Evolution of properties in hydration of cements—A numerical study

The present work develops a numerical method for analysis of the microstructure and property evolution in the hydration of the cement. A time-dependent micro-mechanical model is established to investigate the microstructure development and the effective property evolution of the cement paste, while the input parameters of the model are based on experimental data. It is assumed that the cement paste composite consists of the anhydrous cement particles, cement gel and pores. The cement particles have a periodically spatial array and are wrapped by the cement gel. The Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the cement paste are calculated by direct average method and two-scale expansion method. The comparisons between the numerical results and experimental data show that this model can simulate the evolution of the microstructure and properties during the hydration of the cements quite satisfactorily.     

Experimental study on the microstructure and nanomechanical properties of the wing membrane of dragonfly

Detailed investigations on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the wing membrane of the dragonfly are carried out. It is found that in the direction of the thickness the membrane was divided into three layers rather than a single entity as traditionally considered, and on the surfaces the membrane displays a random distribution rough microstructure that is composed of numerous nanometer scale columns coated by the cuticle wax secreted. The characteristics of the surface structure are measured and described. The mechanical properties of the membranes taken separately from the wings of live and dead dragonflies are investigated by the nanoindentation technique. The Young’s moduli obtained here are approximately two times greater than the previous result, and the reasons that yield the difference are discussed. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10372102 and 10672164).     

Determination of mechanical properties by instrumented indentation

The paper reviews the current state of the depth-sensing indentation (sometimes called nanoindentation), where the information on material behaviour and properties is obtained from the indenter load and depth, measured continuously during loading and unloading. It is shown how the contact parameters and principal characteristics are determined using pointed or spherical indenters. Indentation tests can be used for the measurement of hardness and elastic modulus, and also of the yield stress and for the construction of stress–strain diagrams, for the determination of the work of indentation and its components. Most devices use monotonic loading and unloading, but some also enable measurement under a small harmonic signal added to the basic monotonously increasing load. This makes possible continuous measurement of contact stiffness and the study of dynamic properties and the determination of properties of coatings. One section is devoted to the measurement on viscoelastic-plastic materials, where the delayed deforming must be considered during the measurement as well as in data evaluation. Instrumented indentation can also be used for the study of creep under high temperatures. The paper also discusses the errors arising in depth-sensing measurements and informs briefly about some other possibilities of the method.     

On the experimental determination of some mechanical properties of porcine periodontal ligament

This work analyzes some aspects of the experimental determination of the mechanical properties of the periodontal ligament (PDL). The necessity of extracting small samples, with a geometry as regular as possible, from a complex biological structure, makes it quite difficult both to establish a correct testing protocol and to obtain reliable results, for instance usable by bioengineers to develop constitutive models. Here, by means of more than 250 experiments performed on small samples of porcine PDL, we try both to provide some statistically significant information, and to clarify some issues related to the testing protocols. Some basic mechanical parameters for the PDL (Young’s modulus, shear modulus, failure stress and strain for tension, compression, and shear tests) are measured, and a relevant statistical analysis is provided. The influence of some experimental parameters (sample conservation procedure, testing modalities), is also studied; on the basis of our results, we can conclude that (i) if conservation is needed, a cooling at −80° is sufficient to guarantee statistically significant results, (ii) it is important to perform at least the compression tests keeping the samples immersed in pressurized fluid, and (iii) preconditioning cycles are necessary only for studying the initial (toe) region of the stress–strain curves. It is also observed that, with these types of samples, some special care is required when computing stresses and strains from force and displacement measurements. In order to illustrate this aspect, some non-linear Finite Element analyses are performed, aimed at evaluating the influence of the sample geometry on the stress and strain calculation. Finally, the issue of fiber damage due to the cutting procedures is briefly discussed.     

Optimal internal architectures of femoral bone based on relaxation by homogenization and isotropic material design

The influence of the loading conditions on the trabecular architecture of a femur is investigated by using topology optimization methods. The response of the bone to physiological loads results in changes of the internal architecture of bone, reflected by a modification of internal effective density and mechanical properties. The homogenization based optimization model is developed for predicting optimal bone density distribution, wherein bone tissue is assumed to be a composite material consisting of a mixture of material and void. The homogenization scheme treats the geometric parameters of the microstructures and their orientation as design variables and homogenizes the properties in that microstructure, which is generally anisotropic. The penalization of the optimal material density then leads to a classical optimal structure which consists of regions with bone material and regions without bone material. The IMD (Isotropic Material Design) approach is next applied to determine the optimal elasticity tensor in terms of the bulk and shear moduli for the present loading applied to the femoral bone sample. IMD is able to provide both the external shape and topology together with the optimal layout of the isotropic moduli. Both topology optimization methods appear to be complementary. Simulations of the internal bone architecture of the human proximal femur results in a density distribution pattern with good consistency with that of the real bone.     

A methodology for determining mechanical properties of freestanding thin films and MEMS materials

We have developed a novel chip-level membrane deflection experiment particularly suited for the investigation of sub-micron thin films and microelectro-mechanical systems. The experiment consists of loading a fixed-fixed membrane with a line load applied at the middle of the span using a nanoindenter. A Mirau microscope interferometer is positioned below the membrane to observe its response in real time. This is accomplished through a micromachined wafer containing a window that exposes the bottom surface of the specimen. A combined atomic force microscope/nanoindenter incorporates the interferometer to allow continuous monitoring of the membrane deflection during both loading and unloading. As the nanoindenter engages and deflects the sample downward, fringes are formed and acquired by means of a CCD camera. Digital monochromatic images are obtained and stored at periodic intervals of time to map the strain field. Stresses and strains are computed independently without recourse to mathematical assumptions or numerical calibrations. Additionally, no restrictions on the material behavior are imposed in the interpretation of the data. In fact, inelastic mechanisms including strain gradient plasticity, piezo and shape memory effects can be characterized by this technique.The test methodology, data acquisition and reduction are illustrated by investigating the response of 1-μm thick gold membranes. A Young's modulus of , a yield stress of and a residual stress of are consistently measured. The post-yield behavior leading to fracture exhibits typical statistical variations associated to plasticity and microcrack initiation.     

Determination of microcapsule physicochemical,structural, and mechanical properties

Research into the fundamental properties of microcapsules and use of the results to develop a wide variety of products in industries such as printing, fast-moving consumer goods, construction, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals is a dynamic and ever-progressing field of study. For microcapsules to be effective in providing protection from harsh environments or delivering large payloads, it is essential to have a good understanding of their properties to enable quality control during formulation, storage, and applications. This review aims to outline the commonly used techniques for determining the physicochemical, structural, and mechanical properties of microcapsules, and highlights the interlinked nature of these three areas with respect to the end-use industrial application. This review provides information on techniques that are well supported in the literature, and also examines microcapsule analytical techniques that will become more prevalent as a result of new technological developments or extensions from other areas of study.     

Atomistic simulation of the structure and elastic properties of gold nanowires

We performed atomistic simulations to study the effect of free surfaces on the structure and elastic properties of gold nanowires aligned in the 〈100〉 and 〈111〉 crystallographic directions. Computationally, we formed a nanowire by assembling gold atoms into a long wire with free sides by putting them in their bulk fcc lattice positions. We then performed a static relaxation on the assemblage. The tensile surface stresses on the sides of the wire cause the wire to contract along the length with respect to the original fcc lattice, and we characterize this deformation in terms of an equilibrium strain versus the cross-sectional area. While the surface stress causes wires of both orientations and all sizes to increasingly contract with decreasing cross-sectional area, when the cross-sectional area of a 〈100〉 nanowire is less than , the wire undergoes a phase transformation from fcc to bct, and the equilibrium strain increases by an order of magnitude. We then applied a uniform uniaxial strain incrementally to 1.2% to the relaxed nanowires in a molecular statics framework. From the simulation results we computed the effective axial Young's modulus and Poisson's ratios of the nanowire as a function of cross-sectional area. We used two approaches to compute the effective elastic moduli, one based on a definition in terms of the strain derivative of the total energy and another in terms of the virial stress often used in atomistic simulations. Both give quantitatively similar results, showing an increase in Young's modulus with a decrease of cross-sectional area in the nanowires that do not undergo a phase transformation. Those that undergo a phase transformation experience an increase of about a factor of three of Young's modulus. The Poisson's ratio of the 〈100〉 wires that do not undergo a phase transformation show little change with the cross-sectional area. Those wires that undergo a phase transformation experience an increase of about 10% in Poisson's ratio. The 〈111〉 wires show, with a decrease of cross-sectional area, an increase in one of Poisson's ratios and small change in the other.     

Mechanical properties and structure of Haliotis discus hannai Ino and Hemifusus tuba conch shells： a comparative study

Haliotis discus hannai Ino （abalone shell） and Hemifusus tuba conch shell have been studied for the purpose to comparatively investigate the mechanisms by which nature designs composites. It is shown that both shells are composed of aragonite and a small amount of proteins while the conch shell shows finer microstructure but lower strength than aba- lone shell. It is also shown that the fresh shells exhibits better property than those after heat-treatments. It is therefore sup- posed that the size of inorganic substance is not a dominant factor to improve strength, while both proteins in shells and the microstructure of inorganic matter also play important roles.     

Non-linear buckling and symmetry breaking of a soft elastic sheet sliding on a cylindrical substrate

We consider the axial compression of a thin sheet wrapped around a rigid cylindrical substrate. In contrast to the wrinkling-to-fold transitions exhibited in similar systems, we find that the sheet always buckles into a single symmetric fold, while periodic solutions are unstable. Upon further compression, the solution breaks symmetry and stabilizes into a recumbent fold. Using linear analysis and numerics, we theoretically predict the buckling force and energy as a function of the compressive displacement. We compare our theory to experiments employing cylindrical neoprene sheets and find remarkably good agreement.     

Productivity of tillage loosening and separating machines in an aggregate with tractors of various capacities

Currently, chemical methods of weed control are increasingly being replaced by mechanical weeding. One of the promising mechanical devices for weed control is a rotary loosening and separating stratifier. This tillage machine can provide high quality tillage to a depth of up to 18 cm. Its performance is determined by the width of the grip of the gun and the speed of movement and is limited by the traction capabilities of the tractor. Using the Goryachkin formula for the traction resistance of a tillage machine, the authors obtained the dependence of productivity on the width of the grip and the speed of movement at different depths of tillage. The obtained dependencies on the example of tractors John Deere 8330, HTZ 16131-05 and MTZ 1523.3 showed the presence of a pronounced maximum, which led to the solution of the optimization problem. The article presents a method for calculating the optimal width of the grip and the speed of movement that ensure the maximum productivity of the tillage machine, depending on the depth of processing and the specific resistance of the soil. The use of optimal parameters of the tillage machine allows you to increase its productivity by 2–3 times.     

Direction-dependent functions of physical properties for crystals and polycrystals

Some physical properties of crystals differ in direction n because crystal lattices are often anisotropic. A polycrystal is an aggregate of numerous tiny crystallites. Unless the polycrystal is an isotropic aggregate of crystallites, the physical properties of the polycrystal vary with n. The direction-dependent functions （DDF） for crystals and polycrystals are introduced to describe the variations of the physical properties in direction n. Until now there are few papers dealing systematically with relations between the DDF and the crystalline orientation distribution. Herein we give general expressions of the DDF for crystals and polycrystals. We discuss the applications of the DDF in describing the physical properties of crystals and polycrystals.     

石墨包覆纳米镍颗粒的结构及磁性能的表征

在密闭容器中,用爆轰分解掺杂含有镍离子的混合炸药前驱体合成了核壳结构石墨包覆镍纳米颗 粒。调整混合炸药前驱体中碳源材料和金属源材料的有效摩尔比合成了球形、不同尺寸、核壳结构的磁性石 墨包覆纳米镍颗粒。采用X 射线衍射仪(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)、能谱分析仪(EDX)和振动样品磁强计 (VSM)表征化学构成、结构形貌及磁性能。结果表明:颗粒大小主要分布在10~55nm 之间,复合纳米颗粒 主要由面心立方镍纳米晶体和石墨碳构成,常温下这些复合纳米颗粒主要表现出超顺磁性和铁磁性能。     

玄武岩/Kevlar纤维布填充防护结构撞击极限及损伤特性

为了研究玄武岩/Kevlar纤维布填充防护结构的撞击极限和损伤特性,采用非火药驱动二级轻气炮进行超高速撞击实验,拟合撞击极限曲线,并与Nextel/Kevlar填充防护结构及三层铝防护结构进行比较。结果表明:玄武岩/Kevlar填充防护结构具有和Nextel/Kevlar填充防护结构类似的防护效果,防护性能优于三层铝防护结构。进一步研究填充防护结构铝合金防护屏、纤维布填充层及铝合金舱壁的损伤形式,分析了造成防护屏、填充层与舱壁不同损伤形貌的原因,探索了玄武岩/Kevlar纤维布填充防护结构的防护机理,得出玄武岩纤维布填充层使弹丸碎化,而Kevlar填充层消耗、吸收和分散弹丸或碎片云的能量。     

On the boundedness and the stability properties of solution of certain fourth order differential equations

This paper investigates equation(1)in two cases:(i)P≡0,(ii)P(≠O)satisfies|P(t,x,y,z,ω)|≤(A |y| |z| |ω|)q(t),where q(t)is a nonnegative function of t.For case(i)the asymptotic stability in the large of the trivial solution x=0 is investigatedand for case(ii)the boundedness result is obtained for solutions of equation(1).Theseresults improve and include several well-known results.     

较低应变率大应变条件下聚氨脂泡沫材料的态力学性能实验

利用加长型分离式霍普金森压杆(入射杆长6000mm、子弹长800mm)研究聚氨脂泡沫材料在较 低应变率大应变条件一维应力状态下的动态力学性能,获得了约550s的长加载脉冲,得到了该材料在应变 率520s-1、应变0.15条件下的应力应变曲线,对较低应变率条件下,应变率与动态应力平衡之间的关联进行 了讨论。