TEM Investigation of the Microstructure of the Scale Formed on a FeCrAlRE Alloy at 900 °C: The Effect of Y-rich RE Particles

Three oxide features: the thin and smooth protective oxide, reactive element (Ti-, Zr- or Y-rich) particles, and patches of thick oxide surrounding the Y-rich reactive element particles, were observed on a commercial FeCrAlRE alloy, Kanthal AF, exposed at 900 °C. The microstructural development of the patches of thick oxide was investigated on samples exposed for 24 or 168 h in either dry O₂ or O₂ + 40% H₂O. Analytical transmission electron microscopy in combination with site-precision TEM sample preparation by FIB/SEM was used. In all patches a thin but continuous inward growing α-Al₂O₃ layer was formed under a thick outward growing alumina layer, which initially consisted only of γ-Al₂O₃. In dry O₂, transformation of γ-Al₂O₃ (in the outer layer) to α-Al₂O₃ had started during 24 h and a considerable amount of γ-Al₂O₃ had transformed after 168 h. The transformation originated immediately above the inward growing α-Al₂O₃. No such transformation occurred in O₂ + H₂O. The possible effects of the Y-rich RE particles, as well as the effects of water vapour, on the oxidation were discussed.     

Electron-beam-initiated polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol)-based wood impregnants

The current study demonstrates that methacrylate and acrylate poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) functional oligomers can be effectively impregnated into wood blocks, and cured efficiently to high conversions without catalyst by e-beam radiation, allowing for less susceptibility to leaching, and favorable properties including higher Brinell hardness values. PEG based monomers were chosen because there is a long history of this water-soluble monomer being able to penetrate the cell wall, thus bulking it and decreasing the uptake of water which further protects the wood from fungal attack. Diacrylate, dimethacrylate, and dihydroxyl functional PEG of M(w) 550-575, of concentrations 0, 30, 60, and 100 wt % in water, were vacuum pressure impregnated into Scots Pine blocks of 15 × 25 × 50 mm in an effort to bulk the cell wall. The samples were then irradiated and compared with nonirradiated samples. It was shown by IR, DSC that the acrylate polymers were fully cured to much higher conversions than can be reached with conventional methods. Leaching studies indicated a much lower amount of oligomer loss from the cured vinyl functional PEG chains in comparison to hydroxyl functional PEG indicating a high degree of fastening of the polymer in the wood. The Brinell hardness indicated a significant increase in hardness to hardwood levels in the modified samples compared to the samples of hydroxyl functional PEG and uncured vinyl PEG samples, which actually became softer than the untreated Scots Pine. By monitoring the dimensions of the sample it was found by weight percent gain calculations (WPG %) that water helps to swell the wood structure and allow better access of the oligomers into the cell wall. Further, the cure shrinkage of the wood samples demonstrated infiltration of the oligomers into the cell wall as this was not observed for methyl methacrylate which is well-documented to remain in the lumen. However, dimensional stability of the vinyl polymer modified blocks when placed in water was not observed to the same extent as PEG.     

C-Curves for Lengthening of Widmanstätten and Bainitic Ferrite

Widmanstätten ferrite and bainitic ferrite are both acicular and their lengthening rate in binary Fe-C alloys and low-alloyed steels under isothermal conditions is studied by searching the literature and through new measurements. As a function of temperature, the lengthening rate can be represented by a common curve for both kinds of acicular ferrite in contrast to the separate C-curves often presented in time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagrams. The curves for Fe-C alloys with low carbon content show no obvious decrease in rate at low temperatures down to 623 K (350 °C). For alloys with higher carbon content, the expected decrease of rate as a function of temperature below a nose was observed. An attempt to explain the absence of a nose for low carbon contents by an increasing deviation from local equilibrium at high growth rates is presented. This explanation is based on a simple kinetic model, which predicts that the growth rates for Fe-C alloys with less than 0.3 mass pct carbon are high enough at low temperatures to make the carbon pileup, in front of the advancing tip of a ferrite plate, shrink below atomic dimensions, starting at about 600 K (323 °C).     

Nanosized fibers' effect on adult human articular chondrocytes behavior

Tissue engineering with chondrogenic cell based therapies is an expanding field with the intention of treating cartilage defects. It has been suggested that scaffolds used in cartilage tissue engineering influence cellular behavior and thus the long-term clinical outcome. The objective of this study was to assess whether chondrocyte attachment, proliferation and post-expansion re-differentiation could be influenced by the size of the fibers presented to the cells in a scaffold. Polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds with different fiber morphologies were produced, i.e. microfiber (MS) scaffolds as well as nanofiber-coated microfiber scaffold (NMS). Adult human articular chondrocytes were cultured in the scaffolds in vitro up to 28 days, and the resulting constructs were assessed histologically, immunohistochemically, and biochemically. Attachment of cells and serum proteins to the scaffolds was affected by the architecture. The results point toward nano-patterning onto the microfibers influencing proliferation of the chondrocytes, and the overall 3D environment having a greater influence on the re-differentiation. In the efforts of finding the optimal scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering, studies as the current contribute to the knowledge of how to affect and control chondrocytes behavior.     

Evaluation of materials supply systems during product development projects

The aim of this paper is to analyse how materials supply systems can be evaluated during product development projects in a concurrent engineering context. The focus is on performance assessment of materials supply systems and the input data required. A case study was conducted in close cooperation with a company and two performance measures were assessed during the concept definition phase and recalculated during the product and process validation phase. The results show that preliminary input data can be used to calculate performance measures by means of the following approaches: indicators, standards or scenarios. Furthermore, it is discussed how performance assessment can assist the materials supply systems design process in a concurrent engineering context by facilitating early problem discovery, early decision-making, and common understanding.     

Simultaneous detection of molecular oxygen and water vapor in the tissue optical window using tunable diode laser spectroscopy

We report on a dual-diode laser spectroscopic system for simultaneous detection of two gases. The technique is demonstrated by performing gas measurements on absorbing samples such as an air distance, and on absorbing and scattering porous samples such as human tissue. In the latter it is possible to derive the concentration of one gas by normalizing to a second gas of known concentration. This is possible if the scattering and absorption of the bulk material is equal or similar for the two wavelengths used, resulting in a common effective pathlength. Two pigtailed diode lasers are operated in a wavelength modulation scheme to detect molecular oxygen ~760 nm and water vapor ~935 nm within the tissue optical window (600 nm to 1.3 mum). Different modulation frequencies are used to distinguish between the two wavelengths. No crosstalk can be observed between the gas contents measured in the two gas channels. The system is made compact by using a computer board and performing software-based lock-in detection. The noise floor obtained corresponds to an absorption fraction of approximately 6x10(-5) for both oxygen and water vapor, yielding a minimum detection limit of ~2 mm for both gases in ambient air. The power of the technique is illustrated by the preliminary results of a clinical trial, nonintrusively investigating gas in human sinuses.     

Simplified Large‐Area Manufacturing of Organic Electrochemical Transistors Combining Printing and a Self‐Aligning Laser Ablation Step

A hybrid manufacturing approach for organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) on flexible substrates is reported. The technology is based on conventional and digital printing (screen and inkjet printing), laser processing, and post‐press technologies. A careful selection of the conductive, dielectric, and semiconductor materials with respect to their optical properties enables a self‐aligning pattern formation which results in a significant reduction of the usual registration problems during manufacturing. For the prototype OECTs, based on this technology, on/off ratios up to 600 and switching times of 100 milliseconds at gate voltages in the range of 1 V were obtained.     

Optimization of the thermoelectric figure of merit in the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) transform a heat flow into electricity. Thermoelectric materials are being investigated for electricity production from waste heat (co-generation) and natural heat sources. For temperatures below 200 °C, the best commercially available inorganic semiconductors are bismuth telluride (Bi(2)Te(3))-based alloys, which possess a figure of merit ZT close to one. Most of the recently discovered thermoelectric materials with ZT>2 exhibit one common property, namely their low lattice thermal conductivities. Nevertheless, a high ZT value is not enough to create a viable technology platform for energy harvesting. To generate electricity from large volumes of warm fluids, heat exchangers must be functionalized with TEGs. This requires thermoelectric materials that are readily synthesized, air stable, environmentally friendly and solution processable to create patterns on large areas. Here we show that conducting polymers might be capable of meeting these demands. The accurate control of the oxidation level in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) combined with its low intrinsic thermal conductivity (λ=0.37 W m(-1) K(-1)) yields a ZT=0.25 at room temperature that approaches the values required for efficient devices.     

Supramolecular Polymers: Rigid Dimers Formed through Strong Interdigitated H‐Bonds Yield Compact 1D Supramolecular Helical Polymers (Small 3/2011)

Hierarchical self‐assembly of small abiotic molecular modules interacting through noncovalent forces is increasingly being used to generate functional structures and materials for electronic, catalytic, and biomedical applications. The greatest control over the geometry in H‐bond supramolecular architectures, especially in H‐bonded supramolecular polymers, can be achieved by using conformationally rigid molecular modules undergoing self‐assembly through strong H‐bonds. Their binding strength depends on the multiplicity of the H‐bonds, the nature of donor/acceptor pairs and their secondary attractive/repulsive interactions. Here a functionalized molecular module is described, which is capable of self‐associating through self‐complementary H‐bonding patterns comprising four strong and two medium‐strength H‐bonds to form dimers. The self‐association of these phenylpyrimidine‐based dimers through directional H‐bonding between two lateral pyridin‐2(1H)‐one units of neighboring molecules allows the formation of highly compact 1D supramolecular polymers by self‐assembly on graphite. A concentration‐dependent study by scanning tunneling microscopy at the solid–liquid interface, corroborated by dispersion‐corrected density functional studies, reveals the controlled generation of either linear supramolecular 2D arrays, or long helical supramolecular polymers with a high shape persistence.     

Flow mixing inside a control-rod guide tube – Experimental tests and CFD simulations

This paper covers a combined experimental and computational effort carried out at Vattenfall Research & Development AB in order to study the thermal mixing in the annular region between a top tube and a control-rod stem. The low frequency thermal fluctuations in this region can result in problems with thermal fatigue and have caused cracks in the control-rod stems of several nuclear reactors ( [Kobayashi et al., 2009] and [0070] ).The flow in the vertical annular region formed by the top tube and the control-rod stem is characterized by the mixing of hot bypass flow with cold crud-removal flow. The crud-removal flow is flowing upwards along the control-rod stem, and the warmer bypass flow is entering through eight horizontal holes positioned in the lower part of the guide tube and four holes in the upper part of the top tube, forming jets.Two full-scale models of a control rod, including the control-rod stem and the guide tube, were constructed. The first model, designed to work at atmospheric conditions, was made of Plexiglass, in order to be able to visualize the mixing process, whereas the second one was made of steel to allow for a higher temperature difference between the two flows, and the heating of the top tube.CFD simulations of the case at atmospheric conditions were also carried out.Both the experiments and the simulations showed that the mixing region between the cold crud-removal flow and the warm bypass flow is dominated by large flow structures coming from above. The process is characterized by low frequency, high amplitude temperature fluctuations. The process is basically hydrodynamic, caused by the downward transport of flow structures originated at the upper bypass inlets. The damping thermal effects through buoyancy is of secondary importance, as also the scaling analysis shows, however a slight damping of the temperature fluctuations can be seen due to natural convection due to a pre-heating of the cold crud-removal flow. The comparison between numerical and experimental results shows a rather good agreement, indicating that experiments with plant conditions are not necessary since, through the existing scaling laws and CFD calculations, the obtained results may be extrapolated to plant conditions.The problem of conjugate heat transfer has not yet been addressed experimentally since complex and difficult measurements of the heat transfer have to be carried out. These types of measurements, along with corresponding CFD calculations, constitute one of the main challenges to be dealt with in ongoing work.