Tribological properties of ethylene–propylene–diene rubber + polypropylene + thermal‐shock‐resistant ceramic composites

This work is part of a program on composites used in thermoelectric devices. Tribological properties of dynamic vulcanizate blends of polypropylene and ethylene‐propylene‐diene rubber filled with 5 wt% of microscale powder have been studied. The microscale thermal‐shock‐resistant ceramic filler contains α‐Al₂O₃, mullite (3Al₂O₃ · 2SiO₂ or 2Al₂O₃SiO₂), β‐spodumene glass‐ceramic and aluminium titanate. We found that our ceramic particles are abrasive; they cause strong abrasion of softer steel ball surfaces during dry sliding friction. To overcome the difficulty of particle dispersion and adhesion, the filler was modified through grafting using three types of organic molecules. Dry sliding friction was measured using four types of counter‐surfaces: tungsten carbide, Si₃N₂, 302 steel and 440 steel. Thermoplastic vulcanizate filled with neat ceramic powder shows the lowest friction compared to composites containing the same but surface‐treated powder. We introduce a ‘bump’ model to explain the tribological responses of our composites. ‘Naked’ or untreated ceramic particles protrude from the polymer surface and cause a decrease of the contact area compared to neat polymer. The ball partner surface has only a small contact area with the bumps. As contact surface area decreases, so does friction and the amount of heat generated during sliding friction testing. Chemical coupling of the ceramic to the matrix smoothens the bumps and increases the contact surface, giving a parallel increase in friction. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fatty acid composition of egg yolk phospholipid fractions following feed supplementation of Lohmann Brown hens with humic-fat preparations

The effect of feed supplementation with humic-fat preparations on the fatty acid composition of egg yolk phospholipid fractions was studied. The Lohmann Brown was the experimental hen strain and two feeding mixtures were applied – the standard feed and the mixture supplemented with humic-fat preparations. The fatty acid profile of yolk lipids was significantly affected (P = .05) by the supplementation of feed and total increase of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was established. A different distribution of n-3 PUFA in egg yolk lipid fractions was observed: α-linolenic acid (18:3) was found in the triacylglycerol fraction, whereas docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) was detected in the phospholipid fractions. Supplementation of the hen’s diet with humic-fat preparations resulted in the production of n-3 enriched eggs with decreased n-6/n-3 ratio in all phospholipid fractions in comparison to the eggs from the control group.     

Effect of plasma treatment on the surface properties of polydimethylsiloxane

In this work, the analysis of the plasma modification of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates was conducted. The influence of the modification onto the changes occurred within the geometrical structure and chemical composition of the surface was analyzed. Due to the study of the atomic force microscopy, it was possible to determine the relationships between the surface development and applied process parameters, defining the conditions facilitating to obtain isotropic or anisotropic orientations of wrinkles. A precise analysis of the chemical composition of the surface, executed before and after the modification processes, enabled to define the changes in their elementary composition. Moreover, the modification influence onto the changes of the contact angle and the surface free energy were also analyzed. So, based on the research it was stated that the increase of value of the surface free energy is proportional to the sp³ phase contents in the DLC coatings. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41635.     

Mechanisms of non-toxic anticorrosive pigments in organic waterborne coatings

Investigations have been carried out concerning the mechanism of the behaviour of non-toxic anticorrosive pigments belonging to the group of phosphates, ferrites and ion exchange pigments in waterborne systems. The mechanism controlling the protective effectiveness of organic coatings is complex and results from simultaneous activity of various agents, from among which the kind of the corrosion inhibitor and the structure of the coating are of fundamental importance. The effect of pigments on the protective properties of coatings was tested by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) as well as the salt spray and Prohesion tests. For the investigation of the structure of coatings the porosymetric method and modulated-force thermomechanical analysis (mf TMA) were applied. The results of these investigations have shown that calcium zinc phosphate and zinc ferrite are the most effective. These pigments take part in the passivation of steel, which has been proved by the results of electrochemical investigations and by the presence of the passive layers as has been found out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Calcium zinc phosphate and zinc ferrite affect the structure of the coatings, increasing the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the coatings. Zinc phosphate and calcium-exchanged silica do not act in compliance with electrochemical mechanism neither do they improve the barrier properties of the binder.     

A hybrid continuous-discrete approach to large discrete structural optimization problems

Many optimum structural designs are based on searching for the best of all combinations, arising from the number of structural members, and parameters of listed rolled profiles. Even, in a relatively simple design, the number of such combinations is of an order higher than ten. All known methods of finding discrete minimum of structural weight require very large number of analyses often of an order of four. In this study, a relatively simple method of solving such problems is presented. It is based on a tree graph, representing discrete values of the structural volume. The structure can be subjected to multi static loadings with constraints imposed on displacements and stresses. The number of analyses, in the proposed algorithm, is limited to the order of two. The knowledge needed to apply the method is limited to FEM and graph representation. The paper is illustrated with two examples with numbers of combinations up to 42³⁸.     

Technical foundations for noninvasive assessment of changes in the width of the subarachnoid space with near-infrared transillumination-backscattering sounding (NIR-TBSS)

This paper presents technical foundations for a new technique of near-infrared transillumination-backscattering sounding, which is designed to enable noninvasive detection and monitoring of changes in the width of the subarachnoid space (SAS) and magnitude of cerebrovascular pulsation in humans. The key novelty of the technique is elimination of influence of blood flow in the scalp on the signals received from two infrared sensors-proximal and distal. A dedicated digital algorithm is used to estimate on line the ratio of the powers of received signals, referred to as two-sensor distal-to-proximal received power quotient, TQ (t). The propagation duct for NIR radiation reaching the distal sensor is the SAS filled with translucent cerebrospinal fluid. Information on slow fluctuations of the average width of the SAS is contained in the slow-variable part of the TQ (t), called the subcardiac component, and in TQ itself. Variations in frequency and magnitude of faster oscillations of the width of that space around the baseline value, dependent on cerebrovascular pulsation, are reflected in instantaneous frequency and envelope of the fast-variable component. Frequency and magnitude of the cerebrovascular pulsation depend on the action of the heart, so this fast-variable component is referred to as the cardiac component.