Al matrix composites fabricated by solid-state cold spray deposition:A critical review

Cold spraying(CS),or cold gas dynamic spray(CGDS),is an emerging solid-state powder deposition process,allowing fast and mass production and restoration of metallic components.CS of metal matrix composites(MMCs)has attracted increasing attention from academia and industry over the last decades,especially in the area of Al matrix composites(AMCs),which have demonstrated a high potential for applications in aerospace,automotive,and electronics industries.This article aims to summarize the recent development of CS-processed AMCs in terms of composite powder preparation,deposition pro-cessing,microstructure evolution,mechanical and corrosion properties.Furthermore,this review also reports the relevant research progress with the focus on post-treatments of the AMCs for CS additive manufacturing applications including heat treatment,hot rolling,and friction stir processing.Finally,the challenges and perspectives on the fabrication of advanced AMCs by CS are addressed.     

Bayesian Analysis in Partially Accelerated Life Tests for Weighted Lomax Distribution

Accelerated life testing has been widely used in product life testing experiments because it can quickly provide information on the lifetime distributions by testing products or materials at higher than basic conditional levels of stress, such as pressure, temperature, vibration, voltage, or load to induce early failures. In this paper, a step stress partially accelerated life test (SS-PALT) is regarded under the progressive type-II censored data with random removals. The removals from the test are considered to have the binomial distribution. The life times of the testing items are assumed to follow length-biased weighted Lomax distribution. The maximum likelihood method is used for estimating the model parameters of length-biased weighted Lomax. The asymptotic confidence interval estimates of the model parameters are evaluated using the Fisher information matrix. The Bayesian estimators cannot be obtained in the explicit form, so the Markov chain Monte Carlo method is employed to address this problem, which ensures both obtaining the Bayesian estimates as well as constructing the credible interval of the involved parameters. The precision of the Bayesian estimates and the maximum likelihood estimates are compared by simulations. In addition, to compare the performance of the considered confidence intervals for different parameter values and sample sizes. The Bootstrap confidence intervals give more accurate results than the approximate confidence intervals since the lengths of the former are less than the lengths of latter, for different sample sizes, observed failures, and censoring schemes, in most cases. Also, the percentile Bootstrap confidence intervals give more accurate results than Bootstrap-t since the lengths of the former are less than the lengths of latter for different sample sizes, observed failures, and censoring schemes, in most cases. Further performance comparison is conducted by the experiments with real data.     

Enrichment of piezoelectric properties in Nb5+doped (0.94) (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3–(0.06) BaTiO3 ceramics across morphotropic phase boundary region

Lead-free piezoelectric compounds (0.94)(Na_0.5Bi_0.5)TiO₃–(0.06) BaTiO₃ [NBBT (94/06)]?+?x wt.% Nb⁵⁺ (x?=?0%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 2.5%) were synthesized by the solid-state reaction route and these powders were pelletized and sintered for dielectric and piezoelectric characterization. The phase coexistence Monoclinic (Cc)?+?Rhombohedral (R3c) was affirmed using X-ray Powder diffraction analysis. The structural properties like cell parameters and space group of the synthesized ceramics were investigated by the Rietveld refinement analysis. The surface morphology and grain size of the fractured ceramics were explored using SEM imaging technique. The dielectric properties for all the ratios of NBBT (94/06) ceramics were examined using LCR meter. The piezoelectric coefficients such as d₃₃ and g₃₃ of Nb-doped NBBT (94/06) ceramics were investigated. The saturation polarization (P_s) and remanent polarization (P_r) were exhibited from the P–E hysteresis loop analysis at room temperature. The appropriate addition of Nb⁵⁺ (x?=?1.5%) in NBBT (94/06) material demonstrates eminent dielectric constant and piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ than other wt.% of Nb. The replacement of Ti⁴⁺ with higher radius cations Nb⁵⁺ in B-site of ABO₃ composes tilting of polar BO₆ octahedra resulting in rhombohedra distortion (RD) (90° ? α), in addition, the polarizability of ions and various valance states of B-site cations could be responsible for RD (90° ? α) ensuing relatively high dielectric constant and piezoelectricity.

     

Gait Pattern Based on CMAC Neural Network for Robotic Applications

The main goal of this paper is to provide a general methodology and a practical approach for the design of gait pattern for biped robotic applications directly usable by researchers and engineers. This approach, which is based on CMAC neural network, is an alternative way in comparison to the traditional Central Pattern Generator. In the proposed method, the CMAC neural networks are used to learn basic motions (e.g. reference gait) and a Fuzzy Inference System allows to merge these reference motions in order to built more complex gaits. The results of our biped robotic applications show how to design a self-adaptive gait pattern according to average velocity and external perturbations.     

A Relative Representation of Trajectories in Geogaphical Spaces

The research presented in this paper introduces a relative representation of trajectories in space and time. The objective is to represent space the way it is perceived by a moving observer acting in the environment, and to provide a complementary view to the usual absolute vision of space. Trajectories are characterized from the perception of a moving observer where relative positions and relative velocities are the basic primitives. This allows for a formal identification of elementary trajectory configurations, and their relationships with the regions that compose the environment. The properties of the model are studied, including transitions and composition tables. These properties characterize trajectory transitions by the underlying processes that semantically qualify them. The approach provides a representation that might help the understanding of trajectory patterns in space and time.

Kinetics analysis of the curing of a diepoxy-diamine system

The reaction between the diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4,9-dioxa-1,12-dodecanediamine (DDDD) has been studied by means of isothermal and dynamic differential scanning calorimetry. The enthalpy of the reaction of an epoxy group with an amino-hydrogen has been determined to be 112 ± 5 kJ/mol. A kinetic model has been validated. It involves two competitive mechanisms: one is catalysed by the hydroxy groups initially present on the epoxy chain or generated during the reaction (activation energy 77 ± 5 kJ/mol), the other is not catalysed with a higher activation energy (103 ± 3 kJ/mol). For each isothermal curing, the kinetics are not modified by gelation. Evaluated from the gel times, the overall activation energy of the reaction is equal to 62 ± 2 kJ/mol.     

Lipid composition of normal and hypertrophic bovine thyroids

The phospholipid content of bovine thyroid tissue amounts to 70% of total lipid. Triglycerides and cholesterol are the main neutral lipids. Only trace amounts of free fatty acid and esterified cholesterol are found, while two not yet identified components also are present. The distribution of lipid phosphorus in the different phospholipid classes is as follows: phosphatidyl choline, 43.0%; phosphatidyl ethanolamine, 25.2%; phosphatidyl serine, 5.6%; phosphatidyl inositol, 6.5%; sphingomyelin, 14.0%; cardiolipin, 2.8%; lysophosphatidyl choline, <1%; and phosphatidic acid, <1%. The phosphatidyl ethanolamines are rich in plasmalogens. The fatty acid patterns in the different lipid classes are reported. The essential differences between normal and hypertrophic bovine thyroid tissue are higher water content and lower triglyceride and sphingomyelin values for hypertrophic tissue.     

A glance at violet LED sensitive photoinitiators based on the spiroxanthene scaffold

A novel photoinitiator based on a spiroxanthene scaffold in the presence of an iodonium salt is proposed for the cationic ring‐opening polymerization of a diepoxide, as well as for the free‐radical polymerization of an acrylate upon violet LED exposure (385 and 405 nm). Good‐to‐excellent rates of polymerization and final conversions are obtained. These systems are characterized by a higher reactivity compared with that of anthracene/iodonium salt used as reference for cationic near UV polymerization. The addition of a poly(ionic liquid) improves the cationic polymerization profiles. The photochemical mechanisms are studied by steady‐state photolysis, fluorescence, and electron spin resonance spin‐trapping techniques. Molecular orbital calculations give an insight into the light absorption properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43213.     

Retro‐1 Analogues Differentially Affect Oligonucleotide Delivery and Toxin Trafficking

Retro‐1 is a small molecule that displays two important biological activities: First, it blocks the actions of certain toxins by altering their intracellular trafficking. Second, it enhances the activity of oligonucleotides by releasing them from entrapment in endosomes. This raises the question of whether the two actions involve the same cellular target. Herein we report the effects of several Retro‐1 analogues on both toxins and oligonucleotides. We found analogues that affect toxins but not oligonucleotides and vice‐versa, while Retro‐1 is the only compound that affects both. This indicates that the molecular target(s) involved in the two processes are distinct.