Bio-Based Rigid Polyurethane Foams Modified with Phosphorus Flame Retardants

Rigid polyurethane foams (RPURF) containing a bio-polyol from rapeseed oil and different phosphorus-based flame retardants were obtained. Triethyl phosphate (TEP), dimethyl propane phosphonate (DMPP) and cyclic phosphonates Addforce CT 901 (20 parts per hundred polyol by weight) were used in the synthesis of RPURF. The influence of used flame retardants on foaming process, cell structure, and physical–mechanical properties as well as flammability of RPURF were examined. The addition of flame retardants influenced the parameters of the cellular structure and decreased compressive strength. All obtained foam materials had a low thermal conductivity coefficient, which allows them to be used as thermal insulation. The research results of bio-based RPURF were compared with foams obtained without bio-polyol. All modified materials had an oxygen index above 21 vol%; therefore, they can be classified as self-extinguishing materials. The analysis of parameters obtained after the cone calorimeter test showed that the modified RPURF have a lower tendency to fire development compared to the reference foams, which was particularly noticeable for the materials with the addition of DMPP.

Hydrogen Containing Nanofluids in the Spark Engine’s Cylinder Head Cooling System

The article is devoted to the following issues: boiling of fluid in the cooling jacket of the engine cylinder head; agents that influenced the thermal conductivity coefficient of nanofluids; behavior of nanoparticles and devices with nanoparticles in the engine’s cylinder head cooling system. The permissible temperature level of internal combustion engines is ensured by intensification of heat transfer in cooling systems due to the change of coolants with “light” and “heavy” nanoparticles. It was established that the introduction of “light” nanoparticles of aluminum oxide into the water in a mass concentration of 0.75% led to an increase in its thermal conductivity coefficient by 60% compared to the base fluid at a coolant temperature of 90 °C, which corresponds to the operating temperature of the engine cooling systems. At the indicated temperature, the base fluid has a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.545 W/(m °С), for nanofluid with particles its value was 0.872 . At the same time, a positive change in the parameters of the nanofluid in the engine cooling system was noted: the average movement speed increased from 0.2 to 2.0 m/s; the average temperature is in the range of 60–90 °C; heat flux density 2 × 102–2 × 106 ; heat transfer coefficient 150–1000 . Growth of the thermal conductivity coefficient of the cooling nanofluid was achieved. This increase is determined by the change in the mass concentration of aluminum oxide nanoparticles in the base fluid. This will make it possible to create coolants with such thermophysical characteristics that are required to ensure intensive heat transfer in cooling systems of engines with various capacities.

Evaluation of Physical Characteristics and Sorption of Cement Mortars with Recycled Ceramic Aggregate

The subjects of this study were mortars with varying amounts of recycled ceramic aggregate (RCA). As part of the fine aggregate, the RCA volume share is 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% and 100%. First, fresh mixture parameters were evaluated, such as consistency and air content measurement by pressure method. Next, specimens were molded for compressive strength and flexural strength tests after 7, 28 and 56 days of curing. The thermo-humidity parameters of the composites, i.e., coefficient of capillary action and thermal conductivity coefficient were also investigated using nonstationary method. Sorption kinetics of the mortars at different moisture conditions at 20 °C were also evaluated. Sorption tests were carried out using two methods: TM and DVS. The sorption isotherms were plotted on the basis of equilibrium moisture content for the materials tested. The isotherms obtained by the two methods were evaluated. The results allowed us to draw conclusions on the physical and mechanical parameters of the composites with different amounts of RCA and to evaluate the ability to absorb moisture from the environment by these types of materials. A clear decrease in the compressive strength after 28 days of curing compared to the reference mortar was recorded after using 30% to 100% of RCA (approx. 26% to approx. 39%). Changes in flexural strength were significantly smaller, reaching no more than approx. 7.5%. It was shown that the amount of RCA translates into the ability to sorb moisture, which may affect the application of this type of composites. The amount of RCA translates also into the thermal conductivity coefficient, which decreased with increasing amount of RCA.

Defining the thermal conductivity of thermally heterogeneous hollow wall bricks used as elements for increasing the comfort of buildings

The article presents numerical calculation analysis in the scope of determining thermal conductivity coefficient λeq [W/(m·K)] of thermally heterogeneous hollow bricks of thermally heterogeneous structure (a combination of structural material with thermal insulation material). Numerical calculations were conducted by means of professional software TRISCO-KOBRU 86, serving thermal circulation analysis in a 2D field in stationary approach. The analyzed hollow wall bricks may be used, for instance, as a structural layer of layered outer walls of a building. In the article also the results of the Uc thermal conductivity coefficient calculations for double-layer walls with the use of the analyzed hollow wall bricks are presented in regard to thermal requirements.

Polyurethane Foam Composites Reinforced with Renewable Fillers for Cryogenic Insulation

Sawdust, microcellulose and nanocellulose and their silanized forms were used to reinforce rigid polyurethane (PU) foam composites. The concentration of fillers was varied in the range of 0.5–1.5%. For rigid PU foam formulations, three polyols from recycled and renewable materials were used, among other components. Polyols were obtained from rapeseed oil, tall oil fatty acids and recycled polyethylene terephthalate. As rigid PU foam composites in literature have been described as appropriate thermal insulation material, the appliance of obtained composites for cryogenic insulation was investigated by determining the various physical-mechanical properties of composites. The physical-mechanical properties, such as the modulus of elasticity, compressive and tensile strength in both 293 K and 77 K, adhesion measurements with and without cryo-shock, apparent density, thermal conductivity coefficient, and safety coefficient were measured. The results showed that the addition of fillers did not give a significant improvement of characteristics.

Features of photon diffusion in a dispersed medium

Energy transfer by thermal radiation in a dispersed medium with a variable refractive index is discussed. This transfer can be described by a surprisingly simple diffusion equation. The process is naturally to interpret as the photon diffusion. The diffusion equation is free from strict conditions of applicability of the radiation transfer equation, which are usually not satisfied in disperse media with densely packed inhomogeneities. Quantum constraints on the value of the photon diffusion coefficient are derived. These restrictions turn out to be similar to the conditions for the applicability of geometric optics. The lower limit of the thermal conductivity coefficient is obtained, which is easier to verify in the experiment. An independent derivation of this limitation is given from considerations of symmetry and dimension.

Thermal conductivity measurement of infrared optical fibers based on silver halide solid solution crystals

The aim of the study is to measure the thermal conductivity of silver halide light guides based on crystals of the AgCl-AgBr system used in PSD production technologies. The conductivity temperature coefficient of the samples under study were determined by the laser flash method using the LFA 467 (Hyper Flash) installation. We studied mono- and polycrystalline samples of solid solutions with the composition AgCl0,25AgBr0,75 in the temperature range 298–523 K. The thermal conductivity of the investigated materials was then calculated using literature data on density and heat capacity. The thermal conductivity coefficient ranges from 0.80±0,04 to 0.53±0,03 (W/mK), depending on the microstructure of the sample.

Direct stochastic molecular modelling of transport processes in gases

The stochastic molecular modeling method (SMM) of transport processes in rarefied gases developed by the authors is systematically discussed in this paper. It is shown that, it is possible to simulate the transport coefficients of rarefied gas with high accuracy, using a relatively small number of molecules. The data of modeling the thermal conductivity coefficient are presented for the first time. The second part of the paper is devoted to the generalization of the SMM method for modeling transport processes in confined conditions. To describe the dynamics of molecules in this case, the splitting of their evolution by processes is used: first, the movement of molecules in the configuration space is simulated, and then their dynamics in the velocity space is imitated. Anisotropy of viscosity and thermal conductivity in nanochannels has been established. The interaction of gas molecules with walls is described by specular or specular-diffuse reflection laws. Gas viscosity can be either greater than in the bulk or less, depending on the law of gas interaction with the channel walls.