EPR study of free radicals in a main chain thermotropic polymer

Free radicals were generated in a rigid rod-like copolymer via mechanical route and by gamma radiation. The (EPR) method was used for studying free radicals formed at 123 K. The spectra of free radicals observed and the influence of molecular motions on the transport of radical centers in the fracture surface layer are discussed.     

Study on methane fermentation and production of vitamin B12 from alcohol waste slurry

We studied biogas fermentation from alcohol waste fluid to evaluate the anaerobic digestion process and the production of vitamin B₁₂ as a byproduct. Anaerobic digestion using acclimated methanogens was performed using the continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and fixed-bed reactor packed with rock wool as carrier material at 55°C. We also studied the effects of metal ions added to the culture broth on methane and vitamin B₁₂ formation. Vitamin B₁₂ production was 2.92 mg/L in the broth of the fixed-bed reactor, twice that of the CSTR. The optimum concentrations of trace metal ions added to the culture liquid for methane and vitamin B₁₂ production were 1.0 and 8 mL/L for the CSTR and fixed-bed reactor, respectively. Furthermore, an effective method for extracting and purifying vitamin B₁₂ from digested fluid was developed.     

The effect of mixing methods on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes during the solvent-free processing of multiwalled carbon nanotube/epoxy composites

Several solvent-free processing methods to disperse multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in bisphenol F-based epoxy resin were investigated, including the use of a microfluidizer (MF), planetary shear mixer (PSM), ultrasonication (US) and combinations. The processed mixture was cured with diethyl toluene diamine. Three complimentary techniques were used to characterize the dispersion of the MWCNTs in cured composite samples: optical microscopy, micro Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For sample MF + PSM, optical micrographs and Raman images showed reduced agglomeration and a homogeneous distribution of MWCNTs in the epoxy matrix. SEM analysis of fractured specimen after tensile testing revealed breakage of nanotubes along the fracture surface of the composite. A comparison of the MWCNT dispersion in the epoxy samples processed using different methods showed that a combination of MF and PSM processing yields a more homogeneous sample than the PSM or US + PSM processed samples. Mechanical testing of the composites showed about 15% improvement in the tensile strength of samples processed by the MF + PSM method over other methods. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed a small decrease in the onset degradation temperature for poorly dispersed samples produced by PSM compared with the well-mixed samples (MF + PSM). These results strongly suggest that the MF + PSM processing method yield better-dispersed and stronger MWCNT/epoxy composites. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013     

飞机起落架活塞杆断裂原因分析

针对飞机起落架活塞杆在外场使用过程中裂纹失效问题,利用扫描电子显微镜对其断裂面微观形貌进行观察,研究其断裂机理.结果表明:该活塞杆断裂性质为服役过程中循环应力作用下的疲劳断裂.应力使活塞杆件表面出现微裂纹,在其内部形成微孔.随着应力循环次数增加,微孔的数量和大小都不断增加,最终导致了钢的疲劳断裂.通过优化其热处理工艺,使活塞杆获得良好的强韧配比,提高了抗疲劳性能.     

Characterizing fracture energy of proton exchange membranes using a knife slit test

Pinhole formation in proton exchange membranes (PEM) may be caused by a process of flaw formation and crack propagation within membranes exposed to cyclic hygrothermal loading. Fracture mechanics can be used to characterize the propagation process, which is thought to occur in a slow, time‐dependent manner under cyclic loading conditions, and believed to be associated with limited plasticity. The intrinsic fracture energy has been used to characterize the fracture resistance of polymeric material with limited viscoelastic and plastic dissipation, and has been found to be associated with long‐term durability of polymeric materials. Insight into this limiting value of fracture energy may be useful in characterizing the durability of proton exchange membranes, including the formation of pinhole defects. In an effort to collect fracture data with limited plasticity, a knife slit test was adapted to measure fracture energies of PEMs, resulting in fracture energies that were two orders of magnitude smaller than those obtained with other fracture test methods. The presence of a sharp knife blade reduces crack tip plasticity, providing fracture energies that may be more representative of the intrinsic fracture energies of the thin membranes. Three commercial PEMs were tested to evaluate their fracture energies (G_c) at temperatures ranging from 40 to 90 °C and humidity levels varying from dry to 90% relative humidity (RH). Experiments were also conducted with membrane specimens immersed in water at various temperatures. The time temperature moisture superposition principle was applied to generate fracture energy master curves plotted as a function of reduced cutting rate based on the humidity and temperature conditions of the tests. The shift with respect to temperature and humidity suggests that the slitting process is viscoelastic in nature. Also such shifts were found to be consistent with those obtained from constitutive tests such as stress relaxation. The fracture energy is more sensitive to temperature than on humidity. The master curves converge at the lowest reduced cutting rates, suggesting similar intrinsic fracture energies; but diverge at higher reduced cutting rates to significantly different fracture energies. Although the relationship between G_c and ultimate mechanical durability has not been established, the test method may hold promise for investigating and comparing membrane resistance to failure in fuel cell environments. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 333–343, 2010     

Influence of accelerated ageing on the physico-mechanical properties of alkali-treated industrial hemp fibre reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites

30 wt% aligned untreated long hemp fibre/PLA (AUL) and aligned alkali treated long hemp fibre/PLA (AAL) composites were produced by film stacking and subjected to accelerated ageing. Accelerated ageing was carried out using UV irradiation and water spray at 50 °C for four different time intervals (250, 500, 750 and 1000 h). After accelerated ageing, tensile strength (TS), flexural strength, Young's modulus (YM), flexural modulus and mode I fracture toughness (K_Ic) were found to decrease and impact strength (IS) was found to increase for both AUL and AAL composites. AUL composites had greatest overall reduction in mechanical properties than that for AAL composites upon exposure to accelerated ageing environment. FTIR analysis and crystallinity contents of the accelerated aged composites support the results of the deterioration of mechanical properties upon exposure to accelerated ageing environment.     

Relevance of the femtolaser notch sharpening to the fracture of ethylene-propylene block copolymers

The effect of the notch sharpening on the fracture toughness measured under Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics (EPFM) and Post-Yielding Fracture Mechanics (PYFM) approaches has been evaluated. Bulk and film specimens of an ethylene-propylene block copolymer have been analyzed. The samples for fracture characterization were sharpened using a steel razor blade and the femtosecond laser ablation technique. Both notching techniques give rise to crack tip radii of the very same size. The fracture toughness of the specimens sharpened via femtolaser were ∼10%, ∼75% and ∼90% lower than that of the specimens sharpened via razor blade when determined with the help of LEFM, the EPFM approach as the multiple specimen method, and by the Essential Work of Fracture, respectively. Both in the bulk samples as in the films, the presence of plastic deformation, either large or small, occurring ahead of the crack tip during the sharpening seems to be the reason for the difference in the fracture values.     

老年髋部骨折患者血清中宏量及微量元素含量分析

为探讨微量元素与骨质疏松症及髋部骨折的关系,采用原子吸收分光光度计等方法分别测定了40例老年髋部骨折患者血清中微量元素铜(Cu)、锌(Zn)、硒(Se)、铁(Fe)、锰(Mn)及宏量元素钙(Ca)、磷(P)、镁(Mg)、钾(K)、钠(Na)的含量,并与30例青壮年髋部骨折患者对照。结果表明,老年髋部骨折患者血清中的Ca含量明显升高(P<0.01)、Cu、Mn有显著提高(P<0.05),其它元素有升高趋势,但无显著性差异,Zn的含量明显降低(P<0.01)。测定血清中宏量及微量元素含量可能对预测髋部骨折及骨质疏松症的疗效评价有一定临床价值。     

前方小切口入路治疗股骨颈骨折的围术期指标观察

目的研究前方小切口入路治疗股骨颈骨折的围术期指标观察。方法选取湖北省孝感市中心医院2011年2月—2013年7月收治的98例股骨颈骨折患者,抽签随机分为对照组和观察组各49例。对照组患者采用传统后外侧入路切开复位术,观察组采用前外侧小切口入路复位术,观察两组围术期相关指标。结果观察组手术切口(7.8±1.1)cm较对照组(15.3±1.7)cm明显较小,术中出血量(107.2±21.4)m L较对照组(187.4±32.1)m L明显较低,具有统计学意义(P0.05);观察组骨折愈合率100%较对照组89.80%明显较高,观察组并发症率4.08%较对照组16.33%显著较低,具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论前方小切口入路术切口小,术中出血量低且术后并发症较少,有利于股骨颈骨折患者病情恢复。     

Viscoelastic response and interlaminar delamination resistance of epoxy/glass fiber/functionalized graphene oxide multi-scale composites

Graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized using three different diamines, namely ethylenediamine (EDA), 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) to reinforce an epoxy/glass fiber (EP/GF) composite laminate, with the aim of improving the overall composite mechanical performance. Different mechanical characterization techniques were used to determine the mechanical performance, including: tensile stress strain, double cantilever beam (DCB) mode-I fracture toughness and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to support the results and conclusions. The results demonstrated remarkable enhancements in the mechanical performance of EP/GF composite laminates by incorporation of functionalized graphene oxide (FGO) nanofiller, whilst the mechanical performance of the GO reinforced composite only improved marginally. Finally, the mechanical performance of the EP/GF/FGO multi-scale composites was found to be dependent on the type of FGO functional groups; of which EDA exhibited the highest performance. These investigations confirmed that the EDA-FGO-reinforced EP/GF composites possess excellent potential to be used as multifunctional engineering materials in industrial applications.