Repeated point contact loading on Ce-TZP

The deformation and fragmentation behaviour in a toughened ceria-stabilized zirconia ceramic have been investigated by using unlubricated repeated metallic point contact loading at room temperature to explore the possibilities of cyclic fatigue effects. All tests were conducted on a purpose-designed and built computer-controlled apparatus. 120° hardened silver steel cones were cyclically loaded on the polished Ce-TZP substrate, and the damage was observed and analysed as a function of the number of cycles for loads of 19.6 ± 9.8 N. The ground tips of the cones plastically deformed during the initial loading cycle to produce a flattened end which conformed with the substrate. A tetragonal → monoclinic martensitic transformation occurred in the zirconia beneath, and adjacent to, the contact zone. This transformation zone increased in size as the number of cycles increased, even though there was virtually no change in the diameter of the flattened tip. The expansion associated with this phase change in the zirconia caused granular lifting from the surface, at the edge of the contact zone, that resulted in intergranular fragmentation and spelling of the substrate. The hardness of the substrate in the contact zone increased by approximately 15% after 2×10⁵ cycles. Traces of metal transfer onto the ceramic substrate could be observed only at 2×10⁵ cycles and above.     

Application of cognitive robotics in disassembly of products

Disassembly is a critical step to increase the value of end-of-life (EOL) products and to reduce the environmental footprint. Despite worldwide efforts, disassembly is still performed manually due to the uncertainty associated with the quality and the quantity of the returned EOL products. In this paper, a cognitive robotics based system is proposed to address this problem. The system is equipped with four cognitive functions: reasoning, execution monitoring, learning and revision. The proposed system is tested using LCD screens. The results show that the system is flexible enough to deal with any product models without prior information.     

NH_3 Plasma Surface Treatments of Engineering Fluoropolymers: A Way to Enhance Adhesion of Ni or Cu Thin Films Deposited by Electroless Plating

FLUOROPOLYMERS(FPs)are thermoplasticmaterials which exhibit a number of unique chemicaland physical characteristics that no other man-madeplastic product gets together.For example,FPs showvery good resistance to almost all chemicals,excellentwater vapor barrier properties,high thermal stability,outstanding electrical insulation properties(lowdielectric constant and dissipation factors),extremelylow frictional coefficient giving them high auto-lubrication properties,high resistance to rad…     

Direct Ni Electroless Metallization of Poly(etherimide) without Using Palladium as a Catalyst

ELECTROLESS METALLIZATION of insulatingmaterials is currently used in industry since severaldecades.In its most common applications it consists ina redox reaction between Ni(+2)or Cu(+2)ions and astrong reducer(respectively hypophosphite,H2PO2,forNi(+2)and formaldehyde,HCHO,for Cu(+2))bothcontained in the same solution.The reaction initiationis generally catalyzed by palladium,then the redoxreaction goes on thanks to the remarkable property ofNi and Cu in their metallic state to …     

Plasma Sprayed Dense MgO-Y2O3 Nanocomposite Coatings Using Sol-Gel Combustion Synthesized Powder

MgO-Y₂O₃ nanostructured composite powder (volume ratio of 50:50) was synthesized by a sol-gel combustion process which generated crystal sizes in the 10-20 nm range. The MgO-Y₂O₃ nanopowder was plasma sprayed using a conventional, DC arc plasma spray system. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the as-sprayed MgO-Y₂O₃ coating is composed of cubic MgO and Y₂O₃ phases and has ~95% density. Microstructure characterization by SEM reveals that the as-sprayed coating has fine grain sizes of 100-300 nm as a result of rapid solidification. The hardness of the coating, 7.5 ± 0.6 GPa, is higher than that of coarse-grained, dense MgO, and Y₂O₃ ceramics. This approach demonstrates the potential of plasma spray processes for making thick, dense MgO-Y₂O₃ nanocomposite performs for applications as durable, infrared windows.     

Towards high accuracy calibration of electron backscatter diffraction systems

For precise orientation and strain measurements, advanced Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) techniques require both accurate calibration and reproducible measurement of the system geometry. In many cases the pattern centre (PC) needs to be determined to sub-pixel accuracy. The mechanical insertion/retraction, through the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) chamber wall, of the electron sensitive part of modern EBSD detectors also causes alignment and positioning problems and requires frequent monitoring of the PC. Optical alignment and lens distortion issues within the scintillator, lens and charge-coupled device (CCD) camera combination of an EBSD detector need accurate measurement for each individual EBSD system.This paper highlights and quantifies these issues and demonstrates the determination of the pattern centre using a novel shadow-casting technique with a precision of ∼10 μm or ∼1/3 CCD pixel.     

崇高的联想 DSM总部多功能接待室

荷兰DSM是世界最先进的化学和生物技术公司之一,它不仅是世界领先的制药业供应商,而且还是化工原料、农用化学品等领域的重要供应商之一.自1902年成立以来,就一直在荷兰林堡(Limburg)的经济和社会发展中扮演着重要的角色.     

Theoretical Spectroscopy of the NiII Intermediate States in the Catalytic Cycle and the Activation of [NiFe] Hydrogenases

[NiFe] hydrogenases catalyze the reversible oxidation of dihydrogen. The corresponding catalytic cycle involves a formidable number of redox states of the Ni‐Fe active site; these can be distinguished experimentally by the IR stretching frequencies of their CN and CO ligands coordinated to iron. These spectroscopic fingerprints serve as sensitive probes for the intrinsic electronic structure of the metal core and, indirectly, for the structural composition of the active site. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) was used to calculate vibrational frequencies, by focusing on the EPR‐silent intermediate states that contain divalent metal centers. By using the well‐characterized Ni‐C and Ni‐B states as references, we identified candidates for the Ni‐SI_r, Ni‐SI_a, and Ni‐R states by matching the predicted relative frequency shifts with experimental results. The Ni‐SI_r and Ni‐SI_a states feature a water molecule loosely bound to nickel and a formally vacant bridge. Both states are connected to each other through protonation equilibria; that is, in the Ni‐SI_a state one of the terminal thiolates is protonated, whereas in Ni‐SI_r this thiolate is unprotonated. For the reduced Ni‐R state two feasible models emerged: in one, H₂ coordinates side‐on to nickel, and the second features a hydride bridge and a protonated thiolate. The Ni‐SU state remains elusive as no unequivocal correspondence between the experimental data and calculated frequencies of the models was found, thus indicating that a larger structural rearrangement might occur upon reduction from Ni‐A to Ni‐SU and that the bridging ligand might dissociate.     

MODELING VACUUM-CONTACT DRYING OF WOOD: THE WATER POTENTIAL APPROACH

ABSTRACT

A two-dimensional mathematical model for vacuum-contact drying of wood is presented. The moisture and heat equations are based on the water potential concept whereas the pressure equation is formulated considering unsteady state conservation equation of dry air. Most of the model parameters were determined during independent experiments. The set of equations is then solved in a coupled form using the finite element method. The validation of the model is performed using experimental results obtained during vacuum-contact drying of sugar maple sapwood. The experimental and calculated data are in good agreement. Nevertheless, some discrepancies are observed which can be attributed to the boundary conditions used and to the fact that heat transfer by convection was neglected.     

COMPARISON OF TWO ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF AZAARENES IN ATMOSPHERIC PARTICULATE MATTER

In this paper, the development of an analytical method for the separation and quantification of 20 azaarenes is described. Two methods are compared: high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-fluorescence) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS).

Although HPLC-fluorescence was proven to be the most sensitive method, GC-MS was selected in particular for the efficiency of the separation of the 20 azaarenes. The detection limits of the HPLC-fluorescence and GC-MS methods varied between 0.04 μ g.L^?1 (dibenz[a,c]acridine) and 1.30 μ g.L ^?1 (acridine) and between 1.50 μ g.L ^?1 (benz[c]acridine) and 2.56 μ g.L ^?1 (dibenz[a,c]acridine) respectively.

The GC-MS method was applied to particulate matter (PM ₁₀ ) samples collected over 48–72 h periods between April 2006 and February 2007 in Strasbourg (East of France). Before analysis aerosol samples were Soxhlet extracted and concentrated to a final volume of about 1 mL of hexane.

The seasonally mean concentrations of all azaarenes for this urban site have shown a seasonal variation in which the maximum concentration occurred in the winter (6.0 ng.m ³ ) and the minimum in the summer (0.90 ng.m³). For all the seasons the 2 rings species were the predominant azaarenes while the > 4 rings species were the less abundant.