Electrospinning of hydroxyapatite fibrous mats

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with an average molecular weight between 40,500 and 155,000 g/mol was electrospun with a calcium phosphate based sol. The sol was prepared by reacting triethyl phosphite and calcium nitrate and was directly added to an aqueous solution of PVA. This mixture was electrospun at a voltage of 20 kV. The results indicate that the sol was distributed uniformly in the PVA fibers, whose diameter was on the order of 2 μm. This electrospun structure was calcined at 600 °C for 6 h to obtain a residual inorganic, fibrous network, with fiber diameters between 200 and 800 nm. The fibrous structure consists predominantly of hydroxyapatite with an average crystal size of almost 10 to 30 nm. A variety of structures including non-woven mats of solid or micro-porous hydroxyapatite fibers and highly porous scaffolds could be obtained by varying the polymer molecular weight and the sol volume fraction. These structures can have many potential uses in the repair and treatment of bone defects, drug delivery and tissue engineering.     

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF LOCAL HYDRODYNAMICS ON MASS TRANSFER IN HETEROGENEOUS POROUS MEDIA

Many engineering problems require the estimation of mass transfer coefficients in porous materials. In heterogeneous materials or in cases where mass transfer sites are not spatially uniform, empirical equations for mass transfer coefficients vary widely, and the origin of these differences is not well understood. In this article, we use a stochastic algorithm to model mass transfer from single particles in a two-dimensional heterogeneous packed bed. The computed mass transfer coefficients are used to generate a distribution of local Peclet numbers in the bed. Detailed hydrodynamics are then used to interpret variations in the local Peclet number. The results show clear relationships between pore structure, streamline patterns, and mass transfer rates.     

Sol-gel Preparation and Preliminary in vitro Evaluation of Fluorapatite／Hydroxyapatite Solid Solution Films

Fluorapatite/hydroxyapatite solid solution has better biological properties than other apatites, especially used as films or coatings. In this work, sol-gel preparation and in vitro behavior of fluorapatite/hydroxyapatite solid solution films on titanium alloy were investigated. Ca(NO3)2-4H20 and PO(OH)x(OEt)3-x were selected as precursors, and hexafluorophosphoric acid (HPFo) was used as a fluorine containing reagent. The Ca and P precursors were mixed with HPFo to keep the Ca/P molar ratio 1.67. The mixtures refluxed for 12 h were used as dipping sols for the preparation of the films. The phase of the films obtained at 600℃ was apatite. The F contents in the films increased with the concentrations of HPF6 in the dipping sols. The solid solution films were shown to have better stability than hydroxyapatite films, and a reasonably good bioactivity in the in vitro evaluation.     

FLOW OF NEWTONIAN FLUIDS THROUGH SINUSOID ALLY CONSTRICTED TUBES. NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Numerical and experimental predictions of pressure drops in the flow of Newtonian fluids through sinusoidally constricted tubes (SCT) are carried out. The numerical evaluations analyzed in this work are obtained from the following methods: Geometric Iteration (GJM), Geometric Iteration with First and Second Upwinds (GIM1, GIM2), Successive Over Relaxation by Line (SORBLM), Global Galerkin Spectral Method (GGSM), Collocation (CM) and Dufort-Frankel (DFM). The GIM1, GIM2 and SORBLM are applied to SCT and explained in this work. The other methods have been previously reported in the literature with the same purpose. Experiments are accomplished for constrictions of approximately 40,60 and 80% of the average tube diameter and results compare well with numerical predictions of the steady flow. It is concluded that special attention should be given to evaluations of the friction factor ƒ for Reynolds numbers Re between the onsets of flow separation and turbulence due to flow instability. Finally, the SCT as a model for porous media (PM) is discussed.     

应用多孔阳极氧化电流—时间曲线比较壁垒膜厚

在有壁垒膜存在的表面,多孔膜的生长在氧化初期受到延迟阻碍,这一现象在直流恒压多孔阳极氧化电流一时间曲线上反映出来。电流达到稳态氧化的时间愈长,壁垒膜愈厚。文中应用此法判断了0.5MH_3BO_3介质的pH值、温度对壁垒阳极氧化膜厚的影响,并应用记录同一介质环境壁垒恒流阳极氧化的槽压一时间曲线得到验证。     

Electrical characterization of porous BaTiO3 using impedance spectroscopy in humid condition

The humidity response characteristics of La doped BaTiO₃ with different sintered densities and room temperature electrical conductivities were investigated using complex impedance measurement. The samples with low density and high resistivity showed the large and nearly linear sensitivity to the change of humidity. The impedance spectra of samples, when exposed to high humidity, can exhibit microstructure-related features, even though they do not give rise to a noticeable characteristic change when exposed to low humidity. The observed impedance patterns were dependent upon the density, and hence the oxidation kinetics of BaTiO₃.     

Advances in Microporous and Mesoporous Solids—Highlights of Recent Progress

This report highlights developments in the fields of microporous and mesoporous materials that were published mostly during the year 2002. Selected examples are provided to illustrate new zeolite structures, porous coordination materials, mesoporous solids with new compositions, controlled morphologies, and increased hydrothermal and thermal stabilities, as well as porous solids with tunable pore openings or other structural features that can be dynamically modified. A number of applications are discussed, including stabilization of reactive guests, separations, electronic materials, and sensors.     

MASS TRANSFER IN GAS-SPARGED POROUS ELECTRODES

The electrochemical limiting current method was used to measure mass transfer coefficients with cocurrent upward gas-liquid flow in packed bed electrodes. Liquid-solid and overall gas-solid coefficients were determined from limiting current data in the presence of inert or reactive gas flows with the use of a plug flow model. The presence of inert gas flow increased mass transfer coefficients over those in single-phase flow by a factor of up to 1.7. As a result of boundary layer penetration by gas bubbles, sparging with reactive gas increased mass transfer rates by a factor of up to 3.5.