Electrospun fiber membranes from blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) with fouling‐resistant zwitterionic copolymers

Nonwoven super‐hydrophobic fiber membranes have potential applications in oil–water separation and membrane distillation, but fouling negatively impacts both applications. Membranes were prepared from blends comprising poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and random zwitterionic copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) or with sulfobetaine‐2‐vinylpyridine (SB2VP). PVDF imparts mechanical strength to the membrane, while the copolymers enhance fouling resistance. Blend composition was varied by controlling the PVDF‐to‐copolymer ratio. Nonwoven fiber membranes were obtained by electrospinning solutions of PVDF and the copolymers in a mixed solvent of N,N‐dimethylacetamide and acetone. The PVDF crystal phases and crystallinities of the blends were studied using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). PVDF crystallized preferentially into its polar β‐phase, though its degree of crystallinity was reduced with increased addition of the random copolymers. Thermogravimetry (TG) showed that the degradation temperatures varied systematically with blend composition. PVDF blends with either copolymer showed significant increase of fouling resistance. Membranes prepared from blends containing 10% P(MMA‐ran‐SB2VP) had the highest fouling resistance, with a fivefold decrease in protein adsorption on the surface, compared to homopolymer PVDF. They also exhibited higher pure water flux, and better oil removal in oil–water separation experiments. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fractal error for detecting man-made features in aerial images

A technique is proposed for aiding photointerpreters in detecting man-made features in aerial reconnaissance images. The technique, which uses a metric called fractal error, is based on the observed propensity of natural image features to fit a fractional Brownian motion model. Man-made features usually do not fit this model well, and consequently the fractal error metric may be used as a discriminant function for detecting man-made scene features     

Juvenile competence to stand trial evaluations: A survey of current practices and test usage among psychologists.

What is the current standard of practice for evaluations of juvenile competence to stand trial (JCST)? The present study surveyed psychologists regarding the practices used when conducting JCST evaluations. Respondents rated the importance of 17 elements that might be included in a JCST evaluation report. Of these elements, 7 were considered essential by 70% or more of respondents, with 9 additional elements rated as either essential or recommended. A majority of respondents felt that the use of psychological and forensic instruments was important. A list of tests used is provided, and the implications for the development of standards and policy are discussed to provide practitioners with additional knowledge that will help to further the state of the discipline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigation of Arrhenius acceleration factor for integrated circuit early life failure region with several failure mechanisms

Use of the Arrhenius equation for analysis of burn-in and life test data has been called into question in recent years. Validity of the Arrhenius activation energy is asserted to be restricted to only one failure mechanism. Therefore, if multiple failure mechanisms apply to an integrated circuit type, the temperature acceleration factor must be complex. In this study a model is constructed using the Weibull distribution for the failure rate applicable when there are multiple failure mechanisms. In this model a different Arrhenius activation energy corresponds to each failure mechanism. It is shown that under conditions expected to be valid for most integrated circuits, an empirical effective Arrhenius activation energy can be computed that is valid for life test data taken under typical conditions to better than 10%. This provides some justification for the continued usage of a simple Arrhenius equation as an empirical model to analyze life test data.     

THEORETICAL STUDY OF A NEW MATERIAL FOR FILTERS: AEROGELS

Aerogels are highly porous materials made by removing the liquid phase of a dilute suspension of solids by taking off the vapor under super-critical temperature and pressure conditions. The aerogel structure has a skeleton of nanometer-size elements forming pores that are tens of nanometers in dimension. In some cases the structure of the aerogel arises from clusters having fractal geometry. The collection efficiency and pressure drop for such material is predicted here from models in the literature. A quality factor is used to compare aerogel material with other filter materials. The quality factor relating gas filtration efficiency with pressure drop is predicted to be unusually high for these materials in comparison with other common fibrous filter media, predicting lower flow resistance for aerogels at equivalent particle collection efficiency levels.     

Structural and Superconducting Property Variations with Nominal Mg Non‐Stoichiometry in MgxB2 and Its Enhancement of Upper Critical Field

By applying a combination of characterisation tools, changes in structural and superconducting properties with nominal Mg non‐stoichiometry in Mg_xB₂ are found. The non‐stoichiometry produces enhanced in‐field critical current densities (J_c's) and upper critical field / irreversibility field (H_c2/H_irr(T)) values. Upper critical fields of ～ 21 T (4.2 K) were obtained in nominal Mg‐deficient samples compared to ～ 17 T (4.2 K) for near‐stoichiometric samples.     

Performance of natural‐fiber–plastic composites under stress for outdoor applications: Effect of moisture,temperature, and ultraviolet light exposure

The effects of moisture, temperature, and ultraviolet (UV) light on performance of natural‐fiber–plastic composites (NFPC) were assessed. We conducted short‐term tests in the laboratory and long‐term tests under natural exposure and measured changes in mechanical properties and color in samples of the composite. Chemical changes of the composite's materials were measured by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to elucidate the mechanisms of chemical transformations on the material surface. Relative humidity highly affected the modulus of rupture (MOR) and the modulus of elasticity (MOE), and had a greater effect than temperature and UV exposure on performance of the composite. The lightness of the composite was increased by the UV effect in the short‐ and the long‐term tests. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis suggested that the composite was protected by the UV absorber. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 2570–2577, 2006