Damage detection in composite materials using deflectometry,a full-field slope measurement technique

This paper presents a method for detecting damage in layered composite materials using a simple measurement technique, deflectometry. The aim is to locate the damage in a specimen and provide a “signature” in the form of surface slopes. The first part of the paper presents the experimental procedure: material, lay-up and sample types, then the set-up and data extraction are detailed followed by the finite element (FE) models. Finally the results are presented and commented.     

Investigation of the action patterns of pectinmethylesterase isoforms through kinetic analyses and NMR spectroscopy. Implications In cell wall expansion

Well characterized pectin samples were incubated with cell wall-bound and -solubilized pure isoforms of pectinmethylesterase from mung bean hypocotyls (Vigna radiata). Both enzyme activity and average product structure were determined at intervals along the deesterification pathway at pH 5.6 and 7.6. The latter analyses were performed by 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the degree of esterification was probed by both 13C NMR and potentiometric measurements. A dichotomy was observed in the behavior of the alpha and gamma isoforms when compared with that of the beta isoenzyme. Ideal blockwise deesterification mechanisms reproduced the experimental average structures (methylester distribution) throughout the course of the reaction. In the case of the alpha and gamma isoforms, a single chain mechanism associated with a free carboxyl group at the second nearest neighbor position could be postulated at pH 5.6, whereas some multiple attack character was required to reproduce the data at pH 7.6. Several mechanisms that differed from the preceding ones were compatible with the data for the beta isoform at the two pH values. Both the nature of the polysaccharides produced in these reactions and the role of pectinmethylesterase in the cell wall-stiffening process along the growth gradient are discussed.     

Notch Root Oxide Formation During Fatigue of Polycrystalline Silicon Structural Films

This paper investigates the fatigue behavior of n⁺-type 2-mum- thick polycrystalline silicon films that exhibit an initially thin (~2-3 nm) native oxide layer. The testing of kilohertz-frequency resonators provided accurate stress-life fatigue data at 30 and 50% relative humidity (RH) in the low (< 10⁶)and high (up to 10¹¹) cycle regimes. Long fatigue life specimens were associated with larger decreases in the natural frequency of the resonator and very smooth failure origins (at the notch) that encompassed several grains. Additional testing at various humidity levels highlighted the critical influence of humidity on the fatigue damage accumulation rate, which was measured via changes in the natural frequency. Finally, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) characterized the formation of a nanometer-scale oxygen-rich reaction layer during cyclic loading. Although AES revealed a thin 2-3-nm initial oxide layer on a control specimen, measurements on a long-life fatigued specimen revealed an increased oxygen concentration over the first 10 nm of the material at the notch root. These findings demonstrate that the reaction-layer fatigue mechanism for silicon structural films operates even when reaction layers are initially very thin.     

Investigation of the 2D assumption in the image‐based inertial impact test

The image‐based inertial impact (IBII) test has shown promise for measuring properties of composites at strain rates where existing test methods become unreliable due to inertial effects (> 10² s^?1 ). Typically, the IBII tests are performed with a single camera, and therefore, to use surface measurements for material property identification, it is necessary to assume that the test is two‐dimensional. In this work, synchronised ultra‐high‐speed cameras are used to quantify the relevance of this assumption when nonuniform, through‐the‐thickness loading is applied to interlaminar samples. Initial experiments revealed that an angular misalignment of approximately 1° between the impact faces of the waveguide and projectile created a bending wave that propagated along the sample behind the axial pulse. Even under these conditions, consistent measurements of stiffness were made by assuming a linear distribution of the behaviour through‐the‐thickness. When the misalignment was reduced to 0.2°, the effects on single‐sided measurements were significantly reduced. The two alignment cases were compared to show that three‐dimensional loading had a small effect on stiffness identification (approximately 5% bias) relative to failure stress (approximately 30% bias). This study highlights the importance of impact alignment for reliable characterisation of the interlaminar failure stress and was used to establish guidelines for diagnosing loading issues from single‐sided measurements.     

Common pattern of gene expression in response to hypoxia or cadmium in the gills of the European glass eel (Anguilla anguilla)

European eel (Anguilla anguilla) populations are in decline. Glass eel recruitment has fallen 10-fold since the early 1980s. Estuaries play a fundamental role in the life history of eels because glass eels must pass through them to reach freshwater ecosystems. Unfortunately, because of their geographical position at the upstream basin slopes, estuaries accumulate metals like cadmium and are important sites of hypoxia events. In this context, we studied the effect of the oxygen level on the ventilation of the glass eel. In parallel, glass eels were submitted to different dissolved cadmium concentrations (0, 2, and 10 microg L(-1)) under two oxygen levels (normoxia PO2 = 21 kPa and Hypoxia PO2 = 6 kPa). The expression level of various genes involved in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, in the cellular response to metal and oxidative stresses, was investigated. Our results showed that hypoxia enhances (1) ventilation of the postlarval stage and (2) Cd accumulation in gills only at the lowest metal water concentration tested (2 microg Cd L(-1)). At the gene level, Cd exposure mimics the effect of hypoxia since we observed a decrease in expression of genes involved in the respiratory chain and in the defense against oxidative stress.     

Investigation of the low-cycle fatigue mechanism for micron-scale monocrystalline silicon films

This study investigated the cyclic and static fatigue properties of 10 μm thick, deep reactive ion etched, monocrystalline silicon films. Stress–life fatigue curves and fatigue degradation rates vs. stress curves were generated at both 4 and 40 kHz, at 30 °C, 50% relative humidity (RH). A significant frequency effect was observed, with shorter fatigue lives and faster damage accumulation rates at 4 kHz. Static fatigue was also observed with shorter static lifetimes at 80 °C, 90% RH than at 30 °C, 50% RH. Fracture surface evaluation did not reveal any major difference between cyclically and statically fatigued devices. These experimental results confirm that the fatigue of micron-scale silicon is not purely mechanical. The study also proposes a fatigue scenario based on time-dependent subcritical crack growth to account for the low-cycle fatigue regime.     

Effect of DIC Spatial Resolution,Noise and Interpolation Error on Identification Results with the VFM

The use of experimental tests that involve full‐field measurements to characterize mechanical material properties is becoming more widespread within the engineering community. In particular digital image correlation (DIC) on white light speckles is one of the most used tools, thanks to the relatively low cost of the equipment and the availability of dedicated software. Nonetheless the impact of measurement errors on the identified parameters is still not completely understood. To this purpose, in this paper, a simulator able to numerically simulate an experimental test, which involves DIC is presented. The chosen test is the Unnotched Iosipescu test used to identify the orthotropic elastic parameters of composites. Synthetic images are generated and then analysed by DIC. Eventually the obtained strain maps are used to identify the elastic parameters with the Virtual Fields Method (VFM). The numerical errors propagating through the simulation procedure are carefully characterized. Besides, the simulator is used to compare the performances of DIC and the grid method in the identification process with the VFM. Finally, the influence of DIC settings on the identification error is studied as a function of the camera digital noise level, in order to find the best testing configuration.