27:T509,

Co₃O₄ is a promising candidate as an anode material for the next generation lithium ion batteries because of its high theoretical storage capacity and energy density. However, the disadvantages of poor capacity retention caused by large volume changes during cycling and low rate capability due to its poor electronic conductivity frustrate its practical applications. We have developed a binary nanocomposite based on Co₃O₄ and porous carbon nanofibers synthesized via an electrospinning method followed by thermal treatment. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, the Co₃O₄/ porous carbon nanofibers composite exhibits a remarkably improved electrochemical performance in terms of lithium storage capacity (869.5 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C), high-initial Coulombic efficiency (73.8%), cycling stability (94.9% capacity retention at 50 cycles), and rate capability (403.6 mAh g⁻¹ at 2 C at 25 cycles) compared to pure Co₃O₄. This improvement is attributed to the introduction of porous carbon nanofibers which could improve electrical conductivity of material and accommodate the volume expansion/contraction of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles during cycling.

28:T435,

This paper focuses on the study of the effect of fiber content and alkali treatment on the thermal properties of wheat straw epoxy composite. Four levels of fiber loading (10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%) of wheat straw and three levels of alkali treatment (1, 3, and 5%) were considered and merged into epoxy composites. The composites were prepared by hand layup technique. The thermal stability of the components was studied by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, as well as by the differential thermogravimetric. The experimental results show that the thermal stability of the composites prepared from 3% alkali-treated fibers is superior as compared to the untreated and another level of alkali-treated fiber composite. This is mainly due to the efficient fiber–matrix adhesion in the alkali-treated wheat straw epoxy composites. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) studies were carried out to evaluate the microstructure and composition of wheat straw fiber/epoxy composites, respectively.

29:T855,