Fire performance and decay resistance of solid wood and plywood treated with quaternary ammonia compounds and common fire retardants

In this study, the fire performance and decay resistance of solid wood and plywood treated with quaternary ammonia compounds (didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC) and didecyl dimethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate (DBF)) were compared with the performance of untreated control specimens and specimens treated with common fire retardants ((monoammonium phosphate (MAP), diammonium phosphate (DAP) and ammonium sulphate (AS)). Test specimens were treated with 1% and 4% (% m/v) aqueous solutions of the chemicals. The fire performance tests were the fire tube test (ASTM E 69) which measures mass losses in the specimens and the cone calorimeter test (ASTM E 1354) which measures mass loss, heat release rate, time for sustained ignition, effective heat of combustion, and specific extinction area. The results from the cone calorimeter tests were used to estimate the flame spread index (FSI) in the Steiner tunnel test (ASTM E 84). Heat release rates of the specimens treated with MAP, DAP, and AS were lower than those of both DDAC and DBF-treated specimens and the untreated control specimens. Compared with the untreated specimens, higher heat release rates were observed for the specimens treated with the quaternary ammonia compounds, DDAC and DBF. The estimates for the FSI for DDAC and DBF were for values equal to or higher than for the untreated control specimens. At higher concentration levels, MAP, DAP and AS were effective in decreasing initial contribution of heat release to potential fire. Decay resistance tests were done according to AWPA E 10 standard method using one brown-rot fungus and one white rot-fungus. Decay resistance tests revealed that solid wood specimens treated with DDAC and DBF showed resistance against the fungi tested, however, MAP, DAP and AS did not provide complete protection. While DBF and DDAC increased resistance of plywood specimens, high mass losses in plywood specimens treated with MAP, DAP and AS were obtained.     

Influence of bio-clogging on permeability characteristics of soil

It is necessary to enhance the barrier performance of cutoff walls in order to improve the contamination control level, especially for reconstruction or expansion of existing landfill sites. This paper presents a comprehensive laboratory investigation on the synergistic effects of microorganisms and fibers on the hydraulic conductivity of silty sand to evaluate the applicability to the field condition as an alterative barrier material. Inside the soil, the added carbon fibers not only provided good biocompatibility, but also formed spatial three-dimensional network between soil particles to improve the bacterial adhesion that eventually caused 2–3 orders of magnitude decrease in soil permeability. The resistance of the biofilm to extreme conditions was tested by permeation with solutions of different salinity and pH values, and by subjecting specimens to various hydraulic gradients and soil conditions. Despite the microbial growth inhibition occurred at these conditions, however, biofilm can largely remain intact and continue to reduce k, which due to the gradual adaptation of microorganisms to the extreme environment and the gradual recovery of their activity. Results of these tests demonstrate that biofilm treatment may be a feasible technology for creating waste containment barriers in soil.     

In-situ immobilization of Sr radioactive isotope using nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite

Hydroxyapatite was used as the inert matrix for in-situ immobilization of strontium (Sr) radioactive isotopes at room temperature. A nano-emulsification method was applied to synthesize Sr-substituted calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca_1?xSr_x)₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂. The concentration of incorporated Sr was in the range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. Immobilization of Sr was evaluated using a stable isotope instead of radioactive isotope. The effect of strontium concentration on the crystal structure was studied and the results have showed that in the whole concentration range, Sr forms solid solutions with the host hydroxyapatite crystal structure. Powders comprised of nanometre sized particles were obtained and their properties, such as crystallite and particle size, changes in lattice parameters as function of dopant content and thermal stability, were further examined. It was found that the crystal structure of obtained powders is thermally stable at high temperatures. No secondary phases were formed in as-prepared powders or during calcination. The results in this study showed that nano-emulsion strategy provides a simple pathway for synthesis of a single-phase Sr-substituted hydroxyapatite, which can be used for immobilization of Sr radioactive isotopes.     

Logic programming in tensor spaces

Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence - This paper introduces a novel approach to computing logic programming semantics. First, a propositional Herbrand base is represented in a vector...     

Calculation of the Characteristics of Salient‐Pole Synchronous Machines Assisted by Permanent Magnets on the Basis of the Operating Principle

In this study we investigate a method for accurately calculating the characteristics of salient‐pole synchronous machines assisted by permanent magnets. First, the operating principle of the machines is investigated by using both finite element analysis and a simple magnetic circuit. Then, a theoretical representation of the assist effect on the permanent magnets is derived based on the magnetic circuit. Finally, the measured and calculated results are compared in order to confirm the validity of the proposed calculation method. We show that the load characteristics of the proposed machine can be accurately estimated from the no‐load and short‐circuit characteristics of the conventional machine without permanent magnets, and the size and magnetization of the inserted permanent magnets.     

Effect of surface treatments on the strength of carburized gears

This paper deals with effects of surface treatment on the bending fatigue strength of SCM415 carburized spur gears. The test gears are treated by the combination of shot peening, chemical polishing and electropolishing after carburization. The fatigue tests demonstrate that the strength is sensitive to the surface condition of tooth fillet and the removal of the nonmartensitic layer caused by decarburization is considerably effective in enhancing the strength. In the first part of this paper, the influence of surface treatments such as shot peening, chemical polishing and electropolishing on the strength enbancement for carburized gears are summarized and discussed. In the second part, the crack lengths are calculated from the fatigue test results for the carburized and surface-treated gears, and the effect of surface treatments is discussed from the view point of fracture mechanics.     

Development of diamond-like carbon fibre wheel

The first author invented a unique diamond-like carbon (DLC) grinding wheel, in which the DLC fibres were made by rolling Al sheets coated with DLC films and aligned normally to the grinding wheel surface by laminating Al sheets together with DLC fibres [K. Yamaguchi, Y. Wei, M. Takeuchi, Development of DLC fibre grinding wheel, in: Proceedings of the Vernal Meeting of the JSPE, Tokyo, 16–18 March 1999, p. 260]. In this paper, the formation process of DLC fibres and the fabrication process of a DLC fibre wheel were investigated. Many grinding experiments were also carried out on a precision NC plane milling machine using a newly developed DLC wheel. Grinding of specimens of silicon wafers, optical glasses, quartz, granites and hardened die-steel SKD11 demonstrated the capabilities to nanometer surface finish. A smooth surface with a roughness value of Ra 2.5 nm (Ry 26 nm) was achieved.     

A model for selecting appropriate technology for incubator-university collaboration by considering the technology transfer mechanism

A technology incubator provides an important support for a technology transfer mechanism. A technology incubator bridges the incubatees to the technology provider. In our research, we propose a technology selection model for the incubatees. Incubator managers, as decision-makers, attempt to evaluate new technology for the incubatees by comparing its profit with that of the old or established technology. The technology is proposed by a technology provider, which in this case is a university. In the technology selection activity, the distance between the technology level of incubatees and transferred technology should be considered. Unfortunately, there has been no effort to formulate a technology selection model in the technology incubator that considers the technology distance and is linked to the incubatees’ profit as financial performance. We examine the impact of the technological-level and technology assimilation rate in the technology selection process in the technology incubator. We analyse the external factor of customer acceptance of new technology with a probabilistic value and technology obsolescence. Furthermore, we introduce a profit-sharing scheme to share the profit of the incubatees with the university as a technology provider. Utilising a profit-sharing scheme means sharing the risk between incubatees and the university.     

Crystallization and phase separation kinetics in blends of linear low-density polyethylene copolymers

We have systematically studied the crystallization and liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) kinetics in statistical copolymer blends of poly(ethylene-co-hexene) (PEH) and poly(ethylene-co-butene) (PEB) using primarily optical microscopy. The PEH/PEB blends exhibit upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in the melt and crystallization temperature below the UCST. The time evolution of the characteristic morphology for both crystallization and LLPS is recorded for blends at various compositions and following a quench from initial homogenous melts at high temperature to various lower temperatures. The crystallization kinetics is measured as the linear growth rate of the super structural crystals, whereas the LLPS kinetics is measured as the linear growth rate of the characteristic length of the late-stage spinodal decomposition. The composition dependence crystallization kinetics, G, shows very different characteristics at low and high isothermal crystallization temperature. Below 116 °C, G decreases with increasing PEB content in the blend, implying primarily the composition effect on materials transport; whereas at above 116 °C, G shows a minimum at about the critical composition for LLPS, implying the influence of the LLPS. On the other hand, LLPS kinetics at 130 °C is relatively invariant at different compositions in the two-phase regime. The length scale at which domains are kinetically pinned, however, depends strongly on the composition. In a blend near critical composition, a kinetics crossover is shown to separate the crystallization dominant and phase separation dominant morphology as isothermal temperature increases.     

Nitridation enhancing effect of ZrO2 on silicon powder

The nitridation behavior of silicon powder with added Zr compounds was studied in order to assess the catalytic effect of zirconium on the formation of reaction bonded silicon nitride, using high purity silicon powder and monoclinic zirconia as starting materials. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the addition of ZrO₂ to Si powder reduced the temperature of the main nitridation reaction, and increased the amount of silicon converted to silicon nitride at a given temperature. On the other hand, the nitridation rate at higher temperatures (1380-1400 °C) indicated similar values for both pure Si and Si with ZrO₂ additions.