Effect of vacuum heat treatment on tensile strength and fracture performance of cold-sprayed Cu-4Cr-2Nb coatings

The previous study [1] indicated that dense thick Cu-4Cr-2Nb coatings could be formed by cold spraying, and the post-spray heat treatment could significantly influence the microstructure and microhardness of the as-sprayed Cu-4Cr-2Nb coatings. In this study, the tensile strength and fracture performance of the Cu-4Cr-2Nb coatings after annealing were investigated. The vacuum heat treatment was conducted under 10⁻² Pa at 850 °C for 4 h. Results showed that the heat treatment had a great contribution to the healing-up of the incompleteness of the interfaces between the deposited particles. In addition, the coating microhardness decreased from 156.8 ± 4.6 Hv_0.2 for the as-sprayed coatings to 101.7 ± 4.5 Hv_0.2 for the annealed ones. The mean tensile strength of the annealed coatings was approximately 294.1 ± 36.1 MPa compared to that of 45.0 ± 10.5 MPa for the as-sprayed ones, which results from the partially metallurgically bonded zones between the deposited particles inducing by the heat treatment process.     

Preparation and in vitro characterization of aerosol-deposited hydroxyapatite coatings with different surface roughnesses

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings with different surface roughnesses were deposited on a Ti substrate via aerosol deposition (AD). The effect of the surface roughness on the cellular response to the coating was investigated. The surface roughness was controlled by manipulating the particle size distribution of the raw powder used for deposition and by varying the coating thickness. The coatings obtained from the 1100 °C-heated powder exhibited relatively smooth surfaces, whereas those fabricated using the 1050 °C-heated powder had network-structured rough surfaces with large surface areas and were superior in terms of their adhesion strengths and in vitro cell responses. The surface roughness (R_a) values of the coatings fabricated using the 1050 °C-heated powder increased from approximately 0.65 to 1.03 μm as the coating thickness increased to 10 μm. The coatings with a rough surface had good adhesion to the Ti substrate, exhibiting high adhesion strengths ranging from 37.6 to 29.5 MPa, depending on the coating thickness. The optimum biological performance was observed for the 5 μm-thick HA coating with an intermediate surface roughness value of 0.82 μm.     

电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法同时测定高强度玻璃纤维粉体中9种金属元素

建立电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定高强度玻璃纤维粉体中铝、镁、钙、铁、钛、锂、铈、钠、钾9种金属元素含量的方法。采用氢氟酸、高氯酸和盐酸分两段溶解样品,分别在选定的各元素分析谱线下,采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱仪测定各元素含量。9种金属元素在各自的质量浓度范围内与光谱强度成良好的线性关系,相关系数均大于0.999,检出限为8.0~17.4 μg/g。测定结果的相对标准偏差小于1.8%(n=6),加标回收率为97.6%~103.7%。该方法准确,简便,快速,适用于高强度玻璃纤维中多金属元素的同时测定。     

The electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone)/fluoridated hydroxyapatite nanocomposite for bone tissue engineering

Biodegradable cell‐incorporated scaffolds can guide the regeneration process of bone defects such as physiological resorption, tooth loss, and trauma which medically, socially, and economically hurt patients. Here, 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt% fluoridated hydroxyapatite (FHA) nanoparticles containing 25 wt% F^? and 75 wt% OH^? were incorporated into poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) matrix to produce PCL/FHA nanocomposite scaffolds using electrospinning method. Then, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to evaluate the morphology, phase structure, and functional groups of prepared electrospun scaffolds, respectively. Furthermore, the tensile strength and elastic modulus of electrospun scaffolds were investigated using the tensile test. Moreover, the biodegradation behavior of electrospun PCL/FHA scaffolds was studied by the evaluation of weight loss of mats and the alternation of pH in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) up to 30 days of incubation. Then, the biocompatibility of prepared mats was investigated by culturing MG‐63 osteoblast cell line and performing MTT assay. In addition, the adhesion of osteoblast cells on prepared electrospun scaffolds was studied using their SEM images. Results revealed that the fiber diameter of prepared electrospun PCL/FHA scaffolds alters between 700 and 900 nm. The mechanical assay illustrated the mat with 10 wt% FHA nanoparticles revealed the highest tensile strength and elastic modulus. The weight loss alternation of mats determined around 1% to 8% after 30 days of incubation. The biocompatibility and cell adhesion of mats improved by increasing the amounts of FHA nanoparticles.     

Strategies in developing high‐throughput liquid chromatography protocols for method qualification of pharmacopeial monographs

Method qualification is a key step in the development of routine analytical monitoring of pharmaceutical products. However, when relying on published monographs that describe longer method times based on older high‐performance liquid chromatography column and instrument technology, this can delay the overall analysis process for generated drug products. In this study, high‐throughput ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography techniques were implemented to decrease the amount of time needed to complete a 24‐run sequence to identify linearity, recovery, and repeatability for both drug assay and impurity analysis in 16 min. Multiple experimental parameters were tested to identify a range of experimental settings that could be used for the sequence while still maintaining this fast analysis time. The full sequence was replicated on a different system and with different columns, further demonstrating its robustness.     

Enhancement on interlaminar shear strength and water‐lubricated tribological performance of high‐strength glass fabric/phenolic laminate by the incorporation of carbon nanotubes

High‐strength glass fabric (HSGF)/phenolic laminates modified with different contents of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated by hot‐compression technique. The effects of CNTs on the interface of HSGF/phenolic, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and water‐lubricated tribological performance of HSGF/phenolic laminate were investigated. The ILSS of the laminates were tested on a universal testing machine (DY35), and the tribological properties were evaluated by a block‐on‐ring tribo‐tester. The interfaces of HSGF/phenolic and the worn surfaces of the laminates were analyzed by scanning electron microscope. The results showed that the moderate incorporation of CNTs improved the interface of HSGF/phenolic and accordingly enhanced the ILSS of the laminate. Besides, the friction coefficient of HSGF/phenolic laminate sliding against stainless steel in water can be remarkably stabilized and lowered by the incorporation of CNTs due to the better water lubrication induced by added CNTs and the intrinsic self‐lubrication of CNTs which were further graphitized during the friction and wear process. And the wear rate of the laminate can be accordingly reduced by 1 order of magnitude. The results indicate that CNTs have excellent potential in enhancing both ILSS and tribological fabric/polymer laminate composite, which will greatly improve the current situation of deterioration on mechanical properties by adding traditional solid lubricants. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Compressive char strength of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer nanocomposites

This research encompasses the study of testing protocols and the design of sensors for evaluating the compressive strength of the char layer of ablative material used in solid rocket motors (SRMs). The testing protocol that has been developed is the continuation of previous work for determining the compressive strengths between different SRM insulation materials. A crushing test method was further developed, and a sensor platform was assembled to perform the tests. The test procedure consists of measuring the amount of force required to crush a given area of the charred sample for a specified depth. The test was repeated for the industry standard Kevlar®‐filled ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer nanocomposite with different weight loading of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes, montmorillonite nanoclay, and carbon nanofibers. The energy of destruction or energy dissipated was quantified to determine which ablative exhibited the best performance. Maximum force was also recorded as a secondary quantity to determine char strength. The proposed test method is fully automated to ensure repeatability of each measurement and to remove the potential for human‐induced error. Because char layer thickness varies depending on the material, a method of differentiating neat material from char was proposed and explored. The introduced procedure also represents a novel and unique approach to solve the problem of the determination of the char strength. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Absorption and emission spectral studies of Eu3+-doped PbO-PbF2 glass system

Judd-Ofelt parameters obtained from the absorption spectra of Eu³⁺ ions doped in PbO-PbF₂ glasses are intermediate between the values for fluoride and phosphate glass matrices. Eu³⁺ ions are coordinated to both oxide and fluoride ions. The calculated transition probabilities (As^-1) for the laser transition⁵D_o→⁷F₂ are 171 and 170 for 30PbO-70PbF₂ and 70PbO-30PbF₂ glasses respectively and are significantly lower compared to phosphate glasses. The calculated (β_R cal) and experimental (β_Rexpt) branching ratios for this transition show good agreement. The emission spectra display high energy transitions in the 440–570 nm region, a characteristic of parent matrices with low energy phonons such as the tellurite, germanate and fluoride glasses. The electron-phonon coupling strengths deduced from the excitation spectra of Eu³⁺ are 10.2 x 10⁻³ and 9.5 x l0⁻³ for 30PbO-70PbF₂ and 70PbO-30PbF₂ glasses respectively. The relative emission intensities of the low energy transitions to high energy transitions and the ratios of the most intense transitions⁵D₀→⁷F₂/⁵D₀→⁷F₇ significantly vary for the two glasses providing evidence for clustering of Eu³⁺ ions with increase in its concentration and increasing PbO content.     

The Influence of Air Counter‐Flow Through Powder Materials as a Means of Reducing Cohesive Flow Problems

The cohesive behavior of aerated solids controls fluidization behavior of bulk materials. Very cohesive materials cannot be easily fluidized. However, aeration is often used in contact bed situations to help maintain some cohesive materials in flowable conditions. The cohesive properties of aerated materials are not well understood. This paper presents a new test method to measure the effect of aeration on cohesive flow properties. These measurements could be used along with new design equations to predict arching and stable rathole formation of cohesive materials in aerated process equipment. Experimental results on fine silica powder and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalyst show the evolution of the yield locus shape and the effective yield locus shape as a function of the degree of aeration. It was found that both the cohesion intercept and the yield locus slope are functions of the degree of aeration.     

Transition Layer in Composites with a Plasticized Filler and Its Influence on the Strength Properties

Composite structures consisting of an epoxy resin matrix filled with a porous perlite containing a finely dispersed polyvinyl chloride are investigated. Models of the composites are analyzed in which the formation of a transition layer between the filler particles and the matrix may arise as a result of interaction between the separate components. The influence of the perlite and plasticized polyvinyl chloride particles on epoxy composite characteristics, such as the bending, tensile, impact, and adhesion strengths, are studied.