The Influence of the Silicone Carbide Content and Type on the Microstructure and the Flaw Level of Silica Ceramics

Comprehensive studies of the flaw level and some structural characteristics of a composite ceramic material based on Karakeche clay (Kyrgyzstan) are carried out for a range of thermoactivation regimes and impurity contents of silicone carbides of various types.     

Algebraic systems with locally varying matrices for control in electrical energetics: A solution method

Deterministic relations are used to design a method and an algorithm for solving algebraic systems of equations with locally varying coefficient matrices encountered in operational control problems in electrical energetics.     

Upgrade of Proportioning Colorant and Decolorizing Agents for Glass Batch

Different designs of proportioners and screw feeders for colorant and decolorizing agents for glass melt are discussed.__________Translated from Steklo i Keramika, No. 4, pp. 8 – 9, April, 2005.     

Matrix mediated alignment of single wall carbon nanotubes in polymer composite films

Alignment of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in liquid crystalline (LC) polymer matrix imparting orientation to the nanotubes along the nematic director was studied by atomic force microscopy, measurements of electrical conductivity and Raman spectroscopy of the composite in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the nematic director. The composites were prepared through dispersion of SWNT with LC monomer in a common solvent, their alignment in nematic monomer and consequent UV polymerization of the monomer. The anisotropy of electrical and optical properties of the system depends strongly on the concentration of the nanotubes in the range of 1-10% SWNT being especially strong for smaller concentrations and negligible at higher loads. A simple semi-quantitative model is suggested to account for the orientational behavior of nanotubes in nematic matrices. It successfully describes the observed anisotropy of physical properties at microscale (up to 200 μm) in terms of anchoring of the polymer chains to the nanotubes surface and adjustment of the nanotubes orientation to the nematic direction due to such coupling. The increasing disorientation of the nematic domains at higher nanotubes loads is explained as a development of larger number of LC defects induced by the nanotubes in the nematic matrix due to their intrinsic nature of aggregation. The anisotropy of physical properties at macro scale (several millimeters) is much smaller and less dependable on SWNT concentration because differently oriented LC domains effectively wash out the anisotropy.     

Design of computational processes in hierarchic systems

A suboptimal algorithm of scheduling in hierarchic systems is considered. The algorithm does not practically require the enumeration of possibilities. The results on the efficiency of this algorithm are given based on the random generation of examples.     

The Hacking Tradition

This issue's works in progress department features a novel technology that embeds a six-degrees-of-freedom force-torque sensor into a physical artifact to transform existing 3D passive artifacts into contact-sensitive interface devices. The department also presents an approach for rewriting binary to better correlate application usage with contextual information.     

Composition and morphology of char particles of fly ashes from industrial burning of high-ash coals with different reactivity

A comparative investigation of the composition and the morphology of char particles was conducted: char particles were recovered from fly ashes of two power stations in Russia from burning of high- and low-reactivity high-ash coals; the known results of studies of char particles generated in laboratory conditions from coals characterized according to the ASTM D388-98a standard were also used. The composition of organic and mineral components of different fraction char particles was studied. An inverse correlation between the content of the organic substance and the iron content in char particles was identified. The morphology of the char particles for the three main types (Cenospheric, Network and Solid) and the influence of coal reactivity and temperature on char morphology were investigated. The morphology of the mineral component of char particles of the two varieties of coals was also studied. It was shown that the high-temperature of industrial burning of Ekibastuz coal results in melting of the mineral substance and forming of micron-scale microspheres located in the lamellar porous structure of the carbon matrix.     

The characterization of weathered discard coals and their behaviour during combustion

With a finite amount of economically viable coal reserves in South Africa, it is becoming increasingly important to consider coal discards as vital energy resources. The energy content of discard coal is generally low and high in ash, but can be effectively utilised in power stations. However, coals weather during storage, and weathered coals behave differently to their fresh counterparts. During this investigation, discard coals from four stockpiles varying in age from 5 to 40 years were characterised chemically and petrographically, with a specific focus on the petrographic-based abnormal condition analysis to determine the degree of secondary weathering. Drop tube furnace tests were conducted to determine the combustibility of the weathered stockpiled or dumped coals relative to typical Eskom coals, and the resultant char forms were characterised. A direct correlation with the extent of weathering and combustion performance was determined, with the more weathered coals reporting enhanced combustion reactions at lower temperatures.     

A novel direct aerodynamically assisted threading methodology for generating biologically viable microthreads encapsulating living primary cells

In a recent discovery, coaxial electrospinning was explored to encapsulate living organisms within a continuous bio‐polymeric microthread from which active biological scaffolds were fabricated (Townsend‐Nicholson and Jayasinghe, Biomacromolecules 2006, 7, 3364). The cells were demonstrated to have gone through all expected cellular activity without their viability being compromised. These biologically active threads and scaffolds have direct and tremendous applicability from regenerative to therapeutic medicine. Currently these post‐processed cells as composite threads and scaffolds are being investigated in‐depth at a cellular level to establish if the processing methodology has any affect on the cellular make‐up. We now demonstrate a competing non‐electric field driven approach for fabricating composite threads and scaffolds influenced only by a differential pressure. We refer to this novel composite thread to scaffold fabrication methodology as coaxial aerodynamically assisted bio‐threading (CAABT). Our investigations firstly, demonstrate that this technique can process handle living organisms without biologically perturbing them in anyway. Secondly the process is elucidated as possessing the ability to form composite active threads from which biologically viable scaffolds are formed. Finally our study employs florescent activated cell sorting (FACScan), a method by which the cellular dynamics and viability are quantified on control and threaded cellular samples at two prescribed time points. In parallel with FACScan, optical comparison of cellular morphology at three time points within a period of three weeks is carried out to photographically observe any changes in the post‐processed cellular phenotype. Our developmental investigations into this novel aerodynamically assisted threading methodology has unearthed a unique biomicrofabrication approach, which joins cell electrospinning in the cell threading to scaffold fabrication endeavor. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

A comparative study of short nylon fiber—Natural rubber composites prepared from dry rubber and latex masterbatch

A novel method for the preparation of short nylon fiber–natural rubber composites was developed in which short fibers chopped to approximately 6 mm were incorporated in the latex stage and processed into sheet form. By this method, mixing cycle time was reduced without compromising the fiber dispersion. Fiber breakage during mixing was reduced. The new composites when compounded with a dry bonding system based on hexamethylenetetramine, resorcinol and hydrated silica (HRH) showed improved modulus, tensile strength and abrasion resistance compared to conventional composites. Tear strength, resilience, and compression set were similar to the conventional composites. SEM analysis indicated better interaction between matrix and fibers in the case of latex master batch. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008