Mechanical properties and microstructure of Portland cement concrete prepared with coral reef sand

The feasibility of using coral reef sand (CRS) in Portland cement concrete is investigated by testing the mechanical property and microstructure of concrete. The composition, structure and properties of the CRS are analyzed. Mechanical properties and microstructure of concrete with CRS are studied and compared to concrete with natural river sand. The relationship between the microstructure and performance of CRS concrete is established. The CRS has a porous surface with high water intake capacity, which contributes to the mechanical properties of concrete. The interfacial transition zone between the cement paste and CRS is densified compared to normal concrete with river sand. Hydration products form in the pore space of CRS and interlock with the matrix of cement paste, which increases the strength. The total porosity of concrete prepared with CRS is higher than that with natural sand. The main difference in pore size distribution is the fraction of fine pores in the range of 100 nm.     

Effect of corrosive solutions on C-S-H microstructure in portland cement paste with fly ash

By means of ²⁹Si and ²⁷Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) combined with deconvolution technique, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as energy dispersive X-ray system(EDX), the effect of 5 wt% corrosive solutions (viz. 5 wt% Na₂SO₄, MgSO₄, Na2SO4+NaCl and Na₂SO₄+NaCl+Na₂CO₃) on C-S-H microstructure in Portland cement containing 30 wt% fly ash was investigated.The results show that, in MgSO₄ solution, Mg²⁺ promotes the decalcification of C-S-H by SO ₄ ^2- ,increasing silicate tetrahedra polymerization and mean chain length (MCL) of C-S-H. However, the substituting degree of Al³⁺ for Si⁴⁺ (Al[4]/Si) in the paste does not change evidently. Effect of Na²SO⁴ solution on C-S-H is not significantly influenced by NaCl solution, while the MCL and Al[4]/Si of C-S-H in fly ashcement paste slightly change. However, the decalcification of C-S-H by SO ₄ ^2- and CO ₃ ^2- attack, as well as the activation of fly ash by SO ₄ ^2- attack will increase the MCL and Al[4]/Si, which are both higher than that under Na₂SO₄ corrosion, MgSO₄ or Na₂SO₄ +NaCl coordination corrosion.     

Corrosion mechanism and corrosion model of Mg-Y alloy in NaCl solution

Corrosion of Mg–Y alloy was studied using electrochemical evaluations, immersion tests and SEM observations. Corrosion mechanisms of Mg-(0.25 and 2.5) Y alloy and Mg-(5, 8, and 15) Y alloy were uniform corrosion and pitting corrosion respectively, and the content of Mg_(24)Y_5 phases determined its effect acting as cathode to accelerate the corrosion or corrosion barrier to inhibit the corrosion. Corrosion resistance of Mg-(0.25, 2.5, 5, 8, and 15) Y alloys was as follows: Rt(Mg-0.25Y) Rt(Mg-8Y) Rt(Mg-15Y) Rt(Mg-5Y) Rt(Mg-2.5Y). Y could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of the Mg-Y alloy, but the excess of Y deteriorated the corrosion resistance of the Mg-Y alloy. The optimum content of Y in the studied alloys was 2.5%.     

Effects of ultrasonic treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of semisolid Sn-52Bi alloy

The effects of ultrasonic vibration temperature on the microstructure of semisolid Sn-52 Bi alloy and mechanical properties were investigated. The results show that the microstructure and mechanical properties are improved obviously after the ultrasonic treatment. Nearly round and uniformly distributed primary Sn phase particles were obtained under the cavitation and acoustic streaming caused by ultrasonic treatment. The best effects of ultrasonic treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties were obtained with the ultrasonic vibration for 120 s at 140 ℃. The elongation of semisolid Sn-52 Bi alloy treated by ultrasonic vibration for 120 s at 140 ℃ was 42% and increased by 156.09% compared to conventional liquid casting Sn-52 Bi alloy without ultrasonic vibration. It is a feasible and effective method to adopt the semisolid metal forming technology assisted with ultrasonic vibration to improve the ductility of Sn-Bi alloys.     

Winglet geometry effects on tip leakage loss over the plane tip in a turbine cascade

The effects of winglet offset distance, winglet coverage, and winglet cross section on the over-tip leakage loss for the plane tip have been investigated experimentally in a turbine blade cascade for a tip gap height-to-span ratio of h/s = 1.36 %. The results show that the over-tip leakage loss for the full coverage winglet increases steeply with increasing the winglet offset distance. This loss generation is attributed to flow disturbances over the forward-facing and backward-facing steps within the tip gap. The winglet flush mounted to the tip surface provides the best result. With the leading edge winglet portion or without it, the both-side winglet always provides better aerodynamic performance than the corresponding pressure-side winglet or suction-side winglet. Longer coverage of the both-side winglet leads to lower loss. Therefore, the full coverage winglet performs best in the loss reduction for the plane tip. In general, thinner winglet leads to better aerodynamic result, and the winglet cross section having a slant bottom surface with the smallest thickness at its outer end is recommended.     

Noncovalent Functionalized Graphene-Filled Polyimides with Improved Thermal,Mechanical, and Wear Resistance Properties

A facile method is proposed to prepare poly-o-phenylenediamine (PoPD) noncovalent functionalized graphene (G)-reinforced polyimide (PI) nanocomposites. PoPD-G exhibited excellent dispersibility in various organic solvents. The structures of PoPD-G were characterized by Raman and UV spectrum, which verified the π–π interactions between PoPD and G. The effective exfoliation of graphene nanosheets was investigated by observation of the morphology of PoPD-G with SEM, SPM, and TEM. Compared to PI/G composites, the interfacial adhesion between graphene nanosheets and PI matrices promoted efficient stress transfer from PI chains to PoPD-G nanofillers. Polyimide nanocomposites with different incorporations of PoPD-G exhibited outstanding thermal properties. It is interesting to note that only 0.5 wt% PoPD-G-reinforced PI composites increased by 20.8% in hardness, enhanced by 84.0% in storage modulus, and reduced by 72.8% in wear rate compared with neat PI. The eminent enhancement was attributed to the facile dispersion of graphene nanosheets and strong interface adhesion between PI and PoPD-G.     

Kinetic theory for aquatic animal distribution simulation

Identifying the underlying mechanisms that influence the spatial patterns in populations improves the forecasts of the alternative management strategies on the spatial dynamics of the populations, which are critical for assessing and managing the fisheries and improving the water resource management. This paper described a new approach of the numerical model for the prediction of the aquatic animal distribution in the flows. The model was developed based on the kinetic theory of gases, the mechanism of the aquatic animal movement and the flow hydrodynamic patterns. The model was validated using the available experimental data and an acceptable agreement was obtained. A comprehensive parameter study was then conducted to help understand the impact and the sensitivity of each parameter to the aquatic animal distribution. The promising results of the model reveal the prospect of applying this model to the reliable prediction of the aquatic animal distribution within a relatively large water area.     

An efficient equivariant adaptive separation via independence algorithm for acoustical source separation and identification

To balance the convergence rate and steady-state error of blind source separation (BSS) algorithms, an efficient equivariant adaptive separation via independence (Efficient EASI) algorithm is proposed based on separating indicator, which was derived from the convergence condition of EASI, and can be used to evaluate the separation degree of separated signals. Furthermore, a nonlinear monotone increasing function between suitable step sizes and separating indicator is constructed to adaptively adjust step sizes, and forgetting factor is employed to weaken effects of data at the initial stage. Numerical case studies and experimental studies on a test bed with shell structures are provided to validate the efficiency improvement of the proposed method. This study can benefit for vibration & acoustic monitoring and control, and machinery condition monitoring and fault diagnosis.     

Dynamic observation of bainite transformation in a Fe-C-Mn-Si superbainite steel

The dynamic observations of bainitic transformation in a Fe-C-Mn-Si superbainite steel were conducted on a high temperature laser scanning confocal microscope. It is indicated that the mutual intersection of bainite sheaves often occurs during growth of bainite ferrite, resulting in an interlocked bainite microstructure. Moreover, bainite transformation is promoted by higher austenization temperature and the longer and finer bainite platelets are obtained. Further, The average growth rate of bainite after austenization at 1 100 ° is calculated as 5.8 µm·s^?1. In situ observation investigation makes it possible to identify bainite transformation in real time during isothermal holding.     

Improved visible transparency of SIO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/ZNO:AL /CEO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-TIO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/SIO<Subscript>2</Subscript> multilayer films with high UV absorption and infrared reflection rate

New visible transparent, UV absorption, and high infrared reflection properties have been realized by depositing multilayer SiO₂/ZnO: Al/CeO₂-TiO₂/SiO₂ films onto glass substrates at low temperature by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Optimum thickness of SiO₂, ZnO: Al (ZAO) and CeO₂-TiO₂ (CTO) films were designed with the aid of thin film design software. The degree of antireflection can be controlled by adjusting the thickness and refractive index. The outer SiO₂ film can diminish the interference coloring and increase the transparency; the inner SiO₂ film improves the adhesion of the coating on the glass substrate and prevents Ca²⁺, Na⁺ in the glass substrate from entering the ZAO film. The average transmittance in the visible light range increases by nearly 18%-20%, as compared to double layer ZAO/CTO films. And the films display high infrared reflection rate of above 75% in the wavelength range of 10-25 μm and good UV absorption (> 98%) properties. These systems are easy to produce on a large scale at low cost and exhibit high mechanical and chemical durability. The triple functional films with high UV absorption, antireflective and high infrared reflection rate will adapt to application in flat panel display and architectural coating glass, automotive glass, with diminishing light pollution as well as decreasing eye fatigue and increasing comfort.