Preliminary study of viscoelastic properties of MAPP-modified wood flour/polypropylene composites

Viscoelastic properties of maleated polypropylene （MAPP）-modified wood flour/polypropylene composites （WPC） were investigated by both a compression stress relaxation method and dynamic mechanical analyses （DMA）. Three wood to polymer ratios （40：60, 60：40, and 80：20） and five MAPP loading levels （0, 1, 2, 4 and 8%） were used to study their effects on the viscoelastic prop- erties of MAPP-WPC. The results show that： 1） higher wood to polymer ratio corresponds to higher stress relaxation levels for unmodified WPC. The modification with MAPP has an obvious effect on the stress relaxation of MAPP-WPC at higher wood to polymer ratios （60：40 and 80：20）, but almost no effect at the 40：60 wood to polymer ratio. The optimal MAPP loading level for the wood to polymer ratio of 60：40 appears at 1%; 2） the storage modulus reaches its maximum at a MAPP loading level of 1% for wood to polymer ratios of 40：60 and 60：40, while for the 80：20 wood to polymer ratio, a higher storage modulus is observed at higher MAPP loading levels, which is quite consistent with the stress relaxation results. The results suggested that a suitable loading level of MAPP has a positive effect on the viscoelastic properties of WPC at higher wood to polymer ratios. Excessive MAPP loading would have resulted in adverse effects.

Correlation of Gluten Molecular Conformation with Dough Viscoelastic Properties during Storage

Significant correlations exist for the total sample between the dough viscoelastic properties and quality, but little information about these links is available. This study investigates the relationship between the gluten molecular conformation and the dough viscoelastic properties of the Zhengmai 379 wheat variety with different relative humidity(RH) values during storage.The results showed that protein extractability, free sulfhydryl(SH) groups, and wet gluten contents decreased to a certain degree during storage, while the glutenin quantity significantly varied. Significant negative correlation coefficients were found between the dough viscosity at 50% RH and the β-turn contents at 40% RH(-0.918) or 60% RH(-0.949)(P < 0.01), the dough viscosity at50% RH and the β-turn contents at 50% RH(-0.912)(P < 0.05), and the dough viscosity at 50% RH and the α-helix/β-sheet ratio at 40% RH(-0.875), 50% RH(-0.869), or 60% RH(-0.843)(P < 0.05). Significant correlation coefficients were further observed between the dough viscosity at 50% RH and the β-sheet contents at 60% RH(0.927)(P < 0.01) and between the dough viscosity at50% RH and the β-sheet contents at 40% RH(0.910) or 50% RH(0.908)(P < 0.05). A decrease in the free SH groups of gluten and an increase in the low-molecular weight contents suggested that gliadin was incorporated via SS crosslinking to the glutenin-like protein, which did not dissolve in ethanol.

Viscoelastic Properties and Bioactivity of Sol-Gel Derived Gelatin-Silicate Composites: Effects of the Incorporated Ca^(2+) Ions

Several gelatin-silicate composites, with or without incorporation of Ca2+ ions, were synthesized through sol-gel processing starting from gelatin and 3- (glycidoxypropyl) trimethoxysilane. The structure around the Si atoms was similar for all the samples. The measurement of viscoelastic properties indicated that the glass transition temperature and activation energy decreased with the incorporation of Ca2+ ions. The Ca2+ ion-containing composites were bioactive as they spontaneously deposited apatite when soaked in a simulated body fluid of the Kokubo recipe.

The effect of reactive plasticizer on viscoelastic and mechanical properties of solid rocket propellants based on different types of HTPB resin

Conventional plasticizers deteriorate mechanical and viscoelastic properties of the propellants due to their migration upon aging and long-term storage,which affects reliability and safety properties during exploitation.To address this issue,conventional plasticizer,dioctyl adipate(DOA),is replaced by reactive one,castor oil(CO).In addition,three different types of HTPB were used to obtain propellants with designed viscoelastic and mechanical properties.The CO increased propellants viscosity,without a significant impact on the propellant processability,regardless to the type of prepolymer.Conversely,mechanical properties were different depending on the type of resin,which were further analyzed by gel permeation chromatography(GPC).Addition of CO formed a denser polymer network and shifted T_(g) to higher values,compared to the compositions with DOA.The tensile strength of CO-containing propellants was lower at +20℃ and +50℃ compared to the reference compositions,while the strain at maximum load and strain at break were significantly increased with pronounced plastic deformation,especially for samples at -30℃.The inclusion of CO in the propellants composition gives more room for adjusting a wide range of mechanical properties.

Normal age-related viscoelastic properties of chondrons and chondrocytes isolated from rabbit knee

Background The mechanical microenvironment of the chondrocytes plays an important role in cartilage homeostasis and in the health of the joint. The pericellular matrix, cellular membrane of the chondrocytes, and their cytoskeletal structures are key elements in the mechanical environment. The aims of this study are to measure the viscoelastic properties of isolated chondrons and chondrocytes from rabbit knee cartilage using micropipette aspiration and to determine the effect of aging on these properties. Methods Three age groups of rabbit knees were evaluated： （1） young （2 months, n=10）; （2） adult （8 months, n=10）; and （3） old （31 months, n=10）. Chondrocytes were isolated from the right knee cartilage and chondrons were isolated from left knees using enzymatic methods. Micropipette aspiration combined with a standard linear viscoelastic solid model was used to quantify changes in the viscoelastic properties of chondrons and chondrocytes within 2 hours of isolation. The morphology and structure of isolated chondrons were evaluated by optical microscope using hematoxylin and eosin staining and collagen-6 immunofluorescence staining. Results In response to an applied constant 0.3-0.4 kPa of negative pressure, all chondrocytes exhibited standard linear viscoelastic solid properties. Model predictions of the creep data showed that the average equilibrium modulus （E~）, instantaneous modulus （E0）, and apparent viscosity （~） of old chondrocytes was significantly lower than the young and adult chondrocytes （P 〈0.001）; however, no difference was found between young and adult chondrocytes （P 〉0.05）. The adult and old chondrons generally possessed a thicker pericellular matrix （PCM） with more enclosed cells. The young and adult chondrons exhibited the same viscoelastic creep behavior under a greater applied pressure （1.0-1.1 kPa） without the deformation seen in the old chondrons. The viscoelastic properties （E,, E0, and/~） of young and adult chondrons were significantly greater than that observed in young and adult cells, respectively （P 〈0.001）. The adult chondrons were stiffer than the young chondrons under micropipette aspiration （P 〈0.001）. Conclusions Our findings provide a theoretical model to measure the viscoelastic properties of the chondrons as a whole unit by micropipette aspiration, and further suggest that the properties of the chondrocytes and PCM have an important influence on the biomechanical microenvironment of the knee joint cartilage degeneration that occurs with aging.

Study of Viscoelastic Properties of White Carbon Black Reinforced Synthetic Polyisoprene

The viscoelastic properties of synthetic polyisoprenes （PI） reinforced by white carbon black （WCB） have been investigated and compared with WCB reinforced natural rubber （NR）, including cure characteristics, physio-mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties. Compared with NR, PI loaded with the same amount of WCB （PI/WCB） exhibited shorter scorch time and optimal cure time, indicating that WCB fillers are comparatively easier to conjugate with PI. The tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with WCB filling in both PI and NR vulcanizates. The hardness of the rubber vulcanizates increased with the WCB filling in the rubber matrix. PI/WCB blends exhibited smaller hardness data, lower tensile strength, as well as lower elongation at break and tensile stress. Increasing the amount of WCB in rubber matrix induced the Payne effect. However, the Payne effect is much more obvious for the PI/WCB system, and PI/WCB also displayed higher storage modulus whereas lower loss modulus and loss tangent than NR/WCB, which could all be attributed to the poor dispersibilities of WCB in the PI matrix.

Evaluation of the cracking and aging susceptibility of asphalt mixtures using viscoelastic properties and master curve parameters

Aging can significantly affect the performance of asphalt mixtures, causing increase in stiffness, reduction in relaxation capability and increase in cracking susceptibility. It is also well known that fundamental viscoelastic properties are used for design and modelling of asphalt mixtures and pavement structures to addressing rutting, fatigue and thermal cracking concerns. The objective of this paper is to study how the viscoelastic properties of asphalt mixture change over time, and evaluate and identify the cracking and aging susceptibility of asphalt mixtures with different mix variables during material selection and mixture design. Ten mixtures are evaluated using different laboratory conditioning protocols to simulate a range of aging levels in the field. The complex modulus test is then conducted on the lab aged mixtures to measure the viscoelastic properties in order to construct the dynamic modulus and phase angle master curves. The mixture Glover-Rowe(G-Rm) parameter and the shape parameters of the dynamic modulus and phase angle master curves, including inflection point frequency(-β/γ), difference between the glassy modulus and the inflection point modulus(γ), peak value of phase angle(a) and the horizontal position(frequency) of the peak phase angle value(c), are determined and evaluated for the mixtures with different aging conditions and mix variables. The study indicates the ability of the G-Rmparameter and all the master curve shape parameters to capture the effect of different aging conditions on linear viscoelastic mixture properties, as well as the cracking and aging susceptibility of asphalt mixtures.

Comparative analysis of indentation and magnetic resonance elastography for measuring viscoelastic properties

Measurement the viscoelastic properties is important for studying the developmental and pathological behavior of soft biological tissues.Magnetic resonance elastography(MRE)is a non-invasive method for in vivo measurement of tissue viscoelasticity.As a flexible method capable of testing small samples,indentation has been widely used for characterizing soft tissues.Using 2nd-order Prony series and dimensional analysis,we analyzed and compared the model parameters estimated from both indentation and MRE.Conversions of the model parameters estimated from the two methods were established.We found that the indention test is better at capturing the dynamic response of tissues at a frequency less than 10 Hz,while MRE is better for describing the frequency responses at a relatively higher range.The results provided helpful information for testing soft tissues using indentation and MRE.The models analyzed are also helpful for quantifying the frequency response of viscoelastic tissues.

Viscoelastic and Thermal Properties of Polyurethane Foams Obtained from Renewable and Recyclable Components

This article deals with the study of the viscoelastic and thermal properties of polyurethane (PU) rigid foamsfrom biobased and recycled components. Rapeseed oil (RO) and recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) were used to synthesize PU polyols. Addition of adipic acid (ADA) to polyol resulted in improvedthermal and viscoelastic properties of foam materials. ADA content was varied from 1 to 6 wt%. Results ofthe dynamic mechanical spectra indicate an increase of the storage modulus E′ and the loss modulus E″ inthe whole temperature range for specimens with higher loading of ADA. In addition, damping factor shiftedto higher temperatures, but damping intensity remained almost unaffected by the compositions. Scanningelectron microscopy of the foams’ cross sections testified that the average cells’ size of 110 mm was unaffectedby the ADA content in polyol.

A texture-modified dessert with high nutritional value designed for people with dysphagia:effect of refrigeration and frozen storage

Dysphagia is commonly associated with malnutrition and an increased choking risk.To overcome these complications,food designed for people with dysphagia should have an appropriate texture and a high nutritional value.In this study,six formulations of a strawberry dessert enriched in protein(calcium caseinate)and fiber(wheat dextrin or inulin)were developed using different hydrocolloids(xanthan gum,carboxymethyl cellulose or modified starch)to provide desirable texture and stability.Nutritional value was calculated and total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the samples were analyzed.Back-extrusion test,rheological measurements and sensory analysis were performed in refrigerated and frozen samples to characterize their textural and viscoelastic properties.The high content in protein(14.7 g/100 g)and fiber(7.9-8.7 g/100 g)made possible to use the claims“high protein”and“high fiber”.Phytochemicals supplied by strawberries contributed to the antioxidant properties of the dessert.Loss tangent ranged 0.28-0.35 for all the formulations,indicating a weak gel behavior,which could be considered safe to swallow.The formulations with dextrin in combination with carboxymethyl cellulose or xanthan gum seemed to be less susceptible to structural changes during frozen storage.This work provides insights for the development of a nutrient-dense dessert that meets the requirements of people with dysphagia.

Experimental investigation on the nanoindentation viscoelastic constitutive model of quartz and kaolinite in mudstone

The creep behaviors in deep underground engineering structures,especially in soft rocks,have a remarkable impact on the long-term stability of the excavations,which finally leads to the high risk and failure of it.Accordingly,it is essential to recognize the time-dependent deformation through the investigation of this phenomenon.In this study,the creep behaviors of soft rocks were examined to help understand the underlying mechanism of the extended time-dependent deformation.Due to the limited results about the time-dependent properties of the constituents of the rock that reveal their heterogeneity,the targeting nanoindentation technique(TNIT),was adopted to investigate the viscoelastic characteristics of kaolinite and quartz in a two-constituent mudstone sample.The TNIT consists of identifications of mineralogical ingredients in mudstone and nanoindentation experiments on each identified constituent.After conducting experiments,the unloading stages of the typical indentation curves were analyzed to calculate the hardness and elastic modulus of both elements in mudstone.Additionally,the 180 s load-holding stages with the peak load of 50 mN were transformed into the typical creep strain-time curves for fitting analysis by using the Kelvin model,the standard viscoelastic model,and the extended viscoelastic model.Fitting results show that the standard viscoelastic model not only can perfectly express the nanoindentation creep behaviors of both kaolinite and quartz but also can produce suitable constants used to measure their creep parameters.The creep parameters of kaolinite are much smaller than that of quartz,which causes the considerable time-dependent deformation of the soft mudstone.Eventually,the standard viscoelastic model was also verified on the quartz in a sandstone sample.

Study on Viscoelastic Property of Nanometer SiO_2 Doped Rare Earth Carboxylate Grafting Poly-Silicone Liquid ERF

Nano-SiOdoped with rare earth carboxylate grafting continuous component of functional poly-silicone liquid, a kind of subsidence high-resistance. Electrorheological fluid (ERF) was synthesized. And its viscoelastic properties were investigated experimentally. The special polarization effect of rare earth in the ERF was also discussed. The forced oscillating behavior was obtained using a rheometer. The variation of the shear modulus of ERF subjected to various stress amplitude and frequency were investigated. The complex shear modulus and storage modulus of ERF were also given at different electric field intensities. Meanwhile, the creep and recovery characteristics of ERF were also measured. The equilibrium compliance Jc and the steady state recoverable compliance JR were investigated as a function of electric field strength and ratio of reactant, and the effect of ERF′s structure was analyzed. With increasing in electric field strength at fixed ratio of reactant, the plastic response diminishes, and the elastic behavior rose.

Rheo-NMR: A versatile hyphenated technique for capturing molecular dynamics and structure under flow

The general development of Rheo-NMR during the last four decades as well as selective hyphenated apparatuses is presented.Based on different magnet types,the current review is divided into two categories,namely low-field and high-field NMR,while the timedomain NMR is normally applied in the former case and the frequency-domain NMR is adopted in the latter one.Depending on different rheometer cells,it can be further divided into tensile and shear mode Rheo-NMR.The combination of various rheometer cells and NMR facility guarantees our acquisition of molecular level structure and dynamics information under flow conditions,which is crucial for our understanding of the molecular origin of complex fluids.A personal perspective is also presented at last to highlight possible development in this direction.

Effect of ultrasonic irradiation on rheological properties of asphaltenic crude oils

In this work, the rheological changes of several crude oil samples exposed to ultrasonic waves for different time intervals in addition to the effect of temperature on viscosity behavior of heavy crude oils were investigated using a series of steady shear flow and oscillatory tests. The colloidal structural evolutions of flocs in oil samples were illustrated by analysis of the size distribution of flocculated asphaltene particles （confocal microscopy tests）. The rheological investigations indicate that the ultrasonic irradiation dissolved heavy components in crude oil. After ultrasonic treatment, the Kouh-e-Mond crude oil was found to be pseudoplastic. In addition, confocal microscopy confirms that there was an optimum duration for ultrasonic irradiation, at which the viscosity and flocculation rate of asphaltenic crude oils reduced to the minimum values. The optimum was found to be approximately 40 min for the Kouh-e-Mond crude oil. Experimental results illustrate that the ultrasonic irradiation could disaggregate heavy colloid components in crude oil, and breakdown of asphaltene molecules would only occur in a specific time interval of irradiation. Also according to the temperature sweep test, the oil temperature rise caused by ultrasonic irradiation was not the main reason for theological changes of the crude oil and this alteration may be due to physical and chemical phenomena induced by sonication in crude oil.

Mode-based equivalent multi-degree-of-freedom system for one-dimensional viscoelastic response analysis of layered soil deposit

Discrete models such as the lumped parameter model and the finite element model are widely used in the solution of soil amplification of earthquakes. However, neither of the models will accurately estimate the natural frequencies of soil deposit, nor simulate a damping of frequency independence. This research develops a new discrete model for onedimensional viscoelastic response analysis of layered soil deposit based on the mode equivalence method. The new discrete model is a one-dimensional equivalent multi-degree-of-freedom（MDOF） system characterized by a series of concentrated masses, springs and dashpots with a special configuration. The dynamic response of the equivalent MDOF system is analytically derived and the physical parameters are formulated in terms of modal properties. The equivalent MDOF system is verified through a comparison of amplification functions with the available theoretical solutions. The appropriate number of degrees of freedom（DOFs） in the equivalent MDOF system is estimated. A comparative study of the equivalent MDOF system with the existing discrete models is performed. It is shown that the proposed equivalent MDOF system can exactly present the natural frequencies and the hysteretic damping of soil deposits and provide more accurate results with fewer DOFs.

MEASURING AND MODELING OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE BEARING PAD MADE OF PLASTIC MATRIX AND FINE BRONZE ELASTIC SPRINGS

The viscoelastic properties of the normal PTFE plastic and strengthened PTFEplastic for bearing pad are measured. The mechanical properties of the composite material forbearing pad, which is made of the aforementioned plastics as matrix reinforced by fine bronzeelastic springs, are modeled and relaxation modulus of the material are presented. The differencebetween these two kinds of PTFE is studied. The results show that the complex modulus of PTFEplastics for bearing pad is higher than that of normal PTFE plastics.

Viscoelastic characterization and prediction of a wormlike micellar solution

In the present paper,a structure-based viscoelastic model is employed to characterize and predict the viscoelastic properties of a wormlike micellar solution at 20℃.Considering the effect of shear rate on linear viscoelastic property,a structural parameter f is obtained.Meanwhile,another structural parameterζis determined when the effects of time and shear rate are considered simultaneously.Both structural parameters are calculated by using linear interpolation method.The startup experiment can be described well by the model.The prediction on the shear stress in the ramping-up region of the hysteresis loop experiment shows an apparent relation between the rheological behaviors in the startup experiment and those in the hysteresis loop experiment.For the hysteresis loop experiment with 30 s time interval,the defect of the calculation in 0.001-0.01 s^(−1) is due to the lack of the ramping-down history effect.In addition,the model can improve completeness of perimental data used for characterizing rheological property.