Complex 3D macrostructured nanoparticles are transformed from amorphous silica into pure polycrystalline α-quartz using catalytic quantities of alkaline earth metals as devitrifying agent. Walls as thin as 10 nm could be crystallized without losing the architecture of the particles. The roles of cation size and the mol% of the incorporated devitrifying agent in crystallization behavior are studied, with Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Sr(2+) and Ba(2+) all producing pure α-quartz under certain conditions.

A selective modification of the surface properties of UV-cured epoxy films was achieved, with an important enhancement of hydrophobicity and scratch resistance, by dispersion on the UV-curable formulations of fluorinated functionalized silica particles. The photopolymeriza- tion process was investigated and the films were fully characterized. Contact angle measurements with water on UV-cured films showed a linear increase of the contact angle of cross-linked films by increasing the functionalized SiO2 content in the photocurable formulation. Also, a consistent and linear improvement of penetration resistance was noted in terms of penetration depth by increasing the fluorinated functionalized silica content

Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) modified unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs) are mostly used for hulls, decks, and bathroom facilities. Main advantages of these polymers over orthophthalic or isophthalic polyesters are their relatively low shrinking, reduced styrene emission, lower cost, and fast curing in thin layers. On the other hand, once cured, these materials are more brittle and have lower glass transition temperatures and lower chemical resistance due to their different chemical constitutions. DCPD UPRs with standard grades are usually produced with high-quality DCPD (over a 85% purity) using the so-called “water process”, a synthesis consisting of two reaction steps. An adduct of maleic anhydride with DCPD is firstly formed with water, and then, it reacts with the other esterification monomers such as acids and glycols. DCPD raw materials used in this study were prepared by a unique distillation process developed by ORLEN Unipetrol and University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague. This technology allows producing a wide spectrum of DCPD quality by adjusting the content of another norbornene dimer: methyl dicyclopentadiene (MeDCPD). The influence of MeDCPD on unsaturated polyester properties was examined throughout this study. It has been discovered that in low concentrations, MeDCPD had a slight influence on flexural mechanical properties whereas its concentrations up to 65% led to a softer and brittle material. Nevertheless, by adjusting the unsaturation degree, it has been shown that MeDCPD may be successfully implanted in UPR formulation.

This paper reports on an innovative electromagnetic energy harvester for autonomous switches relying on a rotating magnet driven by magnetic launchers, and combined with a ferromagnetic circuit and a coil to turn the variation of magnetic flux induced by the rotating magnet into electricity. The device is able to operate on forward and backward translation movements. The energy harvester has been modeled, optimized, manufactured, characterized and integrated into a mechanical actuation system to form a complete autonomous switch that will be commercially available. The experimental output energy reaches 1.235 mJ (350 µJ cm−3) which is among the highest output energies and energy densities reached on autonomous switches in the state of the art. The electromechanical conversion efficiency is 56%, which is excellent for an energy harvester, and obtained thanks to the topology chosen for the electromagnetic converter. The energy harvester is finally connected to a diode-bridge-capacitor circuit to supply the RF emission of the commands with a Zigbee Green Power® transmitter.