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TiO.sub.2 and Si.sub.3N.sub.4 nanoparticles (nano-TiO.sub.2/Si.sub.3N.sub.4) were applied to enhance the thermostability of silicone oil microcapsules based on polystyrene shell using a Pickering emulsion method. The emulsion droplets consisting of silicone oil, monomers and initiator were first stabilized in an aqueous medium containing TiO.sub.2 and Si.sub.3N.sub.4 nanoparticles as surfactants. The obtained emulsion was subsequently heated and polymerized to form the silicone oil composite microcapsules embedded with nano-TiO.sub.2/Si.sub.3N.sub.4 in the polystyrene shell. Various techniques were used to characterize the as-prepared composites so as to investigate the effect of nanoparticles loading and silicone oil content on their chemical composition, morphology and thermal performance. Results showed that the composite silicone oil microcapsules present a well-defined spherical structure with a mean size of 10-20 [mu]m. Compared with pure silicone oil, the thermostability of the microencapsulated silicone oil is significantly enhanced at a low content of nano-TiO.sub.2/Si.sub.3N.sub.4. In particular, these microcapsules showed a considerable increase for initial decomposition temperature and maximum decomposition temperature. Such a notable increment is attributed to the existence of compact PS/TiO.sub.2/Si.sub.3N.sub.4 hybrid shell on the silicone oil droplets surface giving silicone oil core a protective effect.

General information concerning different kinds of chemical additives used in the textile industry has been described in this paper. The properties and applications of organofunctional silanes and polysiloxanes (silicones) for chemical and physical modifications of textile materials have been reviewed, with a focus on silicone softeners, silane, and silicones-based superhydrophobic finishes and coatings on textiles composed of silicone elastomers and rubbers. The properties of textile materials modified with silanes and silicones and their practical and potential applications, mainly in the textile industry, have been discussed.

Nul-le ne peut aujourd'hui nier cette mutation plastique qui s'opère dans nos corps et, pour reprendre les mots de la théoricienne et historienne de l'art Heather Davis, «il n'y a plus moyen de séparer nos vies du plastique au 20° siècle. [...] Avec Reborn, Van Dijk reprend la technique du moulage en silicone pour réaliser des «peaux » de rechange capables de pallier le vieillissement du corps ou de remplacer l'épiderme à la suite de blessures, par exemple. Faites de mousse de polyuréthane recyclée, de silicone, de peinture acrylique et de résine, les créatures anthropomorphiques ou protozoaires de Lam inquiètent. Car nos corps ne sont-ils pas autant de terrae nullius qui, soumises aux industries pharmaceutique, agricole et pétrochimique, voient apparaitre dans leurs chairs des agencements et une nouvelle forme de coexistence avec les matières synthétiques ?

Since the innovation of our new half-piece elastometric respirator, this type of filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) has been used widely in Thailand. Decontamination methods including ultraviolet C (UVC) germicidal irradiation and 70% alcohol have been implemented to decontaminate these respirators. We then examined the inactivation potential of different decontamination processes on porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and numerous bacterial strains, most of which were skin-derived. To enable rigorous integrity of the masks after repeated decontamination processes, fit tests by the Bitrex test, tensile strength and elongation at break were also evaluated. Our results showed that UVC irradiation at a dose of 3 J/cm.sup.2 can eradicate bacteria after 60 min and viruses after 10 min. No fungi were found on the mask surface before decontamination. The good fit test results, tensile strength and elongation at break were still maintained after multiple cycles of decontamination. No evidence of physical degradation was found by gross visual inspection. Alcohol (70%) is also an easy and effective way to eradicate microorganisms on respirators. As the current pandemic is expected to continue for months to years, the need to supply adequate reserves of personnel protective equipment (PPE) and develop effective PPE reprocessing methods is crucial. Our studies demonstrated that the novel silicone mask can be safely reprocessed and decontaminated for many cycles by UVC irradiation, which will help ameliorate the shortage of important protective devices in the COVID-19 pandemic era.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216823.].[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216823.].

Silicone-rubber baby teats used to bottle-feed infants are frequently disinfected by moist heating. However, infant exposure to small microplastics (<10 μm) potentially released from the heated teats by hydrothermal decomposition has not been studied, owing to the limitations of conventional spectroscopy in visualizing microplastic formation and in characterizing the particles at the submicrometre scale. Here both the surfaces of silicone teats subjected to steam disinfection and the wash waters of the steamed teats were analysed using optical-photothermal infrared microspectroscopy. This new technique revealed submicrometre-resolved steam etching on and chemical modification of the teat surface. Numerous flake- or oil-film-shaped micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) (in the size range of 0.6–332 μm) presented in the wash waters, including cyclic and branched polysiloxanes or imides, which were generated by the steam-induced degradation of the base polydimethylsiloxane elastomer and the polyamide resin additive. The results indicated that by the age of one year, a baby could ingest >0.66 million elastomer-derived micro-sized plastics (MPs) (roughly 81% in 1.5–10 μm). Global MP emission from teat disinfection may be as high as 5.2 × 1013 particles per year. Our findings highlight an entry route for surface-active silicone-rubber-derived MNPs into both the human body and the environment. The health and environmental risks of the particles are as yet unknown.Steam disinfection of silicone-rubber baby teats can lead to steam etching and chemical modification of the teat surface. This can release micro- and nanoplastics and result in ingestion. The results suggested that by the age of one year, a baby could ingest more than 600,000 microplastics.