Free/Congested Two-Phase Model from Weak Solutions to Multi-Dimensional Compressible Navier-Stokes Equations

We approximate a two–phase model by the compressible Navier-Stokes equations with a singular pressure term. Up to a subsequence, these solutions are shown to converge to a global weak solution of the compressible system with the congestion constraint studied for instance by Lions and Masmoudi. The paper is an extension of the previous result obtained in one-dimensional setting by Bresch et al. to the multi-dimensional case with heterogeneous barrier for the density.     

Effects of compositional and structural features on corrosion behavior of nickel–tungsten alloys

Ni–W alloys were electrodeposited onto copper foil from citrate solution. Coatings containing from 11 to 21 at.% W and having 7–52 μm in thickness were obtained. The structure of these alloys was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and by using electron and light microscopy techniques. Alloys with 11 and 15% W are composed of two phases: solid solution of W in fcc Ni and solid solution of Ni in bcc W. An increase in W content in the Ni–W alloys to ca. 18–19% of W resulted in the grain refinement and the transition to amorphous structure. The corrosion behavior of obtained Ni–W and unalloyed Ni coatings was studied in 0.5 M NaCl solution by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization and light microscopy. Comparing to pure Ni, the obtained Ni–W coatings exhibited a clearly decreased corrosion resistance (in terms of corrosion current density and polarization or charge transfer resistance at the open circuit potential). Despite of the quite wide range of composition of the alloys under test, the related grain refinement, and the transition to the amorphous structure, no clear relation between the corrosion rate and W content was detected. This behavior can be a result of the interplay of the activating effect of grain refinement or preferential dissolution of W from one side and diffusion barrier action or inhibition provided by the surface film of W oxidation products from the other side. The differences observed in the corrosion resistance of Ni–W coatings are more related to their morphological imperfections arising from various deposition conditions than to the W content. Some samples showed a rather non-uniform nature of corrosion (pronounced attack along cracks). An inversion in the dissolution behavior of Ni–W and unalloyed Ni was observed with increasing anodic potential. Contrary to pure Ni, Ni–W coatings were resistant to pitting corrosion in NaCl solution. Contribution to the Fall Meeting of the European Materials Research Society, Symposium D: 9th International Symposium on Electrochemical/Chemical Reactivity of Metastable Materials, Warsaw, 17th–21st September, 2007.     

Holomorphic Bogoliubov functionals for interacting particle systems in continuum

Combinatorial harmonic analysis techniques are used to develop new analytical methods for the study of interacting particle systems in continuum based on a Bogoliubov functional approach. Concrete applications of the methods are presented, namely, conditions for the existence of Bogoliubov functionals, a uniqueness result for Gibbs measures in the high temperature regime. We also propose a new approach to the study of non-equilibrium stochastic dynamics in terms of evolution equations for Bogoliubov functionals.     

Interaction integrals for fracture analysis of functionally graded piezoelectric materials

This paper presents domain form of the interaction integrals based on three independent formulations for computation of the stress intensity factors and electric displacement intensity factor for cracks in functionally graded piezoelectric materials. Conservation integrals of J-type are derived based on the governing equations for piezoelectric media and the crack tip asymptotic fields of homogeneous piezoelectric medium as auxiliary fields. Each of the formulation differs in the way auxiliary fields are imposed in the evaluation of interaction integral and each of them results in a consistent form of the interaction integral in the sense that extra terms naturally appears in their derivation to compensate for the difference in the chosen crack tip asymptotic fields of homogeneous and functionally graded piezoelectric medium. The additional terms play an important role of ensuring domain independence of the presented interaction integrals. Comparison of the numerically evaluated intensity factors through the three consistent formulations with those obtained using displacement extrapolation method is presented by means of two examples.     

Stabilizability of a class of stochastic bilinear hybrid systems

The problem of the stabilizability of stochastic nonlinear hybrid systems with a Markovian or any switching rule is considered. Using the Lyapunov technique sufficient conditions for the asymptotic stabilizability in probability by a smooth controller in every structure are found. In particular, the asymptotic stabilizability in probability problem of stochastic bilinear hybrid systems with a Markovian or any switching rule is discussed and a closed-loop controller is found. Also the sufficient conditions for the exponential mean-square stabilizability for bilinear hybrid systems with any switching based on the Lie algebra approach are formulated and an open-loop controller is designed. The obtained results are illustrated by examples and simulations.     

α-Pinene-type chiral Schiff bases as tridentate ligands in asymmetric addition reactions

A group of tridentate Schiff bases derived from (+)-α-pinene were synthesized. The steric effects in the transition state, the importance of π-π stacking interactions as well as the electronic effects of aryl aldehydes according to Hammett constant values in the enantioselective addition of Et₂Zn to aldehydes with the use of Schiff bases as chiral ligands are described. Also, a variety of aldehydes were cyanated using a catalyst prepared in situ from titanium tetraisopropoxide and chiral Schiff bases. The influence of a conjugated double-bond in the cyanation substrates on enantioselectivity was observed. The chemical structures of the chiral Schiff base-titanium alkoxide complexes are discussed based on their ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. 3D models of the Zn₂-complex catalyst and Ti-complex catalyst containing α-pinane-type Schiff bases based on X-ray diffraction experiments are postulated. The models presented were consistent with the reported chirality of the addition product and observed ee.     

Operando and in situ Raman studies of alumina-supported vanadium phosphate catalysts in propane ammoxidation reaction: activity, selectivity and active phase formation

Alumina-supported VPO materials are efficient catalysts for acrylonitrile production by the propane ammoxidation reaction. In order to understand the structure-activity relationship and the nature of active sites, operando Raman-GC analyses follow the states of vanadium and phosphorous species on an alumina support during ammoxidation. These oxides were supported on γ-alumina by incipient wetness impregnation at a total V + P loading of two monolayers, which led to incipient formation of nanoscaled VPO crystallites possessing a high surface-to-volume ratio. Since catalysis occurs at the catalyst surface, which is related to the surface and outermost layers, this approach allows studying surface species phase transformations near the surface, and relates changes in activity and selectivity to variations in composition and structure. Dispersed surface V(5+) species appear selective to acetonitrile and V(4+) species would promote selectivity to acrylonitrile. This study suggests that V(3+) is probably involved in redox processes during propane ammoxidation and that the balance between these vanadium species would be determined by activation process.     

Static and dynamic superheated water extraction of essential oil components from Thymus vulgaris L.

Superheated water extraction (SWE) performed in both static and dynamic condition (S‐SWE and D‐SWE, respectively) was applied for the extraction of essential oil from Thymus vulgaris L. The influence of extraction pressure, temperature, time, and flow rate on the total yield of essential oil and the influence of extraction temperature on the extraction of some chosen components are discussed in the paper. The SWE extracts are related to PLE extracts with n‐hexane and essential oil obtained by steam distillation. The superheated water extraction in dynamic condition seems to be a feasible option for the extraction of essential oil components from T. vulgaris L.     

A constitutive model for a high alloyed cast CrMnNi TRIP-steel

The macroscopic material model, proposed by Papatriantafillou [1], is adopted to describe the rate dependent flow behaviour and the temperature and stress state dependent γ-α′ phase transformation of a newly developed cast TRIP-steel. Simple test of the implemented model revealed that the evolution of the martensite volume fraction is not predicted correctly in case of inelastic deformation and subsequent unloading. Therefore, we present an improved model for the γ-α′ phase transformation and show that these predictions are due to the choice of the corresponding thermodynamical driving force. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)