Resistance of Nanoclay Reinforced Epoxy Composites to Hyperthermal Atomic Oxygen Attack

Due to outstanding mechanical properties, heat resistance, and relatively facile production,nanoclay reinforced epoxy composites(NCRE composites) have been suggested as candidate materials for use on external surfaces of spacecraft residing in the low Earth orbit(LEO) environment. The resistance of the NCRE composites to bombardment by atomic oxygen(AO), a dominant component of the LEO environment, has been investigated. Four types of samples were used in this study. They were pure epoxy(0 wt% nanoclay content), and NCRE composites with different loadings of nanoclay—1 wt%, 2 wt%, and 4 wt%. Etch depths decreased with increasing nanoclay content, and for the 4 wt% samples it ranged from 28% to 37% compared to that of pure epoxy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) indicates that after AO bombardment, relative area of C-C/C-H peak decreased,while the area of the C-O, ketones peaks increased, and the oxidation degree of surfaces increased. New carbon-related component carbonates were detected on nanoclay containing composite surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that aggregates formed on nanoclay-containing surfaces after AO bombardment. The sizes and densities of aggregates increased with nanoclay content. The combined erosion depths, XPS and SEM results indicate that although all the studied surfaces got eroded and oxidized after AO bombardment,the nanoclay containing composites showed better AO resistance compared to pure epoxy,because the produced aggregates on surface potentially act as a physical "shield", effectively retarding parts of the surface from further AO etching.

Specializing liquid electrolytes and carbon-based materials in EDLCs for low-temperature applications

Electric double-layer capacitors(EDLCs) are emerging technologies to meet the ever-increasing demand for sustainable energy storage devices and systems in the 21 st Century owing to their advantages such as long lifetime, fast charging speed and environmentally-friendly nature, which play a critical part in satisfying the demand of electronic devices and systems. Although it is generally accepted that EDLCs are suitable for working at low temperatures down to-40℃, there is a lack of comprehensive review to summarize the quantified performance of EDLCs when they are subjected to low-temperature environments. The rapid and growing demand for high-performance EDLCs for auxiliary power systems in the aeronautic and aerospace industries has triggered the urge to extend their operating temperature range,especially at temperatures below-40℃. This article presents an overview of EDLC’s performance and their challenges at extremely low temperatures including the capability of storing a considerable amount of electrical energy and maintaining long-term stability. The selection of electrolytes and electrode materials is crucial to the performance of EDLCs operating at a desired low-temperature range. Strategies to improve EDLC’s performance at extremely low temperatures are discussed, followed by the future perspectives to motivate more future studies to be conducted in this area.

Measurements of Heat Treatment Effects on Bovine Cortical Bones by Nanoindentation and Compression Testing

Heat treatment of bone is one of the reliable and simple sterilization methods to overcome the risk of rejection and disease transfer from allograft and xenograft, in particular for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, the mechanical property of the micro-structural level after heat treatment is not well characterized. To address this issue, this study was carried out to compare the localized mechanical properties of micro-structural tissue with those at the global structural level. Nanoindentation technique has been well accepted as an accurate technique to measure mechanical property of small and heterogeneous specimen nondestructively, as well as the complex bio-material of micro-structural level, often with a resolution of better than 1 μm. In this study, nanoindentation was conducted to measure the localised elastic modulus and hardness values of bones at temperature of 23°C (room temperature – non-heated sample), 90°C and 150°C, respectively. All experiments were conducted at room temperature (~23°C). The elastic modulus (E) and nanoindentation hardenss (H) values in the longitudinal direction of bones heated at 150°C were recorded as 23.43 GPa and 0.73 GPa, respectively;as in transverse direction, the E and H values were 12.77 GPa and 0.54 GPa, respectively. It showed significant increases of 44% and 43% in the longitudinal direction as compared to those of the non heat-treated bones. In addition, E and H values in transverse direction also showed increases of 23% and 38%, respectively as compared to those of the non heat-treated bones. Furthermore, heat-treated bones at 90°C in longitudinal direction also appeared to have significant increases of 18% and 31% in E and H values, respectively. However, the E and H values in transverse direction increase only by 0.4% and 12.8%, respectively. In addition, compressive test is employed to measure the global stiffness (E) of the bone samples. When heated at 150°C, the bone specimen showed an increase of 60% in stiffness (E) and an increase of 26% in yield stress. On the other hand, when heated at 90°C, a slight increase of 11.4% in stiffness (E) and 21.5% in yield stress were recorded respectively. Furthermore, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) which integrated with Backscattered Electron (BSE) imaging was conducted to examine the relationship between mineral content and mechanical strength within the nanoindentation regions. The data demonstrated that the non heat-treated bones obtained the highest calcium wt% amongst the three groups;as temperature increased, there was a slight decrease in calcium wt%;however, the changes were not severe in this study.

Biocomposites:Their multifunctionality

During the last decade,tissue engineering has shown a considerable promise in providing more viable alternatives to surgical procedures for harvested tissues,implants and prostheses.Due to the fast development on nano-and biomaterial technologies,it is now possible for doctors to use patients’cells to repair orthopaedic defects such as focal articular cartilage lesions.In order to support the three-dimensional tissue formation,scaffolds made by biocompatible and bioresorbable polymers and composite materials,for providing temporary support of damaged body and cell structures,have been developed recently.Although ceramic and metallic materials have been widely accepted for the development of implants,their non-resorbability and necessity of second surgical operation(like for bone repair),which induce extra pain for the patients,limit their wide applications.The development of different types of biocomposites for biomedical engineering applications is described.These biocomposites include(i)basic biomaterials;(ii)natural fiber-reinforced biocomposites and(iii)nanoparticle-reinforced biocomposites.Their multifunctionality is discussed in terms of the control of mechanical properties,biodegradability and bioresorbability.