Three-dimensional chemo-thermomechanically coupled simulation of curing adhesives including viscoplasticity and chemical shrinkage

Based on the one-dimensional material model developed by Liebl et al. (Arch Appl Mech, 2011) a three-dimensional viscoelastic-viscoplastic material model for small deformations of curing adhesives on the basis of continuum mechanics is proposed in this contribution. The model describes the most relevant phenomena which occur during curing processes in the automotive industry and includes the effects of temperature and degree of cure on the mechanical properties of the material. Thermal expansion as well as chemical shrinkage are also contained. The yield stress for the viscoplastic part of the model goes back to the work of Schlimmer and Mahnken (Int J Numer Meth Eng 63:1461–1477, 2005), but is formulated in reference to the degree of cure and the temperature. Therefore this model considers chemo-thermomechanical coupling and extends the plasticity approach of Schlimmer and Mahnken, which is devised for cured adhesives, to the whole curing range, from the uncured to the fully cured adhesive. A peculiar focus is hereby laid on epoxy resins used in the automotive industry as structural adhesives.     

Advancement of an Interferometric Flow Velocity Measurement Technique by Adaptive Optics

Flow measurements often take place under difficult conditions. Optical flow measurement techniques are affected by variations of the refractive index, caused e.g., by temperature, concentration, or pressure gradients. This will give rise to an increased measurement uncertainty or cause the measurement to fail. To overcome these limitations, we propose the employment of adaptive optics. In this contribution we present interferometric flow velocity measurements through a fluctuating air-water interface by the use of adaptive optics. Using the adaptive optics, the rate of valid measurement signals can be improved from 28% to 83%. The results are promising to enable measurements in difficult environments affected by refractive index variations which were not accessible so far.     

Consumer perception of boar meat as affected by labelling information,malodorous compounds and sensitivity to androstenone

This study aimed to assess the influence of two label conditions on the acceptance of boar meat. A central location test was conducted with 145 consumers each assessing 4 pieces of pork loin.     

Competing topological phases in few-layer graphene

We investigate the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the band structure of graphene-based two-dimensional Dirac fermion gases in the quantum Hall regime. Taking monolayer graphene as our first candidate, we show that a quantum phase transition between two distinct topological states—the quantum Hall and the quantum spin Hall phases—can be driven by simply tuning the Fermi level with a gate voltage. This transition is characterized by the existence of a chiral spin-polarized edge state propagating along the interface separating the two topological phases. We then apply our analysis to the more difficult case of bilayer graphene. Unlike in monolayer graphene, spin-orbit coupling by itself has indeed been predicted to be unsuccessful in driving bilayer graphene into a topological phase, due to the existence of an even number of pairs of spin-polarized edge states. While we show that this remains the case in the quantum Hall regime, we point out that by additionally breaking the layer inversion symmetry, a non-trivial quantum spin Hall phase can re-emerge in bilayer graphene at low energy. We consider two different symmetry-breaking mechanisms: inducing spin-orbit coupling only in the upper layer, and applying a perpendicular electric field. In both cases, the presence at low energy of an odd number of pairs of edge states can be driven by an exchange field. The related situation in trilayer graphene is also discussed.     

In-situ measurement of higher-order strain derivatives for advanced analysis of forming processes using spatio-temporal optical flow

In-situ full-field measurements became one of the drivers for process understanding, model creation, validation and inverse analysis. Therefore, a novel spatio-temporal optical flow method for the robust measurement of higher-order strain derivatives is proposed. This computer vision approach overcomes inherent restrictions of established DIC methods. For advanced process analysis of shear cutting processes, the deformation curvature (2nd-order displacement derivative) and the respective rate (3rd-order displacement derivative) are of high interest. For the first time, it is possible to quantify experimentally these higher-order derivatives in sufficient quality with the proposed spatio-temporal optical flow approach. In addition, interesting correlations between the microstructure of the material and macroscopic process results are determined. This demonstrates the potential of the novel in-situ measurement approach for the advanced process analysis of metal forming processes in general.     

Influence of the nanofiber dimensions on the properties of nanocellulose/poly(vinyl alcohol) aerogels

The investigation of aerogels made from cellulose nanofibers and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) as a polymeric binder is reported. Aerogels based on different nanocellulose types were studied to investigate the influence of the nanocellulose dimensions and their rigidity on the morphology and mechanical properties of the resulting aerogels. Thus, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with low (10), medium (25), and high (80) aspect ratios, isolated from cotton, banana plants, and tunicates, respectively, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) were dispersed in aqueous PVOH solutions and aerogels were prepared by freeze‐drying. In addition to the cellulose type, the PVOH‐ and the CNC‐concentration as well as the freeze‐drying conditions were varied, and the materials were optionally cross‐linked by an annealing step or the use of a chemical cross‐linker. The data reveal that at low PVOH content, rigid, high‐aspect ratio CNCs isolated from tunicates afford aerogels that show the least amount of shrinking upon freeze‐drying and display the best mechanical properties. However, with increasing concentration of PVOH or upon introduction of a chemical cross‐linker the differences between materials made from different nanocellulose types decrease. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41740.     

Melt processing of polyamide 12 and cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposites

The fabrication of nanocomposites of polyamide 12 (PA12) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) isolated from cotton and tunicates is reported. Through a comparative study that involved solution‐cast (SC) and melt‐processed materials, it was shown that PA12/CNC nanocomposites can be prepared in a process that appears to be readily scalable to an industrial level. The results demonstrate that CNCs isolated from the biomass by phosphoric acid hydrolysis display both a sufficiently high thermal stability to permit melt processing with PA12, and a high compatibility with this polymer to allow the formation of nanocomposites in which the CNCs are well dispersed. Thus, PA12/CNC nanocomposites prepared by melt‐mixing the two components in a co‐rotating roller blade mixer and subsequent compression molding display mechanical properties that are comparable to those of SC reference materials. Young's modulus and maximum stress could be doubled in comparison to the neat PA12 by introduction of 10% (CNCs from tunicates) or 15% w/w (CNCs from cotton) CNCs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42752.