Geopolymer concrete-filled pultruded composite beams – Concrete mix design and application

The limited research on the geopolymer concrete mix design for targeting a specific strength is identified an obstacle for their effective design and wide use. In this paper, a mix design procedure has been proposed for fly-ash based geopolymer concrete and its use as infill hybrid composite beam is investigated. Then, the structural performance of geopolymer concrete filled hybrid composite beam is investigated to determine their possible application in civil infrastructure. Firstly, a detailed procedure of mix design for fly-ash based geopolymer concrete is presented. Secondly, three hybrid beams filled with geopolymer concrete were prepared and tested in a four-point bending setup to evaluate their flexural modulus and modulus of rupture. Numerical and analytical evaluation of the behaviour of hybrid beam were performed and results showed a good agreement with the experimental investigation. Thirdly, the suitability of the beam for a composite railway sleeper is evaluated and compared with existing timber and composite sleepers. Finally, the beams’ performance in a ballast railway track is analysed using Strand7 finite element simulation software and the results showed that the new concept of using geopolymer concrete as infill to pultruded composite section satisfied the stiffness and strength requirements for a railway sleeper.     

Moving Least-Squares Differential Quadrature Method for Free Vibration of Antisymmetric Laminates

In this paper, the moving least-squares differential quadrature (MLSDQ) method is employed for free vibration of thick antisymmetric laminates based on the first-order shear deformation theory. The generalized displacements of the laminates are independently approximated with the centered moving least-squares (MLS) technique within each domain of influence. The MLS nodal shape functions and their partial derivatives are computed quickly through back-substitutions after only one LU decomposition. Subsequently, the weighting coefficients in the MLSDQ discretization are determined with the nodal partial derivatives of the MLS shape functions. The MLSDQ method combines the merits of both the differential quadrature and meshless methods which can be conveniently applied to complex domains and irregular discretizations without loss of implementation efficiency and numerical accuracy. The natural frequencies of the laminates with various edge conditions, ply angles, and shapes are calculated and compared with the existing solutions to study the numerical accuracy and stability of the MLSDQ method. Effects of support size, order of completeness of basis functions, and node irregularity on the numerical accuracy are investigated in detail.     

Gamma-irradiation-induced Ag/SiO2 composite films and their optical absorption properties

Small Ag particles or clusters dispersed mesoporous SiO₂ composite films were prepared by a new method: First the matrix SiO₂ films were prepared by sol-gel process combined with the dip-coating technique, then they were soaked in AgNO₃ solutions followed by irradiation of γ-ray at room temperature and in ambient pressure. The structures of these films were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and optical absorption spectroscopy. It has been shown that the Ag particles grown within the porous SiO₂ films are very small, and they are isolated and dispersed from each other with very narrow size distributions. With increasing the soaking concentration and an additional annealing, an opposite peakshift effect of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was observed in the optical absorption measurements.     

Influence of the ethylene–(methacrylic acid)–Zn2+ ionomer on the thermal and mechanical properties of blends of poly(propylene) (PP)/ethylene–(vinyl alcohol) copolymer (EVOH)

The thermal and mechanical properties and the morphologies of blends of poly(propylene) (PP) and an ethylene–(vinyl alcohol) copolymer (EVOH) and of blends of PP/EVOH/ethylene–(methacrylic acid)–Zn²⁺ ionomer were studied to establish the influence of the ionomer addition on the compatibilization of PP/EVOH blends and on their properties. The oxygen transmission rate (O₂TR) values of the blends were measured as well. PP and EVOH are initially incompatible as was determined by tensile tests and scanning electronic microscopy. Addition of the ionomer Zn²⁺ led to good compatibility and mechanical behaviour was improved in all blends. The mechanical properties on extruded films were studied for 90/10 and 80/20 w/w PP/EVOH blends compatibilized with 10 % of ionomer Zn²⁺. These experiments have shown that the tensile properties are better than in the injection‐moulded samples. The stretching during the extrusion improved the compatibility of the blends, diminishing the size of EVOH domains and enhancing their distribution in the PP matrix. As was to be expected, the EVOH improved the oxygen permeation of the films, even in compatibilized blends. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Onset of buoyancy-driven convection in melting from below

When a horizontal homogeneous solid is melted from below, convection can be induced in a thermally unstable melt layer. In this study the onset of buoyancy-driven convection during time-dependent melting is investigated by using similarly transformed disturbance equations. The critical Rayleigh numbers based on the melt-layer thickness are found numerically for various conditions. For small superheats, the present predictions approach the well known results of classical Rayleigh-Bénard problems, that is, critical Rayleigh numbers are located between 1,296 and 1,708, regardless of the Prandtl number. However, for high superheats the critical Rayleigh number increases with an increase in phase change rate but with decrease in Prandtl number.     

Improved Matrix-Filler Adhesion

Enhanced matrix-filler adhesion is realized after filler treatment with a surface treatment process. The hydrosol/coupling agent treatment was applied to a wide range of inorganic and organic fillers, and adhesion to a variety of matrix resins was improved. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the locus of failure in the filled systems. The locus of failure shows the relative degree of adhesion between the filler and the polymer matrix. Significant improvement in adhesion in humid environments is also observed.     

LaCrMnNiO系热敏陶瓷的微观结构控制

通过对不同配方、工艺下的ＬａＣｒＭｎＮｉＯ系热敏陶瓷的微观结构研究，指出材料的相组成对其宏观电性能的影响，并提出了通过复合工艺利用“过渡相”的形成，对材料的“最终相”加以控制的方法。文中列出了使用ＸＲＤ及ＸＰＳ手段对材料微观结构的分析结果及有关电性能的测试数据。