A Combined Analytic,Numeric, and Experimental Investigation Performed on NiTi/NiTiCu Bi‐Layer Composites under Tensile Loading

Adjusting mechanical behavior and controlling deformation parameters are significant tasks in designing shape memory components. In this paper, an analytical model describes the deformation behavior of NiTi/NiTiCu bi‐layer composites under tensile loading. Different deformation stages are considered based on single mechanical behavior at each stage. Closed‐form equations are derived for stress–strain variations of bi‐layer composites under uniaxial loading–unloading. Bi‐layer composites made via the diffusion bonding method from single layers of NiTi alloy with a composition of Ti‐50.7 at.% Ni, as an austenitic layer, and Ti‐45 at% Ni‐5 at% Cu, as a martensitic layer, are produced by the vacuum arc remelting technique. The tensile behavior of single‐ and bi‐layers is investigated by using loading–unloading experiments to find the nominal stress–strain curves. Numerical simulations are also done by employing Lagoudas constitutive model to simulate stress–strain diagrams. The solutions of the analytical method presented are validated by using the numerical simulations as well as the experimental results. With regard to the results obtained from the analytical modeling, the numerical simulations, and the experiments, it is evident that the bi‐layer composites with different thickness ratios provide adjustable mechanical behavior that can be considered in different application designs, for example, actuators equipped with shape memory components.

     

Photoconductive Hybrid Films via Directional Self‐Assembly of C60 on Aligned Carbon Nanotubes

Hybrid nanostructured materials can exhibit different properties than their constituent components, and can enable decoupled engineering of energy conversion and transport functions. Novel means of building hybrid assemblies of crystalline C₆₀ and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are presented, wherein aligned CNT films direct the crystallization and orientation of C₆₀ rods from solution. In these hybrid films, the C₆₀ rods are oriented parallel to the direction of the CNTs throughout the thickness of the film. High‐resolution imaging shows that the crystals incorporate CNTs during growth, yet grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXD) shows that the crystal structure of the C₆₀ rods is not perturbed by the CNTs. Growth kinetics of the C₆₀ rods are enhanced 8‐fold on CNTs compared to bare Si, emphasizing the importance of the aligned, porous morphology of the CNT films as well as the selective surface interactions between C₆₀ and CNTs. Finally, it is shown how hybrid C₆₀–CNT films can be integrated electrically and employed as UV detectors with a high photoconductive gain and a responsivity of 10⁵ A W^?1 at low biases (± 0.5 V). The finding that CNTs can induce rapid, directional crystallization of molecules from solution may have broader implications to the science and applications of crystal growth, such as for inorganic nanocrystals, proteins, and synthetic polymers.     

A secure authentication scheme for VANETs with batch verification

Wireless Networks - Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) will start becoming deployed within the next decade. Among other benefits, it is expected that VANETs will support applications and services...     

A compact and high performance dual-band bandpass filter based on unbalanced composite right/left-handed transmission lines for WLANs applications

In this paper, a novel compact microstrip dual-band (DB) bandpass filter with high selectivity for wireless local area networks applications is proposed. The design procedure is based on unbalanced composite right/left-handed (UCRLH) transmission lines (TLs). The DB features can be achieved by unbalancing the CRLH transmission line. The necessary conditions to obtain a discontinuous transition between the left- and right-handed bands, intended to provide UCRLLH TL, are investigated. The application of this technique to design of compact DB filters is illustrated. The structure of the proposed DB filter is implemented by a series interdigital capacitor located between two microstrip lines that shorted to the ground plane by vias. The vias with microstrip lines acting as a shunt connected inductor while the series capacitor is realized by interdigital capacitor. The design procedure based on a simple equivalent circuit is also introduced. The proposed filter has advantages such as compact size, easy fabrication, high selectivity, low insertion loss, high return loss and, design flexibility. To validate the proposed technique, the proposed DB filter has been fabricated and tested. Good agreement has been found between simulation and measurement results. The total size of the proposed UCRLH DB filter is 0.17 λ_g × 0.048 λ_g, where λ_g is the guided wavelength of the lower pass-band. The size of the proposed DB filter is more compact in comparison with known similar filters.     

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of In Situ Grown MOF-Derived Oriented Zr-Mn-oxide and Solution-Free CuO as Hybrid Electrode for Supercapacitors

Recently metal-organic framework (MOF) derived electrode materials have grown considerable research interest in the field of supercapacitor (SC) technology. Herein, MOF-derived Zr-Mn-oxide is successively combined with solution-free CuO nanowires not only to avoid the structural limitations of MOF but also to fabricate a positive-negative hybrid electrode material. The MOF-derived mixed metal oxide prepared through in situ fabrication allows the uniform and unidirectional growth of oriented Zr-Mn-oxide@CuO@Cu. The hybrid electrode exhibited over 100% stability after 20,000 cycles in a three-electrode setup with a wide potential window range of 1.2 V (−0.6 to 0.6 V). Further, the obtained Zr-Mn-oxide@CuO@Cu hybrid electrode exhibited 14.1- and 5.5-fold higher capacity over its MOF-derived Zr-Mn-oxide counterpart (−0.6 to 0.1 V) and CuO (0.0 to 0.5 V), respectively. Additionally, the hybrid device with hybrid Zr-Mn-oxide@CuO@Cu as the positive electrode and reduced graphene oxide as the negative electrode also displayed promising energy and power densities. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations are employed to study the hybrid electrode material's properties. Overall, the unidirectional and vertically aligned MOF-derived Zr-Mn-oxide@CuO@Cu hybrid electrode material with notable electrochemical performance can be useful for the fabrication of next-generation supercapacitor electrodes.     

Optical properties of cellulose derivatives blend film carrying a chalcogenide material

Polymeric films composed of mixture of ethyl cellulose (EC) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) are prepared from casting combined solvent (methylene chloride and methanol in 1:1 ratio) containing 8% weight/volume of both polymers (EC to HPC in 1:3 weight ratio). The structural and optical studies of the films are carried out by X-ray diffraction and UV–vis spectrophotometer. The films are polycrystalline structure with an average grain size from 23.15 to 10.79 nm. The possible optical transition in these films is found to be allowed direct transition. The optical band gap energy (E_g) is estimated to be 5.02 eV for HPC–EC plain film and then decreases with increasing the filler content reaching to 4.24 eV for the film filled with maximum Se₈₀Te₁₄Sn₆ content of 1 w%. This suggests that Se₈₀Te₁₄Sn₆, as filler, is a good choice to control the optical properties of HPC–EC blend film.     

Influence of indium addition on structure, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of tin–antimony based metallic alloys quenched from melt

The melt-spinning processes of binary Sn–10 wt.% Sb and ternary Sn–10 wt.% Sb–In were analyzed using X-ray diffractometer and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The results showed that supersaturated solid solution and new intermetallic compound In₃Sn were produced during melt-spinning technique not found under equilibrium conditions. It is also found that a small amount of In addition significantly lowers the melting point of the Sn–10 wt.% Sb alloy and reduce the crystal size to ≈60 nm. Also, tin–antimony solder doped with In exhibits good mechanical properties, Vickers hardness and mechanical strength due to refined microstructure. This work was performed to study the influence of rapid solidification and indium addition on structure and properties of tin–antimony based alloys.     

Graft copolymerization of itaconic acid onto chitin and its properties

Modification of chitin by grafting with itaconic acid (IA) was carried out using potassium persulfate as redox initiator. In complimentary experiments, grafting was performed using γ‐radiation. Grafting was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The effect of monomer concentration, initiator concentration and copolymerization temperature on the percentage of grafting were studied. The effect of radiation dose was also investigated. Values for percentages of grafting of up to 300 % were reached. It was observed that the percentage of grafting increased with increasing monomer concentration and showed a tendency to level off at IA concentration of 0.1 mol l^?1. The percentage of grafting increased with temperature up to 60 °C and then decreased. The solubility of the grafted chitin was studied in organic and inorganic solvents. The complexation of the grafted chitin with some cations, namely copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc and lead, was also investigated. The metal uptake was measured by UV spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis of the grafted chitin was also studied. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Laboratory Evaluation of the Use of Alkaline Phosphate Wastes for the Control of Acidic Mine Drainage

Pyrrhotite tailings at the abandoned Kettara mine site in Morocco are producing acid mine drainage (AMD). We investigated the use of alkaline phosphate waste (APW) rock from a nearby operating open-pit phosphate mine to control the AMD. The neutralizing potential of the APW, using the Paktunc method, was estimated between 500 and 680 kg CaCO₃/t. In laboratory column tests, the addition of 15 wt% APW to the coarse Kettara tailings produced leachates with significantly lower acidities and metal concentrations than unamended controls. The high calcium concentration in the flushed solutions indicates that calcite was responsible for the neutralization. Dolomite dissolution seems to be negligible and fluorapatite was stable under the testing conditions. It was also observed that when the treated solution comes in contact with unweathered Kettara coarse tailings, the pH becomes acidic, although the metal concentrations remain low.     

Evaluation of dike-type causeway impacts on the flow and salinity regimes in Urmia Lake,Iran

Urmia Lake, located in a closed basin in north-west Iran, is the largest lake (5000–6000 km²) in the Middle East. It is very saline with total dissolved salts reaching 200 g/l compared with a normal seawater salinity of about 35 g/l. The construction of a causeway, which was initiated in 1979 but then abandoned until the early 2000s, is near completion and will provide road access between the western and eastern provinces. The causeway has an opening 1.25 km long and divides Urmia Lake into a northern and southern basin and restricts water exchange. The flow and salinity regimes are affected by the presence of this new causeway, and there are concerns over the well being of the Artemia population. This study investigates the effects of the construction of the causeway on flow and salinity regimes, considers remedial actions, and examines the effects of climatic variability on salinity and flow. Flow and salinity regimes were numerically simulated by using a commercially available two and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) MIKE model. The validity of the numerical model was assessed through sensitivity analysis of the model and comparing the simulated results against field measurements; the 3D model provided the higher correlation between simulated and actual data. Wind input was the main climatic and hydrologic factor influencing flow regime while river discharge, evaporation and rainfall were the key parameters affecting salinity distribution in the lake models. The 3D model was subsequently used to predict lake conditions in typical dry, wet and normal climates, to examine the environmental impacts from the new causeway, and to evaluate possible improvements that some remedial measures may provide.