Protocol Validation by Maximal Progress State Exploration

We discuss an efficient variation of state exploration for two communicating finite state machines. In particular, we propose to divide the task of generating all reachable states into two independent subtasks. In each subtask, only the states reachable by forcing maximal progress for one machine are generated. Since the two subtasks are completely independent, and since in most instances the time and storage requirements for each subtask are less than those for the original task, maximal Progress state exploration can save time and/or storage over conventional state exploration.     

Effect of zinc additions on structure and properties of Sn–Ag eutectic lead-free solder alloy

The effects of a third element, i.e., Zn in the range of 0.5–2.5 wt.%, on structure and properties of the binary Sn–Ag eutectic lead-free solder alloy were investigated. To identify the structure of the resulting alloys, X-ray diffraction analysis has been carried out. Resistivity, contact angles, Vickers microhardness and Young’s modulus have been measured. The results showed that all Zn contents were restricted in formation of Ag-Zn compound indicated by X-ray diffraction peaks, which increased continuously in the number and intensity as Zn content increased. Adding Zn up to 1.5 wt.% improved the wetting and mechanical properties. Above that, wetting angle increased due to the increase in AgZn compound, which may accumulated at the interface between solders and copper- substrate resulting a decrease in the adhesive strength. The alloy of composition Sn-3.5Ag-1.5Zn has the most improved properties between the others.     

Screening of the high voltage overhead transmission lines impacts on the neighboring metallic gas pipelines based on the distributed KOH-PCs

Buried metallic pipelines are used to transmit the natural gas and petroleum products to the citizens. Sometimes these pipelines are constructed in the same pathway of the overhead transmission lines (OHTLs) to save the additional right-of-way cost, and to avoid the destruction of agricultural lands. AC voltage is induced on these pipelines by the power lines electric and magnetic fields. There are many mechanisms that describe the AC voltage inducing on these pipelines; capacitive coupling describes the pipelines induced voltage by the power lines electric field, inductive coupling characterizes the induced voltage caused by the OHTLs electromagnetic fields and conductive coupling is created in buried pipelines near to OHTLs by earth fault current. In the present paper the induced voltages of pipelines created by OHTLs due to the different couplings are investigated in normal condition of operation as well as line to ground fault. The current of the coating discharging and AC corrosion are investigated. The induced overvoltage appears on the natural gas pipeline is measured in steady state condition of the transmission circuits operation. Moreover, this paper represents the mitigation of the induced voltages by using two different KOH-PCs systems.     

A Facile Approach to Chemically Modified Graphene and its Polymer Nanocomposites

A scalable approach for the mass production of chemically modified graphene has yet to be developed, which holds the key to the large‐scale production of stable graphene colloids for optical electronics, energy conversion, and storage materials, catalysis, sensors, composites, etc. Here, a facile approach to fabricating covalently modified graphene and its polymer nanocomposites is presented. The method involves: i) employing a common furnace, rather than a furnace installed with a quartz tube and operated in inert gas as required in previous studies, to treat a commercial graphite intercalation compound with thermal shocking and ultrasonication and fabricate graphene platelets (GnPs) with a thickness of 2.51 ± 0.39 nm that contain only 7 at% oxygen; ii) grafting these GnPs with a commercial, long‐chain surfactant, which is able to create molecular entanglement with polymer matrixes by taking advantage of the reactions between the epoxide groups of the platelets and the end amine groups of the surfactant, to produce chemically modified graphene platelets (m‐ GnPs); and iii) solution‐mixing m‐GnPs with a commonly used polymer to fabricate nanocomposites. These m‐GnPs are well dispersed in a polymer with highly improved mechanical properties and a low percolation threshold of electrical conductivity at 0.25 vol%. This novel approach could lead to the future scalable production of graphene and its nanocomposites.     

Electrodeposition of conductive PAMT/PPY bilayer composite coatings on 316L stainless steel plate for PEMFC application

Stainless steel fulfills most of the requirements as bipolar plates in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. However, it undergoes severe corrosion in fuel cell operating condition. This can be resolved by coating the stainless steel with corrosion resistive conducting polymers. In this study, homogeneous and adherent conductive Poly(2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4- thiadiazole)/Polypyrrole (PAMT/PPY) mono and bilayer polymer composite coatings are electrosynthesized on 316L SS in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. The hydrophobicity and surface morphology of the coatings are analyzed by contact angle and scanning electron microscopy respectively. The polymer coatings are evaluated in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ medium by potentiodynamic polarization and impedance techniques at 25 °C. The polarization results reveal that PAMT on PPY composite coating shifts the E_corr of the 316L SS towards noble direction. The EIS study reveals that the R_f value of PAMT on PPY coating is significantly higher by three orders (x10³ Ωcm²) of magnitude than uncoated 316L SS. The corrosion performance of the coatings in simulated PEMFC environment is investigated by potentiodynamic and potentiostatic studies. Results show that the PAMT on PPY and PPY on PAMT bilayer coatings are stable and increased the corrosion potential by about 410–470 mV and 275–310 mV (SCE) in simulated cathodic and anodic conditions respectively. This investigation reports that the PAMT on PPY bilayer coating is serving as a good physical barrier and protecting the 316L SS against corrosion in PEMFC environment.