Mesoscale finite element prediction of concrete failure

The present paper studies the failure of concrete from the mesoscopic point of view. Biphasic cubic concrete samples containing spherical aggregates embedded in a homogenized mortar have been simulated using standard finite element method. Linear elasticity and damage-plasticity hypotheses are considered for the aggregates and mortar, respectively. Various triaxial loading conditions are assumed for each sample to generate adequate discrete failure points within the stress space. In the next step, the approximated failure surfaces of specimens are constructed using the Delaunay triangulation technique. The effects of mesostructural features such as aggregate grading curve, aggregate volumetric share, and more importantly the controlling parameters of mortar’s damage-plasticity constitutive model have been investigated. Finally, the failure modes of some selected samples have been reported and discussed.     

In vitro biomimetic deposition of apatite on alkaline and heat treated Ti6A14V alloy surface

Titanium alloy (Ti6A14V) substrates, having the ability of biomimetic calcium phosphate-based materials, especially hydroxyapatite deposition in a simulated body fluid (SBF) means of chemical treatment (alkaline treatment) and subsequent heat treatment, was studied. The effects of alkaline treatment time, concentration and heat treatment temperature on the formation of calcium phosphate (carbonate-hydroxyapatite) on Ti6A14V surface were examined. For this purpose, the metallic substrates were treated in 0, 5 and 10 M NaOH solutions at a temperature of 60 or 80°C for 1 and 3 days. Subsequently the substrate was heat-treated at 500, 600 and 700°C for 1 h for consolidation of the sodium titanate hydrogel layer. Finally, they were soaked in SBF for 1 and 3 days. The substrate surfaces were characterized by the techniques commonly used for bulk material such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thin film X-ray diffraction (TF-XRD). With regard to the SEM and TF-XRD results, the optimum process consists of 3 days soaking in 5 M NaOH in 80°C and subsequent heat treatment at 600°C for 1h. It is worth mentioning that the results showed that the apatite formed within 3 days on the specimen surfaces, however, there was no sign of apatite formation in the control samples (without alkaline and heat treatment) which was treated for up to 3 days immersion in SBF.     

Nanoethosomal formulation of gammaoryzanol for skin-aging protection and wrinkle improvement: a histopathological study

Background: Free radical scavengers and antioxidants, with the main focus on enhanced targeting to the skin layers, can provide protection against skin ageing.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to prepare nanoethosomal formulation of gammaoryzanol (GO), a water insoluble antioxidant, for its dermal delivery to prevent skin aging.

Methods: Nanoethosomal formulation was prepared by a modified ethanol injection method and characterized by using laser light scattering, scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The effects of formulation parameters on nanoparticle size, encapsulation efficiency percent (EE%) and loading capacity percent (LC%) were investigated. Antioxidant activity of GO-loaded formulation was investigated in vitro using normal African green monkey kidney fibroblast cells (Vero). The effect of control and GO-loaded nanoethosomal formulation on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of rat skin was also probed. Furthermore, the effect of GO-loaded nanoethosomes on skin wrinkle improvement was studied by dermoscopic and histological examination on healthy humans and UV-irradiated rats, respectively.

Results: The optimized nanoethosomal formulation showed promising characteristics including narrow size distribution 0.17?±?0.02, mean diameter of 98.9?±?0.05?nm, EE% of 97.12?±?3.62%, LC% of 13.87?±?1.36% and zeta potential value of –15.1?±?0.9?mV. The XRD results confirmed uniform drug dispersion in the nanoethosomes structure. In vitro and in vivo antioxidant studies confirmed the superior antioxidant effect of GO-loaded nanoethosomal formulation compared with control groups (blank nanoethosomes and GO suspension).

Conclusions: Nanoethosomes was a promising carrier for dermal delivery of GO and consequently had superior anti-aging effect.     

Kinetically Stable Oxide Overlayers on Mo3P Nanoparticles Enabling Lithium–Air Batteries with Low Overpotentials and Long Cycle Life

The main drawbacks of today's state-of-the-art lithium–air (Li–air) batteries are their low energy efficiency and limited cycle life due to the lack of earth-abundant cathode catalysts that can drive both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER) at high rates at thermodynamic potentials. Here, inexpensive trimolybdenum phosphide (Mo₃P) nanoparticles with an exceptional activity—ORR and OER current densities of 7.21 and 6.85 mA cm⁻² at 2.0 and 4.2 V versus Li/Li⁺, respectively—in an oxygen-saturated non-aqueous electrolyte are reported. The Tafel plots indicate remarkably low charge transfer resistance—Tafel slopes of 35 and 38 mV dec⁻¹ for ORR and OER, respectively—resulting in the lowest ORR overpotential of 4.0 mV and OER overpotential of 5.1 mV reported to date. Using this catalyst, a Li–air battery cell with low discharge and charge overpotentials of 80 and 270 mV, respectively, and high energy efficiency of 90.2% in the first cycle is demonstrated. A long cycle life of 1200 is also achieved for this cell. Density functional theory calculations of ORR and OER on Mo₃P (110) reveal that an oxide overlayer formed on the surface gives rise to the observed high ORR and OER electrocatalytic activity and small discharge/charge overpotentials.     

Effects of strong magnetic field on plasma immersion ion implantation of dielectric substrates

In this paper the effects of a strong magnetic field on plasma immersion ion implantation (PHI) of dielectric substrates were investigated. A plasma fluid model and finite difference schemes were used to simulate a one-dimensional system of plasma immersion ion implantation. The effect of secondary electron emission from the electrode on PHI was also taken into consideration. It was found that the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field have slight effects on sheath thickness but have considerable effects on current densities in the y and z directions which are perpendicular to the direction of the electric field (the x direction). The simulations showed that the current densities in the y and z directions increased significantly with increasing magnitude of the magnetic field at a given fixed angle, the reason being attributed to the rotational force exerted on the ions by the magnetic field. With a fixed magnetic field, increasing the angle of the magnetic field, θ, with respect to the electric field produced a continuous increase in current density in the y direction from zero to its maximum at θ = 90° but the current density in the z direction could be described as saddle-shaped being zero at both ends.     

Investigation into features of graphite nanofluid synthesized using electro discharge process

This paper presents a partitioning around medoid (PAM)-based novel method to realize the recognition of the tool wear state in milling. In PAM, the representative objects called medoids are used to define clusters and average dissimilarities are applied to assess the medoids, which make PAM robust to outliers and therefore improve the clustering performance. Meanwhile, locality preserving projections (LPP) method is utilized to further increase the clustering accuracy by dimension reduction. To show the effectiveness of the proposed method, end milling experiment of Ti-6Al-4V alloy were carried out and the commonly used k-means and fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm are introduced to make a comparison with PAM algorithm by using five clustering evaluation indicators. The results show that PAM performs higher accuracy and robustness than the other two clustering algorithm.     

Design and fabrication of a novel vibrational system for ultrasonic assisted oblique turning process

We designed and fabricated suitable vibrational equipment for ultrasonic assisted oblique turning process to enable researchers to perform experimental tests with the operating conditions closest to common assumptions of cutting mechanics theories. Applying ultrasonic vibrations to the tool cutting edge along tangential direction and in the presence of inclination and tool cutting edge angles necessitates a novel design and fabrication of vibrational horn with special oblique geometry. In this vibrational horn, the natural frequency of longitudinal vibration mode is forced to be in a certain frequency range of the ultrasonic power supply. The novel tool-workpiece assembly was designed using modal analysis to provide the most conformity of cutting geometry and process parameters between theory and practice. Three-dimensional cutting forces were measured experimentally in vibrational oblique turning process carried out by the mentioned horn. The most suitable conditions to profit from ultrasonic vibrations in oblique turning process were determined, and these experimental results were in agreement with modal analysis results.

     

Propane Dehydrogenation over a Commercial Pt-Sn/Al2O3 Catalyst for Isobutane Dehydrogenation: Optimization of Reaction Conditions

The applicability of a commercial Pt-Sn/Al₂O₃ isobutane dehydrogenation catalyst in dehydrogenation of propane was studied. Catalyst performance tests were carried out in a fixed-bed quartz reactor under different operating conditions. Generally, as the factors improving propane conversion decrease the propylene selectivity, the optimal operating condition to maximize propylene yield is expected. The optimal condition was obtained by the experimental design method. The investigated parameters were temperature, hydrogen/hydrocarbon (H₂/HC) ratio and space velocity, being changed in three levels. Constrains such as the susceptibility of the catalyst components to sintering or phase transformation were also taken into account. Activity, selectivity and stability of the catalyst were considered as the measured response factors, while the space-time-yield (STY) was considered as the variable to be optimized due to its commercial interest. A STY of 16 mol·kg^-1·h^-1 was achieved under the optimal conditions of T 620℃, H₂/HC 0.6 and, weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) 2.2 h^-1. Single carbon-carbon bond rupture was found to be the main route for the formation of lower hydrocarbon byproducts.     

Carbon dioxide sequestration in petrochemical industries with the aim of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

The mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions to acceptable levels is arguably the greatest environmental challenge these days. Vast utilization of fossil fuels and forest destruction are main causes of CO₂ increase in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide sequestration that consists of separation, transportation and utilization or storage of CO₂, is one way for reduction of its emission, in which the most costly section is separation. Different methods can be used for carbon dioxide separation such as absorption, membrane separation, adsorption and cryogenic distillation. Economic, technical and environmental issues should be considered in selection of the technology for particular application. Carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, pressure and flow rate are influential operating parameters in the selection of the appropriate separation method. Nowadays, absorption is the worldwide industrial separation method. New researches are focused on developing new stable solvents and efficient column configuration with suitable internals to minimize pressure drop. Membrane separation and adsorption (PSA type) are other long-term alternatives that can increase separation efficiency and decrease separation cost. The level of energy consumption in various separation methods are in the order: chemical absorption>physical absorption>membrane separation. Because of high investment costs, current separation technologies are suitable for large concentrated sources. In the present paper, different processes for carbon dioxide separation are investigated and compared. Available technologies and commercial plants for CO₂ sequestration are provided.