Microscale wear of vitrified abrasive materials

The study of bonding hard materials such as aluminium oxide and cubic boron nitride (cBN) and the nature of interfacial cohesion between these materials and glass is very important from the perspective of high precision grinding. Vitrified grinding wheels are typically used to remove large volumes of metal and to produce components with very high tolerances. It is expected that the same grinding wheel be used for both rough and finish machining operations. Therefore, the grinding wheel, and in particular its bonding system, is expected to react differently to a variety of machining operations. In order to maintain the integrity of the grinding wheel, the bonding system that is used to hold abrasive grains in place will react differently to forces that are placed on individual bonding bridges. This paper examines the role of vitrification heat treatment on the development of strength between abrasive grains and bonding bridges, and the nature of fracture and wear in vitrified grinding wheels that are used for precision grinding applications.     

Electrophoretic deposition of monochrome and color phosphor screens for information displays

This paper reviews our research on the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of phosphors for the processing of monochromatic and color screens for information displays. Our investigation began with the study of the fundamentals of the EPD process for phosphors. The processing variables which enhance the adhesion strength of phosphor deposits were determined. The optical performance of phosphors deposited by EPD was shown to be not affected by the process itself nor by the conditions which enhance phosphor adhesion. Processes developed to produce high-resolution color screens by combining EPD and photolithography techniques are described. Also, a method to electrophoretically deposit phosphor in a thermo-reversible gel from mixtures of poly(butyl methacrylate) and isopropanol was examined.     

Sensors for chemicals based on electrically conductive immiscible HIPS/TPU blends containing carbon black

Carbon Black (CB)-containing immiscible polymer blends based on high-impact polystyrene/thermoplastic polyurethane (HIPS/TPU) were studied as sensing materials for an homologous series of alcohols, including, methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol. The studied immiscible blend was designed to exhibit a double-continuity structure i.e., the CB particles form chain-like network structures within the TPU phase, which forms a continuous phase within the HIPS matrix. Extruded HIPS/TPU/CB filaments produced by a capillary rheometer process at various shear rate levels were used for the sensing experiments. All filaments displayed a selective resistance changes upon exposure to the various alcohols combined with reproducibility and recovery behaviour. An attempt is made to identify the dominant mechanisms controlling the sensing process in a CB-containing immiscible polymer blend characterized by a double-continuity structure. The distinct structure and composition of the HIPS/TPU interphase region were found to have a crucial role in the sensing mechanism, determining the selectivity of the filaments toward the studied alcohols. Additionally, the sensing performance of HIPS/TPU/CB system is compared to recent results for TPU/CB compounds, polypropylene/TPU/CB and HIPS/ethylene vinyl acetate/CB immiscible polymer blends.     

High speed propulsion: Performance advantage of advanced materials

High-speed air breathing propulsion systems have many attractive military and civil applications. The high propulsive efficiency of these systems allows the exploitation of speed, distance, and bigger payloads, or any combination of the three. The severe operating conditions of these systems require particular attention to overall thermal management of the engine/air-frame. Fuel-cooling the engine structure is a viable way of maintaining thermal balance over a range of flight conditions. Air Force applications have focused on using endothermic hydrocarbon fuels to address this issue because of their compatibility with the military operations. Recent ground tests of scramjet engines have demonstrated adequate performance utilizing state-of-the-art technology in materials. This progress has paved the way for an expendable flight test vehicle in the near future. In order to take full advantage of the capabilities of this propulsion system, advances in fuel-cooled structures, high temperature un-cooled materials, and increased heat capacity of hydrocarbon fuels will be needed to enable expendable systems to reach higher Mach numbers. An additional benefit would be realized in future reusable systems.