A novel Eu3+‐ and self‐activated vanadate phosphor of Ca4La(VO4)3O with oxyvanadate apatite structure

Pure and Eu³⁺‐activated Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O phosphors were prepared via three‐step solid‐phase synthesis. The phase formation and structure were investigated by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) with Rietveld refinements. All the samples crystallized in an apatite‐type structure. The morphological properties were measured via by SEM and EDS measurements. Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O is a new vanadate optical material with a direct band feature and a band energy of 3.1 eV. The undoped Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O phosphor presents self‐activated yellow luminescence from 400 nm to 750 nm with a maximum wavelength of 525 nm originating from VO₄ groups. Luminescence characteristics of Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O indicate that the phosphor is not sufficient for practical applications. In Eu³⁺‐activated Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O, there is an efficient energy transfer from VO₄ to Eu³⁺ ions. The luminescence spectra, concentration quenching, decay curves, color chromaticity, and quantum efficiencies (QE) of Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O:Eu³⁺ were investigated. The phosphor presents optimal Eu³⁺ doping concentration of about 20 mol%. The dominant red emission in Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O:Eu³⁺ is 615 nm from electronic ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ dipole transitions. The quantum efficiency and the luminescence stability of the pure and Eu‐activated Ca₄La(VO₄)₃O were reported. The luminescence was discussed on the structural characteristics.     

The effect of Fe2+ state in electrical property variations of Sn‐doped hematite powders

The structural, electrical, and chemical properties of Sn‐doped Fe₂O₃ powders were investigated. Various quantities of Sn‐doped Fe₂O₃ powders were synthesized using solid‐state reactions. Rietveld analysis for the powders that were doped below 2% revealed a phase‐pure Sn‐doped Fe₂O₃ structure (i.e., identical to Fe₂O₃ structure). Alternatively, the analysis for the powders that were doped more than 3% exhibited secondary phase. The unit cell volume and electrical conductivity of the phase‐pure samples increased with an increase in the doping concentration. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed an increased Fe²⁺ state with the increase in Sn doping concentration. Therefore, the improved electrical conductivity and unit cell volume with the increase in doping concentration of the phase‐pure powders might be related to the increased Fe²⁺ state.     

Thermogravimetric study for the co-combustion of coal and dried sewage sludge

The co-combustion of dried sewage sludge with coal is a promising method to dispose of and treat sewage sludge waste. Because sewage sludge has a different elemental composition than coal, the co-combustion of sewage sludge with coal may have different combustion characteristics than the single combustion of coal. In this study, the co-combustion of dried sewage sludge with coal was tested varying heating rates and mixing ratios of the dried sewage sludge. The results were analyzed using thermogravimetric (TG) and derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) curves and modeled using Ozawa-Flynn-Wall and Vyazovkin models. The mixed samples of coal and dried sewage sludge showed similar TG curves to the coal sample. The co-combustion showed activation energies close to that of the single coal combustion. This suggests that the co-combustion of coal and dried sewage sludge has similar combustion behavior to the single combustion of coal for mixing percentages of dried sewage sludge up to 20%.     

Self-dressing effect using a fixed abrasive platen for single-sided lapping of sapphire substrate

Single-sided lapping is crucial in sapphire wafering processes for improving flatness and achieving the target wafer thickness using loose abrasives. In single-sided lapping process, the Material removal rate (MRR) is a key factor for reducing process time and cost. However, the MRR is limited when using loose abrasives because abrasives mostly act by rolling and sliding. Many researchers have studied fixed abrasives to increase the MRR, but the MRR decreases with time. To solve this problem, the self-dressing effect was studied with various pressures, velocities, cutting fluids and wafers. The MRR decreased due to the wear of abrasives, and the pressure and velocity have little effect on the self-dressing. Lapping experiments were done using cutting fluid with a lapped wafer and sawed wafer. The MRR, plate roughness and thickness were measured to study the wear of the abrasive and the self-dressing effect. The cutting fluid delayed the wear of the abrasives and thus improved the decrease in MRR, but it had little effect on the self-dressing effect, like in the case when water was used. When using cutting fluid and a sawed wafer, the MRR was high and did not decrease. A concentrated load on the plate caused by shape error and saw marks on the sawed wafer could produce the self-dressing effect. We verified that a sawed wafer could produce the self-dressing effect on even a worn plate.     

Multi-objective optimization for mixed-flow pump with blade angle of impeller exit and diffuser inlet

During design optimization, the impeller and diffuser of a mixed-flow pump are generally optimized separately. In such cases, the total head can be overdesigned. In this study, the designs of the impeller and diffuser were optimized simultaneously by using computational fluid dynamics and the Response surface method (RSM). Design variables were defined according to the vane plane development of the impeller and diffuser. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations for the shear stress transport turbulence model were discretized by finite volume approximations and solved on hexahedral grids to analyze the flow in the pump. The total head and total efficiency were selected as objective functions, with four design variables related to the impeller outlet angles and diffuser inlet angles used for optimization. The RSM was constructed based on the objective functions with design points generated from the central composite method. The hydraulic performance of the optimum model was analyzed.     

Tribological Performance of Laser-Textured Polyoxymethylene under Boundary Lubricated Sliding Condition

Micro texturing was fabricated on polyoxymethylene surfaces using laser texturing, and the tribological characteristics were studied. Micro texturing was proven to be very effective in lowering the coefficient of friction, regardless of the texturing depth used in this study. Laser texturing was practical and efficient owing to its fast process time with reasonable machined shapes. An optimum aspect ratio and area density of texturing would exist under the conditions used in this study. Wear of polyoxymethylene was negligible.     

Polymer-based hydrogel scaffolds for skin tissue engineering applications: a mini-review

Polymer hydrogels consist of a three-dimensional (3D) structure with cross-linked networks rich in a huge amount of water through hydrogen-bonding interactions, making them highly hydrophilic. Due to their impressive hydrophilic characteristics and cell non-cytotoxicity, polymer hydrogels are useful tissue engineering tools for the organization of cells and tissues and organ regeneration. Many biomedical engineers and researchers have recently begun to utilize polymer hydrogels as tissue or cell culture environments and as scaffolds for the stable growth of organs in tissue engineering and regeneration medicine. This paper focuses on skin regeneration in polymer hydrogels where skin is a means of protecting the body from infection or physical or chemical damage. Generally, skin tissue that has incurred minor damage or wounds can regenerate and heal in a relatively short time, while severe injuries may require transplantation or artificial skin. For those purposes, skin culturing in an in vitro environment is essential, and the environment produced using polymer hydrogel scaffolds needs to be both similar to the real environment and safe for skin cell growth. This paper reviews post-2000 skin regeneration research in the field of tissue engineering, focusing specifically on polymer hydrogels; it also discusses some of the central perspectives and key issues.