, making it amenable for continued observations. It is one of only five systems with measured masses and radii for all four transiting planets. The planet densities range from 0.70 +/- 0.24 to 3.21 +/- 0.44 g cm(-3), implying a range of bulk and atmospheric compositions. We also report a fifth planet candidate found in the RV data with a minimum mass of 25.6 +/- 3.6 M (circle plus). This planet candidate is exterior to TOI-1246 e, with a candidate period of 93.8 days, and we discuss the implications if it is confirmed to be planetary in nature

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Amélioration du comportement au feu du polyamide 6,6 par traitement de surface et en masse

L objectif principal de ce travail concerne le développement de formulations afin d ignifuger le Polyamide-6,6 renforcé ou non par des fibres de verre pour des applications axées sur le matériel électrique. La compréhension des mécanismes d ignifugation mis en jeu a mis en évidence un effet de protection du à la formation d une couche barrière limitant les transferts de matière et de chaleur. Les performances feu évaluées à l aide des tests de l indice limite d oxygène (LOI), de l UL94, du fil incandescent et du calorimètre à cône ont permis de satisfaire tous les critères retenus pour l évaluation des matériaux contenant un phosphinate d aluminium. L utilisation des traitements de surface pour apporter des propriétés d ignifugation aux matériaux a permis de concentrer les propriétés ignifuges en surface, et de préserver les propriétés mécaniques et physiques du polymère. Des dépôts en couches minces utilisant la technique de polymérisation assistée par plasma froid ont favorisé l amélioration des performances feu du PA66-25% FV en termes de LOI, mais n ont apporté aucun changement au calorimètre à cône. L application d un enduit ignifuge sur le PA66-25% FV après activation de sa surface par flammage a révélé une amélioration du comportement ignifuge. La combinaison des deux procédés d ignifugation, à savoir le traitement en surface d une formulation contenant une faible quantité d ignifugeant, a été étudiée. Ainsi, l application d un revêtement ignifugeant sur un substrat contenant une quantité minimale d OP1230 (5%) a permis de satisfaire à l ensemble du cahier des charges.The main objective of this study concerns the development of fire retardant PA66 formulations, reinforced or not with glass fibers, uses for electrical material. The experimental approaches studies the influence of non-halogenous organophosphorous flame retardant, such as melamine polyphosphate, phosphinate, or melamine cyanurate on the fire performance of the PA66 in order to understand the fireproofing mechanisms. The efficiency in terms of fire protection defines the OP1230 as optimal flame retardant. The attention was related more particularly to the formulation with the minimal amount of additive so that the product present to the fire conditions for electric applications. The thermal degradation study shows that no new species are identified during the degradation which indicates that no chemical reaction appears. This means that only physical interactions could explain the improved fire behavior of the heated formulation. The evolution of the intermediate structures has been investigated and mechanisms have been proposed according to the conclusions made. The second axis of the study concerns the use of surface treatments to fireproof the polymer surface. Thin layer deposits using cold plasma assisted polymerization technique or thicker layer by intumescent coating applications were carried out on the PA66-25% FV after surface activation. Both processes allows to preserve the mechanical and physical properties of the polymer. The last step of the work was to apply the surface treatment on PA66 containing 5% OP1230 which gives very satisfying results in terms of fire protection, the OP1230 showed the best efficiency in terms of fire protection.LILLE1-Bib. Electronique (590099901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Elaboration de brosses de polymères à la surface du titane en vue d'applications biomédicales

L athérosclérose est une maladie vasculaire dont les complications sont la première cause de mortalité dans les pays développés. Pour soigner cette pathologie, une des méthodes les plus employées est l angioplastie couplée au stenting. Ce geste occasionne cependant de forts risques de complications postopératoires, dont la plus répandue est la resténose. Pour refreiner ce phénomène, différentes stratégie peuvent être exploitées, l une d elle consiste à immobilisé sur la surface du stent des composés bioactifs pour en faciliter l acceptation par l organisme. C est dans ce contexte que s inscrit cette étude. L idée première est de fonctionnaliser le titane, métal couramment dans le domaine médical, par des polymères pouvant être modifiés en quantité désirée par des molécules bioactives.Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons employé la polymérisation radicalaire contrôlée. Cet outil de choix permet d obtenir des polymères parfaitement définis comportant une fonctionnalité en extrémité de chaîne. Dans notre cas, nous avons choisi d y fixer une ancre catéchol, molécule naturelle ayant une forte affinité avec le titane. Différents polymères ont été conçus et, après caractérisation, ont été immobilisés sur le titane pour former des brosses. Les surfaces ainsi obtenues ont été caractérisée en termes de composition et de densité de fonctionnalisation. Enfin nous avons employé une molécule test, la glucosamine, pour modifier en différentes quantités une plateforme polymère, puis d évaluer biologiquement ces polymères en solution et immobilisés sur le titane pour en étudier l influence sur différentes lignées de cellules.Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease, whose complications are the first cause of death in developed countries. In order to cure this pathology, angioplasty, coordinated with stenting, is nowadays one of the most used treatment. However, postsurgical complications can often occur with this surgery technique. The frequency of restenosis, the most common complication, could be decreased thanks to different strategies. One of these strategies is to graft on stent surface bioactive molecules that enhance biocompatibility.In this context with have endeavored to functionalize titanium, commonly used in medical applications, with polymers that can bear bioactive molecules. In order to reach this goal, we used controlled radical polymerization, which can provide end-functionalized, well-defined polymers. In our case, we have chosen to craft polymers with a catechol at the chain end, a natural anchor which have good affinity with titanium. During this study, different kind of polymers have been built and analyzed. Then, they were grafted to titanium substrates to create polymer brushes. Grafting densities and surfaces compositions were characterized thanks to different techniques. Finally, we tried to modify a polymeric platform with different quantities of glucosamine, a test molecule. These polymers were then biologically evaluated alone and grafted to titanium with different cell lines.LILLE1-Bib. Electronique (590099901) / SudocSudocFranceF