Macrodefect-Free Materials: Modification of Interfaces in Cement Composites by Polymer Grafting

MDF materials are chemically bonded ceramic materials free of the macrodefects typical of hydraulic cement-based materials. MDF materials arising through reactions of sulfo-aluminate-ferrite belitic (SAFB) clinkers and/or Portland cements (PC) with two types of water-soluble polymer (hydroxy-propylmethyl cellulose {HPMC}, polyphosphate glass {poly-P}) are discussed. Mixes of low energy SAFB clinkers with Portland cement, HPMC and, especially poly-P comprise promising cross-linked compositions additional to the better known MDF materials formed from high alumina cement with polyvinylalcohol/acetate. The principles of co-ordination of P and C atoms (of the polymer) with Al and Fe atoms (originating from the cement) are highlighted from spectroscopic information on next-nearest-neighbour interactions, along with the effects of second co-ordination spheres. Polymers modify the interface through functional bonding/grafting of polymer chains onto the surfaces of cement grains. Both the cross-linked atomic structure and the interface coincide well with the model of functional polymers and represent a new type of atomic-level structure in polymer-modified cements. Interpretation is based on previous magnetic resonance and thermal analysis studies. The compactness of Al(Fe)-O-P cross-links reduces transport through the interfaces, increasing the interfacial interactions and resisting the unfavourable uptake of moisture and carbonation.     

Modeling hyperelastic behavior of rubber: A novel invariant‐based and a review of constitutive models

A constitutive phenomenological model completing the Gent‐Thomas concept is carried out to formulate laws governing the hyperelastic behavior of incompressible rubber materials. It is shown that the phenomenological Gent‐Thomas model (1958) and the constrained chain model (1992) give similar precise results at small to moderate deformation. On the other hand, comparisons of the outcome of the proposed model with that of the molecular model from the combined concepts of Flory‐Erman and Boyce‐Arruda (2000), and with those of the phenomenological models of Ogden (1982), Yeoh‐Fleming (1997), Pucci‐Saccomandi (2002) and Beda (2005) are made. Residual inconveniences raised by attractive continuum models in rubber elasticity literature have been successfully overcome. Results from both the statistical and phenomenological mechanics concepts are compared with the data of some useful classical materials (rubbers of Treloar, Rivlin‐Saunders, Pak‐Flory and Yeoh‐Fleming). The results permit one to see salient equivalence of the two theories for a more reliable prediction of stress‐stretch response for all states of any mode of deformation. A complete and exhaustive analysis of the Mooney plot that combines small and very large extension‐compression has been quite essential in assessing the validity of models. A method of identification of material parameters is presented and data of the simple tension suffice for the determination of the parameter values. It is shown that the ordinary identification procedures, such as the usual least squares, a very much used numerical method in materials investigation, can be unsuitable in some cases of hyperelastic modeling. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1713–1732, 2007     

On α-I-continuous and α-I-open functions

Montgomery and Vaughan improved a theorem of Erd?s and Fuchs for an arbitrary sequence. Sárközy extended this theorem of Erd?s and Fuchs for two arbitrary sequences which are "near" in a certain sense. Using the idea of Jurkat (differentiation of the generating function), we will extend similarly the result of Montgomery and Vaughan for "sufficiently near" sequences.     

Analytical and numerical investigation of two families of Lorenz-like dynamical systems

We investigate two families of Lorenz-like three-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems (i) the generalized Lorenz system and (ii) the Burke–Shaw system. Analytical investigation of the former system is possible under the assumption (I) which in fact concerns four different systems corresponding to  = ±1, m = 0, 1.

(I)

The fixed points and stability characteristics of the Lorenz system under the assumption (I) are also classified. Parametric and temporal (t → ∞) asymptotes are also studied in connection to the memory of both the systems. We calculate the Lyapunov exponents and Lyapunov dimension for the chaotic attractors in order to study the influence of the parameters of the Lorenz system on the attractors obtained not only when the assumption (I) is satisfied but also for other values of the parameters σ, r, b, ω and m.     

Relation between the Hydrodynamic and Elastic Parameters in Surface Wave Diffraction on a Floating Plate

The problem of surface wave diffraction on a floating elastic plate is considered. The relation between the parameters of the elastic vibrations of the plate and the transmitted and reflected wave amplitudes is investigated. It is shown that the maximum amplitudes of the plate stresses and deflections depend nonmonotonically on the incident wave frequency and are reached simultaneously with the maxima of both the transmission coefficient and the length of the wave penetrating into the plate. This makes it possible to use the transmission coefficient as a parameter for investigating the maximum and minimum amplitudes of the hydroelastic vibrations of the plate. As an example, this criterion is used to minimize the vibrations of a plate whose leading edge is elastically connected to the bottom.     

A mathematical model of the response of the semicircular canal and otolith to vestibular system rotation under gravity

A mathematical model of the system composed of two sensors, the semicircular canal and the sacculus, is suggested. The model is described by three lines of blocks, each line of which has the following structure: a biomechanical block, a mechanoelectrical transduction mechanism, and a block describing the hair cell ionic currents and membrane potential dynamics. The response of this system to various stimuli (head rotation under gravity and falling) is investigated. Identification of the model parameters was done with the experimental data obtained for the axolotl (Ambystoma tigrinum) at the Institute of Physiology, Autonomous University of Puebla, Mexico. Comparative analysis of the semicircular canal and sacculus membrane potentials is presented. __________ Translated from Fundamentalnaya i Prikladnaya Matematika, Vol. 11, No. 7, pp. 207–220, 2005.     

Calculation of the discrepancy of a finite set of points in the unit n-cube

An algorithm for calculating the discrepancy of finitely many points in the unit n-cube [0, 1]ⁿ is suggested. This algorithm is easy to program. For 2 ≤ n ≤ 4, the suggested algorithm is significantly faster than Bundschuh and Zhu’s algorithm. For larger n, whether this algorithm is faster depends on the number of points.     

Influence of ionizing radiation on the magnetically sensitive properties of planar triacs

Changes in the magnetically sensitive properties of multilayer semiconductors devices, such as planar diffusion triacs, that are related to atomic-displacement-induced defects and ionization by irradiation are considered. It is shown that irradiation may significantly raise the magnetic sensitivity of the triacs. Processes and underlying mechanisms responsible for the improvement of the magnetic sensitivity under the action of a number of galvanomagnetic effects are studied.     

Boundary Value Problems for Ordinary Differential Equations with Deviated Arguments

We discuss differential equations with nonlinear boundary conditions. We formulate sufficient conditions under which problems with deviating arguments have quasisolutions or solutions. To obtain the results, we apply the method of monotone iterations.     

Controllability of Functional Integro-Differential Inclusions with an Unbounded Delay

In this paper, a sufficient condition is established for the controllability of neutral functional integro-differential inclusions with an unbounded delay in Banach spaces. The approach used is a fixed-point theorem for condensing maps due to Martelli and the theory of analytic semigroup of linear operators. Communicated by F. Zirilli Research supported by NNSF of China, by the Teaching and Research Award Program for Outstanding Young Teachers in Higher Education Institutions of the Ministry of Education of China, and by the Qing Lan Talent Engineering Fund QL-05-164 of Lanzhou Jiaotong University. The authors are grateful to Professor F. Zirilli and two anonymous referees for valuable suggestions improving this paper.