Photon channelling in foams

Experiments by Gittings, Bandyopadhyay and Durian (Europhys. Lett. 65, 414 (2004)) demonstrate that light possesses a higher probability to propagate in the liquid phase of a foam due to total reflection. The authors term this observation photon channelling which we investigate in this article theoretically. We first derive a central relation in the work of Gitting et al. without any free parameters. It links the photon's path-length fraction f in the liquid phase to the liquid fraction ɛ. We then construct two-dimensional Voronoi foams, replace the cell edges by channels to represent the liquid films and simulate photon paths according to the laws of ray optics using transmission and reflection coefficients from Fresnel's formulas. In an exact honeycomb foam, the photons show superdiffusive behavior. It becomes diffusive as soon as disorder is introduced into the foams. The dependence of the diffusion constant on channel width and refractive index is explained by a one-dimensional random-walk model. It contains a photon channelling state that is crucial for the understanding of the numerical results. At the end, we shortly comment on the observation that photon channelling only occurs in a finite range of ɛ.     

High precision delta(17)O isotope measurements of oxygen from silicates and other oxides: method and applications

The use of infrared laser-assisted fluorination to release oxygen from milligram quantities of silicates or other oxide mineral grains is a well-established technique. However, relatively few studies have reported the optimisation of this procedure for oxygen-17 isotope measurements. We describe here details of an analytical system using infrared (10 μm) laser-assisted fluorination, in conjunction with a dual inlet mass spectrometer of high resolving power ( approximately 250) to provide (17)O and (18)O oxygen isotope measurements from 0.5-2 mg of silicates or other oxide mineral grains. Respective precisions (1) of typically 0.08 and 0.04 per thousand are obtained for the complete analytical procedure. Departures from the mass-dependent oxygen isotope fractionation line are quantified by Delta(17)O; our precision (1) of such measurements on individual samples is shown to be +/-0.024 per thousand. In turn, this permits the offset between parallel, mass-dependent fractionation lines to be characterised to substantially greater precision than has been possible hitherto. Application of this system to investigate the (17)O versus (18)O relationship for numerous terrestrial whole-rock and mineral samples, of diverse geological origins and age, indicates that the complete data set may be described by a single, mass-dependent fractionation line of slope 0.5244+/- 0.00038 (standard error). Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Copper and iron interactions with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. A study by fast-atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry

Fast atom bombardment, combined with high-energy collision-induced tandem mass spectrometry, has been used to investigate gas-phase metal-ion interactions with captopril, enalaprilat and lisinopril, all angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.Suggestions for the location of metal-binding sites are presented. For captopril, metal binding occurs most likely at both the sulphur and the nitrogen atom. For enalaprilat and lisinopril, binding preferably occurs at the amine nitrogen. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multiscale modeling of the plasticity in an aluminum single crystal

This paper describes a numerical, hierarchical multiscale modeling methodology involving two distinct bridges over three different length scales that predicts the work hardening of face centered cubic crystals in the absence of physical experiments. This methodology builds a clear bridging approach connecting nano-, micro- and meso-scales. In this methodology, molecular dynamics simulations (nanoscale) are performed to generate mobilities for dislocations. A discrete dislocations numerical tool (microscale) then uses the mobility data obtained from the molecular dynamics simulations to determine the work hardening. The second bridge occurs as the material parameters in a slip system hardening law employed in crystal plasticity models (mesoscale) are determined by the dislocation dynamics simulation results. The material parameters are computed using a correlation procedure based on both the functional form of the hardening law and the internal elastic stress/plastic shear strain fields computed from discrete dislocations. This multiscale bridging methodology was validated by using a crystal plasticity model to predict the mechanical response of an aluminum single crystal deformed under uniaxial compressive loading along the [4 2 1] direction. The computed strain-stress response agrees well with the experimental data.     

DSC analysis of Al6061 aluminum alloy powder by rapid solidification

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a powerful technique that measures the heat evolution from a sample under a controlled condition and studies the phase transformation, precipitation, and dissolution activities. In this work, we investigated the influence of admixed silicon and silicon carbide and the effect of different atmospheres on the heat flow properties and microstructure of atomized Al6061 powder using DSC and scanning electron microscopy. The DSC analysis revealed the addition of silicon considerably decreased the temperature of first endothermic peaks. With an increase in silicon content the enthalpy for the first endothermic peak increased, whereas the second endothermic peak decreased. An endothermic peak, indicating the formation of AlN, was observed for powders without the silicon addition, but was noticeably absent in the case of alloys with Si addition. The SiC addition has no influence on changing the enthalpy of the systems we investigated. The reason for this behavior is analyzed and presented in this article.     

Modeling stress state dependent damage evolution in a cast Al–Si–Mg aluminum alloy

Internal state variable rate equations are cast in a continuum framework to model void nucleation, growth, and coalescence in a cast Al–Si–Mg aluminum alloy. The kinematics and constitutive relations for damage resulting from void nucleation, growth, and coalescence are discussed. Because damage evolution is intimately coupled with the stress state, internal state variable hardening rate equations are developed to distinguish between compression, tension, and torsion straining conditions. The scalar isotropic hardening equation and second rank tensorial kinematic hardening equation from the Bammann–Chiesa–Johnson (BCJ) Plasticity model are modified to account for hardening rate differences under tension, compression, and torsion. A method for determining the material constants for the plasticity and damage equations is presented. Parameter determination for the proposed phenomenological nucleation rate equation, motivated from fracture mechanics and microscale physical observations, involves counting nucleation sites as a function of strain from optical micrographs. Although different void growth models can be included, the McClintock void growth model is used in this study. A coalescence model is also introduced. The damage framework is then evaluated with respect to experimental tensile data of notched Al–Si–Mg cast aluminum alloy specimens. Finite element results employing the damage framework are shown to illustrate its usefulness.     

Monitoring structural damage of components using an effective modulus approach

This paper describes a novel nondestructive damage detection method that was developed to study the influence of a crack on the dynamic properties of a cantilever beam subjected to bending. Experimental measurements of transfer functions for the cracked cantilever beam revealed a change in the natural frequency with increasing crack length. A finite element model of a cracked element was created to compute the influence of severity and location of damage on the structural stiffness. The proposed model is based on the response of the cracked beam element under a static load. The change in beam deflection as a result of the crack is used to calculate the reduction in the global component stiffness. The reduction of the beam stiffness is then used to determine its dynamic response employing a modal analysis computational model. Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories are used to quantify the elastic stiffness matrix of a finite element. The transfer functions from both theories compare well with the experimental results. The experimental and computational natural frequencies decreased with increasing crack length. Furthermore the Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories resulted in approximately the same decrease in the natural frequency with increasing crack length as experimentally measured.     

High temperature sensitivity of notched AISI 304L stainless steel tests

Experiments were designed to determine the failure characteristics of AISI 304L stainless steel under different stress triaxialities and temperatures up to 70% of melt. The data show that as temperature increases the displacement to failure of notched tensile specimens increases. The complex interaction of deformation mechanisms, such as twinning and dynamic recrystallization, appears to negate the damage accumulation at higher temperatures. Microstructural analyses and finite element simulations indicate that voids nucleate, grow, and coalesce more rapidly as temperature and triaxiality increase. Finite element simulations were performed to analyze temperature dependence on the Cocks–Ashby void growth model. The finite element simulations qualitatively show a double-knee that was observed in the notched experimental specimens after loading. The combined experimental–numerical study indicates that failure can be defined at several points in the notch tests when: (1) macrovoids starts to form, (2) the load drop-off occurs, and (3) total perforation of the specimen occurs. These three points occur simultaneously in ambient conditions but occur at different displacements at higher temperatures.     

Numerical, experimental, nondestructive, and image analyses of damage progression in cast A356 aluminum notch tensile bars

Void nucleation, growth, and coalescence in A356 aluminum notch specimens was determined from a combination of experiments, finite element analysis, nondestructive analysis, and image analysis. Notch Bridgman tension experiments were performed on specimens to failure and then other specimens were tested to 90%, 95%, and 98% of the failure load. The specimens were evaluated with nondestructive X-ray tomography and optical image analysis. Finite element simulations of the notch tests were performed with an elastic–plastic internal state variable material model that incorporated the pertinent microstructures (silicon particle volume fraction and size distribution and porosity volume fraction and size distribution). Parametric finite element simulations were performed to give insight into various initial conditions and responses of the notch tensile bars. The various methods all corroborated the same damage progression.     

Nanomechanical modeling of interfaces of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/clay nanocomposite

Abstract

We study interfacial debonding of several representative structures of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/pyrophillite-clay systems – both gallery-interface (polymer/clay interface in the interlayer region containing polymer between clay layers stacked parallel to each other) and matrix-interphase (polymer/clay interphase-region when individual clay layers are well separated and dispersed in the polymer matrix) – using molecular dynamics simulations, while explicitly accounting for shearing/sliding (i.e. Mode-II) deformation mode. Ten nanocomposite geometries (five 2-D periodic structures for tension and five 1-D periodic structures for shearing) were constructed to quantify the structure-property relations by varying the number density of polymer chains, length of polymer chains and model dimensions related to the interface deformation. The results were subsequently mapped into a cohesive traction–separation law, including evaluation of peak traction and work of separation that are used to characterise the interface load transfer for larger length scale micromechanical models. Results suggest that under a crack nucleation opening mode (i.e. Mode-I), the matrix-interphase exhibits noticeably greater strength and a greater work of separation compared to the gallery-interface; however, they were similar under the shearing/sliding mode of deformation. When compared to shearing/sliding, the tensile peak opening mode stresses were considerably greater but the displacement at the peak stress, the displacement at the final failure and the work of separation were considerably lower. Results also suggest that PVA/clay nanocomposites with higher degree of exfoliation compared with nanocomposites with higher clay-intercalation can potentially display higher strength under tension-dominated loading for a given clay volume fraction.