Orientation in uniaxially drawn polystyrene plasticized by CO2 sorption

Uniaxial drawing experiments of the polystyrene films plasticized by a sorption of compressed CO₂ gas at pressures up to about 18 MPa were carried out with strain rates ε of 0.0290 and 0.0079 s^?1. The drawing was performed successfully with draw ratio λ up to 4 at the temperatures of 308.15, 318.15, 328.15, and 338.15 K. The Hermans orientation function f of the drawn samples was determined from the dichroic ratio measured by an infrared spectrophotmeter. While f value increases with increasing ε or λ, it decreases with increasing CO₂ pressure or temperature. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Hydrothermal Formation of Hydroxyapatite Layers on the Surface of Type-A Zeolite

Type-A zeolite evenly covered with hydroxyapatite thin layers was prepared using hydrothermal treatment at 120°C for 8 h under autogenous pressure. The hydroxyapatite needlelike nanocrystals, 100–200 nm in diameter and 30 nm in thickness, were grown under the reaction between discharged Ca²⁺ ions from type-A zeolite and PO₄³⁻ ions in (NH₄)₃PO₄ solution. The preferential orientations of the c -axis of hydroxyapatite crystals perpendicular to a zeolite surface were observed using transmission electron microscopy. The crystal structure of type-A zeolite was not destroyed under the reaction, but the surface morphology was changed only with complete covering of scaly hydroxyapatite particles.     

Study of performance characteristics of a small Stirling refrigerator

A prototype Stirling cycle refrigerator employing helium as a working fluid was investigated to determine whether a freon‐free machine was a viable alternative for the current household refrigerator. A displacer‐type or β‐type Stirling cycle machine of 100‐W capacity was designed and tested using varying design parameters such as dead volume ratio, working fluids, the ratio of the compression volume to the expansion volume, and the phase difference between a power piston and displacer. The detrimental effect of the dead space on the refrigeration capacity was confirmed. The refrigeration produced by nitrogen in an expansion space was 28% less than that produced by helium. The optimum volume ratio and the phase difference for maximum refrigeration was determined under the design operation conditions. Moreover, the refrigeration correlation formula as a function of these parameters was obtained. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 31(5): 344–361, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.10033     

Purification and characterization of an esterase involved in poly(vinyl alcohol) degradation by Pseudomonas vesicularis PD

An esterase catalyzing the hydrolysis of acetyl ester moieties in poly(vinyl alcohol) was purified 400-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity from the cytoplasmic fraction of Pseudomonas vesicularis PD, which was capable of assimilating poly(vinyl alcohol) as the sole carbon and energy source. The purified enzyme was a homodimeric protein with a molecular mass of 80 kDa and the isoelectric point was 6.8. The pH and temperature optima of the enzyme were 8.0 and 45 degrees C. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of side chains of poly(vinyl alcohol), short-chain p-nitrophenyl esters, 2-naphthyl acetate, and phenyl acetate, and was slightly active toward aliphatic esters. The enzyme was also active toward the enzymatic degradation products, acetoxy hydroxy fatty acids, of poly(vinyl alcohol). The K(m) and Vmax of poly(vinyl alcohol) (degree of polymerization, 500; saponification degree, 86.5-89.0 mol%) and p-nitrophenyl acetate were 0.381% (10.6 mM as acetyl content in the polymer) and 2.56 microM, and 6.52 and 12.6 mumol/min/mg, respectively. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluorophosphate at a concentration of 5 mM, which indicated that the enzyme was a serine esterase. The pathway for the metabolism of poly(vinyl alcohol) is also discussed.     

Patterning of fine particles by means of supercritical CO2

A new method for positioning fine particles on surfaces has been developed. Supercritical CO₂-assisted printing (SCAP) was utilized to spray and deposit the prepared particles on solid substrates. By means of masks, regular arrays of the particles were successfully created in designed patterns. Typical size of the particles employed was in the range of submicrometers to micrometers. Supercritical CO₂ (sc-CO₂) acted as an effective dispersion and transportation medium in this process. Good dispersion state of the particles was achieved by stirring in sc-CO₂. Fabrications of fine patterns of solder particles and other ceramic powders on smooth plates were demonstrated. Under optimum operation conditions, fine structures of 30 μm in width can be formed in a minimal pitch of 60 μm. Ultra high yield of the patterning was obtained since the deposition rate could be as high as 100 μm per second. Main factors affecting the process were discussed. The research results indicate that the SCAP is a potential approach to the organization of fine particles into microstructures. Hopefully, it may find wide industrial applications where lithography is needed, such as solder printing in surface mounting technology for higher density electronics and thick film fabrication for miniature systems.     

Development of Concrete Bridge Rating Prototype Expert System with Machine Learning

Efforts to develop practical expert systems have mostly concentrated on how to implement experience-based machine learning successfully. Recently several active research projects on machine learning have been undertaken from the viewpoint of knowledge-based management. The aim of this study is to develop the Concrete Bridge Rating (Diagnosis) Prototype Expert System with machine learning, employing the combination of a neural network and bidirectional associative memories (BAM). The introduction of machine learning into this system facilitates knowledge-based refinement. By applying the system to an actual in-service bridge, it has been verified that the machine learning method employed that uses the results of questionnaire surveys involving bridge experts is effective for the system.     

Modal Logic to Evaluate a Knowledge-Based Bridge Rating System

Knowledge acquisition has been recognized as a major bottleneck in the development of effective knowledge-based systems in recent years. Therefore, many researchers are investigating knowledge-acquisition methodologies to overcome this problem. In this article, a flexible method for expressing empirical knowledge related to bridge rating acquired from questionnaires filled out by bridge rating experts is proposed by relating the knowledge to a membership function based on fuzzy-set theory. In this method, a membership function is regarded as a possibility distribution based on a theory of possibility, and an apparent possibility distribution expressed by an extended II function is transformed into possibility measure distribution and necessity measure distribution utilizing a concept of modal logic. Furthermore, the proposed method has been applied to a questionnaire survey conducted to evaluate the serviceability of an existing bridge. The validity of the method has been verified through comparison between the subjective rating results acquired from application of the method and objective rating results obtained from nondestructive tests conducted for evaluating the serviceability of the same bridge.