Electrically conducting polymeric membranes were prepared by incorporating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into bacterial cellulose pellicles produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinum. The MWCNTs were dispersed in a surfactant (cationic cetyl trimethylammonium bromide) solution, and cellulose pellicles were dipped into the solution for 6, 12, and 24 h. The surfactants were then extracted in pure water and dried. Electron microscopy showed that the individual MWCNTs were strongly adhered to the surface and the inside of the cellulose pellicle. The conductivity of the MWCNTs-incorporated cellulose pellicle, as measured by a four-probe at room temperature, was 1.4 x 10(-1) S/cm, based on the total cross-sectional area (approximately 9.6 wt % of MWCNTs). This suggests that the MWCNTs were incorporated uniformly and densely into the pellicles.

No abstract

Monodisperse and spherical PS and PMMA microspheres, which are only conducting on the surface by the adsorption of carbon nanotubes, were used as the dispersed phase of electrorheological fluids.

In this study, experiments were performed on air heater samples with three different shapes (chevron, wave and dimple type) to reduce theplumes from cooling towers. The tests were conducted for a range of frontal air velocities of 1~3 m/s and water flow rate 0.19~0.33 kg/s. The results showed that the heat transfer rate increased with increasing air velocity or water flow rate. The air-side pressure drop also increased with increasing air velocity. At the same frontal air velocity, the highest heat transfer rate was obtained for the chevron sample (1.5~1.7 times compared to that of the plate sample), followed by the dimple, wave and plate samples. The heat transfer rate per unit power consumption was also 15% larger than that of the dimple sample. On the other hand, there was no noticeable difference between the other samples.