Stress relaxation in hot-drawn low density polyethylene

The tensile stress relaxation behaviour of hot-drawn low density polyethylene, (LDPE), has been investigated at room temperature at various draw ratios. The drawing was performed at 85° C. The main result was an increase in relaxation rate in the draw direction, especially at low draw ratios when compared to the relaxation behaviour of the isotropic material. This is attributed to a lowering of the internal stress. The position of the relaxation curves along the log time axis was also changed as a result of the drawing, corresponding to a shift to shorter times. The activation volume, , varied with the initial effective stress ₀ ^* according to ₀ ^* 10kT, where ₀ ^* =₀ — _i, is the difference between the applied initial stress, ₀, and the internal stress _i. This result supports earlier findings relating to similarities in the stress relaxation behaviour of different solids.     

Absence of Phase-Fluctuation Contribution to the Low-Frequency Optical Conductivity in d-Wave Superconductors at Zero Temperature

The behavior of the low-frequency optical conductivity _reg() in superconducting cuprates is, at the present, an open and interesting issue. In particular, since the zero-temperature and zero-frequency limit of _reg() attains a value much larger than the universal value expected within a self-consistent T-matrix calculation, an intriguing possibility is that the collective mode can also contribute to _reg(). By taking into account the effect of dissipation on the collective mode in a d-wave superconductor, we evaluate the phase-fluctuation contribution to _reg(0) within the formalism of the phase-only action. We show that even though the collective mode contributes to _reg() at finite frequencies, approaching the zero-temperature and zero-frequency regime the corrections at _reg() due to phase fluctuations vanish.     

Distribution characteristics of mechanical properties and correlation between the respective properties on S35C carbon steel

Mechanical properties of tensile strength, , upper yield stress, _SU, lower yield stress, _SL elongation, , area reduction, , Vickers hardness, H _v, and impact absorbed energy, E, were examined using 50 specimens of S35C carbon steel, which were machined from two bars supplied from the same charged and heat-treated material. Distribution characteristics of these properties are discussed, and the correlation between each pair of them is investigated from a statistical viewpoint. The main conclusions obtained are summarized as follows; distribution characteristics of _B, _SL, , , H _v and E are well approximated by a normal distribution, but those of asu are not approximated as well by this type of distribution. In the latter case, a Weibull distribution is preferable to represent the distribution pattern. No significant correlation was observed between each pair of the above mechanical properties. Consequently, individual properties have the inherent distribution characteristics independent of the other properties.     

Singularity parametersε andκ for interface cracks in transversely isotropic piezoelectric bimaterials

Two parameters, and (Suo et al., 1992), are of key importance in fracture mechanics of piezoelectric material interfaces. In this paper, it is shown, for any transversely isotropic piezoelectric (TIP) bimaterial, that one of the two parameters and always vanishes but the other one remains non-zero. Physically, it means that the non-oscillating crack-tip generalized stress field singularity exists for some TIP bimaterials (with vanishing ). Consequently, TIP bimaterials can be classified into two classes: one with vanishing performed crack tip generalized stress field oscillating singularity and the other one with vanishing is independent from the oscillating singularity. Some numerical results for and are given too.     

Examining the temperature dependence of the mechanical properties for materials in large-diameter tubes

Measurements have been made on the mechanical properties of largediameter tubes made of 09G2S, 14G2SAF, and 17G1S steels and on welded joints in them at strain rates of 200 sec^–1 and 113–293 K. Fivefold microspecimens 1.2 mm in diameter have been employed. The parameters have been determined in the temperature-rate dependence of the Yaroshevich yield point, lower brittleness temperature, and fracture resistance as affected by the ferrite diameter. A method is proposed for predicting the brittleness range from the dependence of the notch bottom narrowing B on the generalized parameter = S_f/_y — _t/_i for a Menaget specimen.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 4, pp. 43–50, April, 1994.     

Dielectric properties of chemically treated wood

Dielectric properties along the grain for absolutely dried untreated and seven kinds of chemically treated Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) woods were measured. Cole-Cole's circular arc law was applied to the results of the relaxation due to the motions of methylol groups. The following changes were caused by chemical treatments. In polyethylene glycol (PEG) impregnation, the distribution of relaxation times became very narrow, the generalized relaxation time (_m) was considerably decreased, and the relaxation magnitude (₀ – ) was slightly increased. In acetylation, the distribution of relaxation times became very broad, _m was considerably increased, and (₀ – ) was remarkably decreased. In propylene oxide treatment, the distribution of relaxation times became slightly narrow and _m was decreased. _m was slightly decreased in formalization, phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin treatment and wood methyl methacrylate (MMA) composite. (₀ – ) was decreased in formalization and PF-resin treatment and was hardly changed in wood-MMA composite and heat treatment. The distribution of relaxation times was almost unchanged in formalization, PF-resin treatment, wood-MMA composite and heat treatment.     

Crack-tip damaged zones in rubber-toughened amorphous polymers: a micromechanical model

The various stages of crack propagation in rubber-toughened amorphous polymers (onset and arrest, stable and unstable growth) are governed by the rate of energy dissipation in the cracktip damaged zone; hence the relationship between the applied stress intensity factorK ₁ and the damaged zone size is of utmost importance. The size of the crack-tip damaged zone has been related toK ₁ via a parameter which is characteristic of the material in given conditions: this factor is proportional to the threshold stress for damage initiation in a triaxial stress field, and has been denoted by ^*. Theoretical values of ^* have been calculated by means of a micromechanical model involving the derivation of the stresses near the particles and the application of damage initiation criteria. The morphology, average size and volume fraction of the rubbery particles have been taken into account together with the nature of the matrix. The calculated values of ^* have been successfully compared with the experimental ones, for a wide set of high-impact polystyrenes (HIPS) and rubber-toughened poly(methyl methacrylate) (RTPMMA).Nomenclature PS; HIPS polystyrene; high-impact polystyrene - PMMA; RTPMMA poly(methyl methacrylate); rubber-toughened PMMA - MI; CS/H; CS/R particle morphologies (multiple inclusion; hard core - rubber shell; rubber core - rigid shell) - K _r;K _g bulk moduli of rubber and glassy materials - G _r;G _g shear moduli of the same materials - v _p particle volume fraction - L mean centre-to-centre distance between neighbouring particles - B; H; W standard names for the dimensions of the compact tension specimen - R _y size of the crack-tip plastic zone in a homogeneous material - h half thickness of the crack-tip damaged zone - r; polar coordinates around the crack tip (Fig. 1) - r;r _p distance from particle centre; particle radius - p normalized distance from the particle (Equation 5) - K ₁;K _1c;K _1p stress intensity factor; critical values ofK ₁ at the onset of and during crack growth - G _1c plane strain energy release rate - _y yield stress in uniaxial tension - _th macroscopic threshold stress for the onset of local damage initiation in a composite material - ^* characteristic parameter (Equation 3) - ⁰; ₁ ⁰ ; ₂ ⁰ ; ₃ ⁰ applied stress tensor and its three principal stresses - ⁰ uniaxial applied stress - ; ₁; ₂; ₃ local stress tensor and its three principal stresses - A tensor which elements are the ratios of those of over those of ⁰ (Equation 4) - v Poisson's coefficient of the matrix - g triaxiality factor of the crack-tip stress field - _e; _p Mises equivalent stress; dilatational stress (negative pressure) - I ₁;I ₂ invariants of the stress tensor - U ₁;U ₂ material parameters for argon and Hannoosh's craze initiation criterion (Equation 12)     

The influence of brittle boundary layers on the strength of fibrous metallic composites

The brittle boundary layers often caused during the production of composites or by their treatment at higher temperatures, may change the mechanical properties. On the steel wire/aluminium system the growth of the intermetallic boundary phase and its influence on the strength of the composite were investigated. Hence followed a maximum strength at small layer thicknesses. By means of fracture investigations new models were developed which allow the calculation of the dependence of strength behaviour on layer thickness.List of symbols E _f Young's modulus of fibre - E _b Young's modulus of boundary layer - _c external load - _f tensile stress in the fibre - _m tensile stress in the matrix - _b tensile stress in the boundary layer - _uc,f,b ultimate strength of the composite, the fibre or the boundary layer, respectively - averaged stress in the fibre - _bf shear stress in the boundary layer-fibre interface - ₀ shear strength of the boundary layer-fibre-interface - _uf ultimate strain of the fibre - fraction of the layer which has grown into the matrix - Weibull parameter - ^–1 characteristic length of stress transfer between fibre and boundary layer - d diameter of the boundary layer - 2l length of the boundary layer segments - r _f fibre radius - u(x) displacement field - v _{f, b,m} volume fraction of fibres, boundary layer or matrix respectively.     

Dependence of helium II viscosity properties on oscillation frequency

The causes of a discrepancy in the results of measurements of He II viscosity below T 1.6 k obtained with different measurement methods are investigated. It is shown that to obtain correct results in oscillation experiments, the condition _ph should obtain, where is the depth of viscous wave penetration and _ph is the phonon free path length. Results of viscosity measurements at different ratios /_ph (by a wire viscometer) are presented. It is shown that for the condition _ph, the results obtained are in good agreement with the results of Andronikashvili (in which /_ph > 100). If the mentioned relation is not satisfied, then, as the value of the ratio /_ph is decreased, the value measured for the viscosity is increasingly lower than the results of Andronikashvili.     

Electrical conductivity of Cux(As0.4Se0.3Te0.3)100−x glasses

Results of the dc electrical conductivity () measurements (from 90 to 420 K) on 15 compositions of the Cux(As0.4 Se0.3 Te0.3)100–x glasses (x from 0 to 30) are presented. Similar to that observed [1] in the composition dependencies of the mean atomic volume (V) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of these glasses, it is possible to delineate three regions in the composition dependence of the of these glasses. (i) For addition of Cu up to 1 at %, the register a decrease compared to that of the parent As0.4Se0.3Te0.3 glass. (ii) For Cu > 1 at %, the conduction activation energy (E) and the pre-exponential factor (C) decrease, with a concomitant increase in (at 250 K) by about six orders of magnitude. (iii) Both E and C show saturation for Cu > 23 at %. The -composition data are examined using the model developed earlier [1] to understand, the V (and Tg)-composition dependencies of these glasses.     

Shock response of stainless steel at high temperature

Measurements of the dynamic tensile strength of HR-2 (Cr-Ni-Mn-N) stainless steel have been carried out over the initial temperature range of 300 K–1000 K at shock stress of 8 GPa, the corresponding spall strength _f and Hugoniot elastic limit _HEL are determined from the wave profiles. In the temperature range of 300 K–806 K, _f and _HEL decrease linearly with increasing temperature T, i.e., _f = 5.63-4.32 × 10^–3T, _HEL = 2.08-1.54 × 10^–3T, but when heated to 980 K, _HEL increases from 0.84 GPa at 806 K to 0.93 GPa at 980 K and _f keeps at an almost fixed value of 2.15 GPa. The TEM analysis on recovery samples identified the existence of intermatallic compound Ni₃Al and the carbide Cr₂₃C₆ in the sample of 806 K, another intermatallic compound Ni₃Ti was found in the sample of 980 K. All these products emerge along crystal boundary. While no such products were found in the samples of 300 K and 650 K.     

Flow visualization glass-ceramic: Preliminary experimental and modelling results

A glass-ceramic material was developed to act as a flow visualization material. Preliminary experiments indicate that aperiodic, thermally induced, convective flows can be sustained at normal processing conditions. These flows and the stress and temperature gradients induced are most likely responsible for the anomalous behaviour seen in these materials and the difficulties encountered in their development and in their production on industrial and experimental scales. A simple model describing the dynamics of variable-viscosity fluids was developed and was shown to be in qualitative agreement with more sophisticated models as well as with experimental results. The model was shown to simulate the dependence of the critical Rayleigh number for the onset of convection on the viscous properties of the fluid at low T, and also to simulate quenching behaviour when the temperature differences were high.Nomenclature C _p Heat capacity - D, E, F Expansion coefficients - H Height of the roll cell - Pr Prandtl number - R _a Rayleigh number - R _c Critical Rayleigh number for the onset of convection in a constant-viscosity fluid - S Dimensionless stream function - T Temperature - T _m Mean temperature - T ₀ Bottom surface temperature - T _r Reference temperature - a Aspect ratio of cell - g Acceleration due to gravity - k Thermal conductivity - k ₁ Function related to ²v/T ² - k ₂ Function related to ⁴v/T ⁴ - r Rayleigh number ratioR _a/R _c - t Time - w Dimensionless vertical coordinate - w _m Mean cell height - x Horizontal coordinate - y Dimensionless horizontal coordinate - z Vertical coordinate - , Constants - _t Thermal expansion coefficient - Constant in viscosity function - T Temperature difference between top and bottom surfaces - _i Viscosity coefficients - Kinematic viscosity - _m Mean kinematic viscosity - Dimensionless kinematic viscosity - Thermal diffusivity - Non-linear temperature function - Dimensionless non-linear temperature function - _o - Stream function - Dimensionless time - Eigenvalues     

Study of dielectric and electrical properties of mortar in the early hydration period at microwave frequencies

The dielectric constant, , and electrical conductivity, , of mortars with various sand-cement ratios,s/c, were measured for the first 30 h hydration using microwave techniques in the frequency range 8.2–12.4 GHz. The and of the mortars were found to increase linearly with increasing water-solid ratiow/(s + c), but decrease with increasings/c. It was found that as long as thes/c values were the same, the rate of changes in and of the mortars were the same. It appears that thes/c is the key factor controlling the rates of changes in dielectric and electrical parameters of cement hydration in mortar. The relationship between compressive strength and dielectric and electrical properties of mortars was also discussed.     

Effect of composition on the transformation behaviour of duplex 316 weld metal

Several 316 manual metal arc weld metals produced with commercial and experimental consumables were aged between 600 and 850 °C. This resulted in the dissolution of the -ferrite with the appearance of new austenite, M₂₃C₆, intermetallics , and phase. During transformation, the -ferrite becomes progressively enriched in Cr, Mo and Si and, depending on the local composition of the -ferrite, eventually transforms to intermetallic or phases. A transformation model has been developed which indicates that solute diffusion via the / interface is the controlling mechanism. This enrichment process has been found to be important in controlling the formation of intermetallics. In the weld metals containing controlled residual additions of Ti and Ti + B, ageing resulted in the a fine dispersion of MX phase in the austenitic matrix.     

Investigations of the copper isotope effect in oxygen-deficient YBa2Cu3O7−δ

We present data on the copper isotope effect (⁶³Cu-⁶⁵Cu), C_u =-nT_c/nm_Cu, for two isotopic pairs of oxygen-deficient YBa₂Cu₃O_7–, where varies between 0.06 and 0.52. _Cu is below 0.01 at =0.06 (fully oxygenated), it takes values between –0.14 and –0.34 in the 60 K plateau. Larger negative values of _Cu are observed away from the plateau. The dependence of _Cu is similar to that of the pressure effect dnT_c/dP.     

On the measurement and physical meaning of the cleavage fracture stress in steel

Elastic-plastic two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) finite element models (FEM) are used to analyze the stress distributions ahead of notches of four-point bending (4PB) and three-point bending (3PB) specimens with various sizes of a C-Mn steel. By accurately measuring the location of the cleavage initiation sites, the local cleavage fracture stress _f and the macroscopic cleavage fracture stress _F is accurately measured. The _f and _F measured by 2D FEM are higher than that by 3D FEM. _f values are lower than the _F, and the _f values could be predicted by _f=(0.8––1.0)_F. With increasing specimen sizes (W,B and a) and specimen widths (B) and changing loading methods (4PB and 3PB), the fracture load P _f changes considerably, but the _F and _f remain nearly constant. The stable lower boundary _F and _f values could be obtained by using notched specimens with sizes larger than the Griffiths–Owen specimen. The local cleavage fracture stress _f could be accurately used in the analysis of fracture micromechanism, and to characterize intrinsic toughness of steel. The macroscopic cleavage fracture stress _F is suggested to be a potential engineering parameter which can be used to assess fracture toughness of steel and to design engineering structure.     

The Possibility of Reproducing the Units of Complex Permittivity at High Frequencies

The results of theoretical investigations of the reproduction of the units of the components of complex permittivity and by a method based on the use of the wave properties of a coaxial line are presented. The errors in reproducing and are analyzed.     

Conventional Electronic Structure of MgB2 and ZrB2: LDA vs. de Haas-v. Alphen & ARPES Data

We compare full potential LDA band calculations of the Fermi surfaces areas and band masses of MgB₂ and ZrB₂ previously reported and new dHvA data. Discrepancies in areas in MgB₂ can be removed by a small shift of bands relative to bands. Comparison of effective masses lead to orbit averaged el-ph coupling constants =1.3 and =0.5, whereas for ZrB₂ only weak el-ph coupling with <0.3 is found. The ARPES data can be also well described by the LDA showing the presence of surface states.     

Carbon fibre-reinforced cement

This review describes fabrication processes for aligned fibre and random fibre carbonreinforced cement and links important process parameters with composite theory. The way in which the material fits into the general framework of crack constraint and matrix cracking theories is discussed. A broad survey is made of the mechanical properties, durability and dimensional stability of a variety of carbon-reinforced cement composites, and economic constraints on potential applications are considered.List of symbols b breadth of three-point bend specimen - d depth of three-point bend specimen - E _c composite Young's modulus - E _f fibre Young's modulus - E _m matrix Young's modulus - l fibre length - l _c fibre critical transfer length - l _s specimen span in three-point bend test - m Weibull modulus - r fibre radius - P applied load - V _f fibre volume fraction - V _m matrix volume fraction - x length of fibre needed to transfer load _mu V _m - x _d crack spacing in a composite with short, aligned fibres - _fu fibre ultimate strain - _mu matrix ultimate strain - _fu fibre ultimate strength - _mu matrix ultimate strength - _cu composite ultimate strength - _MOR modulus of rupture - _T tensile strength - interlaminar shear strength - _i interfacial shear strength - _m matrix work of fracture - _F work of fracture