Effect of treads pattern of rubber floor mat on the friction coefficient

Millions of workers all over the world spend most of the working time on their feet, walking and standing rather than sitting. Slips and falls are the cause of major accidents and loss of the time at work. The Health and Safety Executive continually prompts on the need to avoid potential risks, especially where the floor surface is slippery or hazardous. In the present study, the effect of topographic orientation and tread pattern of the tested rubber specimens on the friction coefficient has been investigated. Experiments have been carried out using a test rig designed and manufactured to measure the friction coefficient between the footwear sliding against eight types of commercial rubber mat products (floors). Finite element simulations have been conducted using SIMULIA ABAQUS FEA to study the effect of grooves orientation of specimens sliding against rubber sheet on the friction coefficient. The results showed that tread pattern and grooves orientation significantly affect the friction coefficient. The effect of groove width on friction was observed, where the surface of wider groove obtained lower friction coefficient values than those of narrower one in the same sliding direction (parallel direction). The friction coefficient in the parallel direction obtained higher values than that observed for those in the transverse direction for surfaces with narrower groove patterns. Finite element simulations showed anisotropic friction properties depending on the contact pressure.     

Physicochemical Properties of Different Types of Starch Phosphate Monoesters

Different types of starch were phosphorylated to different degrees of substitution using monosodium and disodium hydrogen orthophosphate at 160 °C under vacuum. Generally, phosphation enhanced the physicochemical properties of the modified starches compared to their native counterparts. Solubility and swelling power greatly increase when phosphorylation was carried out to a low degree of substitution, while the solubility and swelling power decreased gradually by increasing the degree of substitution. However, the values of the monoesters were still higher than those of the corresponding native polysaccharides. Viscosities of different starch types except corn amylose showed the highest values at the lowest degree of substitution, when the degree of phosphation increased the viscosity values decreased. Native potato starch formed a clear paste (96% transmittance) due to the presence of phosphate groups while the paste clarity of potato starch decreased gradually by increasing the degree of phosphation. Generally, phosphorylation increased the light transmittance of the other starches investigated at the lowest degree of substitution but the clarity decreased by increasing the degree of substitution.     

DEPOSITIONAL AND DIAGENETIC BARRIERS,BAFFLES AND CONDUITS: PERMIAN – CARBONIFEROUS UNAYZAH RESERVOIR,NUAYYIM FIELD,CENTRAL SAUDI ARABIA

The Unayzah Formation is one of the most important Palaeozoic reservoir systems in Saudi Arabia. In the Nuayyim field, Central Saudi Arabia, it produces light, sweet crude oil and consists of three main reservoir units, in descending stratigraphic order: Unayzah A, B and C. These reservoir units include a wide range of depositional facies deposited under a variety of climatic conditions, from high‐latitude glacio‐fluvial to more temperate playa/lacustrine, floodplain and braided‐fluvial to hot‐arid aeolian environments. Together with the diagenetic changes superimposed on the various depositional facies, this has produced complex reservoir heterogeneity. The effects of this diagenetic and sedimentologic complexity on reservoir quality and compartmentalization are the subject of this paper. Approximately 816 ft of core and 611 core plug samples were examined from three wells which penetrate, completely or in part, the Unayzah reservoir. We combine petrographic and scanning electron microscope analysis with porosity and permeability data and calculated pore throat dimensions to identify fluid conduits, barriers and baffles to fluid flow. A rock classification scheme is proposed which takes into account whether the pore‐level control on fluid flow is due to depositional or diagenetic processes and the composition of depositional or diagenetic phases within the pores. Distinguishing depositional versus diagenetic controls on fluid flow is important for predicting the three‐dimensional geometry of conduits, barriers and baffles, and a priori knowledge of potential reactions between injected fluids and reservoir rocks is important for designing enhanced oil recovery fluids. In the three wells studied, it appears that the Unayzah reservoir is compartmentalized vertically due to the occurrence of diagenetic and depositional barriers and baffles. There is insufficient data to assess the lateral or areal extent of the barriers, baffles and fluid conduits, but the understanding of pore‐level controls on reservoir quality and the rock classification schemes introduced here will provide a starting point for future studies. These studies should combine well logs, seismic and engineering data with data presented here to assist mapping conduits, barriers and baffles across the field. The proposed classification schemes may also prove to be useful for assessing reservoirs in other fields both within Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.     

Control the corrosion of mild steel using synthesized polymers based on polyacrylamide

In this work polyacrylamide (PACM) was prepared by radical polymerization technique using ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator under nitrogen atmosphere. The viscosity average molecular weight of the prepared PACM was found to be 177858. The free amino groups of PACM, poly(2-methoxyaniline) was grafted by the oxidation of 2-methoxyaniline using APS in acidic medium under nitrogen atmosphere. The grafting percent is found to be 96%. The morphology of the obtained PACM and PACM-g-P2-MeOANI was studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The grafting process enhances the morphology of both PACM and poly(2-methoxyaniline). The inhibiting effect of the three polymers on the mild steel corrosion in the 1.0?M HCl as aggressive environments have been measured gravimetrically at three different temperatures 25, 40 and 55?°C and electrically at 25?°C. The inhibition efficiencies of the three tested polymers were found to increase with temperature. The poly(2-methoxyaniline) is the most effective one as a corrosion inhibitor at all tested temperatures. The adsorption behavior of the polymers was found to follow Villamil isotherm and the values of the change in free energy refer to a mixed chemical and physical adsorption on the steel surface. Tafel curves indicate that the tested polymers act as mixed anodic and cathodic inhibitor. The double layer capacitance was found to decrease with increasing the inhibitor concentration.     

Effect of processing technique on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes within polypropylene carbon nanotube‐composites and its effect on their mechanical properties

Carbon nanotube‐reinforced polymer composites are being investigated as promising new materials having enhanced physical and mechanical properties. With regards to mechanical behavior, the enhancements reported thus far by researchers are lower than the theoretical predictions. One of the key requirements to attaining enhanced behavior is a uniform dispersion of the nanotubes within the polymer matrix. Although solvent mixing has been used extensively, there are concerns that any remaining solvent within the composite may degrade its mechanical properties. In this work, a comparison is carried out between solvent and “solvent‐free” dry mixing for dispersing multiwall carbon nanotubes in polypropylene before further melt mixing by extrusion. Various weight fractions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are added to the polymer and their effect on the mechanical properties of the resulting composites is investigated. Enhancements in yield strength, hardness, and Young's modulus when compared with the neat polymer, processed under similar conditions, are observed. Differences in mechanical properties and strain as a function of the processing technique (solvent or dry) are also clearly noted. In addition, different trends of enhancement of mechanical properties for the solvent and dry‐mixed extrudates are observed. Dry mixing produces composites with the highest yield strength, hardness, and modulus at 0.5 wt% CNT, whereas solvent mixing produces the highest mechanical properties at CNT contents of 1 wt%. It is believed that this difference is primarily dependent on the dispersion of CNTs within the polymer matrix which is influenced by the processing technique. Field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis shows the presence of clusters in large wt% CNT samples produced by dry mixing. Samples produced by solvent mixing are found to contain homogeneously distributed CNTs at all CNT wt fractions. CNT pull‐out is observed and may explain the limited enhancement in mechanical properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Hollow Copper Sulfide Nanoparticle‐Mediated Transdermal Drug Delivery

A photothermal ablation‐enhanced transdermal drug delivery methodology is developed based on hollow copper sulfide nanoparticles (HCuSNPs) with intense photothermal coupling effects. Application of nanosecond‐pulsed near‐infrared laser allows rapid heating of the nanoparticles and instantaneous heat conduction. This provides very short periods of time but extremely high temperatures in local regions, with focused thermal ablation of the stratum corneum. The depth of skin perforations can be controlled by adjusting the laser power. Skin disruption by HCuSNP‐mediated photothermal ablation significantly increases the permeability of human growth hormone. This technique offers compelling opportunities for macromolecular drug and vaccine delivery.     

Propagation of the photothermal waves in a semiconducting medium under L-S theory

The model of the equations of generalized thermoelasticity based on the Lord–Shulman theory with one relaxation time is used to study the photothermal waves in a semiconducting medium. The exact expressions for the displacement components, temperature, carrier density, and stress components are obtained using normal mode analysis. Numerically simulated results are obtained and presented graphically for silicon to depict the effect of time parameter on the different physical quantities.