Dielectric properties of spark plasma sintering AlN-W composite ceramics

In order to develop AlN composites suitable for high average power electronic tube, AlN-W materials were prepared by spark plasma sintering. The effects of manufacture parameters on dielectric loss tangent and permittivity constant were investigated, which include powder-mixed method, milling time of high-energy ball milling, starting powder particle size, sintering temperature and holding time and adding amount of the conductive second phase. The results showed that A1N-W materials sintered at the temperature of 1700℃ holding for 5 min with 10 vol.% W showed the best dielectric loss tangent larger than 0.81 at the frequency 1 kHz-1 MHz. In addition, magnetic stirring mixed powder and lower sintering temperature led to the better propelties because of the higher porosity. The samples sintered from the starting AlN powder with smaller particle size also had the better properties.

DEM analysis of the effect of electrostatic interaction on particle mixing for carrier-based dry powder inhaler formulations

Particle interactions play a significant role in controlling the performance of dry powder inhalers （DPIs）, which mainly arise through van der Waals potentials, electrostatic interactions, and capillary forces. Our aim is to investigate the influence of electrostatic charge on the performance of DPIs as a basis for improv- ing the formulation of the particle ingredients. The mixing process of carrier and active pharmaceutical ingredient （API） particles in a vibrating container is investigated using a discrete element method （DEM）. The number of APl particles attaching to the carrier particle （i.e., contact number） increases with increas- ing charge and decreases with increasing container size. The contact number decreases with increasing vibrational velocity amplitude and frequency. Moreover, a mechanism governed by the electrostatic force is proposed for the mixing process. This mechanism is different from that previously proposed for the mixing process governed by van der Waals forces, indicating that long-range and short-range adhesive forces can result in different mixing behaviours.

Influence of dysprosium substitution on magnetic and mechanical properties of high intrinsic coercivity Nd-Fe-B magnets prepared by double-alloy powder mixed method

The double-alloy powder mixed method is very proper for developing new small-mass products by changing the composi- tion of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets, and there is little research on this aspect. The variation on magnetic and mechanical properties of high intrinsic coercivity Nd-Fe-B magnets prepared by double-alloy powder mixed method was discussed, which is a method blend- ing two-type main phase alloy powders with different components. The results showed that the intrinsic coercivity and density of sin- tered Nd-Fe-B magnets increased gradually with the increase in Dy content, and the double-alloy powder mixed method could obtain high intrinsic coercivity Nd-Fe-B magnets with good crystallographic alignment and microstructure. The bending strength of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets declined, and the Rockwell hardness of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets first declined, and then increased with the in- crease in Dy content. The microstructure showed that there existed the phenomenon that the Dy element diffused into main phase dur- ing sintering process, and the distribution of Dy content in main phase had some variation in homogeneity as a result of incomplete reaction between the double-alloy powder types.

Numerical analysis of enhanced mixing in a Gallay tote blender

The mixing performance of a multi-bladed baffle inserted into a traditional Gallay tote blender is explored by graphic processing unit-based discrete element method software. The mixing patterns and rates are investigated for a binary mixture, represented by two different colors, under several loading profiles. The baffle effectively enhances the convective mixing both in the axial and radial directions, because of the disturbance it causes to the initial flowing layer and solid-body zone, compared with a blender without a baffle. The axial mixing rate is affected by the gap between the baffle and the wall on the left and right sides, and an optimal blade length corresponds to the maximum mixing rate. However, the radial mixing rate increases with the blade length almost monotonically.

Circulation intensity and axial dispersion of non-cohesive solid particles in a V-blender via DEM simulation

In this study, discrete element method （DEM） was employed to simulate the movement of non-cohesive mono-dispersed particles in a V-blender along with particle-particle and particle-boundary interactions. To validate the model, DEM results were successfully compared to positron emission particle tracking （PEPT） data reported in literature. The validated model was then utilized to explore the effects of rotational speed and fill level on circulation intensity and axial dispersion coefficient of non-cohesive particles in the V-blender. The results showed that the circulation intensity increased with an increase in the rotational speed from 15 to 60 rpm. As the fill level increased from 20% to 46%, the circulation intensity decreased, reached its minimum value at a fill level of 34% for all rotational speeds, and did not change significantly at fill levels greater than 34%. The DEM results also revealed that the axial dispersion coefficient of particles in the V-blender was a linear function of the rotational speed. These trends were in good agreement with the experimentallv determined values reported bv previous researchers.