The hot blow forming of AZ31 Mg sheet: Formability assessment and application development

The hot blow forming of magnesium sheet offers significant opportunity for forming complex, lightweight parts for automotive applications. This paper characterizes the elevated-temperature formability of AZ31 magnesium sheet materials and the effect of processing conditions on the performance of these materials. In addition, magnesium sheet application development at General Motors Corporation is reviewed.     

Simulation of Strength Distribution in Ground Ceramics by Incorporating Residual Stress Effect

Strength of ground ceramics may be affected by residual stress as well as surface flaws induced by grinding. Strength prediction for ground ceramics is convenient for mechanical design of ceramic components. In this article, a numerical procedure based on fracture mechanics was proposed to estimate strength distribution of ground ceramics by considering grinding-induced residual stress. Bending strength and residual stress of ground ceramics were measured for three grinding-conditions. By comparison of simulated results with experimental ones, it was revealed that strength characteristics in experiments were well simulated by using the proposed procedure.     

Poly(butylene terephthalate)–clay nanocomposites prepared by melt intercalation: morphology and thermomechanical properties

Nanocomposites based on poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and an organoclay (Cloisite 30B) were prepared by melt blending using a twin‐screw extruder. Two kinds of PBTs, ie PBT‐A and PBT‐B, with different inherent viscosities (η_inh), were used for this study (η_inh of PBT‐A and PBT‐B were 0.74 and 1.48, respectively). Dispersion of the clay layers in the PBT nanocomposites was characterized by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Tensile and dynamic mechanical properties and non‐isothermal crystallization temperatures of the nanocomposites were also examined. Nanocomposites based on the higher‐viscosity PBT (PBT‐B) showed a higher degree of exfoliation of the clay and a higher reinforcing effect when compared to the composites based on the lower‐viscosity PBT (PBT‐A). The clay nanolayers dispersed in PBT matrices lead to increases in the non‐isothermal crystallization temperatures of the PBTs, with such increases being more significant for the PBT‐B nanocomposites than for the PBT‐A nanoocomposites. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Holographic polymer‐dispersed liquid crystal fabrication under electric field

The transmission mode of holographic polymer‐dispersed liquid crystals (HPDLCs) was developed an under electric field. It is reported that orientation of LC molecules under an electric field induces orientation of oligomer molecules giving rise to low off‐state diffraction and small grating shrinkage. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

A simple handling technique for mammalian oocytes and embryos during preparation for transmission electron microscopy

Due to their small size, mammalian oocytes and embryos pose unique problems during preparation for transmission electron microscopy. This paper outlines a method which combines protein embedding with centrifugation to locate the specimens on the face of a Beem capsule mould. This method facilitates both the processing of oocytes with minimal loss and rapid location of the specimens within the block for simultaneous sectioning, staining and examination.     

Synthesis,characterization and ion exchange properties of zirconium(IV) tungstoiodophosphate,a new cation exchanger

Zirconium(IV) tungstoiodophosphate has been synthesized under a variety of conditions. The most chemically and thermally stable sample is prepared by adding a mixture of aqueous solutions of 0·5 mol L⁻¹ sodium tungstate, potassium iodate and 1 mol L⁻¹ orthophosphoric acid to aqueous solution of 0·1 mol L⁻¹ zirconium(IV) oxychloride. Its ion exchange capacity for Na⁺ and K⁺ was found to be 2·20 and 2·35 meq g⁻¹ dry exchanger, respectively. The material has been characterized on the basis of chemical composition, pH titration, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis. The effect on the exchange capacity of drying the exchanger at different temperatures has been studied. The analytical importance of the material has been established by quantitative separation of Pb²⁺ from other metal ions.     

A One-Dimensional Nonlocal Damage-Plasticity Model for Ductile Materials

This paper presents a new 1-D non-local damage-plasticity deformation model for ductile materials. It uses the thermodynamic framework described in Houlsby and Puzrin (2000) and holds, nevertheless, some similarities with Lemaitre’s (1971) approach. A 1D finite element (FE) model of a bar fixed at one end and loaded in tension at the other end is introduced. This simple model demonstrates how the approach can be implemented within the finite element framework, and that it is capable of capturing both the pre-peak hardening and post-peak softening (generally responsible for models instability) due to damage-induced stiffness and strength reduction characteristic of ductile materials. It is also shown that the approach has further advantages of achieving some degree of mesh independence, and of being able to capture deformation size effects. Finally, it is illustrated how the model permits the calculation of essential work of rupture (EWR), i.e. the specific energy per unit cross-sectional area that is needed to cause tensile failure of a specimen.     

Effects of contact shape on biological wet adhesion

Wet adhesion is widely adopted in biological adhesion systems in nature. Wet adhesion is studied in this paper with the focus on the effect of different contact shapes (flat, concave, convex, and ring-like) on the adhesion force. The evolution of the liquid bridge between a fiber tip and substrate during the detaching process shows two transition points. The first transition from the radius-controlled to the contact-angle controlled process is critical to influence the strength and robustness of adhesion. We show that a concave shape is more effective than a flat one, while a convex shape has no advantage. A ring-like contact shape has advantages in a hydrophobic environment and on a rough surface.     

Dye-sensitized solar cell based on nanocrystalline TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> with 3–10 nm in diameter

Nanocrystalline TiO₂ with 3–10 nm in diameter was prepared with a surfactant-template method. Dye-sensitized solar cells were assembled using the prepared nanocrystalline TiO₂ with large surface area and high crystallinity, which achieved significant higher Jsc when compared to cells fabricated with bigger particles of 25 nm in diameter. In the cells with nanocrystalline TiO₂, the sintering temperature drastically affected the conversion performance of the cells.