Coating of TiB2 dispersed Ti50Ni50 superelastic alloy layer onto Ti-6Al-4V alloy by spark and resistance sintering

The spark and resistance sintering (SRS) of a mixture of Ti, Ni, and TiB₂ powders was carried out to form a TiB₂ dispersed TiNi alloy layer onto a Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrate. The strength and delamination resistance of the surface layer were evaluated by three-point bending tests. The results showed that the bending strength of the specimen with the TiNi alloy surface layer without TiB₂ particles sintered at 1273 K was low because the crack initiation occurred at an early stage of loading in a thick interface layer containing brittle Ti-Ti₂Ni eutectic. By decreasing the sintering temperature to 1200 K, the bending strength increased and the crack initiation occurred from the surface because the interface layer was thin and did not contain the brittle Ti-Ti₂Ni eutectic. For the specimens with TiB₂ dispersed TiNi surface layer that was sintered at 1273 K, the bending strength was larger than that of the specimens with TiNi surface layer because the interface layer does not contain the Ti-Ti₂Ni eutectic and compressive residual stress generated in the surface layer during cooling process after SRS suppresses the crack initiation on the surface. The coating of TiB₂ dispersed TiNi alloy onto titanium alloys by SRS provides strong interface to prevent delamination of the surface layer, strong surface due to residual compressive stress, and wear-resistant surface due to the existence of hard TiB₂ particles and superelastic deformation of TiNi matrix.     

Reactive processing of thermoset/thermoplastic blends: A potential for injection molding

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (PPE) is an engineering plastic with high heat distortion temperature. Melt processing of neat PPE is usually accompanied with thermal degradation. The degradation problem is solved by blending with polystyrene to reduce the processing temperature. We propose an alternative using triallylisocyanurate (TAIC). TAIC is a low viscosity liquid that can be cured by peroxide, e.g. α,α′-bis(t-butylperoxy-m-isopropyl)benzene (PBP), to provide a thermoset. The PPE/TAIC mixture was shown to have the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) type phase behavior. At the single-phase regime above UCST and below the cure temperature (∼180°C for PBP), the mixture had a low viscosity, less viscous than a conventional thermoplastic such as PC and PP. That is, a nice window for injection molding was available, e.g., at 100°C to 160°C for a 50/50 blend. After injecting into a hot mold set at cure temperature, the blend cured in a short time (∼80% conversion in 5 min). Then the molded and partly cured material kept its shape and dimensions during post-cure in a hot chamber at higher temperature (e.g. 250°C). Using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analyses, it was shown that the cured blend had a bicontinuous two-phase structure with periodic spacings of ∼30 nm, suggesting a structure formation via a spinodal decomposition driven by the increase in molecular weight of TAIC during cure. The cured material showed excellent flexural strength and high chemical resistance.     

Inactivation of Bacillus spores by the combination of moderate heat and low hydrostatic pressure in ketchup and potage

The combination effect of moderate heat and low hydrostatic pressure (MHP) on the reduction of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus coagulans and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores in food materials (potage and ketchup) was investigated. These bacterial spores were suspended in potage (pH 7), acidified potage (pH 4), neutralized ketchup (pH 7) and ketchup (pH 4). The suspensions were treated with and without pressure (100 MPa) and temperatures of 65-85 degrees C for 3 to 12 h. The bacterial spores were inactivated by 4-8 log cycles during MHP treatment in potage, acidified potage and ketchup, whereas the spores were highly resistant to long time heat treatment in potage and neutralized ketchup. The degrees of spore destruction were mostly dependent on pH and medium composition during MHP treatment. The inactivation effect in MHP treatment was higher at the pH 7 than at pH 4 both in ketchup and potage. The bacterial spores showed higher inactivation in potage than ketchup during MHP treatment.     

Synthesis of CeO2-ZrO2 solid solution by glycothermal method and its oxygen release capacity

The glycothermal (GT) reaction of Ce acetate and Zr alkoxide directly yielded CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solutions in a region of low Ce content ≤40 mol%. Of the CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solutions obtained by the GT method and subsequent calcination at 500 or 800 °C, the sample with 20 mol% Ce content had the largest BET surface area. This sample exhibited the highest Ce-based oxygen release capacity in the whole Ce/Zr composition range. The oxygen release capacities of CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solutions synthesized by the GT method were much larger than those of the samples prepared by a coprecipitation (CP) method. The Reitveld analysis and the repetitive reduction-oxidation experiment indicated that the CeO₂-ZrO₂ solid solution synthesized by the GT method has a homogeneous structure as compared with that prepared by the CP method.     

The Association of Cholesterol Uptake and Synthesis with Histology and Genotype in Cortisol-Producing Adenoma (CPA)

Cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) is composed of clear and compact cells. Clear cells are lipid abundant, and compact ones lipid poor but associated with higher production of steroid hormones. PRKACA mutation (PRKACA mt) in CPA patients was reported to be associated with more pronounced clinical manifestation of Cushing’s syndrome. In this study, we examined the association of histological features and genotypes with cholesterol uptake receptors and synthetic enzymes in 40 CPA cases, and with the quantitative results obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis in 33 cases to explore their biological and clinical significance. Both cholesterol uptake receptors and synthetic enzymes were more abundant in compact cells. GC-MS analysis demonstrated that the percentage of compact cells was inversely correlated with the concentrations of cholesterol and cholesterol esters, and positively with the activity of cholesterol biosynthesis from cholesterol esters. In addition, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which catalyzes cholesterol biosynthesis from cholesterol esters, tended to be more abundant in compact cells of PRKACA mt CPAs. These results demonstrated that both cholesterol uptake and biosynthesis were more pronounced in compact cells in CPA. In addition, more pronounced HSL expression in compact cells of PRKACA mt CPA could contribute to their more pronounced clinical manifestation.     

DESCRIPTION OF A THERMO-INELASTIC BODY WITH A MOVING SOLID/LIQUID INTERFACE AND SIMULATION OF THE WELDING PROCESS

Conservation laws of mass, momentum, and energy for the thermo-inelastic body in the region involving the moving interface between the solid and liquid are introduced to derive jump conditions of velocity, stress, and energy on the interface as the sequence of local form for the generalized Reynolds transport theorem. The jump condition of energy is revealed to be the generalized Stefan condition for moving interface problems. The finite element formulation is used to analyze the modes of flow, deformation, and stresses in a melting or solidifying process by employing a viscoplastic constitutive equation that describes the mechanical behavior of both the solid and liquid phases. The mathematical formalism is applied to simulate bead-on plate welding.     

Irradiation effects of boron carbide used as control rod elements in fast breeder reactors

The paper describes radiation effects on 8₄C pellets used as control rod elements in the Enrico Fermi Fast Breeder Reactor. Pellet swelling (Δ$\text{V/V}$) caused by irradiation was less than 1% in which crystal lattice swelling was less than 20%. Many microcracks, a main cause of pellet swelling, appeared in the irradiated pellets. The production of microcracks was related to graphite precipitation in the pellets before irradiation. Open pores which did not exist in the unirradiated pellets were formed in the irradiated ones. In a unit cell of B₄C, the α-axis elongated by 0.025 Å and the $\text{c-}\text{axis}$ shrank by 0.07 Å by irradiation. Moreover, we found three recovery stages which were from room temperature to 400°C, from 400 to 750°C and from 850 to 1100°C. The recovery mechanisms in the irradiated pellets are discussed in terms of the helium behavior.     

Controllable 1D Patterned Assembly of Colloidal Quantum Dots on PbSO4 Nanoribbons

Control of the 1D self‐assembly pattern of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) on PbSO₄ nanoribbon (NRb) templates is achieved. The internal structure of the NRbs is investigated by X‐ray diffraction, revealing the isotropic packing of the PbSO₄ nanoclusters in the NRbs. Colloidal QDs in a chloroform/hexane mixture are adsorbed onto the region close to the edges of the NRbs and form a 1D assembly of straight single line or double lines by controlling the amount of OAm. This is the first demonstration of a densely packed 1D self‐assembly of colloidal QDs with a straight line pattern without the use of any molecular bridge or adhesive. Atomic force microscopy measurements of the NRbs show depressions in the phase profile along the width of the NRbs, corresponding to the position of the 1D QD chain. The amount of adsorbed QDs on the NRbs in solution decreases as the addition of OAm increases, suggesting that additional OAm prevents interaction between the QDs and NRbs but facilitates the uniform adsorption of the 1D assembly. The low‐dimensional self‐assembly of colloidal QDs in this study opens up the possibility for the creation of anisotropically assembled QD superstructures.     

A design of fully soft robot actuated by gas–liquid phase change

This study aims to investigate the application of temperature gradient between the ground and the air to the locomotion of soft robot. Soft robots attract attention due to its flexible adaptability and safety to the real environment in recent years. Although many soft robots are soft themselves, they require hard material as an external device such as air compressors and external power supplies for driving. To solve the problem, some authors reported an autonomous driving robot composed of a completely flexible material using gas generation by a chemical change of hydrogen peroxide solution. However, as the driving system utilizes a chemical reaction, its driving time is relatively short. On the contrary, the proposed robot moves without electricity and any external devices such as air compressors and an electrical power supplies. It can move just on the ground using the temperature gradient between the ground and the air. In experiments, we developed some prototypes and confirmed that continuous movement could be achieved with the proposed model.     

Tetramethylsuccinonitrile in polyvinyl chloride products for food and its release into food-simulating solvents

Summary The content of tetramethylsuccinonitrile (TMSN), the main decomposition product of 2,2-azobis-isobutyronitrile, in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products used for food packaging, were examined as well as food-simulating solvents. The TMSN concentration in 17 PVC products ranged from below the detection limit, 0.05 mg/kg, up to 523 mg/kg. The release of TMSN from two PVC products into five kinds of food-simulating solvents at 60 °C for 30 min was observed, except for 1 ± 1 g/kg of TMSN in n-heptane from a PVC bottle containing 523±30.4 mg/kg of TMSN. The detection limit of TMSN in the food-simulating solvents was 1 g/kg. When pieces of the bottle were stored in olive oil at 40 °C for 120 days, 5 ± 1 g/kg of TMSN was detected in the oil. The release of TMSN from the pieces of the bottle into olive oil between 80 and 140 °C depended on the formula 1ny = 0.08786x - 5.696,r = 0.9927, wherey is the concentration (g/kg) of TMSN in olive oil, x is the temperature (°C), andr is the correlation coefficient.

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Tetramethyl-succinonitril in Polyvinylchloridprodukten für Lebensmittel und seine Freisetzung in simulierenden Lösungsmitteln

Zusammenfassung Untersucht wurde der Gehalt von Tetramethyl-Succinonitril (TMSN), dem Hauptzersetzungsprodukt von 2,2-Azobis-iso-butyronitril, in Polyvinylchloridprodukten (PVC) für Lebensmittel im Zusammenhang mit dessen Freisetzung in simulierenden Lösungsmitteln. Die TMSN-Konzentration in 17 PVC-Produkten lag teilweise unterhalb der Meßgrenze; ansonsten lag sie zwischen 0,05 und 523 mg/kg. Ausgenommen von 1 ± 1 g/kg TMSN in n-Heptan aus einer PVC-Flasche, die 523 ± 30,4 mg/kg, TMSN enthielt, wurde bei einer Temperatur von 60 °C innerhalb von 30 min aus zwei PVC-Produkten keine Freisetzung von TMSN in fünf verschiedenen simulierenden Lösungsmitteln beobachtet. Die Erfassungsgrenze von TMSN in den simulierenden Lösungsmitteln lag bei 1 g/kg. Bei Aufbewahrung von Teilen der PVC-Flasche in Olivenöl bei 40 °C für 120 Tage wurden 5 ± 1 g/kg TMSN im Olivenöl erfaßt. Die Freisetzung von TMSN aus der Flasche in das Olivenöl bei Temperaturen zwischen 80 und 140 °C verlief nach der Formel Iny = 0,08786x - 5,696, (r = 0,9927);y = Konzentration (g/kg von TMSN im Olivenöl),x = Temperatur (°C) undr = Korrelationskoeffizient.