Effect of electric arc and ladle furnace slags on the strength and swelling behavior of cement-stabilized expansive clay

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - The current research evaluated the effect of expansive clay stabilization using a combination of cement (0, 2, 5, 8%) with electric arc furnace...     

Bulk Synthesis of Monodisperse and Highly Biocompatible Poly(ɛ-caprolactone)-diol by Transesterification Side-Reactions

Ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone was performed at 130°C, under partial vacuum in the presence of stannous octoate as the catalyst and 1,4-butanediol as the initiator. After the termination of polymerization by deionized water, a hydroxyl group formed at the end of the polymer chains. Structure of the synthetic poly(ε-caprolactone)-diols (PCL-diol), molecular weight, polydispersity index, and Cell viability were evaluated. Very narrow distribution in the molecular weight obtained for PCL-diols is due to a new method for synthesis. It was shown that by the increase in PCL-diols, the compatibility of human mesenchymal stem cells grew up.     

Modified slab analysis of asymmetrical plate rolling

In this paper the general case of asymmetrical plane strain rolling due to unequal roll diameter, unequal surface speed of the rolls and different contact friction is considered. An analytical model based on the slab method of analysis was used and further developed to obtain the characteristics of asymmetrical sheet rolling and to predict strip curvature. This method describes an enhancement to the rolling theory where friction becomes an integral part of deformation mechanics in the roll gap. To verify the validity of the proposed analytical model, the analytical rolling force, torque and curvature were compared with experimental and analytical results of other investigators. Very good agreements are found. Capability as well as the simplicity of the proposed model in predicting more accurate theoretical results for the rolling force, torque and curvature makes it suitable for the online control application.     

Mathematical Modeling of Supercritical Extraction of Valerenic Acid from Valeriana officinalis L.

The dynamic behavior of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of valerenic acid (VA) from valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) roots was studied by mathematical modeling. The extraction yield of VA was considered as the most desirable compound among the other extracted constituents. A two‐phase desorption model was developed by considering a diffusion controlled regime in the particle and axial dispersion in the bed. The mass transfer parameters, i.e., pore diffusivity, film mass transfer coefficient and axial dispersion, along with the solubility parameters were chosen as the model parameters. The first three mass transfer parameters were predicted using nondimensional equations from the literature. The solubility equation and the parameters were studied using different equilibrium models, i.e., Henry, Langmuir, Freundlich, Langmuir‐Freundlich (L‐F) and Toth isotherms. The equilibrium parameters were correlated by comparing the outlet results of the dynamic SFE model with experiments. The experimental yield of the VA extraction was obtained at a pressure of 15.0–36.0 MPa, temperature of 310–334 K, solvent flow rate of 0.50–1.10 · 10^–6 m³/min and different particle sizes ranging from 0.18–2.00 · 10^–3 m in diameter, at a 20 min constant static period, in the presence of 46.9 μL/g ethanol as the co‐solvent, followed by dynamic time extraction for up to 50 min. From the results, the mathematical model using the L‐F equation exhibited the best agreement with the experimental yield of VA extraction in the range of studied conditions. The present model can be applied to design and scale up the SFE process of VA from Valeriana officinalis L. roots.     

Parametric study and numerical analysis of empty and foam-filled thin-walled tubes under static and dynamic loadings

In this paper the crushing behavior of thin-walled tubes under static and dynamic loading is investigated. First, a finite element (FE) model for empty thin-walled tube was constructed and validated by available experimental and numerical data. The comparison between the FE results and the existing numerical solutions as well as the available experimental results showed good agreements. Next, a model for the foam was adopted and implemented in an in-house FE code. The implemented isotropic foam model was then used to simulate the behavior of foam-filled tubes under both static and dynamic loadings. Good agreement was observed between the results from the model with those obtained by analytical relations and experimental test data. The validated FE model was then used to conduct a series of parametric studies on foam-filled tapered tubes under static and dynamic loadings. The parametric studies were carried out to determine the effect of different parameters such as the number of oblique sides, foam density and boundary conditions on crushing behavior of rectangular tubes. The characteristic included deformed shapes, load–displacement, fold length and specific energy absorptions.     

New smart carrageenan‐based superabsorbent hydrogel hybrid: Investigation of swelling rate and environmental responsiveness

Synthesis of novel natural‐based superabsorbents with improved properties is of prime importance in many applications. In this article we report an efficient synthesis of new polysaccharide‐based superabsorbent hybrid composing carrageenan, acrylic acid, sodium acrylate, and 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate through homogenous solution polymerization process. Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were carried out to confirm the chemical structure of the hydrogel. Moreover, morphology of the samples was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To deeper studies on the structure‐property relation in SAP hydrogels, three hydrogels with different acrylic acid/2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate (AA/HEA) weight ratios were synthesized and swelling capacity in various media was assessed. The hydrogel hybrid was also tested to be swollen and deswollen alternatively in 0.01 and 0.1 M sodium chloride solution. Moreover, the swelling‐deswelling capability of the hydrogel in alternatively changed methanol‐water mixtures was studied. Additionally, the swelling kinetics of the synthesized hydrogels were examined. The absorbency under load (AUL) of hydrogel was also investigated by using an AUL tester at various applied pressures. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

A comprehensive study of the green hexafluorozirconic acid-based conversion coating

The effect of four practical parameters (deposition temperature, time, bath pH and concentration of Zr) on electrochemical and morphological properties of zirconium based conversion coating (ZrCC) on cold rolled steel (CRS) substrates was investigated. DC polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements were used for electrochemical studies. Micro structural characterization was carried out by FE-SEM, AFM and EDS. The optimal conditions were determined as follows: solution temperature 20–30 °C, immersion time 60–120 s, pH = 4 and acid concentration of 4% vol. In such condition, corrosion resistance values were maximum and uniformity was improved. Microscopical observations revealed that ZrCC comprises a two-layered structure. The film formation mechanism of ZrCC was discussed in detail. After achieving the optimum conditions, epoxy nanocomposites were applied on ZrCC treated CRS samples and corrosion performance of fully painted system was investigated. Finally the adhesion strength of subsequently applied organic coating on ZrCC treated substrates was measured by pull-off technique which exhibited considerable high values.     

Determining the size and shape dependence of gold nanoparticle uptake into mammalian cells

We investigated the intracellular uptake of different sized and shaped colloidal gold nanoparticles. We showed that kinetics and saturation concentrations are highly dependent upon the physical dimensions of the nanoparticles (e.g., uptake half-life of 14, 50, and 74 nm nanoparticles is 2.10, 1.90, and 2.24 h, respectively). The findings from this study will have implications in the chemical design of nanostructures for biomedical applications (e.g., tuning intracellular delivery rates and amounts by nanoscale dimensions and engineering complex, multifunctional nanostructures for imaging and therapeutics).