Search results for: mechanical and biodegrade properties

Authors: A. Ibáñez, A. Martínez, A. Sánchez, M. A. León

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This article is focused on the development of a series of biodegradable and eco-friendly masterbatches based on polylactic acid (PLA) filled with almond shell to study the influence of almond shell in the properties of injected biodegradable parts. These innovative masterbatches have 20 wt % of the almond shell. Different treatments were carried out with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and maleic anhydride (MA) to obtain better interfacial bonding between fibre and matrix. The masterbatches were produced by varying the fibre treatments (type of treatment, concentration and temperature). The masterbatches have been injected to obtain standardised test samples in order to study mechanical properties. The results show that, the some of the treated fibres present slightly higher flexural modulus and impact strength than untreated fibres. This study is part of a LIFE project (MASTALMOND) aimed to create and test at preindustrial level new coloured masterbatches based on biodegradable polymers and containing in its formulation a high percentage of almond shell, a natural waste material, which firstly will permit to cover technical requirements of two traditional industrial sectors: toy and furniture, although the results achieved could be extended to other industrial sectors.

Keywords: additivation, almond shell, biodegradable, masterbatch, PLA, injection moulding

Procedia PDF Downloads 426

Authors: Pravin Gaikwad, Prakash Mahanwar

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The main objective of incorporating natural fibers such as Henequen microfibers (NF) into the High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) polymer matrix is to reduce the cost and to enhance the mechanical as well as other properties. The Henequen microfibers were chopped manually to 5-7mm in length and added into the polymer matrix at the optimized concentration of 8 wt %. In order to facilitate the link between Henequen microfibers (NF) and HDPE matrix, coupling agent such as Glycidoxy (Epoxy) Functional Methoxy Silane (GPTS) at various concentrations from 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, 0.9%, and 1% by weight to the total fibers were added. The tensile strength of the composite increased marginally while % elongation at break of the composites decreased with increase in silane loading by wt %. Tensile modulus and stiffness observed increased at 0.9 wt % GPTS loading. Flexural as well as impact strength of the composite decreased with increase in GPTS loading by weight %. Dielectric strength of the composite also found increased marginally upto 0.5wt % silane loading and thereafter remained constant.

Keywords: Henequen microfibers (NF), polymer composites, HDPE, coupling agent, GPTS

Procedia PDF Downloads 439

Authors: Musa Momoh, A. U. Moreh, A. M. Bayawa, Sanusi Abdullahi, I. Atiku

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In this study, thin films of ZnO were synthesized by two techniques namely RF sputtering and spray pyrolysis. The films were deposited on corning glass. The primary materials used are 99.99% pure. The optical and structural properties of the samples were studied. It has been noted that the samples deposited by Spray pyrolysis have and average transmittance, refractive index and extinction coefficient as 80-90%, 1.33-1.44 and 13.11-27.52 respectively. Those deposited by sputtering method are 34-80%, 1.51-1.52 and 3.15-3.28. The XRD patterns of the samples show that they are polycrystalline.

Keywords: zinc oxide, spray pyrolysis, rf sputtering, optical properties, electrical properties

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Authors: Arjun Dakuri, J. Hayavadana

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The study includes selection of 100 % bamboo fabric and cotton fabric for the study. The 100% bamboo fabrics were of 127 g/m², and 112 g/m² and 100% cotton grey fabric were of 104 g/m². The cotton fabric was desized, scoured, bleached and then treated with ZnO (as antimicrobial agent) with 1%, 2% and 3% using pad-dry cure method, whereas the bamboo fabrics were only desized. The antimicrobial activity of bamboo and ZnO treated cotton fabrics were evaluated and compared against E. coli and S. aureus as per the standard AATCC - 147. Moisture management properties of selected fabrics were also analyzed. Further, the selected fabric samples were tested for comfort properties like bending length, tearing strength, drape-ability, and specific handle force and air permeability. It was observed that bamboo fabrics show significant antibacterial activity and the same was shown by 3% ZnO treated cotton fabric. Both cotton and bamboo fabrics show improved moisture management properties than the cotton fabric. The comfort properties of bamboo fabrics are found to be superior to cotton fabrics making it more suitable for applications in place of cotton.

Keywords: antimicrobial activity, bamboo, cotton, comfort properties, moisture management, zinc oxide

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Authors: Awni Alkhazaleh

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Latent heat storage using Phase Change Materials (PCMs) has attracted growing attention recently in the renewable energy utilization and building energy efficiency. Paraffin (PA) of low melting temperature, which is close to human comfort temperature in the range of 24-28 °C has been considered to be used in building applications. A form-stable composite Paraffin/Expanded perlite (PA-EP) has been prepared by retaining PA into porous particles of EP. DSC (Differential scanning calorimeter) is used to measure the thermal properties of PA in the form-stable composite with/without building materials. TGA (Thermal gravimetric analysis) shows that the composite is thermally stable. SEM (Scanning electron microscope) demonstrates that the layer structure of the EP particles is uniformly absorbed by PA. The mechanical properties in flexural mode have been discussed. The thermal energy storage performance has been evaluated using a small test room (100 mm ×100 mm ×100 mm) with thickness 10 mm. The flammability test of modified sample has been discussed using a cone calorimeter. The results confirm that the form-stable composite PA has the function of reducing building energy consumption.

Keywords: flammability, latent heat storage, paraffin, plasterboard

Procedia PDF Downloads 219

Authors: Taehoon Kwon, Hyeongrae Cho, Dirk Henkensmeier, Youngjong Kang, Chong Min Koo

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Ionic polymer actuators have been of interest in the bio-inspired artificial muscle devices. However, the relatively slow response and low power density were the obstacles for practical applications. In this study, ionic polymer actuators are fabricated with ionic polymer composite membranes based on sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) and copper(II) phthalocyanine tetrasulfonic acid (CuPCSA). CuPCSA is an organic filler with very high ion exchange capacity (IEC, 4.5 mmol H+/g) that can be homogeneously dispersed on the molecular scale into the SPAES membrane. SPAES/CuPCSA actuators show larger ionic conductivity, mechanical properties, bending deformation, exceptional faster response to electrical stimuli, and larger mechanical power density (3028 W m–3) than Nafion actuators. This outstanding actuation performance of SPAES/CuPCSA composite membrane actuators makes them attractive for next generation transducers with high power density, which are currently developed biomimetic devices such as endoscopic surgery.

Keywords: actuation performance, composite membranes, ionic polymer actuators, organic filler

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Authors: Sreekanth T. G., Kishorekumar S., Sowndhariya Kumar J., Karthick R., Shanmugasuriyan S.

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Composites are increasingly being used in industries due to their unique properties, such as high specific stiffness and specific strength, higher fatigue and wear resistances, and higher damage tolerance capability. Composites are prone to failures or damages that are difficult to identify, locate, and characterize due to their complex design features and complicated loading conditions. The lack of understanding of the damage mechanism of the composites leads to the uncertainties in the structural integrity and durability. Delamination is one of the most critical failure mechanisms in laminated composites because it progressively affects the mechanical performance of fiber-reinforced polymer composite structures over time. The identification and severity characterization of delamination in engineering fields such as the aviation industry is critical for both safety and economic concerns. The presence of delamination alters the vibration properties of composites, such as natural frequencies, mode shapes, and so on. In this study, numerical analysis and experimental analysis were performed on delaminated and non-delaminated glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) plate, and the numerical and experimental analysis results were compared, and error percentage has been found out.

Keywords: composites, delamination, natural frequency, mode shapes

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Authors: Ping Zhou, Dawu Xiao, Chunli Jiang, Ge Sang

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Deformation twinning plays an important role in the mechanical properties of Ti which has high specific strength and excellent corrosion resistance ability. To investigate the twinning behavior of Ti under high strain rate compression, the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was adopted to deform samples to different strains at room temperature. In addition, twinning behaviors under varied temperatures of 373K, 573K and 873K were also investigated. The cylindrical-shaped samples with purity 99.995% were annealed at 1073K for 1 hour in vacuum before compression. All the deformation twins were identified by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques. The mechanical behavior showed three-stage work hardening in stress-strain curves for samples deformed at temperature 573K and 873K, while only two stages were observed for those deformed at room temperature. For samples compressed at room temperature, the predominant twin types are {10-12}<10-11> (E1), {11-21}<11-26> (E2) and {11-21}<11-23> (C1). The secondary and tertiary twinning was observed inside some E1, E2 and C1 twins. Most of the twin boundaries of E2 acted as the nucleate sites of E1. The densities of twins increase remarkably with increment of strains. For samples compressed at relatively higher temperatures, the migration of twin boundaries of E1, E2 and C1 was observed. All the twin lamellas shorten with temperature, and nearly disappeared at 873K except some remaining E1 twins. Polygonizations of grain boundaries were observed above 573K. The microstructure intended to have a texture with c-axes parallel to compression direction with temperature increment. Factors affecting the dynamic recovery and re-crystallization were discussed.

Keywords: deformation twins, EBSD, mechanical behavior, high strain rate, titanium

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Authors: Emre Alan, Yusuf Yamanturk, Gokay Bas

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Non-grain oriented electrical steels are high silicon containing steels in which the direction of magnetism is intended the same in any direction of the material. Major applications of non-grain-oriented electrical steels are electrical motors, generators, etc. where low magnetic losses are required. Selection of proper hot rolling process parameters is an important factor in order to produce a material that has desired magnetic properties. In this study, the effect of finishing and coiling temperatures on magnetic properties of Fe-3%Si non-grain oriented electrical steels will be investigated. Additionally, the effect of slab reheating temperature at same entry finishing temperature will be investigated by means of reduction in roughing mill pass number from 1-5 to 1-3.

Keywords: electrical steels, hot rolling, magnetic properties, roughing mill

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Authors: Sylwia Wiewiorowska, Zbigniew Muskalski

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The article presents part of research on the development of nickel plated welding wire production technology, whose application will enable the elimination of the flaws of currently manufactured welding wires. The nickel plated welding wire will be distinguished by high quality, because the Ni layer which is deposited electrochemically onto it from acid baths is characterized by very good adhesion to the steel wire surface, while the ductile nickel well deforms plastically in the drawing process and the adhesion of the Ni layer increases in the drawing process due to the occurring process of diffusion between the Ni and the steel. The Ni layer obtained in the proposed technology, despite a smaller thickness than when the wire is coated with copper, is continuous and tight, thus ensuring high corrosion resistance, as well as unsusceptible to scaling, which should provide a product that meets requirements imposed by the market. The product will also reduce, to some extent, the amount of copper brought in to steel through recycling, while the wire coating nickel introduced to the weld in the welding process is expected, to a degree, to favorably influence its mechanical properties. The paper describes the tests of the process of nickel plating of f1.96 mm-diameter wires using various nickel plating baths with different process parameters.

Keywords: steel wire, properties, welding process, Ni layer

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Authors: Aouina Nabila Yasmina, Chaoui Zine El Abiddine

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This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the elastic mean free path (EMFP) of electrons colliding with pyrimidine, a precursor to the pyrimidine bases in DNA, employing the Screen Corrected Additivity Rule (SCAR) method. The SCAR method is introduced as a novel approach that combines classical and quantum mechanical principles to elucidate the interaction of electrons with pyrimidine. One of the most fundamental properties characterizing the propagation of a particle in the nuclear medium is its mean free path. Knowledge of the elastic mean free path is essential to accurately predict the effects of radiation on biological matter, as it contributes to the distances between collisions. Additionally, the mean free path plays a role in the interpretation of almost all experiments in which an excited electron moves through a solid. Pyrimidine, the precursor of the pyrimidine bases of DNA, has interesting physicochemical properties, which make it an interesting molecule to study from a fundamental point of view. These include a relatively large dipole polarizability and dipole moment and an electronic charge cloud with a significant spatial extension, which justifies its choice in this present study.

Keywords: elastic mean free path, elastic collision, pyrimidine, SCAR

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Authors: Douhi Reda Bouabdellah, Khalafi Hamid, Belamri Samir

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The desire to improve the safety of nuclear reactor containment has revealed the need for data on the thermo mechanical behavior of concrete in case of accident during which the concrete is exposed to high temperatures. The aim of the present work is to study the influence of high temperature on the behavior of ordinary concrete specimens loaded by an effort of compression. A thermal model is developed by discretization volume elements (CASTEM). The results of different simulations, combined with other findings help to bring a physical phenomenon explanation Thermo mechanical concrete structures, which allowed to obtain the variation of the stresses anywhere in point or node and each subsequent temperature different directions X, Y and Z.

Keywords: concrete, thermic-gradient, fire resistant, simulation by CASTEM, mechanical strength

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Authors: Sabrina Boutaleb, Kouider Halim Benrahou, François Schosseler, Abdelouahed Tounsi, El Abbas Adda Bedia

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The use of polyurethane in different areas becomes more frequent. This is due to significant advantages they have including their lightness and resistance. However, their use requires a mastery of their mechanical performance. We will present in this work, a COAPUR 6050 which can be used to develop composite materials. COAPUR 6050 is an associative polyurethane thickener allowing fine rheological adjustment of flat or semi-gloss paints. COAPUR 6050 is characterised by its thickening efficiency at low shear rate. It is a solvent-free liquid product. It promotes good paint pick up, while maintaining a low yield point after shearing, and consequently a good levelling. We will then determine its rheological behaviour experimentally using different annular gaps. The rheological properties of COAPUR 6050 were researched by rotational rheometer (Rheometer-Mars III) using different annular gaps. There is the influence of the size of the annular gap on the behaviour as well as on the rheological parameters of the COAPUR 6050. The rheological properties data of COAPUR 6050 were regressed by nonlinear regression method and their rheological models were established, are characterized by yield pseudoplastic model. In this case, it is essential to make a viscometric correction. The latter was developed and presented in the experimental results.

Keywords: COAPUR 6050, flow’s couette, polyurethane, rheological behaviours

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Authors: Aicha Bouhlala, Sabah Chettibi

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Doping CeO₂ with transition metals is an effective way of tuning its properties. In the present work, we have performed self-consistent ab-initio calculation using the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method (FP-LAPW), based on the density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in the Wien2k simulation code to study the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the compound Ce₁₋ₓCuₓO₂ (x=12.5%) fluorite type oxide and to explore the effects of dopant Cu in ceria. The exchange correlation potential has been treated using the Perdew-Burke-Eenzerhof revised of solid (PBEsol). In structural properties, the equilibrium lattice constant is observed for the compound, which exists within the value of 5.382 A°. In electronic properties, the spin-polarized electronic bandstructure elucidates the semiconductor nature of the material in both spin channels, with the compound was observed to have a narrow bandgap on the spin-down configuration (0.162 EV) and bandgap on the spin-up (2.067 EV). Hence, the doped atom Cu plays a vital role in increasing the magnetic moments of the supercell, and the value of the total magnetic moment is found to be 2.99438 μB. Therefore, the compound Cu-doped CeO₂ shows a strong ferromagnetic behavior. The predicted results propose the compound could be a good candidate for spintronics applications.

Keywords: Cu-doped CeO₂, DFT, Wien2k, properties

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Authors: Volkmar Nolting

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Fatigue crack growth prediction has become an important topic in both engineering and non-destructive evaluation. Crack propagation is influenced by the mechanical properties of the material and is conveniently modelled by the Paris-Erdogan equation. The critical crack size and the total number of load cycles are calculated. From a Larson-Miller plot the maximum operational temperature can for a given stress level be determined so that failure does not occur within a given time interval t. The study is used to determine a reasonable inspection cycle and thus enhances operational safety and reduces costs.

Keywords: fracturemechanics, crack growth prediction, lifetime of a component, structural health monitoring

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Authors: Adam Abdalla Elbashir Adam, Xiaomin Cheng, Xiang Shui Miao

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In this work, the effect of the magnetron sputtering system parameters on the optical properties of the Mn doped GeTe were investigated. The optical properties of the Ge_1-xMn_xTe thin films with different thicknesses are determined by analyzing the transmittance and reflectance data. The energy band gaps of the amorphous Mn-doped GeTe thin films with different thicknesses were calculated. The obtained results demonstrated that the energy band gap values of the amorphous films are quite different and they are dependent on the films thicknesses. The extinction coefficients of amorphous Mn-doped GeTe thin films as function of wavelength for different thicknesses were measured. The results showed that the extinction coefficients of all films are varying inversely with their optical transmission. Moreover, the results emphasis that, not only the microstructure, electrical and magnetic properties of Mn doped GeTe thin films vary with the films thicknesses but also the optical properties differ with the film thickness.

Keywords: phase change magnetic materials, transmittance, absorbance, extinction coefficients

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Authors: Asma Temagoult, Bariza Zitouni, Yassin Noui

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Cactus fruit contains different nutritional and functional components, which are used because of their benefits to human health, such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamins C. It has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic action, and antioxidant properties related to anticarcinogenic, antiulcerogenic and immunomodulatory effects. The antioxidant and nutritional properties have been characterized in cactus prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.), cultivar yellow, grown in Arris area; Eastern of Algeria. The antioxidant properties of this cactus cultivar were higher than the others cactus cultivar in the world. The amount of fruit phenolic compounds revealed contents between 20.65 and 45.70 mg / 100 g of FW for total polyphenols and 0.519 - 0.591 mg / 100 g of FW for the flavonoids. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) methods. The average recorded to the potassium content is about 1070 mg / 100 g of the fresh weight; sodium is 60.7 mg / 100 g of the fresh weight and 80 mg / 100g for the calcium. According to the high value of this cactus, it was considered as a good nutrient and important pharmaceutical resource. It could be used as a natural additive or substituted food supplement in many foodstuffs production, to benefit from these benefits.

Keywords: antioxidant properties, DPPH, FRAP, nutritional properties, Opuntia ficus indica

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Authors: Alexander Nitsche, Piotr-Robert Lazik, Harald Garrecht

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The viscosity of the concrete has a great influence on the properties of the fresh concrete. Fresh concretes with low viscosity have a good flowability, whereas high viscosity has a lower flowability. Clearly, viscosity is directly linked to other parameters such as consistency, compaction, and workability of the concrete. The above parameters also depend very much on the energy induced during the mixing process and, of course, on the installation of the mixer itself. The University of Stuttgart has decided to investigate the influence of different mixing systems on the viscosity of various types of concrete, such as road concrete, self-compacting concrete, and lightweight concrete, using a rheometer and other testing methods. Each type is tested with three different mixers, and the rheological properties, namely consistency, and viscosity are determined. The aim of the study is to show that different types of concrete mixed with different types of mixers reach completely different yield points. Therefore, a 3 step procedure will be introduced. At first, various types of concrete mixtures and their differences are introduced. Then, the chosen suspension mixer and conventional mixers, which are going to be used in this paper, will be discussed. Lastly, the influence of the mixing system on the rheological properties of each of the select mix designs, as well as on fresh concrete, in general, will be presented.

Keywords: rheological properties, flowability, suspension mixer, viscosity

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Authors: Abdull Halim Abdull, Nasiman Sapari, Mohammad Haikal Asyraf Bin Anuar

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Although soil thermal properties are required in many areas to improve oil recovery, they are seldom measured on a routine basis. Reasons for this are unclear, but may be related to a lack of suitable instrumentation and entropy theory. We integrate single probe thermal gradient for the radial conduction of a short-duration heat pulse away from a single electrode source, and compared it with the theory for an instantaneously heated line source. By measuring the temperature response at a short distance from the line source, and applying short-duration heat-pulse theory, we can extract all the entropy properties, the thermal diffusivity, heat capacity, and conductivity, from a single heat-pulse measurement. Results of initial experiments carried out on air-dry sand and clay materials indicate that this heat-pulse method yields soil thermal properties that compare well with thermal properties measured by single electrode.

Keywords: entropy, single probe thermal gradient, soil thermal, probe heat

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Authors: Ammar Juma Abdlmutalib, Osman Abdullatif

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Upper Jurrasic Arab-D Reservoir is considered as the largest oil reservoir in Saudi Arabia. The equivalent outcrop is exposed near Riyadh. The study investigates the relationships between lithofacies properties changes and geomechanical properties of Arab-D Reservoir in the outcrop scale. The methods used included integrated field observations and laboratory measurements. Schmidt Hammer Rebound Hardness, Point Load Index tests were carried out to estimate the strength of the samples, ultrasonic wave velocity test also was applied to measure P-wave, S-wave, and dynamic Poisson's ratio. Thin sections have been analyzed and described. The results show that there is a variation in geomechanical properties between the Arab-D member and Upper Jubaila Formation at outcrop scale, the change in texture or grain size has no or little effect on these properties. This is because of the clear effect of diagenesis which changes the strength of the samples. The result also shows the negative or inverse correlation between porosity and geomechanical properties. As for the strength, dolomitic mudstone and wackestone within Upper Jubaila Formation has higher Schmidt hammer values, wavy rippled sandy grainstone which is rich in quarts has the greater point load index values. While laminated mudstone and breccias, facies has lower strength. This emphasizes the role of mineral content in the geomechanical properties of Arab-D reservoir lithofacies.

Keywords: geomechanical properties, Arab-D reservoir, lithofacies changes, Poisson's ratio, diageneis

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Authors: Raquel P. F. Guiné, Susana R. Matos, Daniela V. T. A. Costa, Fernando J. Gonçalves

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Because blueberries are worldwide recognized as a good source of beneficial components, their consumption has increased in the past decades, and so have the scientific works about their properties. Hence this work was undertaken to evaluate the effect of some production and conservation factors on the properties of blueberries from cultivar Bluecrop. The physical and chemical analyses were done according to established methodologies and then all data was treated using software SPSS for assessment of the possible differences among the factors investigated and/or the correlations between the variables at study. The results showed that location of production influenced some of the berries properties (caliber, sugars, antioxidant activity, color and texture) and that the age of the bushes was correlated with moisture, sugars and acidity, as well as lightness. On the other hand, altitude of the farm only was correlated to sugar content. With regards to conservation, it influenced only anthocyanins content and DPPH antioxidant activity. Finally, the type of extract and the order of extraction had a pronounced influence on all the phnolic properties evaluated.

Keywords: Antioxidant activity, blueberry, conservation, geographical origin, phenolic compounds, statistical analysis

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Authors: B. A. Mir, Asim Malik

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Bottom ash is a by-product of the combustion process of coal in furnaces in the production of electricity in thermal power plants. In India, about 75% of total power is produced by using pulverized coal. The coal of India has a high ash content which leads to the generation of a huge quantity of bottom ash per year posing the dual problem of environmental pollution and difficulty in disposal. This calls for establishing strategies to use this industry by-product effectively and efficiently. However, its large-scale utilization is possible only in geotechnical applications, either alone or with soil. In the present investigation, bottom ash was collected from National Capital Power Station Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, India. Test samples of bottom ash admixed with 20% clayey soil were prepared and treated with different cement content by weight and subjected to various laboratory tests for assessing its suitability as an engineered construction material. This study has shown that use of 10% cement content is a viable chemical additive to enhance the mechanical properties of bottom ash, which can be used effectively as an engineered construction material in various geotechnical applications. More importantly, it offers an interesting potential for making use of an industrial waste to overcome challenges posed by bottom ash for a sustainable environment.

Keywords: bottom ash, environmental pollution, solid waste, sustainable environment, waste utilization

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Authors: Diriba T. Balcha, Boris Kulig, Oliver Hensel, Eyassu Woldesenbet

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Enset fiber is agricultural waste and available in a surplus amount in Ethiopia. However, the hypothesized variation in properties of this fiber due to diversity of its plant source breed, fiber position within plant stem and chemical treatment duration had not proven that its application for the development of composite products is problematic. Currently, limited data are known on the functional properties of the fiber as a potential functional fiber. Thus, an effort is made in this study to narrow the knowledge gaps by characterizing it. The experimental design was conducted using Design-Expert software and the tensile test was conducted on Enset fiber from 10 breeds: Dego, Dirbo, Gishera, Itine, Siskela, Neciho, Yesherkinke, Tuzuma, Ankogena, and Kucharkia. The effects of 5% Na-OH surface treatment duration and fiber location along and across the plant pseudostem was also investigated. The test result shows that the rupture stress variation is not significant among the fibers from 10 Enset breeds. However, strain variation is significant among the fibers from 10 Enset breeds that breed Dego fiber has the highest strain before failure. Surface treated fibers showed improved rupture strength and elastic modulus per 24 hours of treatment duration. Also, the result showed that chemical treatment can deteriorate the load-bearing capacity of the fiber. The raw fiber has the higher load-bearing capacity than the treated fiber. And, it was noted that both the rupture stress and strain increase in the top to bottom gradient, whereas there is no significant variation across the stem. Elastic modulus variation both along and across the stem was insignificant. The rupture stress, elastic modulus, and strain result of Enset fiber are 360.11 ± 181.86 MPa, 12.80 ± 6.85 GPa and 0.04 ± 0.02 mm/mm, respectively. These results show that Enset fiber is comparable to other natural fibers such as abaca, banana, and sisal fibers and can be used as alternatives natural fiber for composites application. Besides, the insignificant variation of properties among breeds and across stem is essential for all breeds and all leaf sheath of the Enset fiber plant for fiber extraction. The use of short natural fiber over the long is preferable to reduce the significant variation of properties along the stem or fiber direction. In conclusion, Enset fiber application for composite product design and development is mechanically feasible.

Keywords: Agricultural waste, Chemical treatment, Fiber characteristics, Natural fiber

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Authors: Gabriel Quintero

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This paper presents the result of the implementation of a series of algorithms intended to be used for representing in most of the 3D geographic software, even Google Earth, the subsurface formations properties combining 2D charts or 3D plots over a 3D background, allowing everyone to use them, no matter the economic size of the company for which they work. Besides the existence of complex and expensive specialized software for modeling subsurface formations based on the same information provided to this one, the use of this open source development shows a higher and easier usability and good results, limiting the rendered properties and polygons to a basic set of charts and tubes.

Keywords: chart, earth, formations, subsurface, visualization

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Authors: Ferhat Kadioglu

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A clamped-free vibrating beam technique was used to evaluate dynamic properties of glass fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite. In the experiment, an electromagnetic shaker and a non-contact laser head were used to vibrate and to take the response of the specimens, respectively. Test results showed that damping and elastic modulus of the material, as dynamic properties, could be obtained successfully using this technique. It was found that the balanced and symmetric specimens with 45 degrees are the best for damping performance. It is believed that such results could be used for the modal design of aerospace structures.

Keywords: composite materials, damping values, dynamic properties, non-contact measurements

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Authors: S. E. Mohmad-Saberi, W. Song, N. Oliver, M. Adrian, T.C. Hsu, A. Darbyshire

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Biodegradable polyurethane (PU) has emerged as a potential material to promote repair and regeneration of damaged/diseased tissues in heart valve regeneration due to its excellent biomechanical profile. Understanding the effects of sterilization on their properties is vital since they are more sensitive and more critical of porous structures compared to bulk ones. In this study, the effects of low concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) solution sterilization has been investigated to determine whether the procedure would be efficient and non-destructive to porous three-dimensional (3D) elastomeric nanocomposite, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-terminated poly (ethylene-diethylene glycol succinate-sebacate) urea-urethane (POSS-EDSS-PU) scaffold. All the samples were tested for sterility following sterilization using phosphate buffer saline (PBS) as control and 5 % v/v H₂O₂ solution. The samples were incubated in tryptic soy broth for the cultivation of microorganisms under agitation at 37˚C for 72 hours. The effects of the 5 % v/v H₂O₂ solution sterilization were evaluated in terms of morphology, chemical and mechanical properties using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and tensile tester apparatus. Toxicity effects of the 5 % v/v H₂O₂ solution decontamination were studied by in vitro cytotoxicity test, where the cellular responses of human dermal fibroblast (HDF) were examined. A clear, uncontaminated broth using 5 % v/v H₂O₂ solution method indicated efficient sterilization after 3 days, while the non-sterilized control shows clouding broth indicated contamination. The morphology of 3D POSS-EDSS-PU scaffold appeared to have similar morphology after sterilization with 5 % v/v H₂O₂ solution regarding of pore size and surface. FTIR results show that the sterilized samples and non-sterilized control share the same spectra pattern, confirming no significant alterations over the surface chemistry. For the mechanical properties of the H₂O₂ solution-treated scaffolds, the tensile strain was not significantly decreased, however, become significantly stiffer after the sterilization. No cytotoxic effects were observed after the 5 % v/v H₂O₂ solution sterilization as confirmed by cell viability assessed by Alamar Blue assay. The results suggest that low concentration of 5 % v/v hydrogen peroxide solution can be used as an alternative method for sterilizing biodegradable 3D porous scaffold with micro/nano-architecture without structural deformation. This study provides the understanding of the sterilization effects on biomechanical profile and cell proliferation of 3D POSS-EDSS-PU scaffolds.

Keywords: biodegradable, hydrogen peroxide solution, POSS-EDSS-PU, sterilization

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Authors: Yi-Chiang Huang, Hsu-Feng Lee, Yu-Chao Tseng, Wen-Yao Huang

Abstract:

Proton exchange membranes as a key component in fuel cells have been widely studying over the past few decades. As proton exchange, membranes should have some main characteristics, such as good mechanical properties, low oxidative stability and high proton conductivity. In this work, trifluoromethyl groups had been introduced on polymer backbone and phenyl side chain which can provide densely located sulfonic acid group substitution and also promotes solubility, thermal and oxidative stability. Herein, a series of novel sulfonated aromatic hydrocarbon polyelectrolytes was synthesized by polycondensation of 4,4''''-difluoro-3,3''''- bis(trifluoromethyl)-2'',3''-bis(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1,1':4',1'':4'',1''':4''',1''''-quinquephenyl with 2'',3''',5'',6''-tetraphenyl-[1,1':4',1'': 4'',1''':4''',1''''-quinquephenyl]-4,4''''-diol and post-sulfonated was through chlorosulfonic acid to given sulfonated polymers (SFC3-X) possessing ion exchange capacities ranging from 1.93, 1.91 and 2.53 mmol/g. ¹H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy were applied to confirm the structure and composition of sulfonated polymers. The membranes exhibited considerably dimension stability (10-27.8% in length change; 24-56.5% in thickness change) and excellent oxidative stability (weight remain higher than 97%). The mechanical properties of membranes demonstrated good tensile strength on account of the high rigidity multi-phenylated backbone. Young's modulus were ranged 0.65-0.77GPa which is much larger than that of Nafion 211 (0.10GPa). Proton conductivities of membranes ranged from 130 to 240 mS/cm at 80 °C under fully humidified which were comparable or higher than that of Nafion 211 (150 mS/cm). The morphology of membranes was investigated by transmission electron microscopy which demonstrated a clear hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase separation with spherical ionic clusters in the size range of 5-20 nm. The SFC3-1.97 single fuel cell performance demonstrates the maximum power density at 1.08W/cm², and Nafion 211 was 1.24W/cm² as a reference in this work. The result indicated that SFC3-X are good candidates for proton exchange membranes in fuel cell applications. Fuel cell of other membranes is under testing.

Keywords: fuel cells, polyelectrolyte, proton exchange membrane, sulfonated polymers

Procedia PDF Downloads 453

Authors: Sheng-Long Lee, Tse-An Pan

Abstract:

In this study, an optical microscope (OM), electron microscope (SEM), electrical conductivity meter (% IACS), hardness test, and wear test were subjected to analyze the microstructure of the wrought Al-11Si-3Cu-0.5Mg alloys. The effect of eutectic silicon morphology and alloy hardness on wear properties was investigated. The results showed that in the cast state, the morphology of eutectic silicon modified by strontium and antimony is lamellar and finer fibrous structure. After homogenization, the eutectic Si modified by Sr coarsened, and the eutectic Si modified by Sb refined due to fragmentation. The addition of modifiers, hot rolling, and solution aging treatment can control eutectic silicon morphology and hardness. The finer eutectic silicon and higher hardness have better wear resistance. During the wearing process, a protective oxide layer, also known as Mechanical Mixed Layer (MML), is formed on the surface of the alloy. The MML has higher stability and cracking resistance in Sr-modified alloys than in Sb-modified alloys. The study found that the wearing behavior of Al-11Si-3Cu-0.5Mg alloy was enhanced by the combination of adding Sr with lower solution time and T6 peak aging.

Keywords: Al-Si-Cu-Mg alloy, eutectic silicon, heat treatment, wear property

Procedia PDF Downloads 79

Authors: E. Ateia, L. M. Salah, A. H. El-Bassuony

Abstract:

Physical properties of nanocrystalline Ni1-xZnxCryFe2-yO4, (x=0.3, 0.5 and y=0.0, 0.1) with estimated crystallite size of 16.4 nm have been studied. XRD pattern of all prepared systems shows that, the nanosamples without Cr3+ have a cubic spinel structure with the appearance of small peaks designated as a secondary phase. Magnetic constants such as saturation magnetization, (MS) remanent magnetization (Mr) and coercive field (Hc) were obtained and reported. The obtained data shows that, the addition of Cr3+ (0.1mol) decreases the saturation magnetization. This is due to the decrease of magnetic moment of Cr3+ ion (3.0 μB) with respect to Fe3+ ion (5.85 μB). The electrical properties of the investigated samples were also investigated.

Keywords: electrical conductivity, ferrites, grain size, sintering

Procedia PDF Downloads 289

Authors: Abhijit Pattnayak, Abhijith N.V, Deepak Kumar, Jayant Jain, Vijay Chaudhry

Abstract:

Hard and dense ceramic coatings deposited on the surface provide the ideal solution to the poor tribological properties exhibited by some popular stainless steels like EN-36, 17-4PH, etc. These steels are widely used in nuclear, fertilizer, food processing, and marine industries under extreme environmental conditions. The present study focuses on the development of Al₂O₃-CeO₂-rGO-based coatings on the surface of 17-4PH steel using High-Velocity Oxygen Flame (HVOF) thermal spray process. The coating is developed using an oxyacetylene flame. Further, we report the physical (Density, Surface roughness, Surface energetics), Metallurgical (Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman), Mechanical (Hardness(Vickers and Nano Hard-ness)), Tribological (Wear, Scratch hardness) and Chemical (corrosion) characterization of both As-sprayed coating and the Substrate (17-4 PH steel). The comparison of the properties will help us to understand the microstructure-property relationship of the coating and reveal the necessity and challenges of such coatings.

Keywords: thermal spray process, HVOF, ceramic coating, hardness, wear, corrosion

Procedia PDF Downloads 94