Multi-scale Measurement of (Amorphous) Polymer Deformation: Simultaneous X-ray Scattering,Digital Image Correlation and In-situ Loading

This paper presents a method to investigate the behaviour of polymers on different scales during deformation using simultaneously collected synchrotron X-ray scattering, digital image correlation (DIC) and tensile loading. The method is demonstrated through experiments made on specimens of amorphous polycarbonate. Deformation is measured in-situ, simultaneously across different scales from the macroscopic deformation, measured using sensors on the tensile machine, to the full-field mesoscopic deformation, measured using DIC, down to the deformation of the nano-scale structure, studied using small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS). The DIC reveals highly inhomogeneous deformations that render conventional techniques for measuring deformation, such as extensiometers, virtually useless. The X-ray scattering is measured in several spatial points during continuous loading giving the evolution of the microstructure with respect to both spatial location and load level. The spatial mapping of the scattering reveals characters that would not be observed when only measuring at the centre point or measuring on a large area of the specimen, e.g. wide beam SAXS/WAXS or small angle neutron scattering (SANS). With these data, the macroscopic and the mesoscopic deformation can be correlated to the behaviour of the microstructure providing relevant information when developing micro-mechanical based constitutive models. The experimental results shown here indicate a direct correlation between the major principal strain direction and the maximum anisotropy direction of the SAXS patterns. The current approach can be extended to any kind of polymeric materials or polymer-based nano-composites.     

The rheological behaviour of HDPE/LDPE blends

The rheological behaviour of three types of HDPE/LDPE blends at several compositions (various weight percentages of LDPE) has been studied with the aid of a capillary rheometer and three different capillaries. In particular, entrance effects and shear viscosities have been determined over a wide shear rate region and at different temperatures. Thus activation energies could also be evaluated. Synergistic effects are evidenced when the relevant properties of the homopolymers parents are not too different from one another.     

Application of faraday's effect in static and dynamic holographic photoelasticity

The basic principle of applying Faraday's effect to achieve the separation of fringes in static and dynamic holographic photoelasticity, and a study and application of Faraday's light rotator are described in this paper. It is proposed that Faraday's light rotator be used for automating photoelastic instrumentation for measuring isoclinics and the decimal orders of isochromatic fringes.     

Epon 828 epoxy: A new photoelastic-model material

The photoelastic properties of Epon 828 are discussed. The epoxy is evaluated experimentally for its time-edge effect, optical creep, stress-optic relations, and mechanical properties at room and elevated temperatures. Epon 828 is extremely clear, has good transparency, and can be use for photoelastic stress analysis at room and elevated temperatures. It has a low-fringe constant at room temperature as well as at elevated temperatures coupled with a high critical modulus of elasticity. Epon 828 can easily be cast stress-free and has relatively small amounts of optical and mechanical creep. The machining characteristics of Epon 828 are excellent and it cements easily with itself and other epoxy materials.     

Adaptive control of MEMS gyroscope using global fast terminal sliding mode control and fuzzy-neural-network

An adaptive control of MEMS gyroscope using global fast terminal sliding mode control (GTSMC) and fuzzy-neural-network (FNN) is presented for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) vibratory gyroscopes in this paper. This approach gives a new global fast terminal sliding surface, which will guarantee that the designed control system can reach the sliding surface and converge to equilibrium point in a shorter finite time from any initial state. In addition, the proposed adaptive global fast terminal sliding mode controller can real-time estimate the angular velocity and the damping and stiffness coefficients. Moreover, the main feature of this scheme is that an adaptive fuzzy-neural-network is employed to learn the upper bound of model uncertainties and external disturbances, so the prior knowledge of the upper bound of the system uncertainties is not required. All adaptive laws in the control system are derived in the same Lyapunov framework, which can guarantee the globally asymptotical stability of the closed-loop system. Numerical simulations for a MEMS gyroscope are investigated to demonstrate the validity of the proposed control approaches.     

Calculation of the rotational transition probabilities of diatomic molecules when they collide with heavy particles

The collisional rotational transition probabilities for molecule-molecule and molecule-atom interactions in three-dimensional space are calculated. The quasiclassical approach developed in [1] is used. Expressions are obtained that are suitable for practical calculations of single-quantum and double-quantum rotational transitions in diatomic molecules. The collisional rotational transition probabilities are averaged over the Maxwell velocity distribution and their dependence on the gas temperature is obtained. To illustrate the method the results of a calculation of the probabilities for HCl-HCl, HCl-He, CO-CO interaction are presented.     

An exploratory investigation of cumulative shock fatigue

A simple device for producing cumulative shock loading in solids is described. The device uses a ballistic-impact-driven projectile to introduce high-stress waves into a solid. The impact time and load amplitude can be varied to produce fracture in one or several impacts in PMMA rods. The wavefront approached a square wave shape. Materials other than PMMA were loaded to failure to demonstrate the versatility of the device. Fracture morphologies observed with optical and scanning-electron microscopy are described.     

Strain-gage-stability measurements for years at 75°C in air

The authors have evaluated the performance of three types of metal-foil strain gages for two and a half years at a constant temperature of 75°C in air. The studies included polyimide-backed and phenolic-glass-backed gages with copper-nickel foil (constantan) and glass-fiber-rein-forced epoxy-phenolic-resin-backed gages with nickel-chromium foil (modified Karma). All gages were tested in a three-wire-lead, single-active-gage Wheatstone bridge system at nominal mechanical-strain levels of 0, +1000 and ?1000 μm/m. The polyimide-backed constantan gages used in Installation No. 1 typically zero-shifted more than +200 μm/m after 30 days' testing at 75°C. The phenolic-glass-backed constantan gages used in Installation No. 2 zero-shifted ?40 to +20 μm/m after 30 days and +270 to +350 μm/m after 900 days. The glass-fiber-reinforced, epoxyphenolic-resin-backed Karma gages used in Installation No. 3 zero-shifted about +5 μm/m after 30 days, and +20 to +45 μm/m after 900 days. The Karma gages used in Installation No. 3 performed better than the other two types of gages. The measured results for the Karma gages appeared to be independent of the adhesives, test-part material, and mechanical-strain levels that we tested. The high stability and low zero drifts of this gage at 75°C allowed us to reliably correct the measured static-strain data on actual test parts.     

Performance of metal-foil strain gages during large cyclic strains

Constantan-alloy gages with polyimide backing were bonded to axial-fatigue specimens which were tested under cyclic loading. Constant-strain ranges between 0.0075 and 0.04 were applied to each specimen by means of a clip on extensometer, and the strain-gage signals were monitored for gage accuracy and life. Gage life varied upwards from about four cycles at the highest strains investigated. Although significant zero shift occurred, strain ranges were generally measured within five percent over most of the life of the gage. The gage-performance information obtained will aid in later study of local strain and low-cycle fatigue in notched members.     

Investigation of the Dynamic Response of Swirling Flows Based on LES and Experiments

The dynamic response of a swirling flow undergoing vortex breakdown is investigated via Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and experiments in a water flow facility. The investigation is carried out following previous work on the link between thermoacoustic combustion instabilities and coherent structures in lean premixed gas turbine combustors. The velocity field transfer function is obtained in LES from the Unit Impulse Response determined via application of a low intensity broadband noise perturbation of the inflow mass flow rate and the Wiener-Hopf filtering method. In the experiments, harmonic fluctuations in the water flow rate through the swirler are generated via a piston mounted on the side wall of the test facility and activated with a low frequency linear motor. The velocity field transfer function is then obtained via phase averaging applied to Particle Image Velocimetry snapshots which are collected at prescribed values of the harmonic phase. The analysis, which is carried out in terms of coherent structures identified via Proper Orthogonal Decomposition, gives numerical transfer functions with amplitude and phase consistent with the experimental ones.     

A composite three-dimensional photoelastic method

Care must be taken in preparation and testing of three-dimensional composite photoelastic models. Some problems encountered in modeling the prototype and during model testing are: model-material failure, loss of fringe pattern in slicing, inherent shrinkage response in freezing, inadequate bonding between materials, and modular ratio difficulties. The selection of the correct plastic can eliminate the first four problems, but the correct modular ratio between the matrix and the insert has to be obtained. This investigation illustrated the behavior of commercially manufactured plastics as inserts, with a matrix material of Epon 828 epoxy. The effective moduli of elasticity of these plastics are reported for pure tension and for flexure. Since the manufactured plastics produced varying results, the use of Epon 828 epoxy as an insert was investigated. The inserts were cast in tygon tubing and their curing cycle was altered from that used for the matrix material to produce a different effective modulus of elasticity. The Epon 828 inserts gave excellent results in the beams. The use of the same material for matrix and insert eliminates many of the problems associated with composite three-dimensional photoelasticity.     

Machining unreinforced polymers with high-velocity water jets

Sapphire nozzles of 0.076-mm to 0.178-mm diameter have been used with a water intensifier, operating at pressures up to 4.2 kbar, to produce continuous jets with velocities around 6.6×10⁴ cm/s. These jets have been used to machine (slit) sheet specimens of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate and acetal at feed rates up to 4 cm/s. A previous paper describes the jet cutting system and analyzes data for PMMA and a phenolic laminate. This paper presents and analyzes data for polycarbonate and acetal; it also reanalyzes the PMMA data. A cutting theory described previously is modified and extended so that depth of cut can be directly related to nozzle pressure, jet flow rate, specimen feed rate and nozzle diameter. In its original form, this energy theory cannot account for the effect of changes in nozzle diameter. It is shown that there is excellent agreement between the predictions of the modified theory and the experimental data. The theory is also used to explain the surface appearance of a typical cut.     

The effect of a coupling agent on the viscoelastic properties and internal stresses in high density polyethylene filled with glass spheres

It is shown that covalent bonding between high density polyethylene (HDPE) and glass spheres can have a significant influence on the stress relaxation behaviour and the creep properties of the corresponding composites at room temperature. The bonding is obtained by reacting the glass spheres with an azide functional alkoxysilane which is capable of bonding to the HDPE-chain. The internal stress, evaluated from relaxation experiments, increased markedly as a result of this treatment, and it is suggested that the internal stress level reflects the properties of the interphase region between the filler and the bulk matrix and its effect on the viscoelastic properties.     

Numerical investigation of the instability of a shear discontinuity of the velocity in compressible gases

A numerical investigation is made of the nonlinear stage of development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the case of compressible gases.     

The grid-shift technique for moiré analysis of strain in solid propellants

Moiré principles and procedures were surveyed with a view toward adaptation to measurement of complex strain distribution in solid propellants. Compliant coating and photosensitive materials were selected for grid reproduction. The most flexible of the several possible procedures for recording moiré data was found to be grid photography. A novel “grid-shift” technique employing coarse grids was developed for point-by-point determination of surface displacement derivatives, and the grid-shift relations for large strain and large rotation were derived. The technique is extremely versatile, permitting the analysis of strain of dynamically deformed specimens in nonambient environmental conditions of temperature, pressure or atmosphere. The utility of the technique was demonstrated by application to static and dynamic problems.     

An experimental study of food melt rheology. II. End pressure effects

A twin-screw extruder-fed slit die viscometer (SDV) and a piston capillary rheometer have been used to measure the end pressure losses of a low density polyethylene, maize grits and potato powder. The entrance and exit pressure losses have been measured as a function of extrusion conditions. The entrance pressure losses were found to be less than 10% of the total pressure drop in the SDV for LDPE and maize grits. For the potato material, this loss was found to be as large as 58%. The exit pressures for the potato were between 10–20% of the total pressure drop compared to negligible values for the maize and LDPE. Various approaches due to Bagley, Han and Cogswell were used to investigate the elastic properties of these materials.     

A image encryption scheme based on dynamical perturbation and linear feedback shift register

Because low-dimensional chaotic precision degradation has seriously affected the security of encryption, compound chaotic function is designed. It is based on two new one-dimensional chaotic functions. By the definition of Devaney chaotic, the properties of compound chaotic functions are rigidly proved. Based on the compound chaotic function and linear feedback shift register (LFSR), a new pseudo-random sequence generator is designed to generate a more random sequence and expand the key space. The properties of compound chaotic functions and LFSR are also established. In the scheme, a dynamic block division of the 3D baker and dynamical perturbation are illustrated using the compound chaotic map to derive the confusion image. The new pseudo-random sequence generator expands the key space and improves the security of image encryption scheme. The results of entropy analysis, difference analysis, weak-key analysis, statistical analysis, cipher random analysis, and cipher sensitivity analysis show that the encryption scheme has a better security. Compared with traditional encryption scheme and one-dimensional logistic chaotic map, the new image encryption scheme has a better performance in speed, complexity, and security. This paper illustrates how to solve the problem of short periods and low precision of one-dimensional chaotic function by perturbation and LFSR together.     

Investigation of the length and wave structure of the gas-dynamic section in straight and spreading gas jets

The results are given of an experimental investigation of the wave structure of straight and spreading gas jets. Dependences are obtained for the calculation of the length of the gas-dynamic part of straight and spreading gas jets.     

A study of effective crack length using holographic interferometry

A technique using holographic interferometry and models of thin-sheet PMMA has been adapted to study the effective crack length for slots with rounded tips of various radii. The results suggest a rational means of applying sharp-crack fracture mechanics in certain nonideal situations and are compared with earlier studies.     

Experimental Technique to Characterize the Plastic Behaviour of Metallic Materials in a Wide Range of Temperatures and Strain Rates: Application to a High-Carbon Steel

This paper presents high temperature quasi-static and dynamic tensile testing. Samples are heated by an induction system controlled with a pyrometer. A high-speed camera (500 fps) is used to determine displacement fields with a digital image correlation software. For such tests a specific marking procedure of the sample is applied. This method is used to characterize the mechanical behaviour of a C68 high-carbon steel at temperatures up to 720 °C. Stress-strain curves are given from room temperature up to 720 °C at strain rates ranging from 400 /s to 4 × 10² /s.