A voltammetric sensor for the detection of 2-aminophenol in the presence of bisphenol A using a carbon paste electrode modified with N-doped reduced graphene oxide/CuO nanocomposite and ionic liquid

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - In present work, a novel and facile electrode was constructed using the modification of carbon paste electrode (CPE) with N-doped reduced...     

The effect of rice bran on physicochemical,textural and glycaemic properties of ready-to-eat extruded corn snacks

In this work, corn extruded snack products were enriched with rice bran (RB) at 10% and 15%. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder was used with a feed moisture content of 16 g 100 g⁻¹, a screw speed of 240 r.p.m. and four heating sections of the barrel (100, 140, 150 and 150 °C). The impact of RB inclusion on nutritional profile, starch digestion, physicochemical and textural properties of snack products was evaluated. RB-enriched extrudates showed a lower specific volume and hardness and higher crispness than control. RB at 15% gave a water-holding capacity lower than control. Rheology of extrudate dispersions indicated an increase in elastic interactions and solid-like behaviour with RB supplementation. Differences in rheological properties resulted in attenuation of predictive glycaemic response for RB-enriched snacks.     

Influence of particle contact models on soil response of poorly graded sand during cavity expansion in discrete element simulation

The discrete element method (DEM) has been extensively adopted to investigate many complex geotechnical related problems due to its capability to incorporate the discontinuous nature of granular materials. In particular, when simulating large deformations or distortion of soil (e.g. cavity expansion), DEM can be very effective as other numerical solutions may experience convergence problems. Cavity expansion theory has widespread applications in geotechnical engineering, particularly to the problems concerning in situ testing, pile installation and so forth. In addition, the behaviour of geomaterials in a macro-level is utterly determined by microscopic properties, highlighting the importance of contact models. Despite the fact that there are numerous contact models proposed to mimic the realistic behaviour of granular materials, there are lack of studies on the effects of these contact models on the soil response. Hence, in this study, a series of three-dimensional numerical simulations with different contact constitutive models was conducted to simulate the response of sandy soils during cylindrical cavity expansion. In this numerical investigation, three contact models, i.e. linear contact model, rolling resistance contact model, and Hertz contact model, are considered. It should be noted that the former two models are linear based models, providing linearly elastic and frictional plasticity behaviours, whereas the latter one consists of nonlinear formulation based on an approximation of the theory of Mindlin and Deresiewicz. To examine the effects of these contact models, several cylindrical cavities were created and expanded gradually from an initial radius of 0.055 m to a final radius of 0.1 m. The numerical predictions confirm that the calibrated contact models produced similar results regarding the variations of cavity pressure, radial stress, deviatoric stress, volumetric strain, as well as the soil radial displacement. However, the linear contact model may result in inaccurate predictions when highly angular soil particles are involved. In addition, considering the excessive soil displacement induced by the pile installation (i.e. cavity expansion), a minimum distance of 11a (a is the cavity radius) is recommend for practicing engineers to avoid the potential damages to the existing piles and adjacent structures.     

Electrical and mechanical properties of BZT − xBCT lead-free piezoceramics

In this study, lead-free (1 − x)Ba(Zr_0.2Ti_0.8)O₃ − x(Ba_0.7Ca_0.3)TiO₃ compositions are synthesized via conventional solid oxide route, and the ceramics are fabricated with normal sintering in air. The effects of composition fluctuations on dielectric, piezoelectric, and mechanical properties are investigated. The phase structure and the microstructure are analyzed with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The best dielectric and piezoelectric properties of ε_r = 11 207 and d₃₃ = 330 pC/N were obtained for BZT−0.35BCT and BZT−0.5BCT ceramics, respectively. The mechanical behavior—in terms of Vickers hardness and compressive and flexural strengths—was investigated, and the best mechanical behavior was found in the vicinity of the phase transition boundary with x values between 0.5 and 0.6.     

Strain‐rate‐dependent mechanical properties of polypropylene separator for lithium‐ion batteries

The mechanical integrity of battery separators is critical for battery safety and durability. A comprehensive study of strain‐rate‐dependent tensile and puncture properties of a polypropylene lithium‐ion battery separator is presented here with a new model. Due to anisotropy of the polymeric membrane, tensile testing was conducted for different directions. Results showed that tensile strength and elastic modulus were increased 1000% and 500%, respectively, for different directions. It was also demonstrated that tensile strength changed 10 to 25% with strain rate (1.67 × 10^?4 to 1.67 × 10^?1 s^?1) for different directions. An equation was obtained for the first time for flow stress versus strain rate at varied tensile directions with respect to machine direction. Moreover, puncture testing was performed and it was shown that puncture strength was increased 140% with increasing strain rate from 0.25 to 250 mm min^?1. Two failure modes were also observed in puncture samples. Finally, Eyring's model was used to calculate activation enthalpy of the porous polypropylene separator. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

An Adaptable and Scalable Generator of Distributed Massive MIMO Baseband Processing Systems

Journal of Signal Processing Systems - This paper presents an algorithm-adaptable, scalable, and platform-portable generator for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) baseband processing...     

Context-driven mean residual life estimation of mining machinery

Maintenance is crucial to ensure production/output and customer satisfaction in the mining sector. The cost of maintenance of mechanised and automated mining systems is very high, necessitating efforts to enhance the effectiveness of maintenance systems and organisation. For effective maintenance planning, it is important to have a good understanding of the reliability and availability characteristics of the systems. Determining the Mean Residual Life (MRL) of systems allows organisations to more effectively plan maintenance tasks. In this paper, we use a statistical approach to estimate MRL and consider a Weibull proportional hazard model (PHM) with time-independent covariates to model the hazard function so that the operating environment could be integrated into the reliability analysis. The paper explains our methods for calculating the conditional reliability function and computing the MRL as a function of the current conditions. The model is verified and validated using data from the hydraulic system of LHD equipment in a Swedish mine. The results are useful to estimate the remaining useful life of such systems; the method can be used for maintenance planning, helping to control unplanned stoppages of highly mechanised and automated systems.     

Co-doping effects of (Al,Ti, Mg) on the microstructure and electrical behavior of ZnO-based ceramics

Co-doped ZnO-based ceramics using Al, Ti, and Mg ions in different ratios were synthesized with the objective to investigate the doping effects on the crystalline features, microstructure and the electrical behavior. For Al and Ti doping, a coexistence of crystalline phases was shown with a major wurtzite ZnO structure and secondary spinel phases (ZnAl₂O₄, Zn₂TiO₄, or Zn_aTi_bAl_cO_d), while Mg doping did not alter significantly the structural features of the wurtzite ZnO phase. The electrical behavior induced by Al, Ti, and Mg co-doping in different ratios was investigated using Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and ²⁷Al and ⁶⁷Zn solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Al doping induces a high electrical conductivity compared to other doping elements. In particular, shallow donors from Zn_i-Al_Zn defect structures are inferred from the characteristic NMR signal at about 185 ppm; that is, quite far from the usual oxygen coordinated Al. The Knight shift effect emanating from a highly conducting Al-doped ZnO ceramics was considered as the origin of this observation. Oppositely, as Ti doping leads to the formation of secondary spinel phases, EPR analysis shows a high concentration of Ti³⁺ ions which limit the electrical conductivity. The correlation between the structural features at the local order, the involved defects and the electrical behavior as function of the doping process are discussed.