Prediction of ultrasonic wave velocity in particleboard and fiberboard

Ultrasonic wave velocities were determined at parallel and perpendicular to manufacturing direction and at the interval angles of 15° in clockwise and counterclockwise directions of particleboard and fiberboard. The experimental results were compared with the predicted values using some empirical formulae such as Hankinson and Jacoby equations. The results showed that the ultrasonic wave velocity were the highest in parallel direction in particleboard and fiberboard and decreases with increase of angle and the lowest values occurred in perpendicular direction. The predicted ultrasonic velocity using Hankinson and Jacoby equations are in close agreement with the measured values. Relationship between ultrasonic wave velocities and particles and fibers angle could be successfully presented by cubic and quadratic regression equations as well.     

Preparation of gold nanoparticles (GNP) aqueous suspensions by a new method involving Tiron

A new method is proposed to produce gold nanoparticles (GNP) by in situ reduction of a gold salt dissolved in water. The reducing agent used is Tiron instead of the citrate anion most often mentioned in literature. The influence of various parameters has been investigated, such as the content of Tiron with respect to that of the precursor of gold HAuCl₄, or the initial pH of the solution after mixing of reactants. It is shown that Tiron also exerts a positive influence as a dispersant, which impedes agglomeration of gold nanoparticles. The typical average size of GNP synthesized in the present work is close to 7 nm.     

Stimulation of negative magnetoresistance by an electric field and light in silicon doped with boron and manganese

It is experimentally ascertained that light stimulates the negative magnetoresistance observed in a high electric field in silicon doped with boron and manganese. The optimum conditions (the electric field, temperature, illumination, and resistivity of the material) for observation of the largest magnitude of negative magnetoresistance in (Si:B):Mn are determined. The dependence of the negative magnetoresistance on the concentration of compensating impurity is established.     

Microwave assisted sintering of CaCu3Ti4O12

CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ electroceramic was prepared by a microwave assisted solid-state reaction technique from CaCO₃, CuO and TiO₂ powders. Processing involved the preparation of raw material, mixing and milling, calcination, pellet forming and sintering processes. Conventional furnace and microwave assisted sintering processes were employed in order to improve phase structures, morphology and dielectric properties of CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ ceramics. Surface and fracture FESEM analysis showed that the microwave assisted sintered CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ produced better densification and more uniform grain size compared to the conventional sintered sample.     

The stress intensity factors for a short crack partially penetrating an inclusion of arbitrary shape

Some approximate solutions for predicting the stress intensity factor of a short crack penetrating an inclusion of arbitrary shape have been developed under mode I and mode II loading conditions. The derivation of the fundamental formula is based on the transformation toughening theory. The transformation strains in the inclusion are induced by the crack-tip field and remotely applied stresses, and approximately evaluated by the Eshelby equivalent inclusion theory. As validated by detailed finite element (FE) analyses, the developed solutions have good accuracy for different inclusion shape and for a wide range of modulus ratio between inclusion and matrix material.     

An overview of nondestructive evaluation methods

ondestructive evaluation is described as nondestructive testing (NDT), nondestructive inspection (NDI), and nondestructive examination (NDE). The activities associated with the evaluation include testing, inspection, and examination and primarily involve looking at (or through) and/or measuring some characteristic of an object. Frequently there is a desire to determine some characteristic of the object or to determine whether the object contains irregularities, discontinuities, or flaws. These examinations, inspections, or tests are used to determine the physical soundness of a material without impairing its usefulness. Nondestructive evaluation is a powerful tool that can help assure safety, quality, and reliability; increase productivity; decrease liability; protect the environment; and save money. In this article, nondestructive evaluation is represented by the acronym NDE.     

Influence of the preparation conditions on the size and morphology of nanocrystalline lanthanum orthoferrite

Nanocrystalline LaFeO₃ is prepared by the dehydration of coprecipitated lanthanum and iron(III) hydroxides. It is shown that the behavior of the samples during heating and the size distribution of LaFeO₃ nanocrystals can be considerably different depending on the scheme used for coprecipitation of lanthanum and iron hydroxides; independently of the method employed for coprecipitation of the initial compounds, sintering of the samples at 950°C leads to the formation of lanthanum orthoferrite crystals up to 100 nm in size.