Mechanical-optical properties of polycarbonate resin and some relations with material structure

Polycarbonate resin possesses optical and mechanical properties which make it particularly suitable for certain experimental investigations, including two-and three-dimensional photoelastic analysis. The ductility and transparency of this material might be usefully employed in photomechanical investigations of plastic and viscoelastic response. The similarity of the stress-strain law of polycarbonate to that of mild steel could simplify the similitude problem. In addition, its spectral transmittance in visible and infrared makes polycarbonate useful for studies of material properties and structure. The optical creep of polycarbonate is respresented by a normalized creep coefficient. The relationship of this factor to the theory of viscoelasticity is discussed, and the conditions for a valid calibration of birefringent materials are reviewed. The wavelength dependence of relative retardation is represented by the normalized retardation, from which the dispersion of birefringence can be deduced. The stress-birefringence-time-wavelength characteristics of two brands of polycarbonate resin were determined. Because of residual birefringence, it was necessary to heat treat the resin at about 146°C, and properties of both annealed and unannealed resins are presented. Retardation was measured over the visible and near-infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum (407 nm to 1900 nm). There exists a definite relationship between dispersion of birefringence, which amounts to 14 percent in visible, and the infrared spectral transmittance, which is indicative of material structure.     

Improvement in use of photometric methods for measurement of birefringence

Visual or graphical determination of isochromatic order in photoelastic models is not sufficiently accurate for many photoelastic observations. This is especially true in the long-wavelength spectral region where fringe orders are low and photometric devices must be used for observation. In such cases, some method of fractional-fringe measurement is required. The Tardy and Sénarmont methods are often chosen for convenience, with preference given to the Sénarmont method because of smaller system error. These methods are based on detection of the analyzer angle at which the light transmitted through the given point in the model is minimum. The experimental problem is poorly conditioned, and the procedure is incompatible with nonideal light-sensing apparatus. The equations of the Sénarmont technique show that the intensity of radiation is an even function of the rotation of the analyzer from the position which produces minimum intensity. The indeterminacy in the measurement of minimum-intensity angle may be reduced by observing the angles at which the intensity reaches arbitrary values greater than minimum. The average of two such readings on both sides of the minimum-intensity angle provides an improved measurement of this angle. Best results are obtained if observations are made where the intensity reaches half its maximum value. For a signal-to-noise ratio of 1000, this procedure improves results by a factor of 16. Improvement is greater asS/N is increased.     

Measurement of surface strain rates in glaciers using embedded wire strain gages

Natural scientists and engineers are continuing to seek an understanding of the mechanism of flow and deformation of glaciers. A necessary component of this exploration is the accurate determination of strain rates in glacier ice. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a strain-measuring method which is dependable and precise under difficult field conditions. The measuring technique which was developed uses unbonded electrical-resistance strain gages which consist of single strands of 5-mil Constantan wire 10-ft long. Six gages are embedded in the glacier-ice surface in the form of two delta rosettes in order to obtain strain at a point with some redundancy of data in this two-dimensional problem. The rigid-body rotation of the gage anchor posts was measured by sensitive inclinometers in order to assess the effect of pressure melting on the strain data. The data are interpreted using cross-correlation and best-fit programs to yield maximum shear-strain rate and average normal-strain rate. Strain readings were conducted over a period of eight days on the Ptarmigan Glacier near Juneau, Alaska. The maximum shear-strain rate at the surface ranged from 0.25 to 1.2×10^?6/hr., which agrees with estimates derived from known flow rates. The wire gages were found to adhere to the ice well enough to make the gage anchor posts unnecessary—pressure melting is therefore insignificant. A tolerance of ±6.0 microstrain was determined for the strain gages.     

On a stopped functional for a bidimensional process

Consider a bidimensional process Q_t = (x_t, y_t) consisting of an Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and a geometric Brownian motion, respectively. Let T be the first time the process x_t hits a constant positive level b > 0. Under certain conditions, we give an explicit form for a stopped functional.u(x,y)=E^x,y[y^m(T)h(x(T))e^-αT],where m, α > 0 are fixed constants and h : R₊ → R is a bounded continuous function.The present result is derived using the method of similarity solutions and the result has many applications in mathematical finance.     

Optical methods in experimental mechanics

Experimental Techniques -     

Measurement of three-dimensional Mode-I stress intensity factor using multiple embedded grid moire technique

Multiple embedded grid moire and strain gage techniques are used to calculate the variation in Mode-I stress intensity factor throughout the thickness of ASTM E-399 standard compact tension specimens of Merlon polycarbonate. The specimen grids near the crack tip on the surface and in the interior were recorded for the unloaded condition and for various loaded states using high resolution photographic techniques. Optical processing produced moire patterns from which the change in the crack opening displacement could be determined. From the information about the crack opening displacement in the region of the crack tip, the Mode-I stress intensity factor was calculated for various interior planes and on the surface of the specimen. The stress intensity factor was found to be higher in the midplane than on the surface, and it causes crack initiation to start at the midplane.     

Quantitative analysis of complex peptide mixtures using FTMS and differential mass spectrometry

Label-free LC-MS profiling is a powerful quantitative proteomic method to study relative peptide abundances between two or more biological samples. Here we demonstrate the use of a previously described comparative LC-MS method, differential mass spectrometry (dMS), to analyze high-resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) data for detection and quantification of known peptide differences between two sets of complex mixtures. Six standard peptides were spiked into a processed plasma background at fixed ratios from 1.25:1 to 4:1 to make two sets of samples. The resulting mixtures were analyzed by microcapillary LC-FTMS and dMS. dMS successfully identified five out of the six peptides as statistically significant differences (p 相似文献   

Highly Extensible Bio‐Nanocomposite Fibers

Here, we show that a poly(ethylene oxide) polymer can be physically cross‐linked with silicate nanoparticles (Laponite) to yield highly extensible, bio‐nanocomposite fibers that, upon pulling, stretch to extreme lengths and crystallize polymer chains. We find that both, nanometer structures and mechanical properties of the fibers respond to mechanical deformation by exhibiting strain‐induced crystallization and high elongation. We explore the structural characteristics using X‐ray scattering and the mechanical properties of the dried fibers made from hydrogels in order to determine feasibility for eventual biomedical use and to map out directions for further materials development.