A greedy approach to multiscale methods

In this paper we study the problem of compute the solution of a linear system in a separable representation form. It arises in the discretized equations appearing in various physical domains, such as kinetic theory, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and in nanoscience and nanotechnology among others. In particular, we use the fact that tensors of order 3 or higher have best rank-1 approximation. This fact allow to us to propose an iterative method based in the so-called by the signal processing community as the Matching Pursuit Algorithm, also known as Projection Pursuit by the statistics community or as a Pure Greedy Algorithm in the approximation theory community. We also give some numerical examples and describe its relationship with the Finite Element Method for High-Dimensional Partial Differential Equations based on the tensorial product of one-dimensional bases. We illustrate this situation taking as a model problem the multidimensional Poisson equation with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary condition.     

Influence of synthesis conditions on carbonate entrapment in perovskite SrSnO3

Strontium stannate (SrSnO₃), a perovskite material, was synthesized by the polymeric precursor method, with different routes to eliminate organic matter. The utilization of pure oxygen for the elimination of organic matter changed the Raman spectra, especially in the low frequency region. Some peaks, which were previously assigned to the perovskite phase, were not noticed when the carbonate amount was lower. On the other hand, the profile of the IR spectra and XRD patterns did not change. These results suggest that carbonate may be present inside the perovskite lattice.     

Mechanical properties of organically modified silicates for bone regeneration

In this paper, different organic–inorganic hybrid materials based in the CaO–SiO₂–poly(dimethyl siloxane) PDMS system have been characterised by means of nanoindentation and their static mechanical properties (Young’s modulus, and hardness) have been investigated. These mechanical properties have been discussed in relation to the chemical composition and structure of the different hybrid materials. Besides, the mechanical behaviour of hybrid materials is visco-elastic and it therefore presents phenomena of creep that will be influenced by the temperature of the mechanical test; undoubtedly, a temperature of 37°C accelerates the processes of creep.     

Sustainability metrics for eco-technologies assessment, Part II. Life cycle analysis

This work presents a sustainability analysis of CO₂ reuse to produce dimethyl carbonate (DMC) via ethylene oxide (ROUTE A) and via urea methanolysis (ROUTE B). Two different technologies are considered in ROUTE A: reaction followed by separation and reactive distillation. Life cycle analyses of the ROUTES are presented employing sustainability analysis performed in HYSYS process simulator, along with WAR Algorithm. Process economical optimization is performed to maximize the processes profitability. A sustainability function, defined as a 2D indicator involving both economical and environmental aspects, is calculated for the optimized processes. Additional sustainability indexes are evaluated: material index, energy index, and ecoefficiency. The results, under both economical and environmental aspects, show that ROUTE A is the most sustainable. The study also points to the relevance of the frontier set between the domains cradle-to-gate and gate-to-gate in assessing process sustainability during LCA.     

Sigma phase morphologies in cast and aged super duplex stainless steel

Solution annealed and water quenched duplex and super duplex stainless steels are thermodynamically metastable systems at room temperature.These systems do not migrate spontaneously to a thermodynamically stable condition because an energy barrier separates the metastable and stable states. However, any heat input they receive, for example through isothermal treatment or through prolonged exposure to a voltaic arc in the welding process, cause them to reach a condition of stable equilibrium which, for super duplex stainless steels, means precipitation of intermetallic and carbide phases. These phases include the sigma phase, which is easily identified from its morphology, and its influence on the material's impact strength.The purpose of this work was to ascertain how 2-hour isothermal heat treatments at 920 °C and 980 °C affect the microstructure of ASTM A890/A890M GR 6A super duplex stainless steel. The sigma phase morphologies were found to be influenced by these two aging temperatures, with the material showing a predominantly lacy microstructure when heat treated at 920 °C and block-shaped when heat treated at 980 °C.     

Automated discovery and optimization of large irregular tensegrity structures

Tensegrities consist of disjoint struts connected by tensile strings which maintain shape due to pre-stress stability. Because of their rigidity, foldability and deployability, tensegrities are becoming increasingly popular in engineering. Unfortunately few effective analytical methods for discovering tensegrity geometries exist. We introduce an evolutionary algorithm which produces large tensegrity structures, and demonstrate its efficacy and scalability relative to previous methods. A generative representation allows the discovery of underlying structural patterns. These techniques have produced the largest and most complex irregular tensegrities known in the field, paving the way toward novel solutions ranging from space antennas to soft robotics.     

A new hierarchical triangle-based point-in-polygon data structure

The point-in-polygon or containment test is fundamental in computational geometry and is applied intensively in geographical information systems. When this test is repeated several times with the same polygon a data structure is necessary in order to reduce the linear time needed to obtain an inclusion result. In the literature different approaches, like grids or quadtrees, have been proposed for reducing the complexity of these algorithms. We propose a new data structure based on hierarchical subdivisions by means of tri-cones, which reduces the time necessary for this inclusion test. This data structure, named tri-tree, decomposes the whole space by means of tri-cones and classifies the edges of the polygon. For the inclusion test only the edges classified in one tri-cone are considered. The tri-tree has a set of properties which makes it specially suited to this aim, with a similar complexity to other data structures, but well suited to polygons which represent regions. We include a theoretical and practical study in which the new data structure is compared with classical ones, showing a significant improvement.     

Properties of phenolic-tannin adhesives from pinus pinaster bark extracts as related to bond quality in eucalyptus plywoods

Resins were prepared from resoles andPinus pinaster bark tannins by copolymerization at room temperature. Reducing the moisture content of the tannins to below 60% increased their stability, so allowing preparation of the resin before its application. Various formulations were tested, all of them substituting 50% of phenols by tannins. The resins obtained were used to manufacture 5-ply eucalyptus boards which met BS 1455: 1963 WBP quality standards.