Effect of blowing agent content on the structure and flame-retardant properties of rigid polyurethane foam/expanded graphite composites

Driven by global environmental issues, the development of green building materials has become an immediate focus. In this work, n-pentane was used as an environmentally friendly blowing agent to prepare flame-retardant rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) with the addition of expandable graphite (EG) successfully, and the effect of n-pentane content on flame retardancy and compressive properties of RPUF/EG composites was investigated through limit oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL-94), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and compressive properties test. SEM results show that the content of EG and n-pentane causes a change in the cell structure of RPUF. The change of the n-pentane content has also an obvious effect on the thermal stability, flame retardancy, and specific compressive strength of RPUF/EG composites. In addition, the cell structure of RPUF matrix has an obvious influence on the distribution of EG in the composites, which indirectly affects the flame-retardant efficiency of EG. This research explores the conditions for the application of environmentally friendly RPUF and expands its application prospects.     

核燃料棒堵孔焊接图像系统设计

针对以往核燃料棒密封焊接时无法精细调整钨极距离、实时观测焊室内部情况以及保存焊接图像的弊端,设计了一套基于LABVIEW的核燃料棒焊接图像采集与处理系统;不同于传统的投影方法,系统利用两个数字相机获取焊室内部图像及焊接过程视频,通过图像处理分析钨极尖端与核燃料棒端塞的极距、对中情况和烧损程度等,并将焊接前后图像、极距保存到棒料焊接的相应记录中;多次焊接试验表明,图像系统能够稳定清晰地获取焊室内的图像,极距和对中情况分析准确可靠;根据实验结果,总结了钨极烧损的外观特点,并探讨了适合本焊接设备的极距。     

Effects of ultrasonic agitation on adhesion strength of micro electroforming Ni layer on Cu substrate

Micro electroforming is an important technology, which is widely used for fabricating micro metal devices in MEMS. The micro metal devices have the problem of poor adhesion strength, which has dramatically influenced the dimensional accuracy of the devices and seriously limited the development of the micro electroforming technology. In order to improve the adhesion strength, ultrasonic agitation method is applied during the micro electroforming process in this paper. To explore the effect of the ultrasonic agitation, micro electroforming experiments were carried out under ultrasonic and ultrasonic-free conditions. The effects of the ultrasonic agitation on the micro electroforming process were investigated by polarization and alternating current (a.c.) impedance methods. The real surface area of the electroforming layer was measured by cyclic voltammetry method. The compressive stress and the crystallite size of the electroforming layer were measured by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) method. The adhesion strength of the electroforming layer was measured by scratch test. The experimental results show that the imposition of the ultrasonic agitation decreases the polarization overpotential and increases the charge transfer process at the electrode–electrolyte interface during the electroforming process. The ultrasonic agitation increases the crystallite size and the real surface area, and reduces the compressive stress. Then the adhesion strength is improved about 47% by the ultrasonic agitation in average. In addition, mechanisms of the ultrasonic agitation improving the adhesion strength are originally explored in this paper. The mechanisms are that the ultrasonic agitation increases the crystallite size, which reduces the compressive stress. The lower the compressive stress is, the larger the adhesion strength is. Furthermore, the ultrasonic agitation increases the real surface area, enhances the mechanical interlocking strength and consequently increases the adhesion strength. This work contributes to fabricating the electroforming layer with large adhesion strength.     

多晶石墨烯力学性质的分子动力学研究

实验中纳米压痕被广泛用于测量单晶或多晶石墨烯的力学性质,而分子动力学模拟中研究者们更多地使用单轴拉伸来测量石墨烯的力学性质.两种测量方法对于多晶石墨烯弹性模量和破坏强度的预测是否存在差异?多晶石墨烯的力学性质是否依赖于其晶粒大小?对于固定晶粒大小的多晶石墨烯,拓扑结构的不同是否影响其力学性质?围绕以上问题,通过对比纳米压痕和单轴拉伸两种方法的分子动力学模拟,研究了多晶石墨烯弹性模量和破坏强度对晶粒尺寸、拓扑结构和测量方法的依赖性.     

Physico-chemical,thermal, and flexural characterization of Cocos nucifera fibers

Currently there is a growing interest in reinforcing polymers using natural fibers for a wide variety of applications because of their desirable properties such as biodegradability, low density, low cost, and abundant availability. In this study, the raw lignocellulosic fibers of Cocos nucifera palm were extracted, and characterization studies such as Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted and reported. Composite samples were prepared using polyester resin, and the effect of fiber loading on flexural strength is reported. Surface morphology of the fractured samples was examined using a scanning electron microscope.     

Bi‐directional ACET micropump for on‐chip biological applications

The ability to control and pump high ionic strength fluids inside microchannels forms a major advantage for clinical diagnostics and drug screening processes, where high conductive biological and physiological buffers are used. Despite the known potential of AC electro‐thermal (ACET) effect in different biomedical applications, comparatively little is known about controlling the velocity and direction of fluid inside the chip. Here, we proposed to discretize the conventional electrodes to form various asymmetric electrode structures in order to control the fluid direction by simple switching the appropriate electric potential applied to the discretized electrodes. The ACET pumping effect was numerically studied by solving electrical, thermal and hydrodynamic multi‐physic coupled equations to optimize the geometrical dimensions of the discretized system. PBS solutions with different ionic strength were seeded with 1 μm sized fluorescent particles and electrothermally driven fluid motion was observed inside the channel for different electrode structures. Experimental analyses confirm that the proposed micropump is efficient for a conductivity range between 0.1 and 1 S/m and the efficiency improves by increasing the voltage amplitude. Behavior of the proposed electrode–electrolyte system is discussed by lumped circuit model. Frequency response of system illustrated that the optimal frequency range increases by increasing the conductivity of medium. For 0.18 S/m PBS solution, the constant pumping effect was observed at frequency range between 100 kHz and 1 MHz, while frequency range of 100 kHz to 5 MHZ was observed for 0.42 S/m. The characteristics of experimental results were in good agreement with the theoretical model.     

Electroless Copper Plating on Liquid Crystal Polymer Films Using Dimethylamine Borane as Reducing Agent

Dimethylamine borane (DMAB) was used in electroless copper plating on liquid crystal polymer (LCP) films. An orthogonal test was applied to optimize the plating condition. With Cu film resistivity as the evaluation index, the optimum plating condition is: 10 g/L of CuSO₄ ? 5H₂O, 14 g/L of EDTA‐2Na, 6 g/L of DMAB, 9.5 of pH value and 50 °C. As pH value increases, the Cu film resistivity decreases and the depo‐ sition rate increases. As temperature increases, the Cu film resistivity decreases first and then increases with a minimum at 50 °C while the deposition rate increases first and then decreases with a maximum at 50 °C. The decreased Cu film resistivity can be attributed to the occurrence of CuO. The adhesive strength of copper layer to LCP film is constant at pH values lower than 8.5 and decreases slightly with the increase in pH value. As temperature increases, the adhesive strength decreases slightly. The decreased adhesive strength with both pH and temperature may be a result of an increased corrosion attack from the bath to the surface of LCP films. Low Cu film resistivity and high deposition rate as well as high adhesive strength can be obtained using DMAB reducing agent.     

Effect of nano‐modified SiO2/Al2O3 mixed‐matrix micro‐composite fillers on thermal,mechanical, and tribological properties of epoxy polymers

Thermo‐mechanically durable industrial polymer nanocomposites have great demand as structural components. In this work, highly competent filler design is processed via nano‐modified of micronic SiO₂/Al₂O₃ particulate ceramics and studied its influence on the rheology, glass transition temperature, composite microstructure, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, micro hardness, and tribology properties. Composites were fabricated with different proportions of nano‐modified micro‐composite fillers in epoxy matrix at as much possible filler loadings. Results revealed that nano‐modified SiO₂/Al₂O₃ micro‐composite fillers enhanced inter‐particle network and offer benefits like homogeneous microstructures and increased thermal conductivity. Epoxy composites attained thermal conductivity of 0.8 W/mK at 46% filler loading. Mechanical strength and bulk hardness were reached to higher values on the incorporation of nano‐modified fillers. Tribology study revealed an increased specific wear rate and decreased friction coefficient in such fillers. The study is significant in a way that the design of nano‐modified mixed‐matrix micro‐composite fillers are effective where a high loading is much easier, which is critical for achieving desired thermal and mechanical properties for any engineering applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A fluorescence spectroscopic study of a coagulating protein extracted from Moringa oleifera seeds

The fluorescence studies of coagulating protein extracted from Moringa oleifera seeds have been studied using steady-state intrinsic fluorescence. The fluorescence spectra are dominated by tryptophan emission and the emission peak maximum (lambda(max)=343+ or -2nm) indicated that the tryptophan residue is not located in the hydrophobic core of the protein. Changes in solution pH affected the protein conformation as indicated by changes in the tryptophan fluorescence above pH 9 whereas the ionic strength had minimal effect. The exposure and environments of the tryptophan residue were determined using collisional quenchers.     

Shear Bond Strength and Film Thickness of a Naturally Antimicrobial Modified Dental Luting Cement

Although several natural plants and mixtures have been known and used over the centuries for their antibacterial activity, few have been thoroughly explored in the field of dentistry. Thus, the aim of this study was to enhance the antimicrobial activity of a conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) with natural plant extracts. The effect of this alteration on the bond strength and film thickness of glass ionomer cement was evaluated and related to an 0.5% chlorohexidine modified GIC. Olive leaves (Olea europaea), Fig tree (Ficus carica), and the leaves and roots of Miswak (Salvadora persica) were used to prepare an alcoholic extract mixture. The prepared extract mixture after the evaporation of the solvent was used to modify a freeze-dried glass ionomer cement at three different extracts: water mass ratios 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1. An 0.5% chlorhexidine diacetate powder was added to a conventional GIC for the preparation of a positive control group (CHX-GIC) for comparison. The bond strength to dentine was assessed using a material-testing machine at a cross head speed of 0.5 mm/min. Failure mode was analyzed using a stereomicroscope at 12× magnification. The cement film thickness was evaluated in accordance with ISO standard 9917-1. The minimum number of samples in each group was n = 10. Statistical analysis was performed using a Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dunn’s post hoc test for pairwise comparison. There was a statistically insignificant difference between the median shear bond strength (p = 0.046) of the control group (M = 3.4 MPa), and each of the CHX-GIC (M = 1.7 MPa), and the three plant modified groups of 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 (M = 5.1, 3.2, and 4.3 MPa, respectively). The CHX-GIC group showed statistically significant lower median values compared to the three plant-modified groups. Mixed and cohesive failure modes were predominant among all the tested groups. All the tested groups (p < 0.001) met the ISO standard of having less than 25 µm film thickness, with the 2:1 group (M = 24 µm) being statistically the highest among all the other groups. The plant extracts did not alter either the shear bond strength or the film thickness of the GIC and thus might represent a promising additive to GICs.