Influence of Surface Morphology on the Torsion Fracture of NiTi Endodontic Instruments

This study analyzed the influences of manufacturing process (twisting and machining) and surface finishing on the angular distortion, maximum torque, and toughness of two NiTi endodontic instruments (Race—FKG Dentaire and TF—Twisted Files, SybronEndo). Statistical analysis of results showed that TF instruments (twisted) had higher distortion angle (p < 0.05) and lower maximum torque to fracture (p < 0.05) than Race instruments (machined). SEM analysis of fractured instruments showed a surface morphology characteristic of ductile fracture, with plastic deformation in the helical shafts. The results suggest that both instruments are equally suitable for clinical applications. This study is purely scientific as it evaluates only some material properties, and is not intended to endorse a commercial product.     

Characterization of Microencapsulated Rosemary Essential Oil and Its Antimicrobial Effect on Fresh Dough

This study aimed to characterize rosemary essential oil particles obtained by spray-drying and to evaluate their antimicrobial activity. Measurements of mycelial growth of Penicillium and Aspergillus fungi, isolated from fresh dough, were made applying oil concentrations of 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, and 50.0 μL/mL. Fungi and yeast counts in the fresh dough submitted to the control (no oil), pure oil, and microencapsulated oil treatments were also conducted. The microcapsules showed 50 % oil retention after drying, and the major oil components identified were 1,8-cineole (29.0 %), camphor (26.6 %), and α-pinene (10.6 %). The analysis of the particles revealed surfaces without fissures, with a mean particle size of 12.2 μm and presenting an amorphous structure. The growth inhibiting effect of Penicillium sp. fungus, compared to the control, was verified at concentrations of 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 μL/mL rosemary essential oil, which did not differ among them. For Aspergillus sp., the application of 10.0 μL/mL oil provided greater inhibition compared to 1.0 and 5.0 μL/mL. Complete inhibition occurred with the application of 50.0 μL/mL for both fungal genera tested. At 8 days of dough storage at 25 °C, a decrease of at least 0.7 and 1.5 log cycles of fungal growth was observed in the dough with pure oil and that with microencapsulated oil, respectively, relative to the control. The microencapsulation process retained the antimicrobial property of rosemary essential oil and provided further extension of this activity over time when applied to fresh dough.     

A two-way coupled multiscale model for predicting damage-associated performance of asphaltic roadways

This paper presents a quasi-static multiscale computational model with its verification and rational applications to mechanical behavior predictions of asphaltic roadways that are subject to viscoelastic deformation and fracture damage. The multiscale model is based on continuum thermo-mechanics and is implemented using a finite element formulation. Two length scales (global and local) are two-way coupled in the model framework by linking a homogenized global scale to a heterogeneous local scale representative volume element. With the unique multiscaling and the use of the finite element technique, it is possible to take into account the effect of material heterogeneity, viscoelasticity, and anisotropic damage accumulation in the small scale on the overall performance of larger scale structures. Along with the theoretical model formulation, two example problems are shown: one to verify the model and its computational benefits through comparisons with analytical solutions and single-scale simulation results, and the other to demonstrate the applicability of the approach to model general roadway structures where material viscoelasticity and cohesive zone fracture are involved.     

Ethanol reforming and partial oxidation with Cu/Nb2O5 catalyst

Ethanol reforming and partial oxidation were studied on Cu/Nb₂O₅ and Ni/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Compared to the Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst, the Cu/Nb₂O₅ catalyst presents conversion as high as Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst, however, for the same level of formation of hydrogen it occurs at much lower temperature on the Cu/Nb₂O₅ catalyst, 200 °C lower than for the Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst, with remarkable little formation of CO, which can be attributed to the strong interaction between copper and niobia. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD-ethanol) and surface reactions (TPSR) of partial oxidation of ethanol showed formation of ethylene, acetaldehyde, ethane and mainly H₂ and CO₂ besides little methane. DRIFTS results are in accordance with TPD analysis and the formation of acetate species at room temperature suggests reactivity of the surface and its oxidative dehydrogenation capacity. The adsorption of ethanol gives rise to ethoxide species, which form acetate and acetaldehyde that can be oxidized to CO₂ via carbonate. A comparison with reported results for Cu/Al₂O₃ this catalyst is promising, yielding high level of H₂ with little CO production during reforming and partial oxidation reaction. The maximum H₂ formation for the partial oxidation of ethanol was 41% at ratio (O₂/Et) 0.8, increasing to 50% at ratio 1.5. The H₂/CO is around 10 for the partial oxidation and 7 for steam reforming, which is excellent, compared to the Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst with a factor 4–8 lower.     

Oil‐spill cleanup: The influence of acetylated curaua fibers on the oil‐removal capability of magnetic composites

A magnetic resin based on cardanol, furfural, and curaua fibers was prepared and characterized. The material could be used in oil‐spill cleanup processes, because of its aromatic/aliphatic balance. The resin was prepared through bulk polycondensation of cardanol and furfural in the presence of curaua fibers and maghemite nanoparticles. Hydrophobicity of the curaua fibers was improved by acetylation, increasing the oil‐absorbing capability of the composites. The obtained magnetic composites were studied by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. Degree of cure, magnetic force, and oil‐removal capability tests were also performed. The results show that the composites possess an elevated cure degree in addition to a considerable magnetic force. The materials exhibit a good oil removal capability in the presence of a magnetic field, which is improved by the use of acetylated curaua. In the best case, the composite filled with maghemite and curaua can remove 12 parts of oil from water. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41732.     

Changes in Coupled Vibration Frequencies and Modes of Wall-Cavity Systems Induced by Stiffness Variation in the Structure

Problems of fluid structure interactions are governed by a set of fundamental parameters. This work aims at showing through simple examples the changes in natural vibration frequencies and mode shapes for wall-cavity systems when the structural rigidity is modified. Numerical results are constructed using ANSYS software with triangular finite elements for both the fluid （2D acoustic elements） and the solid （plane stress） domains. These former results are compared to proposed analytical expressions, showing an alternative benchmark tool for the analyst. Very rigid wall structures imply in frequencies and mode shapes almost identical to those achieved for an acoustic cavity with Neumann boundary condition at the interface. In this case, the wall behaves as rigid and fluid-structure system mode shapes are similar to those achieved for the uncoupled reservoir case.     

Polysaccharide‐based membranes loaded with erythromycin for application as wound dressings

In this study, the antibiotic erythromycin (Ery) was incorporated into chitosan (Ch)–alginate (A) and Ch–xanthan (X) membranes with the aim of using them as bioactive wound dressings. Drug incorporation was performed by direct addition (DA) to the polysaccharide mixture and by membrane impregnation in solution (IS). A higher incorporation efficiency was obtained for DA, but higher amounts of drug were loaded into membranes by the IS method (maxima ≈ 2.1 and 0.7 g/g for Ch–X and Ch–A, respectively) because the initial concentration of drug could be higher than that in the DA method. Ery release in phosphate‐buffered saline was slow, reaching about 12 and 32 mg of drug/g of membrane in 60 h for Ch–X and 4 and 16 mg/g for Ch–A by the DA and IS methods, respectively. With formulations prepared with IS, the required therapeutic dosage was reached within 60 h, whereas for those incorporating the drug by DA, prolonged use would be required. Both membrane types behaved as drug reservoirs, providing continuous antibiotic release to the wound site. Formulations with higher drug contents showed effective antibacterial activity against two species of bacteria commonly found in skin lesions, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and were thus potentially capable of protecting the wound site from bacterial attack. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43428.