Effect of Plasma Treatment on the Adhesion of Carbon Fibers to Thermoplastic Polymers

A study has been made of the effect of RF plasmas on the adhesion of carbon fibers to polycarbonate and polysulfone. Treatment in oxygen plasma significantly increased the adhesion to both polymers. The effect is lost if the treated fiber is stored in air for a week. Surface analysis using XPS indicated an increase in atom percent oxygen but the spectra were unchanged for the stored fibers even though there had been a significant loss in adhesion. It is suggested that oxygen surface functionality is responsible for the improved adhesion but that this surface activation is lost on storage. Due to a sampling depth of 5-10 nm, XPS would not be expected to detect this small change in surface functionality.     

RETARDATION OF OXIDATIVE COLOR CHANGES IN RAW GROUND BEEF

SUMMARY— Ascorbic acid plus either BHA or PG effectively retarded both lipid and pigment oxidation in raw ground beef for up to 8 days of refrigerator storage in oxygen-permeable film. Both trained and consumer-type panels judged the additive-treated meat to be significantly better than controls. Percent metmyoglobin was found to be a useful objective measurement of color in raw beef, but total pigment concentration did not provide an adequate evaluation of color. Treatment with these additives did not appear to mask bacterial spoilage.     

Thermodynamic Analysis of the Cu-As-S-(O) System Relevant to Sulfuric Acid Baking of Enargite at 473 K (200 °C)

While the growing demand for copper has compelled the industry to adapt new technologies for the treatment of copper-arsenic (enargite) concentrates, the refractory nature of such concentrates combined with the troublesome presence of arsenic has created a major metallurgical and environmental challenge. Preliminary results of the acid bake-leach process at the University of Utah have shown some potential advantages for the treatment of enargite concentrates. While the transformation of enargite to copper sulfate, arsenolite, and elemental sulfur has already been established experimentally, thermodynamic evaluation of the sulfuric acid baking process provides further understanding which should be useful. In this article, the available thermodynamic data for the species involved in the Cu-As-S-O system are compiled. These data were used to calculate the phase stability (Kellogg) diagrams as well as equilibrium compositions at 473 K (200 °C) using the STABCAL and HSC Chemistry^® 5.1 software packages. The equilibrium composition calculations indicate that enargite can transform to copper sulfate either directly or through chalcocite and/or covellite. The major gaseous species during baking were found to be SO₂ and H₂O. The results of the thermodynamic calculations were further compared with two confirmatory baking experiments involving a high-quality enargite sample. The condensed reaction products from sulfuric acid baking based on XRD results include CuSO₄, As₂O₃, CuO·CuSO₄, and S₈ under both neutral and oxidative conditions. While all these compounds were predicted through equilibrium calculations, some of the predicted compounds were not detected in the sulfuric acid-baked enargite. None of the calculations indicated any appreciable amounts of arsenic-bearing gases at the baking temperature of 473 K (200 °C). Consistent with thermodynamic predictions, no H₂S gas was detected during the sulfuric acid baking experiment. Approximately, 80 pct of the baked enargite samples were leached in water.     

Quantitative measurements of CO2 and CH4 using a multipass Raman capillary cell

Raman measurements of two common gases are made using a simple multipass capillary Raman cell (MCC) coupled to an unfiltered 18 around 1 fiber-optic Raman probe. The MCC, which is fabricated by chemical deposition of silver on the inner walls of a 2 mm inner diameter glass capillary tube, gives up to 20-fold signal enhancements for nonabsorbing gases. The device is relatively small and suitable for remote and in situ Raman measurements with optical fibers. The optical behavior of the MCC is similar to previously described liquid-core waveguides and hollow metal-coated waveguides used for laser transmission, but unlike the former devices, the MCC is generally applicable to a very wide range of nonabsorbing gases.     

Demonstration of a laser vorticity probe in turbulent boundary layers

A laser-based probe for the nonintrusive measurement of velocity gradient and vorticity was demonstrated in turbulent boundary layers. Unlike most other optical methods, the current technique provides an estimate of the velocity gradient, without having to first measure velocity at multiple points. The measurement principle is based on the heterodyne of coherent light scattered from two adjacent particles. The beat frequency of the heterodyne is directly proportional to the velocity gradient. The probe is assembled from commercially available, inexpensive optical components. A laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) processor is used to analyze the heterodyne signal. A component of vorticity is obtained by using two appropriately aligned velocity gradient probes. The optical probes developed were used in turbulent boundary layers to measure local, time-frozen velocity gradients partial differential u / partial differential y, partial differential v / partial differential x, and partial differential v / partial differential y, as well as the spanwise vorticity. The measurements were compared to those inferred from LDV measurements in the same facility and to data available in the literature.     

Angular measurement of acoustic reflection coefficient for substrate materials and layered structures by V(z) technique

An experimental method to evaluate the acoustic reflection coefficient as a function of the incident angle R(θ) for substrate materials or layered structures is presented. By measuring the acoustic material signature V(z) using a highly focused acoustic lens or transducer at normal incidence, the reflection coefficient R(θ) can be reconstructed from the FFT of the complex V(z) signal (amplitude and phase of the echo). This technique has a great simplicity for the experimental procedure of R(θ) measurement. It overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional method where the finite-aperture plane beam reduces the angular precision and causes the unexpected non-specular reflection at critical incident angles. Results are given for different substrate materials, single plates and a three-layered bonded joint, and are compared to theoretical predictions.     

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF HETEROGENEOUS TRAFFIC ON AN INTEGRATED NETWORK LINK WITH FINITE WAITING ROOM AND ANTICIPATED-RELEASE RESERVATION POLICY

We consider a system where the superposition of two heterogeneous Poisson traffic streams is offered to an integrated network link in synchronous transfer mode, where one stream follows the blocked-and-cleared mode (‘loss’ mode) and the other can wait (finitely) if bandwidth is not available for connection at the time of arrival (‘hold’ mode). We assume that each stream has different bandwidth requirements per call. A reservation scheme, called anticipated-release policy, is introduced where an arrival is accepted into a waiting room only if the amount of time this customer is expected to wait is within acceptable limits. For such a loss/hold system, we provide analytical performance models for exponential service time distributions for both streams as well as for the non-exponential service time distribution case for the traffic stream in ‘hold’ mode. We also present a method on how to model the waiting time distribution of the traffic stream with ‘hold’ mode. From numerical studies, we observe that blocking can be reduced considerably for both services just by introducing a small waiting room for one traffic class compared to ‘loss’ mode for both traffic classes. Furthermore, this holds true for the case when a maximum tolerable time limit is imposed on the waiting. Finally, our results indicate that this loss/hold scenario with limited waiting room appears to be virtually insensitive to the service time distribution of the ‘hold’ mode traffic.     

Effect of trisodium citrate on rheological and physical properties and microstructure of yogurt

The effect of trisodium citrate (TSC) on the rheological and physical properties and microstructure of yogurt was investigated. Reconstituted skim milk was heated at 85° C for 30 min, and various concentrations (5 to 40 mM) of TSC were added to the milk, which was then readjusted to pH 6.50. Milk was inoculated with 2% yogurt culture and incubated at 42° C until pH was 4.6. Acid-base titration was used to determine changes in the state of colloidal calcium phosphate (CCP) in milk. Total and soluble Ca contents of the milk were determined. The storage modulus (G′) and loss tangent (LT) values of yogurts were measured as a function of pH using dynamic oscillatory rheology. Large deformation rheological properties were also measured. Microstructure of yogurt was observed using confocal scanning laser microscopy, and whey separation was also determined. Addition of TSC reduced casein-bound Ca and increased the solubilization of CCP. The G′ value of gels significantly increased with addition of low levels of TSC, and highest G′ values were observed in samples with 10 to 20 mM TSC; higher ( > 20 mM) TSC concentrations resulted in a large decrease in G′ values. The LT of yogurts increased after gelation to attain a maximum at pH ∼5.1, but no maximum was observed in yogurts made with ≥ 25 mM of TSC because CCP was completely dissolved prior to gelation. Partial removal of CCP resulted in an increase in the LT value at pH 5.1. At low TSC levels, the removal of CCP crosslinks may have facilitated greater rearrangement and molecular mobility of the micelle structure, which may have helped to increase G′ and LT values of gels by increasing the formation of crosslinks between strands. At high TSC concentrations the micelles were completely disrupted and CCP crosslinks were dissolved, both of which resulted in very weak yogurt gels with large pores obvious in confocal micrographs. Gelation pH and yield stress significantly decreased with the use of high TSC levels. Lowest whey separation levels were observed in yogurt made with 20 mM TSC, and whey separation greatly increased at > 25 mM TSC. In conclusion, low concentrations of TSC improved several important yogurt characteristics, whereas the use of levels that disrupted casein micelles resulted in poor gel properties. We also conclude that the LT maximum observed in yogurts made from heated milk is due to the presence of CCP because the modification of the CCP content altered this peak and the removal of CCP eliminates this feature in the LT profiles.     

Effect of Plasma Treatment on the Adhesion of Carbon Fibers to Thermoplastic Polymers

A study has been made of the effect of RF plasmas on the adhesion of carbon fibers to polycarbonate and polysulfone. Treatment in oxygen plasma significantly increased the adhesion to both polymers. The effect is lost if the treated fiber is stored in air for a week. Surface analysis using XPS indicated an increase in atom percent oxygen but the spectra were unchanged for the stored fibers even though there had been a significant loss in adhesion. It is suggested that oxygen surface functionality is responsible for the improved adhesion but that this surface activation is lost on storage. Due to a sampling depth of 5-10 nm, XPS would not be expected to detect this small change in surface functionality.