NTU MSE JC2 Outreach Programme: Day 7

Yes you did not see wrongly, we skipped day 6 to move on to 7 because I was sick on the sixth day and Louis had other personal reasons to attend to. So cheer for not having to go to the optician and let us move on to the happenings of today.
In the morning we tried growing nano zinc oxide brushes on a carbon nanofibre. First step required the neutralisation of the solution containing zinc by adding aqueous ammonia. Next we place the already prepared carbon nanofibre mat in the solution. The resulting mixture is then heated in an oven at 90 degree celsius. The brush has many useful properties associated with it, due to its large surface area.

Aqueous ammonia and Zn(Al2O3)2

Next, we went on to test the lithium-ion batteries that we've prepared earlier using the machine as seen below. (FYI: the machine has been on twenty-four hours ever since March 2010!) The outcome about the capacity and stability of our batteries will require some time in order to surface. Dr Kong suggested we may be able to get the results next week.

Battery tester

Next, we managed to try out the BET machine, a machine used for testing the porosity of a particular sample. We used a carbon sample that Dr Kong had prepared previously. Apparently, the machine is able to figure out not just the pore volume in the sample, but it can also decipher the distribution of pore sizes in the sample by emitting gases under different pressure conditions. Temperature has to be cold here, which explains why liquid Nitrogen has to be used. I'm always excited with liquid Nitrogen since a nice and cool mist always appears when it's around. And the cool thing about liquid Nitrogen is that although it is extremely cold, it instead burns (rather than freezes) your hand if you were to touch it.

BET machine with ghostly hand

Liquid Nitrogen-filled tank below carbon sample

For the recreational activity of the day, our pals from another group led us to this awesome place called the Students' Activities Centre (SAC). Fantastic place really and I was entirely amazed.