End-performance evaluation of thiourea-modified bituminous binders through viscous flow and linear viscoelasticy testing

Straight-run bitumens are no longer suitable in new asphalt mixtures. Consequently, the use of modified bitumens has become more important. In order to both improve binders’ mechanical properties and prevent it from phase separation whilst stored at high temperature, the paving industry is currently developing new modification routes based on reactive agents. This work studies the use of thiourea, which has proven to efficiently broaden the temperature interval over which the binder demonstrates an adequate performance. On the one hand, viscous flow and dynamic shear tests indicate an enhancement in the high in-service temperature strength, along with a reduced thermal susceptibility. On the other hand, results of dynamic flexural tests reveal a significant decrease in the binder glass transition temperature. Finally, the use of master curves and a further frequency/temperature conversion are proposed, in order to attain a suitable viscoelastic characterisation of bituminous binders at low temperatures.     

Simultaneous determination of shear and extensional viscosities and wall slip by on-line rheometry with parameter fitting: an application to EPDM rubber

Shear and extensional viscosities and wall slip are determined simultaneously under extrusion processing conditions using an on-line rheometer. Because it is not possible to independently control flow rate and temperature, classical methods for interpretation of capillary data cannot be used with on-line rheometry. This limitation is overcome using computational optimization to fit parameters in a flow model. This consists of three parts, representing shear viscosity, extensional viscosity, and wall slip. Three-parameter, power law forms, based on local instantaneous deformation rates and including temperature dependence, are used for each, and analytic solutions applied for entry flow and flow in the capillary. For entry flow, the Cogswell–Binding approach is used, and for developed flow in the capillary a solution incorporating wall slip is derived. The rheometer, with interchangeable capillaries, is mounted in place of the die on a rubber profile extrusion line. Pressure drops and temperatures for extrusion of an EPDM rubber through 2 mm diameter capillaries of length 0, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mm are logged and flow rates determined for a range of extruder speeds (5 to 20 rpm). Pressures ranged from 60 to 75 bar and temperatures from 86 to 116 °C. Mean flow velocity in the capillaries was between 5 × 10⁻³ and 5 × 10⁻¹ m s⁻¹. The nine material parameters are optimized for best fit of the analytic pressure drops to experimental data, using about 100 data points, with the Levenberg–Marquardt method. It is concluded that flow is dominated by extension and wall slip. Shear flow appears to play little part. The slip model indicates that slip velocity increases much more rapidly than the wall shear stress (in the range 0.5–1 MPa) and decreases with temperature for a given stress level. Results for the (uniaxial) extensional viscosity represent an engineering approximation to this complex phenomenon at the high strains (approximately 200) and high extension rates (up to 800 s⁻¹) applying in the extrusion. Results indicate a slight extension hardening and a decrease with temperature. Results are put into the context of the available studies in the literature, which, particularly with regard to wall-slip and extensional flow, consider conditions far removed from those applying in industrial extrusion. The present methods provide a powerful means for flow characterization under processing conditions, providing data suitable for use in computer simulations of extrusion and optimization of die design.     

Evidence and modelling of physical aging in green wood

Physical aging typical of semi-crystalline polymers was evidenced in green (never dried) wood from three tropical hardwood species. The assumption of uniform aging rate was verified by the construction of master curves from series of tensile creep tests in the fibre direction, performed at increasing time elapsed after a quench following heating above the glassy transition. The rheological response during periods of creep small enough to neglect the progress of aging was described by a model made of a spring in series with a parabolic dash-pot where only the characteristic time depends on the aging time. The model was able to describe results obtained by a previous author on softwood loaded transversally to the fibres. The possible role of a transient adsorption process consecutive to the quench is discussed.

DSPH 方法的有效性验证及应用

讨论了不连续的光滑粒子流体动力学(discontinuoussmoothedparticlehydrodynamics,DSPH)方 法对粒子均匀性的敏感度,同时通过对DSPH 计算公式的详细推导,分析了该方法在界面处提高计算精度的 本质原因。通过简单的对碰模型,将DSPH 方法应用于实际问题中,研究了使用DSPH 方法计算密度、应变 率和能量时对模拟结果的影响,将多维的DSPH 方法推广到实际的物理计算中。     

Rheometry for large-particulated fluids: analysis of the ball measuring system and comparison to debris flow rheometry

For large-particulated fluids encountered in natural debris flow, building materials, and sewage treatment, only a few rheometers exist that allow the determination of yield stress and viscosity. In the present investigation, we focus on the rheometrical analysis of the ball measuring system as a suitable tool to measure the rheology of particulated fluids up to grain sizes of 10 mm. The ball measuring system consists of a sphere that is dragged through a sample volume of approximately 0.5 l. Implemented in a standard rheometer, torques exerted on the sphere and the corresponding rotational speeds are recorded within a wide measuring range. In the second part of this investigation, six rheometric devices to determine flow curve and yield stress of fluids containing large particles with maximum grain sizes of 1 to 25 mm are compared, considering both rheological data and application in practical use. The large-scale rheometer of Coussot and Piau, the building material learning viscometer of Wallevik and Gjorv, and the ball measuring system were used for the flow curve determination and a capillary rheometer, the inclined plane test, and the slump test were used for the yield stress determination. For different coarse and concentrated sediment–water mixtures, the flow curves and the yield stresses agree well, except for the capillary rheometer, which exhibits much larger yield stress values. Differences are also noted in the measuring range of the different devices, as well as for the required sample volume that is crucial for application.     

Evaluation and comparison of routes to obtain pressure coefficients from high-pressure capillary rheometry data

A capillary rheometer equipped with a pressure chamber is used to measure the pressure-dependent viscosity of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), poly-α-methylstyrene-co-acrylonitrile (PαMSAN), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Data analysis schemes are discussed to obtain pressure coefficients at constant shear rate and at constant shear stress. It is shown that the constant shear stress pressure coefficients have the advantage of being shear stress independent for the three polymers. The constant shear rate pressure coefficients, on the other hand, turn out to depend on shear rate, which makes them less suitable for use, e.g., in process simulations. In addition to the commonly used superposition method, a direct calculation method for the pressure coefficients is tested. Values obtained from both methods are equivalent. However, the latter requires less experimental and calculational efforts. From the obtained pressure coefficients, it is clear that PMMA and PαMSAN have a very similar pressure dependence, while LDPE is less sensitive to pressure.     

Characterization of vortical structures and loads based on time-resolved PIV for asymmetric hovering flapping flight

Flight agility, resistance to gusts, capability to hover coupled with a low noise generation might have been some of the reasons why insects are among the oldest species observed in nature. Biologists and aerodynamicists focused on analyzing such flight performances for diverse purposes: understanding the essence of flapping wings aerodynamics and applying this wing concept to the development of micro-air vehicles (MAVs). In order to put into evidence the fundamentally non-linear unsteady mechanisms responsible for the amount of lift generated by a flapping wing (Dickinson et al. in Science 284:1954–1960, 1999), experimental and numerical studies were carried out on typical insect model wings and kinematics. On the other hand, in the recent context of MAVs development, it is of particular interest to study simplified non-biological flapping configurations which could lead to lift and/or efficiency enhancement. In this paper, we propose a parametrical study of a NACA0012 profile undergoing asymmetric hovering flapping motions at Reynolds 1000. On the contrary to normal hovering, which has been widely studied as being the most common configuration observed in the world of insects, asymmetric hovering is characterized by an inclined stroke plane. Besides the fact that the vertical force is hence a combination of both lift and drag (Wang in J Exp Biol 207:1137–1150, 2004), the specificity of such motions resides in the vortex dynamics which present distinct behaviours, whether the upstroke angle of attack leads to a partially attached or a strong separated flow, giving more or less importance to the wake capture phenomenon. A direct consequence of the previous remarks relies on the enhancement of aerodynamic efficiency with asymmetry. If several studies reported results based on the asymmetric flapping motion of dragonfly, only few works concentrated on parametrizing asymmetric motions (e.g. Wang in Phys Rev Lett 85:2216–2219, 2000). The present study relies on TR-PIV measurements which allow determination of the vorticity fields and provide a basis to evaluate the resulting unsteady forces through the momemtum equation approach.     

The development of rheometry for strain-sensitive gelling systems and its application in a study of fibrin–thrombin gel formation

This paper reports simulated sequential frequency sweep data which have been reconstructed from time resolved viscoelastic data obtained by Fourier transform mechanical spectroscopy. Comparisons of the results show that the recording of anomalous values of the stress relaxation power law exponent α at the Gel Point under ‘rapid’ gelling conditions may be due to inappropriate rheological techniques. An appropriate rheometrical criterion is established for the application of sequential frequency sweeps in order to obtain accurate values of α in the formation of strain-sensitive, rapidly formed gels. Furthermore, using appropriate rheometry, we report values of α for fibrin–thrombin gels formed by the addition of thrombin to a physiologically relevant level of human fibrinogen, and relate these values to the microstructure of the fibrin gel network in terms of a fractal dimension. The present study is the first to report a modification of the fractal characteristics of incipient clots in fibrin–thrombin gels due to the availability of thrombin. This work confirms the hypothesis that the self-similar (fractal) stress relaxation behaviour recorded at the Gel Point of samples of coagulating blood (Evans et al. 2010a, b) is associated with the microstructural characteristics of the incipient blood clot’s fibrin network.     

Rotational rheometry of liquid metal systems: Measurement geometry selection and flow curve analysis

In the present study, a rotational measurement technique was used to evaluate viscosities of liquid metals and metallic alloys. Three types of measurement geometries in a high temperature rotational rheometer were evaluated: cone and plate, DIN coaxial, and double concentric cylinder (DCC). The DCC geometry proved to be the most effective. An analytical solution has been presented to evaluate the viscosity as a function of shear rate for DCC geometry. The flow curves and shear viscosities of pure Al, pure Zn and Sn_95.8Ag_3.28Cu_0.92 solder alloy have been evaluated as a function of shear rate and melt superheat temperature. It is proposed that liquid metal systems are non-Newtonian and strongly shear thinning in flow behavior.     

Sources of error and other difficulties in extensional rheometry revisited: commenting and complementing a recent paper by T. Schweizer

In a recent paper by T. Schweizer (Schweizer 2000) a large collection of experimental difficulties associated with the measurement of uniaxial extensional properties of polymer melts in the Rheometrics RME extensional rheometer is described. The work covers topics such as sample preparation for different types of polymers (sensitive or not to moisture) supplied in different shapes (pellets or powder), the necessary corrections to the tensile force, and the ever-present problem of determining the true strain rates of the experiments. The aim of the present paper is to complement and expand the work of Schweizer by pointing out other experimental problems that are the cause of errors in extensional rheometry of polymer melts. The present analysis, however, is not exclusively dedicated to the RME, unlike that of Schweizer, being directed instead to a general class of apparatus that work according to the principle of stretching a constant length sample between pairs of counter-rotating rollers; for example, all the data shown was obtained with our own extensional rheometer (Maia et al. 1999). This work will focus on the importance of the correct choice of the supporting media used for sample heating and support, the importance of end-effects, and the influence that the griping surfaces can have in such measurements. Received: 23 February 2001 Accepted: 15 May 2001     

聚合物粘结剂PVP、PAM和PVA结构与性能的分子动力学研究

在粉末打印骨支架的工艺中,粘结剂的性质是影响骨支架质量的关键因素。采用分子动力学的模拟方法对三种常用高分子粘结剂的体系进行了构建和模拟,从微观分子层面研究了聚合物粘结剂PVP,PAM和PVA的部分性质,比如密度、内聚能及力学性能,并对三种粘结剂的性能参数进行了比较,对其内在关系进行了揭示。此外,还通过建立粘结剂与羟基磷灰石的界面相互作用模型,对三种粘结剂与羟基磷灰石的界面结合能进行了计算和比较,分析了影响高聚物粘结特性的根本原因。这一工作不仅对常用粘结剂的基本性质进行了预估,而且对骨支架粉末粘结工艺中粘结剂的选择提供了理论依据。     

一种颗粒复合材料物理性能计算模型与工程应用

结合傅里叶描述子法与格林函数法提出了任意形状夹杂物的Eshelby张量计算方法,基于分步夹杂法建立了一种具有任意形状颗粒的复合材料物理性能预测理论模型。通过傅里叶描述子法对扫描电镜(SEM)图像中颗粒形貌进行数学表征,构建由多个细观结构参数组合的几何模型;利用格林函数求解夹杂物Eshelby张量,考虑颗粒形态、大小和组分性能,研究细观结构对颗粒复合材料有效性能的影响。在此基础上,设计了一款颗粒复合材料物理性能预测软件。以铜铬合金为研究对象,分析重构的细观模型与预测的结果,并与有限元计算结果进行对比,验证了该计算模型的有效性和可靠性,以及在工程计算应用中的可行性。     

Beneficial use of a cell coupling rheometry, conductimetry, and calorimetry to investigate the early age hydration of calcium sulfoaluminate cement

A specific cell was designed to monitor simultaneously the evolution of the viscoelastic properties, electrical conductivity, and temperature of a cement paste with ongoing hydration. Hydration of calcium sulfoaluminate cement by demineralised water or by a borated solution was then investigated as an example. Borate anions acted as set retarders but to a smaller extent than with ordinary Portland cement. The delay in cement hydration resulted from the precipitation of an amorphous or poorly crystallized calcium borate, which also caused a rapid stiffening (and thus a loss of workability) of the paste after mixing. The gypsum content of the CSA cement was shown to play a key role in the control of the cement reactivity.     

The role of the mathematical mean value theorem (MVT) in rheometry: an easy way to convert apparent flow curves into correct ones

The mean value theorem of integral calculus guarantees that the apparent viscosity η _a can easily be converted into the correct viscosity η. For ordinary liquids there is a direct identity between η _a and η but the apparent shear rate (or apparent shear stress) has to be shifted to the representative shear rate γ˙^ (or representative shear stress τ^). A model free approximation scheme is introduced which implies a constant shift factor. The corresponding approximation for η is acceptable for liquids most commonly encountered. For plastic fluids the relation between η and η _a is more complex since it involves a function depending upon α; the yield stress relative to the maximum stress within the viscometer. Using the same approximation scheme as before the shift factor will involve α as well. The corresponding approximation of η is shown to be acceptable for the whole range of α. Received: 7 February 2000/Accepted: 15 February 2000