The Evaluation of the Dietary Habits Influence on the Microhardness of Gingiva-Coloured Composite and Acrylic Denture Base Materials

Purpose: The study investigated the impact of dietary habits, specifically soda, milk kefir, water kefir, almond milk, and distilled water (control) consumption, on the microhardness of gingiva-coloured composite and acrylic denture bases. Methods: Materials included gingiva-coloured composite (Fusion Universal G1), acrylic (Imicryl), and subdivided Procryla group. Subgroups comprised 15 and 30-minute heat polymerized (Pro15, Pro30), and 1 wt% (Pro1Z) and 3 wt% (Pro3Z) zirconium added groups. Immersed in beverages for 1, 7, and 14 days, pH and microhardness were assessed. SEM examined random samples. Statistical analysis used repeated measures ANOVA, and post hoc tests (p Results: The gingiva-coloured composites displayed noteworthy time-associated microhardness changes (p 0.05). Despite variable pH levels in beverages, no substantial group interaction effects were observed (p > 0.05). Initial microhardness rankings shifted after a 14-day immersion. Conclusions: Gingiva-coloured composite exhibited the highest microhardness pre- and post-immersion, followed by Procryla30 and Imicryl groups. .

Preparation and Properties of Vegetable-Oil-Based Thioether Polyol and Ethyl Cellulose Supramolecular Composite Films

Ethyl cellulose(EC),an important biomass-based material,has excellent film-forming properties.Nevertheless,the high interchain hydrogen bond interaction leads to a high glass transition temperature of EC,which makes it too brittle to be used widely.The hydroxyl group on EC can form a supramolecular system in the form of a non-covalent bond with an effective plasticizer.In this study,an important vegetable-oil-based derivative named dimer fatty acid was used to prepare a novel special plasticizer for EC.Dimer-fatty-acid-based thioether polyol(DATP)was synthesized and used to modify ethyl cellulose films.The supramolecular composite films of DATP and ethyl cellulose were designed using the newly-formed van der Waals force.The thermal stability,morphology,hydrophilicity,and mechanical properties of the composite films were all tested.Pure EC is fragile,and the addition of DATP makes the ethyl cellulose films more flexible.The elongation at the break of EC supramolecular films increased and the tensile strength decreased with the increasing DATP content.The elongation at the break of EC/DATP(60/40)and EC/DATP(50/50)was up to 40.3%and 43.4%,respectively.Noticeably,the thermal initial degradation temperature of the film with 10%DATP is higher than that of pure EC,which may be attributed to the formation of a better supramolecular system in this composite film.The application of bio-based material(EC)is environmentally friendly,and the novel DATP can be used as a special and effective plasticizer to prepare flexible EC films,making it more widely used in energy,chemical industry,materials,agriculture,medicine,and other fields.

Microstructural image based convolutional neural networks for efficient prediction of full-field stress maps in short fiber polymer composites

The increased demand for superior materials has highlighted the need of investigating the mechanical properties of composites to achieve enhanced constitutive relationships.Fiber-reinforced polymer composites have emerged as an integral part of materials development with tailored mechanical properties.However,the complexity and heterogeneity of such composites make it considerably more challenging to have precise quantification of properties and attain an optimal design of structures through experimental and computational approaches.In order to avoid the complex,cumbersome,and labor-intensive experimental and numerical modeling approaches,a machine learning(ML)model is proposed here such that it takes the microstructural image as input with a different range of Young’s modulus of carbon fibers and neat epoxy,and obtains output as visualization of the stress component S11(principal stress in the x-direction).For obtaining the training data of the ML model,a short carbon fiberfilled specimen under quasi-static tension is modeled based on 2D Representative Area Element(RAE)using finite element analysis.The composite is inclusive of short carbon fibers with an aspect ratio of 7.5that are infilled in the epoxy systems at various random orientations and positions generated using the Simple Sequential Inhibition(SSI)process.The study reveals that the pix2pix deep learning Convolutional Neural Network(CNN)model is robust enough to predict the stress fields in the composite for a given arrangement of short fibers filled in epoxy over the specified range of Young’s modulus with high accuracy.The CNN model achieves a correlation score of about 0.999 and L2 norm of less than 0.005 for a majority of the samples in the design spectrum,indicating excellent prediction capability.In this paper,we have focused on the stage-wise chronological development of the CNN model with optimized performance for predicting the full-field stress maps of the fiber-reinforced composite specimens.The development of such a robust and efficient algorithm would significantly reduce the amount of time and cost required to study and design new composite materials through the elimination of numerical inputs by direct microstructural images.

Effects of temperature on fracture behavior of Al-based in-situ composites reinforced with Mg_2Si and Si particles fabricated by centrifugal casting

An aluminum-based in-situ composites reinforced with Mg2Si and Si particles were produced by centrifugal casting A1-20Si-5Mg alloy. The microstructure of the composites was examined, and the effects of temperature on fracture behavior of the composite were investigated. The results show that the average fraction of primary Si and Mg2Si particles in the composites is as high as 38%, and ultimate tensile strengths （UTS） of the composites first increase then decrease with the increase of test temperature. Microstructures of broken specimens show that both the particle fracture and the interface debonding affect the fracture behavior of the composites, and the interface debonding becomes the dominant fracture mechanism with increasing test temperature. Comparative results indicate that rich particles in the composites and excellent interface strength play great roles in enhancing tensile property by preventing the movement of dislocations.

Design,preparation,microstructure and mechanical property of the lightweight radiation-shielding Mg-Ta-Al composites basing differential temperature hot rolling

A novel lightweight,radiation-shielding Mg-Ta-Al layered metal-matrix composite(LMC)was successful designed by doping the extremely refractory metal(Ta)into Mg sheets.These Mg-based LMCs sheets shows excellent radiation-dose shield effect,about 145 krad·a^(−1),which is about 17 times of traditional Mg alloy,while its surface density is only about 0.9 g·cm^(−2),reducing by 60%than that of pure Ta.The quantitate relationship between radiation-dose and the materials’thickness was also confirmed to the logistic function when the surface density is in the range of 0.6-1.5 g·cm^(−2).Meantime,the rolling parameters,interface microstructure and mechanical properties in both as-rolled and annealing treated samples were evaluated.The sheets possess a special dissimilar atoms diffusion transitional zone containing an obvious inter-diffusion Mg-Al interface and the unique micro-corrugated Ta-Al interface,as well as a thin Al film with a thickness of about 10μm.The special zone could reduce the stress concentration and enhance the strength of Mg-Ta-Al LMCs.The interface bonding strength reaches up to 54-76 MPa.The ultimate tensile strength(UTS)and yield strength(TYS)of the Mg-Ta-Al sheet were high to 413 MPa and 263 MPa,respectively,along with an elongation of 5.8%.The molecular dynamics(MD)analysis results show that the two interfaces exhibit different formation mechanism,the Mg-Al interface primarily depended on Mg/Al atoms diffusion basing point defects movement,while the Ta-Al interface with a micro-interlock pining shape formed by close-packed planes slipping during high temperature strain-induced deformation process.

The Influence of Carbon Nanotubes and Nano-Silica Fume on Enhancing the Damping and Mechanical Properties of Cement-Based Materials

This paper conducted experimental studies on the damping and mechanical properties of carbon nanotube-nanosilica-cement composite materials with different carbon nanotube contents. The damping and mechanical properties enhancement mechanisms were analyzed and compared through the porosity structure test, XRD analysis, and scanning electron microscope observation. The results show that the introduction of nanosilica significantly improves the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the cement matrix. At the same time, the addition of nanosilica not only effectively reduces the critical pore size and average pore size of the cement composite material, but also exhibits good synergistic effects with carbon nanotubes, which can significantly optimize the pore structure. Finally, a rationalization suggestion for the co-doping of nanosilica and carbon nanotubes was given to achieve a significant increase in the flexural strength, compressive strength and loss factor of cement-based materials.

Features of microstructure and fracture in the transient liquid phase bonded aluminium-based metal matrix composite joints

Transient liquid phase (TLP) bonded aluminium based metal matrix composite (MMC) joints can be classified into three distinct regions, i.e. the particulate segregation region, the denuded particulate region and the base material region. The microstructure of the particulate segregation region consists of alumina particulate and Al alloy matrix with the Al 2Cu and MgAl 2O 4. It contains more and smaller alumina particulates compared with the base material region. The TLP bonded joints have the tensile strength of 150 MPa ～200 MPa and the shear strength of 70 MPa ～100 MPa . With increasing tensile stress, cracks initiate in the particulate segregation region, especially in the particulate/particulate interface and the particulate/matrix interface, and propagate along particulate/matrix interface, througth thin matrix metal and by linking up the close cracks. The particulate segregation region is the weakest during tensile testing and shear testing due to obviously increased proportion of weak bonds (particulate particulate bond and particulate matrix bond).

Adhesive Bonding and Self-Curing Characteristics of α-Starch Based Composite Binder for Green Sand Mould/Core

Interactions between different components in α-starch based composite binder for green sand mould/core were investigated by using XRD, IR spectra, 1H NMR spectra and SEM. Several adhesive hardening structures and theories of the binder at room temperature were proposed according to the interactions between various compositions. Thus, the reasons for the binder to have excellent combination properties and unique adhesive bonding and self-curing characteristics were explained by these theories successfully. And the theories are of great directive importance to design and development of composite binder for green sand mould/core.

Simulation of the plasticizing behavior of composite modified doublebase(CMDB)propellant in grooved calendar based on adaptive grid technology

The frequent occurrence of safety accidents during the calendering process is caused by the flammable and explosive properties of composite modified double-base(CMDB)propellant.Optimization of process parameters with the aid of fluid simulation technology could effectively ensure the safety of the calendering process.To improve the accuracy of the simulation results,material parameters and model structure were corrected based on actual conditions,and adaptive grid technology was applied in the local mesh refinement.In addition,the rheological behavior,motion trajectories and heat transfer mechanisms of CMDB propellant slurry were studied with different gaps,rotational rates and temperatures of two rollers.The results indicated that the refined mesh could significantly improve the contour clarity of boundaries and simulate the characteristics of CMDB propellant slurry reflux movement caused by the convergent flow near the outlet.Compared with the gap,the increased rotational rate of roller could promote the reflux movement and intensify the shear flow of slurry inside the flow region by viscous shear dragging.Meanwhile,under the synergistic effect of contact heat transfer as well as convective heat exchange,heat accumulated near the outlet and diffused along the reflux movement,which led to the countercurrent heat dissipation behavior of CMDB propellant slurry.The plasticizing mechanism of slurry and the safety of calendering under different conditions were explored,which provided theoretical guidance and reference data for the optimization of calendering process conditions.Based on the simulation results,the safety of the CMDB propellant calendering process could be significantly improved with a few tests conducted during a short research and development cycle.

Improvement of Water Sensitivity of Macro-defect-free Cement Based Composites with Cross Coupling Agent

The enhancement of interface bonding between cement and polymerand the structural reticula- tion of the water-soluble polymer areproposed to minimize the shortening of the mechanical properties ofmacro-de- fect-free(MDF)cement based composites at high relativehumidity. The MDF composites incorporated with vari- ouscross-coupling agents studied experimentally. The results show thatthe MDF composites modified with small amounts of cross-couplingagent had raised mechanical properties, but it is more important thatthe modified MDF composites had a significant increase in waterresistance compared to the original one.

A coin-tap method of composite materials non-destructive testing based on improved grey clustering

Aiming at the problems of low reliability and complex operation of traditional coin-tap test of composite material,this paper introduces the grey system theory and achieves better performance.The response signals of coin-tap are classified through the grey clustering based on relation analysis,and corresponding improvements are made to the calculation method of the relation degree of nearness.First,the time history of acceleration is taken as the system behavior sequence.The improved correlation calculation method is used to solve the relation degree of nearness between the sequences,and the matrix of degree of grey relation is constructed based on this.Then,the sequence groups are summarized through the matrix,and the response signals of coin-tap are qualitatively classified according to the location of the reference sequence.Finally,the defect detection of composite materials is completed without pre-testing.The test results show that the accuracy of the coin-tap test based on improved grey clustering reaches 100%,which simplifies the operation steps while ensuring the reliability of the coin-tap test results.

Polarization-Insensitive Magnetic Quadrupole-Shaped and Electric Quadrupole-Shaped Fano Resonances Based on a Plasmonic Composite Structure

A combined structure with the unit cell consisting of four sub-units with 90° rotation in turn is designed. Each of sub-units is composed of two gold rods in transverse arrangement and one gold rod in longitudinal arrangement. Simulating electromagnetic responses of the structure, we verify that the structure exhibits the double Fano resonances, which originate from the coupling between magnetic quadrupoles and electric dipoles and the coupling between electric quadrupoles and electric dipoles. Simulation results also demonstrate that the structure is polarization-insensitive and shows an analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency at the two Fano resonances. Such a plasmonic structure has potential applications in photoelectric elements.

Spray Atomized and Codeposited Al-Li Based Metal-matrix Composites Processing and Properties

In spray atomization and codeposition, a molten stream of metal is disintegrated into a fine dispersion of droplets by high velocity gas jets. The resulting semi-solidified droplets are directed towards a substrate where they impact and collect as rapidly solidified splats. Relatively high rates of solidification are achieved as a result of the thinness of the splats and the rapid heat extraction during flight and upon impacting with the substrate. The processing method uses codeposition of the metallic semi-solidified droplets (metallic matrix) with the injected reinforcement ceramic particles. In the present paper, the microstructures, mechanical properties, interfacial properties, thermal stability and aging behaviour of spray atomized and codeposited Al-Li-X MMC's (injected X=SiC, Al2O3) are reported and correlated to the processing conditions.

Smart Behavior of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cement-based Composite

The electrical characteristics of cement-based material can be remarkably improved by the addition of short carbon fibers. Carbon fiber reinforced cement composite (CFRC) is an intrinsically smart material that can sense not only the stress and strain, but also the temperature. In this paper, variations of electrical resistivity with external applied load, and relation of thermoelectric force and temperature were investigated. Test results indicated that the electrical signal is related to the increase in the material volume resistivity during crack generation or propagation and the decrease in the resistivity during crack closure. Moreover, it was found that the fiber addition increased the linearity and reversibility of the Seebeck effect in the cement-based materials. The change of electrical characteristics reflects large amount of information of inner damage and temperature differential of composite, which can be used for stress-strain or thermal self-monitoring by embedding it in the concrete structures.

Piezoresistivity in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cement Based Composites

The results of some interesting investigation on the piezoresistivity of carbon fiber reinforced cement based composites (CFRC) are presented with the prospect of developing a new nondestructive testing method to assess the integrity of the composite. The addition of short carbon fibers to cement-based mortar or concrete improves the structural performance and at the same time significantly decreases the bulk electrical resistivity. This makes CFRC responsive to the smart behavior by measuring the resistance change with uniaxial pressure. The piezoresistivity of CFRC under different stress was studied, at the same time the damage occurring inner specimens was detected by acoustic emission as well. Test results show that there exists a marking pressure dependence of the conductivity in CFRC, in which the so-called negative pressure coefficient of resistive (NPCR) and positive pressure coefficient of resistive (PPCR) are observed under low and high pressure. Under constant pressures, time-dependent resistivity is an outstanding characteristic for the composites, which is defined as resistance creep. The breakdown and rebuild-up process of conductive network under pressure may be responsible for the pressure dependence of resistivity.

New Iron-based SiC Spherical Composite Magnetic Abrasive for Magnetic Abrasive Finishing

SiC magnetic abrasive is used to polish surfaces of precise, complex parts which are hard, brittle and highly corrosion-resistant in magnetic abrasive finishing（MAF）. Various techniques are employed to produce this magnetic abrasive, but few can meet production demands because they are usually time-consuming, complex with high cost, and the magnetic abrasives made by these techniques have irregular shape and low bonding strength that result in low processing efficiency and shorter service life. Therefore, an attempt is made by combining gas atomization and rapid solidification to fabricate a new iron-based SiC spherical composite magnetic abrasive. The experimental system to prepare this new magnetic abrasive is constructed according to the characteristics of gas atomization and rapid solidification process and the performance requirements of magnetic abrasive. The new iron-based SiC spherical composite magnetic abrasive is prepared successfully when the machining parameters and the composition proportion of the raw materials are controlled properly. Its morphology, microstructure, phase composition are characterized by scanning electron microscope（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD） analysis. The MAF tests on plate of mold steel S136 are carried out without grinding lubricant to assess the finishing performance and service life of this new SiC magnetic abrasive. The surface roughness（Ra） of the plate worked is rapidly reduced to 0.051 μm from an initial value of 0.372 μm within 5 min. The MAF test is carried on to find that the service life of this new SiC magnetic abrasive reaches to 155 min. The results indicate that this process presented is feasible to prepare the new SiC magnetic abrasive; and compared with previous magnetic abrasives, the new SiC spherical composite magnetic abrasive has excellent finishing performance, high processing efficiency and longer service life. The presented method to fabricate magnetic abrasive through gas atomization and rapid solidification presented can significantly improve the finishing performance and service life of magnetic abrasive, and provide a more practical approach for large-scale industrial production of magnetic abrasive.

High-Performance and Multifunctional Cement-Based Composite Material

Concrete is a continuously evolving material, and even the definition of high-performance concrete has changed over time. In this paper, high-performance characteristics of concrete material are considered to be those that support the desirable durability, resilience, and sustainability of civil infrastructure that directly impact our quality of life. It is proposed that high-performance material characteristics include tensile ductility, autogenous crack-width control, and material “greenness.” Furthermore, smart functionalities should be aimed at enhancing infrastructure durability, resilience, and sustainability by responding to changes in the surrounding environment of the structure in order to perform desirable functions, thus causing the material to behave in a manner more akin to certain biological materials. Based on recent advances in engineered cementitious composites (ECCs), this paper suggests that concrete embodying such high-performance characteristics and smart multifunctionalities can be designed, and holds the potential to fulfill the expected civil infrastructure needs of the 21st century. Highlights of relevant properties of ECCs are provided, and directions for necessary future research are indicated.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a hot-extruded Al-based composite reinforced with core–shell-structured Ti/Al3Ti

An Al-based composite reinforced with core–shell-structured Ti/Al_3Ti was fabricated through a powder metallurgy route followed by hot extrusion and was found to exhibit promising mechanical properties. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the composite sintered at 620°C for 5 h and extruded at a mass ratio of 12.75:1 reached 304 MPa and 14%, respectively, and its compressive deformation reached 60%. The promising mechanical properties are due to the core–shell-structured reinforcement, which is mainly composed of Al_3Ti and Ti and is bonded strongly with the Al matrix, and to the reduced crack sensitivity of Al_3Ti. The refined grains after hot extrusion also contribute to the mechanical properties of this composite. The mechanical properties might be further improved through regulating the relative thickness of Al–Ti intermetallics and Ti metal layers by adjusting the sintering time and the subsequent extrusion process.

Self-monitoring electrically conductive asphalt-based composite containing carbon fillers

A new novel function materials, structure self-monitoring asphalt-based composite was introduced. The results show that the output resistance of electrically conductive asphalt-based composites would change under cyclic loading and vehicle loading action. The resistance change of conductive asphalt-based composites was aroused by the variation of its interior structure. When the fatigue failure was studied, the larger cracks cut the continuous electrically conductive path and the electron is difficult to overcome the potential barrier of gap. In the early period, the slight deformation and microcrack may be recovered due to the viscoelasticity character of asphalt, which leads to some cracks close again, the output resistance changes a little. But with the shear process performs continuously, the cracks become larger and larger, which would cut the conductive path and block off the transition of electrons, and if the cracks are large enough, the pitch-matrix composites containing carbon fillers will lose electrically conductive function. When the rutting failure was studied, the flowage of conductive substance results in the decrease of substance due to electrically conducting and conductive path decreasing. The decrease of electron volume contribute to electrically conducting and large stone aggregate prevent the electron from transiting. In a word, the variation of output resistance is aroused by the variation of interior structure completely.

Microstructure of Cu-based Amorphous Composite Coatings on AZ91D Magnesium Alloy by Laser Cladding

To improve the sliding wear resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy, Cu-based amorphous composite coatings made of CuaTTi34Zr11Nis and Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8＋20 wt pct SiC powders were fabricated on AZ91D magnesium alloy by laser cladding, respectively. SEM （scanning electron microscopy）, EDS （energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy）, XRD （X-ray diffraction） and TEM （transmission electron microscopy） techniques were employed to study the phases of the coatings. The results show that the coatings mainly consist of amorphous phase and different intermetallic compounds. The reason of formation of amorphous phase and the function of SiC particles were explained in details.