Casting properties of ASTM A128 Gr. E1 steel modified with Mn-alloying and titanium ladle treatment

This work aims to produce a high manganese steel with more refined austenite grains and better wear resistance without sacrificing the toughness and tensile properties by Mn alloying and Ti ladle treatment in comparision to ASTM A128 Gr. E1 steel (1.0C-13Mn) that is mostly used in the mining industry. The 1.0C-17Mn-xTi alloys (x=0, 0.05 and 0.1, in wt.%) were prepared. A relationship was established between the microstructures and mechanical properties of the as-cast and solution annealed alloys. Increasing Ti content increases the stable Ti(CN) phase on and beside the grain boundaries and decreases up to 37% the austenite grain size of the as-cast alloy with 0.10wt.% Ti. Correspondingly, after solution annealed, optimized titanium content (0.05wt.%) results in significant improvements in wear resistance, hardness, elongation, yield and tensile strengths by 44%, 31%, 30%, 8% and 12%, respectively, except 9% decrease in impact toughness compared to ASTM A 128 Gr. E1 steel without modification. These results show that 1.0C-17Mn-0.05Ti alloy can be used for parts exposed to high load wear and applied in conditions where relatively high tensile properties with sufficent ductility is needed.

     

Novel EDM deep hole drilling strategy using tubular electrode with orifice

Fabrication of deep holes (depth to diameter ratio >10) using electrical discharge drilling (EDD) has gained momentum in the areas of aerospace, automotive and biomedical industries. However, formation of recirculation zones in flushing channel causes accumulation of debris particles at higher depths of drilling. This leads to secondary discharges within the flushing channel resulting in excessive tool wear, dimensional inaccuracy and hole tapering. The present paper proposes a novel tool geometry having orifices at the bottom end of tool electrode with an aim to improve debris evacuation. The effectiveness of proposed method is established through CFD simulations and experiments.     

Structural and opto-electrical properties of pyrolized ZnO-CdO crystalline thin films

A series of ZnO-CdO thin films of different molar ratios of Zn and Cd have been deposited on glass substrate at substrate temperature ~ 360 ℃ by the spray pyrolysis technique at an ambient atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the polycrystalline nature of the film and modulated crystal structures of wurtzite (ZnO) and cubic (CdO) are formed. The evaluated lattice parameters, and crystallite size are consistent with literature. Dislocation density and strain increased in the film as the grain sizes of ZnO and CdO are decreased. The band gap energy varies from 3.20 to 2.21 eV depending on the Zn/Cd ratios in the film. An incident photon intensity dependent I-V study confirmed that the films are highly photosensitive. Current increased with the increase of the intensity of the light beam. The optical conductivity and the optical constants, such as extinction coefficient, refractive index and complex dielectric constants are evaluated from transmittance and reflectance spectra of the films and these parameters are found to be sensitive to photon energy and displayed intermediate optical properties between ZnO and CdO, making it preferable for applications as the buffer and window layers in solar cells.     

An investigation of sound absorption coefficient on sisal fiber poly lactic acid bio‐composites

In this research, the mechanical, acoustical, thermal, morphological, and infrared spectral properties of untreated, heat and alkaline‐treated sisal fiber‐reinforced poly‐lactic‐acid bio‐composites were analyzed. The bio‐composite samples were fabricated using a hot press molding machine. The properties mentioned above were evaluated and compared with heat‐treated and alkaline‐treated sisal fibers. Composites with heat‐treated sisal fibers were found to exhibit the best mechanical properties. Thermo‐gravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted to study the thermal degradation of the bio‐composite samples. It was discovered that the PLA‐sisal composites with optimal heat‐treated at 160°C and alkaline‐treated fibers possess good thermal stability as compared with untreated fiber. The results indicated that the composites prepared with 30wt % of sisal had the highest sound absorption as compared with other composites. Evidence of the successful reaction of sodium hydroxide and heat treatment of the sisal fibers was provided by the infrared spectrum and implied by decreased bands at certain wavenumbers. Observations based on scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surface of the composites showed the effect of alkaline and heat treatment on the fiber surface and improved fiber‐matrix adhesion. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42470.     

Effect of desensitizers on the microleakage of previously restored Class V resin composite restorations

Objectives: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of different desensitizers’ application on the microleakage of previously restored Class V composite resin restorations.

Materials and methods: Class V cavities were prepared on the buccal surfaces of 40 extracted human third molars. Forty box-shaped cavities were divided into four groups, based on the desensitizers used (n = 10). All teeth were restored with the same bonding agent and composite material. No desensitizer was applied in the control group. In the experimental groups, BisBlock, Gluma and Universal bonding agents were the desensitizers. The desensitizers were applied after completion of composite restorations according to manufacturers’ instructions. All specimens were then thermocycled at 5–55 °C, with a 10-s dwell time for 500 cycles. The samples were then immersed in 0.5% methylene blue dye for 24 h, sectioned into two equal halves, evaluated for microleakage using a stereomicroscope at 30× magnification and scored on a scale of 0–3. The data were analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis test at the significance level p < 0.05.

Results: There were no significant differences in microleakage after desensitizer application (p > 0.05). However, based on the obtained numerical values in our study, while the BisBlock and bonding groups showed lower microleakage at the occlusal margin, BisBlock, Gluma and bonding group showed lower microleakage at the gingival margin compared to the control group.

Conclusions: The application of desensitizers as a post-treatment option could be considered an advisable procedure to minimize microleakage.     

Preparation,characterization, and dynamic adsorption–desorption studies on polypyrrole encapsulated TiO2 nanoparticles

Binary doped polypyrrole (PPy) encapsulated Titania (TiO₂) nanoparticles were prepared by oxidative polymerization using FeCl₃ as oxidant in presence of camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) as surfactant. Both FeCl₃ (oxidant) and camphorsulfonic acid (surfactant) also act as dopant and hence thus prepared polypyrrole/Titania (TiO₂@PPy) is termed as binary doped nanocomposite i.e. FeCl₃ dopes polypyrrole by oxidation mechanism while camphorsulfonic acid dopes polypyrrole by protonic doping mechanism. The TiO₂@PPy coreshell nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), field emission‐scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), and inductance‐capacitance‐resistance (LCR) measurements. The results indicated that the structural and electrical properties of the TiO₂@PPy coreshell nanocomposites were significantly influenced by the extent of TiO₂ nanoparticles loading of polypyrrole. The direct current (DC) electrical conductivity of the as‐prepared TiO₂@PPy coreshell nanocomposites was higher than that of PPy. As‐prepared TiO₂@PPy coreshell nanocomposites were also studied for their dielectric losses for alternating current (AC) which is useful characteristic for their application in the fabrication of charge storing devices. TiO₂@PPy coreshell nanocomposites showed synergistic effect of combining components in improving their alcohol sensing properties. This improvement may be attributed to the adsorption on and desorption from alcohols TiO₂@PPy interface of the nanocomposites and alcohol vapors causing decrease in depletion region. The TiO₂@PPy coreshell nanocomposites were observed to show better reproducibility of electrical conductivity and fast self‐recovery during the alcohol vapor sensing process. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43411.     

Boron nitride based polyaniline nanocomposite: Preparation,property, and application

In this study, we report first time the electrical properties and photocatalytic activity of HCl doped polyaniline (Pani) and Pani/boron nitride (Pani/BN) nanocomposite prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline using potassium persulfate (K₂S₂O₈) in the presence of hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN). The prepared Pani and Pani/BN nanocomposite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, Thermogravimetric analysis, Scanning electron microscope, and Transmission electron microscope. The stability of the Pani/BN nanocomposite in comparison of Pani in terms of the DC electrical conductivity retention was investigated under isothermal and cyclic aging conditions. The Pani/BN nanocomposite in terms of DC electrical conductivity was observed to be comparatively more thermally stable than Pani. The degradation of Methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under UV‐light irradiation were 50 and 56.4%, respectively, over Pani and 65.7 and 71.6%, respectively, over Pani/BN. The results indicated that the extent of degradation of MB and RhB was greater over nanocomposite material than Pani, which may result due to high electron–hole pairs charge separation under UV light. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43989.     

Highly sensitive and selective dopamine detection by an amperometric biosensor based on tyrosinase/MWNT/GCE

Dopamine (3,4-dihydroxylphenyl ethylamine) is the most significant neurotransmitter in the human nervous system. Abnormal dopamine levels cause fatal neurological disorders, and thus measuring dopamine level in actual samples is important. Although electrochemical methods have been developed for detecting dopamine with high accuracy, certain substances (e.g., ascorbic acid) in actual samples often interfere with electrochemical dopamine detection. We developed tyrosinase-based dopamine biosensor with high sensitivity and selectivity. An electrochemically pretreated tyrosinase/multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified glassy carbon electrode (tyrosinase/MWNT/GCE) was prepared as an amperometric biosensor for selective dopamine detection. For optimizing the biosensor performance, pH, temperature, and scan rate were investigated. The electrochemically pretreated tyrosinase/MWNT/GCE exhibited not only the highest sensitivity (1,323 mAM^?1 cm^?2) compared to previously reported tyrosinase-based dopamine sensors, but also good long-term stability, retaining 90% of initial activity after 30 days. Additionally, ascorbic acid, a major interfering substances, was not oxidized at the potential used to detect dopamine oxidation, and the interfering effect of 4mM ascorbic acid was negligible when monitoring 1mM dopamine. Consequently, the electrochemically pretreated tyrosinase/MWNT/GCE is applicable for highly selective and sensitive dopamine detection in actual samples including interfering substances, thereby extending the practical use to monitor and diagnose neurological disorders.     

An interpretation of the changes in demographic behaviour at a sub-national level using spatial measures in post-socialist countries: A case study of the Czech Republic and Slovakia

The transformation of fertility and family behaviour in post-socialist countries was quick and the changes were striking. An account of the changes is the subject of dispute and the mechanisms have still not been explained in a fully satisfying manner. Relatively little attention has been paid to the changes in spatial aspects concerning the broadening of changes in family behaviour. The aim of this paper is to answer the question as to whether changes spread stochastically in post-socialist countries or if there are obvious spatial patterns. The study tries to answer the questions whether there are any cores of changes which may be understood as innovations, if there is any spatial clustering and if the extent is hierarchically arranged.     

Determination of rock type and moisture content in flysch using TLS intensity in the Elerji quarry (south-west Slovenia)

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) was performed in tectonically undisturbed flysch in the Elerji quarry (south-west Slovenia), which represents...