2017, Baars, Holger, Seifert, Patric, Engelmann, Ronny, Wandinger, Ulla

Absolute calibrated signals at 532 and 1064 nm and the depolarization ratio from a multiwavelength lidar are used to categorize primary aerosol but also clouds in high temporal and spatial resolution. Automatically derived particle backscatter coefficient profiles in low temporal resolution (30 min) are applied to calibrate the lidar signals. From these calibrated lidar signals, new atmospheric parameters in temporally high resolution (quasi-particle-backscatter coefficients) are derived. By using thresholds obtained from multiyear, multisite EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) measurements, four aerosol classes (small; large, spherical; large, non-spherical; mixed, partly nonspherical) and several cloud classes (liquid, ice) are defined. Thus, particles are classified by their physical features (shape and size) instead of by source. The methodology is applied to 2 months of continuous observations (24 h a day, 7 days a week) with the multiwavelength-Raman-polarization lidar PollyXT during the High-Definition Clouds and Precipitation for advancing Climate Prediction (HD(CP)2) Observational Prototype Experiment (HOPE) in spring 2013. Cloudnet equipment was operated continuously directly next to the lidar and is used for comparison. By discussing three 24 h case studies, it is shown that the aerosol discrimination is very feasible and informative and gives a good complement to the Cloudnet target categorization. Performing the categorization for the 2-month data set of the entire HOPE campaign, almost 1 million pixel (5 min×30 m) could be analysed with the newly developed tool. We find that the majority of the aerosol trapped in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) was composed of small particles as expected for a heavily populated and industrialized area. Large, spherical aerosol was observed mostly at the top of the PBL and close to the identified cloud bases, indicating the importance of hygroscopic growth of the particles at high relative humidity. Interestingly, it is found that on several days non-spherical particles were dispersed from the ground into the atmosphere.

2015, Hao, Guang-Ping, Sahraie, Nastaran Ranjbar, Zhang, Qiang, Krause, Simon, Oschatz, Martin, Bachmatiuk, Alicja, Strasser, Peter, Kaskel, Stefan

Exploring the role of surface hydrophilicity of non-precious metal N-doped carbon electrocatalysts in electrocatalysis is challenging. Herein we discover an ultra-hydrophilic non-precious carbon electrocatalyst, showing enhanced catalysis efficiency on both gravimetric and areal basis for oxygen reduction reaction due to a high dispersion of active centres.

2013, Balko, S.M., Kreer, T., Costanzo, P.J., Patten, T.E., Johner, A., Kuhl, T.L., Marques, C.M.

Polymer coatings are frequently used to provide repulsive forces between surfaces in solution. After 25 years of design and study, a quantitative model to explain and predict repulsion under strong compression is still lacking. Here, we combine experiments, simulations, and theory to study polymer coatings under high loads and demonstrate a validated model for the repulsive forces, proposing that this universal behavior can be predicted from the polymer solution properties.

2018, Pawar, Shital Patangrao, Rzeczkowski, Piotr, Pötschke, Petra, Krause, Beate, Bose, Suryasarathi

Electromagnetic interference (EMI), an unwanted phenomenon, often affects the reliability of precise electronic circuitry. To prevent this, an effective shielding is prerequisite to protect the electronic devices. In this study, an attempt was made to understand how processing of polymeric blend nanocomposites involving multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) affects the evolving interconnected network structure of MWCNTs and eventually their EMI shielding properties. Thereby, the overall blend morphology and especially the connectivity of the polycarbonate (PC) component, in which the MWCNTs tend to migrate, as well as the perfectness of their migration, and the state of nanotube dispersion are considered. For this purpose, blends of varying composition of PC and poly(methyl methacrylate) were chosen as a model system as they show a phase diagram with lower critical solution temperature type of characteristic. Such blends were processed in two different ways: solution mixing (from the homogeneous state) and melt mixing (in the biphasic state). In both the processes, MWCNTs (3 wt %) were mixed into the blends, and the evolved structures (after phase separation induced by annealing in solution-mixed blends) and the quenched structures (as the blends exit the extruder) were systematically studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both the set of blends were subjected to the same thermal history, however, under different conditions such as under quiescent conditions (in the case of solution mixing) and under shear (in the case of melt mixing). The electrical volume conductivity and the evolved morphologies of these blend nanocomposites were evaluated and correlated with the measured EMI shielding behavior. The results indicated that irrespective of the type of processing, the MWCNTs localized in the PC component; driven by thermodynamic factors and depending on the blend composition, sea-island, cocontinuous, and phase-inverted structures evolved. Interestingly, the better interconnected network structures of MWCNTs observed using TEM in the solution-mixed samples together with larger nanotube lengths resulted in higher EMI shielding properties (-27 dB at 18 GHz) even if slightly higher electrical volume conductivities were observed in melt-mixed samples. Moreover, the shielding was absorption-driven, facilitated by the dense network of MWCNTs in the PC component of the blends, at any given concentration of nanotubes. Taken together, this study highlights the effects of different blend nanocomposite preparation methods (solution and melt) and the developed morphology and nanotube network structure in MWCNT filled blend nanocomposites on the EMI shielding behavior.

2018, Pawar, Shital Patangrao, Arjmand, Mohammad, Pötschke, Petra, Krause, Beate, Fischer, Dieter, Bose, Suryasarathi, Sundararaj, Uttandaraman

Nitrogen-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes (N-MWNTs) with different structures were synthesized by employing chemical vapor deposition and changing the argon/ethane/nitrogen gas precursor ratio and synthesis time, and broadband dielectric properties of their poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based nanocomposites were investigated. The structure, morphology, and electrical conductivity of synthesized N-MWNTs were assessed via Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and powder conductivity techniques. The melt compounded PVDF nanocomposites manifested significantly high real part of the permittivity (ϵ′) along with low dissipation factor (tan δϵ) in 0.1 kHz to 1 MHz frequency range, suggesting use as efficient charge-storage materials. Longer synthesis time resulted in enhanced carbon purity as well as higher thermal stability, determined via TGA analysis. The inherent electrical conductivity of N-MWNTs scaled with the carbon purity. The charge-storage ability of the developed PVDF nanocomposites was commensurate with the amount of the nitrogen heteroatom (i.e., self-polarization), carbon purity, and inherent electrical conductivity of N-MWNTs and increased with better dispersion of N-MWNTs in PVDF.

2013, Müller, Michael Thomas, Dreyße, Janine, Häußler, Liane, Krause, Beate, Pötschke, Petra

Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) was melt-mixed with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and varying amounts of three different kinds of talc (phyllo silicate), each with a different particle size distribution, to examine the effect of these filler combinations with regards to the electrical percolation behavior. The state of the filler dispersion was assessed using transmission light microscopy and electron microscopy. The use of talc as a second filler during the melt mixing of LLDPE/MWCNT composites resulted in an improvement in the dispersion of the MWCNTs and a decrease of the electrical percolation threshold. Talc with lower particle sizes showed a more pronounced effect than talc with larger particle sizes. However, the improvement in dispersion was not reflected in the mechanical properties. Modulus and stress values increase with both, MWCNT and talc addition, but not in a synergistic manner. The crystallization behavior of the composites was studied by differential scanning calorimetry to determine its potential influence on the electrical percolation threshold. It was found that the crystallinity of the matrix increased slightly with the addition of talc but no further increments were observed with the incorporation of the MWCNTs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

2020, Yi, Qianying, Janke, David, Thormann, Lars, Zhang, Guoqiang, Amon, Barbara, Hempel, Sabrina, Nosek, Štěpán, Hartung, Eberhard, Amon, Thomas

The application of naturally ventilated pig buildings (NVPBs) with outdoor exercise yards is on the rise mainly due to animal welfare considerations, while the issue of emissions from the buildings to the surrounding environment is important. Since air pollutants are mainly transported by airflow, the knowledge on the airflow characteristics downwind the building is required. The objective of this research was to investigate airflow properties downwind of a NVPB with a roofed outdoor exercise yard for roof slopes of 5°, 15°, and 25°. Air velocities downwind a 1:50 scaled NVPB model were measured using a Laser Doppler Anemometer in a large boundary layer wind tunnel. A region with reduced mean air velocities was found along the downwind side of the building with a distance up to 0.5 m (i.e., 3.8 times building height), in which the emission concentration might be high. Additional air pollutant treatment technologies applied in this region might contribute to emission mitigation effectively. Furthermore, a wake zone with air recirculation was observed in this area. A smaller roof slope (i.e., 5° slope) resulted in a higher and shorter wake zone and thus a shorter air pollutant dispersion distance.

2020, Mayerhöfer, Thomas G., Popp, Jürgen

In this contribution we show how the Lorentz-Lorenz and the Clausius-Mosotti equations are related to Beer's law. Accordingly, the linear concentration dependence of absorbance is a consequence of neglecting the difference between the local and the applied electric field. Additionally, it is necessary to assume that the absorption index and the related refractive index change is small. By connecting the Lorentz-Lorenz equations with dispersion theory, it becomes obvious that the oscillators are coupled via the local field. We investigate this coupling with numerical examples and show that, as a consequence, the integrated absorbance of a single band is in general no longer linearly depending on the concentration. In practice, the deviations from Beer's law usually do not set in before the density reaches about one tenth of that of condensed matter. For solutions, the Lorentz-Lorenz equations predict a strong coupling also between the oscillators of solute and solvent. In particular, in the infrared spectral region, the absorption coefficients are prognosticated to be much higher due to this coupling compared to those in the gas phase. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

2020, Beer, Christof G., Hendricks, Johannes, Righi, Mattia, Heinold, Bernd, Tegen, Ina, Groß, Silke, Sauer, Daniel, Walser, Adrian, Weinzierl, Bernadett

It was hypothesized that using mineral dust emission climatologies in global chemistry climate models (GCCMs), i.e. prescribed monthly-mean dust emissions representative of a specific year, may lead to misrepresentations of strong dust burst events. This could result in a negative bias of model dust concentrations compared to observations for these episodes. Here, we apply the aerosol microphysics submodel MADE3 (Modal Aerosol Dynamics model for Europe, adapted for global applications, third generation) as part of the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) general circulation model. We employ two different representations of mineral dust emissions for our model simulations: (i) a prescribed monthly-mean climatology of dust emissions representative of the year 2000 and (ii) an online dust parametrization which calculates wind-driven mineral dust emissions at every model time step. We evaluate model results for these two dust representations by comparison with observations of aerosol optical depth from ground-based station data. The model results show a better agreement with the observations for strong dust burst events when using the online dust representation compared to the prescribed dust emissions setup. Furthermore, we analyse the effect of increasing the vertical and horizontal model resolution on the mineral dust properties in our model. We compare results from simulations with T42L31 and T63L31 model resolution (2.8∘×2.8∘ and 1.9∘×1.9∘ in latitude and longitude, respectively; 31 vertical levels) with the reference setup (T42L19). The different model versions are evaluated against airborne in situ measurements performed during the SALTRACE mineral dust campaign (Saharan Aerosol Long-range Transport and Aerosol-Cloud Interaction Experiment, June–July 2013), i.e. observations of dust transported from the Sahara to the Caribbean. Results show that an increased horizontal and vertical model resolution is able to better represent the spatial distribution of airborne mineral dust, especially in the upper troposphere (above 400 hPa). Additionally, we analyse the effect of varying assumptions for the size distribution of emitted dust but find only a weak sensitivity concerning these changes. The results of this study will help to identify the model setup best suited for future studies and to further improve the representation of mineral dust particles in EMAC-MADE3.

2020, Mayerhöfer, Thomas G., Dabrowska, Alicja, Schwaighofer, Andreas, Lendl, Bernhard, Popp, Jürgen

Beer's empiric law states that absorbance is linearly proportional to the concentration. Based on electromagnetic theory, an approximately linear dependence can only be confirmed for comparably weak oscillators. For stronger oscillators the proportionality constant, the molar attenuation coefficient, is modulated by the inverse index of refraction, which is itself a function of concentration. For comparably weak oscillators, the index of refraction function depends, like absorbance, linearly on concentration. For stronger oscillators, this linearity is lost, except at wavenumbers considerably lower than the oscillator position. In these transparency regions, linearity between the change of the index of refraction and concentration is preserved to a high degree. This can be shown with help of the Kramers–Kronig relations which connect the integrated absorbance to the index of refraction change at lower wavenumbers than the corresponding band. This finding builds the foundation not only for refractive index sensing, but also for new interferometric approaches in IR spectroscopy, which allow measuring the complex index of refraction function. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.