A New Method to Examine Interfacial Reactions of a Multilayered System NiAl–Hf–hBN on a Sapphire Fibre

Fibre reinforced NiAl offers new possibilities for the development of high strength structural materials of low density applicable in gas turbines at high operating temperatures. The properties of composite materials are strongly influenced by the strength of the fibre–matrix interface. In addition, if fibre and matrix differ in their thermal expansion coefficients, a well controlled interface reaction at high temperature changes is demanded. Therefore, two layers consisting of BN and Hf were embedded between a sapphire fibre and NiAl and heated at 1350 °C to find a compromise between adhesion and ductility. The control and characterization of the reaction zone is essential for the development of these new materials. Especially, the characterization of the fibre-coating interface is a challenge. The different hardness of fibre and coating makes it nearly impossible to use a conventional cross-section preparation. Further, the small dimension of the reaction zone requires the use of analytical techniques providing high lateral resolution. In order to accomplish these requirements, a newly developed technique FIB (Focused Ion Beam)-EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalysis) was combined with XRD (X-ray diffraction). XRD was performed for the identification of the phases. The reaction zone was exposed by a special FIB preparation technique and examined by surface-sensitive EPMA. This allowed to determine the spatial distribution of the different phases.     

AN APPROACH TO THE REACTION MECHANISM OF GEM-DIHALOCYCLOPROPANES WITH METALS UNDER ULTRASONIC IRRADIATION

The reactive intermediate cyclopropylidene, generated quickly by the reactions of dihalocyclopropanes with lithium or magnesium under ultrasonic irradiation, can be trapped by olefins and the corresponding spriopentane derivatives are obtained, Based on the identification of the intermediate and the products of the reaction, a mechanism is proposed that the radical intermediate should be generated at first via a single electron transfer process, sequentially it gains another electron from the metals to form the carbenoid intermediate which then leads to the main products by insertion, addition or rearrangement. On the other hand, it can also abstract the hydrogen atom from the solvent to form the corresponding monohalide which then converts into the cyclopropane derivatives. Discussions on and verifications for the reaction mechanism are given in this paper.     

Transducers in medical ultrasound: Part Three. Transducer applications in echocardiology

A comparison is made between phased arrays and mechanical sector scanners in transcutaneous echocardiographic applications. Aspects such as contact area, beam control, side lobes, grating lobes and image quality are discussed in the context of transducer frequency. The incorporation of simultaneous acquisition of Doppler velocity information and display of M-mode signals is considered. Transoesophageal and intraoperative scanning systems for cardiology are also compared, in particular linear arrays, phased arrays and mechanical scanners, and their advantages and disadvantages in relation to the above mentioned aspects are discussed. The general conclusion is that electronic sector scanners may have a considerably improved cost/benefit ratio in the near future and thereby will become the leading systems for echocardiography.     

非线性对大气介质中阵列聚焦声场分布影响的研究

基于时域有限差分算法将大气中近似到二阶微小项的非线性声波波动方程进行离散化,得到了模拟采用的差分波动方程.在此基础上,数值模拟了初始声压强弱不同的5个点声源组成的线阵列垂直或斜向辐射的连续正弦波在大气中传播时二维声场的分布情况.将线性条件下的模拟结果与非线性条件下的模拟结果进行比较后发现:弱非线性会对声场的分布和阵列聚焦增益产生一定的影响,使声场分布波形比线性条件下的声场分布波形更加靠近阵列,聚焦效果变差;强非线性会使波形发生更严重畸变,这是由于产生了基频以外的其他频率声波引起的;非线性对斜向传播时声场分布的影响与垂直传播时的影响效果基本相同,但由于斜向辐射时的声波几何扩展造成的轴向声压衰减要大于垂直辐射时的轴向声压衰减,因此聚焦增益和强非线性的影响都将小于垂直辐射时的情况.     

Effective radiating area and beam non-uniformity ratio of ultrasound transducers at 5 MHz, according to IEC 61689:2007

This paper discloses results of measuring the effective radiating area (A_ER) and the beam non-uniformity ratio (R_BN) for US transducers at 5.0 MHz. Measurements were carried out at Laboratory of Ultrasound of the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality. As reliability proof of system’s adequacy, uncertainties were assessed. The calculation protocol was developed based on standard IEC 61689:2007. Type A uncertainty was estimated after four repetitions of the full procedure for the determination of A_ER and R_BN, and Type B uncertainty was estimated from the mathematical model for both calculations, obtained from IEC 61689:2007 and the guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement. The procedure presented herein represents the state of the art regarding metrology for testing therapeutic ultrasound devices, and its application results in fundamental aspects to support their evaluation regarding quality assurance, for instance, for a certification process due safety and performance.     

Ultrasound-Triggered Release of Ibuprofen from a Chitosan-Mesoporous Silica Composite- a Novel Approach for Controlled Drug Release

Summary: In this work, an attempt was made to synthesize a novel Chitosan-Mesoporous silica (CS-MS) hybrid composite to design a drug delivery system based on ultrasound triggered stimuli-responsive smart release. The in-vitro drug release properties of both the Mesoporous Silica (MS) and Chitosan (CS) hybrids were investigated. Ibuprofen (Ibu) was used as a model drug. The results from powder X-Ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, and BET N₂ adsorption isotherms exhibited that MS can accommodate drug molecules into the lumen of the channels and pores. Drug release, stimulated by temperature and pH of the release media was also investigated. We studied the Ultrasound (US) triggered release of Ibu in a simulated body fluid (pH 7.4). The results exhibited that US can be used as a non-invasive technique for drug release from polymeric materials. The enhancing effect of ultrasound on drug release is due to the Cavitation effect, without causing any significant destruction on the polymer morphology.     

Design of New Reaction Fields for Spherical Polypyrrole Particle Synthesis

Summary: Polypyrrole conducting polymers have been investigated widely for various applications because of their thermal and environmental stability and good electrical conductivity. Using chemical oxidative polymerization for the synthesis of polypyrrole particles, the reaction rate is very fast. In this study, we designed two new reaction fields for the synthesis of spherical polypyrrole nanoparticles. In the first system, oxidative polymerization of monomer droplets infused in a water/oil (W/O) emulsion reaction field was investigated. The second system employed dispersed monomer in an aqueous solution with a low concentration of oxidant in which polymerization was augmented by ultrasonic irradiation. Effective control of the reaction rate was important for enabling the synthesis of fine spherical polypyrrole particles.     

Cavitation activity stimulation by low frequency field pulses

The influence of a short-time action of a low-frequency ultrasound on the sonoluminescence generation by a high frequency pulsed field has been studied. This action remarkably lowers the cavitation thresholds and increases the sonoluminescence intensity. The stimulating effect of the low-frequency field action depends on its duration and on the intensities of both fields. Possible mechanisms of this effect are discussed.     

Low-temperature elastic constants and piezoelectric coefficients of langasite (La3Ga5SiO14)

A complete set of elastic constants C _ij and piezoelectric coefficients e _ij of a La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ (langasite) single crystal was determined from 5.5 to 275.5?K by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy. Unlike a conventional crystal, the elastic constants C _ij of the langasite crystal showed three types of temperature dependence: (i) monotonic elastic stiffening upon cooling (C ₄₄ and C ₁₄); (ii) monotonic elastic softening (C ₆₆); and (iii) a stiffening-to-softening transition below 150?K (C ₁₁, C ₁₂, C ₁₃ and C ₃₃). In addition, a strong correlation between C ₆₆ and the piezoelectric coefficient e ₁₁ was confirmed. Group theoretical lattice dynamics analysis revealed that the novel phenomena of elastic softening and strong correlation are explained on the basis of two types of optical mode internal displacements which have the totally symmetric A ₁ and doubly degenerated E symmetries in the point group D ₃.     

Ultrasonic technology for enhanced oil recovery from failing oil wells and the equipment for its implemention

A new method for the ultrasonic enhancement of oil recovery from failing wells is described. The technology involves lowering a source of power ultrasound to the bottom of the well either for a short treatment before removal or as a permanent placement for intermittent use. In wells where the permeability is above 20 mD and the porosity is greater than 15% ultrasonic treatment can increase oil production by up to 50% and in some cases even more. For wells of lower permeability and porosity ultrasonic treatment alone is less successful but high production rates can be achieved when ultrasound is applied in conjunction with chemicals. An average productivity increase of nearly 3 fold can be achieved for this type of production well using the combined ultrasound with chemical treatment technology.