Polyvinyl alcohol-collagen-hydroxyapatite biocomposite nanofibrous scaffold: Mimicking the key features of natural bone at the nanoscale level

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers, PVA/Type I Collagen (Col) and their composites with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nano-HAp) were prepared by electrospinning techniques. The composite nanofibrous membranes were subjected to detailed analysis. Morphological investigations show that the generated nanofibers (NFs) have uniform morphology with an average diameter of ∼160 nm for pure PVA, ∼176 nm for PVA/n-HAp, ∼245 nm for PVA/Col and ∼320 nm for PVA/Col/n-HAp. It is of interest to observe that large numbers of HAp nanorods are preferentially oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the electrospun PVA and/or PVA/Col NFs. FTIR and thermal analysis demonstrated that there was strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the molecules of PVA/Col/n-HAp. Furthermore, the obtained PVA/Col/nHAp NFs scaffold (7 cm × 11 cm) has a porous structure with adjustable pore size and shape. The pore size is in the range of 650 μm with a porosity of 49.5%. On the other hand, mechanical characterizations revealed that the incorporating of 5 wt% n-HAp into the matrix of PVA/Col nanofibers could significantly improve the rigidity of the resultant biocomposite nanofibrous scaffold. These results strongly suggest a huge potential of the prepared scaffold for bone tissue engineering.     

Fluctuation free volume of metallic glasses

The characteristics of the fluctuation free volume theory, as applied to amorphous metallic alloys, are calculated from the data on the parameters of the Fulcher-Vogel-Tammann equation for the temperature dependence of viscosity. The fraction of the fluctuation free volumef _g frozen at the glass transltion temperatureT _g is equal to approximately 0.026 for amorphous alloys. The found value coincides with the data for amorphous polymers and other glasses and indicates that the glass transltion criterionf _g ≅ const ≈ 0.025 is applicable to these glass-forming systems. The energy of formation for a fluctuation hole in metallic glasses (ε_h = 15–25 kJ/mol) is approximately equal to that for alkali silicate glasses. The formation of holes in amorphous alloys is a low-energy small-scale process arising from the limiting displacement of an atom (a group of atoms) from an equilibrium position.     

Some features of thermophysical properties of γ‐Gd2S3 ceramics based on real structure

The heat capacity C_p, thermal diffusivity χ_T, and lattice thermal conductivity κ_latt of ceramic solid solutions of sesquisulfides Gd_3‐xV_Gd,xS₄ (0 < x < 0.33) in the temperature range 300‐700 K has been studied. Changing the real structure, namely the concentrations of vacancies (N_V) and deformation (N_Dc) centers of polycrystals, significantly decreases κ_latt. A deviation of composition from the stoichiometry 2:3 is accompanied by an increase in the specific area of the crystallite boundaries per unit volume, and, hence, the concentration of deformation centers D_C increases. This observation was confirmed by examining the short‐range order disturbance of the lattice and symmetry environment of the Gd³⁺ and S^2? environment by Raman spectroscopy and the magnetic susceptibility Faraday method. Therefore the thermal diffusivity of gadolinium sesquisulfide is reduced because of the mean free path of phonons decrease. As a result, the thermal conductivity of the polycrystalline samples is reduced by 10%.     

Corrosion protection performance of nanocomposite coatings under static,UV, and dynamic conditions

Silicone-modified epoxy polymeric matrix was successfully fabricated and reinforced with 1–2 wt% SiO₂, TiO₂, and TiSiO₄ nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy together with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were employed to investigate different characteristics of the prepared coatings. To simulate operating conditions, all samples were characterized via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) after being subjected to different conditions. Corrosion under static conditions, in which the samples were exposed to a static electrolyte without further change in other parameters, was investigated. Furthermore, to study the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in accelerating the degradation of the coatings, samples were characterized after being subjected to UV while immersed statically in the electrolyte. Additionally, the corrosion protection performance was investigated after subjecting the coated substrates to dynamic conditions involving continuous movement of the sample in the electrolyte, simulating continuous wear of the coated surfaces. Compared with the static condition, the EIS results revealed the vital role of the silicone resin and nanoparticles in improving the stability of the coating film against corrosion degradation in the presence of UV radiation, while poor performance in dynamic condition was recorded for all the coating systems.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Biological Evaluation of a New Sol-Gel Derived B and Zn-Containing Bioactive Glass: <Emphasis Type=Italic>In Vitro</Emphasis> Study

In this study we employed the sol-gel method to synthesize new CaO–P₂O₅–SiO₂–ZnO–B₂O₃ bioactive glasses. Three samples with various B₂O₃ content (5, 10 and 15 mol %) was prepared and their bioactivity were evaluated by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) and the glasses were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results revealed that with increasing the amount of boron content, a more crystalline domain can be observed in their XRD patterns and consequently the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) increased. FTIR spectra showed that the sample containing 10 mol% of boron had the sharpest peaks attributed to the formation of hydroxyapatite. Biocompatibility of the samples was examined by MTT assay and alkaline phosphatase activity. The result ascertained that the synthesized bioactive glass had good biocompatibility and can serve as a bone substitute in bone defects.     

Improving bulk Ca3Co4O9 thermoelectric materials through Zr doping

ABSTRACT

Ca₃Co_4?xZr_xO_y polycrystalline ceramics with small Zr substitution have been prepared through the classical solid-state method. X-ray diffraction data have shown that all samples are composed only of Ca₃Co₄O₉ and Ca₃Co₂O₆ phases. Moreover, by increasing Zr substitution up to 0.07, Ca₃Co₂O₆ phase content is decreased. Density measurements have revealed that all samples are very similar, with values around 74% of the theoretical density. Electrical resistivity is decreased in Zr-doped samples, with respect to the pure samples, while Seebeck coefficient is unchanged. Both factors lead to power factor values around 0.33?mW?K^?2?m^?1 at 800°C in 0.07 Zr-doped samples, which are about 65% higher than those obtained for the undoped samples.     

On the Applicability of a Quasi-Stationary Solution of the Diffusion Equation for the Hydrate Layer Formed at the Gas–Ice (Water) Interface

The problem of methane hydrate formation when the process is controlled by gas diffusion in the hydrate layer formed at the gas–ice (or water) interface is solved. It is shown that an approximate quasi-stationary solution of the diffusion equation is in good agreement with its numerical solution over a wide range of the solubility of the gas in the hydrate, which is dependent on pressure. It is found that the time for the complete transition of the water (or ice) phase into the hydrate state decreases with an increase in the saturation concentration of the mobile gas in the hydrate. The kinetic equations derived based on a quasi-stationary solution of the diffusion equation, which are relationships for the intensity of hydrate formation in snow-containing (or water-containing) formations during the filtration of hydrate-forming gases, are used to describe the concentration fields of the diffusing gas and the dynamics of hydrate layer growth.     

受控脉冲PAW过程小孔动态变化的数值模拟

受控脉冲穿孔等离子弧焊接(PAW)过程中,小孔形状随焊接电流动态变化,经历形成—长大—缩小—闭合的变化过程.本文在对受控脉冲PAW瞬态温度场进行数值模拟的基础上,通过分析焊接熔池表面的受力状态,建立了小孔形状的模型,考虑了盲孔(小孔深度小于工件厚度)和穿透小孔2类情况.对焊接熔池内三维小孔在一个脉冲周期内的变化过程进行了数值计算.进行了受控脉冲PAW工艺实验,验证了穿孔持续时间的数值分析结果.     

Mesoscale simulation of discontinuous dynamic recrystallization using the cellular automaton method

A dynamic recrystallization (DRX) cellular automaton (CA) model that can mark the microstructure with DRX circle was developed. The effects of initial grain size on the stress-strain curve, mean grain size and DRX fraction were mainly investigated, and the simulated results were compared with those obtained from previous researches. The results show that the shape of the stress-strain curve is sensitive, while the stress and mean grain size at the steady state are insensitive to the initial grain size. The transition from a multiple-peak stress-strain curve to a single-peak one can be explained by variations in DRX circle fraction, and the initial grain size to make this transition is between 70 and 80 μm.     

Etching Effect on CMP of Different GaN Layers

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) was used to etch various GaN materials, such as GaN layers on sapphire and silicon carbide substrates grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and thick GaN layers grown by physical vapor transport. It was found that CMP could reveal the dislocations in GaN surfaces due to a selective etching component. After the optimization of CMP condition, the surface finish improved and the subsurface damage was almost completely removed, demonstrated by atomic force microsco...