Economic effects of regulating the seismic strengthening of older buildings

The marked increase in the awareness of earthquake risk following the Canterbury earthquakes in New Zealand offered a unique opportunity to investigate the economic effect of disaster-mitigation regulations on the commercial building stock. A difference-in-differences (DD) framework was used to determine whether earthquake risk has been capitalized into the property prices of buildings constructed prior to 1976, as a response to the national policy requiring assessment and strengthening (or demolition) of the existing earthquake-prone building stock. A negative externality is found in the policy announcement on affected (pre-1970s) office and retail buildings which caused office buildings to suffer a 12.5% stigma discount. However, retail properties were less impacted suffering a 2.3% stigma loss. The value of the commercial building stock has been affected by the policy. These findings provide policy-makers with timely evidence as to the economic effects of New Zealand’s earthquake-prone buildings policy. Facing losses in property value and financial responsibility for retrofitting their assets, building owners will be looking for a workable set of regulatory and non-regulatory incentives to encourage disaster risk management and protect the built environment.     

抗冲ACR树脂的合成及其性能评价

采用种子乳液聚合法,以丙烯酸丁酯为核层单体、甲基丙烯酸甲酯为壳层单体、甲基丙烯酸烯丙酯为交联剂制备了抗冲ACR树脂。考察了不同加料方式对ACR乳液粒径及对PVC冲击性能的影响,结果表明:连续滴加方式可实现乳液粒径的稳定控制,并能得到性能优异的抗冲ACR树脂。     

A first-principles investigation on mechanical and metallic properties of titanium carbides under pressure

The titanium carbides are potential candidates to achieve both high hardness and refractory property. We carried out a structural search for titanium carbides at three pressures of 0 GPa, 30 GPa and 50 GPa. A phase diagram of the Ti-C system at 0 K was obtained by elucidating formation enthalpies as a function of compositions, and their mechanical and metallic properties of titanium carbides were investigated systematically. We also discussed the relation of titanium concentration to the both mechanical and metallic properties of titanium carbides. It has been found that the average valence electron density and tractility improved at higher concentrations of titanium, while the degree of covalent bonding directionality decreased. To this effect, the hardness of titanium carbide decreases as the content of titanium increases. Our results indicated that the titanium content significantly affected the metallic properties of the Ti-C system.     

Unpatterned Bioactive Poly(Butylene 1,4-Cyclohexanedicarboxylate)-Based Film Fast Induced Neuronal-Like Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Herein, we present poly(butylene 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) (PBCE) films characterized by an unpatterned microstructure and a specific hydrophobicity, capable of boosting a drastic cytoskeleton architecture remodeling, culminating with the neuronal-like differentiation of human bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). We have used two different filming procedures to prepare the films, solvent casting (PBCE) and compression-moulding (PBCE*). PBCE film had a rough and porous surface with spherulite-like aggregations (Ø = 10–20 μm) and was characterized by a water contact angle = 100°. PBCE* showed a smooth and continuous surface without voids and visible spherulite-like aggregations and was more hydrophobic (WCA = 110°). Both surface characteristics were modulated through the copolymerization of different amounts of ether-oxygen-containing co-units into PBCE chemical structure. We showed that only the surface characteristics of PBCE-solvent-casted films steered hBM-MSCs toward a neuronal-like differentiation. hBM-MSCs lost their canonical mesenchymal morphology, acquired a neuronal polarized shape with a long cell protrusion (≥150 μm), expressed neuron-specific class III β-tubulin and microtubule-associated protein 2 neuronal markers, while nestin, a marker of uncommitted stem cells, was drastically silenced. These events were observed as early as 2-days after cell seeding. Of note, the phenomenon was totally absent on PBCE* film, as hBM-MSCs maintained the mesenchymal shape and behavior and did not express neuronal/glial markers.     

三种回生抗性淀粉对米淀粉的冻融与流变性质的影响

研究了添加锥栗、马铃薯与绿豆回生抗性淀粉(RS3)对米淀粉的冻融稳定性与流变学性质的影响。结果表明:添加锥栗、马铃薯与绿豆RS3都能显著提高米淀粉凝胶的持水率,且冻融超过3次后,其影响的差别越来越显著。随着冻融次数增多,米淀粉凝胶中不易流动水明显降低、自由水显著增加;当冻融次数相同时,添加RS3可使米淀粉凝胶中不易流动水明显增多而自由水显著减少。添加锥栗、马铃薯和绿豆RS3后,米淀粉糊的黏性模量明显增加,而弹性模量的增加更加显著。在相同剪切速率下,添加锥栗、马铃薯和绿豆RS3可以使米淀粉糊的抗剪切强度大大增强。添加相同质量浓度的锥栗、马铃薯和绿豆RS3后,米淀粉糊的稠度系数都大大升高、流体指数和滞后环面积显著减小。     

拉深筋对板材变形特征和力学性能的影响研究

采用实验方法将金属板材拉过不同尺寸的拉深筋镶块，分析了拉深筋高度、圆角半径以及过筋次数对板材变形特征的影响规律，研究了过筋产生的预应变对板材后续力学性能的影响规律。结果表明：板材流过拉深筋后，流动方向上发生均匀的拉伸变形；过筋产生的预应变随着拉深筋高度增大而增大，随着圆角半径增大而减小，随着过筋次数增加而近似线性增大；预应变越大，材料后续屈服强度和抗拉强度越高，但后续延伸率越小，总延伸率随着预应变增大表现出先减小后增大的趋势。     

Microstructure evolution during thermomechanical processing in 3Mn-0.1C medium-Mn steel

ABSTRACT

Medium-Mn steels are energetically investigated as a candidate of the third generation advanced high strength steels (AHSSs). However, their phase transformation and microstructaure evolution during various heat treatments and thermomechanical processing are still unclear. The present study first confirmed the kinetics of static phase transformation behaviour in a 3Mn-0.1C medium-Mn steel. Hot compression tests were also carried out to investigate the influence of high-temperature deformation of austenite on subsequent microstructure evolution. It was found that static ferrite transformation was quite slow in this steel, but ferrite transformation was greatly accelerated by the hot deformation in austenite and ferrite two-phase regions. Characteristic dual-phase microstructures composed of martensite and fine-grained ferrite were obtained, which exhibited superior mechanical properties.

This paper is part of a Thematic Issue on Medium Manganese Steels.     

Unique crystal structures and their applications as materials for Li1+x-yM1-x-3yTix+4yO3 (M = Nb or Ta, 0.07 ≤ x ≤ 0.33, 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.175)

In the Li₂O–M₂O₅–TiO₂ (M = Nb or Ta) system, Li_1+x-yM_1-x-3yTi_x+4yO₃ (LMT) forms with a superstructure known as the M-phase, in which the periodical intergrowth layers are inserted in a matrix having a trigonal structure of LiMO₃. We have been investigating this unique material focusing on its crystal structure, photoluminescence, and electrical properties.First, the formation area of the superstructure was compared between Nb- and Ta- systems and the difference was accurately analyzed.Second, to apply this unique material as a host material of phosphor, we synthesized new phosphors with various emission colors. Red phosphor, having a high PL intensity with an internal quantum efficiency of 98%, was successfully synthesized and used as a host material of the solid solution for the Ta system. Its high value was the result of the large centroid-to-cation distance of the Eu³⁺ position in the [(Li, Eu)O₁₂] polyhedral.Further still, toward application of the unique qualities of an electro-ceramic, we successfully fabricated oriented balk ceramics for the Nb system by slip casting in a strong magnetic field of 12 T. As a result, anisotropic electric properties were found along the c-axis, which were caused by the superstructure. We first clarified the mechanism showing that the anisotropic Qf value was due to anisotropic electron conductivity and anisotropic bonding strength within the superstructure.     

废脱硫剂在铁矿烧结中的应用

钢厂煤气脱硫工序排放的废脱硫剂是一种难以利用的有害固体废弃物，含一定量的铁及较高的钙和硫等元素。对废脱硫剂配入铁矿粉中进行了烧结杯的试验研究，结果表明，当废脱硫剂配比超过01%后，随着废脱硫剂配比的升高，烧结矿转鼓强度下降，利用系数下降，烧结烟气中SO2与NOx浓度增加，烧结矿的还原度有所下降，但烧结矿的低温还原粉化性能有所改善。烧结矿的矿相研究发现，废脱硫剂配比偏大时，磁铁矿体积分数增大，铁酸钙体积分数减少，并由针状结构向柱状、板状演变，烧结矿的气孔率上升。主要原因在于其粒度偏粗，含硫高，不利于成矿。当废脱硫剂粒度为-63mm及其配比控制在01%时，烧结矿的产量和质量有所改善，烟气中SO2、NOx较基准试验变化不大。工业试验表明，在烧结混匀矿中配入废脱硫剂配比小于012%时，烧结矿产量和质量没有明显变化，烧结烟气脱硫脱硝效果也没有受到影响。废脱硫剂掺入铁矿中进行烧结是一种资源化利用的有效方法，不仅解决了有害固体废弃物对环境的影响，而且使二次资源得到综合利用。     

高强度大桥缆索用盘条生产现状分析

最近5年，大桥缆索用镀锌钢丝抗拉强度有了大幅提高，从1 770 MPa级、1 860 MPa级、1 960 MPa级到目前的2 000 MPa及以上级别，扭转指标有了颠覆性的改变，从之前的几转到目前的十几转、二十几转。论述了国内外钢铁企业生产大桥缆索镀锌钢丝用盘条的不同现状。从成分设计、生产工艺流程、盘条韧化处理方式和组织特点等方面进行阐述，讨论了国内外不同生产工艺特点及发展趋势，为中国大桥缆索镀锌钢丝用盘条的生产提供理论支持。