Abstract: A thermal energy storage composition is provided. The composition includes a phase change material and a plurality of long, anisotropic thermal conductive carbon fibers mixed with the phase change material. The anisotropic thermal conductive carbon fibers enhance heat transfer and accelerate phase change of the phase change material to increase the thermal storage efficiency of the composition. The anisotropic thermal conductive carbon fibers may be present in an amount of up to 5% by weight, and may have a length in the range of 1 to 10 cm. The anisotropic thermal conductive carbon fibers also may have a greater thermal conductivity in an axial direction relative to a thermal conductivity in a radial direction. A thermal energy storage system including the thermal energy storage composition and a method of heat management in a thermal energy storage system are also provided.

Abstract: A polymer blend material comprising the following components: (i) a lignin component; (ii) a nitrile butadiene rubber component; and (iii) a filler component comprising ceramic particles and/or carbon particles having an average primary particle size of 1-100 nm, wherein component (iii) is present in an amount of 0.1-10 wt % by weight of components (i) and (ii); wherein component (i) is present in an amount of about 5 wt % to about 95 wt % by weight of components (i) and (ii), and wherein the blend material may optionally include a PAN-containing homopolymer or copolymer as an additional component. Methods for producing the polymer blend, molded forms thereof, and articles thereof, are also described. Methods for bonding surfaces together by use of the polymer blend are also described.

Abstract: A polymer blend material comprising: (i) a lignin component; (ii) a nitrile butadiene rubber component; and (iii) divalent or trivalent metal salt; wherein: component (i) is present in an amount of about 5 wt. % to about 95 wt. % by weight of components (i) and (ii); component (i) is dispersed in component (ii) in the form of domains having a size of up to 1000 nm; component (iii) is present in an amount of 0.1-10 wt. % by weight of components (i) and (ii); and the polymer blend material has a tensile failure strength of at least 10 MPa, and an elongation at break of at least 20%. Methods for producing the polymer blend, molded forms thereof, and articles thereof, are also described.

Abstract: A method of producing carbon fibers includes the step of providing polyacrylonitrile precursor polymer fiber filaments. The polyacrylonitrile precursor filaments include from 87-97 mole % acrylonitrile, and less than 0.5 mole % of accelerant functional groups. The filaments are no more than 3 deniers per filament. The polyacrylonitrile precursor fiber filaments can be arranged into tows of at least 150,000 deniers per inch width. The arranged polyacrylonitrile precursor fiber tows are stabilized by heating the tows in at least one oxidation zone containing oxygen gas and maintained at a first temperature T1 while stretching the tows at least 10% to yield a stabilized precursor fiber tow. The stabilized precursor fiber tows are carbonized by passing the stabilized precursor fiber tows through a carbonization zone. Carbon fibers produced by the process are also disclosed.

Abstract: A surface-modified carbon fiber composition comprising: (i) a carbon fiber having an outer surface, a width of at least 1 micron, and a length-to-width aspect ratio of at least 1000; and (ii) an amine-containing polymer coating bonded to the outer surface of the carbon fiber, wherein the amine-containing polymer contains at least one of primary and secondary amino groups. A method for producing the coated carbon fiber comprises: immersing an uncoated carbon fiber in an electrolyte solution containing a dissolved amount of an amine-containing polymer containing at least one of primary and secondary amino groups while the uncoated carbon fiber is connected to a negatively charged electrode and positioned adjacent to a positively charged electrode in the electrolyte solution to result in the electrodeposition of a coating of the amine-containing polymer on the uncoated carbon fiber. Also described herein are carbon fiber-polymer composites and methods of producing them.

Abstract: A crosslinked polymeric composition comprising the following components: (i) a matrix comprising an epoxy-anhydride crosslinked polymer containing a multiplicity of ester linkages resulting from reaction between epoxy-containing and anhydride-containing molecules; and (ii) a hydroxy-containing solid filler component integrated into component (i) and engaged in dynamic reversible covalent crosslinking with component (i) by a reversible exchange reaction between the ester linkages and hydroxy groups in the hydroxy-containing solid filler; wherein the crosslinked polymeric composition behaves as a thermoset up to a temperature X and behaves as a processible thermoplastic at a temperature greater than X.

Abstract: A carbon fiber composite material comprising: (i) a carbon fiber having an outer surface, a thickness of at least 1 micron, and an aspect ratio of at least 1000; (ii) a sizing agent coated on the outer surface of the carbon fiber, wherein the sizing agent has a thickness of up to 200 nm; and (iii) nanoparticles having a size in at least one dimension of up to 100 nm embedded within the sizing agent, wherein the nanoparticles have a metal carbide, metal oxide, metal nitride, and/or metal boride composition. A method for producing the fiber composite material comprises: (a) continuously feeding and coating a continuous carbon fiber with a liquid containing a solvent, sizing agent, and nanoparticles in a continuous feed-through process to result in said sizing agent and nanoparticles coating the surface of the continuous carbon fiber; and (b) removing the solvent from the coated fiber.

Abstract: A porous composition comprising a porous organic polymer (POP) fiber having a diameter of at least 100 nm and a length of at least 1 mm and pores having a size within a range of 10 nm to 5 microns distributed over the surface and volume of the POP fiber, wherein the organic polymer is insoluble in water and may be selected from, e.g., polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, and polyacrylonitrile. Also described herein is a method for producing a POP fiber comprising: (i) forming a precursor fiber from a blend of an organic polymer and lignin, wherein the lignin is present in the form of domains within the precursor fiber; and (ii) washing the precursor fiber with a solvent that dissolves the lignin to result in the POP fiber. Also described herein is a method for removing oil from an oil-water mixture comprising contacting the oil-water mixture with the POP fibers.

Abstract: A solid polymer blend material comprising: (i) a lignin-acrylonitrile component containing a homogeneous blend of a lignin component and an acrylonitrile-containing rubber component; and (ii) a styrene-containing thermoplastic component that is non-elastomeric; wherein components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously dispersed in the polymer blend material. Methods for producing the blend material are also described. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described, comprising: (a) melt blending components (i) and (ii) to form a polymer blend in which components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously blended, wherein the polymer blend exhibits a melt viscosity of no more than 2000 Pa·s at a shear rate of 100-1000 s?1 and when heated to a temperature of no more than 240° C.; and (b) forming an object made of said polymer blend material.

Abstract: A lignin dispersion composition comprising spherical lignin particles dispersed in an aqueous medium, wherein the spherical lignin particles have a size exclusively within a range of 100 nm to 5 microns. Also described herein is a method of producing the lignin dispersion, by: (i) dissolving lignin in an organic solvent substantially devoid of water yet miscible with water to result in a solution of the lignin in the organic solvent; and (ii) producing the lignin dispersion by dialyzing the solution of the lignin with water until substantially all of the organic solvent is replaced with water with simultaneous formation of spherical lignin particles dispersed in the water. Also described herein is a method for stabilizing an emulsion by intimately mixing the emulsion with the lignin dispersion. Also described herein is a hierarchical assembly of porous microparticles produced by mixing the lignin dispersion with an emulsion and an amphiphilic block copolymer.

Abstract: A solid multiphase polymer blend material comprising: (i) a polyphenolic substance having a molecular weight of at least 500 g/mol; and (ii) a polyester having a molecular weight of at least 500 g/mol; wherein at least a portion of the polyphenolic substance is covalently bonded directly or through a linking moiety to the polyester. Methods for producing the blend material are also described, e.g., homogeneously melt blending a mixture comprising components (i) and (ii) under conditions resulting in covalent attachment of at least a portion of the polyphenolic substance directly or through a linking moiety to the polyester. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described.

Abstract: A composition comprising: (i) an electrically non-conductive fiber having a surface; and (ii) piezoelectric particles adhered to the surface of said electrically non-conductive fiber, and optionally, (iii) a sizing agent (e.g., epoxy) coated over the piezoelectric particles and surface of the electrically non-conductive fiber. Also described are composites in which the above fiber composition is embedded within a matrix, e.g., a polymer, ceramic, or glassy carbon matrix. Also described is a method for producing a passive sensing fiber composition by: coating a fiber having a surface with a liquid suspension containing piezoelectric particles suspended in a solvent; and removing the solvent to result in the piezoelectric particles adhered to the surface of the fiber. Also described are methods for detecting formation of defects in a material and methods of generating electrical energy from ambient vibration by use of the above described fiber compositions and composites thereof.

Abstract: A composition comprising lignin compounds possessing 8-30 (or 5-15 or 8-12) phenyl rings interconnected by ether and alkylene linkages and containing hydroxy and/or methoxy groups attached to said phenyl rings, wherein said composition possesses a glass transition temperature of 80-100° C. (or 95-98° C.) and a degree of substitution (DS) of carboxylic acid groups per phenyl ring of at least 0.5 and a DS of methoxy groups per phenyl ring of no more than 1.2, 1.1, or 1.0, wherein at least 90 wt % of said lignin compounds has a molecular weight within a range of 500-5000 g/mol, 1500-3000 g/mol, or 2000-2500 g/mol and/or wherein the molecular weight distribution of the lignin compounds is characterized by a polydispersity index of 1.0-1.5, 1.0-1.4, or 1.0-1.3, and wherein other lignin compounds not possessing the above characteristics are not present. Methods for producing the lignin extract and lignin copolymers and blends produced therefrom are also described.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of making a electrocatalyst from waste tires. The method comprises the steps of providing rubber pieces; optionally contacting the rubber pieces with a sulfonation bath to produce sulfonated rubber; pyrolyzing the rubber to produce tire-derived carbon composite comprising carbon black, wherein the pyrolyzing comprises heating to at least 200° C.-2400° C.; activating the tire-derived carbon composite by contacting the tire-derived carbon composite with an alkali anion compound to provide activated tire-derived carbon supports; and loading the activated carbon-based supports with platinum cubes. In another embodiment, the tire-derived carbon composite is activated by annealing in a carbon dioxide atmosphere.

Abstract: A plasticized terephthalate-based polyester blend comprising a terephthalate-based polyester (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, i.e., PET) homogeneously blended with a fatty acid or ester thereof, wherein said fatty acid or ester thereof is present in said polyester blend in an amount of 1-50 wt %. Also described herein is a method for producing a plasticized terephthalate-based polyester blend, the method comprising melt mixing a terephthalate-based polyester with a fatty acid or ester thereof at a temperature in a range of 230-250° C. to produce said polyester blend, wherein said fatty acid or ester thereof is present in said polyester blend in an amount of 1-50 wt % and is homogeneously blended with said terephthalate-based polyester.

Abstract: A solid polymer blend material comprising: (i) lignin; and (ii) a polyamide having a melting point of no more than 240° C. and which is below the decomposition temperature of the lignin; wherein said lignin is homogeneously dispersed in said polyamide. Methods for producing the blend material are also described. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described, comprising: (a) melt blending components (i) and (ii) to form a polymer blend in which components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously blended, wherein the polymer blend exhibits a melt viscosity of no more than 2000 Pa·s at a shear rate of 100-1000 s?1 and when heated to a temperature of no more than 240° C.; and; (b) forming an object made of said polymer blend material.

Abstract: A solid polymer blend material comprising: (i) a lignin-acrylonitrile component containing a homogeneous blend of a lignin component and an acrylonitrile-containing rubber component; and (ii) a styrene-containing thermoplastic component that is non-elastomeric; wherein components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously dispersed in the polymer blend material. Methods for producing the blend material are also described. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described, comprising: (a) melt blending components (i) and (ii) to form a polymer blend in which components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously blended, wherein the polymer blend exhibits a melt viscosity of no more than 2000 Pa·s at a shear rate of 100-1000 s?1 and when heated to a temperature of no more than 240° C.; and (b) forming an object made of said polymer blend material.

Abstract: A solid polymer blend material comprising: (i) a lignin-acrylonitrile component containing a homogeneous blend of a lignin component and an acrylonitrile-containing rubber component; and (ii) a styrene-containing thermoplastic component that is non-elastomeric; wherein components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously dispersed in the polymer blend material. Methods for producing the blend material are also described. Methods for producing objects made of the blend material by melt extrusion are also described, comprising: (a) melt blending components (i) and (ii) to form a polymer blend in which components (i) and (ii) are homogeneously blended, wherein the polymer blend exhibits a melt viscosity of no more than 2000 Pa·s at a shear rate of 100-1000 s?1 and when heated to a temperature of no more than 240° C.; and (b) forming an object made of said polymer blend material.

Abstract: An object comprising: a blend of (i) a phenol-containing polymer and (ii) a nitrile butadiene rubber; wherein the phenol-containing polymer is present in an amount of at least 5 wt % and up to about 95 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii). The object may further contain an electrically conducting component dispersed within the blend or on a surface of the blend. Also described is a method of thermal-activated reversible mechanical deformation of the object by (i) deforming the object at a first temperature, which is at or above the glass transition temperature of the object, and applying a stress on the object; (ii) fixing the deformed state by cooling the object to a second temperature of no more than 0° C. while under stress, and removing the stress; and (iii) recovering the object to the original shape by raising the temperature of the object to the first temperature.

Abstract: The invention provides a catalyst and a method for making the catalyst. The catalyst comprises a porous carbon composite impregnated with a salt. The catalyst comprises a porous carbon composite impregnated with a salt.