The effect of atmospheric plasma treatment of recycled carbon fiber at different plasma powers on recycled carbon fiber and its polypropylene composites

To increase the mechanical properties of recycled carbon fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites, recycled carbon fibers (RCF) were subjected to atmospheric plasma treatment at different plasma powers (100, 200, and 300 W). The changes on surface topography and roughness of RCF were examined by atomic force microscopy. Plasma treatment of RCF increased the roughness value of RCF. The variation of surface elemental compositions and tensile strength of RCF were determined by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and tensile test, respectively. Plasma-treated RCF-reinforced PP composites were fabricated using high speed thermo-kinetic mixer. Plasma treatment of RCF at 100 W increased the tensile and flexural strength values of RCF-reinforced PP composites considerably by 17 and 11%, respectively. However, plasma treatment of RCF at higher plasma powers (200 W and 300 W) decreased tensile and flexural strength values of composites because of the etching of RCF. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47131.     

Spring bloom in a hypereutrophic lake, lake Kasumigaura, Japan—II Succession of phytoplankton species

Numerous phytoplankton species in Lake Kasumigaura were shown to comprise the Spring bloom in 1980. The predominant phytoplankton species that appeared during the Spring bloom belonged to 28 genera. A few species among them increased at any time to form a phytoplankton pulse, but the few species of phytoplankters that comprised a phytoplankton pulse did not exclude completely other phytoplankters. During the Spring bloom, one pulse was replaced by another pulse composed of a new grouping of different species. Throughout these replacements by natural selection in the bloom were numerous other species by phytoplankters at levels of abundance somewhat less than those which formed phytoplankton pulse.     

The effect of methyl-tri-n-butylammonium methylsulfate and graphite nanoplates on production of antistatic acrylic polymer

Methyl-tri-n-butylammonium methylsulfate (BIL) was incorporated into acrylic resin to improve antistatic property of acrylic polymer (AP). In order to avoid reduction in the mechanical properties of acrylic film and to reach higher electrical conductivity values, the combination of graphite nanoplates (Gr) and BIL was used. The effects of incorporation of BIL and Gr into AP on UV-blocking properties and UV transmittance data of acrylic films were measured. After 120 days, AP containing 5 wt% BIL and 0.01 wt% Gr, and AP+15 wt% BIL exhibited antistatic property. While BIL incorporation into acrylic resin deteriorated the mechanical properties, 0.01 wt% Gr incorporation increased the tensile strength by 83%.     

The Effect of Y<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Buffer Layer on the Magnetic Properties of Melt-Processed YBCO Superconductor

In this study, two kinds of melt-processed YBCO samples (Y1050-1 and Y1050-2) grown on a buffer layer of Y₂O₃ addition were fabricated. The compacted powders were located on a crucible with Y₂O₃ powder freely poured and a buffer layer of pressed Y₂O₃ to avoid liquid to spread on the furnace plate. The superconducting transition temperature was determined by a standard four-point method at temperatures between 40 and 100 K. The transition temperatures of Y1050-1 and Y1050-2 were found to be 91.6 and 92.9 K at zero magnetic fields, respectively. The magnetization measurements were performed using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) on the same system at 5, 40, and 77 K. The critical current densities for Y1050-1 and Y1050-2 samples were determined to be 6.5×10³ and 5.6×10³ A/cm² at 77 K in zero magnetic fields, respectively. The trapped magnetic field measurements of the samples were performed by using a Hall probe scanning device and a Fe–Nd–B permanent magnet at 77 K. It was found that the trapped magnetic field of the Y1050-1 sample is higher than that of the Y1050-2 sample.     

Highly sensitive molecular detection with swift heavy ions

Various imaging techniques using microbeam have been applied in biology. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is one of the prominent tools for biological imaging; SIMS can provide data on molecular distribution in biological samples smaller than 1 μm. However, conventional SIMS has only low sensitivity for molecular ions; therefore there is a need for beams of more sensitive primary ions. Plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PDMS) is a method using high energy fission fragments from excitation of a ²⁵²Cf source, and it allows ionization of large molecules (typically up to 20 kDa) due to the dense electronic excitation. Although PDMS is not in use today because of the development of soft ionization methods, ionization induced by high energy ion collision still remains the only method which combines high spatial resolution and sensitive detection of large molecules. In this work, the secondary ion yield of amino acid and phospholipid was measured for 6 MeV Cu⁴⁺. The yields were compared to bismuth cluster ions, which achieve relatively high yield. It was confirmed that the swift heavy ion has a couple of hundred times higher yield for large molecules than bismuth cluster ions.     

RF sources for ITER Ion Cyclotron H&CD system

The Ion Cyclotron Heating and Current Drive (IC H&CD) system for ITER will provide 20 MW to the plasma. The associated Radio Frequency (RF) source system has to be compliant with all operation modes foreseen in that frame. Their specifications are fully described in this paper and constraints on IC RF source components are detailed, in particular concerning the final stage tube of the amplifier. Results of tests performed under a collaborative work at the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) facility are presented. Consequences on the procurement process by ITER India (II) are deduced.     

Lateral Inhomogeneity in the Electronic Structure of a Conjugated Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) Thin Film

How annealing influences the morphology of a highly regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (RR‐P3HT) film at the substrate interface as well as the lateral inhomogeneity in the electronic structure of the film are elucidated. Whereas previous studies have reported that high‐molecular‐weight (MW) RR‐P3HT films tend to show low crystallinity even after annealing, it is found that high‐MW RR‐P3HT does show high crystallinity after annealing at high temperature for a long time. Photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy results clearly resolve a considerable lateral inhomogeneity in the morphology of RR‐P3HT film, which results in a variation of the electronic structure depending on the local crystallinity. The PEEM results show how annealing facilitates crystal growth in a high‐MW RR‐P3HT film.     

Nondaily behavior detection monitoring system for elderly people based on bayesian network representation of omnidirectional vision sensor

This paper describes an unusual behavior detection system based on an omnidirectional vision sensor, as one of the important elements in realizing “Sensing and Robotic Support Rooms” for elderly people. Such support rooms are expected to be further developed in the future with advanced abilities to automatically recognize elderly people's actions and behavior patterns, to detect unusual patterns by using sensors, and to support their daily motions by using robotic manipulator control systems. The proposed monitoring system using an omnidirectional vision sensor automatically learns daily behavior patterns and detects unusual behavior patterns and actions by using the Bayesian network approach. The Bayesian network is constructed by using image feature values such as area and center‐of‐gravity values extracted from a captured image sequence, and the respective behavior patterns are represented as conditional probabilities. Unusual behavior patterns can be automatically detected on the basis of the low generation probability values. Experiments based on the investigation of elderly people's typical daily behavior patterns have shown the effectiveness of the proposed system. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 172(3): 42–51, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20990     

Programmed High‐Hole‐Mobility Supramolecular Polymers from Disk‐Shaped Molecules

In this paper a simple, casting solution technique for the preparation of two‐dimensional (2D) arrays of very‐high molecular weight (MW) 1D‐Pc supramolecular inorganic polymers is described. The soluble fluoroaluminium tetra‐tert‐butylphthalocyanine (ttbPcAlF) is synthesized and characterized, which can be self‐assembled to form 2D arrays of very‐high‐MW 1D‐Pc supramolecular inorganic polymers. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) demonstrates that the 1D‐ttbPcAlF, having a cofacial ring spacing of ～0.36 nm and an interchain distance of ～1.7 nm, self‐assembles into 2D‐nanosheets (～140 nm in length, ～20 nm in width, and equivalent to MW of 3.2 × 10⁵ g mol^?1). The film cast from a 1,2‐dichloroethane (DCE) solution shows a minimum hole‐mobility of ～0.3 cm² V^?1 s^?1 at room temperature by flash‐photolysis time‐resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) measurements and a fairly high dark dc‐conductivity of ～1 × 10^?3 S cm^?1.