Prioritization methodology of dangerous substances for water quality monitoring with scarce data

Monitoring and control of dangerous substances discharged into receiving waters have attracted more attention lately. Since it is not possible to analyze every single substance, a prioritization methodology is needed for the selection of those to be monitored. Existing well-developed models require significant amount of data for reliable outcomes. This paper presents a methodology to prioritize the dangerous substances having adverse effects on freshwaters in Turkey, where data are scarce. Such a methodology will also serve as a solid model for other countries with limited background data. The adopted methodology enabled the elimination of chemicals to generate a candidate list composed of 608 substances among more than 5000 substances. Further screening and prioritization were conducted using different assessment methods (i.e., Total Hazard Value, Total Impact Value, Combined Monitoring-based, and Modelling-based Priority Setting) to obtain a proposed Final Candidate Specific Pollutants List of 150 dangerous substances. The proposed Candidate National Pollutant List of Turkey was established by combining 45 priority pollutants of the European Union with a list of candidate specific pollutants. According to the outcomes of this study, monitoring and controlling of 195 dangerous substances in freshwaters are recommended. Further detailed studies should be conducted in order to observe the actual levels of these dangerous substances in freshwaters followed by a review of the monitoring list accordingly. Moreover, further revisions might be required in the proposed list due to some possible versatile conditions in terms of sampling points (i.e., change in the location of industries).     

Analysis of the complex phase error introduced by the application of the Fourier transform method

Abstract

The relation between modulus and phase errors introduced by the application of the Fourier transform method to fringe pattern analysis has been established. The theoretical results obtained are proposed for the reconstructed phase error correction. Numerical verification for a one-dimensional fringe pattern, comparison of corrected and non-corrected results obtained for different basic spatial frequencies and an example of application of the proposed correction for real data are given.     

New approach for robust multi-objective optimization of turning parameters using probabilistic genetic algorithm

Limited by techniques, the process of remanufacturing exists masses of uncertainties which have a great impact on the remanufactured parts quality, how to achieve a higher quality of mechanical products by using limited remanufactured parts precision, has become one of the key issues of remanufacturing industry. Firstly, with a target to reduce uncertainties and improve the quality of automatic products, a method of tolerance grading allocation for remanufactured parts is proposed based on the uncertainty analysis of the remanufacturing assembly. The dimensional tolerances of the mechanical parts are divided into positive and negative two groups. We use selective assembly method to reduce assembling deviation. Then, the method is proven by mathematical formulas that the remanufactured parts variance can be expanded to two times, and the tolerances can be liberalized 40 % through tolerance grading allocation method. It is also the theoretical basis for improving the reuse radio and quantitatively describing the tolerance liberalization in this paper. Finally, feasibility research on this method is studied from the angle of cost–benefit. Furthermore, a tolerance grading allocation example of remanufactured engine piston assembly in a power corporation shows the validity and practicality of the proposed method.     

Photocuring of cycloaliphatic epoxy formulations using polyesters with multiarm star topology as additives

Multiam star polyesters were synthesized by growing poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) arms from hyperbranched polyesters cores of different molecular weight and used as polymeric modifiers in UV‐curable cationic formulations based on a biscycloaliphatic epoxy resin. The effect of the multiarm stars on the curing kinetics has been investigated by real‐time FTIR. The thermal‐mechanical properties of the photocured thermosets have been studied with calorimetry and dynamomechanical and thermogravimetric analysis. Impact strength tests have been performed to assess their effect on the toughness of the cured materials. An accelerative effect of these modifiers has been observed as a consequence of the participation of the hydroxyl groups of the modifiers in the cationic curing of the epoxy resin. A modest increase in toughness accompanied by a decrease in the glass transition are observed, as a consequence of the incorporation of the modifiers into the network structure, leading to homogeneous, in situ reinforced materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014 , 131, 40005.     

The use of multiarm star‐like polymers in the preparation of epoxy thermosets by UV‐cationic photopolymerization. Effect of the arms of the star in the curing process and in the final properties and morphology

New epoxy thermosets have been prepared via cationic UV‐photopolymerization introducing two different multiarm star‐like polymers. Both stars have a poly(glycidol) core but one has poly(methylmetacrylate) arms and the other poly(ε?caprolactone) ones. The characterization of the curing process has been performed by Real‐Time FTIR and photo‐DSC, observing a slight reduction in the curing rate on increasing the proportion of star. The thermosets prepared were characterized by gel content determination, DMTA and TGA, and finally the morphology observed by FE‐SEM, demonstrating the formation of nanophases in the case of the star with poly(ε?caprolactone) arms. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:17–23, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Dispersive mixing efficiency of an elongational flow mixer on PP/EPDM blends: Morphological analysis and correlation with viscoelastic properties

Polypropylene and ethylene‐propylene‐diene terpolymer (PP/EPDM) blends were melt compounded in a new mixing device, designed in our laboratory under the trademark of RMX®, which predominantly generates elongational flows. Dispersion of the EPDM minor phase in PP was carried out in both RMX® and in an internal mixer (Haake Rheomix 600) at equivalent specific mixing energies and the resultant morphologies obtained by SEM were analyzed and compared. A better dispersive mixing efficiency of the RMX® mixer, i.e., lower D_n and D_v of the dispersed EPDM phase was observed. The impact of elongational flow was more pronounced for blends having a high viscosity ratio p, indicating an enhanced droplet break‐up mechanism, which was attributed to the combination of high shear rates inside the mixing element and important elongational flows in the convergent/divergent zones. The morphology of the blends was correlated with their linear viscoelastic properties by using the Palierne model. Very good agreement was found for the PP/EPDM 80/20 blends but for higher EPDM content, the Palierne model failed to describe the rheological behavior, which was attributed to percolation of the minor phase with increasing the concentration. Higher elasticity at low frequencies was observed for blends processed in the RMX®, which was attributed to a higher generated interfacial area. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1444–1457, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Stabilization of nano-TiO2 aqueous dispersions with poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) block copolymer and their incorporation in photocatalytic acrylic varnishes

In this work, TiO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed and stabilized in water using a novel type of dispersant based on tailor-made amphiphilic block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (mPEG-b-P4VP) prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The performance of this new block copolymer as dispersant was compared to a polyelectrolyte dispersant commonly used for TiO₂, sodium salt of polyacrylic acid (Na-PAA). The effect of dispersion technique and type and amount of dispersant on deagglomeration and stability of the TiO₂ aqueous suspensions were studied. After incorporation in a standard waterborne acrylic varnish formulation, dry film transparency, photocatalytic activity, and nanoparticle cluster size were also evaluated. The results show that mPEG-b-P4VP copolymer with appropriate block lengths can have a better performance than Na-PAA in terms of aqueous dispersion stabilization and cluster size reduction in the acrylic matrix. This translates into higher film transparency and photocatalytic performance.     

Instrumental evaluation of defective texture in dry-cured hams

In the first experiment, the effect of the stress relaxation time on texture evaluation of biceps femoris (BF) muscle from dry-cured hams was studied. The specimens were compressed to 25% of their original height and the crosshead speed was 5mm/s. The force decay versus time was recorded and Peleg's model was fitted with different relaxation times. Whatever relaxation time was used, Peleg's model did not describe simultaneously the initial fall of force and the asymptotic tendency of force decay correctly. The initial force and force decay at 2s and at 90s are proposed to assess texture in dry-cured ham. In the second experiment, stress relaxation (SR) and texture profile analysis (TPA) tests were performed on BF and semimembranosus (SM) muscles of 10 hams with abnormal softness and 10 hams with normal texture, at different assay conditions: sample temperature (4°C or 20°C); compression crosshead speed (1mm/s or 10mm/s). The instrumental texture test and the assay conditions that detected defective textures better depended on the muscle considered: for BF muscle the SR test at 4°C and at 1mm/s and for SM muscle the TPA test at 10mm/s at both 4°C or 20°C.