First law analysis for viscous dissipation in liquid flows in micro-channels

This paper focuses on temperature rise due to the viscous dissipation in liquids flowing through micro-channels. In the past, equations for the prediction of the temperature rise have been obtained as a function of the friction factor, Reynolds number and Eckert number or a similar form, starting from Navier–Stokes equation and energy equation under the assumption of fully developed laminar flow by researchers. The temperature rises calculated from the equations have been compared with experimental data and the equations have been validated. However, in this paper, a new equation for the prediction of the temperature rise is simply obtained from the first law of thermodynamics without restriction of fully developed laminar flow.     

Preparation of ultrafine polyurethane fiber web by laser‐electrospinning combined with air blowing

Thermoplastic polyurethane fiber webs were prepared using a laser‐heated electrospinning process combined with air blowing. The effect of spinning conditions such as air flow rate and air temperature on fiber diameter and molecular weight was investigated. Although the average fiber diameter decreased with increased air flow rate at each air temperature, the diameter increased when the air flow rate was >15 NL min^?1. In addition, the fiber was comparatively thicker with an increase in the air temperature. The variation in the fiber diameter tends to increase with the air flow rate, and a reduction in the molecular weight of the fiber by thermal degradation was suppressed. The thinnest and most uniform fiber with a diameter of 0.9 µm and a diameter coefficient variation of 15% was obtained at an air temperature of 25°C under an air flow rate of 15 NL min^?1. This fiber also had a minimum of decreased molecular weight. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2605–2609, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Structure and mechanical properties of multi‐hollowed fibers produced by CO2 laser irradiated neck drawing

Multi‐hollowed fibers with a hollowness ratio of over 20% were successfully produced using a neck‐drawing technique accompanied by CO₂ laser irradiation on unoriented and amorphous polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) fibers with diameters of approximately 104 µm. The structure and mechanical properties of the multi‐hollowed fibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), birefringence measurements, and tensile tests. Crystal orientation factors in the direction normal to the (010) and (002) planes, which were obtained from WAXD patterns, were lower in comparison to values obtained in previous studies on fibers that did not feature these hollows [9] because of the development of these internal hollows. The PTT fibers in this study also displayed high toughness, about 465 MPa (3.5 cN/dtex) strength and about 40% elongation, and had excellent elastic recovery (>95%) after 10 stretch cycles. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:609–616, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

On-off switching properties of one-dimensional photonic crystals consisting of azo-functionalized polymer liquid crystals having different methylene spacers and polyvinyl alcohol

In this paper, photoresponsive behavior of multi-bilayered films having precisely controlled layer thickness prepared by stacking an azo-functionalized polymer liquid crystal, PMAzXAc, and polyvinyl alcohol alternatively, PVA, is described. The multi-bilayered films were found to reflect a light of specific wavelength depending on the layer thickness and refractive index, and showed the reversible change in the reflection intensity by irradiation with visible and UV lights. The change in the reflection intensity was brought about by change in the molecular orientation of PMAzXAc between an out-of-plane orientation and a photo-induced isotropic state, and was strongly dependent on the number of methylene spacer of PMAzXAc linking the azobenzene side group with the acrylate polymer main chain. PMAz6Ac with hexa-methylene spacer showed the largest change in the reflection intensity, while smaller change in the reflection intensity was observed for PMAzXAc having shorter or longer methylene spacer than 6. The effect of the methylene spacers on the photochemical change in the molecular orientation of azobenzene chromophores in the multi-bilayered films will be discussed.     

Influence of swelling of noncrystalline regions in silk fibers on modification with methacrylamide

The degrees of swelling of noncrystalline regions of domestic and tussah silk fibers were investigated by measuring the small-angle X-ray scattering intensity of the fibers in wet conditions and analyzing the scattering intensity based on a two-phase model, i.e., crystalline regions and water-swollen noncrystalline regions. The influence of the degree of swelling of noncrystalline regions on the graft treatment of these fibers with methacrylamide was investigated. The changes in the structure caused by the graft treatment were also analyzed using the wide-angle X-ray diffraction measurements. As compared with the tussah silk fibers, the domestic silk fibers showed a larger degree of swelling of the noncrystalline regions, and gained a larger amount of resin by the graft treatment. The crystallites with smaller sizes in the tussah silk fibers were destroyed preferentially by the graft treatment. For the domestic silk fibers, the crystallites were destroyed more seriously and rather homogeneously independent of the crystallite sizes. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Degradation of cyanuric acid in soil by Pseudomonas sp. NRRL B-12227 using bioremediation with self-immobilization system

The rates of degradation of cyanuric acid, a key intermediate in a metabolic pathway of s-triazine herbicides, were measured for Pseudomonas sp. NRRL B-12227. The rate of degradation was affected by the rate of cyanuric acid transport through cell membranes and the activity of cyanuric acid amidohydrolase inside the cells. At low concentrations of cyanuric acid, the acclimation of cells to cyanuric acid and/or added nutrients effectively enhanced the degradation rate. The strain was also applied to bioremediation using a Bioremediation with Self-Immobilization System (BSIS), in which Pseudomonas sp. NRRL B-12227 cells were co-immobilized with Bacillus subtilis, the latter of which secretes a viscous polymer, in a shallow layer of soil packed in a column. More than 70% of the Pseudomonas sp. NRRL B-12227 cells were co-immobilized with the B. subtilis in a 7.5 cm layer of the packed soil by self-aggregation. More than 60% of the 1 mM cyanuric acid supplied to the packed soil was degraded in this layer during a 72 h period.     

Novel High‐Temperature Antiferroelectric‐Based Dielectric NaNbO3–NaTaO3 Solid Solutions Processed in Low Oxygen Partial Pressures

The (1?x)NaNbO₃–(x)NaTaO₃ solid solution was investigated for x ≤ 0.4 in terms of new high‐temperature and high‐permittivity dielectric system that is suitable for base metal inner electrode capacitor applications. The addition of Ta significantly enhanced the resistivity of the dielectric, resulting in superior resistivity than the dielectrics‐formulated BaTiO₃ systems that dominate the multilayer ceramic capacitor dielectric devices. The voltage dependence of the permittivity was also superior to BaTiO₃‐based materials, providing higher capacitance at higher temperatures. A transmission electron microscopy study illustrated that the grains had so‐called core‐shell structure. According to the electron diffraction analysis, the core region had an inhomogeneous structure between antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phases, and shell region had an incommensurate ferroelectric‐like structure. The core and shell region had Nb‐ and Ta‐rich composition, respectively, and their interface was compositionally sharp, implying that shell region was formed via a liquid phase during the sintering process with an incongruent Ta dissolution reprecipitation. We anticipate that these or similar materials based on the alkali‐niobate perovskites can be further enhanced to provide capacitor solutions from 150°C to 250°C, which is an important range for a number of new AC–DC invertor and engine control units.     

Self‐Expansion Behavior of Silk Fibroin Film

Summary: Silk fibroin cast film was prepared using a ternary solvent system of CaCl₂/CH₃CH₂OH/H₂O (1/2/8 in mole ratio). A drying temperature at casting influenced crystal structure of fibroin. When a drying temperature was set lower than 9 °C, the cast film became amorphous. When a drying temperature was set higher than 40 °C, a fibroin film of silk‐II structure was obtained. In order to produce a fibroin film of silk‐I structure, a preferable temperature range was from 20 to 26 °C. The crystal transformation from random coil structure into silk‐I could be made through exposure of an amorphous film to water vapor. As for the crystal transformation from silk‐I into silk‐II, the treatment with a glycerin solution was effective. In the course of the treatment a film showed self‐thinning and self‐expanding. The expansion ratio exceeded 40% at maximum. The film produced accompanying self‐expansion was ductile in nature.

The apparent self‐expansion percentage as a function of initial thickness of the film. The ductility of the film was classified into four stages from the observation of recovery behavior after folding: ?, very soft; ?, soft; ?, middle; ?, hard (see Figure 5 ).     

Unsteady behavior of leading-edge vortex and diffuser stall in a centrifugal compressor with vaned diffuser

The characteristics of a rotating stall of an impeller and diffuser and the evolution of a vortex generated at the diffuser leading-edge (i.e., the leading-edge vortex (LEV)) in a centrifugal compressor were investigated by experiments and numerical analysis. The results of the experiments revealed that both the impeller and diffuser rotating stalls occurred at 55 and 25 Hz during off-design flow operation. For both, stall cells existed only on the shroud side of the flow passages, which is very close to the source location of the LEV. According to the CFD results, the LEV is made up of multiple vortices. The LEV is a combination of a separated vortex near the leading- edge and a longitudinal vortex generated by the extended tip-leakage flow from the impeller. Therefore, the LEV is generated by the accumulation of vorticity caused by the velocity gradient of the impeller discharge flow. In partial-flow operation, the spanwise extent and the position of the LEV origin are temporarily transmuted. The LEV develops with a drop in the velocity in the diffuser passage and forms a significant blockage within the diffuser passage. Therefore, the LEV may be regarded as being one of the causes of a diffuser stall in a centrifugal compressor.