Strain Rate Effect on Long-Term Consolidation of Osaka Bay Clay

The consolidation characteristics of clay, based on the isotache concept in which the strain rate effect is considered, have been studied by many researchers. Most of these studies are aimed at calculating the secondary consolidation with high accuracy in order to evaluate the long-term settlement of large structures. In this study, as the first step toward improving the accuracy of the evaluation of long-term settlement at the Kansai International Airport, the consolidation characteristics of Osaka Bay clay are examined and organized based on the isotache concept. This study proposes a simplified model based on the isotache concept by using a compression curve and the relationship between the consolidation yield stress and the strain rate. The former and the latter are obtained from the constant rate of strain consolidation (CRS) tests and long term consolidation (LT) tests, respectively. The latter is expressed by an equation with three isotache parameters. This model is very practical because it requires a minimum of only one CRS test and one LT test. It is widely applicable to the Osaka Bay clay. The isotache parameters used in this model can be commonly determined for the Osaka Bay clays retrieved from various depths at the Kansai International Airport.     

Effects of Friction and Thickness on Long-Term Consolidation Behavior of Osaka Bay Clays

The objective of this study is to empirically clarify the scale effect in long-term consolidation behavior. Frictional pressure loss arising at the interface between the consolidation ring and the specimen must be considered, when the specimen thickness increases. This study uses a special oedometer that can evaluate the quantity of the frictional pressure loss. Incremental loading oedometer tests are carried out in order to evaluate the frictional pressure loss in the normal oedometer test using a specimen with a height of 20 mm. The frictional pressure loss ratio generally exceeds 0.2 when the consolidation pressure is less than approximately 300 kPa, rather than the overconsolidation range. Consequently, a series of inter-connected type consolidation tests, in which the frictional pressure loss can be minimized by limiting the thickness of each specimen element, are carried out in order to investigate the scale effect of the specimen thickness in the range of 20-200 mm. The end of primary consolidation (EOP) can be clearly identified in the excess pore pressure dissipation. The law of squared H is essentially valid for the pore water pressure dissipation. However, the EOP becomes unclear in the strains when the specimen thickness decreases. The compressive strain at the EOP stays constant or slightly increases with the specimen thickness.     

Photoinduced antiviral carbon nanohorns

Nanocarbons, such as carbon nanohorns (CNH) and carbon nanotubes, are materials of interest in many fields of science and technology because of their remarkable physical properties. We report here a novel approach for using NIR laser-driven CNH as an antiviral agent. NIR laser-driven functional CNH complexes could open the way to a new range of antiviral materials.     

A Novel (2,2‐Diarylvinyl)phosphine/Palladium Catalyst for Effective Aromatic Amination

A new series of diarylvinylphosphine ligands was designed and synthesized. A catalyst system, consisting of the ligands and palladium species, effectively catalyzed the coupling reaction of aryl bromides and chlorides with amines to afford the corresponding products in good to excellent yields. The efficiency is likely derived from an interaction between the palladium center and the cis‐aryl moiety on the diarylvinylphosphine ligand stabilizing a catalytic intermediate during the coupling reaction.     

Effect of high-pressure torsion on hydrogen trapping in Fe–0.01 mass% C and type 310S austenitic stainless steel

The effect of high-pressure torsion (HPT) on hydrogen trapping in Fe–0.01 mass% C and type 310S stainless steel was studied by metallographic characterization and hydrogen measurement after hydrogen gas charging. Hardening of both materials after processing by HPT was achieved through grain refinement. Hydrogen trapping in the Fe–0.01 mass% C was significantly increased by HPT processing, because of high binding energies of hydrogen with lattice defects such as dislocations and grain boundaries in body-centred cubic iron. In the type 310S processed by HPT, the hydrogen content that trapped by dislocations was less than that dissolved within the lattice and the contribution of grain boundaries on hydrogen trapping can be neglected. In the stable austenitic stainless steel processed by HPT, decreasing the dislocation density can reduce the trapped hydrogen to the solution-treated level while the hardening by grain refinement is retained.     

Hydrogen Effect against Hydrogen Embrittlement

The well-known term “hydrogen embrittlement” (HE) expresses undesirable effects due to hydrogen such as loss of ductility, decreased fracture toughness, and degradation of fatigue properties of metals. However, this article shows, surprisingly, that hydrogen can have an effect against HE. A dramatic phenomenon was found in which charging a supersaturated level of hydrogen into specimens of austenitic stainless steels of types 304 and 316L drastically improved the fatigue crack growth resistance, rather than accelerating fatigue crack growth rates. Although this mysterious phenomenon has not previously been observed in the history of HE research, its mechanism can be understood as an interaction between hydrogen and dislocations. Hydrogen can play two roles in terms of dislocation mobility: pinning (or dragging) and enhancement of mobility. Competition between these two roles determines whether the resulting phenomenon is damaging or, unexpectedly, desirable. This finding will, not only be the crucial key factor to elucidate the mechanism of HE, but also be a trigger to review all existing theories on HE in which hydrogen is regarded as a dangerous culprit.     

A circular arc slider with a high flying height supported by parallel flat springs for optical disc devices

We have investigated a circular arc slider with a high flying height that is suitable for optical disc devices to reduce the thickness of the device and to achieve a higher recording density over a wider recording area. Our proposed slider was supported by parallel flat springs to reduce the tilting motions of the slider in the pitching and rolling directions. Two types of slider were examined: (1) a positive pressure slider with a single shallow pocket on the slider surface, and (2) a negative pressure slider with two shallow pockets. The static and dynamic characteristics of our proposed slider were investigated both theoretically and experimentally. It was found that our proposed sliders followed a disc surface with the amplitude of axial runout of 100 μm with a focusing error of 30 μm_p-v in the focusing direction and a tilt angle of <6 min_p-v in the pitching and rolling directions.     

Mechanism of stereospecific conversion of DL-5-substituted hydantoins to the corresponding L-amino acids by Pseudomonas sp. strain NS671

The mechanism of stereospecific conversion of DL-5-substituted hydantoins to the corresponding L-amino acids by Pseudomonas sp. strain NS671 was studied. The results indicated that the hydantoinase catalyzed the hydrolysis reaction of both D- and L-5-(2-methylthioethyl)hydantoin, and that the hydrolysis of the L-enantiomer proceeded preferentially compared with that of the D-enantiomer. On the basis of these findings, the mechanism was speculated to be as follows: DL-5-substituted hydantoins are converted exclusively to the L-forms of the corresponding N-carbamyl-amino acids by the hydantoinase in combination with hydantoin racemase. The N-carbamyl-L-amino acids are then converted to L-amino acids by N-carbamyl-L-amino acid amidohydrolase.