Microstructure and interface thermal stability of C/Mo double-coated SiC fiber reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composites

C/Mo duplex coating interfacially modified SiC fiber-reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composite （SiCf/C/Mo/γ-TiA1） was prepared by foil-fiber-foil method to investigate its interfacial modification effect. SiCf/C/TiAl composites were also prepared under the same processing condition for comparision. Both kinds of the composites were thermally exposed in vacuum at 800 and 900℃ for different durations in order to study thermal stability of the interfacial zone. With the aids of scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, the interracial microstructures of the composites were investigated. The results reveal that, although adding the Mo coating, the interfacial reaction product of the SiCf/C/Mo/TiAl composite is the same with that of the SiCf/C/TiA1 composite, which is TiC/Ti2AlC between the coating and the matrix. However, C/Mo duplex coating is more efficient in hindering interfacial reaction than C single coating at 900 ℃ and below. In addition, a new layer of interfacial reaction product was found between Ti2AlC and the matrix after 900 ℃, 200 h thermal exposure, which is rich in V and close to the chemical composition of B2 phase.

Determination of interfacial adhesive properties for polymeric film by blister test

The interfacial adhesive properties ofpolypropylene/stainless steel were studied by the blister test. The polypropylene film with a squared free-standing window was pressured by oil from one side of film. The corresponding deformation field was observed by a digital speckle correlation method. The experimental results show that the squared film deforms and debonds from stainless steel with the increase of pressure. The debonding of the squared film in initiates from the center of edge and extends to the comer, and then the deformation of film evolves from square to circle shape. The interfacial adhesive energy of polypropylene/stainless steel is （22.60±1.55） J/m2, which is in agreement with that measured by film with a circular window.

Interfacial reactions and bending strength of SiC/A356/FeNi50 composite fabricated by gas pressure infiltration

The SiC/A356/FeNi50 composite was fabricated by gas pressure infiltration. The interfacial region of the SiC/A356/FeNi50 composite consisted of FeNi50 reaction layer, A1 reaction layer and A1 alloy matrix. The main intermetallic compounds were （Fe,Ni）a（A1,Sih3 and （Fe,Ni）2（A1,Si）5 at the A1 reaction layer and FeNi50 reaction layer, respectively. The bending behavior versus different infiltration temperatures and holding times was also investigated. The bending strength at 670 ~C was the highest and close to the bending strength of A1 alloy （223 MPa）, and 46% of SIC/A356. The brittle intermetallic compounds existing at the interface induced the decreasing of the bending strength. The pores were reduced by adequate heating time due to the homogeneous temperature of preform, which was beneficial to improve the bending strength of the composite.

Characterization of Rayleigh Convection in Interfacial Mass Transfer by Lattice Boltzmann Simulation and Experimental Verification

Concentration gradient induced Rayleigh convection can influence effectively interracial mass transfer processes, but the convection phenomena are known as mesoscopic and complex. In order to investigate this phenomenon, a two-equation Lattice Boltzmann Method （LBM） is proposed to simulate the velocity and the concentra-tion distributions of Rayleigh convection generated in the CO2 absorptlon into ethanol liquid.The simulated results on velocity distributions are experimentally verified by PIV （particle image velocimetry technique） measurements. In order to simplify the analysis, the convection in the simulation as well as in the experiment, the Rayleigh convection was manipulated into a single down flow pattern, The simulated results show that the concentration contours agree qualitatively with the schlieren images in the literature. The experimental and simulated results show that theRayleigh convection under investigation is dominated by the flow in the downward direction and impels exchange of the liquid between the interfacial vicinity and the liquid bulk promoting the renewal of interfacial liquid, and hence enhances mass transfer. The comparison between the simulated and experimental results demonstrated that the proposed LBM is a promising alternative for simulating mass transfer induced Rayleigh convection.

Influences of water treatment agents on oil-water interfacial properties of oilfield produced water

The emulsion stability of oilfield produced water is related to the oil-water interfacial film strength and the zeta potential of the oil droplets. We investigated the effects of water treatment agents （corrosion inhibitor SL-2, scale inhibitor HEDP, germicide 1227, and flocculant polyaluminium chloride PAC） on the stability of oilfield produced water. The influence of these treatment agents on oil-water interfacial properties and the mechanism of these agents acting on the oilfield produced water were studied by measuring the interfacial shear viscosity, interfacial tension and zeta electric potential. The results indicated that the scale inhibitor HEDP could increase the oil-water interfacial film strength, and it could also increase the absolute value of the zeta potential of oil droplets. HEDP played an important role in the stability of the emulsion. Polyaluminum chloride （PAC） reduced the stability of the emulsion by considerably decreasing the absolute value of the zeta potential of oil droplets. Corrosion inhibitor SL-2 and germicide 1227 could decrease the oil-water interfacial tension, whereas they had little influence on oil-water interfacial shear viscosity and oil-water interfacial electricity properties.

Tangent Resistance of Soil on Moldboard and the Mechanism of Resistance Reduction of Bionic Moldboard

The tangent resistance on the interface of the soil-moldboard is an important component of the resistance to moving soil . We developed simplified mechanical models to analyze this resistance. We found that it is composed of two components, the frictional and adhesive resistances. These two components originate from the soil pore, which induced a capillary suction effect, and the soil-moldboard contact area produced tangent adhesive resistance. These two components varied differently with soil moisture. Thus we predicted that resistance reduction against soil exerted on the non-smooth bionic moldboard is mainly due to the elimination of capillary suction and the reduction of physical-chemical adsorption of soil.

Fouling-resistant Composite Membranes for Separation of Oil-in-water Microemulsions

Fouling-resistant ceramic-supported polymer composite membranes were developed for removal of oil-in-water （O/W） mieroemulsions. The composite membranes were featured with an asymmetric three-layer structure, i.e., a porous ceramic membrane substrate, a polyvinylidene fluoride （PVDF） ultrafiltration sub-layer, and a polyamide/polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） composite thin top-layer. The PVDF polymer was east onto the tubular porous ceramic membranes with an immersion precipitation method, and the polyamide/PVA composite thin top-layer was fabricated with an inteffaeial polymerization method. The effects of the sub-layer composition and the recipe in the inteffaeial polymerization for fabricating the top-layer on the structure and performance of composite membranes were systematically investigated. The prepared composite membranes showed a good performance for treating the O/W microemulsions with a mean diameter of about 2.41μm. At the operating pressure of 0.4MPa, the hydraulic permeability remained steadily about 190L·m^-2·h^-1, the oil concentration in the permeate was less than 1.6mg·L^-1, and the oil rejection coefficient was always higher than 98.5% throughout the operation from the beginning.

Phase field investigation on the initial planar instability with surface tension anisotropy during directional solidification of binary alloys

Phase field investigation reveals that the stability of the planar interface is related to the anisotropic intensity of surface tension and the misorientation of preferred crystallographic orientation with respect to the heat flow direction. The large anisotropic intensity may compete to determine the stability of the planar interface. The destabilizing effect or the stabilizing effect depends on the misorientation. Moreover, the interface morphology of initial instability is also affected by the surface tension anisotropy.

Force-Field Derivation and Atomistic Simulation of HMX/Graphite Interface and Polycrystal Systems

Interface is the key issue to understand the performance of composite materials.In this work,we study the interface between octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine(HMX) and graphite,try to find out its contribution to mixture explosives.The work starts from the force-field derivation.We get ab initio based pair potentials across the interface,and then use them to study the interface structural and mechanical properties.A series of large scale molecular dynamics simulations are performed.The structure evolution,energy variation and elastic/plastic transformation of interface and polycrystal systems are calculated.The desensitizing mechanism of graphite to HMX is discussed.

Measurements of electron-phonon coupling factor and interfacial thermal resistance of metallic nano-films using a transient thermoreflectance technique

Using a transient thermoreflectance （TTR） technique, several Au films with different thicknesses on glass and SiC substrates are measured for thermal characterization of metMlic nano-films, including the electron phonon coupling factor G, interfazial thermal resistance R, and thermal conductivity Ks of the substrate. The rear heating-front detecting （RF） method is used to ensure the femtosecond temporal resolution. An intense laser beam is focused on the rear surface to heat the film, and another weak laser beam is focused on the very spot of the front surface to detect the change in the electron temperature. By varying the optical path delay between the two beams, a complete electron temperature profile can be scanned. Different from the normally used single-layer model, the double-layer model involving interfaciM thermal resistance is studied here. The electron temperature cooling profile can be affected by the electron energy transfer into the substrate or the electron-phonon interactions in the metallic films. For multiple-target optimization, the genetic algorithm （GA） is used to obtain both G and R. The experimental result gives a deep understanding of the mechanism of ultra-fast heat transfer in metals.

A set of Boussinesq-type equations for interfacial internal waves in two-layer stratified fluid

Many new forms of Boussinesq-type equations have been developed to extend the range of applicability of the classical Boussinesq equations to deeper water in the Study of the surface waves. One approach was used by Nwogu （1993. J. Wtrw. Port Coastal and Oc. Eng. 119, 618-638） to improve the linear dispersion characteristics of the classical Boussinesq equations by using the velocity at an arbitrary level as the velocity variable in derived equations and obtain a new form of Boussinesq-type equations, in which the dispersion property can be optimized by choosing the velocity variable at an adequate level. In this paper, a set of Boussinesq-type equations describing the motions of the interracial waves propagating alone the interface between two homogeneous incompressible and inviscid fluids of different densities with a free surface and a variable water depth were derived using a method similar to that used by Nwogu （1993. J. Wtrw. Port Coastal and Oc. Eng. 119, 618-638） for surface waves. The equations were expressed in terms of the displacements of free surface and density-interface, and the velocity vectors at arbitrary vertical locations in the upper layer and the lower layer （or depth-averaged velocity vector across each layer） of a two-layer fluid. As expected, the equations derived in the present work include as special cases those obtained by Nwogu （1993, J. Wtrw. Port Coastal and Oc. Eng. 119, 618-638） and Peregrine （1967, J. Fluid Mech. 27, 815-827） for surface waves when the density of the upper fluid is taken as zero.

Second-order random wave solutions for interfacial internal waves in N-layer density-stratified fluid

This paper studies the random internal wave equations describing the density interface displacements and the velocity potentials of N-layer stratified fluid contained between two rigid walls at the top and bottom. The density interface displacements and the velocity potentials were solved to the second-order by an expansion approach used by Longuet-Higgins （1963） and Dean （1979） in the study of random surface waves and by Song （2004） in the study of second- order random wave solutions for internal waves in a two-layer fluid. The obtained results indicate that the first-order solutions are a linear superposition of many wave components with different amplitudes, wave numbers and frequencies, and that the amplitudes of first-order wave components with the same wave numbers and frequencies between the adjacent density interfaces are modulated by each other. They also show that the second-order solutions consist of two parts： the first one is the first-order solutions, and the second one is the solutions of the second-order asymptotic equations, which describe the second-order nonlinear modification and the second-order wave-wave interactions not only among the wave components on same density interfaces but also among the wave components between the adjacent density interfaces. Both the first-order and second-order solutions depend on the density and depth of each layer. It is also deduced that the results of the present work include those derived by Song （2004） for second-order random wave solutions for internal waves in a two-layer fluid as a particular case.

Second-order random interfacial wave solutions for two-layer fluid with a free surface

A previous study （Song. 2004. Geophys Res Lett, 31 （15）：L15302） of the second-order solutions for random interracial waves is extended in a constant depth, two-layer fluid system with a rigid lid is extended into a more general case of two-layer fluid with a top free surface. The rigid boundary condition on the upper surface is replaced by the kinematical and dynamical boundary conditions of a free surface, and the equations describing the random displacements of free surface, density-interface and the associated velocity potentials in the two-layer fluid are solved to the second order using the same expansion technology as that of Song （2004. Geophys Res Lett, 31 （15）：L15302）. The results show that the interface and the surface will oscillate synchronously, and the wave fields to the first-order both at the free surface and at the density-interface are made up of a linear superposition of many waves with different amplitudes, wave numbers and frequencies. The second-order solutions describe the second-order wave-wave interactions of the surface wave components, the interface wave components and among the surface and the interface wave components. The extended solutions also include special cases obtained by Thorpe for progressive interracial waves （Thorpe. 1968a.Trans R Soc London, 263A：563～614） and standing interracial waves （Thorpe. 1968b. J Fluid Mech, 32：489-528） for the two-layer fluid with a top free surface. Moreover, the solutions reduce to those derived for random surface waves by Sharma and Dean （1979.Ocean Engineering Rep 20） if the density of the upper layer is much smaller than that of the lower layer.

Shielding effect and emission criterion of a screw dislocation near an interfacial blunt crack

Shielding effect and emission criterion of a screw dislocation near an interracial blunt crack are dealt with in this paper. Utilizing the conformal mapping technique, the closed-form solutions are derived for complex potentials and stress fields due to a screw dislocation located near the interracial blunt crack. The stress intensity factor on the crack tips and the critical stress intensity factor for dislocation emission are also calculated. The influence of the orientation of the dislocation and the morphology of the blunt crack as well as the material elastic dissimilarity on the shielding effect and the emission criterion is discussed in detail. The results show that positive screw dislocations can reduce the stress intensity factor of the interfacial blunt crack tip （shielding effect）. The shielding effect increases with the increase of the shear modulus of the lower half-plane, but it decreases with the increase of the dislocation azimuth angle. The critical loads at infinity for dislocation emission increases with the increase of emission angle and curvature radius of blunt crack tip, and the most probable angle for screw dislocation emission is zero. The present solutions contain previous results as special cases.

STRENGTH ANALYSIS OF CLAMPING IN MICRO/NANO SCALE EXPERIMENTS

Two kinds of clamping in micro/nano scale experiments are investigated in this paper, one based on electron-beam-induced deposition, and the other on the van der Waals interaction. The clamping strength and mechanism are analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. The influence of relative humidity on the micro/nano clamping and the method of electrostatic clamping are discussed. The clamping strength and performance of different clamping methods are compared considering the size and material of the clamped objects, and the application environments.

Improvement of the FRP Sheet Bonded to Concrete Substrate by Silane Coupling Agent

We experimentally studied the fine lightweight aggregate with the particle size range of 3.15-4.75 mm used as functional bridge between FRP sheet and concrete substrate. However, problems would appear and how to deal with the interfacial transition zone（ITZ） and make it stronger is the key point for this concept. Considering that silane coupling agent（SCA） can provide a better bond on a silicon-containing material surface, it was introduced as a modifying material to further improve the bond quality of the ITZ between lightweight aggregate and cement paste. Results indicated that the water absorptivity of lightweight aggregate can be controlled by SCA solutions, and the pull-off bond strength, mechanical strength, and microhardness were increased, which was attributed to the optimized microstructure under the condition of an appropriate concentration of SCA.

Nature Inspired Hay Fever Therapy

The survival oriented adaptation of evolved biosystems to variations in their environment is a selective optimization process. Recognizing the optimised end product and its functionality is the classical arena of bionic engineering. In a primordial world, however, the molecular organization and functions of prebiotic systems were solely defined by formative processes in their physical and chemical environment, for instance, the interplay between interfacial water layers on surfaces and solar light. The formative potential of the interplay between light （laser light） and interfacial water layers on surfaces was recently exploited in the formation of supercubane carbon nanocrystals. In evolved biosystems the formative potential of interracial water layers can still be activated by light. Here we report a case of hay fever, which was successfully treated in the course of a facial rejuvenation program starting in November 2007. Targeting primarily interfacial water layers on elastin fibres in the wrinkled areas, we presumably also activated mast cells in the nasal mucosa, reported to progressively decrease in the nasal mucosa of the rabbit, when frequently irradiated. Hay fever is induced by the release of mediators, especially histamine, a process associated with the degranulation of mast cells. Decrease in mast cells numbers implies a decrease in the release of histamine. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on the treatment of hay fever with visible light. This approach was inspired by bionic thinking, and could help ameliorating the condition of millions of people suffering from hay fever world wide.

Higher-order Boussinesq-type equations for interfacial waves in a two-fluid system

Interracial waves propagating along the interface between a three-dimensional two-fluid system with a rigid upper boundary and an uneven bottom are considered. There is a light fluid layer overlying a heavier one in the system, and a small density difference exists between the two layers. A set of higher-order Boussinesq-type equations in terms of the depth-averaged velocities accounting for stronger nonlinearity are derived. When the small parameter measuring frequency dispersion keeping up to lower-order and full nonlinearity are considered, the equations include the Choi and Camassa＇s results （1999）. The enhanced equations in terms of the depth-averaged velocities are obtained by applying the enhancement technique introduced by Madsen et al. （1991） and Schaffer and Madsen （1995a）. It is noted that the equations derived from the present study include, as special cases, those obtained by Madsen and Schaffer （1998）. By comparison with the dispersion relation of the linear Stokes waves, we found that the dispersion relation is more improved than Choi and Camassa＇s （1999） results, and the applicable scope of water depth is deeper.

An Effective Method to Improve the Performance of Fixed Carrier Membrane via Incorporation of C02-selective Adsorptive Silica Nanopartlcles

Fixed carrier membrane exhibits attractive CO2 permeance and selectivity due to its transport mechanism of reaction selectivity （facilitated transport）. However, its performance needs improvement to meet cost targets for CO2 capture. This study attempts to develop membranes with multiple permselective mechanisms in order to enhance CO2 separation performance of fixed carder membrane. In this study, a novel membrane with multiplepermselective mechanisms of solubility selectivity and reaction selectivity was developed by incorporating CO2-selective adsorptive silica nanoparticles in situ into the tertiary amine containing polyamide membrane formed by interfacial polymerization （IP）. Various techniques were employed to characterize the polyamide and polyam-ide-silica composite membranes. The TGA result shows that nanocomposite membranes exhlbit superior-thermal stability than pure polyamide membranes. In addition, gas permeation experiments show that both nanocomposite membranes have larger CO2 permeance than pure polyamide membranes. The enhanced CO2/N2 separation performance for nanocomposite membranes is mainly due to the thin film thickness, and multiple permselective mechanisms of solubility selectivity and reaction selectivity.

Shielding Effect and Emission Criterion of a Screw Dislocation Near an Interfacial Crisscross Crack

Shielding effect and emission criterion of a screw dislocation near an interracial crisscross crack are dealt within this paper. Utilizing the conformal mapping technique, the closed-form solutions are derived for complex potentialsand stress fields due to a screw dislocation located near the interracial crisscross crack. The stress intensity factor onthe crack tips and the critical stress intensity factor for dislocation emission are also calculated. The influence of theorientation of the dislocation and the morphology of the crisscross crack as well as the material elastic dissimilarity onthe shielding effect and the emission criterion is discussed in detail. The results show that positive screw dislocations canreduce the stress intensity factor of the interracial crisscross crack tip (shielding effect). The shielding effect increases withthe increase of the shear modulus of the lower half-plane, but it decreases with the increase of the dislocation azimuthangle and the distance between the dislocation and the crack tip. The critical loads at infinity for dislocation emissionincreases with the increase of emission angle and the vertical length of the crisscross crack, and the most probable anglefor screw dislocation emission is zero. The present solutions contain previous results as special cases.