The combined effects of nano titanium dioxide (TiO₂-N) and clove oil (CO) on the physico-chemical, biological and structural properties of chitosan (CH)/starch (ST) films were investigated by using a solvent casting method. Results indicated that the incorporation of TiO₂-N could improve the compactness of the film, increase the tensile strength (TS) and antioxidant activity, and decrease the water vapour permeability (WVP). As may be expected, the incorporation of CO into the film matrix decreased TS but increased the hydrophobicity as well as water vapour barrier antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data supported intermolecular interactions between TiO₂-N, CO and the film matrix. Use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that TiO₂-N and CO were well dispersed and emulsified in the film network. Thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves demonstrated that TiO₂-N and CO were well embedded in the film matrix, hence this blend film system could provide new formulation options for food packaging materials in the future.

A novel adsorbent containing chitosan (CS) and bentonite (BT) was developed by mixing, drying, and calcining, and used as an adsorbent for the efficient bleaching of deteriorating transformer oil. The effects of calcination temperature, dosage of CS, adsorbent content, adsorption temperature, and adsorption time on the bleaching capacity of transformer oil were investigated. The structure of the adsorbent was also investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm techniques. The results showed that there was only physical interaction between CS and BT; CS did transform to carbon (C) and covered the surface of BT. The specific surface area and micropore volume of the adsorbent were affected by the calcination process. The composite adsorbent offered an excellent bleaching performance. When the calcination temperature was 300 °C and dosage of CS was 5%, the composite adsorbent had the optimum bleaching properties. When the composite adsorbent content was 4%, the adsorption temperature was 50 °C and the adsorption time was 75 min, the colour number and transmittance of the deteriorating transformer oil decreased from no. 10 to no. 1 and increased from 70.1% to 99.5%, respectively.

In this paper, a bright and compact silver coating on a copper sheet was successfully prepared by a coating solution without cyanogen. The effects of cerium nitrate (Ce(NO₃)₃) content on the structures, physicochemical properties, and application of the coating were thoroughly discussed with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD) electrochemical workstation, and infrared thermometer. The results pointed out that the thickness of the silver coating could reach about 30 μm, with good adhesion to the copper substrate. Cerium nitrate was evenly distributed on the surface of the coating, which can effectively refine the crystal grains and enhance the corrosion resistance. When the dosage of cerium nitrate was 1.0 g/L, the crystal grains were decreased from 144 nm to 65 nm, and the corrosion voltage was increased from −0.238 V to −0.131 V, respectively. The silver plating layer showed the best corrosion resistance with the dosage of silver nitrate, sulfosalicylic acid, additive, cerium nitrate, ammonium acetate, polyethylene glycol 400, and the number of brush-plating operations were 10, 50, 55, 1, 10, 10 g/L, and 8 times, respectively. For application, the temperature of the transformer’s isolating switch could remarkably be decreased from 100 °C to 54 °C with brushing plating by the silver coating solution.

A new type of coating brush plating solutioncontaining stannous sulfate and potassium pyrophosphate was prepared by solution mixing method.Its structures, physicochemical properties, and the application effect in power equipment contact were also investigated by electrochemical workstation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microsco (SEM), Mapping, and infrared thermometer. The results showed that the tin coating has good adaptability to the ambient temperature and good adhesion with the copper substrate. Cerium nitrate was evenly distributed over the tin plating layer, reduced the crystal refinement of tin and lead to a uniform distribution of microdefects. When the cerium nitrate content, the amount of additives, the amount of complex agent, and the number of brush plating operations are 0.1%, 10.0%, 8.0%, and 5 times, respectively, the tin plating layer has the best electrochemical performance. For application, the damaged contacts of power equipment can fully meet the demand of power use after being treated by the new brush plating solution.

The corrosion degradation of ultra-thin copper foils remains a critical challenge for maintaining their long-term structural stability under aggressive electrochemical environments. In this work, small-size graphene (sGr) was incorporated into ultra-thin copper foils through a direct-current electrodeposition strategy to improve corrosion resistance. Compared with conventional graphene, the reduced graphene size facilitated a more uniform dispersion within the copper matrix and effectively regulated the surface morphology and crystallographic texture of the deposited copper foils. The resulting sGr/Cu composite foil exhibited reduced surface defects, enhanced (220) preferred orientation with a texture coefficient of 83.7%, and improved electrochemical corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Specifically, the sGr/Cu foil showed a more positive corrosion potential (−0.099 V), a lower corrosion current density (3.781 × 10⁻⁵ A·cm⁻²), and a higher charge transfer resistance (3789 Ω·cm²) compared with pure copper foil. The enhanced corrosion resistance was attributed to the synergistic effects of improved graphene dispersion, graphene-induced barrier effects, surface morphology optimization, and strengthened graphene/copper interfacial interactions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis suggested the presence of Cu–O–C-related interfacial interactions, which may contribute to improved interfacial stability and corrosion protection. This work provides an effective strategy for designing corrosion-resistant ultra-thin copper foils through graphene size regulation and interface engineering.