Methane pyrolysis-enabled production of high-value carbon fibres

Nature Sustainability · 2026-04-16

Dynamically Adaptive Wrinkle‐Structured Light‐Regulating Films for Energy‐Efficient Buildings

Advanced Functional Materials · 2025-08-03 · 6 citations

Abstract Energy‐efficient buildings utilize smart windows with switchable optical properties to minimize energy consumption for lighting and cooling. However, most existing dynamically switchable materials depend on external energy sources, such as electricity, for activation. In this work, a moisture‐responsive light‐regulating film is presented composed of a cellulose nanofibril (CNF) layer and a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)‐glycerol layer, fabricated through a scalable casting method. The film harnesses moisture‐induced differences in modulus and swelling behavior between its layers, allowing the CNF layer to form a wrinkled surface under dry conditions that flattens upon moisture exposure. This results in a regulation of the sunlight, achieving tunable light diffusion for daylight harvesting, thermal regulation, and privacy control. Compared to conventional glass, the light‐regulating film reduces indoor temperatures by up to 8.4 °C on sunny days in hot summer while maintaining sufficient light on rainy days. Simulations indicate potential energy savings of up to 7.0 MJ m −2 annually for a typical medium office building in Miami, a city in the U.S. This work offers a sustainable and energy‐efficient solution for modern building applications.

Analysis of the mechanism and effects of advanced pipes support in roadways

Scientific Reports · 2025-04-30 · 2 citations

With the increasing depth of coal mining, the deformation and instability of high-stress soft rock roadways have become critical challenges in mining engineering. Although various support technologies have been applied to deep soft rock roadways, research on the support mechanism and mechanical effects of advanced pipes remains limited. Based on the Winkler elastic foundation model, this study establishes a mechanical model for advanced pipes. Using differential equations, the influence of various parameters on the deformation of advanced pipes is analyzed, and the mechanical effects of the advanced pipes support system are investigated through numerical simulations. The results indicate that increasing the diameter and wall thickness of the pipes, as well as reducing the excavation step and ring spacing, helps effectively control pipes deformation. At the same time, the advanced pipes support system significantly improves the stability of both the surrounding rock and the excavation face. This study not only enriches the theoretical foundation of advanced pipes support but also provides reliable parameter references for the design of advanced temporary support in deep soft rock roadways, offering significant engineering application value.

Study on deformation and failure mechanism of semi-coal rock soft rock roadway and reinforcement support countermeasures of anchor cable with c-shaped tube

Engineering Failure Analysis · 2025-05-16 · 6 citations

Over-Expression of Cshak4 from Tea Plant (Camellia Sinensis L.) Negatively Regulates High Salt Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis

SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

Over-expression of CsHAK4 from tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) negatively regulates high salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis

Plant Science · 2025-08-23 · 2 citations

Excavation methods and stability control strategies for gob-side roadways based on spatiotemporal evolution

Scientific Reports · 2025-07-25

To address the production succession challenges posed by single-wing mining, this study investigates the 5-1081 roadway of the Fenyuan Coal Mine as a representative example. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation were combined to systematically examine the spatiotemporal relationship between the gob-side roadway and the overlying working face, with a focus on their influence on excavation strategies and surrounding rock deformation. The results indicate that, under a fixed coal pillar width, the adjacent mining and driving scheme significantly enhances surrounding rock stability and reduces succession constraints compared to other methods. Under this scheme, the roadway undergoes pronounced asymmetric deformation, with significant disturbances occurring especially before and after the intersection with the working face. Based on the deformation characteristics, a segmented support strategy was proposed, defining the key reinforcement zone as spanning from 40 m before to 60 m after the intersection. This study provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the safe and efficient construction of gob-side roadways under comparable geological and mining conditions.

Nanoporous Wood Chips Based Sizable, Robust, and Low-Cost Honeycomb Vacuum Insulation Panels (DOE BENEFIT Final Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR))

2025-01-31

Conventional vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) suffer from severe limitations including high cost, vulnerability to perforation, and significant performance degradation over time due to vacuum loss. InventWood Inc. (IW) and partnering teams completely re-engineered the VIP structure by constructing arrays of isolated vacuum-cells to enable limited cutting at designated areas (in between vacuum cells) and reduced consequential vacuum loss due to puncture. The teams also replaced the expensive vacuum insulation core materials with a low-cost commercial wood pulp and recycled long fiber. The wood pulp derived VIP can deliver an overall panel insulation of R15 (<0.01W/m·K) with over 90% thermal resistance retention after cutting (R13.5 overall, R5 along the cut edges). In addition, the vacuum-cell-array design minimizes edge losses, resulting in more durable performance, longer service life (>50 years), and higher R-value per dollar towards a cost target of <$1/ft2·in. It is anticipated that the Nanochip-VIP will attract strong market interest and become an affordable insulation solution for energy efficient buildings and retrofits, leading to significant reductions in energy usage.

Microstructure Evolution and shear strength optimization in SiC ceramic/MA956 ODS steel joints brazed with Cu-Ti-Si filler

Materials Today Communications · 2025-08-04 · 1 citations

Sustainable transparent bamboo/W-VO2 composites for solar modulation and energy-efficient buildings

Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts · 2025-11-14 · 2 citations

Energy-efficient buildings require sustainable materials that combine structural performance with advanced optical and thermal functionalities to minimize energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we reported a new strategy to develop biodegradable transparent bamboo with a dense and ordered structure, achieved through selective delignification followed by directional pressing to align cellulose nanofibrils. This process yielded large-scale transparent bamboo with remarkable mechanical strength, 78% optical transparency in the visible spectrum, and a high haze (> 90%) that ensured uniform daylight distribution and reduced reliance on artificial lighting. To further impart dynamic solar modulation, a thin polylactic acid film containing tungsten-doped vanadium dioxide (W-VO 2 ) nanoparticles was integrated onto the transparent bamboo substrate. The resulting thermochromic bamboo exhibited a solar modulation ability of 9.7% along with effective thermal regulation that lowered indoor heating loads in hot regions. By synergizing biodegradability, mechanical robustness, and active photothermal control, this transparent bamboo/W-VO 2 composite offered a sustainable and high-performance alternative to conventional glass, holding great promise for energy-efficient building applications.