Miscibility of poly(p-vinyl phenol) with polymethacrylates

Summary Poly(p-vinyl phenol) is miscible with poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(n-propyl methacrylate), poly(isopropyl methacrylate), and poly(tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate), but is immiscible with poly(n-butyl methacrylate). Except for poly(p-vinyl phenol)/ poly(methyl methacrylate) blends, the other miscible blends show pronounced positive deviations in their glass transition temperatures. The T_g-composition curves of the five miscible blend systems can be described by the Gordon-Taylor and the Kwei equations.     

Stress analysis of nano porous material using computed tomography images

Sintered silver materials possess an advantage that allows excellent bonding between chips and their substrate. Stress manifests as the materials resistance against external and internal forces, however during stress analysis the complex physical behavior caused by the forces and the nature of the material is often disregarded by researchers. This paper analyses the stress behavior of nano porous sintered silver in X and Y directions using finite element modelling. This study also focuses on observing the growth of the crack in samples in different directions. It is found that the occurrence of the cracks in the specimens starts at the peak stress point and the failure is observed at the largest void. It is also detected that the stress across the whole area of the model is regularly distributed in those samples which have relatively smaller voids. Thus, these samples have a better material integrity. In addition, this fact indicates that the material in these sample could hold higher levels of stress. Finally, the level of the stress and the possibility of failure in those samples that have smaller voids is found to be less than others.     

The study on the properties of TiCxN1−x coatings processed by cathodic arc physical vapour deposition

Titanium carbonitride (TiCN) is a popular hard coating for carbide cutting tools in various applications. The properties of TiCN are within its composition and can be controlled by maintaining the C–N ratio within the coating to a certain level. This paper studied the influence of carbon content and coating composition within TiC_xN_1?x coatings with regard to their mechanical properties. The substrate used was tungsten carbide (WC-6Co), which was prepared in-house through a powder metallurgy process, while the TiC_xN_1?x coatings were deposited in-house using cathodic arc physical vapour deposition (CAPVD). TiC_xN_1?x coatings improved the mechanical properties of carbide inserts. An increase in carbon content within TiC_xN_1?x coatings improved surface lubricity, reduced coefficient of friction, improved surface microhardness and increased Young's modulus, but reduced thermal conductivity of carbide inserts. The colour of TiC_xN_1?x coatings also changed with carbon content.     

Bioactive components,ABTS radical scavenging capacity and physical stability of orange,yellow and purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) powder processed by convection‐ or vacuum‐drying methods

This study aims to investigate the antioxidant properties and physical stability of convection‐ or vacuum‐dried orange, yellow and purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) powder upon room temperature storage at different relative humidity (RH) of 33%, 43%, 54% and 75% for 25 days. Both convection and vacuum‐dried samples had lower total phenolic content (TPC), anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity compared to the fresh samples. Vacuum‐dried powder retained higher antioxidant activity than convection‐dried powder. Storage of the powder at high RH of 75% resulted in apparent clump formation, which was likely attributed to the decrease of glass transition temperature (T_g). In general, purple sweet potato powder contained the highest TPC (255.0 mg GAE 100 g DW^?1) and antioxidant activity (1924.0 μmol TEAC 100 g DW^?1), while orange powder had the highest beta‐carotene content (127.2 mg 100 g DW^?1). Vacuum‐dried sweet potato powder, which has relatively higher antioxidant activity, could be a potential functional ingredient or natural colourant for the food industry.     

Effect of juice concentration on storage stability,betacyanin degradation kinetics,and sensory acceptance of red-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) juice

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of red-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) juice concentration on betacyanin degradation kinetics and sensory acceptance. The samples stored at 4°C were comparatively stable compared to 25°C in terms of betacyanin retention, and yeast and mold growth. The loss of betacyanin in red-fleshed dragon fruit juice and concentrate at 25, 37, and 45°C were of first-order reaction. The drink reconstituted from red-fleshed dragon fruit concentrate showed better acceptability in terms of sweetness, flavor, and overall acceptability. The current study demonstrated improved betacyanin retention and sensory acceptance of red-fleshed dragon fruit juice via juice concentration.     

Augmented reality assisted facility layout digitization and planning

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - Facility layout planning (FLP) has an important role in manufacturing industries. There are few approaches to solve FLP such as procedural,...     

Cocoa Butter Substitute (CBS) Produced from Palm Mid-fraction/Palm Kernel Oil/Palm Stearin for Confectionery Fillings

This study investigated the physicochemical properties of ternary mixtures of palm mid-fraction (PMF):refined bleached deodorized palm kernel oil (RBDPKO):refined bleached deodorized palm stearin (RBDPS) for cocoa butter substitute (CBS). Fatty acid constituents, triacylglycerol constituents, solid fat contents (SFCs), melting behavior, polymorphism and crystal morphology were determined using gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (p-NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and polarized light microscopy (PLM), respectively. Eight blends of various ratios of ternary mixtures were investigated based on the previously studied binary fat mixtures. The composition of palmitic (P) and oleic (O), POP, and crystal morphology (size and shape) of the PMF/RBDPKO/RBDPS [14.9/59.6/25.5 (%w/w)] mixture were comparable to cocoa butter (CB), while its melting profile (18.5 and 37 °C), SFC at 20 °C and polymorphism were different from CB. The iso-solid diagrams of the mixture displayed a monotectic effect at 20–25 °C. Therefore, the 14.9/59.6/25.5 PMF/RBDPKO/RBDPS mixture could be used as a CBS in confectionery fillings because of the crystal morphology and monotectic behaviors comparable to those of CB.     

Heating rate dependent delamination of metal–polymer interfaces: experiments and modeling

Bimaterial interfaces in microelectronics packages are the most common regions of failure under thermo-mechanical excursions. In this work, we report experimentally observed role of heating rate on the delamination initiation and propagation across a metal-polymer interface in a microelectronic package. We observe that the rate of delamination propagation increases with increasing heating rate. When the heating rate increases, in addition to the higher amount of delamination growth per unit time, experimental results suggests that higher growth will also incur per unit temperature (loading). Correspondingly, the temperature at which complete delamination occur decreases. Using finite element modeling with cohesive interfaces, we provide a plausible explanation to this observed phenomenon. The analyses indicate that the mechanical behavior of the bimaterial interface is sensitive to both temperature and thermal rate.