Γ-Limit of Periodic Obstacles

We compute the -limit of a sequence obstacle functionals in the case of periodic obstacles.     

Microstructure and properties of styrene‐butadiene rubber based nanocomposites prepared from an aminosilane modified synthetic lamellar nanofiller

In this work, a novel nanocomposite series based on styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR latex) and alpha‐zirconium phosphate(α‐ZrP) lamellar nanofillers is successfully prepared. The α‐ZrP lamellar filler is modified at the cation exchange capacity by γ‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and the filler surface modification is first discussed. A significant improvement of the mechanical properties is obtained by using the surface modified nanofillers. However, no modification of the gas barrier properties is observed. The impact of addition of bis(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide (TESPT) as coupling agent in the system is discussed on the nanofiller dispersion state and on the filler–matrix interfacial bonding. Simultaneous use of modified nanofillers and TESPT coupling agent is found out with extraordinary reinforcing effects on both mechanical and gas barrier properties and the key factors at the origin of the improvement of these properties are identified. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1051–1059     

FeCl3-catalyzed addition of nitrogen and 1,3-dicarbonyl nucleophiles to olefins

A direct intermolecular addition of nitrogen and 1,3-dicarbonyl nucleophiles to stabilized double bonds (styrenes, 1,3-dienes, enol-ethers, sugars.) in the presence of green and inexpensive FeCl₃ catalyst is described.     

Comparison between a white-light interferometer and a tactile formtester for the measurement of long inner cylindrical surfaces

Shape measurements of engineering surfaces are an interesting and important application for white-light interferometry (WLI). Due to some factors such as: (a) the high-processing speed, (b) the ability to measure a huge quantity of points of the evaluated surface, and (c) the non-contacting nature; WLI has become a valuable tool for practical applications. This paper shows the achieved comparison between a modified white-light interferometer and an established measurement system, namely a formtester with a tactile spherical stylus sensor, which is the most commonly used instrument in the industry. Furthermore, this paper shows that the combination between the modified white-light interferometer and an adequate measurement and processing strategy has enabled to obtain a good agreement between optical and tactile measurements of long inner cylindrical surfaces. A cloud of points (COP) measured with the modified white-light interferometer has presented a standard deviation of about 0.3 μm when it was compared with formtester measurement of the same parts.     

Gradient bounds for minimizers of free discontinuity problems related to cohesive zone models in fracture mechanics

In this note we consider a free discontinuity problem for a scalar function, whose energy depends also on the size of the jump. We prove that the gradient of every smooth local minimizer never exceeds a constant, determined only by the data of the problem.     

What is Q-Curvature?

Branson’s Q-curvature is now recognized as a fundamental quantity in conformal geometry. We outline its construction and present its basic properties.