Synergistic effect of cellulose nanowhiskers reinforcement and dicarboxylic acids crosslinking towards polyvinyl alcohol properties

In the presented work, a significant increase in the tensile strength of the PVA composite material is reported. The obtained best value of 122 MPa and 14.6% swelling shows the excellent synergistic effect of both crosslinker and reinforcement material. The composite films were prepared by simple mechanical dispersion of reinforcement material, bacterial cellulose nanowhiskers (BCNW) into PVA solution followed by crosslinking with diacids, succinic acid (SuA), and adipic acid (AdA). The effect of aliphatic carbon chain length of crosslinker on thermal, mechanical, and water uptake properties is evaluated and discussed in detail. Neat PVA had the strength of 37.3 MPa. With 5% reinforcement of BCNW, that is, without crosslinking, it exhibited 97% increase, that is, 74.5 MPa. With crosslinking of 15 mmol of SuA and AdA PVA films for 2 h had excellent thermal properties with swelling percentage of 19 and 26.6% and tensile strength of 103 and 67 MPa, respectively. The best result obtained was for 5% BCNW–PVA films crosslinked with 15 mmol SuA. These results were explained on the basis of synergetic crosslinking and extended hydrogen bonding between PVA and reinforcement material. The composite films can be used as biological implants, a membrane for pervaporation and filtration system, etc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2515–2525     

Application of principal component analysis to a full profile correlative analysis of FTIR spectra

We have demonstrated an informatics methodology for finding correlations between the full profile Fourier transform infrared spectra of polycrystalline 3C‐silicon carbide (poly‐SiC) films and their growth conditions, thereby developing high‐throughput structure‐process relationships. Because SiC films are a structural element in photonic sensors, this paper focuses on the interpretation of their optical response, the multivariate tracking of critical processing pathways, and the identification of controlling processing mechanisms. Using principal component analysis, we have developed a data analysis tool to aid in the assessment of the relative contributions of experimental parameters in low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition processes to optical responses on the basis of the size of eigenvalues of the spectral data set. The applied methodology for identifying spectral relationships of stoichiometry, dopant chemistry, and microstructure of poly‐SiC provides more effective guidelines to manipulate optical responses by controlling multiple experimental parameters. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One pot synthesis of α,β-epoxy ketones by oxidative coupling of methyl arenes with cinnamic acids involving C(sp3)―H activation and decarboxylative strategy

A new one pot oxidative coupling of methyl arenes with cinnamic acids has been developed for the synthesis of α,β-epoxy ketones using MnO₂/TBHP combination. The process involves a co-existing C(sp³)―H activation and decarboxylation under aqueous medium, which makes it practical and attractive.     

Axially symmetric thermal stress of an external circular crack under general thermal conditions

Summary The paper presents a solution for the linear thermoelastic problem of determining axisymmetric stress and displacement fields in an isotropic elastic solid of infinite extent weakened by an external circular crack under general mechanical loadings and general thermal conditions. The mechanical loadings and thermal conditions applied on the crack faces are axisymmetric, being non-symmetric about the crack plane. In similar lines of [7], equations of equilibrium of an elastic solid conducting heat have been solved using Hankel transforms and Abel operators of the first kind. Expressions for stress, displacement, temperature and heat flux functions are obtained in terms of Abel transforms of the first kind of the jumps of stress, displacement, temperature and heat flux at the crack plane. Two types of thermal conditions, that is, general surface temperatures and general heat flux on faces of the crack are considered. In both the cases, closed form solutions have been obtained for the unknown functions solving Abel type of integral equations. Explicit expressions for stresses, displacements, temperature fields, stress intensity factors have been obtained. Two special cases of thermal conditions in which: (i) crack faces are subjected to constant non-symmetric temperatures over a circular ring area, (ii) crack faces are subjected to constant non-symmetric heat flux over a circular ring area, have been considered. In some special cases, results have been compared with those from the literature.     

Nonstationary response near generic bifurcations

We consider in this paper nonstationary response near generic bifurcations of equilibria under one control parameter. The bifurcations treated are the transcritical, super- and subcritical Hopf, and the fold all in their simplest, generic normal forms. The nonstationary is generated by varying the control parameter, either linearly or sinusoidally. Exact analytical solutions are obtained, and local and global stability is discussed     

Linear and non-linear analyses of convection in a micropolar fluid occupying a porous medium

Linear and weakly non-linear analyses of convection in a micropolar fluid occupying a high-porosity medium are performed. The Brinkman–Eringen momentum equation is considered. The linear and non-linear analyses are, respectively, based on the normal mode technique and truncated representation of Fourier series. The linear theory for a two-phase system reiterates that the preferred mode of convection is stationary as in the case of a single-phase system. An autonomous system of differential equations representing cellular convection arising in the study is considered to analyse the critical points. The Nusselt number is obtained as a function of micropolar and porous medium parameters.     

A misfitting elastic inclusion in an infinite plane containing a crack

The problem discussed in this paper is that of a misfitting circular inclusion in an infinite elastic medium which contains a straight crack. The crack is stress free. The stresses develop in the elastic medium because of the misfit. The point force method is used to solve the problem. The problem reduces to finding two sets of complex potential functions: {(z), (z)}: One for the infinite medium and the other for the misfitting inclusion. The solution has been obtained in closed form. Graphs are drawn for stress intensity at the crack tip and also for normal, shear and hoop stresses at the common interface of medium and misfitting inclusion.