Effect of Point Source, Self-Reinforcement and Heterogeneity on the Propagation of Magnetoelastic Shear Wave

This paper investigates the propagation of horizontally polarised shear waves due to a point source in a magnetoelastic self-reinforced layer lying over a heterogeneous self-reinforced half-space. The heterogeneity is caused by consideration of quadratic variation in rigidity. The methodology employed combines an efficient derivation for Green’s functions based on algebraic transformations with the perturbation approach. Dispersion equation has been obtained in the closed form. The dispersion curves are compared for different values of magnetoelastic coupling parameters and inhomogeneity parameters. Also, the comparative study is being made through graphs to find the effect of reinforcement over the reinforced-free case on the phase velocity. It is observed that the dispersion equation is in assertion with the classical Love-type wave equation in the absence of reinforcement, magnetic field and heterogeneity. Moreover, some important peculiarities have been observed in graphs.

Self-reinforced Calcium Phosphate Cement Inspired by Sea Cucumber Dermis

A composite bone cement based onα-TCP with self-reinforcing characteristics is prepared by compounding cellulose whiskers and polyvinyl alcohol in different proportions.In this system,we are inspired by the sea cucumber,which can alter the stiffness of their inner dermis reversibly.Through the formation of hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose whiskers and PVA,the bone cement matrix can be strengthened during the curing process of cement.In the process of bone cement blending,there is more water,the hydrogen bond connection is destroyed,so the slurry has better fluidity at this time.As the hydration of the bone cement progresses,the reduction of the water phase leads to the formation of a permeable network structure of hydrogen bond connections between the whiskers.The dual-phase action of PVA and whiskers greatly increases the mechanical strength of the bone cement system(5.5 to 23.8 MPa),while the presence of polyvinyl alcohol improves the toughness of the bone cement system.This work was supposed to explore whether the chemoresponsive materials can be adapted to biomedical materials,for example,bone repair.

Self-reinforcement of Light, Temperature-Resistant Silica Nanofibrous Aerogels with Tunable Mechanical Properties

Silica aerogels have attracted significant interest in thermal insulation applications because of their low thermal conductivity and great thermal stability,however,their fragility has limited their application in every-day products.Herein,a self-reinforcing strategy to design silica nanofibrous aerogels(SNFAs)is proposed using electrospun SiO2 nanofibers as the matrix and a silica sol as a high-temperature nanoglue.Adopting this approach results in a strong and compatible interfacial interaction between the SiO_(2) fibers and the silica sol,which results in the SNFAs exhibiting high-temperature-resistant and tunable mechanical properties from elastic to rigid.Furthermore,additional properties such as low density,high thermal insulation performance,and fire-resistance are still retained.The self-reinforcing method described herein may be extended to numerous other new ceramic aerogels that require robust mechanical properties and high-temperature resistance.

Structure and Properties of Self-reinforced Material Made from Ultra-high Molecular Weight Polyethylene-montmorillonite Nanocomposite

High-strength and high-modulus ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE), named self-reinforced material, was obtained by the elongation of UHMWPE-montmorillonite nanocomposite at melting temperature. According to the scanning electron microscope(SEM) analysis, a great deal of fibrillar texture formed in the direction of elongation, and the tensile fractured surface was similar to that of highly oriented fiber. The transmission electron microscope(TEM) and selective area electron diffraction(SAED) analyses reveal that the reinforced phase of the self-reinforced material is an extended chain crystal and its size is about 50_200 nm wide and several microns long, and the montmorillonite layers are broken up to pieces in the size from 100 to 10 nm. The broken layers which have a huge surface area interacting strongly with macromolecules reduces the entanglement density of UHMWPE and induces the chain orientation in flow field. It is supposed that the astriction of montmorillonite layers to polyethylene chains is not only end-tethered but also side-tethered. The differential scan calorimetry(DSC) analysis shows that there are two endothermal peaks for the self-reinforced material, of which the peak at a higher temperature(136.4 ℃) is ascribed to the melting of the reinforced phase.

Preparation of a High-Performance Si_3N_4 Ceramic Using Self-Reinforcing Technology

The self-reinforced Si_3N_4 ceramics which contain Y_2O_3 and La_2O_3 additives have been prepared by hot-pressing. Under the optimum processing conditions, this material has the flexural strength of 960～1050MPa and the fracture toughness of 11.17～12.74MPa·m^(1/2) at room-temperature, and 720～780MPa and 22～24MPa·m^(1/2) at 1350℃. The effects of heat ing rate, sintering temperature, and holding time on the microstructures and mechanical properties are investigated. The experimental results show that an appropriate β-Si_3N_4 grain size and homogeneous microstructure can be obtained under the conditions of a heating rate of 10℃/min, sintering temperature of 1800℃, and holding time of 1h, which are advantageous to enhancing the mechanical properties. Crack deflection in large rodlike β-Si_3N_4 grains is a principle source of toughening.

PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF HIGH STRENGTH RODS FROM L-AND D,L-LACTIDE COPOLYMER

Starling with the L- and D,L-lactide copolymer (L:DL = 9:1) [P(L-DL)LA] of M-W = 32.1 x 10(4), rods were obtained through a two stage process: (1) melt-extrusion at 155 degreesC, and (2) hot-drawing at 90 degreesC to various drawing ratios. The molecular weight of P(L-DL)LA fell to 9.3 x 10(4) as a consequence of the production process. The crystallization and molecular orientation of P(L-DL)LA developed as a result of the hot-drawing. The mechanical strengths of the rods increase with the drawing ratio; The maximum for tensile strength, bending strength, bending modulus, and shear strength are 329 MPa, 237 MPa, 8.8 GPa, and 157 MPa, respectively.

Influence of Mineral Admixtures on the Permeability of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete

The permeability of lightweight aggregate concrete was studied. Some efforts were taken to increase the resistance of lightweight aggregate concrete (LC) to water penetration by using the mineral admixtures of fly ash, granulated blast furnace slag or silica fume. Accelerated chloride penetrability test and liquid atmosphere press method were used to study the anti-permeability of lightweight aggregate concrete. The experimental results show that fly ash, granulated blast furnace slag and silica fume can decrease the permeability of lightweight aggregate concrete, but the effect of granulated blast furnace slag is poor. According to the SEM and pore structure analyzing results,an interface self-reinforcing effect model was presented and the reinforced mechanism of mineral mixture on LC was discussed according to the model described by authors.

Surface wave transference in a piezoelectric cylinder coated with reinforced material

The present study deals with the propagation of a polarized shear horizontal(SH)wave in a pre-stressed piezoelectric cylinder circumscribed by a self-reinforced cylinder.The interface of the two media is assumed mechanically imperfect.For obtaining the dispersion relation,the mathematical formulation has been developed and solved by an analytical treatment.The effects of various parameters,i.e.,the thickness ratio,the imperfect interface,the initial stress,the reinforcement,and the piezoelectric and dielectric constants,on the dispersion curve are observed prominently.The dispersion curves for different modes have been also plotted.The consequences of the study may be used for achieving optimum efficiency of acoustic wave devices.

A Comparison between Forming Behaviours of Two Pre-Consolidated Woven Thermoplastic Composites

This paper presents the results of an investigation on stretch forming behaviour of two consolidated woven thermoplastic composites: a self-reinforced polypropylene (SRPP) and a glass-fibre reinforced polypropylene (GRPP) composite. A custom-built press with a hemispherical punch was employed to deform composites’ specimens possessing different aspect ratios into an open die. The induced strains on the outer surface of specimens were measured continuously through two high speed, high resolution CCD cameras by employing a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. The strain paths at three different locations on the surface of specimens were compared to elucidate the effect of fibre and matrix on the formability of a woven composite. The fractured surface of specimens was investigated to reveal the effect of fibre mechanical properties on failure morphologies in woven composites. It was found out that the main mode of failure in GRPP is fibre fracture while observed failure morphologies in SRPP were a complex combination of different failure mechanisms. It was revealed that the combination of applied boundary conditions and specimen’s width determines the effective forming mechanisms.

Infuence of Composition on Self-toughening and Oxidation Properties of Y-a-Sialons

Y-α-sialon ceramics with different compositions were hot-press sintered. Varying the m or n value in theα-Sialon general formula, both the α-sialon grain morphology and phase assemblages present diversification, therefore, affecting the toughness and hardness. Meanwhile, varying the compositional parameters also influenced the composition and structure of the intergranular glass phase, as well as its oxidation behavior at 1100-1200 ℃. The oxidation of the intergranular phase Mt in the Y-α-sialon ceramics was significantly enhanced with further rising the oxidation temperature to 1300 ℃.

Synergic Enhancement of High-density Polyethylene through Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene and Multi-flow Vibration Injection Molding: A Facile Fabrication with Potential Industrial Prospects

General-purpose plastics with high strength and toughness have been in great demand for structural engineering applications.To achieve the reinforcement and broaden the application scope of high-density polyethylene(HDPE),multi-flow vibration injection molding(MFVIM)and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE)are synergistically employed in this work.Herein,the MFVIM has better shear layer control ability and higher fabrication advantage for complex parts than other analogous novel injection molding technologies reported.The reinforcing effect of various filling times and UHMWPE contents as well as the corresponding microstructure evolution are investigated.When 5 wt%UHMWPE is added,MFVIM process with six flow times thickens the shear layer to the whole thickness.The tensile strength and modulus increase to 2.14 and 1.39 times,respectively,compared to neat HDPE on the premise of remaining 70%impact strength.Structural characterizations indicate that the enhancement is attributed to the improvement of shish-kebab content and lamellae compactness,as well as related to the corresponding size distributions of undissolved UHMWPE particles.This novel injection molding technology with great industrial prospects provides a facile and effective strategy to broaden the engineering applications of HDPE materials.Besides,excessive UHMWPE may impair the synergistic enhancement effect,which is also reasonably explained.