Production of superfine fibers by the electrospinning method

Weakly conducting fluid flows in an electric field in the presence of phase interfaces are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The object of the investigation is an axisymmetric jet. The analysis is carried out within the framework of electrohydrodynamics (EHD) with allowance for surface charge transfer on mobile interfaces. The jet shape is calculated at large distances from the outflow point. The theoretical and experimental data are compared for Newtonian and polymeric fluids.     

Analysis and finite element simulations of a second‐order fluid model in a bounded domain

This article is concerned with the equations governing the steady motion of a viscoelastic incompressible second‐order fluid in a bounded domain. A new proof of existence and uniqueness of strong solutions is given. In addition, using appropriate finite element methods to approximate a coupled equivalent problem, sharp error estimates are obtained using a fixed point argument. The method is applied to the two‐dimensional lid‐driven cavity problem, at low Reynolds number and in a certain range of values of the viscoelastic parameters, to analyze the combined effects of inertia and viscoelasticity on the flow. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2007     

Body waves in fractured porous media saturated by two immiscible newtonian fluids

A study of body waves in fractured porous media saturated by two fluids is presented. We show the existence of four compressional and one rotational waves. The first and third compressional waves are analogous to the fast and slow compressional waves in Biot's theory. The second compressional wave arises because of fractures, whereas the fourth compressional wave is associated with the pressure difference between the fluid phases in the porous blocks. The effects of fractures on the phase velocity and attenuation coefficient of body waves are numerically investigated for a fractured sandstone saturated by air and water phases. All compressional waves except the first compressional wave are diffusive-type waves, i.e., highly attenuated and do not exist at low frequencies.Now at Izmir Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Gaziosmanpasa Bulvari, No.16, Cankaya, Izmir, Turkey.     

The potential of serially coupled alkyl-bonded silica monolithic columns for high resolution separations of pharmaceutical compounds in biological fluids

Summary In this paper we investigate the potential of alkyl-bonded silica monolithic columns for the isolation and identification of drug-related components in biological fluids. Up to 6 columns have been connected in series to produce a chromatographic system with up to 40,000 plates. This high-resolution chromatography system has been coupled to both MS and NMR to enable efficient detection and characterisation of drug-related components in biological fluids. The use of six coupled columns has been shown to give enhanced resolution over a high quality silica particulate column packed with 3 μm material which exhibits the same back pressure. The effect of volume and mass load on the performance of monolithic columns for semi-preparative chromatography of biological fluids has also been investigated. In these studies it was possible to inject up to 100 mL of neat urine with no loss of chromatographic performance. Furthermore, upon re-testing, the columns showed similar chromatographic performance. Again several columns were serially connected, producing enhanced resolution in the semi-preparative mode.     

Thermal conductivity measurements on ferrofluids

The thermal conductivity of a number of ferrofluids consisting of colloidally dispersed Fe₃O₄ particles in diester, hydrocarbon, water and fluorcarbon carriers have been measured at 38°C. The variation in thermal conductivity with particle concentration is well described by Tareef's equation (1940). This has enabled the ratio of the physical to magnetic size to be determined and compared with estimates of the ratio obtained from electron micrographs and magnetic measurements.The fit between theory and experiment is particularly good for hydrocarbon carrier fluids giving the ratio of solid to magnetic radiusR _i/R _m=1.24±0.03 compared with the value obtained from magnetic data and electron micrographs of 1.19±0.07. The corresponding value from the fluids with a diester carrier ranges between 1.1<R _d/R _m<1.3 which is again consistent with microscopy and magnetic data.The application of a magnetic field of 0.1 T had no noticeable effect on the thermal conductivities of ferrofluids.     

Preparation and Characterization of N-4-Nitrophenyl-L-prolinol Nanocrystals in Sol-Gel Matrices

Organic nanocrystals of N-4-nitrophenyl-l-prolinol (NPP) have been grown in sol-gel matrices prepared from silicon alkoxide precursors. Our process is based on the control of the nucleation and growth kinetics of the dye in the pores of dense gels. Nanocomposites gel-glasses are obtained with a high optical quality due to the small size of the nanocrystals (10-20 nm). Differential scanning calorimetry experiments evidenced clearly the melting point of NPP nanocrystals, which is registered 51°C above that of NPP powder. Micro-Raman and solid state NMR spectroscopies allowed us to demonstrate that our nanocrystallization process does not chemically modify NPP molecules. We specified also the nature of interactions existing between the NPP nanocrystals and the xerogels. These strong interactions, which explain the important increase of the melting point of the nanocrystals in comparison to the NPP powder, are hydrogen bonds between nitro groups of NPP and uncondensed silanol functions of the silicate network.     

Synthesis and characterisation of advanced UHMWPE/silver nanocomposites for biomedical applications

A supercritical fluid (SCF) route for facile and homogeneous introduction of silver nanoparticles into polymer hosts is described. Our focus is on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). We demonstrate that the metallic nanoparticles have a substantial effect upon the wear and tribochemical properties of the polymer substrate.     

Field-induced structural ordering in electrorheological fluids

Structural relaxations of an electrorheological fluid (ERF) due to changes in the applied electrical field strength or shear rate are observed on time scales 1 s<t<40 000 s. Commercial ERFs consisting of mesoscopic polyurethane particles in a silicone oil matrix were studied by three different experimental techniques in order to obtain and compare the characteristic relaxation times. It is demonstrated that dielectric spectroscopy, viscosimetry and light transmission experiments represent the same results concerning the structural relaxation phenomena of ERFs when electrical fields are applied. The tendency of strong induced dipoles to align the particles in the direction of the field increases the effective dipole moment and therefore , the shear viscosity and the amount of light transmitted along the field direction in an ITO/glass sandwich cell. The optical experiment is capable of resolving fast processes within the first 1 ms if large electrical fields are applied. The effects of electrophoresis and shearing, which both counteract the field induced structures, are also addressed.     

Criticality and phase transitions in ionic fluids

Recent experimental investigations of criticality and phase separation in ionic fluids have revealed behavior of great theoretical interest. In seeking to understand the experiments, some of which appear to exhibit argonlike criticality and some of which exhibit classical (mean-field) criticality, a convenient starting point is the restricted primitive model (RPM) of symmetrically charged hard spheres, all of equal diameter , each sphere bearing a positive or negative charge of magnitudeq. There is overall charge neutrality, so that the expected number densities of the anions and cations are equal, ₊= _-. Studies of RPM charge-charge and density-density correlation functions indicate that the fluctuation-suppressing mechanism that yields mean-field critical behavior in nonionic systems with long-range interparticle potentials is not operative in the RPM. On the basis of plausible assumptions, Ising-like behavior is instead expected. The above work is summarized. New work of Zhang and the author is outlined, showing that when one loses the RPM symmetry (through, e.g., different valence, diameter, or dipole moment of anions and cations) a strong coupling between charge-charge and density-density correlation ensues. The way in which this can be expected to give rise to mean-field or mean-field-like behavior is noted. Other new observations concern the mean-field analogy found by Høye and the author between the parameter 2/(d–2) (d is the dimensionality) in that model and the monomer number in high polymers, with respect to the coexistence-curve shape dependence on those parameters.