Tensile fracture and failure behavior of technical flax fibers

The apparent tensile strength of technical flax fibers was determined in single‐fiber tests at various clamping lengths (20, 40, and 80 mm) and the outcome was compared with literature data. It was demonstrated that the strength of flax at each clamping length obeyed the two‐parameter Weibull model. The failure mode and sequence were studied in situ (i.e., during loading) by SEM and acoustic emission (AE). The failure sequence (axial splitting of the technical fiber along its elementary constituents, radial cracking of the elementary fibers, multiple fracture of the elementary fibers) concluded reflected the hierarchical build‐up of the flax bast fibers. To the above failure events AE amplitude ranges were assigned. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3638–3645, 2003     

Optical Emission Spectroscopy Study and 3-D Surface Characterization of Silicone Rubber Exposed to Different Argon RF Plasma Powers

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of argon plasma treatment on the extent of Foley catheter surface modification. Foley catheter (flexible tube made of silicone rubber, used for urinary catheterization) surface was treated at different argon (Ar) RF plasma powers. The surface modification was assessed by measurement of contact angle. Contact angle study shows decrease in contact angle and increase in surface free energy shows more polar group incorporation at low power plasma treatment. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed an increased average surface roughness proportional to plasma power. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) shows various states of argon causing surface modification.     

The effect of donor-acceptor interactions on the mechanical properties of wood

This paper explores the empirical correlations between the mechanical properties of solvent-treated wood and solvent parameters. Wood beams (10 inch x 0.7 inch x 0.4 inch) of lauan, birch, and Douglas fir were soaked in five solvents (benzene, dioxane, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and distilled water) for 4 months at room temperature (23°C) and then mechanically tested in bending. The acoustic emission (AE) energy (related to failure energy), the modulus of rupture (MOR), and the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of the specimens were determined. It was found that all of these properties of the specimens decreased with the solvent strength parameter which was related to acceptor number (AN), donor number (DN) and molecular volume (MV ). The linear correlation of the AE energy of the specimens with the solvent parameter (AN + DN)^1/2 was verified. Alternative relationships between the AE energy, MOR or NIOE of the specimens and the modified solvent strength parameters, 2.5 DN + AN or DN/MV^1/3, were explored. The microstructures of fracture surfaces of lauan specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and showed dramatic changes when the solvent strength increased, such as microfibril pull-out and a decrease in roughness of the fracture surfaces of cell walls. All these observations reflected the changes in mechanical properties and the mean AE energy qualities of the specimens.     

Optical absorption and selective thermal emission in directionally solidified Al2O3-Er3Al5O12 and Al2O3-Er3Al5O12-ZrO2 eutectics

Al₂O₃-Er₃Al₅O₁₂ and Al₂O₃-Er₃Al₅O₁₂-ZrO₂ eutectic ceramic rods were directionally solidified using the laser floating zone technique at several growth rates. Binary eutectic microstructure consisted in a three-dimensional interpenetrated network of the eutectic phases whereas the ternary eutectic showed a geometrical microstructure at low growth rates and a nanofibrillar pattern at high rates. The microstructure size was strongly dependent on the growth rate, decreasing when the processing rate increased. The optical absorption was measured in the samples at room temperature and Judd–Ofelt analysis was used to model the optical absorption of the Er³⁺ ions. Thermal emission of the eutectic rods was studied at temperatures up to 1600 °C. An intense narrow emission band at 1.55 μm matching with the sensitive region of the GaSb photoconverter was obtained. The intensity of the selective emission band is larger for the binary eutectic than for the ternary compound and increases as the microstructural size decreases.     

A surface acoustic wave sensor study of polyimide thin film surface treatments - effect on water uptake

The effects of surface treatments on the water uptake in thin (1 μm) polyimide (PI) films were studied using a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), external reflectance infrared (ERIR) spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Surface modification of PI films can affect film properties such as water uptake and adhesion. These properties, in turn, affect the performance and reliability of the devices in which these films are used. The ability to nondestructively study the results of various surface modification techniques in situ, prior to deposition of a metal layer for example, would be of particular benefit in the fabrication process. The results of this work indicate that the SAW sensor can measure extremely small amounts (< 0.003 μg) of water uptake in thin (1.2 μm) PI films. Also, that the water uptake of PI films, as measured by the SAW sensor, is particularly sensitive to sputter cleaning, sputtering/ KOH, and Teflon AF surface treatment. The SAW, XPS, ERIR, and contact angle studies of the Teflon AF treated PI indicate that the concentration of Teflon AF is very high in the surface region of the PI and decreases into the bulk of the film. This work suggests utility of the SAW sensor as a nondestructive and in situ method for monitoring the surface properties of thin polymers in process control applications.     

二维机织碳纤维/碳化硅陶瓷基复合材料损伤分析

利用声发射技术全程监测二维机织C／SiC复合材料拉伸实验,通过声发射多参数分析法和断口显微观察,结合材料拉伸应力-变曲线,分析了二维机织C／SiC复合材料拉伸损伤演化过程和损伤机理。结果表明：材料拉伸损伤演化经历3个阶段：第一阶段为无损伤阶段,材料无损伤发生;第二阶段为损伤初始阶段．损伤主要为微裂纹开裂．并且微裂纹开裂基本上均匀发生在样品工作段;第三阶段为损伤加速阶段,损伤主要为宏观基体、界面开裂和纤维束断裂．井且集中发生在断口区域。损伤第二阶段与第三阶段的转换点在拉伸强度的76％左右,转换点的确定对二维机织C／SiC复合材料工程应用有重要意义。     

火焰原子吸收光谱法测定污水中毒素镉

用 HNO3- HCl O4 消解污水样 ,采用火焰原子吸收光谱法测定污水中的镉含量。在最佳实验条件下 ,线性范围为 0～ 1.0 mg· L- 1 ,检出限为 0 .0 5 mg· L- 1 ,测定结果的相对标准偏差小于 2 .5 8% ,加标回收率为 97.0 %～ 10 2 .0%。     

A block copolymer nanotemplate for mechanically tunable polarized emission from a conjugated polymer

A polymer blend system consisting of polystyrene grafted onto poly (p-phenylene ethynylene) (PS-g-PPE) and poly (styrene-block-isoprene-block-styrene) triblock copolymer (SIS) yields highly polarized emission due to the unidirectional alignment of the PPE molecules. During the roll casting, the triblock copolymer microphase separates and creates unidirectionally aligned PS cylindrical microdomains in the rubbery PI matrix. PPE, a fluorescent conjugated polymer, was grafted with polystyrene (PS) side chains that enabled sequestration and alignment of these rigid backbone emitter molecules into the PS microdomains of the SIS triblock copolymer. Deforming the thermoplastic elastomer in a direction perpendicular to the orientation direction of the cylinders causes rotation of the PS cylinders and the PPE emitter molecules and affords tunable polarized emission due to re-orientation of the PPE containing PS cylinders as well as film thinning from Poisson effect.     

Fabrication of wrinkled carbon nano-films with excellent field emission characteristics

B-doped nano-structured carbon films were deposited on Si substrates by means of chemical-vapour-deposition with 3.8-kW microwave-plasma. Scanning electron microscope images show that the deposited films were composed of wrinkled graphitic nano-sheets with considerable disorder structures. Field emission (FE) characteristics measured from such films yielded considerably high FE currents, being larger than 50 mA/cm² at a macroscopic electric field of 9.5 V/μm. A possible mechanism of the observed FEs is discussed in relation to a modified Fowler–Nordheim equation considering field-dependent parameters. As a result, it is found that the structure of the surface geometry mainly increased the FE current densities. Adding a suitable amount of B-component gas to the carbon source gas resulted in a considerable increase in the FE areas of the wrinkled carbon nano-films.     

Effects of various post-treatments on carbon nanotube films for reliable field emission

In this report, the FE characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) treated using both thermal annealing and mechanical coatings on the as-grown CNTs systematically studied. It was found that in the high temperature annealed samples, CNTs were attacked at its root during annealing due to a small amount of oxygen, and were pulled out of the substrate in places after FE measurements because of the contact resistance. However, for the mechanically coated samples both with spin on glass (SOG) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), CNTs were found to be nearly intact after FE measurements and showed reliable FE characteristics over repeatable voltage scan. The reliability of CNTs during FE could be owing to the strong adhesion of CNTs to the substrate both by SOG and PMMA coatings.