Creep and Aging Evaluation of Phenol–Formaldehyde Carbon Fiber Composites in Overhead Transmission Lines

The use of reinforced polymers as cores of transmission cables can provide significant advantages compared to traditional steel cores, such as high tensile strength, low thermal expansion coefficients, and low sag between towers. This work evaluates the applicability of pultruded rods consisting of phenol–formaldehyde resin reinforced with carbon fiber as cores of transmission cables. In this work, the samples were divided into three groups: samples without aging, and samples UV and thermally aged. At first, a dynamic mechanical analysis was performed on samples without aging in order to determine the viscoelastic properties of the material based on the application to see if it would be compatible. In addition to this test, tensile strength and Young's modulus were determined for the three groups. Since the composite cores are susceptible to creep in high temperatures, the applicability must be below the glass transition temperature. Regarding creep behavior, results showed that at a reference temperature of 100 °C, the stress level necessary to cause failure after 50 years was 89% of the ultimate strength. The results of tensile tests were favorable for application of the pultruded system as transmission cables cores and the accelerated aging affected positively in these composites.

     

Reducing Early Retirement in Europe: Do Working Conditions Matter?

The paper argues that the existing literature, based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data, on how working conditions impact on early retirement preferences/plans is hampered by the fact that the approach adopted to capture individuals’ early retirement plans fails to acknowledge that these preferences/plans are defined by reference to the rules that regulate the entitlement to pension benefits. In doing so, these studies risk overestimating the impact of working conditions on early retirement plans. We put forward a more accurate way of capturing individuals’ early retirement preferences/plans, which consists in using information on the age at which respondents plan to start collecting the basic pension benefits, and then computing whether the respondent plans to retire before the official age of retirement in his country of residence. Using SHARE microdata, wave 4, we show that individuals exposed to an imbalance between effort and rewards at work (Siegriest Journal Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 1(1), 27–41, 1996 ) are more likely to plan to take-up early retirement. We also show that the effect of poor working conditions is smaller than one would find using the previous approach to the measurement of early retirement preferences/plans.     

Chromium and zinc uptake by algae Gelidium and agar extraction algal waste: kinetics and equilibrium

Biosorption of chromium and zinc ions by an industrial algal waste, from agar extraction industry has been studied in a batch system. This biosorbent was compared with the algae Gelidium itself, which is the raw material for agar extraction, and the industrial waste immobilized with polyacrylonitrile (composite material). Langmuir and Langmuir-Freundlich equilibrium models describe well the equilibrium data. The parameters of Langmuir equilibrium model at pH 5.3 and 20 degrees C were for the algae, q(L)=18 mg Cr(III)g(-1) and 13 mgZn(II)g(-1), K(L) = 0.021l mg(-1)Cr(III) and 0.026l mg(-1) Zn(II); for the algal waste, q(L)=12 mgCr(III)g(-1) and 7mgZn(II)g(-1), K(L)=0.033lmg(-1) Cr(III) and 0.042l mg(-1) Zn(II); for the composite material, q(L) = 9 mgCr(III)g(-1) and 6 mgZn(II)g(-1), K(L)=0.032l mg(-1)Cr(III) and 0.034l mg(-1)Zn(II). The biosorbents exhibited a higher preference for Cr(III) ions and algae Gelidium is the best one. The pseudo-first-order Lagergren and pseudo-second-order models fitted well the kinetic data for the two metal ions. Kinetic constants and equilibrium uptake concentrations given by the pseudo-second-order model for an initial Cr(III) and Zn(II) concentration of approximately 100 mgl(-1), at pH 5.3 and 20 degrees C were k(2,ads)=0.04 g mg(-1)Cr(III)min(-1) and 0.07 g mg(-1)Zn(II)min(-1), q(eq)=11.9 mgCr(III)g(-1) and 9.5 mgZn(II)g(-1) for algae; k(2,ads)=0.17 g mg(-1)Cr(III)min(-1) and 0.19 g mg(-1)Zn(II)min(-1), q(eq)=8.3 mgCr(III)g(-1) and 5.6 mgZn(II)g(-1) for algal waste; k(2,ads)=0.01 g mg(-1)Cr(III)min(-1) and 0.18 g mg(-1)Zn(II)min(-1), q(eq)=8.0 mgCr(III)g(-1) and 4.4 mgZn(II)g(-1) for composite material. Biosorption was modelled using a batch adsorber mass transfer kinetic model, which successfully predicts Cr(III) and Zn(II) concentration profiles. The calculated average homogeneous diffusivities, D(h), were 4.2 x 10(-8), 8.3 x 10(-8) and 1.4 x 10(-8)cm(2)s(-1) for Cr(III) and 4.8 x 10(-8), 9.7 x 10(-8) and 6.2 x 10(-8)cm(2)s(-1) for Zn(II), respectively, for Gelidium, algal waste and composite material. The algal waste has the lower intraparticle resistance.     

Supplementation with Commercial Mixtures of Conjugated Linoleic Acid in Association with Vitamin E and the Process of Lipid Autoxidation in Rats

CLA has been studied for its beneficial effects on health. However, the possibility of adverse effects, such as increased oxidative stress, must also be considered. The present work aims to assess the effect of CLA supplementation on the process of lipid autoxidation, both in the presence and in absence of an antioxidant. The investigation consisted in a biological assay with 60 rats divided into six groups: C (control), CE (control + vitamin E), AE (AdvantEdgeCLA), AEE (AdvantEdgeCLA + Vitamin E), CO (CLA One) and COE (CLA One)+ vitamin E). The CLA amount was 2% of feed consumption. Animals were supplemented for 42 days. As indicators of lipid autoxidation, peroxide (IP), malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-iso-PGF2(alpha) isoprostane and catalase were determined. Hepatic IP results indicated that CLA increased oxidation: values for CLA-supplemented groups, particularly group CO (84.38 +/- 10.97 mequiv/kg), were higher than those of the control group (54.75 +/- 9.70 mequiv/kg). In contrast, serum MDA results showed that CLA reduces oxidation both for group AE (1.8 +/- 0.67 mg of MDA/l) and for group CO (2.43 +/- 0.61 mg of MDA/l) as compared to the control group (3.85 +/- 0.24 mg of MDA/l). Serum catalase indicated a reduction of oxidation: groups AE and CO displayed 4734.23 +/- 1078.93 kU/l and 5916.06 +/- 2490.71 kU/l, respectively. These values are significantly lower than those of the control group. An increase in 8-iso-PGF2(alpha) in urine was observed, particularly in group AE (95.13 +/- 20.26 pg/ml) as compared to the control group (69.46 +/- 16.65 pg/ml). It was concluded that the influence of CLA on lipid autoxidation is dependent on supplement type, supplement dosage and chosen indicator, including its tissue and determination methodology.     

Fe(CN)6 incorporation on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) films: Preparation and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy characterization of the modified electrodes

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOTh) films were potentiodynamically deposited on platinum from tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate/acetonitrile solutions. Polymers prepared with different number of cycles showed reversible redox behaviour and the X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) characterization revealed the existence of zones with different conductivity and confirmed the presence of PF₆⁻. The incorporation of the metallic complex Fe(CN)₆³⁻ in the PEDOTh films was made in one step, after the electrosynthesis of a film grown with a given number of potential cycles, and by means of polymerization/incorporation sequences. XPS data confirmed the presence of the inorganic species and the highest Fe 2p_3/2 peak intensity was observed for thin films (30 cycles) when the one step incorporation has been used. The XPS results suggest a partial dissociation of the Fe-(C-N) bond of the complex in the modified electrodes.     

Biological evaluation of alginate-based hydrogels, with antimicrobial features by Ce(III) incorporation, as vehicles for a bone substitute

A novel hydrogel, based on an alginate/hyaluronate mixture and Ce(III) ions, with effective bioactive and antimicrobial ability was developed to be used as vehicle of a synthetic bone substitute producing an injectable substitute (IBS). Firstly, three different IBSs were prepared using three developed alginate-based hydrogels, the hydrogel Alg composed by alginate, the hydrogel Alg/Ch composed by an alginate/chitosan mixture and the hydrogel Alg/HA composed by an alginate/hyaluronate mixture. MG63 cells viability on the IBSs was evaluated, being observed a significantly higher cell viability on the Alg/HA_IBS at all time points, which indicates a better cell adaptation to the material, increasing their predisposition to produce extracellular matrix and thus allowing a better bone regeneration. Moreover, SEM analysis showed evident filopodia and a spreader shape of MG63 cells when seeded on Alg/HA_IBS. This way, based upon the in vitro results, the hydrogel Alg/HA was chosen to the in vivo study by subcutaneous implantation in an animal model, promoting a slight irritating tissue response and visible tissue repairing. The next step was to grant antimicrobial properties to the hydrogel that showed the best biological behavior by incorporation of Ce(III) ions into the Alg/HA, producing the hydrogel Alg/HA2. The antimicrobial activity of these hyaluronate-based hydrogels was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Results showed that Ce(III) ions can significantly enhance the hydrogel antimicrobial ability without compromising the osteoconductivity improvement promoted by the vehicle association to the synthetic bone substitute.     

Nanocomposites of poly(ε-caprolactone) doped with titanium species

Organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposites were prepared via in situ sol–gel process. The organic phase is a biodegradable polymer, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), while the tetrabutyl titanate (TBT, Ti(OBu)₄) was used as inorganic precursor. Synthesis parameters like acidity medium and precursor amount were investigated in order to assess their influence on hybrid properties. The obtained nanocomposites were characterised by thermal analysis, spectroscopic techniques, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction to gather information on the structure of the nanocomposites. Mechanical properties and biodegradability were also evaluated. A reaction mechanism based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and NMR results was proposed using methyl acetate as model compound. TEM micrographs of the nanocomposites show a fine good nanoparticles dispersion. Acidic conditions and 10 wt% of precursor lead to a nanocomposite with higher mechanical properties and biodegradability than PCL.     

A SCOR-based model for supply chain performance measurement: application in the footwear industry

Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) is a widely employed model for SC performance assessment, regardless its generic nature. This article presents a SCOR-based model for performance measurement in supply chains (SC) and apply it in the context of Brazilian footwear industry. The model has two dimensions: SCOR processes (source, make, deliver and return) and performance standards adapted from original SCOR (cost, quality, delivery and flexibility). This structure delivers a 4 × 4 matrix, with each component assessed under analytical hierarchy process. Using focus groups, SC’s experts weighted each component of the matrix regarding their relevance. Thereafter, SC’s managers indicated respective results. The SC’s overall performance was obtained by adding the performance of all indicators. The model application embraced one focal footwear manufacturer, four suppliers, three distribution channels and a return channel, with 85 indicators assessed. The achieved performance for the whole SC is 75.29%.The main gaps were found in deliver process (12.78 percentual points of difference between relevance and achieved proportions) and in flexibility performance (9.82). Further application is recommended in order to find consolidated results.     

Effect of surface treatment on fatigue behavior of metal/carbon fiber laminates

The tension–tension fatigue behavior of metal/fiber laminates (MFLs) has been investigated. These MFLs were produced with carbon fiber and by treating the aluminum foil to promote adhesion bonding by two methods: sulfuric–boric–oxalic acid anodization (SBOA) and chromic acid anodization (CAA). The surface treatments were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques and roughness measurements. It was observed that MFL specimens produced with SBOA treatments presents comparable mechanical results when compared with MFLs produced with CAA treatment. Microstructural observations of the fracture surfaces by SEM show hackle formation is the predominant damage mechanism.