The interfacial microstructure of joined single crystal and polycrystalline alumina

The interfacial microstructures of 96 and 98% polycrystalline alumina joined with single crystal sapphire have been investigated in relation to the joining parameters. Joining has been evaluated based on either using a thin spin-on silica interlayer or by placing the alumina and sapphire in direct contact. The materials were joined by placing the coated or uncoated surfaces in contact and heating in the range of 1340–1475 °C with minimum external load. With the aid of a silica interlayer, sapphire and 98% polycrystalline alumina were successfully joined in 180 min at 1400 °C and above, while samples without a silica interlayer failed to join under these conditions. However, sapphire and 96% polycrystalline alumina were joined both with and without the use of silica interlayer. A variety of interfacial morphologies have been observed, including amorphous regions, fine crystalline alumina, and intimate contact between the sapphire and polycrystalline alumina.     

Interfacial tension between coexisting polymer solutions in mixed solvents and its correlation with bulk thermodynamics: phase equilibria (liquid/gas and liquid/liquid) for the system toluene/ethanol/PDMS

Vapor pressures, phase equilibria and interfacial tensions σ were measured for solutions of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS, M_w[equals]75 kg/mol and M_n[equals]50 kg/mol) in mixed solvents of toluene (TL) and ethanol (EtOH) at 30, 40, 50 and 60 °C. The experimental ternary phase diagrams can be modeled quantitatively from the determined concentration and temperature dependent binary interaction parameters χ_ij if the experimentally inaccessible composition dependence of χ_EtOH/PDMS is adjusted. The relations between σ and the equation of state of the system differ from that applying to single solvents. The exponents as well as the amplitude prefactors of the corresponding scaling laws (e.g. the dependencies of σ on the length of the tie lines or on the hump energy, i.e. on the intrusion into the two phase regime quantified in terms of Gibbs energies) change considerably with temperature. However, this variation can be reduced significantly by normalizing the independent variables. Dividing the length of the tie lines by the length for the corresponding binary subsystem proves more efficient than the distance of these tie lines from the critical point of the ternary system relative to the maximum distance of the binary subsystem. A combined normalization does not improve the situation.     

MODELING LIQUID MASS TRANSFER IN HIGEE SEPARATION PROCESS

Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Professor Richard S.H. Mah. Hsien-Hsin Tung is now affiliated with Department of Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology

Penetration theory is used to describe the liquid mass transfer in Higee separation process. Within a possible range of effective areas, it is shown that the predicted mass transfer coefficients are in reasonable agreement with the estimated mass transfer coefficients. The estimated coefficients were calculated from the experimental data and the possible effective areas. Hence it is concluded the penetration theory is generally applicable to describe liquid mass transfer in Higee separation process. The comparison also suggests that liquid mixing at the junctions of packing materials may be more complete in Higee process than in traditional process.     

Polymer transcrystallinity induced by carbon nanotubes

In this work, we provide the evidence of polymer transcrystallinity in the presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The interfacial morphology of carbon nanotube fiber-polypropylene matrix is investigated by means of polarized optical microscopy (POM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The supramolecular microstructures of polypropylene transcrystals induced by the nanotube fiber are observed in the range of isothermal crystallization temperatures from 118 °C to 132 °C. The dynamic process of transcrystallization is analyzed by using the theory of heterogeneous nucleation. Microstructure analysis shows that the nanotubes can nucleate the growth of both α- and γ-transcrystal, and α-transcrystals dominate the overall interfacial morphology. Close to the nanotube fiber surface, a cross-hatched lamellar microstructure composed of mother lamellae and daughter lamellae is observed.     

Mechanism of heat transport in nanofluids

We have calculated thermal conductivity of alumina nanofluids (with water and ethylene glycol as base fluids) using temperature as well as concentration-dependent viscosity, η. The temperature profile of η is obtained using Gaussian fit to the available experimental data. In the model, the interfacial resistance effects are incorporated through a phenomenological parameter α. The micro-convection of the alumina nanoparticle (diameter less than 100 nm) is included through Reynolds and Prandtl numbers. The model is further improved by explicitly incorporating the thermal conductivity of the nanolayer surrounding the nanoparticles. Using this improved model, thermal conductivity of copper nanofluid is calculated. These calculations capture the particle concentration-dependent thermal conductivity and predict the dependence of the thermal conductivity on the size of the nanoparticle. These studies are significant to understand the underlying processes of heat transport in nanofluids and are crucial to design superior coolants of next generation.     

二维轴对称折迭－组合腔CO2激光器失调时的输出光束的近场分析

给出平凹谐振腔和凹平凹谐振腔失调时光轴确定方法。在二维轴对称折迭－组合腔 激光器小角度失调运行时，对非相干并和和相干并和后的输出光束的近场强度分布做了分析和模拟。结果表明：小角度失调对4cm以内的近场影响不大，光强分布仍具有高斯状分布；对4cm以外的近场影响较大，光强分布发生相应的形变，且随着失调角度变大而变大。     

Thermodynamic Criteria for the Maximum and Minimum Strength of Fibre-Reinforced Composite Materials

The overall performance and reliability of composite materials are, in most cases, dependent upon the behaviour of the reinforcement-matrix interface, particularly upon its ability to transfer stress.

A theory for predicting thermodynamic conditions for the maximum and zero-adhesion at the reinforcement-matrix interface is tested in this paper, based on experimental data. Proposed is a model of the relationship between mechanical properties of composite materials (tensile strength, flexural strength, Young's modulus and impact resistance) and energetic properties of matrix and reinforcement expressed by the energy ratio a = γ_l/γ₂.     

HEAT TRANSFER IN PARTIALLY MISCIBLE TERNARY SYSTEMS

In the study of mass transfer between partially miscible liquids, temperature perturbations have been found to have an important effect in the generation of interfacial activity. Micro- and macro-generated interfacial convection usually occurs in combination with one another even in fairly simple heat or mass transfer events. These combinations are responsible for the enhancement of mass transfer rates. In an effort to acquire a better understanding of the heat transfer effects in ternary liquid-liquid systems, temperature difference profiles were measured when contacting two partially miscible phases. A vertical and a rotational transfer cell were designed to contact the partially miscible phases without inducing external disturbances. Five thermocouples were immersed in the bottom liquid phase at predetermined positions below the interface. In order to understand the influence of the convection generated, the vertical cell was designed to hinder convection in one phase, while the rotational cell permits convection in both phases. The experimental results showed larger temperature differences in the rotational cell after the contact of the phases. Also, systems which were initially unsaturated presented larger heat effects than those in which the partially miscible solvents were initially saturated. Several parameters indicating the importance of heat effects in the ternary systems studied are reported.     

玄武岩纤维表面处理及其复合材料界面改性研究

为改善玄武岩纤维的织造性能及其复合材料的界面性能，本文采用表面偶联剂结合乳液型浆料上浆的方法对纤维进行表面处理，研究表明，采用乳液型浆料处理后，玄武岩纤维的织造性能得到显著改善，在上浆处理前对纤维进行表面偶联剂处理，可使玄武岩纤维／环氧复合材料的界面性能得到明显提高，从而实现了纤维织造性能与复合材料界面力学性能的共同改善。     

Influence of compaction on the interfacial transition zone and the permeability of concrete

The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) is regarded as a key feature for the transport properties and the durability of concrete. In this study one self-compacting concrete (SCC) mixture and two conventionally vibrated concrete (CVC) mixtures are studied in order to determine the influence of compaction on the porosity of the ITZ. Additionally oxygen permeability and water conductivity were measured in vertical and horizontal direction. The quantitative analysis of images made with an optical microscope and an environmental scanning electron microscope shows a significantly increased porosity and width of the ITZ in CVC compared to SCC. At the same time oxygen permeability and water conductivity of CVC are increased in comparison to SCC. Moreover, considerable differences in the porosity of the lower, lateral and upper ITZ are observed in both types of concrete. The anisotropic distribution of pores in the ITZ does not necessarily cause anisotropy in oxygen permeability and water conductivity though.