Effect of Microstructure on the Radioluminescence and Transparency of Ce-Doped Strontium Hafnate Ceramics

In this paper we report on the fabrication and characterization of SrHfO(3):Ce ceramics. Powders were prepared by solid-state synthesis using metal oxides and carbonates. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that phase-pure SrHfO(3) is formed at 1200°C. Inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy confirmed the purity and composition of each batch. SrHfO(3) exhibits several phase changes in the solid, but this does not appear to be detrimental to the ceramics. Microprobe experiments showed uniform elemental grain composition, whereas aluminum added as charge compensation for trivalent cerium congregated at grain boundaries and triple points. Radioluminescence spectra revealed that the light yield decreases when the concentration of excess Sr increases. The decrease in the light yield may be related to the change of Ce(3+) into Ce(4+) ions. For stoichiometric SrHfO(3):Ce, the light yield is about four times that of bismuth germanate (BGO), the conventional benchmark, indicating great potential for many scintillator applications.     

BEM and FEM analysis of planar moving cracks in creeping solids

Applications of the boundary element method (BEM) and the finite element method (FEM), to the analysis of two-dimensional problems of moving cracks in creeping bodies, is the subject of this paper. In the absence of an acceptable crack growth law valid under small scale transient as well as extended steady state creep conditions, the computer simulations are carried out here for crack extension at prescribed constant speeds. It is shown here that the BEM is most effective for the analysis of transient crack growth under small scale creep conditions while the FEM appears to be best suited for the study of crack growth under conditions of extensive creep throughout most of the structure. These two methods, therefore, tend to complement each other for this class of problems. It is felt that the numerical methods presented here can, in conjunction with experiments, be very useful for the evaluation of existing crack growth laws as well as for the development of new ones.

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Résumé Le sujet du mémoire est l'application de la méthode par valeurs aux limites (BEM) et de la méthode par éléments finis (FEM) à l'analyse de problèmes bidimensionnels de fissures en extension dans des composants soumis à fluage.En l'absence d'une loi d'extension de fissure qui soit applicable tant sous des conditions de fluage transitoire à petite échelle que de fluage stable généralisé, on procède aux simulations per calcul on considérant le développement d'une fissure à des vitesses constantes fixées.On montre que la méthode BEM est plus efficace pour analyser la croissance d'une fissure de fluage en régime transitoire à une petite échelle, tandis que la méthode FEM convient le mieux pour étudier la croissance d'une fissure dans des conditions de fluage s'étendant à l'ensemble du composant.Dès lors, les deux méthodes tendent à se compléter pour cette classe de problèmes. On estime que les méthodes numériques qui sont présentées ici, peuvent être très utiles, en association avec des essais, pour évaluer les lois existantes en matière de propagation de fissures, ainsi que pour en développer de nouvelles.

     

Influence of initial mixing methods on melt‐extruded single‐walled carbon nanotube–polypropylene nanocomposites

We report the first direct comparison of melt‐extruded polypropylene–single‐walled carbon nanotube (PP/SWNT) nanocomposites prepared by three different initial mixing methods. The standard deviation of the G‐band intensity obtained using Raman mapping was found to be the best measure of dispersion uniformity in the extruded composites, and dispersion uniformity was found to generally correlate with rheological and thermal properties. For all three initial mixing methods, both unmodified and sidewall‐functionalized purified SWNTs were evaluated. Surprisingly, in all cases, dodecylated SWNTs prepared using the reductive alkylation method were less uniformly dispersed in the final composite than the unmodified SWNTs. The simplest process, dry blending, resulted in poor nanotube dispersion and only polymer crystallization was significantly affected by the presence of the nanotubes. A slightly more complex rotary evaporation process resulted in significantly more uniform dispersion and significant changes in rheological properties, polymer crystallization, and thermal stability. The most elaborate process tested, hot coagulation, enabled the most uniform dispersion and the greatest change in properties but also resulted in some polymer degradation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1831–1842, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

A comparative series solutions of Japanese encephalitis model using differential transform method and variational iteration method

In this study, a deterministic mathematical model involving the transmission dynamics of Japanese encephalitis (JE) is presented and studied. The biologically feasible equilibria and their stability properties have been discussed. This study investigates a series of solutions to the system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) in the transmission dynamics of JE. To get approximate series solutions of the JE model, we employed the differential transform method (DTM) and variational iteration method (VIM). DTM utilizes the transformed function of the original JE model, while VIM uses the general Lagrange multiplier to develop the correction functional for the JE model. The results show that the VIM solution is more accurate than the DTM solution for short intervals of time. In addition, the fractional compartmental model of JE is briefly discussed. We illustrated the profiles of the solutions of each of the compartments, from which we found that the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method solutions are more accurate than the DTM and VIM solutions for long intervals of time.     

Preliminary investigation of the impact of polymer composition on electrochemical properties of coatings as determined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

The influence of structural and systematic compositional variations in glycidyl carbamate (GC) functional polymers on the electrochemical properties of their coatings was studied. There are few reports which focus on the correlation of structural and compositional variations in polymer films with their electrochemical barrier properties, diffusion properties with regards to water and aqueous electrolytes, and corrosion performance. To begin to fill this knowledge gap, two sets of GC functional polymers were studied. The polymer compositions were designed to vary the extent of polar hydrophilic groups, non-polar hydrophobic groups, and reactive epoxy groups in the final coatings. Impedance responses of the coatings were found to be closely related to the structural and compositional variations of these GC polymer films. In addition, single frequency EIS experiments were used in an attempt to understand the water uptake behavior of these polymer films using NaCl solution and ionic liquid under immersed condition. The resulting transport property data of the films was correlated to their polymer structure and composition. Moreover, a novel attempt at ranking the stability of coating using capacitance measurement during a cyclic wetting–drying condition was also attempted. The information obtained from this work can potentially be used to optimize the polymer for the specific performance properties needed in the protective coating applications, saving significant time and effort in the research and development stage.     

Impedance estimation of photovoltaic modules for inverter start-up analysis

Starting-up of photovoltaic (PV) inverters involves pre-charging of the input dc bus capacitance. Ideally, direct pre-charging of this capacitance from the PV modules is possible as the PV modules are current limited. Practically, the parasitic elements of the system such as the PV module capacitance, effective wire inductance and resistance determine the start-up transient. The start-up transient is also affected by the contactor connecting the PV modules to the inverter input dc bus. In this work, the start-up current and voltages are measured experimentally for different parallel and series connections of the PV modules. These measurements are used to estimate the stray elements, namely the PV module capacitance, effective inductance and resistance. The estimation is based on a linear small-signal model of the start-up conditions. The effect of different connections of the PV modules and the effect of varying irradiation on the scaling of the values of the stray elements are quantified. The System model is further refined by inclusion of connecting cable capacitance and contactor resistance. Dynamics of the resulting fifth-order model are seen to be consistent with those of the simplified third-order model. The analysis of this paper can be used to estimate the expected peak inrush current in PV inverters. It can also be used to arrive at a detailed modelling of PV modules to evaluate the transient behaviour.     

Effect of a Hydrophilic PEO–PPO–PEO Copolymer on Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Tosylate Solutions in Water

Cetyltrimethyl ammonium tosylate (CTAT) in water forms long flexible wormlike micelles at concentrations above 10 mM, leading to highly viscous solutions and viscoelastic stiff gels above 100 mM. In the presence of a nonmicellar hydrophilic PEO–PPO–PEO triblock copolymer F87 (TBC-F87, Total mol.wt. = 7,700, EO = 70%) these wormlike micelles RE transformed into smaller structures, as evident from a sharp decrease in viscosity and increase in specific conductance. These results are quantified by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. The PPO middle block of TBC-F87 gets inserted in the CTAT micelle, the size and total aggregation number of CTAT/TBC-F87 mixed micelles decreased but the number of TBC-F87 molecules in the mixed micelles increased with an increase in [TBC-F87]. Two break points in the typical specific conductance versus CTAT concentration plot at various [TBC-F87] amounts represent interactions between CTAT and TBC-F87. The penetration of PPO of TBC-F87 inside CTAT micelles decreases hydrophobicity of the core while the presence of PEO end blocks enhances hydrophilicity each favoring smaller micelles.     

Protective CVD Mullite Coatings on Single-Crystal Silicon Substrates

Silicon has long been the primary material of choice for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and integrated circuit (IC) applications. However, it is prone to degradation under severe conditions such as high humidity, high temperature, and corrosive environments. To overcome such extreme conditions and help silicon perform with stability and extended lifetimes, a protection layer is proposed. Mullite (3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂) is a known environmental barrier coating (EBC) material and has been shown to be effective on other Si-based ceramic materials. In this work, dense, high-purity crystalline mullite coatings were deposited onto single-crystal silicon substrates via chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The microstructure, orientation preference, and adhesion of these coatings were investigated. Substrate integrity in relation to the substrate/coating interface by chemical etching and coating stability in a simulated severe environment under corrosive alkali salts were investigated.     

Differential cross section calculations of positron and electron impact ionization of Ar (3p)

We report the distorted wave Born approximation results of triple differential cross section of Ar (3p) by positron and electron impact. We compare the results of our calculations with the recent available experimental and theoretical results. We also provide a comparison of our positron impact ionization results with the electron impact ionization results to understand the effect of projectile charge on the projectile-target interaction.     

The Impact of Infostation Density on Vehicular Data Dissemination

Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Roadside communications are going to become an indispensable part of the modern day automotive experience. For people on the move, vehicular networks can provide critical network connectivity and access to real-time information. Infostations play a vital role in these networks by acting as gateways to the Internet and by extending network connectivity. In this context, an important question is “What is the minimum number of infostations that need to be deployed in an area in order to support vehicular applications?” Optimizing infostation density is vital to understanding and reducing the cost of deployment and management. In this paper, we examine the required infostation density in a highway scenario using different data dissemination models. We start from a simple analysis that captures the required density under idealized assumptions. These models are validated by an event-driven simulator. We then run detailed QualNet simulations on both controlled and realistic vehicular traces to observe the information density trends in practical environments, and consequently propose techniques to improve dissemination performance and reduce the required infostation density.