NbO/Nb2O5 core–shells by thermal oxidation

Niobium oxides have been reported as an alternative to tantalum, and its oxide, for the production of capacitors, but these materials still require a further and exhaustive study. Understanding the dynamics of the oxidation process from NbO to Nb₂O₅ is essential to explain and control the properties of a niobium oxide based capacitors. In situ XRD analysis of NbO powders was performed from 100 to 1100 °C, which showed a temperature range where only amorphous phase is present. The capacitor anodes, formed from the same type of NbO powders, were then heat-treated in air from room-temperature (RT) to 550 °C and recorded with a video camera to see the colour shift. The presence of core–shell structures and the increase of the shell thickness/amount with temperature are visible in SEM. Finally, in situ spectroscopy studies were performed, in order to observe the interference spectra which are responsible for the observed colours.     

Direct displacement-based assessment with nonlinear soil–structure interaction for multi-span reinforced concrete bridges

A practical and readily implementable seismic assessment procedure for multi-span reinforced concrete bridges is introduced in this paper. The procedure is based on an existing direct displacement-based assessment (DDBA) approach, and accounts for nonlinear dynamic soil–structure interaction (NLSSI) effects. Several simplified bridge structures lying on shallow foundations have been used as application examples. The validation has been done by comparing DDBA+NLSSI with the results of finite-element nonlinear time-history simulations by means of incremental dynamic analysis. Moreover, the influence of NLSSI on the assessment procedure has been evaluated by considering the same bridges with fixed base and with NLSSI effects. In spite of its simplicity that presently prevents its use for complex bridge structures, the proposed procedure is found to provide fast and reliable results, useful to give a first-level screening on a large set of bridges for highlighting the most critical situations, as well as to carry out fast parametric analyses to produce fragility curves in the framework of performance-based vulnerability/risk assessment.     

Analysis of the Mechanical Behavior of Wood and Welded Wood under Tensile–Shear Loads Using a Modified Arcan Device

Abstract

The aim of this work was to analyze the possibility of using a modified Arcan device to characterize the mechanical behavior, under tensile–shear loads, of wood and of wood assemblies obtained using friction welding without any adhesive. This process is interesting as only friction energy is used to assemble the two pieces of wood; thus, the process is characterized by low environmental impact and by easier recycling at the end of the product’s life. For this assembly technique to become widespread in industry, it is necessary to develop numerical tools in order to predict the behavior of such assemblies under complex loads. Thus, it is also necessary to obtain a large data base of experimental results under various tensile–shear loads, in order to analyze the multi-axial mechanical behavior of such welded assemblies. However, few experimental devices have been proposed in the literature, and furthermore, very few papers in the literature analyze the complex mechanical behavior of wood. This paper describes the use of a modified Arcan test to analyze the behavior of wooden blocks and their welded assemblies. The stress state in the middle of the specimens used was not homogenous and, thus, finite element simulations were required to determine the stress distributions. These simulations were possible as the load transmitted by the tensile loading machine was known. Some experimental results are presented in the case of beech wood in a transversal direction.     

Effect of cobalt-60 γ radiation on the physical and chemical properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) polymer

The structural, optical, and morphological properties of Co⁶⁰ γ irradiation on poly(ethylene terephthalate) polymer samples were studied with X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The diffraction pattern of virgin sample showed that the polymer was semicrystalline in nature. However, because of irradiation, the crystallinity decreased up to a dose level of 110 kGy and increased up to 300 kGy. The crystallite size, strain, and dislocation were calculated from the XRD data, and the crystallite size decreased from 291.07 to 346.90 Å. The absorption edge shifted from 315 to 330 nm, and the band gap of the samples decreased from 3.79 to 3.66 eV. The SEM micrographs showed radial bulging along with inhomogeneous liner exfoliation, and also, a rocky shape pattern with different sizes was observed. A significant change was found in the Raman spectra of the γ-irradiated polymer at the highest dose. The results of the structural, optical, and morphological studies show recovery characteristics at the highest dose level of 300 kGy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation and characterization of crosslinked chitosan microspheres for the colonic delivery of 5-fluorouracil

In this work, we attempted to develop a simple and inexpensive colon specific pulsatile drug-delivery system using chitosan microspheres loaded with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) using an enteric-coated soft gelatin capsule. Chemical crosslinking by glutaraldehyde and interactions between the polymer and the drug were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectral study. Scanning electron microscopy of the microspheres revealed spherical shapes with smooth surfaces. Differential scanning calorimetry studies confirmed the molecular dispersion of the drug in the polymer matrix. Three different formulations (i.e., F1, F2, and F3) were prepared by the variation of the amount of 5-FU. Encapsulation efficiencies of 5.5, 10.8, and 17.9% for drug loadings of 10, 20, and 50%, respectively, were obtained. In vitro release studies were conducted at pH 1.2 and pH 7.4 (to simulate actual gastrointestinal fluid and gastrointestinal tract conditions, respectively). The results indicate that chitosan microspheres released 5-FU in both acidic (60%) and basic pH (40%) conditions, whereas the capsule (filled with chitosan microspheres) showed only 8–10% release in acidic media and nearly 90% in basic media within 12 h. The newly designed pulsatile capsule device could be used for targeting 5-FU to the colon. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

SCC modification by use of amorphous nano-silica

In this study two different types of nano-silica (nS) were applied in self-compacting concrete (SCC), both having similar particle size distributions (PSD), but produced through two different processes: fumed powder silica and precipitated silica in colloidal suspension. The influence of nano-silica on SCC was investigated with respect to the properties of concrete in fresh (workability) and hardened state (mechanical properties and durability). Additionally, the densification of the microstructure of the hardened concrete was verified by SEM and EDS analyses. The obtained results demonstrate that nano-silica efficiently used in SCC can improve its mechanical properties and durability. Considering the reactivity of the two applied nano-silicas, the colloidal type showed a higher reactivity at early age, which influenced the final SCC properties.     

Nanoindentation study of calcium silicate hydrates in concrete produced with effective microorganisms-based bioplasticizer

The mechanical properties of concrete produced with effective microorganisms (EM)-based bioplasticizer are investigated by means of statistical nanoindentation, and compared to the nanomechanical properties of concrete produced with ordinary superplasticizer (SP). The resort to nanoindentation enables to survey the elasticity, hardness and long-term logarithmic relaxation behavior of calcium silicate hydrates (C–S–H) after few minutes only. For each material, a cluster analysis of the experimental results yields groupings of indents likely performed on C–S–H with distinct packing densities. It is found that the addition of EM-based bioplasticizer improves the strength of C–S–H by enhancing the cohesion and friction of solid nanograins, and decreases the absolute rate of long-term relaxation. The statistical analysis of indentation results also suggests that EM-based bioplasticizer inhibits the precipitation of C–S–H of higher density. The findings of this work corroborate the results of a previous study which attributed an increase of homogeneity and a refinement of the crystalline structure of silicate phases to the effect of a biomodifier similar to EM-based bioplasticizer. The improvement of strength properties of C–S–H is also shown to coincide with a gain of compressive strength measured at the macroscale of EM-based concrete.     

Investigation on compressibility of Al–SiC composite powders

Abstract

The consolidation behaviour of particulate reinforced metal matrix composite powders during cold uniaxial compaction in a rigid die was studied. Al–SiC powder mixtures with varying SiC particle size, ranging from nanoscale (50 nm) to microscale (40 µm), at different volume fractions up to 30% were used. Based on the experimental results, the effect of the reinforcement particles on the densification mechanisms, i.e. particle rearrangement and plastic deformation, was studied using modified Cooper–Eaton equation. It was found that by increasing the reinforcement volume fraction or decreasing its size, the contribution of particle rearrangement on the densification increases while the plastic deformation becomes restricted. In fact, when percolation network of the ultrafine reinforcement particles is formed, the rearrangement could be the dominant mechanism of consolidation. It was also shown that at tap condition and at the early stage of compaction where the particle rearrangement is dominant, the highest density is achieved when the reinforcement particle size is properly lower than the matrix (0˙3<the size ratio<0˙5) and the fraction of hard particles is relatively low (<10%). At high compaction pressures, the reinforcement particles significantly influence the yield pressure of composite powders, thereby retarding the densification.     

Microstructure evolution of directionally solidified Nb–Si alloy

Abstract

By taking the method of liquid–metal cooled directional solidification, alloys with a nominal composition of Nb–14Si–24Ti–10Cr–2Al–2Hf (at-%) were prepared under different conditions. Alloys were initially directional solidified with different withdrawal rates (R?=?1·2, 6, 18 mm min^?1) at 1750°C and subsequently heat treated at 1450°C for 10 h. These processes aimed to investigate the microstructure of directionally solidified (DS) and heat treated (HT) alloys by XRD, SEM, and EDS. The microstructure of DS alloy was composed of (Nb,Ti)_SS, (Nb,Ti)₅Si₃, and Laves phase Cr₂Nb, and the former two components formed (Nb,Ti)_SS+(Nb,Ti)₅Si₃ eutectics. In addition, (Nb,Ti)₅Si₃ laths only presented in DS1·2 alloy. With the increasing withdrawal rates, the microstructure of alloy altered from hypereutectic into pseudo-eutectic, accompanied with the eutectic morphology transformation from petaloid into coupled. Also, the dimension of constituent phases reduced. However, after heat treatment, the constituent phases did not change. The petaloid morphology of eutectics in DS specimens disappeared and coupled eutectic transferred into network. The block or needle-like Cr₂Nb gathered along the boundary between (Nb,Ti)₅Si₃ and (Nb,Ti)_SS, and the overall alloy composition became homogenisation.     

Robert Louis Stevenson and the Portrait Photographers

This article is prompted by the remarkable characteristic of nineteenth-century Scotland that circumstances congregate to give an unprecedentedly generous or democratic view of life. Four forms of communication – the statistical accounts, which were followed by the British census records, the boom in publishing, especially in newspapers and journals, and inexpensive communication promoted by the penny post, even the information in street directories and advertisements – all combine with the exploitation of photography to give us insights, which can be disconcertingly specific, acting as occasional spotlights on the landscape. This article is prompted by one particular letter from Robert Louis Stevenson, written when he was a young man, and is followed through two lines of connected thought: the practice of studio photography in Scotland and Stevenson's continuing interest in the photographic portrait.