Evaluation of the shear characteristics of steel–asphalt interface by a direct shear test method

Shear characteristics of steel–asphalt interface under the influences of temperature, normal stress level and tack coat material were investigated. The direct shear tests were conducted on composite specimens with epoxy asphalt (EA) and polymer modified asphalt (PMA) tack coat materials at temperatures of 25 and 60 °C and normal stress levels of 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.7 MPa for each temperature. Results show that the failure modes include adhesive failure at the primer-tack coat interface and material failure of asphalt concrete. Steel–asphalt interface shows strain softening behavior until it reaches the sliding state. The shear strength and the shear reaction modulus increase with decreasing temperature and increasing normal stress levels. The specimens with EA tack coat provides much higher interface shear strengths than those with PMA tack coat at 25 and 60 °C. In addition, the failure envelopes of the shear strength and residual shear strength were obtained for combinations of tack coat materials and temperature conditions based on the Coulomb failure law.     

Microstructure and oxidation behavior of a novel bilayer (c-AlPO4–SiCw–mullite)/SiC coating for carbon fiber reinforced CMCs

A novel cristobalite aluminum phosphate particle (c-AlPO₄) modified SiC whisker toughened mullite coating (c-AlPO₄-SiC_w-mullite) was prepared on SiC coated carbon fiber reinforced SiC composites (C/SiC) by a new sol-gel method combined with air spraying to improve the oxidation resistance of SiC_w-mullite coating. Results show that c-AlPO₄-SiC_w-mullite coatings with 10 and 20 wt.% of c-AlPO₄ exhibited obviously improved oxidation resistance at 1773 K in ambient air for 100 h than SiC_w-mullite coating. Moreover, the oxidation resistance of c-AlPO₄-SiC_w-mullite coatings were rapidly declined when the c-AlPO₄ in c-AlPO₄-SiC_w-mullite coating were set to 30 and 40 wt.%. The c-AlPO₄-SiC_w-mullite coating with 20 wt.% of c-AlPO₄ showed most pronounced oxidation resistance, the weight loss rate after the oxidation in ambient air for 210 h was merely 3.00 × 10^?5 g·cm^?2 h^?1. The failure of c-AlPO₄-SiC_w-mullite coating with 20 wt.% of c-AlPO₄ was due to the generation of penetrative micro-cracks and micro-holes in the coating, which cannot be self-healed by the silicate glass layer after long time oxidation at 1773 K.     

Fracture behavior of low carbon MgO–C refractories using the wedge splitting test

The fracture behavior of low carbon MgO–C refractories containing various carbon sources were investigated by means of the wedge splitting test and microscopic fractographic analysis to evaluate quantitatively their thermal shock resistance in the present work. The results showed that the addition of various nanocarbons in MgO–C specimens can lead to more tortuous crack propagation path during the wedge splitting test and much better thermal shock resistance compared to the specimen with flaky graphite as carbon source; particularly, the specimen containing carbon nanotubes had the most outstanding thermal shock resistance. Also, it was suggested from the correlation analysis that the increase of the specific fracture energy and interface crack propagation as well as the decrease of the modulus of elasticity, coefficient of thermal expansion and transgranular crack propagation can contribute to an improvement of thermal shock resistance of MgO–C refractories.     

Analysis of the low temperature-dependent behaviour of a ductile adhesive under monotonic tensile/compression–shear loads

Various models exist to describe the non-linear behaviour of an adhesive in an assembly, taking into account the two stress invariants, hydrostatic stress and von Mises equivalent stress, which can be explained by the nature of the adhesive, i.e., a polymer. The identification of the material parameters of such pressure-dependent constitutive models requires a large experimental database taking into account various tensile–shear loadings. Under quasi-static loadings at low temperature, for a given strain rate range, viscous effects can be neglected, but only a few experimental results are available to model the behaviour of an adhesive in a bonded assembly accurately under realistic loadings. Moreover, edge effects often have a large influence on the mechanical response. This paper presents the possibility of combining the use of a modified Arcan device, which strongly limits the influence of the stress concentrations, with a usual thermal chamber. Experimental results, underlining the temperature-dependent non-linear responses of an adhesive, are presented in the case of various tensile/compression–shear monotonic loadings for a temperature range between 20 °C and −60 °C. The analysis of experimental results, obtained in the load-displacement diagram, focuses herein on the modelling of the initial temperature-dependent yield surface; but such results are also useful for the development of the flow rules in the case of pressure-dependent models.     

The stress–strain behavior of refractory microcracked aluminum titanate: The effect of zigzag microcracks and its modeling

The stress–strain behavior of ceramics, such as aluminum titanate, has certain features that are unusual for brittle materials—in particular, a substantial nonlinearity under uniaxial tension, and load–unload hysteresis caused by the sharp increase of the incremental stiffness at the beginning of unloading. These features are observed experimentally and are attributed to microcracking. Here we compare different degrees of stress–strain nonlinearity of aluminum titanate materials and quantitatively model them. We use advanced mechanical testing to observe the mechanical response at room and high temperature; electron microscopy, and X-ray refraction radiography to observe the microstructural changes. Experiments show that two types of microcracks can be distinguished: (i) microcracks induced by cooling from the sintering temperature (due to heterogeneity and anisotropy of thermal expansion), with typical sizes of the order of grain size, and (ii) much larger microcracks generated by the mechanical loading. The two microcrack types produce different effects on the stress–strain curves. Such microcracks and the features of the stress–strain behavior depend on the density of the cooling-induced microcracks and on the distribution of grain sizes. They are modeled analytically and numerically.     

Effect of fiber architecture and density on the ablation behavior of carbon/carbon composites modified by Zr–Ti–C

Three carbon/carbon (C/C) composites modified by Zr–Ti–C, with different fiber architecture in preforms and the same density, were prepared using chemical vapor infiltration and reactive melt infiltration methods. Two other samples with the same architecture in preforms and different density were also fabricated by the same methods. Their ablation behaviors were examined by oxy-acetylene flame. The results showed that the samples with chopped web needled perform had better ablation resistance than that of the samples with needle-integrated and fine-weave pierced perform. In the models of ablation behaviors, the sealing time of pores and gaps on the ablated surfaces has been defined to indirectly estimate the ablation property. The analysis of models also indicated that high density of the composites and appropriate small diameter of bundles of carbon fibers led to the short sealing time and good ablation resistance of the C/C–carbide composites.     

Strain rate and curing condition effects on the stress–strain behaviour of epoxy adhesive materials

Adhesive materials evolve properties that change significantly with the preparation procedures and curing conditions. In this study the effects of curing conditions (curing time and temperature), and strain rate on the stress–strain behaviour of the commercially available Lapox epoxy adhesive materials have been evaluated experimentally. The rectangular test specimens have been prepared with different curing temperatures and times. After preparation, the specimens have been tested in small scale tensile testing machine to investigate the stress–strain behaviour at room temperature. It has been observed that as the curing time or curing temperature is increased, the ultimate tensile strength and the elastic modulus of the material also increase. A four parameter hyperbolic tangent model has been fitted to the experimental data and the model constants have been evaluated for different curing conditions and strain rates. Furthermore, for a fixed curing time and strain rate, empirical equations have been developed for modelling the dependence of curing temperature on the stress–strain curves. Finally, the developed equations have been implemented into the finite element analysis of a lap joint to investigate the stress and strain distributions of the adhesive layer for different curing conditions (curing time and temperature).     

Impact of the non-linear character of the compressive stress–strain curves on thermal and mechanical properties of porous microcracked ceramics

Complementary to recent theoretical work, this paper describes implications of the non-linear stress–strain behavior observed in porous microcracked ceramics. Practical aspects of this behavior under uniaxial compression are discussed. In particular, it is shown that the axial moduli of porous microcracked aluminum titanate and cordierite change upon application of a constant or ladder-like time protocol load. The extent of change depends on material microstructural features, such as texture, porosity and microcrack density, as well as on the applied load. In fact, the underlying mechanism is microcrack closure (or even healing), which causes stiffening of the material; at the same time, a uniaxial compressive load can also open new microcracks, or propagate existing ones via microcrack sliding, thus softening the material. The change in the elastic response of the material is accompanied by changes in other properties, such as thermal expansion.     

Elastoplastic stress–strain relationship of Si2N2O–Si3N4 ultrafine-grained ceramics based on microhardness test and finite element simulation

A method for obtaining the stress–strain relationship of ceramic materials was proposed on the basis of the relationship between the maximum load and the indentation size obtained by microhardness test. The microhardness testing process of Si₂N₂O–Si₃N₄ ultrafine-grained ceramics was simulated using ABAQUS finite element software. The stress–strain relationship curve of the material was obtained by repeatedly modifying and comparing the experimental and simulation results. The hardness testing principle and elastic–plastic theory were comprehensively applied in this work in accordance with the geometrical characteristics of the Vickers diamond indenter. The theoretical formula for calculating the stress–strain relationship of hard and brittle materials using microhardness experimental data combined with finite element simulation was deduced. The elastic–plastic area division principle for calculating yield stress was proposed. The accuracy of the theoretical formula was verified by comparing the theoretical and simulation results.     

Improving the interfacial and flexural properties of carbon fiber–epoxy composites via the grafting of a hyperbranched aromatic polyamide onto a carbon fiber surface on the basis of solution polymerization

Hyperbranched aromatic polyamide (HBP) was grafted successfully onto carbon fibers (CFs) on the basis of solution polymerization to enhance the interfacial adhesion strength of CF-reinforced epoxy resin composites. The microstructure and interfacial properties of the CFs before and after decoration were researched. The results indicate that HBP was deposited uniformly onto the CFs with γ-aminopropyl triethoxysilane as the bridging agent. The active groups, roughness, and surface energy of the modified fiber [hyperbranched aromatic polyamide grafted carbon fiber (CF–HBP)] increased visibly in comparison with those of the untreated CFs. The CF–HBP composites revealed simultaneous remarkable enhancements (65.3, 34.3, and 84.8%) in their interfacial shear strength, flexural strength, and modulus, respectively; this was attributed to the improvement in the fiber–epoxy interface through enhanced chemical interactions, mechanical interlocking, and wettability. These agreed with the scanning electron microscopy observations from the fracture surface morphologies of the composites. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47232.     

Rheological behavior of a microcellular,oil-extended ethylene–propylene–diene rubber compound: Effects of the blowing agent curing agent,and conductive carbon black filler

The rheological behavior of microcellular, oil-extended ethylene–propylene–diene rubber (EPDM) compounds was studied in extrusions containing a blowing agent. The cell morphology development and rheological properties were studied for unfilled and conductive carbon black (Vulcan XC72, Cabot Corp., Ltd., Alpharetta, GA) filled compounds with variations of the blowing agent, extrusion temperature, and shear rate. The apparent shear stress, apparent viscosity, die swell (%), and total extrusion pressure of the Vulcan XC72 filled, oil-extended EPDM compounds were determined with a Monsanto processability tester (St. Louis, MO). The effects of the curing agent and blowing agent on the rheological properties of the compounds were also studied. A significant reduction in the stress and viscosity with the blowing agent was observed in the compound in the presence of the curing agent in comparison with those without the curing agent. The viscosity reduction factor was found to be dependent on the blowing agent loading, shear rate, and temperature. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Collaborative test programme results for 0°BD tensile properties on carbon–epoxy AS4/8552 and carbon– cyanate M55J/954-3 composite materials and some considerations on EN 2561 test standard

Abstract

A collaborative test programme has been undertaken on modified epoxy matrix 8552 reinforced with AS4 carbon fibres, and cyanate 954-3 reinforced with M55J high modulus carbon fibre, both in the form of unidirectional prepreg. To date more than 300 specimens have been tested according to the EN 2561 standard (tensile test parallel to the fibre direction). Different testing conditions such as tabbed and untabbed specimens, dry and wet conditioning, 23 and 70°C test temperature, 7° bevelled or squared off 90° tabs, and the influence of different gripping systems (mechanical and hydraulic) were studied. Average strength values and Young's modulus values are presented with their standard deviations for these materials at every tested condition. In tensile strength measurements, the importance of using tabs for the gripping system and tested material is demonstrated.     

Overcoming the quality–quantity tradeoff in dispersion and printing of carbon nanotubes by a repetitive dispersion–extraction process

Dispersion-printing processes are essential for the fabrication of various devices using carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Insufficient dispersion results in CNT aggregates, while excessive dispersion results in the shortening of individual CNTs. To overcome this tradeoff, we propose here a repetitive dispersion–extraction process for CNTs. Long-duration ultrasonication (for 100 min) produced an aqueous dispersion of CNTs with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate with a high yield of 64%, but with short CNT lengths (a few μm), and poor conductivity in the printed films (∼450 S cm⁻¹). Short-duration ultrasonication (for 3 min) yielded a CNT dispersion with a very small yield of 2.4%, but with long CNTs (up to 20–40 μm), and improved conductivity in the printed films (2200 S cm⁻¹). The remaining sediment was used for the next cycle after the addition of the surfactant solution. 90% of the CNT aggregates were converted into conductive CNT films within 13 cycles (i.e., within 39 min), demonstrating the improved conductivity and reduced energy/time requirements for ultrasonication. CNT lines with conductivities of 1400–2300 S cm⁻¹ without doping and sub-100 μm width, and uniform CNT films with 80% optical transmittance and 50 Ω/sq sheet resistance with nitric acid doping were obtained on polyethylene terephthalate films.     

Syntheses,structures and properties of a series of 3s–5d–4f mixed metal substituted sandwich-type arsenotungstates

A class of 3s–5d–4f mixed metal substituted sandwich-type arsenotungstates [H₂N(CH₃)₂]₈H₃[LnNa(H₂O)₄(OH)WO(H₂O) (B-α-AsW₉ O₃₃)₂]·8H₂O [Ln = La^III (1), Ce^III (2), Pr^III (3)] have been isolated from an aqueous solution reaction system (pH = 4) of Na₂WO₄·2H₂O, C₂H₇N·HCl, NaAsO₂ and Ln(NO₃)₃·6H₂O and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, UV spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It is the most prominent in 1–3 that the [LnNa(H₂O)₄(OH) WO(H₂O)(B-α-AsW₉O₃₃)₂]^11 − polyanion consists of two trivacant Keggin [B-α-AsW₉O₃₃]^9 − moieties linked by one [WO(H₂O)]^4 + group and a dimeric [LnNa(H₂O)₄(OH)]^3 + group resulting in the special 3s–5d–4f mixed metal substituted sandwich-type assembly. Interestingly, lanthanide and sodium ions simultaneously occupy the two positions located at the central belt of 1–3 with the site occupancy of 50% for each position. Moreover, the electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of only 1 and 2 have been measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 0.5 mol·L^− 1 Na₂SO₄ + H₂SO₄ aqueous solution. 1 and 2 illustrate electrocatalytic activities for the hydrogen peroxide reduction.     

The relationship between the electrochemical performance and the composition of Si–O–C materials prepared from a phenyl-substituted polysiloxane utilizing various processing methods

Si–O–C composite materials with various compositions are prepared from a phenyl-substituted polysiloxane. The pyrolyzing temperature and atmosphere is varied to determine the effect that these parameters have on the final composition. The compositional effect of using a divinylbenzene (DVB) as an alternative carbon source is also investigated. Materials prepared at either 800 or 1000 °C under a hydrogen atmosphere have a significantly larger reversible capacity than those prepared at the same temperature under an argon atmosphere. Utilizing DVB as the carbon source further increases the reversible capacity of the Si–O–C material. The specific capacity increases with an increase of the C/Si ratio and with a decrease of O/Si ratio of the source materials when the O/Si ratio is in the range of 1.0–2.0. A model based on the nanostructure of the Si–O–C material is employed to express the relationship between the specific reversible capacity and the structure of the Si–O–C phase. According to the utilized model, the reversible capacity of lithium in the Si–O–C phase is much greater than that in carbon, and the capacity increases with the increase of the p value in SiO_2(1?p)C_p. The “free carbon” in the synthesized materials was found to store twice as many lithium ions as the same amount of graphite.     

Evaluation of the Efficiency of a Combined Adsorption–Ultrafiltration System for the Removal of Heavy Metals,Color, and Organic Matter from Textile Wastewater

In this work an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane system was investigated for the treatment of textile wastewater. UF membranes were assisted by activated sludge and minerals, which were employed as sorbents, to remove Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), color, and organics. Significant variations were observed in metal removal efficiencies among the textile wastewater samples of different origin, even at the same pH (= 6) due to the presence of different compounds in wastewater. At the examined pH range (5.63–9.21), the dominant mechanism for copper and lead removal was the formation of insoluble metals due to precipitation and complexation of metal ions with wastewater compounds, including adsorption of metals on suspended solids and colloidal matter. The adsorption process of metals on minerals and activated sludge was the dominant process for nickel and zinc removal at low pH, while precipitation/complexation prevailed at higher pH. The examined adsorption-UF system could produce a treated effluent having low metal concentrations that could be safely discharged into municipal sewers. COD removal ranged from 76%–92% for the five textile wastewater samples. The color removal accomplished was significant (45%–70%), and depended on the type of dye.     

One-pot synthesis of allyl thioacetate from benzaldehydes and activated alkenes using the Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction as a key step

An efficient, regioselective and steresoselecitive one-pot protocol for the synthesis of (Z)-S-2-alkoxycarbonyl-3-acylallyl ethanethioates and (E)-S-2-cyano-3-acylallyl ethanethioates from benzaldehydes and activated alkenes (methyl acrylate and acrylonitrile) was developed. Our method consisted of Morita–Baylis–Hillman reaction of benzaldehydes and activated alkenes using DABCO followed by acetylation using acetic anhydride and a catalytic amount of DMAP, and S_N2′ reaction with potassium thioacetate in DMF. The first two reactions proceeded under solvent-free condition.     

Production of C4 hydrocarbons from Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in a follow bed reactor consisting of Co–Ni–ZrO2 and sulfated-ZrO2 catalyst beds

Fischer–Tropsch synthesis was performed in a fixed-bed microreactor over a single bed consisting of Co–Ni–ZrO₂ catalyst as well as over a follow bed configuration consisting of Co–Ni–ZrO₂ and sulfated-ZrO₂ catalyst beds for the selective production of C₄ hydrocarbons. A maximum C₄ hydrocarbon selectivity of 14.6 wt.% was obtained using the single bed approach at 250°C and weight hourly space velocities (WHSV) of 15 h⁻¹. When a follow bed approach was used, there was an impressive increase in the selectivity for C₄ hydrocarbons to a maximum of 24 wt.% and that for iso-C₄ hydrocarbons to a maximum of 13.8 wt.% from 14.6 and 5.5 wt.%, respectively. However, there was a rapid deactivation of the sulfated-ZrO₂ catalyst due to coking and sulfate reduction.     

Microstructure and mechanical behaviour of transient liquid phase spark plasma sintered B4C–SiC–TiB2 composites from a B4C–TiSi2 system

Almost fully-dense B₄C–SiC–TiB₂ composites with a high combination of strength and toughness were prepared through in situ reactive spark plasma sintering using B₄C and TiSi₂ as raw materials. The densification, microstructure, mechanical properties, reaction, and toughening mechanisms were explored. TiSi₂ was confirmed as a reactive sintering additive to promote densification via transient liquid-phase sintering. Specifically, Si formed via the reaction between B₄C and TiSi₂ that served as a transient component contributed to densification when it melted and then reacted with C to yield more SiC. Toughening mechanisms, including crack deflection, branching and bridging, could be observed due to the residual stresses induced by the thermoelastic mismatches. Particularly, the introduced SiC–TiB₂ agglomerates composed of interlocked SiC and TiB₂ played a critical role in improving toughness. Accordingly, the B₄C–SiC–TiB₂ composite created with B₄C-16 wt% TiSi₂ achieved excellent mechanical performance, containing a Vickers hardness of 33.5 GPa, a flexural strength of 608.7 MPa and a fracture toughness of 6.43 MPa m^1/2.