Dental Polymer Nanocomposites Light-Cured under Polyester Strip: Effect of Water or Ethanol/Water Solution on Surface Characteristics Studied by SEM and AFM

The purpose of this work is the study of surface characteristics of four dental light-cured dimethacrylate-based resin nanocomposites after immersion in water or an ethanol/water solution, using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Water and ethanol treatment affected the morphology and component distribution on the surface of samples. Scanning electron microscopy revealed changes on a large scale in the surface morphology of treated samples caused by immersion in water while the ethanol/water solution treatment influenced sample integrity too. It was proven that the use of atomic force microscopy in the phase-imaging mode is crucial in revealing subtle changes in component distribution on the polymer composite surface which are not accompanied by significant morphological changes.     

Effect of Liquid Properties on Heat Transfer from Miniature Heaters at Different Gravity Conditions

This work presents experiments for the estimation of heat transfer from sub-millimeter spheroidal heaters at varying gravity conditions. Experiments were performed during the 50^th Parabolic Flight Campaign of European Space Agency (May 2009). Heat pulses of varying strength were given to a miniature heater submerged in the liquid while its thermal response was registered during heating. Tests were conducted in water and FC-72, two liquids with distinctly different thermophysical properties. Runs were also conducted with packed beds and dense suspensions of two size classes of polystyrene particles in water. The contribution of natural convection in heat transfer was estimated from differences observed when the acceleration varied from 0g to 1.8g. Although the analysis of data is not finished yet, it is evident that natural convection is more profound in FC-72 than water. In addition, closely packed particles suppress entirely natural convection but this is not so for dense particle suspensions.     

Sensitivity of Penicillium expansum field isolates to tebuconazole, iprodione, fludioxonil and cyprodinil and characterization of fitness parameters and patulin production

A total of 236 Penicillium expansum field isolates from decayed apple fruit collected from packinghouses and processing industries located in the region of Imathia, Northern Greece were tested for their sensitivity to tebuconazole, fludioxonil, iprodione and cyprodinil. Preliminary fungitoxicity tests on the response of the isolates showed several phenotypes, distinguished according to their sensitivity to fungicides tested. The EC₅₀ values ranged from 0.64 to 5 (average = 0.98) μg/ml for iprodione, 0.9 to 7.3 (average = 2.66) μg/ml for tebuconazole, 0.008 to 1.28 (average = 0.55) μg/ml for cyprodinil and from 0.013 to 0.47 (average = 0.08) μg/ml for fludioxonil. A bimodal distribution of the EC₅₀ values of isolates with distinct sensitive and resistant populations to fludioxonil and tebuconazole were observed. In the case of cyprodinil, a much broader, hundred-fold, range of sensitivity was found, probably indicating that some isolates are relatively insensitive to cyprodinil compared to the most sensitive ones. Isolates exhibiting simultaneously reduced sensitivity to tebuconazole and fludioxonil or tebuconazole and iprodione or to tebuconazole and cyprodinil were also observed at low frequencies. A small portion of the population (7.5%) showed multiple resistance to tebuconazole, fludioxonil and iprodione. Study of fitness determining parameters showed that the resistance to tebuconazole, fludioxonil and iprodione had a significant adverse effect on mycelial growth rate and pathogenicity. Contrary to that, these fitness parameters were not affected in the isolates showing reduced sensitivity to cyprodinil. Analysis of patulin production on YES-agar growth medium and on artificially inoculated apple fruit showed that all isolates were mycotoxigenic. Most of the cyprodinil-insensitive isolates produced patulin at concentrations similar to or relatively higher (up to 1.5-fold on growth medium) than the sensitive ones. In contrast, a significant reduction (up to 98% of multiple resistant isolates) in patulin production was observed in all other phenotypes, indicating an adverse effect of fitness penalties on the mycotoxigenic ability of resistant isolates. The above mentioned data clearly show a considerable risk for the selection of P. expansum isolates resistant to fludioxonil, iprodione, tebuconazole and cyprodinil. The potential risk of increased patulin contamination of apples and their byproducts by the appearance and predominance of highly mycotoxigenic isolates of P. expansum resistant to the anilinopyrimidines is discussed.     

Continuous flame aerosol synthesis of carbon-coated nano-LiFePO4 for Li-ion batteries

Core–shell, nano-sized LiFePO₄-carbon particles were made in one step by scalable flame aerosol technology at 7 g/h. Core LiFePO₄ particles were made in an enclosed flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) unit and were coated in-situ downstream by auto thermal carbonization (pyrolysis) of swirl-fed C₂H₂ in an O₂-controlled atmosphere. The formation of acetylene carbon black (ACB) shell was investigated as a function of the process fuel-oxidant equivalence ratio (EQR). The core–shell morphology was obtained at slightly fuel-rich conditions (1.0<EQR<1.07) whereas segregated ACB and LiFePO₄ particles were formed at fuel-lean conditions (0.8<EQR<1). Post-annealing of core–shell particles in reducing environment (5 vol% H₂ in argon) at 700 °C for up to 4 h established phase pure, monocrystalline LiFePO₄ with a crystal size of 65 nm and 30 wt% ACB content. Uncoated LiFePO₄ or segregated LiFePO₄–ACB grew to 250 nm at these conditions. Annealing at 800 °C induced carbothermal reduction of LiFePO₄ to Fe₂P by ACB shell consumption that resulted in cavities between carbon shell and core LiFePO₄ and even slight LiFePO₄ crystal growth but better electrochemical performance. The present carbon-coated LiFePO₄ showed superior cycle stability and higher rate capability than the benchmark, commercially available LiFePO₄.     

Photothermal Killing of Cancer Cells by the Controlled Plasmonic Coupling of Silica‐Coated Au/Fe2O3 Nanoaggregates

Tumor ablation by thermal energy via the irradiation of plasmonic nanoparticles is a relatively new oncology treatment. Hybrid plasmonic‐superparamagnetic nanoaggregates (50–100 nm in diameter) consisting of SiO₂‐coated Fe₂O₃ and Au (≈30 nm) nanoparticles were fabricated using scalable flame aerosol technology. By finely tuning the Au interparticle distance using the SiO₂ film thickness (or content), the plasmonic coupling of Au nanoparticles can be finely controlled bringing their optical absorption to the near‐IR that is most important for human tissue transmittance. The SiO₂ shell facilitates also dispersion and prevents the reshaping or coalescence of Au particles during laser irradiation, thereby allowing their use in multiple treatments. These nanoaggregates have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capability as shown by measuring their r2 relaxivity while their effectiveness as photothermal agents is demonstrated by killing human breast cancer cells with a short, four minute near‐IR laser irradiation (785 nm) at low flux (4.9 W cm^‐2).     

PHOTOCATALYTIC DESTRUCTION OF PHENOL AND SALICYLIC ACID WITH AEROSOL-MADE AND COMMERCIAL TITANIA POWDERS

The photocatalytic destruction of phenol and salicylic acid in aerated aqueous suspensions of titania powders made in flame reactors was studied. These powders were made in five hydrocarbon diffusion flames by hydrolysis and oxidation of TiCI₄that resulted in powders of high specific surface area and high anatase content. The photoactivity of the flame-made titania powders was comparable and slightly better to that of commercial Degussa P25. Doping the titania with SiO₂ was detrimental to the photoactivity of the powders in contrast with what was seen in non-aerated suspensions. The photodegradation of phenol followed a first-order law while the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model was found to most accurately represent the photodegradation of salicylic acid.     

基于圆环和等强度截面的纤维缠绕环形容器设计与分析

复合材料环形压力容器以其特有的结构形状得到了日益广泛的应用.目前关于纤维缠绕环形容器的研究主要局限于测地线缠绕圆环截面容器.由于环形容器的结构效率取决于它的管截面形状,所以使用圆环截面的环形容器无法实现等强度结构.本文提出了分别使用圆环截面和等强度截面的环形压力容器设计方法,并对二者进行了比较.基于最小应变能准则,得到了缠绕层铺设角和环壳内力间的最优化关系.根据网格理论,考虑截面缠绕层的厚度变化,导出了圆环容器缠绕的最优线型.引入应力比,分析了环壳上纤维的应力分布.描述了等强度经线曲线的一般形状,分析了轴向截荷对等强度曲线形状的影响.计算结果表明当轴向载荷达到一定数值时,等强度曲线能够实现闭合形成环形容器.进一步计算和比较了两种截面形状的环形压力容器在不同相对弯曲半径下的结构质量.研究表明,使用等强度截面设计的环形容器比使用圆环截面的环形容器要轻的多.通过等强度截面设计,环形压力容器的结构性能得到了明显的提高.     

基于圆环和等强度截面的纤维缠绕环形容器设计与分析EI

复合材料环形压力容器以其特有的结构形状得到了日益广泛的应用.目前关于纤维缠绕环形容器的研究主要局限于测地线缠绕圆环截面容器.由于环形容器的结构效率取决于它的管截面形状,所以使用圆环截面的环形容器无法实现等强度结构.本文提出了分别使用圆环截面和等强度截面的环形压力容器设计方法,并对二者进行了比较.基于最小应变能准则,得到了缠绕层铺设角和环壳内力间的最优化关系.根据网格理论,考虑截面缠绕层的厚度变化,导出了圆环容器缠绕的最优线型.引入应力比,分析了环壳上纤维的应力分布.描述了等强度经线曲线的一般形状,分析了轴向截荷对等强度曲线形状的影响.计算结果表明当轴向载荷达到一定数值时,等强度曲线能够实现闭合形成环形容器.进一步计算和比较了两种截面形状的环形压力容器在不同相对弯曲半径下的结构质量.研究表明,使用等强度截面设计的环形容器比使用圆环截面的环形容器要轻的多.通过等强度截面设计,环形压力容器的结构性能得到了明显的提高.     

Minimum weight design of helically and hoop wound toroidal hydrogen storage tanks with variable slippage coefficients

This article determines the optimal winding parameters for helically and hoop overwound toroidal hydrogen storage tanks, based on the application of variable slippage coefficients. First, an optimality condition between helical winding angle and hoop‐to‐helical thickness ratio is derived from the minimum strain energy density criterion. The winding angle distributions are then obtained with the aid of the optimality condition, taking into account the shell thickness variation along the meridional direction. The general criteria for fiber trajectory stability on a torus are presented, and the relationship for the slippage coefficient and the helical winding angle is formulated according to the windability and manufacturability. The helical winding angle and thickness at the equator are considered as design variables, whereas the minimum weight acts as the objective function. A design example with a toroidal hydrogen storage tank is outlined to demonstrate the favorable performance of the present method. The results show that the present method using variable slippage coefficients leads to a better distribution of the fiber stress in the toroidal shell and an efficient utilization of the laminate strength. The obtained winding parameters can thus be regarded as optimal for filament‐wound toroidal hydrogen storage tanks. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Flexible,Multifunctional, Magnetically Actuated Nanocomposite Films

Filler nanoparticles greatly enhance the performance of polymers and minimize filler content in the resulting nanocomposites. At the same time, they challenge the manufacturing of such nanocomposites by filler agglomeration and non‐uniform spatial distribution. Here, multifunctional nanocomposite films are made by capitalizing on flame‐synthesis of ceramic or metal filler nanoparticles followed by rapid, in situ deposition on sacrificial substrates, resulting in a filler film with controlled porosity. The polymer is then spin‐coated on the porous film that retained its stochastic but uniform structure, resulting in nanocomposites with homogeneous filler distribution and high filler‐loading. By sequential repetition of this procedure, sophisticated, multilayer, free‐standing, plasmonic‐ (Ag‐Fe₂O₃) and phosphorescent‐superparamagnetic (Y₂O₃:Eu³⁺‐ Fe₂O₃) actuators are made by precisely tuning the polymer thickness between each functional nanostructured layer. These actuators are quite flexible, have fast response times, and exhibit superior superparamagnetism due to their high filler content and homogeneous spatial distribution.