Numerical modeling of the effect of heat and mass transfer in porous low-temperature heat insulation in composite material structures on the magnitude of stresses which develop

The stressed state of multilayer low-temperature heat insulation for a cryogenic fuel tank is considered. Account is taken of heat and mass transfer in foam plastic (the main heat insulation material) occurring at cryogenic temperatures. A method is developed for solving a set of differential equations and boundary conditions. Numerical studies of the main features of these processes are performed. It is established that below 200 K the stresses which arise in foam plastic markedly exceed the ultimate strength for this material. Stresses develop as a result of both a reduction in temperature and a drop in pressure in the foam plastic pores connected with material cooling. On the basis of the results obtained it is established that the combination of thermophysical processes which occur in foam plastic during cooling to cryogenic temperatures leads to changes in the stress-strained state of structure, which should be considered in planning aerospace technology.Scientific Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitmykh Materialov, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 384–393, May–June, 1997.     

The role of the porous structure of the filler in the reinfo rcement of polymers

Composites consisting of polyethylene and porous fillers with various pore sizes (from 22 to 115 Å) and surface types have been investigated. It is shown that the polymer filling the pores takes part in the deformation processes. The modulus of elasticity of the filled polymers is directly proportional to the filler surface per gram polymer. It is proposed to characterize the activity of the fillers by reference to the slope of the straight lines E-S with the hydrodynamic effect excluded.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 253–258, March–April, 1973.     

Model analysis of the cellular structure of plastic foams of the polyurethane type

A mathematical analysis of the mechanical properties of foam materials at the cellular structure level is given on the basis of a proposed 14-faced model of the cell of an opencelled plastic foam of the polyurethane type. The results obtained are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental data even without the introduction of arbitrary constants.Vladimir Scientific Research Institute of Synthetic Resins. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 859–865, September–October, 1970.     

Experimental investigation of compression waves in polyurethane foam

The behavior of porous foam plastics under impact loading has been experimentally investigated with reference to the example of polyurethane foam. The specially designed loading mechanism made it possible to measure the propagation velocity of the compression wave, its dependence on the impact velocity, and the absorption. The impact loading velocities varied from 2.5 to 13 m/sec. The results obtained are discussed from the standpoint of nonlinear acoustics.Leningrad Zhdanov State University. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 1, pp. 160–162, January–February, 1970.     

A fully stable rational version of theQR algorithm for tridiagonal matrices

Summary A rational version of theQR algorithm for symmetric tridiagonal matrices is presented. Stability is ensured by calculating the elements of the transformed matrix by various formulas, depending on the angle of rotation. Virtual origin shifts are determined from perturbation estimates for the leading 2×2 and 3×3 submatrices; the size of these shifts can optionally serve as a convergence criterion. A number of test matrices, including one with several degeneracies, were diagonalized; an average of 1.3–1.5QR iterations per eigenvalue was needed for 12-figure precision, and of 1.7–2.0 for 22-figure precision.     

Properties of PS-B polystyrene foam in pure tension and compression

The results of testing polystyrene foam of five different densities in pure tension and compression are presented.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Physicotechnical and Radio-Engineering Measurements, Moscow Region. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 808–812, September–October, 1971.     

Effect of the chemical structure of the polymer matrix on the properties of foam polyurethanes at low temperatures

The dependence of physical and mechanical properties of oligoether-based foam polyurethanes on the molecular mass (M_c) of polymer chains between the nodes of the polymer network and on the content of rigid segments in the polymer is investigated at 293 and 98K. The values of M_c at which the foam plastics have the best mechanical properties at low temperatures are determined. The content of rigid segments in the polymer at which foam polyurethanes have the best combination of the linear thermal expansion coefficient and mechanical properties in tension at a temperature of 98K is found.Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Riga, LV-1006, Latvia. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 517–526, July–August, 1999.     

Sudden buckling of the outer layer of a noncentrally compressed triple-layer rod

The stability of the outer nonmetallic layer of a triple-layer rod with foam core was studied both experimentally and theoretically by the energy balance method. The buckling of the outer layer occurs by a sudden transition to a nonadjacent equilibrium form and this process should be seen in regard to a set of deformational factors.Moscow State University for Ecology and Environmental Studies, Moscow, Russia. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 525–530, July–August, 1996.     

Modification of glass-filled polyamide 66 by reactive oligoorganosilane

Properties of glass-filled polyamide 66 modified by reactive oligoorganosilane were investigated. It was found that modification led to the improvement of the rheological properties of polyamide. The addition of the modifier decreased the glass transition temperature T_g of the polyamide from 60 to 50–59°C, without affecting the melting point. Composites modified by oligoorganosilane are characterized by higher (10–40°C) temperatures of onset and 50% weight loss as compared to the initial composite. It was found that chemical reaction of oligoorganosilane with polyamide and glass fibers took place during coextrusion of the modifier and polyamide, which formed firm chemical bonds between the polyamide and filler and thus favored a considerable improvement in the physicomechanical properties of the composite. The change in the structure and properties of the polyamide observed during modification by oligoorganosilane significantly affected its behavior during friction. The modification made it possible to increase the wear resistance of the composite 1.5 to 2 times and to decrease its friction coefficient from 0.38 to 0.27–0.33. It was also found that the ability of oligoorganosilane to react during its processing with water in the polyamide allowed for a significant decrease in the intensity of hydrolytic processes in the polymer. Because of this, the physicomechanical, rheological, and antifrictional properties of modified composites with an increased content of moisture (up to 3%) in the initial polyamide surpass similar characteristics of the composites containing no modifier, with not only enhanced but also optimum (0.2%) humidity of polymer granules.Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 545–553, July–August, 1998.     

Modeling the influence of mineral content and porosity on ultrasound parameters in bone by using synthetic phantoms

Model composite media – 10×15×80 mm³ bone tissue phantoms based on an epoxy resin with fillers—were made to study the influence of porosity and mineral content on ultrasound velocity and attenuation. The pores were simulated by 1 mm³ particles of a soft rubber, while the mineral content was imitated by a mineral residue of natural bone obtained by burning and grinding. The porosity and mineral content were varied in the range of 0–70% by volume with a step of 10%. The velocity, attenuation, and prevalent frequency of ultrasound were measured by the pulse transition method, using transducers with nominal frequencies 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 MHz. It was experimentally found that the ultrasound velocity decreased nearly exponentially with growth in porosity, while the velocity dispersion was negligible at frequencies >0.2 MHz; the ultrasound attenuation increased linearly with growth in porosity and strongly depended on the frequency; the velocity increased nonlinearly with growth in mineral content above 40%; the attenuation did not exhibit a distinct dependence on the mineral content; the porosity provoked a shift in the prevalent frequency of transducers, tending to the common value of 0.2 MHz, while the mineral content did not excite similar changes. The complex measurement of velocity, frequency-dependent attenvation, and prevenlent frequency of ultrasound is proposed in ultrasonic diagnostics of bone for more precise determination of the influence of the porosity and the degree of mineralization on the bone condition.Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 211–220, March–April, 1999.     

Procedure for measuring the thermophysical properties of polymers at high hydrostatic pressures

A procedure is suggested for determining the thermophysical properties of solids under hydrostatic pressure conditions by the instantaneous cylindrical heat source method without allowance for heat exchange at the sample-liquid boundary. A calculation performed showed that the temperature field of a cylinder of finite radius is identical to the temperature field of an infinite body up to Fo=0.05–0.07 with an accuracy far better than 0.5%. It is shown that the sample dimensions can be small thereupon at measurement times sufficient for performing the measurements on a standard apparatus of the order of 40–70 sec.Moscow Chemical Engineering Institute. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 568–570, May–June, 1973.     

Cutting of aramide fiber-reinforced plastics by Co2 laser

Comparative characteristics of aramide fiber reinforced plastics (AFRP) made by laser cutting or machining are presented. It is found that the strength of the specimens cut out by laser is 4–25% higher, while the moisture absorption is at least 2 times lower as compared to those cut out by machining. The deviation of the cutting edge size for AFRP 2 mm thick does not exceed 0.4 mm. Calculated and experimental data are given. The possibilities and conditions of cutting the AFRP up to 6 mm thick are determined.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 375–384, May–June, 1999.     

Diagnostics of the physicomechanical properties of glass textolites in articles of three-layer construction

Possibilities are examined for the diagnostics of some indicators of durability and stiffness of glass textolites in articles of three-layer construction (cemented three-layer combined construction, the two outer layers of which are of glass textolite and the inner layer of which is a foam layer) from a complex of structural parameters and physical characteristics measured directly in the article by nondestructive methods.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 362–364, March–April, 1976.     

Failure of water-filled cylindrical glass-reinforced epoxy shells under internal impulsive loading

Conclusions 1. The explosive failure of water-filled, geometrically similar glass-reinforced epoxy shells, whose dimensions increase by a factor of 1.5–4.4, is not associated with an energetic scale effect. This is attributable to the imperfect similarity of the shells, since although their dimensions changed, the diameter of the glass reinforcing fibers remained the same.2. The relative mass of explosive required to fracture the shells is approximately 0.4%. With respect to this index, glass-reinforced epoxy is comparable to structural steels 20 and 17Mn1Si at R₀160 mm.3. The circumferential deformation of the shells at failure is about 4% and does not depend on the thickness of the shell wall, the dimensions of geometrically similar shells, or the initial strain rate on the interval 0.21 · 10³–1.2 · 10³ sec^–1. Thin-walled shells begin to fail from the outside surface, thick-walled shells from the inside surface.4. The modulus of elasticity of the GRE is 2.4 · 10⁵ kgf/cm² and does not depend on the strain rate on the interval 10^–3–1.5 · 10³ sec^–1. The material deforms elastically up to failure.Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 283–289, March–April, 1978.     

Effect of cellular structure on the mechanical properties of plastic foams

A generalized equation for the compressive stress-strain diagrams of plastic foams is derived on the basis of a 14-faced model of the cell. The results obtained make it possible to predict the polymer base and type of cellular structure required to obtain a foam with predetermined mechanical properties in compression. The calculated values are shown to be in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.Vladimir Scientific-Research Institute of Synthetic Resins. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 4, pp. 594–602, July–August, 1970.     

Kinetics and consequences of "bleeding" of volatiles from plexiglas

The authors have studied the kinetics of "bleeding" during the heating of oriented and non-oriented plexiglas with accrued operating times of up to 16,000 h. They show that bleeding of the products of degradation of macromolecules from plexiglas is accompanied by a decrease in the volume of the polymer, which causes tensile stresses in the surface layers and may lead to surface cracking."Lenin Komsomol" Riga Red Banner Institute of Civil Aviation Engineers. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 2, pp. 346–348, March–April, 1974.     

Elasticity and strength of polyurethane foams with cylindrical cavities

The strength and elasticity of layers of polyurethane foam with cylindrical cavities have been investigated on the interval of variation of the specific weight of the foam from ₀ = 0.2 to ₀ = 0.7 gf/cm³. A correlation has been established between the proportionality limit in compression along the channel axes and the modulus of elasticity of a cylindrical tube of foam with a radially restrained outer surface taken as a model of a layer with cylindrical cavities. The experimental results are compared with the theory of elastic compression of tubes with free and restrained ends.Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 813–819, September–October, 1971.     

Ductility of nonmetallic hybrid fiber composite reinforcement for concrete

Reinforcing units, FRP, of unidirectional fiber composites for concrete have elastic behavior up to tensile failure. For safety reasons an elongation of 3% at maximum load is usually required for the reinforcement. Ductile behavior with the necessary elongation and stress hardening could be obtained with braided fiber strands around a core of foam plastic, thin glass fiber cylindrical shell, or unidirectional carbon fibers. Braids around a porous core reveal the ductility when epoxy resin breaks up and collapse of core enables the braids to rotate. The same seems to happen at that cross section, where carbon fiber core breaks in tension. The best result is obtained using a cylindrical glass fiber reinforced core shell surrounded with aramid fiber braid.Presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials, Riga, October, 1995.Division of Building Materials, Chalmers University of Technology, S412 96 Göteborg, Sweden. Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, Riga, LV-1006 Latvia. Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 167–179, March–April, 1996.     

Realization of the mechanical properties of fibers in high-modulus polymer composites

The effect of scatter in the strength and deformation properties of the high-modulus fibers, the degree of twist, and the presence of pores in the polymeric matrix on the degree of realization of the potential possibilities of these fibers in composite materials is briefly considered.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1123–1125, November–December, 1972.     

Method of constructing shock compression diagrams for foam plastics

A method is proposed for constructing shock compression diagrams for foam plastics based on experimental determination of the residual deformation of a specimen after impact with a rigid obstacle. An approximate diagram is obtained for expanded polystyrene PS-1 of initial density 0.21 g/cm³, and the dynamic yield strength is estimated.Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 566–568, May–June, 1973.