Soluble and colorless polyimides with polyalicyclic structures [1]

Two tetracarboxylic dianhydrides with polyalicyclic structure, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2-endo, 3-endo, 5-exo, 6-exo-2,3:5,6-dianhydride (5a) and the all-exo isomer (5b), were synthesized in six steps using phthalic acid as a starting material. The dianhydrides were polymerized at 85–105°C in well-purified DMAc with aromatic diamines which were purified by two recrystallizations and then sublimation. The polyimides formed flexible and tough films, and were soluble in aprotic polar solvents such as DMAc. The 5%-weight loss temperatures were over 450°C. The polyimides possessed glass-transition temperatures in the range from 211 to 385°C. The polyimides films had a tensile modulus range of 1.5–2.6 GPa, a tensile strength range of 52–96 MPa, and an elongation range at break of 3–11%. The polyimide films showed cutoffs at wavelengths shorter than 320 nm and were entirely colorless. The colorlessness of the polyimide films was maintained up to 200°C when heated in air and to 400°C in a N₂ atmosphere.     

Preparation of porous carbons from thermoplastic precursors and their performance for electric double layer capacitors

Porous carbons with high surface area were successfully prepared from thermoplastic precursors, such as poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), hydroxyl propyl cellulose and poly(ethylene terephthalate), by the carbonization of a mixture with MgO at 900 °C in an inert atmosphere. After carbonization the MgO was dissolved out using a diluted sulfuric acid and the carbons formed were isolated. The mixing of the PVA carbon precursor with the MgO precursors (reagent grade MgO, magnesium acetate or citrate) was done either in powder form or in an aqueous solution. The BET surface area of the carbons obtained via solution mixing could reach a very high value, such as 2000 m²/g, without any activation process. The pore structure of the resultant carbons was found to depend strongly on the mixing method; the carbons prepared via solution mixing were rich in mesopores, but those produced via powder mixing were rich in micropores. The size of mesopores was found to be almost the same as that of the MgO particles, suggesting a way of controlling the mesopore size in the resultant carbons. Measurement of capacitance was carried out in 1 mol/L H₂SO₄ electrolyte. The porous carbon with a BET surface area of 1900 m²/g prepared at 900 °C through solution mixing of Mg acetate with PVA showed a fairly high EDLC capacitance, about 250 F/g with a current density of 20 mA/g and 210 F/g with 1000 mA/g. The rate performance was closely related to the mesoporous surface area.     

Microstructural Analysis and Photocatalytic Activity of Plasma-Sprayed Titania-Hydroxyapatite Coatings

Hydroxyapatite (HAp Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂) is known to be a biomaterial and an adsorbent for chromatography. In this study, HAp was agglomerated with anatase TiO₂ to manufacture thermal-spray powders to improve the adsorption activity of TiO₂, and then to improve its photocatalytic activity. The microstructures, compositions and photocatalytic activity of plasma-sprayed TiO₂, TiO₂-10%HAp, TiO₂-30%HAp, and HAp coatings were investigated. Due to the low thermal conductivity of HAp compound, not all HAp particles fully melted even under the arc current of 800 A. The addition of HAp inhibited the phase transformation of anatase TiO₂ to rutile. Under the arc current of 600 A, the anatase content in the TiO₂, TiO₂-10%HAp and TiO₂-30%HAp coatings was 11, 20 and 42%, respectively. With the increasing of the spraying distance from 70 to 110 mm, the anatase content in the TiO₂-30%HAp coatings decreased from 34 to 17% under arc current of 700 A. Furthermore, a slight decomposition of HAp to α-Ca₃(PO₄)₂ was found in the TiO₂-30%HAp coatings, it did not decompose to CaO and P₂O₅ according to the XRD and EDAX analysis. The addition of the secondary gas of helium had no significant influence on the melting state of the TiO₂-HAp feedstock powders. Moreover, the HAp in the TiO₂-10%HAp and TiO₂-30%HAp coatings had adsorption characteristic to acetaldehyde. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂-10%HAp coating was highest among TiO₂, TiO₂-10%HAp, and TiO₂-30%HAp coatings sprayed under the arc current of 600 A for the optimum adsorption property and anatase content. This article is an invited paper selected from presentations at the 2007 International Thermal Spray Conference and has been expanded from the original presentation. It is simultaneously published in Global Coating Solutions, Proceedings of the 2007 International Thermal Spray Conference, Beijing, China, May 14-16, 2007, Basil R. Marple, Margaret M. Hyland, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Chang-Jiu Li, Rogerio S. Lima, and Ghislain Montavon, Ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2007.     

Masking model for accurate colorimetric characterization of LCD

Abstract— A color management system (CMS) such as ICC profile or sRGB space have been proposed for color transformation and reproduction of cross media. In such a CMS, accurate colorimetric characterization of a display device plays a critical role in achieving device‐independent color reproduction. In the case of a CRT, colorimetric characterization based on a GOG model is accurate enough for this purpose. However, there is no effective counterpart in liquid‐crystal displays (LCDs) since the characterization of an LCD has many difficulties, such as channel interaction and non‐constancy of channel chromaticity. In this paper, a new method of display characterization is proposed which is applicable to the assessment of color reproduction of LCDs. The proposed method characterizes an electro‐optical transfer function considering both channel interaction and non‐constancy of channel chromaticity. Experimental results show that the proposed method is very effective in the colorimetry of LCDs.     

Shape from Shading with Interreflections Under a Proximal Light Source: Distortion-Free Copying of an Unfolded Book

We address the problem of recovering the 3D shape of an unfolded book surface from the shading information in a scanner image. This shape-from-shading problem in a real world environment is made difficult by a proximal, moving light source, interreflections, specular reflections, and a nonuniform albedo distribution. Taking all these factors into account, we formulate the problem as an iterative, non-linear optimization problem. Piecewise polynomial models of the 3D shape and albedo distribution are introduced to efficiently and stably compute the shape in practice. Finally, we propose a method to restore the distorted scanner image based on the reconstructed 3D shape. The image restoration experiments for real book surfaces demonstrate that much of the geometric and photometric distortions are removed by our method.     

Stress distribution of coated film with a range of coated film thickness and elastic properties under a single EHL operating condition

In recent years, the techniques improving sliding performances have progressed by using coated films possessing superior tribological properties, to reduce the failures of the mechanical elements. Those techniques are often used under severe conditions such as elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). In this paper, numerical three-dimensional analysis of the maximum shear stress applied into the coated film and substrate under a single EHL operating condition was performed with a range of coated film thickness and elastic properties. The strength of coated film as one of those techniques was evaluated numerically, resulting in an optimum design of coated film. As a result, coated films with a larger value of thickness and a smaller modulus of elasticity than that of substrate are preferable.     

Micro Textures in Concentrated-Conformal-Contact Lubrication: Effect of Distribution Patterns

Micro-scale textures may be engineered into surfaces for lubrication performance improvement. It is expected that a carefully chosen texture helps retain lubricant and enhances the hydrodynamic effect at the interface. The concept of model-based virtual texturing enables textured surfaces to be generated and “tested” through numerical simulations. This paper reports virtual texturing and simulation of a group of textured surfaces in a lubricated concentrated contact. The focus of the study is on the selection of texture distribution patterns based on their lubrication performance. Patterns of fishbone, sinusoidal, triangular, and honeycomb distributions have been investigated. The effects of texture direction, orientation angle, feature continuity, and aspect ratio are also studied. The results indicate that, for the given material and geometry system under the given conditions in the present work, the textures generating the strongest hydrodynamic lifting are short grooves with a small aspect ratio and sinusoidal waves of a small wavelength/amplitude ratio propagating in the motion direction.     

Package Design of Ready-to-Drink Coffee Beverages Based on Food <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kansei</Emphasis> Model—Effects of Straw and Cognition Terms on Consumer’s Pleasantness

To design a consumer-oriented package that complements the taste and aroma of ready-to-drink chilled-cup coffee beverages by using the food kansei model, the effects of the diameter and the color of drinking straws as well as the cognition terms of coffee on consumer sensory characteristics and preferences were investigated. Variance and factor analyses of the sensory scores for chilled-cup coffee with milk and sugar using straws of different diameters, as rated by consumer panelists, extracted two perceived factors (F1, contribution ratio 36.5%, and F2, 28.6%). A two-dimensional plot of the average F1 and F2 scores of 123 panelists showed that the perceived characteristics of the same taste and aroma varied according to the straw diameter. An image investigation of different straw colors and another sensory evaluation using “black,” “brown,” and “green” straws were also performed. A principal component analysis of the image data revealed that the sensory characteristics of coffee with milk and sugar were imaged from the straw color. The second evaluation suggested that the images of straw colors affected the sensory characteristics. In addition, cluster and multiple-comparison analyses of Internet research data from consumers regarding the cognition terms for coffee exhibited three clusters representing the cognitive characteristics of terms by consumers and by developers and the differences of attractiveness degree on the cognition terms due to the consumers’ personal attributes. These studies provide useful information for the development of packages of chilled-cup coffee beverages.     

Mechanical behavior of a single polymer chain in a non-solvent

Mechanical properties of a single polystyrene chain in mixtures of dioxane and methanol were measured with AFM. The effect of the solubility of the surrounding liquid on mechanical behavior of a polymer chain was examined. In good and Θ solvents, the force-extension curves exhibit a freely jointed chain (FJC)-like trend with good reproducibility. In a non-solvent, the profile of force-extension curve was dependent on the extension speed: an FJC-like nature emerged at the lower speed of 200 nm/s while saw-toothed curves were obtained at the higher speed of 2000 nm/s. The shape of saw-toothed curves varied from measurement to measurement. A force relaxation was also observed in the non-solvent under a fixed extension distance after 2000 nm/s extension. The mechanical behavior in non-solvents suggests that inhomogeneous deformation of a PS chain occurs due to reduction of the chain mobility.