Effect of the polymer matrices on the dielectric behavior of a percolative high-k polymer composite for embedded capacitor applications

High dielectric constant (high-k) polymer composites are of great interest for embedded capacitor applications. Previously, we demonstrated that epoxy—aluminum composites are promising for embedded capacitor applications, because they have a high dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss due to the core—shell structure of the self-passivated aluminum particles. In this work, to further understand the dielectric behavior of aluminum composites, lower-loss polymers such as silicone, polyimide, polynorbornene, and benzocyclobutene were explored as matrices for the aluminum composites. It is found that the polymer matrices can significantly change the dielectric properties of the aluminum composites. A polymer matrix with a lower dielectric constant generally results in a lower dielectric constant of its aluminum composites. In this regard, polymer—aluminum composites have a similar dielectric characteristic as polymer—ceramic composites. Thermomechanical properties of aluminum composites were characterized by a thermomechanical analyzer.     

Fuzzy rule interpolation for multidimensional input spaces in determining d50c of hydrocyclones

Fuzzy rule-based systems have been very popular in many engineering applications. In mineral engineering, fuzzy rules are normally constructed using some fuzzy rule extraction techniques to establish the determination model in predicting the d50c of hydrocyclones. However, when generating fuzzy rules from the available information, it may result in a sparse fuzzy rule base. The use of more than one input variable is also common in hydrocyclone data analysis. This paper examines the application of fuzzy interpolation to resolve the problems using sparse fuzzy rule bases, and to perform analysis of fuzzy interpolation in multidimensional input spaces.     

Bioprocess applications of model-based estimation techniques

The last decade has seen the development of a number of approaches for estimating those variables which are difficult to measure on-line in industrial process situations. Whilst a range of techniques is available, a common element is the use of process knowledge in the form of a system model. In the case of bioprocess systems, although a large range of models has been presented in the literature, their use in estimation schemes on an industrial scale has been limited. A number of reasons can be identified for their low level of utilisation. Of particular significance is the uncertainty which exists in quantifying system performance and the process-model mismatch which inevitably results. The level of ‘pre-defined model’ uncertainty, together with the knowledge gained during the course of the fermentation, serves to dictate estimator structure. The paper considers a range of estimation strategies and contrasts, through industrial applications, their performance characteristics and utility.     

Adhesion improvement of thermoplastic isotropically conductive adhesive

Generally, isotropically conductive adhesive formulations include epoxy resin as the polymeric matrix. Although epoxy has superior adhesion capability, its drawbacks include the tendency to absorb moisture and lack of reworkability (thermosetting polymer). In this study, a thermoplastic polymer with low moisture absorption (0.28 wt%), called polyarylene ether (PAE2), is used in isotropically conductive adhesive (ICA) formulation. Previous research work by Lu et al. showed that the moisture absorbed into epoxy caused galvanic corrosion, which result in the formation of metal oxide . By using a polymer with low moisture absorption, the amount of water present in ICA will be small, and the corrosion rate and formation of metal oxide can be reduced. However, previous measurements of contact resistance stability of PAE2-based ICA showed that they are not stable on all surface finishes. It was determined that for thermoplastic-based ICA, poor adhesion was the main mechanism for unstable contact resistance. Two methods of adhesion improvement will be evaluated in this work. The first is to use coupling agents and the second is to blend the thermoplastic with epoxy. Both methods showed promise in improving the contact resistance stability of polyarylene ether based ICA.     

Real-time palmprint acquisition system design

Capturing high quality palmprint images in a very short time period is a fundamental step in palmprint research. While a palmprint scanner capable of this function is especially important for developing a real-time online palmprint identification system, limited research effort has been put into designing and implementing palmprint acquisition systems. A novel palmprint acquisition system is presented, which is designed for various civilian applications such as access control, ATM, etc. The novel contactless design on the user interface prevents the distortion of the palm skin introduced by the traditional glass plate of a palm scanner. The system is designed to have the best performance at reasonable price. It has a resolution of 150 dpi that is able to obtain palmprint features, including the principal lines, wrinkles and ridge texture. The proposed system provides an important step for implementing a personal identification system using palmprint. Over 9,400 palmprint images were collected by the proposed system. An online palmprint identification system was then developed based on the proposed acquisition system.     

Age-related response of male melon fliesDacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) to cue-lure

Laboratory-reared and wild adults of the melon fly,Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, were tested for response to cue-lure at various ages. Virgin laboratory (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 days old) and wild (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 days old) flies were released into outdoor field cages and trapped from 0800 until 1600 hr. Response of males to cue-lure increased with age and corresponded with sexual maturity for each strain. Females of both strains were relatively nonresponsive to cue-lure. Failure to eradicate in past male annihilation programs againstD. cucurbitae may be explained in part by the fact that only older males, which may have already mated with gravid females, respond to cue-lure.     

Self-efficacy and work-related performance: The integral role of individual differences.

The present study estimated the unique contribution of self-efficacy to work-related performance controlling for personality (the Big 5 traits), intelligence or general mental ability, and job or task experience. Results, based on a meta-analysis of the relevant literatures, revealed that overall, across all studies and moderator conditions, the contribution of self-efficacy relative to purportedly more distal variables is relatively small. Within moderator categories, there were several cases in which self-efficacy made unique contributions to work-related performance. For example, self-efficacy predicted performance in jobs or tasks of low complexity but not those of medium or high complexity, and self-efficacy predicted performance for task but not job performance. Overall, results suggest that the predictive validity of self-efficacy is attenuated in the presence of individual differences, though this attenuation does depend on the context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chosen plaintext attack on a cryptosystem with discretized skew tent map

An encryption system with discretized skew tent map has been proposed recently by N. Masuda . However, there is a fundamental weakness with this chaotic cryptographic scheme. In this paper, a chosen plaintext attack requiring only two plaintexts is proposed. An improved version of this attack that narrows the key space need to be searched is also suggested. The test results demonstrate that this encryption cryptosystem is easily broken under the proposed chosen plaintext attack.     

Quadtree based colour quantisation image compression

A new colour quantisation and quadtree based image compression scheme is proposed. The features of the new scheme are that colour palette ordering and requantisation of the decoded image for palette-based monitor displays are not required. Thus, fast decoding and displaying can be achieved     

Preliminary irradiation test results from the Yankee Atomic Electric Company reactor vessel test irradiation program

The Yankee Atomic Electric Company test irradiation program was implemented to characterize the irradiation response of representative Yankee Rowe reactor vessel beltline plate materials and to remove uncertainties in the analysis of existing irradiation data on the Yankee Rowe reactor vessel steel. Plate materials each containing 0·24 w/o copper, but different nickel contents at 0·63 w/o and 0·19 w/o, were heat treated to simulate the Yankee vessel heat treatment (austenitized at 982°C (1800°F)) and to simulate Regulatory Guide 1·99 database materials (austenitized at 871°C (1600°F)). These heat treatments produced different microstructures so the effect of microstructure on irradiation damage sensitivity could be tested. Because the nickel content of the test plates varied and the copper level was constant, the effect of nickel on irradiation embrittlement was also tested. Correlation monitor material, HSST-02, was included in the program to benchmark the Ford Nuclear Reactor (University of Michigan Test Reactor) which had never been used before for this type of irradiation program. Materials taken from plate surface locations (versus 1/4T) were included to test whether or not the improved toughness properties of the plate surface layer, resulting from the rapid quench, are maintained after irradiation. If the improved properties are maintained, pressurized thermal shock calculations could utilize this margin. Finally, for one experiment, irradiations were conducted at two irradiation temperatures (260°C and 288°C) to determine the effect of irradiation temperature on embrittlement. The preliminary results of the irradiation program show an average temperature effect of 38°C for a 28°C difference in irradiation temperature. The results suggest that for nickel bearing steels, the superior toughness of plate surface material is maintained after irradiation and for the copper content tested, nickel has little effect on irradiation response. No apparent microstructure effect on irradiation response was noted and the HSST-02 material's response to irradiation was similar to results from power reactor and other test reactor tests, thus qualifying the Ford Test Reactor for irradiation experiments such as those conducted for the Yankee Atomic program.