Porosity and effective mechanical properties of plasma-sprayed Ni-based alloy coatings

The aim of this paper was to address the relationship between the porosity and micro-mechanical properties of the Ni-based alloy coatings which were prepared by a novel plasma-spraying system. The porosity and the mechanical properties of the coatings varied through changing the spraying parameters. Experimental results showed that the measured data of porosity, Young’s modulus and micro-hardness of the coating exhibited high scattering and followed the Weibull distribution. From statistic trend, the micro-hardness and Young’s modulus of the coating decreased with increasing the porosity of the coating. Moreover, generally, with increasing the micro-hardness of the coating, Young’s modulus of the coating increased.     

Elasticity and polarization of Ga<Subscript>x</Subscript>Al<Subscript>1-x</Subscript>N alloys subjected to uniaxial and biaxial compression

Elasticity and polarization of Ga_xAl_1-xN alloys subjected to uniaxial and homogeneous biaxial compression are calculated using first-principles methods. The uniaxial compression along the c-axis reduces Young’s modulus along the c-axis, and enhances bulk modulus and total polarization, whereas the biaxial compression in the plane perpendicular to the c-axis enhances bulk and Young’s moduli. It is also found that when the in-plane biaxial compression is applied by constraining the a-axis lattice constant to that of AlN, the bulk and Young’s moduli dramatically increase with increasing Ga concentration, and the total polarization could be suppressed, even annihilated, and finally enhanced by controlling Ga concentration.     

Effect of rare earth (Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Eu2O3, Gd2O3 and Er2O3 ) on the acoustic properties of glass belonging to bismuth-borate system

Bismuth-borate glasses doped with some rare earth ions were studied with respect to the density, molar volume and the elastic moduli, Poisson’s ratio, Debye temperature, microhardness, softening temperature, acoustic impedance, diffusion constant and latent heat of melting. Ultrasonic velocities were measured by the pulse echo overlap technique at a frequency of 10 MHz and at room temperature. From these velocities and density values, various elastic moduli were calculated. The correlation of elastic stiffness, the cross link density, and the fractal bond connectivity of these glasses are discussed. The derived experimental values of shear modulus, bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio for our glasses are compared with the theoretically calculated values in terms of the bond compression model and Makishima-Mackenize theory.     

Fullerene–epoxy nanocomposites-enhanced mechanical properties at low nanofiller loading

In this study, we characterized the mechanical properties of fullerence (C₆₀) epoxy nanocomposites at various weight fractions of fullerene additives in the epoxy matrix. The mechanical properties measured were the Young’s modulus, ultimate tensile strength, fracture toughness, fracture energy, and the material’s resistance to fatigue crack propagation. All of the above properties of the epoxy polymer were significantly enhanced by the fullerene additives at relatively low nanofiller loading fractions (~0.1 to 1% of the epoxy matrix weight). By contrast, other forms of nanoparticle fillers such as silica, alumina, and titania nanoparticles require up to an order of magnitude higher weight fraction to achieve comparable enhancement in properties.     

Calibration-free portable Young’s-modulus tester with isolated langasite oscillator

A ballpoint-pen-type portable ultrasonic oscillator is developed for quantitative measurement of Young’s modulus on a solid. It consists of an electrodeless rod-shaped langasite oscillator with a tungsten-carbide spherical-shaped tip at the end, permanent magnets for making a constant force at the contact interface, and antennas for exciting and detecting the longitudinal vibration contactlessly. The resonance frequency of the oscillator is changed by contact with the specimen, reflecting Young’s modulus of the specimen at the contact area. The langasite oscillator is supported at the nodal points so that its acoustical contact occurs only at the specimen, making a calibration-free measurement realistic. Young’s moduli of various specimens were evaluated within 15% error just by touching the specimens with the probe. The error becomes smaller than 10% for lower Young-modulus materials (<∼$<\sim$150 GPa).     

Experiment investigation on effects of elastic modulus on cavitation erosion of silicone rubber

Research into cavitation phenomena in various fields shows that the elastic modulus of a boundary has a potential impact on cavitation erosion. To obtain the direct relationship between the elastic modulus of the boundary and cavitiation erosion, single-layer samples with different chemical composition and moduli, and double-layer samples with different elastic moduli and the same surface layer material, were prepared with silicone rubber. The results of cavitation experiments on single-layer samples, show that the coating chemical composition and mechanical properties together affect the cavitation morphology of the coating, and dominant factors vary with erosion stage. Through the cavitation test of double-layer samples, it was found that there is a positive correlation between the elastic modulus of the coating and the degree of cavitation. This study helps us to understand the relationship between coating elastic modulus and cavitation more directly, and provides theoretical and technical guidance for the application of anti-cavitation for elastic coating in engineering.     

Elastic moduli of nc-TiN/a-Si3N4 nanocomposites: Compressible, yet superhard

Earlier measurements of elastic moduli of nc-TiN/a-Si₃N₄ nanocomposites of different composition and hardness by means of vibrating reed and surface Brillouing scattering, that yield Young’s and shear modulus, as well as the Poisson’s ratio, have been confirmed by high-pressure X-ray diffraction measurements, that yield bulk modulus. It is found that elastic moduli of all measured samples are essentially the same within relatively small error of measurements, and only slightly lower than that of pure TiN. The nanocomposites are superhard thanks to their unique nanostructure with strengthened SiN_x interface.     

利用微悬臂梁表面应力研究聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺分子的构象转变

提出了一种基于微悬臂梁传感技术研究大分子折叠/构象转变的新方法.通过分子自组装的方法将热敏性的聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAM)分子链修饰到微悬臂梁的单侧表面，用光杠杆技术检测温度在20—40℃之间变化时由于微悬臂梁上的PNIPAM分子在水中的构象转变所引起的微悬臂梁变形.实验结果显示：在升温过程中，微悬臂梁的表面应力发生了变化并且导致微悬臂梁产生了弯曲变形，这个过程对应着微悬臂梁上的PNIPAM分子从无规线团构象到塌缩小球构象的构象转变.在降温过程中，微悬臂梁发生了反方向的弯曲变形，这对应着PNIPA 关键词： 构象转变 聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺分子链 表面应力 微悬臂梁     

Elastic moduli of random network models of amorphous Ge and Si

The bulk and shear moduli of periodic random network models of amorphous Ge and Si are computed. The Young's modulus is reduced to about 90% of the average in the crystalline form.     

Optical switching studies of an azobenzene rigidly linked to a hexa-<Emphasis Type="Italic">peri</Emphasis>-hexabenzocoronene derivative in solution and at a solid–liquid interface

Arrays of test structures consisting of sub-150 nm wide beams were lithographically fabricated in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and used to measure the elastic mechanical properties of the material. Capillary forces that arise during the drying of rinse liquids from the test structures caused the nanoscale polymer beams to deform. The initial capillary forces were defined by the test structure geometry, and the magnitudes of the forces were quantified using a two-dimensional Young–Laplace equation. The deformation of the nanostructured beams was measured experimentally and compared to a model based on continuum-level bending beam mechanics, thereby enabling the calculation of the Young’s modulus (E) of the material. For PMMA beams greater than 100 nm in width E was calculated to be 5.1 GPa at room temperature, which corresponds closely to the elastic modulus of bulk PMMA. The Young’s moduli of structures with dimensions less than 100 nm were measured to be less than the bulk value and the origin of the decrease is discussed in terms of dimension dependent properties and polymer degradation during fabrication. The polymer nanostructures also were determined to mechanically deform more readily with increasing characterization temperature. PACS 62.25.+g; 68.35.Gy; 81.16.Nd     

Sound transmission across orthotropic laminates with a 3D model

This investigation examines the propagation of elastic waves in orthotropic materials to explain the sound insulation of FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics). The mechanical characteristics of an orthotropic material generally require nine independent parameters: three Young’s moduli, three shear moduli and three Poisson’s ratios. Three-dimensional analysis is performed with the elastic wave equations of an orthotropic material. The transfer matrix method which expresses the relationship between stress and velocity is adopted to calculate the sound transmission loss across an orthotropic material. Further, the transfer matrix method can only be calculated under the continuous boundary condition in the interface of each FRP layer. The boundary conditions which are indicated above are velocity and stress. The numerical results are compared with the experimental results. Additionally, along with varying material properties such as Young’s modulus, the acoustical properties of the orthotropic material are explained and discussed later.     

The influence of the transmission function of the impedance head on the measurement of the complex elastic modulus of a viscoelastic beam by the driving point impedance method

The driving point impedance method, as described theoretically by Snowdon [1], for measuring the complex modulus of elasticity of a beam has been implemented experimentally, with use of a vibrational impedance head. The influence of the transmission function of the impedance head as well as of the mass impedance of the element connecting the beam and the head on the measured results for the complex moduli of elasticity of viscoelastic beams has been examined theoretically and experimentally. Values of the loss factor and Young's modulus have been determined at resonance and antiresonance modes of a Plexiglass beam over the frequency range 40–7000 Hz.     

Use of the mark-tracking method for optical fiber characterization

The mark-tracking method was used in the uniaxial tensile test to determine the elastic properties of optical fibers. The mark-tracking method is based on the follow-up of two markers on the specimen with the help of an image processing technique. It allows us to determine the true strain with respect to the small strains assumption (≤1%) or the finite strains (>1%) without any impact of the rigid solid movement or pulley fiber sliding on the measured strain. Both coated optical fiber and stripped fiber were subjected to the uniaxial tensile test and the cantilever beam bending test. The Young’ modulus results of the stripped fiber were found to be very similar for both tests. Thus, the mark-tracking method is adaptable to the tensile test of optical fibers and the elastic behaviors of both coated optical fiber and stripped fiber are found to be non-linear. Their Young's moduli are 22 and 79 GPa, respectively. These results revealed that those coatings play a mechanical role in fiber elongation.     

Enhancing the interfacial strength of glass/epoxy composites using ZnO nanowires

This paper investigated the application of ZnO nanowires (ZnO NW) to enhance the interfacial strength of glass/epoxy composites. ZnO NW were grown on glass fibers by hydrothermal method, tensile properties of bare and ZnO NW coated fibers were measured by single fiber tensile testing, wettability of fiber with resin was studied by contact angle measurements and finally the interfacial strength and mechanisms were determined by single fiber fragmentation testing of glass/epoxy composites. The surface coverage of ZnO NW on glass fibers was fairly uniform without formation of major clusters. The coating of ZnO NW slightly reduced the tensile strength and improved the tensile modulus of fibers. Wettability tests showed reduction in contact angles for ZnO NW coated fibers because of enhanced wetting and infiltration of epoxy resin into nanowires. In fragmentation testing of microcomposites, smaller and concentrated interfacial debonding zones for ZnO NW coated fibers indicated good stress transfer and strong interfacial adhesion. A new form of crossed and closely spaced stress patterns were observed for nanowires of high aspect ratios. The interfacial strength of ZnO NW coated fibers increased by at least 109% and by 430% on average, which was attributed to the increased surface area and mechanical interlocking provided by ZnO NW.     

Ab initio investigation into the structural, electronic and elastic properties of AlCu2TM (TM = Ti, Zr and Hf) ternary compounds

The Al-Cu-TM (TM = transition metal) alloy system has attracted great attention for both excellent glass-forming ability and its interesting physical properties. In this work, an investigation into the crystal, electrical and elastic properties of the AlCu₂TM (TM = Ti, Zr, and Hf) compounds has been conducted by first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory. The fully relaxed structure parameters of the AlCu₂TM compounds are in good agreement with previous experimental and other theoretical results. Besides, the cohesive energies of all the AlCu₂TM compounds have been evaluated. The energy band and densities of state of these compounds are also obtained. According to the calculated single crystal elastic constants, all the compounds are mechanically stable. The polycrystalline bulk moduli, shear moduli, Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratio have been deduced by using Voigt-Reuss-Hill (VRH) approximations. The calculated negative Cauchy pressure and ratio of bulk modulus to shear modulus indicated that the AlCu₂TM compounds are ductile materials. The Debye temperatures of the AlCu₂TM compounds decrease with increasing the TM (Ti, Zr, and Hf) atomic number.     

Miscibility and Hydrogen Bonding Interactions in Blends of Poly(hydroxyether ketone) and Poly(4-vinyl pyridine)

The influence of silica nanoparticles on the tensile properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) fibers was investigated. The results showed that mechanical properties of PET fibers were improved through nano‐silica incorporation. Two maxima of the modulus‐strain curves of PET/silica nanocomposites (PETS) fibers are always higher than those of pure PET (PET0) fibers. The results of microstructure investigations suggested that the amorphous orientation factor of PETS fibers is higher than that of PET0 fibers. It is suggested that the increase of amorphous orientation factor contributed to the improvement of tensile properties of PET fibers. Considering the difference in modulus‐strain curves of PET0 and PETS fibers, it is believed that the addition of nanoparticles not only improved the amorphous orientation factor but also changed the load units of PET fibers when strained, which also resulted in the improvement of tensile properties.     

Study of elastic properties of CeO2 by statistical moment method

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the temperature and pressure dependences of the elastic properties of cerium dioxide using the statistical moment method (SMM). The equation of states of bulk CeO₂ is derived from the Helmholtz free energy, and the pressure dependences of the elastic moduli like the bulk modulus, B_T, shear modulus, G, Young’s modulus, E, and elastic constants (C11, C12, and C44) are presented taking into account the anharmonicity effects of the thermal lattice vibrations. In the present study, the influence of temperature and pressure on the elastic moduli and elastic constants of CeO₂ has also been studied, using three different interatomic potentials. We compare the results of the present calculations with those of the previous theoretical calculations as well as with the available experiments.     

Elastic properties of mono- and poly-crystalline PbO-type FeSe1−xTex (x = 0–1.0): A first-principles study

The structural parameters of the alloys are obtained as non-magnetic cases for which justification is provided. The elastic coefficients and various moduli of the monocrystalline FeSe_1−xTe_x system as a function of doping are predicted for the first time using density functional method. The bulk moduli, shear moduli, Young’s moduli, Poisson’s ratios, velocities of sound and Debye temperature of the corresponding poly-crystalline aggregates have been calculated and the results discussed.     

A Monte Carlo and continuum study of mechanical properties of nanoparticle based films

A combination Monte Carlo and equivalent-continuum simulation approach was used to investigate the structure-mechanical property relationships of titania nanoparticle deposits. Films of titania composed of nanoparticle aggregates were simulated using a Monte Carlo approach with diffusion-limited aggregation. Each aggregate in the simulation is fractal-like and random in structure. In the film structure, it is assumed that bond strength is a function of distance with two limiting values for the bond strengths: one representing the strong chemical bond between the particles at closest proximity in the aggregate and the other representing the weak van der Waals bond between particles from different aggregates. The Young’s modulus of the film is estimated using an equivalent-continuum modeling approach, and the influences of particle diameter (5–100 nm) and aggregate size (3–400 particles per aggregate) on predicted Young’s modulus are investigated. The Young’s modulus is observed to increase with a decrease in primary particle size and is independent of the size of the aggregates deposited. Decreasing porosity resulted in an increase in Young’s modulus as expected from results reported previously in the literature.