Indentation test for predicting embrittlement of rigid PVC by weathering

The aim of this study is the evaluation by mechanical testing of the durability of rigid PVC.

The prediction of mechanical durability is made by following the change in the brittle temperature T_B at a constant speed by an indentation test after artificial and natural weathering. T_B is presented as a possible durability index for thin, extruded rigid PVC profiles.     

Convergent beam electron diffraction study of Pb2CoWO6 at 100 K

A study by convergent beam electron diffraction has been performed in order to clarify the symmetry of the phase III of Pb₂CoWO₆. Microdiffractions with higher-order Laue zone on monodomain areas have confirmed the cell proposed in our preceding study. In addition, an ‘axial’ glide plane (c) has been found normal to the b axis. In the conditions of observation, the convergent beam electron diffraction patterns lead to an apparent point group mmm. No breakdown of a mirror symmetry could be found. The discrepancy between this result and the existence of a spontaneous polarisation is discussed.     

α-Substituted Silyl and Phosphonyl Phosphonates. An Extensive Study of their Synthesis and Properties

Abstract

Phosphoryl and silyl chlorides phosphonoalkylation lead to the direct generation of phosphonyl-phosphonyl and phosphonyl-silyl carbanions the properties of which are discussed.     

The “paradox” of a brake pad

By the example of a brake pad, a typical error is illustrated, i.e., the fact that the initial conditions should be reconsidered upon finding that there is no solution of the static problem in a certain region of parameters (incorrect in the sense of Hadamard). For example, it turns out that the conditions of disk rotation in the positive direction cannot be implemented in the domain of parameters leading to a “paradox.” In this region, the “brake-pad” mechanism is transformed into the “wedge stopper” mechanism.     

Validation and transferability study of a method based on near-infrared hyperspectral imaging for the detection and quantification of ergot bodies in cereals

In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging has proved its suitability for quality and safety control in the cereal sector by allowing spectroscopic images to be collected at single-kernel level, which is of great interest to cereal control laboratories. Contaminants in cereals include, inter alia, impurities such as straw, grains from other crops, and insects, as well as undesirable substances such as ergot (sclerotium of Claviceps purpurea). For the cereal sector, the presence of ergot creates a high toxicity risk for animals and humans because of its alkaloid content. A study was undertaken, in which a complete procedure for detecting ergot bodies in cereals was developed, based on their NIR spectral characteristics. These were used to build relevant decision rules based on chemometric tools and on the morphological information obtained from the NIR images. The study sought to transfer this procedure from a pilot online NIR hyperspectral imaging system at laboratory level to a NIR hyperspectral imaging system at industrial level and to validate the latter. All the analyses performed showed that the results obtained using both NIR hyperspectral imaging cameras were quite stable and repeatable. In addition, a correlation higher than 0.94 was obtained between the predicted values obtained by NIR hyperspectral imaging and those supplied by the stereo-microscopic method which is the reference method. The validation of the transferred protocol on blind samples showed that the method could identify and quantify ergot contamination, demonstrating the transferability of the method. These results were obtained on samples with an ergot concentration of 0.02 % which is less than the EC limit for cereals (intervention grains) destined for humans fixed at 0.05 %.

Synthesis of Phosphohomoserine Lactone,A New Pseudopeptide Unit

We describe here the synthesis of the enantiomerically pure phosphohomoserine lactone which will serve as an haptenic structure in catalytic antibody preparation.     

Experimental separation of virtual photon exchange and electron transfer in interatomic coulombic decay of neon dimers

We investigate the interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) of neon dimers following photoionization with simultaneous excitation of the ionized atom (shakeup) in a multiparticle coincidence experiment. We find that, depending on the parity of the excited state, which determines whether ICD takes place via virtual dipole photon emission or overlap of the wave functions, the decay happens at different internuclear distances, illustrating that nuclear dynamics heavily influence the electronic decay in the neon dimer.     

Generation of a magnetic field by dynamo action in a turbulent flow of liquid sodium

We report the observation of dynamo action in the von Kármán sodium experiment, i.e., the generation of a magnetic field by a strongly turbulent swirling flow of liquid sodium. Both mean and fluctuating parts of the field are studied. The dynamo threshold corresponds to a magnetic Reynolds number R(m) approximately 30. A mean magnetic field of the order of 40 G is observed 30% above threshold at the flow lateral boundary. The rms fluctuations are larger than the corresponding mean value for two of the components. The scaling of the mean square magnetic field is compared to a prediction previously made for high Reynolds number flows.