Comparison of mechanical properties of ground corn stover,switchgrass, and willow and their pellet qualities

Mechanical and physical properties of ground corn stover, switchgrass, and willow were measured and compared in addition to the quality of pellets. Biomass was size-reduced with two different screen sizes (3.175 and 6.35?mm) and conditioned to obtain samples at two different moisture contents (17.5 and 20% on wet basis). Ground switchgrass had the smallest and willow had the highest D₅₀ when size-reduced with the same screen size. Hydrostatic triaxial compression tests were performed using the cubical triaxial tester to determine the bulk modulus, compression index, and spring-back index at specific unloading pressures (20, 45, 70, and 95?kPa). The trends of pressure vs. volumetric strain and void ratio vs. natural log of pressure were similar for all three materials; however, the magnitudes were different. Willow, size-reduced with 3.175?mm screen size at 17.5% wet basis, had the highest bulk modulus among different conditions of all the three biomass. Pellet durability values for all the three materials were higher than 80%. Corn stover pellets formed with 3.175?mm screen size at 20% wet basis had the highest diametral tensile and axial compressive strengths among different conditions for all the three biomass, however the values were not significantly different (p?>?0.05).     

Preparation and characterization of novel film adhesives based on cyanate ester resin for bonding advanced radome

In this paper, the novel film adhesives based on phenolphthalein poly(ether sulfone) (PES-C) and epoxy (EP) modified cyanate ester resin (CE) were prepared for bonding an advanced radome. The film adhesives are convenient for applying to manufacture, possessing good adhesion strength, thermal durability and excellent dielectric property. The curing behaviors were confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), showing that the main reaction pathways are not varied with adding PES-C but the reaction rates are evidently accelerated, and the film adhesives can be well cured at lower temperature of 177 °C. The adhesion strength was evaluated in lap shear strength and peel strength, indicating that the better adhesion strength is obtained with increasing in PES-C. The maximum value of lap shear strength is 33 MPa at room temperature. The thermal durability was determined by thermal aging tests of lap shear specimens, showing that the decrease in strength gets faster with adding PES-C, and the usability of film adhesives over 2000 h at 200 °C. The dielectric properties were measured by dielectric resonator methods, finding that the introduction of PES-C brings a positive effect on dielectric properties. The lowest value of determined dielectric loss is 0.0075 at 10 GHz.     

Specification and site control of the permeability of the cover concrete: The Swiss approach

It is recognized that most damage to reinforced concrete structures is caused by insufficient durability rather than by low strength. In most cases, the quality and thickness of the cover concrete (“covercrete”) determine the service life of the structure. Since the quality of the covercrete is influenced, not only by the mix composition, but also by the placing and curing conditions, it is appropriate to measure the achieved properties on the structure rather than just on separately cast specimens. Swiss Standard SIA 262 on “Concrete Construction” recommends checking the “impermeability” of the cover concrete on site. With that aim, a non‐destructive method to measure the air‐permeability on site has been standardized (SIA 262/1 Annex E). A team of Swiss experts was appointed by the Swiss Federal Highway Administration (ASTRA) to prepare recommendations for specifying, measuring, and assessing the conformity of the air‐permeability kT. This paper describes these recommendations covering: (a) specification of limiting values of kT as function of the exposure class; (b) sampling of the measurement points; (c) testing (including suitable temperature and moisture conditions); (d) evaluation of conformity with specified values; (e) expected impact on service life.     

Modelling rotary friction welding of VZh175 high creep strength nickel alloy

The technological parameters of rotary friction welding of VZh175 nickel superalloy with high creep resistance and subjected to different heat treatment were investigated. The second-order polynomials are derived. The ranges of the optimum parameters of rotary friction welding are determined.     

CBR strength of reinforced soil with natural fibres and considering environmental conditions

This paper investigates the effect of including randomly spaced palm fibres in a soil matrix. The fibres in date palm have special properties such as low costs, plenitude in the region, durability, lightweight, high tension capacity and relative strength against deterioration. Thus, it is possible to use the palm fibres as an alternative low-cost natural material for soil reinforcement. As the objective of this research was to mix the soil and date palm fibres to use in the construction of soil roads, especially village road, we discuss the influence of date palm fibres on CBR (California Bearing Ratio) strength of fine sand. CBR tests were conducted under dry and submerged conditions. The durability of fibres was also investigated using the plain fibres and fibres coated with bitumen. Some samples were soaked for several months before being loaded. The results show that the addition of palm fibres increases the CBR strength of the sand specimens significantly. It is also seen that the sliding strength controls the failure of the specimens rather than the rupture strength.     

The Influence of Adherend Topography on the Fracture Toughness of Aluminium-Epoxy Adhesive Joints in Humid Environments

The adherend surface topography has a dramatic effect on the durability of structural bonds formed between aluminium and an epoxy adhesive. Systematic changes in the micro-roughness of an aluminium adherend were achieved using an ultra-milling technique to prepare surfaces with topographies ranging from ultra-flat to a sawtooth profile with a base angle of approximately 60° and a peak-to-valley depth of 10 μm. The fracture toughness of double-cantilever beam specimens, stressed in the Mode 1 direction and exposed to a humid environment was found to change by a factor of approximately one hundred as the sawtooth profile angle was increased. These changes in fracture toughness may be accounted for through complex interrelationships between moisture diffusion and interphase mechanical properties, each with a strong dependence on the surface micro-topography.     

Automatic concrete health monitoring: assessment and monitoring of concrete surfaces

To predict the degradation of concrete structures is extremely challenging. The typical approach combines periodic visual inspections with required non-destructive tests. However, this methodology only discretely evaluates few areas of the structure, being also time consuming and subject to human error. Therefore, a new method designated ‘automatic concrete health monitoring’ is herein presented which aims at automatically characterising and monitoring the state of conservation of concrete surfaces by combining photogrammetry, image processing and multi-spectral analysis. The method was designed to (i) characterise crack pattern, displacement and strain fields; (ii) map damages and (iii) assess and define restoration tasks.     

燃料电池不锈钢双极板CrN/CrC薄膜表面改性研究

采用离子镀技术在质子交换膜燃料电池不锈钢双极板表面制备了CrN/CrC多层薄膜。测试结果表明,与未镀膜的不锈钢基体相比,镀膜不锈钢的接触电阻(120N/cm2压紧力)降低2个数量级,并且耐蚀性能显著改善,腐蚀电流密度降低0.5~1个数量级。同时,镀膜不锈钢的耐久性亦大幅提升,改性薄膜可以有效保护不锈钢基体免受腐蚀损害。     

Deterioration of Concrete by the Oxidation of Sulphide Minerals in the Aggregate

Cases of degradation of concrete associated to iron sulphides in aggregates were recently recognized in the Trois-Rivi6res area, Canada. The aggregate used to produce concrete was an anorthositic gabbro containing various proportions of pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pentlandite. Quantitative microanalysis on sulphide minerals show that pyrrhotite contains small amount of Ni, Co, Cu and As substituting for Fe in the mineral structure. Considering element substitution, x value in the chemical formula （Fe~.xS） was calculated to 0.099 in the pyrrhotite studied. Petrographic examination of damaged concretes showed the presence of oxidized pyrrhotite. The observation of polished samples shows, in several cases, that the pyrite is intact while the pyrrhotite presents evident signs of oxidation. In the presence of water and oxygen, pyrrhotite oxidizes to form iron oxyhydroxides and sulphuric acid. The acid then reacts with the phases of the cement paste and provokes the formation of gypsum and ettringite. These minerals were observed by SEM-EDS （scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer） and their precipitation causes a volume increase that creates expansion and cracking of the concrete.     

如何做好市政路桥中的安全性与耐久性设计

随着经济的快速发展,城市市政路桥的新建和改建任务变得繁重。进入新世纪后,事故不断增加,市政路桥的安全性和耐久性也被人们高度重视。本文就市政路桥的设计现状、路桥设计的安全性以及耐久性差的原因进行了分析、探讨,并提出了解决方案。