ZnO nanoparticles with controlled shapes and sizes prepared using a simple polyol synthesis

Nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) particles with controlled shapes and sizes were prepared at 180 ^°C by a simple polyol method. The amount of water and the method of addition played an important role in determining the characteristics of the synthesized particles. Rod-shaped ZnO particles with major axis lengths of ∼114 nm were obtained by heating the precursor solution, while equiaxial particles with average diameters of ∼24 nm were prepared by injecting water into hot precursor solution. Increasing the amount of water added to the precursor solution enlarged the aspect ratio of the rod-shaped particles and increased the particle size of the equiaxial particles due to enhanced hydrolysis and condensation of the Zn ion complex.     

Identification of a free boundary in Norton–Hoff flows with thermal effects

This work deals with a free boundary identification problem in a steady viscoplastic flow. We provide a novel identification model based on a non-linear optimization. The fluid motion is governed by the incompressible Norton–Hoff model coupled with the heat equation. The viscosity of the fluid is modeled by the non-linear Arrhenius law. Our point of view is to treat the problem as a shape sensitivity of a cost functional formulated on the free boundary and governed by the normal component of the velocity of the flow. We analyze the mathematical statement of the forward problem. The equations related to the free boundary are simplified. Various properties of this optimization are proved. Since the state of Norton–Hoff model is not regular enough we introduce a parameter penalization. The shape gradient of the considered cost functional is given in the strong sense up to the parameter of penalization. We supply the expression of the shape gradient in a weak sense.     

Period adding bifurcation in a logistic map with memory

We introduce a single step memory dependence in the fully chaotic logistic map. This makes it a two dimensional system in general. However, we show that by using composite functions to define two one dimensional maps, it is possible to obtain some analytic results for the bifurcation structure. Numerical results support the calculated bifurcation scheme and, in addition, yield a further insight which allows the calculation of the convergence ratio for a new period adding scenario.     

Shape reconstruction of an inverse Stokes problem

This paper deals with the shape reconstruction of a viscous incompressible fluid driven by the Stokes flow. For the approximate solution of the ill-posed and nonlinear problem we propose a regularized Newton method. A theoretical foundation for the Newton method is given by establishing the differentiability of the initial boundary value problem with respect to the interior boundary curve in the sense of a domain derivative. The numerical examples show that our theory is useful for practical purpose and the proposed algorithm is feasible.     

Qualitative separation of the physical swelling effect on the recovery behavior of shape memory polymer

The physical swelling effect-induced shape recovery is studied in a thermo-responsive styrene-based shape memory polymer (SMP). Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) test reveals no apparent change in the characteristic polar bonds of CO and O-H after immersing the SMP into toluene solvent. Based on the rubber elastic and relaxation theory, the decrease in internal energy is identified as the driving force for the shape recovery. Subsequently, the rubber elastic theory is further applied to investigate the swelling-induced free/constraint shape recovery in this SMP, and the free-energy function is utilized to analyze the swelling-induced homogenous/inhomogeneous deformation. This study provides a framework to study both the swelling effect-induced shape recovery and complex shape memory behavior in solvent-responsive SMPs.     

Durability of a polymer with triple-shape properties

A series of cyclic thermo-mechanical measurements was conducted on segregated poly(ester urethane) to study substantial changes in triple-shape properties as a result of hydrolytic aging (80 °C). Prior to the analysis of aging effects, a concept of triple-shape testing was elaborated, starting with the implementation of two distinct programming units. The first one included a deformation at 60 °C to ?_m1 = 100% (temporary shape B) and its fixing through soft segment crystallization by cooling to −20 °C under constant strain. The second one consisted of a deformation at −20 °C to ?_m2 = 200% (temporary shape A) and its stabilization through soft segment vitrification as achieved by cooling to −60 °C under fixed strain constraint. Then, gradual heating of the polymer from below to above its thermal transition temperatures gave two independent shape recovery responses in the reverse order of shape fixing: A → B through passing the glass transition by heating from −60 to 23 °C and B → C (back to the permanent shape), when heating the material from 23 to 60 °C and thus above its soft segment melting temperature. In a progressive approach, the storage of loading history through the sequential fixing of two temporary shapes was proven by the development of shape recovery stresses under constrained environment. With the implementation of the two testing methods several aging-related effects could be detected. Good shape fixing abilities ≥90% for both shapes were found and contrasted by significant changes in shape recoverabilities and stress storage capacities. Further insights derived from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, indicating an aging-related growth in soft segment crystallinity, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), suggesting a plasticizer effect of water onto the polymer matrix and that aging favoured an increase in cross-linking density.     

GHz microwave properties of melt spun Fe-Si alloys

The structural and microwave properties of melt spun Fe_100−xSi_x (x = 10, 20, 30) nanocomposites were investigated. The phases varied with Si content in FeSi alloys. It is found that the Fe₃Si and FeSi phases could be obtained with Si content up to 20 at.%. The X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra of Fe K-edges show that the local structures around Fe atoms in melt spun Fe-Si alloys become more disordered with increasing Si content when compared with that of α-Fe. The complex permittivity-frequency and permeability-frequency properties were determined in the microwave frequency regime of 2-18 GHz by vector network analysis. It is found that flake-like FeSi powder composite has the largest values of μ′ and μ″ at 2 GHz. The reflection loss shifts to the higher frequency with the Si content increasing for melt spun FeSi alloys. A minimum reflection loss of −16.5 dB is obtained at 13.9 GHz for composition Fe₇₀Si₃₀ with the thickness of 1.5 mm. However, for composition Fe₇₀Si₃₀, the minimum reflection loss shifts to lower frequency and larger value with the thickness increasing. The results suggest a new design for microwave absorbers based on electromagnetic wave-absorbing materials.     

Ni-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays on shape memory alloy

Self-organized Ni-Ti-O nanotube arrays were fabricated through a direct anodization of NiTi shape memory alloy in glycerol-based electrolyte. The growth of Ni-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays was mainly affected by anodization voltage and temperature. Higher anodization voltage facilitated the growth of uniform nanotube arrays. Large-area open-ended Ni-Ti-O nanotube arrays could form on the surface of the shape memory alloy under a higher anodization temperature. The oxide nanotubes had a gradually changed composition along the growth direction of the nanotube and presented a thermal stability up to 400 °C. The nanotubular oxide demonstrated a much better hydrophilic behavior than that of the traditional oxide layer grown on NiTi substrate through air oxidization. The successful fabrication of Ni-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays here makes it feasible to further explore excellent physical and chemical as well as biomedical properties of the nanotube-modified surfaces of the NiTi shape memory alloy.     

Noise-assisted multibit storage device

In this Letter we extend our investigations on noise-assisted storage devices through the experimental study of a loop composed of a single Schmitt trigger and an element that introduces a finite delay. We show that such a system allows the storage of several bits and does so more efficiently for an intermediate range of noise intensities. Finally, we study the probability of erroneous information retrieval as a function of elapsed time and show a way for predicting device performance independently of the number of stored bits.     

On the selection of a good value of shape parameter in solving time-dependent partial differential equations using RBF approximation method

Radial basis function method is an effective tool for solving differential equations in engineering and sciences. Many radial basis functions contain a shape parameter c which is directly connected to the accuracy of the method. Rippa [1] proposed an algorithm for selecting good value of shape parameter c in RBF-interpolation. Based on this idea, we extended the proposed algorithm for selecting a good value of shape parameter c in solving time-dependent partial differential equations.