Preparation of activated carbon filled epoxy nanocomposites

Activated carbon derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch (AC-EFB), bamboo stem (AC-BS), and coconut shells (AC-CNS) were obtained by pyrolysis of agricultural wastes using two chemical reagents (H₃PO₄ or KOH). The AC-EFB, AC-BS and AC-CNS were used as filler in preparation of epoxy nanocomposites. Epoxy nanocomposites prepared at 1, 5 and 10 % activated carbons filler loading using KOH and H₃PO₄ chemical agents. Transmission electron microscopy confirms better dispersion of the nano-activated carbons in the epoxy matrix at 5 % activated carbon. The presence of 5 % AC-CNS in the epoxy matrix using H₃PO₄ chemical reagent resulted in an improvement of the thermal stability of epoxy matrix. KOH treated AC filled epoxy nanocomposites were slightly better in thermal stability as compared to H₃PO₄ treated AC filled epoxy nanocomposites, may be due to better interaction of filler with epoxy matrix. Thermal analysis results showed that thermal stability of the activated carbon filled epoxy nanocomposites improved as compared to the neat epoxy matrix. The degree of crystallinity of epoxy matrix was improved by adding the activated carbon due to interfacial interaction between AC and epoxy matrix rather than loading of AC alone. Developed nanocomposites from biomass (agricultural wastes) materials will help to reduce the overall cost of the materials for its demanding applications as insulating material.     

Double-Diffusive Convection in Bidispersive Porous Medium with Chemical Reaction and Magnetic Field Effects

Transport in Porous Media - This study features a model for double-diffusive convection in a bidisperse porous medium where a vertical magnetic field chemical reaction’s effects are present....     

Thermal and mechanical properties of particulate fillers filled epoxy composites for electronic packaging application

Epoxy composites containing particulate fillers‐fused silica, glass powder, and mineral silica were investigated to be used as substrate materials in electronic packaging application. The content of fillers were varied between 0 and 40 vol%. The effects of the fillers on the thermal properties—thermal stability, thermal expansion and dynamic mechanical properties of the epoxy composites were studied, and it was found that fused silica, glass powder, and mineral silica increase the thermal stability and dynamic thermal mechanical properties and reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The lowest CTE value was observed at a fused silica content of 40 vol% for the epoxy composites, which was traced to the effect of its nature of low intrinsic CTE value of the fillers. The mechanical properties of the epoxy composites were determined in both flexural and single‐edge notch (SEN‐T) fracture toughness properties. Highest flexural strength, stiffness, and toughness values were observed at fillers content of 40 vol% for all the filled epoxy composites. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph showed poor filler–matrix interaction in glass powder filled epoxy composites at 40 vol%. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of Rubberized and Hybrid Rubberized Concrete Structures under Static and Impact Load Conditions

In this study, rubberized concrete samples were prepared by partial substitution (5 %, 10 % and 20 % replacements by volume) of sand by waste crumb rubber, and tested under impact three-point bending load, as well as static load. Three types of specimens (size 50?×?100?×?500 mm) namely, plain concrete, rubberized concrete, and double layer concrete (with rubberized concrete top and plain concrete bottom) were loaded to failure in a drop-weight impact machine by subjecting to 20 N weight from a height of 300 mm, and another three similar specimens were used for the static load test. In both the tests, the load–displacement and fracture energy of each specimen were investigated. Finite-element simulations were also performed to study the dynamic behaviors of the samples, by using LUSAS V.14 software. It was noticed that, the impact tup, and inertial and bending loads increased with the increase in the percentage of sand replacement by crumb rubber. It was interesting to observe that these effects were more significant in the double layer specimen compared to the plain and rubberized concrete samples. The static peak bending load always decreased with increase of rubber in the mix. In general, the strength and energy absorbing capability of rubberized concrete was better under impact loading than under static loading. The simulated load against displacement behaviors of all the samples were validated by the experimental results.     

Computation of connection coefficients and measure modifications for orthogonal polynomials

We observe that polynomial measure modifications for families of univariate orthogonal polynomials imply sparse connection coefficient relations. We therefore propose connecting L ² expansion coefficients between a polynomial family and a modified family by a sparse transformation. Accuracy and conditioning of the connection and its inverse are explored. The connection and recurrence coefficients can simultaneously be obtained as the Cholesky decomposition of a matrix polynomial involving the Jacobi matrix; this property extends to continuous, non-polynomial measure modifications on finite intervals. We conclude with an example of a useful application to families of Jacobi polynomials with parameters (γ,δ) where the fast Fourier transform may be applied in order to obtain expansion coefficients whenever 2γ and 2δ are odd integers.     

Thermal properties of polyimide system containing silicone segments

The influence of the structure properties relationships of silicone incorporated polyimide (PI) on thermal stability was investigated by using single scan thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in nitrogen. Four systems have been synthesized based on monomer 4-(4-(1-(4-(4-aminophenoxy) phenyl)-1-methylethyl) phenoxy) aniline (BAPP)/3,3??,4,4??-Biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride including parent PI (S-1), PI siloxane copolymer (S-2 and S-3), and PI siloxane hybrid (S-4). The derivative thermogravimetric analysis (DTG) and DSC curves indicate a double and single stage decomposition process and glass transition temperature (T _g), respectively. While the PI, PIS, and PSH showed distinctive features towards thermal analysis, it was found that the rate of degradation (???/??t) was influenced by the flexibility of Si?CO?CSi in the backbone and in Si?CO?CSi itself. These results revealed that the presence of Si?CO?CSi in either the backbone or matrix indicates its stability with regard to high thermal service applications.     

The Synthesis of Novel Crown Ethers, Part VII [1]. Coumarin Derivatives of Benzocrowns and Cation Binding from Fluorescence Spectra

4-[3-(1-benzopyran-2-one)] derivativesof benzo[12]crown-4, benzo[15]crown-5 andbenzo-[18]crown-6 were synthesized from4-[3-(1-benzopyran-2-one)]-1,2-dihydroxy-benzenereacting with bis-ethyleneglycol dihalides orpentaethylene glycol ditosylate in alkali carbonate/DMF/water. The original products were identified byhigh resolution EI-mass spectra as well as IR,¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The 1 : 1binding constants of Mg²⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺ andK⁺ with the coumarin-benzocrowns were estimated usingfluorescence emission spectroscopy in acetonitrile.The complexing enhanced quenching fluorescence spectra(CEQFS) and complexing enhanced fluorescence spectra(CEFS) exhibited the ion binding powers due tocationic recognition rules of the macrocycles.     

Chemical Reaction Effect on Convection in Bidispersive Porous Medium

Transport in Porous Media - The object of this study is to investigate the question of convective movement of a reacting solute in a viscous incompressible occupying a plane layer in a saturated...     

Strange baryon production in heavy ion collisions

The rapidity distribution of Λ and ?Λ produced in nucleus-nucleus collisions at CERN energies is studied in the framework of an independent string model — with quark-antiquark as well as diquark-antidiquark pairs in the nucleon sea. It is shown that, besides the Λ-?Λ pair production resulting from the fragmentation of sea diquarks, final state interactions of co-moving secondaries π + N → K + Λ and ?N → K → ?Λ are needed in order to reproduce the data. Predictions for Pb-Pb collisions are presented.