The effect of plasma‐polymerised silicon hydride‐rich polyhydrogenmethylsiloxane on the adhesion of silicone elastomers

BACKGROUND: Silicone elastomers have outstanding material properties including good thermal stability, low electrical conductivity, biocompatibility and resilient physical and chemical properties. These elastomers, however, exhibit relatively poor adhesion to stainless steel, and the use of a nanometre thick plasma‐polymerised primer layer as a means of enhancing this adhesion was investigated in this study. The primer coatings studied consisted of polyhydrogenmethylsiloxane (PHMS), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and mixtures of these two liquid precursors. RESULTS: The plasma‐polymerised primer coatings were deposited onto stainless steel substrates using a PlasmaStream^? atmospheric pressure plasma jet system. Deposited coatings were examined using ellipsometry, contact angle measurements, optical profilometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The adhesion of silicone elastomers bonded to the primed and bare stainless steel surfaces was assessed using 45° adhesion strength measurements. Elastomer adhesion was correlated with surface energy, thickness and roughness. CONCLUSION: An up to 15‐fold increase in adhesive fracture energy was observed for silicone elastomers bonded to the primed versus untreated stainless steel. The highest adhesion was observed for a coating deposited from a PHMS‐to‐TEOS precursor molar ratio of 3 to 1. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Schiff bases of polyvinylbenzaldehyde and chemical release of amines

Summary Polyvinylbezaldehyde reacts with primary amines with an acidic catalyst to give polymeric Schiff bases. The hydrolyses of these imines have been studied in acidic medium at pH=1,2 or in pure water at pH=6.5.     

A method to improve and automate flat defect detection during ultrasonic inspection

In the nondestructive testing of materials, ultrasonic imagery can detect and characterize defects that are present in a structure. Data are displayed in the form of images, and processing algorithms can be applied for automatic detection and characterization. However, when using diffracted waves, the amplitude is often too low, and the signals are difficult to distinguish from the noise. Other times, the volume of data requires significant computation time. In this paper, we propose a method that can avoid image formation by replacing it with a sparse matrix and significantly reducing the amount of data to process; this allows for the enhancement and the automation of the detection of thin and flat defects such as cracks. The elements of the sparse matrix form a curve, which is sufficient to characterize defects in many cases. These elements are selected from diffracted signals using the split‐spectrum processing method. In this way, the signal‐to‐noise ratio is improved, and the position of the echo signal is accurately determined. When a crack is present in a material, the points of the sparse matrix form a parabola and classical tools of pattern recognition such as the Hough transform can detect it, thus providing significant help in decision‐making processes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of Treated Wastewater Reuse on Agriculture and Aquifer Recharge in a Coastal Area: Korba Case Study

Treated wastewater (TWW) reuse has increasingly been integrated in the planning and development of water resources in Tunisia. The present study aimed the evaluation of the environmental and health impact that would have the reuse of TWW for crops direct irrigation or for the recharge of the local aquifer in Korba (Tunisia). For this purpose water analyses were carried on the TWW intended for the aquifer recharge and on underground water of this area. As for underground water before recharge, no contamination by organic matter or heavy metals is shown but high salinity, nitrate, potassium and chloride concentrations are detected. The bacteriological analyses show the occurrence of faecal streptococcus, thermo-tolerant coliforms, total coliforms and E coli, but absence of salmonella. These results indicate that this water is not suitable for irrigation worse still for drinking purpose. The monitoring of TWW pollutants has demonstrated that oxygen demands (COD and BOD) do not exceed the Tunisian standards for TWW used in agriculture (NT 106.03) except for August when samples reach high values (COD = 139 mg O₂ L^− 1, BOD = 34). It is also the case for temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity and pH. Heavy metal concentrations are under the detection limit. The determination of nutrients shows relatively low concentrations of nitrates, nitrites and orthophosphate (the maxima in mg L^− 1 are respectively 6.6, 5.6 and 0.92) whereas the potassium levels are high (up to 48.8 mg L^− 1) and the ammonia levels very high, reaching 60.6 mg L^− 1. As for bacteriological pollution, while no salmonella and intestinal nematods are detected, high concentrations of total coliforms, thermo-tolerant coliforms, faecal streptococci and E. coli are analysed. Consequently, the better use of TWW in this region would be the use of infiltration basins for the recharge of the deteriorated aquifer by TWW. It would give the opportunity to better the quality of the TWW reaching the groundwater by an additional treatment for bacteriological and suspended solid (TSS) contaminants while being an alternative water for the aquifer recharge and a coastal barrier against seawater intrusion.     

Applicability of Adapted Reservoir Operation for Water Stress Mitigation Under Dry Year Conditions

This paper introduces the conjunctive use of a deterministic water quality model and water balance criteria for supporting the assessment of simulation and to evaluate the effectiveness of proposed operation strategies. By this, the applicability of enhanced reservoir operation strategies addressing both water quality as well as water quantity aspects under water deficit conditions in dry years can be shown. Arguments will be developed to address stakeholders and decision makers in the context of a more conservative past operation regime. Results are presented for the Kaparas reservoir, which is located in the lower Amu Darya River, on the border of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. As being one out of four large reservoirs of the Tuyamuyun Hydro Complex (THC), the Kaparas reservoir could be increasingly used for drinking water supply for the lower Amu Darya region. The results for the dry year 2001 indicates that the combination of simulation together with practical assessment criteria confirm the applicability of adapted operation rules for THC reservoirs and ways can be found to supply the local population (of the lower Amu Darya region) with more potable water of higher quality even subject to a parallel reduction of water deficits. Future aggravation of water stress due to increasing population growth and water quality deterioration will require a more comprehensive consideration of water quality aspects in many arid and semi arid regions. The experience gained during this study emphasizes the fact that classical deterministic water quality models provide effective tools to address even more complex water quality problems under water stressed conditions, provided processing of results is performed, to support the decision making process.     

Anticorrosive Coatings Based on Few-Layer Graphene

In this paper the anticorrosive properties of the few-layer graphene nanostructures were investigated. On the surface ofcopper and nickel plates the few-layer g...     

New efficient M2C and M2M mutual authentication protocols for IoT-based healthcare applications

Peer-to-Peer Networking and Applications - With the rapid advancement of heterogeneous wireless technologies and their proliferation in ambient connected objects, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a...     

Mediterranean diet improves dyslipidemia and biomarkers in chronic renal failure patients

Dyslipidemia, oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutritional advice on dyslipidemia and biomarkers in CRF patients. 40 CRF patients with dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia and/or hypercholesterolemia were randomly assigned to either the control or the intervention group. The intervention group received nutritional advice adapted to a Mediterranean diet (MD). Patients were assessed at baseline (T0) and after 30 (T1), 60 (T2) and 90 (T3) days for dietary intake and biomarkers. In the intervention group compared to the control group, TG concentrations were decreased by 26% at T3 (p < 0.05), TC concentrations were diminished by 14% at T2 and by 35% at T3 (p < 0.05). A decrease in LDL-C was noted at T2 and T3 (p < 0.05). The TC/HDL-C ratio was diminished at T1, T2 and T3 (p < 0.05). The apo A-I/apo B ratio was elevated at T3 (p < 0.05). HDL-C, apo A-I, apo B concentrations and the TC/LDL-C ratio were similar in the both groups at T1, T2 and T3. Creatinine, urea, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urate, iron and bilirubin values remained unchanged in both groups. Haemoglobin concentrations were elevated at T1 (p < 0.05). Increased albumin values were observed at T2 (p < 0.05). CRP concentrations were decreased by 29% at T1 (p < 0.05) and 40% (p < 0.01) at T3. Fibrinogen (p < 0.01) concentrations were decreased at T3. In the intervention group compared to control group (p < 0.01), TBARS values were decreased by 16% at T2 and 21% at T3 (p < 0.05). In this study, we demonstrate that the nutritional management of CRF patients before dialysis based on the MD improves food consumption, reduces dyslipidemia and protects against lipid peroxidation and inflammation, allowing patients to enter dialysis with an acceptable nutritional and cardiovascular state.     

Optimization of Bulk Thermoelectrics: Influence of Cu Insertion in Ag3.6Mo9Se11

Currently, there is a resurgence of interest in thermoelectric materials with enhanced efficiency. Among investigated classes of bulk thermoelectrics such as partially filled skutterudites, Zn₄Sb₃-based materials, and clathrates, novel polycrystalline Mo₉ cluster-based chalcogenides were reported recently. Among those, Chevrel phase-derived Ag _y Mo₉Se₁₁ (with 3.4????y????3.9) compounds have shown interesting thermoelectric properties, in particular extremely low thermal conductivity allowing improved thermoelectric efficiency compared with reported Chevrel phases. They also possess a complex crystallographic structure where stacked Mo₉Se₁₁ units leave channels occupied by Ag atoms. Analysis of the structural determinants of the thermoelectric properties of Ag _y Mo₉Se₁₁ suggested that performance improvements could result from further Cu insertion. In this paper, we describe the synthesis route we used for preparing quaternary Ag-Cu-Mo-Se compositions by a combination of powder metallurgy and spark plasma sintering techniques. Characterization by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electrical and thermal measurements has been performed. The results obtained for two compounds (Ag_3.6Cu_0.2Mo₉Se₁₁ and Ag_3.6Cu_0.4Mo₉Se₁₁) are discussed and compared with those of the parent ternary compound Ag_3.6Mo₉Se₁₁.     

Deterioration of a Tunisian coastal aquifer due to agricultural activities and possible approaches for better water management

The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of the impact of agricultural activities on groundwater quality in a semi‐arid coastal environment (Korba, Tunisia). Impacts have been assessed through groundwater samples that were analysed for a range of chemical and biological parameters. Results indicate that groundwater overexploitation for irrigation and fertiliser use have affected the quality of the groundwater not only by direct contamination but also seawater intrusion. The implementation of appropriate regulatory and economic instruments to foster sustainable practices in the agricultural sector have been analysed within the framework of the EC (European Community) FP6 (funding program 6) INECO (Institutional and Economic Instruments for Sustainable Water Management in the Mediterranean Region) Project. Through stakeholder involvement processes, the project analysed issues relating to the regulation and control of groundwater abstractions, the promotion of wastewater reuse, efficiency improvements in irrigation water use, as well as instruments to strengthen the socioeconomic and institutional environment towards better managing and conserving available groundwater resources.