Differential Scanning Calorimetry Evaluates Relative Proportions and Strength of Acid-Sites in Catalytic Materials and Adsorbents Alumina and Amorphous Silica-Alumina

Abstract

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is employed to evaluate the relative proportions and strength of acid-sites in gammaalumina and amorphous silica-alumina through presorption of tri-ethylamine (TEA) followed by its thermal desorption in the DSC equipment. From the data obtained, total acid-sites in silica-alumina is found to be 2.3 times as large as those present in gamma-alumina, and 5–5% of total acidity in alumina is of Bronsted type whereas in silica-alumina this type comprises 28.9%' The Bronsted acidity strength in alumina and silica-alumina is identical although greatly different in quantity. Lewis acidity in silica-alumina is significantly stronger than that in alumina.     

Effect of substituent on UV–visible absorption and photostability of liquid crystals: DFT study

The electronic transitions in the ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) range of two nematogens, namely 4′-cyanophenyl-4-n-pentylbenzoate and 4′-cyanophenyl-4-n-pentoxybenzoate, have been studied. The UV–Vis and circular dichroism spectra of these molecules have been simulated using the TDDFT/B3LYP/6-31+G(d) method. Mulliken atomic charges for each molecule have been compared with Loewdin atomic charges to analyze the molecular charge distribution and phase stability. The highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies corresponding to the electronic transitions in the UV–Vis range have been reported. The excited states have been calculated via configuration interaction singles with semi-empirical Hamiltonian ZINDO (Zerner's intermediate neglect of differential overlap method). Further, the effect of substituent on ultraviolet absorption and photostability of the molecules has been discussed. The photostability of the molecules has been investigated in order to understand the application and operation with ultraviolet and visible light regions.     

Meandering Spiral Waves Induced by Time-Periodic Coupling Strength

Effects of time-periodic coupling strength （TPCS） on spiral waves dynamics are studied by numerical computations and mathematical analyses. We find that meandering or drifting spirals waves, which are not observed for the case of constant coupling strength, can be induced by TPCS. In particular, a transition between outward petal and inward petal meandering spirals is observed when the period of TPCS is varied. These two types of meandering spirals are separated by a drifting spiral, which can be induced by TPCS when the period of TPCS is very close to that of rigidly rotating spiral. Similar results can be obtained if the coupling strength is modulated by a rectangle wave. Furthermore, a kinetic model for spiral movement suggested by Diet al., [Phys. Rev. E 85 （2012） 046216] is applied for explaining the above findings. The theoretical results are in good qualitative agreement with numerical simulations.     

A mechanism leading to q-power law distribution due to the inhomogeneity of phase space in the self-gravitational system

One mechanism leading to the q-power law distribution has been proposed in the self-gravitational system. The friction force in the stochastic process may be nonlinearly relevant to the momentum of particle, whose friction coefficient can be expressed as the function of the kinetic energy of the particle. The correlation strength of noises is inhomogeneous in the such system, maybe due to the strength of gravitational field. This implies that the gradient of correlation strength is the function of gravitational force. With the Taylor?s low order approximation, the stationary solution of the two-vector variable Fokker–Planck equation is the power law form in self-gravitational system. This Letter also verifies that the neutrino flux deviation from the theory value in the solar core is due to the same mechanism.     

Failure waves in glass under dynamic compression

Abstract

Plate impact (I-d strain) and bar impact (I-d stress) experiments were performed on soda lime glass and pyrex glass. Embedded manganin gauges were used to monitor stress-time profiles in both types of experiments. In the plate impact experiments we found that glass not only fails through inelastic (or densification) deformation, but also through a unique failure process which gives rise to a failure wave first observed by Kanel et al. in the Soviet Union in 1990. In the present work three independent observations were made that support the existence of failure wave in glass: (i) the spall strength below and above the HEL is zero behind the failure wave, (ii) a small recompression is present in the longitudinal gauge (embedded between glass and PMMA) profile due to the reflections of release waves from the advancing failure wave, and (iii) transverse stress (measured by transverse gauge) increases on the arrival of the failure wave. The transverse stress increases because the glass loses its shear strength as a result of the arrival of the failure wave. The speed of the failure wave is about 1.5–2mm/μs. In the experiments on pyrex bars we used high speed Imacon framing camera to monitor the speed of the failure front. We found that pyrex bars fail through a failure front propagating across the cross section of the bar. The speed of the failure front is a function of the impactor (pyrex bar or steel plate) velocity. The speed increases from 2.3 mm/μs, corresponding to impact velocity of 125 m/s, to 5.2mm/μs for impact velocity of 330 m/s.     

Evaluation of adhesion between glass/epoxy composite substrate and copper foil for printed circuit board applications

Adhesion between glass/epoxy composite substrate and copper foil was evaluated by 90° peeling test. Effect of fracture behavior and the peel strength on copper foil style was experimentally investigated using copper foils with various surface roughness. As mechanical anchoring effect increases with increased surface roughness, the surface roughness increased the surface roughness of copper foil strongly affected the peeling strength and local load variation during the test. The fracture behavior was characterized by secondary electron image and reflective electron image techniques of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All of the specimens were found to fracture at the anchor points formed in the resin layer on the surface of the substrate. The experimental results were correlated to a formulation based on the theory of beams on elastic foundation, which is presented for predicting the adhesive strength in the adherend- adhesive system. In order to apply this formulation to a no adhesive system, such as FR-4/copper foil, an analytical model was proposed. In this model, a mixture phase of the copper with the surface resin in the substrate was regarded as the adhesive. The calculated results were in relatively good agreement with the experimental results. It was confirmed that the analysis model and evaluation method is useful to predict the peel strength due to the mechanical anchoring effect.     

Static and dynamic properties of unidirectional CFRP laminates with flexible interphase

In this study, a flexible interphase than matrix resin is studied. The fabrication method of unidirectional CFRP laminates with flexible fiber/matrix interphase has been established. The influence of the flexible interphase thickness on the flexural modulus and strength are experimentally investigated. The influence on the vibration properties are also investigated. It has been concluded that the flexible interphase with the optimized thickness could improve both the static and dynamic properties.     

Effect of processing temperature on the micro- and macro-interfacial properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composites

Three different temperature schemes were applied on carbon fiber/epoxy composite to elucidate the effect on interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and inter-laminar shear strength (ILSS). It showed that carbon fiber/epoxy IFSS was significantly influenced by the processing temperature, while ILSS was only slightly changed. Moreover, the mechanical properties revealed no necessary relationship between the micro- and macro-interfacial strengths with the properties of epoxy matrix. Among all the temperature schemes, Pro2 (the one-platform curing scheme with relatively rapid heating rate) produced highest IFSS and ILSS. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that the sizing agent can chemically react itself and also react with epoxy resin at temperature 180?°C. The resin rheological data showed that different temperature schemes can considerably impact diffusion behavior of the resin molecules. Hence, the highest interfacial strengths for Pro2 scheme were ascribed to large extent of chemical reactions and good inter-diffusion between components, at the interface region.     

Characterization of microscopic failure process and deformation in glass/nylon composites by micro-grid method

Tensile tests are performed on short glass fiber reinforced nylon-6 composite specimens with an open hole. The specimens with four different fiber surface treatments are used. Fiber weight fractions are 10% and 30%. It is found that the dependence of tensile strength on the diameter of hole is different for different fiber weight fractions. To explain the difference in tensile strength, in-situ observation of microscopic failure process around an open hole is conducted. The micro-grids are printed on the specimen surface to observe the microscopic deformation and fracture clearly. The difference in microscopic failure process due to the difference in fiber surface treatment and fiber weight fraction are observed, which explains the difference in tensile strength qualitatively. In addition, micro-grid methods are applied to measure the axial strain distribution in a short fiber in a real composite. The shear-lag prediction is compared with the experimental results. The fiber axial strain distribution obtained by the micro-grid methods is found to agree well with the shear-lag prediction until extensive interfacial debonding occurs.     

UV grafting of extended chain polyethylene fibres

A bench-scale continuous fibre treatment line has been built to modify polyethylene fibre surfaces using UV radiation-induced grafting. It is shown that grafting does indeed take place and that the grafts adhere well to the resin. Single-fibre pullout behaviour, interlaminar shear strength, and flexural behaviour were observed to improve considerably. The loss of tensile properties due to treatment was investigated and found to be small in the range of useful treatments. The interlaminar shear strength of the UV-treated fibre is as high as 38 MPa (5.5 ksi) as compared with the untreated fibre value of 10 MPa (1.5 ksi). The most important process parameters are identified and trends established.