Four-leg independent mechanism for MEMS microrobot

In this paper, the development of a quadruped micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) microrobot with a four-leg independent mechanism is described. As the actuator mechanism inside small robot bodies is difficult to realize, many microrobots use external field forces such as magnetism and vibration. In this paper, artificial muscle wires that are family of shape memory alloy are used for the force of the actuator. The artificial muscle wire shows the large displacement by passing the electrical current through the material itself. The double four-link mechanism is adopted for the leg system. The link mechanism transforms the linear motion of the artificial muscle wire to the foot step-like pedaling motion. The location of the backward swing motion is lower than that of forward swing motion. This motion generates the locomotion force. As a result, the total length of the constructed quadruped MEMS microrobot was 6 mm. The microrobot could perform similar gait pattern changes as the quadruped animal.     

Syntheses of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate gels in organic solvents by radiation crosslinking

Cellulose gels were prepared through the crosslinking of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate (HPMCP) with electron‐beam irradiation in concentrated organic solvent solutions. The effects of the solvent species, polymer concentration, and irradiation dose on the formation of the gels were investigated. Some organic solvents, such as alcohols with short alkyl chains, alkyl acetates, and ketones, were found to be suitable as media for the radiation crosslinking of the polymer. The prepared HPMCP gels showed excellent swelling in various organic solvents with medium hydrogen‐bonding abilities, such as pyridine, cresol (meta), acetic acid, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, tetrahydrofuran, 1,4‐dioxane, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl acetate, and chloroform. In an acetone/water mixture, the swelling ratio was significantly dependent on the solvent composition because of the coexistence of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties in HPMCP. These results suggest that HPMCP gels have the potential to be superabsorbents for various kinds of organic solvents. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3002–3007, 2004     

Novel sulfonium salts as thermal and photoinitiators for epoxide and acrylate polymerizations

Novel sulfonium salts, 1‐naphthylmethyl‐, cinnamyl‐, 9‐fluorenyl tetramethylene sulfonium hexafluoroantimonates, and dimethylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonates, were synthesized by the reaction of tetrahydrothiophene and dimethylsulfide with the corresponding bromides or chloride, followed by anion exchange with KSbF₆. These sulfonium salts polymerized epoxy monomers at a temperature lower than previously reported for benzyltetramethylenesulfonium hexafluoroantimonate. They initiated radical photopolymerization as well as cationic polymerization. The photopolymerization was accelerated by the addition of aromatic compounds such as p‐methoxyphenol, 4‐methoxy‐1‐naphthol, 2‐ethyl‐9,10‐dimethoxyanthracene, N‐ethylcarbazole, and phenothiazine as photosensitizers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 589–597, 2004     

Surface modification of polyethylene by radiation-induced grafting for adhesive bonding. V. Comparison with other surface treatments

Helium gas plasma treatment of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) yields much lower peel strength than oxidative treatment using chromic acid and oxygen gas plasma. The practical adhesion, the bondability retention, and the bond durability of oxidatively treated LDPE sheets, bonded with epoxy adhesives, have been compared with those of partially hydrolyzed LDPE–methyl acrylate surface grafts. The oxidized surfaces easily lose the bondability by light rubbing with tissue paper, solvent extraction, heat aging, and artifical weathering, whereas the grafted surfaces retain the bondability. The bondability loss is due to removal of the oxidized layer, and the bondability retention is due to retention of the surface homopolymer layer. Conventional antioxidants stabilize the grafted but not the oxidized surfaces against thermal oxidative degradation. The grafted LDPE joints have much higher bond durability in humid environments than those of the oxidized LDPE joints. The dry and wet peel strengths of oxidized LDPE joints are greatly improved by application of primers consisting of a base epoxy resin and organic solvents. An adhesion mechanism involving penetration of epoxy adhesives into the oxidized layers and subsequent reinforcement of the layers by curing of the penetrated epoxy is proposed.     

In situ study of photopolymerization by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) in situ method was developed for the investigation of photopolymerization. Ultraviolet (UV) cure of a mixture of a cycloaliphatic epoxide, a 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, and photoinitiators, which forms simultaneous interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), was monitored while the sample was irradiated with UV light. Triphenylsulfonium salt and benzoin ether were used as photoinitiators. For the sake of comparison, similar experiments were performed for the epoxide with the triphenylsulfonium salt photoinitiator and the acrylate with the benzoin ether photoinitiator. The epoxy photopolymerization was monitored using an epoxy CH stretching band at 3005 cm^?1 and a ring vibration band at 790 cm^?1. The acrylic photopolymerization was monitored using a C?C stretching band at 1637 cm^?1. The epoxy conversion was less than 60% when the acrylic polymerization was completed in the IPN.     

Defensive secretion of chrysomelid larvaeGastrophysa atrocyanea Motschulsky andPhaedon brassicae Baly

The active substance of the larval defensive secretion of the Japanese chrysomelid beetles,Gastrophysa atrocyanea Motschulsky andPhaedon brassicae Baly was identified as chrysomelidial.This is report No. 2 of the Defensive Secretion of Chrysomelid Beetles, Report No. 1 is Sugawara et al. (1978).     

Synthesis of spinel Li4Mn5O12 with an aid of mechanochemical treatment

A mechanochemically assisted method for synthesizing spinel Li₄Mn₅O₁₂ has been proposed in this paper. The method involves grinding a mixture of LiOH·H₂O and γ-MnO₂ in ambient air, followed by heating the ground product. The grinding of the mixture was conducted by using a planetary ball mill, causing their structural changes into amorphous state, which is lithium manganese oxides hydrated (Li-Mn-O·nH₂O). The ground product can be crystallized into lithium manganese oxide by heating at about 400 °C or more. Heating the ground product at around 600 °C for 12 h results in the formation of pure phase of the spinel. Temperature in the heating stage is an important factor in crystallization of the spinel from the amorphous mixture, and heating up to about 600 °C is suitable for the formation of pure phase spinel. The product synthesized is very fine powder with mean grain size of 100 nm.     

As‐Conformal‐As‐Possible Surface Registration

We present a non‐rigid surface registration technique that can align surfaces with sizes and shapes that are different from each other, while avoiding mesh distortions during deformation. The registration is constrained locally as conformal as possible such that the angles of triangle meshes are preserved, yet local scales are allowed to change. Based on our conformal registration technique, we devise an automatic registration and interactive registration technique, which can reduce user interventions during template fitting. We demonstrate the versatility of our technique on a wide range of surfaces.     

Durability of radiation-sterilized polymers. I. Estimation of oxidative degradation in polymers by chemiluminescence

In relation to sterilization of medical supplies, the degree of degradation by γ-ray and electron beam irradiations of homopolypropylene (HP), copolypropylene (CP, coplymer including 6% of ethylene unit) and polymethylpentene were compared, and chemiluminescence (CL) of irradiated polymers were measured. HP degraded extremely around the sterilization dose (2.5 Mrad) by either γ-ray or electron beam irradiations. In the case of CP and polymethylpentene, stabilities of polymers far differed between γ-ray and electron beam irradiations. The polymethylpentene was more stable than the polypropylenes against irradiation. The counts of CL emitted by recombination of peroxy radical (ROO ·) increased with increasing dose, reflecting degrees of oxidation of polymers. The degradation of polymers was independent of irradiation sources, rather it depended on the degree of oxidation. It was found that CL analysis are favorable for estimation of degradation in irradiated polymers.     

Scale-up method of planetary ball mill

The objective of this paper is to investigate the scale-up method of the planetary ball mill by the computational simulation based on Discrete Element Method. Firstly, the dry grinding of a gibbsite powder by using four different scales of planetary mill was developed to compare the grinding rate with the specific impact energy of balls calculated from computational simulation. The grinding rate is well correlated with the specific impact energy in all mills; and its relationship is expressed by a linear correlation. It points out that the specific impact energy is very useful for estimation of the grinding rate and optimization for the operational conditions. Secondly, the scale-up method for the planetary mill was established by evaluating the impact energy. The impact energy is proportional to the cube of the diameter of the pot, the depth of the pot and the revolution radius of the disk, respectively. When the planetary mill is scaled-up in geometrical similarity, the impact energy of the balls is proportional to 4.87 power of the scale-up ratio.