Name: data communication based on mqtt in a polymer extrusion process
Uploaded: 2022-07-15T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Data Communication Based on MQTT in a Polymer Extrusion Process at JoVE.com

This study was supported by the Research Program funded by the SeoulTech (Seoul National University of Science and Technology).

1. Broker installation
NOTE: To monitor and record processing data via the Internet, a computer system that relays the data should be prepared. The system should be accessible from both the publishers and the subscribers as shown in Figure 2. Thus, it needs to have a public IP address that is known prior to any communication. An open MQTT broker called Eclipse Mosquitto is installed on the system13.
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B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Significance+of+big+data+analytics+and+the+internet+of+things+(IoT)+aspects+in+industrial+development,+governance+and+sustainability.">Significance of big data analytics and the internet of things (IoT) aspects in industrial development, governance and sustainability.</a> International Journal of Intelligent Networks. 1, 107-111 (2020).</li><li>Kashyap, M., Sharma, V., Gupta, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Taking+MQTT+and+NodeMcu+to+IOT:+Communication+in+Internet+of+Things.">Taking MQTT and NodeMcu to IOT: Communication in Internet of Things.</a> Procedia Computer Science. 132, 1611-1618 (2018).</li><li>. Mythbusting the MES. Systema Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.systema.com/blog/mythbusting-the-mes">https://www.systema.com/blog/mythbusting-the-mes</a> (2021)</li><li>Yeh, C. -. S., Chen, S. -. L., Li, I. -. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Implementation+of+MQTT+protocol+based+network+architecture+for+smart+factory.">Implementation of MQTT protocol based network architecture for smart factory.</a> Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture. 235 (13), 2132-2142 (2021).</li><li>Parian, C., Guldimann, T., Bhatia, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fooling+the+master:+Exploiting+weaknesses+in+the+Modbus+protocol.">Fooling the master: Exploiting weaknesses in the Modbus protocol.</a> Procedia Computer Science. 171, 2453-2458 (2020).</li><li>Mishra, B., Kertesz, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+use+of+MQTT+in+M2M+and+IoT+systems:+A+survey.">The use of MQTT in M2M and IoT systems: A survey.</a> IEEE Access. 8, 201071-201086 (2020).</li><li>. pyodbc 4.0.34 Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://pypi.org/project/pyodbc/">https://pypi.org/project/pyodbc/</a> (2021)</li><li>Ayer, V., Miguez, S., Toby, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Why+scientists+should+learn+to+program+in+Python.">Why scientists should learn to program in Python.</a> Powder Diffraction. 29 (2), 48-64 (2014).</li><li>Boyes, H., Hallaq, B., Cunningham, J., Watson, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+industrial+internet+of+things+(IIoT):+An+analysis+framework.">The industrial internet of things (IIoT): An analysis framework.</a> Computers in Industry. 101, 1-12 (2018).</li></ol>

By following the protocol presented, the processing data can be monitored and recorded without expensive IT solutions such as the MES. The IoT technologies can make it easier to acquire and deliver data from conventional machines. It has been shown that the message-based protocol, MQTT, successfully serves as a platform for data communication for polymer processing lines. Moreover, additional data can be flexibly measured and transmitted together. The additional publishers employed in this work were the Raspberry Pis. No...

In the wave of the 4th industrial revolution, the acquisition and monitoring of various processing data have become important tasks1. In particular, improving the manufacturing process using process data and establishing efficient operation plans will be an important goal of all manufacturing facilities2,3. Downtime can be greatly reduced if an alarm can be sent out of the factory or if predictive maintenance can be performed in time4. Recently, many efforts have been made for data analyses in polymer processes5,6. However, it is not easy to conduct these tasks due to the difficulties in acquiring such data from the existing systems7. The hierarchical structure of the control and instrumentation makes the data acquisition and communication difficult.
First of all, it is not possible to obtain data from different machines with different manufacturing dates. It is difficult to realize communication between different machines since this requires interoperability between different fieldbuses in proprietary formats. In this way, communication methods and data formats are kept private. This helps one easily maintain data security but keeps users dependent on the machine builder for the services and future developments. The recent control computers including human-machine interface (HMI) attached to polymer processing machines are mostly Windows-based these days but are loaded with software created in a proprietary development environment. It is possible to use programmable logic controllers (PLCs) from different companies to communicate with the sensors or actuators, but in many cases, the upper supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system is dependent on the control computers8. This practice has caused numerous protocols, fieldbuses, and control systems to compete in the market. Although this complexity has been alleviated little by little over time, many types of fieldbuses and protocols are still in active use.
On the other hand, communication between control devices and SCADA has been standardized by the Open Platform Communications United Architecture (OPCUA)9. Moreover, communication between SCADA and the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) has also been mainly made through OPCUA. In such a tight hierarchical structure, it is not easy to freely extract data for process monitoring and analysis. Usually, data has to be extracted out of the SCADA or MES10. As mentioned earlier, these systems are vendor-specific, and the data formats are rarely open. As a result, the data extraction requires substantial support from the original information technology/operational technology (IT/OT) solution vendors. This can hinder data acquisition for monitoring and analysis.
In a film extrusion line, the control PC is supervised by a SCADA system11. The SCADA system is operated by a computer program that cannot be easily modified. The computer program might be editable, but the editing is quite expensive and time-consuming. To easily monitor and analyze the processing data, the data should be accessible from any location. To monitor the processing data away from the site, the computer program should be capable of streaming the processing data to the Internet12. Moreover, an open free method reduces the expenses for the data acquisition13. This approach allows data analysis to be performed even in small factories that cannot afford to invest in commercial IT solutions14.
In this study, a message protocol based on the publisher-subscriber model is employed. The Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) is an open and standard protocol that enables messaging between multiple data providers and consumers15. Here, we propose a system that acquires, transmits, and monitors data using MQTT for existing manufacturing facilities. The system is tested in a film extrusion line to verify the performance. The data from the original controller are transmitted to an edge device via the Modbus protocol. Then, the data is published to the broker. In the meantime, two Raspberry Pis publish the measured temperatures and illuminance to the same broker. Then, any device on the Internet can subscribe to the data, followed by monitoring and recording it as shown in Figure 1. The protocol in this work shows how the whole procedure can be done.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Edge Device</td>
			<td>Adavantech</td>
			<td>UNO 420</td>
			<td>Intel Atom E3815 Fanless</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Film Extrusion Machine</td>
			<td>EM Korea</td>
			<td>Not Available</td>
			<td>For production of 450 mm film</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pydroid</td>
			<td>IIEC</td>
			<td>Not Available</td>
			<td>Android Devices</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Python3</td>
			<td>Python Software Foundataion</td>
			<td>Not Available</td>
			<td>Windows, Linux</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Raspberry Pi 4</td>
			<td>CanaKit</td>
			<td>Not Available</td>
			<td>Standard Kit</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

data communication based on mqtt in a polymer extrusion process

This work aims at building a flexible data communication structure for a polymer processing machine by employing a publisher-subscriber based protocol called Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), which is operated over TCP/IP. Even when using conventional equipment, processing data can be measured and recorded by various devices anywhere through an Internet communication. A message-based protocol allows flexible communication that overcomes the shortcomings of the existing server-client protocol. Multiple devices can subscribe to the processing data published by source devices. The proposed method facilitates data communication between multiple publishers and subscribers. This work has implemented a system that publishes data from the equipment and additional sensors to a message broker. The subscribers can monitor and store the process data relayed by the broker. The system has been deployed and run for a film extrusion line to demonstrate the effectiveness.

It has been found that the data shown in the HMI and measured by the Raspberry Pis were monitored and recorded in the subscribers as shown in Figure 5. As presented in the video, the processing data are logged into the database.
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/63717/63717fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Outline of the data transmission using the MQTT protocol.<...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Data Communication Based on MQTT in a Polymer Extrusion Process at JoVE.com

Data Communication Based on MQTT in a Polymer Extrusion Process

This work proposes a flexible method for data communication between a film extrusion system and monitoring devices based on a message protocol called Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT).

This work aims at building a flexible data communication structure for a polymer processing machine by employing a publisher-subscriber based protocol ...

The protocol in this work allows building a flexible data communication structure for a Polymer processing machine by employing a publisher subscriber based protocol code MQTT. Even when using a classical equipment processing data can be observed and recorded by various devices anywhere in the internet. The protocol facilitates data communication between multiple publishers and multiple subscribers.We have implemented a system that publishes processing data from a existing extrusion line to the subscribing devices through a broker device. The data from a legacy extrusion controller has been interpreted in an device and sent up to the broker. Addition devices for ambient temperatures at two different locations and of during processing also publish the data to the broker.Then the broker relays the data to subscriber devices which are interested in those data. To display and record the data. The subscriber system has been designed and built.Since all the code for the participating devices have been written in Python. The code can be reused on the devices with different operating systems. Finally, the system is deployed and tested for line to demonstrate the validity First broker installation.To begin configure the MQTT broker system so that it may monitor and record processing data over the internet. In order for a broker device to relay such data it must be accessible by both publishers and subscribers. Connect a computer system to the internet with a public IP address so that the broker can be accessed by both publishers and subscribers.Then on the computer install, open broker software such as Eclipse Mosquito use a test tool like MQTT lens to examine the MQTT brokers operability. Second, main publisher preparation. Now let us prepare the main publisher device.As previously mentioned this computer publishes the machine data via MQTT to the broker. Legacy data should be interpreted and repackaged to be sent out. This can be usually done by RS-485 or ethernet.The connection in the hardware level should be verified depending on the bus type. The considered extrusion machine sends out data via Modbus through an ethernet port, to acquire data from the extrusion machine and publish them. Place a computer as the main publisher in the machine site.On that computer install Python three as the software environment. Then install Pi Modbus to enable Modbus connectivity and communication. Examine the Modbus function codes of the extrusion controller and connect it to the main publisher.Fully identify the data and the associated address and the Modbus codes from the machine using a Modbus tool such as Modbus poll or Q mod master on the main publisher. Then write a Python code on the publisher that retrieves the data from the extrusion controller. In addition, combine data stream via PCIE USB RS-232 and RS-485 from other devices.Import paho dot MQTT dot client and implement the code to connect and publish data to the broker. Third, additional publisher preparation. In addition to the main publisher let us employ additional IOT devices to acquire and publish ambient temperatures and film illuminance.To do so. Two Raspberry Pi devices have been employed. Each device publishes the measured data to the broker as the main publisher does.Place the devices near the sensor locations. Then install Python three on the devices and implement the code to acquire the sensor data. The sensor data are transmitted by I2C for the illuminance sensor and by GPIO for the temperatures.Reuse the previous Python code to publish the data. Thanks to the device independence of Python. The code for windows can be reused for the Raspberry Pis.Fourth, subscribers set up. Now let us explain how to subscribe to the processing data. As previously stated, any devices on the internet may receive the data via the broker.Again, the data can be processed and visualized by a Python code. On an internet connected device install a suitable Python environment depending on the device and the operating system. For example, on an Android device Pydroid 3 should be installed instead of Python 3, then import both paho dot MQTT dot client and paho dot MQTT dot subscribe to connect to and receive data from the broker.Then build a user interface as required based on Pi QT5. Since implementation of this part is quite lengthy and can be laborious. The details are not further described here with this code display the incoming data on the GUI.Also know that existing applications such as MQT tool in app store can receive the data. Fifth, data logging. To record the data during monitoring the Python should be able to access a database.In this work the data is written to a Microsoft access file. Considering the data scale and software availability. Select a subscriber device to record the data.Then import pyodbc in the Python code to access the database. For recording the processing data, send a query to the database by the Python code. To retrieve the recorded data send another query to the database.Once the data is retrieved, the data can be analyzed by restructuring the data as needed. A table readable in a spreadsheet can be instantly built. Sixth, deployment.After all the items are developed the Python codes should be deployed onto each device. The mode of connection wired or wireless is not important but it has to be secured that each device should be able to access the broker. This means the broker plays as a gateway on the border between the internet and internet for the security purpose.Here to maintain better security connect the extrusion controller the main publisher and the additional publishers to the internet. Then connect one ethernet port of the broker to the internet and the other to the internet to monitor and record the processing data. Connect subscribers to the internet as required.Seventh, execution. To test the whole system, start the extrusion line. Next turn on all the computer devices.Then start the broker software Mosquito, and run all the Python codes. Representative results. As a result of executing the designed and implemented system, processing data are monitored and visualized.The data can be shown in a variety of ways including graphs and tables, even on a mobile device the data can be monitored and recorded. Moreover, the data is recorded and retrieved in order to be analyzed. Conclusion It has been found that the data shown in the HMI and measured by the Raspberry PIs are monitored and recorded in the subscribers.By following the protocol presented the processing data can be monitored and recorded without expensive IT solutions such as the MES.

data-communication-based-on-mqtt-in-a-polymer-extrusion-process

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Engineering

Micropunching Lithography for Generating Micro- and Submicron-patterns on Polymer Substrates

Conducting polymers have attracted great attention since the discovery of high conductivity in doped polyacetylene in 19771. They offer the advantages of low weight, easy tailoring of properties and a wide spectrum of applications2,3. Due to sensitivity of conducting polymers to environmental conditions (e.g., air, oxygen, moisture, high temperature and chemical solutions), lithographic techniques present significant technical challenges when working with these materials4. For example, current photolithographic methods, such as ultra-violet (UV), are unsuitable for patterning the conducting polymers due to the involvement of wet and/or dry etching processes in these methods. In addition, current micro/nanosystems mainly have a planar form5,6. One layer of structures is built on the top surfaces of another layer of fabricated features. Multiple layers of these structures are stacked together to form numerous devices on a common substrate. The sidewall surfaces of the microstructures have not been used in constructing devices. On the other hand, sidewall patterns could be used, for example, to build 3-D circuits, modify fluidic channels and direct horizontal growth of nanowires and nanotubes.
A macropunching method has been applied in the manufacturing industry to create macropatterns in a sheet metal for over a hundred years. Motivated by this approach, we have developed a micropunching lithography method (MPL) to overcome the obstacles of patterning conducting polymers and generating sidewall patterns. Like the macropunching method, the MPL also includes two operations (Fig. 1): (i) cutting; and (ii) drawing. The "cutting" operation was applied to pattern three conducting polymers4, polypyrrole (PPy), Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophen)-poly(4-styrenesulphonate) (PEDOT) and polyaniline (PANI). It was also employed to create Al microstructures7. The fabricated microstructures of conducting polymers have been used as humidity8, chemical8, and glucose sensors9. Combined microstructures of Al and conducting polymers have been employed to fabricate capacitors and various heterojunctions9,10,11. The "cutting" operation was also applied to generate submicron-patterns, such as 100- and 500-nm-wide PPy lines as well as 100-nm-wide Au wires. The "drawing" operation was employed for two applications: (i) produce Au sidewall patterns on high density polyethylene (HDPE) channels which could be used for building 3D microsystems12,13,14, and (ii) fabricate polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillars on HDPE substrates to increase the contact angle of the channel15.

A micropunching lithography approach is developed to generate micro- and submicron-patterns on top, sidewall and bottom surfaces of polymer substrates. It overcomes the obstacles of patterning conducting polymers and generating sidewall patterns. This method allows rapid fabrication of multiple features and is free of aggressive chemistry.

Conducting polymers have attracted great attention since the discovery of high conductivity in doped polyacetylene in 19771. They offer the advantages of ...

Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

This contribution demonstrates the fabrication process of dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs). DETs are stretchable capacitors consisting of an elastomeric dielectric membrane sandwiched between two compliant electrodes. The large actuation strains of these transducers when used as actuators (over 300% area strain) and their soft and compliant nature has been exploited for a wide range of applications, including electrically tunable optics, haptic feedback devices, wave-energy harvesting, deformable cell-culture devices, compliant grippers, and propulsion of a bio-inspired fish-like airship. In most cases, DETs are made with a commercial proprietary acrylic elastomer and with hand-applied electrodes of carbon powder or carbon grease. This combination leads to non-reproducible and slow actuators exhibiting viscoelastic creep and a short lifetime. We present here a complete process flow for the reproducible fabrication of DETs based on thin elastomeric silicone films, including casting of thin silicone membranes, membrane release and prestretching, patterning of robust compliant electrodes, assembly and testing. The membranes are cast on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates coated with a water-soluble sacrificial layer for ease of release. The electrodes consist of carbon black particles dispersed into a silicone matrix and patterned using a stamping technique, which leads to precisely-defined compliant electrodes that present a high adhesion to the dielectric membrane on which they are applied.

This manuscript shows the fabrication process for the manufacture of dielectric elastomer soft actuators based on silicone membranes. The three key stages of production are presented in detail: blade casting of thin silicone membranes; pad printing of compliant electrodes; and the assembly of all the components.

This contribution demonstrates the fabrication process of dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs). DETs are stretchable capacitors consisting of an ...

Adsorption Device Based on a Langatate Crystal Microbalance for High Temperature High Pressure Gas Adsorption in Zeolite H-ZSM-5

We present a high-temperature and high-pressure gas adsorption measurement device based on a high-frequency oscillating microbalance (5 MHz langatate crystal microbalance, LCM) and its use for gas adsorption measurements in zeolite H-ZSM-5. Prior to the adsorption measurements, zeolite H-ZSM-5 crystals were synthesized on the gold electrode in the center of the LCM, without covering the connection points of the gold electrodes to the oscillator, by the steam-assisted crystallization (SAC) method, so that the zeolite crystals remain attached to the oscillating microbalance while keeping good electroconductivity of the LCM during the adsorption measurements. Compared to a conventional quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) which is limited to temperatures below 80 &#176;C, the LCM can realize the adsorption measurements in principle at temperatures as high as 200-300 &#176;C (i.e., at or close to the reaction temperature of the target application of one-stage DME synthesis from the synthesis gas), owing to the absence of crystalline-phase transitions up to its melting point (1,470 &#176;C). The system was applied to investigate the adsorption of CO2, H2O, methanol and dimethyl ether (DME), each in the gas phase, on zeolite H-ZSM-5 in the temperature and pressure range of 50-150 &#176;C and 0-18 bar, respectively. The results showed that the adsorption isotherms of these gases in H-ZSM-5 can be well fitted by Langmuir-type adsorption isotherms. Furthermore, the determined adsorption parameters, i.e., adsorption capacities, adsorption enthalpies, and adsorption entropies, compare well to literature data. In this work, the results for CO2 are shown as an example.

A protocol for high-temperature and high-pressure gas adsorption measurements on zeolite H-ZSM-5 using an adsorption measurement device based on a langatate crystal microbalance is presented. Prior to the adsorption measurements, the synthesis of zeolite H-ZSM-5 on the langatate crystal microbalance sensor by the steam-assisted crystallization (SAC) method is demonstrated.

We present a high-temperature and high-pressure gas adsorption measurement device based on a high-frequency oscillating microbalance (5 MHz langatate ...

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic&#8211;Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer

The photoactive layer of a typical organic thin-film bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell commonly uses fullerene derivatives as the electron-accepting material. However, fullerene derivatives are air-sensitive; therefore, air-stable material is needed as an alternative. In the present study, we propose and describe the properties of Ti-alkoxide as an alternative electron-accepting material to fullerene derivatives to create highly air-stable BHJ solar cells. It is well-known that controlling the morphology in the photoactive layer, which is constructed with fullerene derivatives as the electron acceptor, is important for obtaining a high overall efficiency through the solvent method. The conventional solvent method is useful for high-solubility materials, such as fullerene derivatives. However, for Ti-alkoxides, the conventional solvent method is insufficient, because they only dissolve in specific solvents. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to morphology control that uses the molecular bulkiness of Ti-alkoxides without the conventional solvent method. That is, this method is one approach to obtain highly efficient, air-stable, organic-inorganic bulk-heterojunction solar cells.

Morphology Control for Fully Printable Organic&amp;#8211;Inorganic Bulk-heterojunction Solar Cells Based on a Ti-alkoxide and Semiconducting Polymer

A method for fully printable, fullerene-free, highly air-stable, bulk-heterojunction solar cells based on Ti alkoxides as the electron acceptor and the electron-donating polymer fabrication is described here. Moreover, a method for controlling the morphology of the photoactive layer through the molecular bulkiness of the Ti-alkoxide units is reported.

The photoactive layer of a typical organic thin-film bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell commonly uses fullerene derivatives as the electron-accepting ...

Challenges in Rheological Characterization of Highly Concentrated Suspensions &#8212; A Case Study for Screen-printing Silver Pastes

A comprehensive rheological characterization of highly concentrated suspensions or pastes is mandatory for a targeted product development meeting the manifold requirements during processing and application of such complex fluids. In this investigation, measuring protocols for a conclusive assessment of different process relevant rheological parameters have been evaluated. This includes the determination of yield stress, viscosity, wall slip velocity, structural recovery after large deformation and elongation at break as well as tensile force during filament stretching.
The importance of concomitant video recordings during parallel-plate rotational rheometry for a significant determination of rheological quantities is demonstrated. The deformation profile and flow field at the sample edge can be determined using appropriate markers. Thus, measurement parameter settings and plate roughness values can be identified for which yield stress and viscosity measurements are possible. Slip velocity can be measured directly and measuring conditions at which plug flow, shear banding or sample spillover occur can be identified clearly. 
Video recordings further confirm that the change in shear moduli observed during three stage oscillatory shear tests with small deformation amplitude in stage I and III but large oscillation amplitude in stage II can be directly attributed to structural break down and recovery. For the pastes investigated here, the degree of irreversible, shear-induced structural change increases with increasing deformation amplitude in stage II until a saturation is reached at deformations corresponding to the crossover of G' and G'', but the irreversible damage is independent of the duration of large amplitude shear. 
A capillary breakup elongational rheometer and a tensile tester have been used to characterize deformation and breakup behavior of highly filled pastes in uniaxial elongation. Significant differences were observed in all experiments described above for two commercial screen-printing silver pastes used for front side metallization of Si-solar cells.

Challenges in Rheological Characterization of Highly Concentrated Suspensions &amp;#8212; A Case Study for Screen-printing Silver Pastes

A protocol for a robust and application relevant rheological characterization of highly concentrated suspensions is presented. Silver pastes used for screen-printing application in solar cell production are employed as model systems.

A comprehensive rheological characterization of highly concentrated suspensions or pastes is mandatory for a targeted product development meeting the ...

Production and Characterization of Vacuum Deposited Organic Light Emitting Diodes

A method for producing simple and efficient thermally-activated delayed fluorescence organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on guest-host or exciplex donor-acceptor emitters is presented. With a step-by-step procedure, readers will be able to repeat and produce OLED devices based on simple organic emitters. A patterning procedure allowing the creation of personalized indium tin oxide (ITO) shape is shown. This is followed by the evaporation of all layers, encapsulation and characterization of each individual device. The end goal is to present a procedure that will give the opportunity to repeat the information presented in cited publication but also using different compounds and structures in order to prepare efficient OLEDs.

A protocol for the production of simple structured organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is presented.

A method for producing simple and efficient thermally-activated delayed fluorescence organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on guest-host or exciplex ...

Predicting Catalyst Extrudate Breakage Based on the Modulus of Rupture

The mechanical strength of extruded catalysts and their natural or forced breakage by either collision against a surface or by a compressive load in a fixed bed are important phenomena in catalyst technology. The mechanical strength of the catalyst is measured here by its bending strength or flexural strength. This technique is relatively new from the perspective of applying it to commercial catalysts of typical sizes used in the industry. Catalyst breakage by collision against a surface is measured after a fall of the extrudates through the ambient air in a vertical pipe. Quantifying the impact force is done theoretically by applying Newton's second law. Measurement of catalyst breakage due to stress in a fixed bed is done following the standard procedure of the bulk crush strength test. Novel here is the focus on measuring the reduction in the length to diameter ratio of the extrudates as a function of the stress.

Here we present a protocol to measure the modulus of rupture of an extruded catalyst and the breakage of said catalyst extrudates by collision against a surface or by compression in a fixed bed.

The mechanical strength of extruded catalysts and their natural or forced breakage by either collision against a surface or by a compressive load in a ...

A Polymer-based Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester with a 3D Meshed-Core Structure

In this study, we fabricated a flexible 3D mesh structure with periodic voids by using a 3D lithography method and applying it to a vibration energy harvester to lower resonance frequency and increase output power. The fabrication process is mainly divided into two parts: three-dimensional photolithography for processing a 3D mesh structure, and a bonding process of piezoelectric films and the mesh structure. With the fabricated flexible mesh structure, we achieved the reduction of resonance frequency and improvement of output power, simultaneously. From the results of the vibration tests, the meshed-core-type vibration energy harvester (VEH) exhibited 42.6% higher output voltage than the solid-core-type VEH. In addition, the meshed-core-type VEH yielded 18.7 Hz of resonance frequency, 15.8% lower than the solid-core-type VEH, and 24.6 &#956;W of output power, 68.5% higher than the solid-core-type VEH. The advantage of the proposed method is that a complex and flexible structure with voids in three dimensions can be relatively easily fabricated in a short time by the inclined exposure method. As it is possible to lower the resonance frequency of the VEH by the mesh structure, use in low-frequency applications, such as wearable devices and house appliances, can be expected in the future.

In this study, we fabricated a flexible 3D mesh structure and applied it to the elastic layer of a bimorph cantilever-type vibration energy harvester for the purpose of lowering resonance frequency and increasing output power.

In this study, we fabricated a flexible 3D mesh structure with periodic voids by using a 3D lithography method and applying it to a vibration energy ...

O-cresol Concentration Online Measurement Based On Near Infrared Spectroscopy Via Partial Least Square Regression

Unlike macroscopic process variables, near-infrared spectroscopy provides process information at the molecular level and can significantly improve the prediction of the components in industrial processes. The ability to record spectra for solid and liquid samples without any pretreatment is advantageous and the method is widely used. However, the disadvantages of analyzing high-dimensional near-infrared spectral data include information redundancy and multicollinearity of the spectral data. Thus, we propose to use partial least squares regression method, which has traditionally been used to reduce the data dimensionality and eliminate the collinearity between the original features. We implement the method for predicting the o-cresol concentration during the production of polyphenylene ether. The proposed approach offers the following advantages over component regression prediction methods: 1) partial least squares regression solves the multicollinearity problem of the independent variables and effectively avoids overfitting, which occurs in a regression analysis due to the high correlation between the independent variables; 2) the use of the near-infrared spectra results in high accuracy because it is a non-destructive and non-polluting method to obtain information at microscopic and molecular scales.

The protocol describes a method of predicting o-cresol concentration during the production of polyphenylene ether using near-infrared spectroscopy and partial least squares regression. To describe the process more clearly and completely, an example of predicting the o-cresol concentration during the production of polyphenylene is used to clarify the steps.

Unlike macroscopic process variables, near-infrared spectroscopy provides process information at the molecular level and can significantly improve the ...

Application of a Coupling Agent to Improve the Dielectric Properties of Polymer-Based Nanocomposites

In this work, an easy, low-cost, and widely applicable method was developed to improve the compatibility between the ceramic fillers and the polymer matrix by adding 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) as a coupling agent during the fabrication process of BaTiO3-P(VDF-CTFE) nanocomposites through solution casting. Results show that the use of KH550 can modify the surface of ceramic nanofillers; therefore, good wettability on the ceramic-polymer interface was achieved, and the enhanced energy storage performances were obtained by a suitable amount of the coupling agent. This method can be used to prepare flexible composites, which is highly desirable for the production of high-performance film capacitors. If an excessive amount of coupling agent is used in the process, the non-attached coupling agent can participate in complex reactions, which leads to a decrease in dielectric constant and an increase in dielectric loss.

Here, we demonstrate a simple and low-cost solution-casting process to improve the compatibility between the filler and the matrix of polymer-based nanocomposites using surface modified BaTiO3 fillers, which can effectively enhance the energy density of the composites.

In this work, an easy, low-cost, and widely applicable method was developed to improve the compatibility between the ceramic fillers and the polymer ...