Buckling Optimization of Curved Grid Stiffeners through the Level Set Based Density Method

Stiffened structures have great potential for improvingmechanical performance,and the study of their stability is of great interest.In this paper,the optimization of the critical buckling load factor for curved grid stiffeners is solved by using the level set based density method,where the shape and cross section(including thickness and width)of the stiffeners can be optimized simultaneously.The grid stiffeners are a combination ofmany single stiffenerswhich are projected by the corresponding level set functions.The thickness and width of each stiffener are designed to be independent variables in the projection applied to each level set function.Besides,the path of each single stiffener is described by the zero iso-contour of the level set function.All the single stiffeners are combined together by using the p-norm method to obtain the stiffener grid.The proposed method is validated by several numerical examples to optimize the critical buckling load factor.

A comprehensive review of lunar lava tube base construction and field research on a potential Earth test site

The Moon,as the closest celestial body to the Earth,plays a pivotal role in the progression of deep space exploration,and the establishment of research outposts on its surface represents a crucial step in this mission.Lunar lava tubes are special underground caves formed by volcanic eruptions and are considered as ideal natural shelters and scientific laboratories for lunar base construction.This paper begins with an in-depth overview of the geological origins,exploration history,and distribution locations of lunar lava tubes.Subsequently,it delves into the presentation of four distinctive advantages and typical concepts for constructing bases within lava tubes,summarizing the ground-based attempts made thus far in lunar lava tube base construction.Field studies conducted on a lava tube in Hainan revealed rock compositions similar to those found during the Apollo missions and clear lava tube structures,making it a promising analog site.Lastly,the challenges and opportunities encountered in the field of geotechnical engineering regarding the establishment of lunar lava tube bases are discussed,encompassing cave exploration technologies,in-situ testing methods,geomechanical properties under lunar extreme environments,base design and structural stability assessment,excavation and reinforcement techniques,and simulated Earth-based lava tube base.

Synthesis, characterization, and anticancer properties of rare earth complexes with Schiff base and o-phenanthroline

Five novel ternary complexes of the rare earth ions with o-phenanthroline（Phen） and Schiff base salicylaldehyde L-phenyla- lanine（KHL） were synthesized in ethanol. Their compositions were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, ^1H NMR, FT-IR, and Raman spectra. The formulas of the complexes were verified to be RE（L）（Phen）Cl（H2O） （RE=La^3＋, Ce^3＋, Nd^3＋, Er^3＋, and Gd^3＋; L=Schiff base salicylaldehyde L-phenylalanine; phen=o-phenanthroline）. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT） colorimetry and flow cytometry were used to test the anticancer effect of the complexes with K562 tumor cell. The research showed that the complexes could inhibit K562 tumor cell＇s growth, generation, and induce apoptosis. The inhibition ratio was accelerated by increasing the dosage, and it had significant positive correlation with the medication dosage.

Synthesis, Characterization and Bioactivity of Complexes of Rare Earth with Bis-Schiff Base from Furoylpyrazolone

Eleven new complexes of rare earths with bis-Schiff base derived from N,N'-bis[(1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-oxo-4-pyrazolinyl) alpha-furylmethylidyne] ethylenediimine ((HPM alpha FP)(2)en) were synthesized. On the basis of elemental analysis and molar conductance, a general formula of the complexes, [RE(HPM alpha FP)(2)en(NO3)(2)]NO3(RE = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb,Y), was given. The complexes were characterized by IR, UV-visible, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR and fluorescence. The results show that the bis-Schiff base is a quadridentate ligand and the rare earth ions exhibit coordination of eight in the complexes. The antibacterial experiments indicate that they have high antibacterial activities against S. aureus, B. subtillis, E. coli, E. carotovora, C. flaccumfaciens.

Syntheses,Crystal Structures and Kinetic Mechanisms of Thermal Decomposition of Rare Earth Complexes with Schiff Base Derived from o-Vanillin and p-Toluidine

Three complexes, [Pr（NO3）3（HL）2] （1）, [Nd（NO3）3（HL）2] （2） and [Er（NO3）3（HL）2] ·0.5H2O （3）, were synthesized from the reaction of a Schiff base ligand 2-[ （4-methylphenylimino）methyl ]-6-methoxyphenol （C15 H15 NO2, HL） with Ln（NO3）3·6H2O （Ln = Pr, Nd, Er）. Characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique, elemental analysis, molar conductance, FT-IR, UV-Vis, ^1H NMR and thermal analysis shows the title complexes are neutral molecules where the central Ln（ Ⅲ） ion is ten-coordinated in biapical anti-hexahedron prism geometry, with four oxygen atoms of the phenolic hydroxy and methoxy groups in the two bidentate Schiff base ligands and six oxygen atoms provided by the three bidentate NO3 - anions. Additionally, the kinetic mechanism of thermal decomposition of complex 3 was determined with a TG-DTG curves by both integral and differential methods. The functions of thermal decomposition reaction mechanism and the equation of kinetic compensation effect were obtained.

Improving Wear Resistance of the Ni-base Thermal Spray-Welding Coating Using Rare Earths

By adding rare earth alloy and cerium oxide, the effect of rare earths on tribological properties of nickel base alloy layer was studied to approach the possibility of applying rare earths to Ni base thermal spray welding coating. Wear test results showed that the wear rates of the nickel base coating without rare earths were quite high, and the load bearing capacity of coating was low, in contrast, the wear rates of the coating with rare earths were low and the coating had higher load bearing capacity. The results show that rare earths can refine the structure of nickel base alloy, improve the interface of the coating and substrate.

EFFECT OF RARE EARTH ELEMENT Er ON STRENGTHENING OF INTERFACE OF Ti（C，N） BASED CERMETS

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Estimation of earth pressure against retaining walls with different limited displacement modes based on elastic theory

The earth pressure acting on retaining walls due to creep and consolidation is under limited equilibrium conditions(limited displacement). Linear elastic constitutive theory can be applied to determine earth pressure distribution along retaining walls under limited displacement condition. In addition,tangent modulus in Duncan-Chang nonlinear elastic model was introduced to reflect the variations of soil modulus with confining pressure, and boundary strains were derived from Rankine active earth pressure, Rankine passive earth pressure, static earth pressure and principal stress direction deflection.According to the above four boundary strains, earth pressure on retaining walls was divided into five state zones. By comparing the calculation results obtained from the equations proposed in this paper with those of experimental tests, the following conclusions can be drawn: earth pressure distribution was always nonlinear along retaining walls for translation displacement(T mode), rotation displacement around wall base(RB mode), and translation + rotation displacement around wall base(RBT mode). Also,calculated earth pressure distributions along with the depth of wall were found to be consistent with measured values under three displacement modes.Additionally, a parametric study was carried out to evaluate the effects of internal friction angle and backfill soil cohesion on earth pressure. It could be seen from the above series of studies that the earth pressure equations derived in this work could be well applied in practical engineering in designing retaining walls.

Mechanism of interaction relation between the rare-earth element Ce and impurity elements Pb and Bi in Ag-based filler metal

The mechanism of interaction relation between the rare-earth element Ce and elements Pb and Bi in Ag-based filler metal has been studied. The results show that the compounds CePb and CeBi with high melting point can be easily produced between these three elements in the filler metal, which greatly limited the formation of the isolated phase Pb or Bi and also eliminated the bad effect of impurity elements Pb and Bi on the spreading property of Ag-based filler metal. The metallurgical and quantum-mechanical bond formation analysis show that a strong chemical affinity was existed between the rare-earth element Ce and impurity elements Pb and Bi, which was proved by the XRD analysis results.

Elastic properties of Nb-based alloys by using the density functional theory

A first-principles density functional approach is used to study the electronic and the elastic properties of Nb15X （X = Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta, Cr, Mo, and W） alloys. The elastic constants cn and c12, the shear modulus CI, and the elastic modulus E（lOO） are found to exhibit similar tendencies, each as a function of valence electron number per atom （EPA）, while c44 seems unclear. Both cu and c12 of Nb15X alloys increase monotonically with the increase of EPA. The C/ and E000） also show similar tendencies. The elastic constants （except c44） increase slightly when alloying with neighbours of a higher d-transition series. Our results are supported by the bonding density distribution. When solute atoms change from Ti（Zr, Hf） to V（Ta） then to Cr（Mo, W）, the bonding electron density between the central solute atom and its first neighbouring Nb atoms is increased and becomes more anisotropic, which indicates the strong interaction and thus enhances the elastic properties of Nb-Cr（Mo, W） alloys. Under uniaxial {100） tensile loading, alloyed elements with less （more） valence electrons decrease （increase） the ideal tensile strength.

Synthesis and Characterization of New Schiff Base and Polyoxa-azaCryptands and Their Rare Earth Cryptates with [1+1] Condensation and Reduction Methods

The Schiff base cryptand and its cryptates were synthesized with the methods of [1+1] condensation of trialdehyde and tris(2-aminoethyl)amine and obtained in 60-65%, 5-25% and 70-80% yields respectively with or without some rare earth elements as templates. The polyoxa-aza cryptand was produced in 72% and 60-70% yields with reduction of Schiff base and its cryptates respectively.

Synthesis, Catalysis of Rare Earth Complexes with Aliphatic Noncyclic Polyether-Amino Acid Schiff Base

Eleven new rare earth complexes with aliphatic Schiff base, condensed from diglycol aldehyde and bis-arginine, were synthesized and characterized. They are confirmed as Ln （H2DAAR） （NO3）3·7H2O （ Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Gd）, Ln3 （H2DAAR）2（NO3）9·5H2O （Ln= Dy, Y）and Ln2（H2DAAR）（NO3）6·3H2O （Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Gd）, Ln3（DAAR） （NO3）7·4H2O （Ln = Dy, Yb, Y） respectively under different molar ratios of metal to ligand （DAAR = diglycol aldehyde bis-arginine）. The present paper deals with a synthetic method and catalytic properties of obtained complexes. The result shows that proper pH value is important for synthesis of the complexes and compositions of the lighter and the heavier rare earth complexes are different under the same reaction condition. Some new complexes obtained have proved their catalytic activity and 80% conversion with the viscosity-average molecular weight 230,000 for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate （MMA） without addition of any cocatalyst.

Synthesis, Characterization and Activity of Rare Earth Complexes with Schiff Base From 2,6-Diformylpyridine N-Oxide and 4-Amino-antipyrine

Six new rare earth complexes with Schiff base from 2,6 diformylpyridine N oxide and 4 amino antipyrine were synthesized. These complexes with general formula REL(NO 3) 3 (RE=La, Pr, Eu, Tb, Er, Y) were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV, molar conductance measurements and antimicrobial activity.

Effect of Rare Earth on the Corrosion-Resisting Performance of Zinc-Based Alloy Coatings

The corrosion behavior of coatings of pure zinc and Zn-Al,Zn-Al-RE alloys in NaCl solu- tions was studied by salt-spray experiments,even corrosion experiments and electrochemical measurements of bi-directional polarization curves and a.c.impedance in weak polarization region consistent regularities were obtained by these different methods,viz.,the corrosion resistance of Zn could be enhanced by alloying it with Al,and particularly with Al-RE.The causes of enhancement of corrosion resistance by RE were also discussed.

Research of Trap and Electron Density Distributions in the Interface of Polyimide/Al2O3 Nanocomposite Films Based on IDC and SAXS

The distributions of traps and electron density in the interfaces between polyimide （PI） matrix and Al2O3 nanoparticles are researched using the isothermal decay current and the small-angle x-ray scattering （SAXS） tests. According to the electron density distribution for quasi two-phase mixture doped by spherical nanoparticles, the electron densities in the interfaces of PI/Al2O3 nanocomposite films are evaluated. The trap level density and carrier mobility in the interface are studied. The experimental results show that the distribution and the change rate of the electron density in the three layers of interface are different, indicating different trap distributions in the interface layers. There is a maximum trap level density in the second layer, where the maximum trap level density for the nanocomposite film doped by 25 wt% is 1.054 × 10^22 eV·m^-3 at 1.324eV, resulting in the carrier mobility reducing. In addition, both the thickness and the electron density of the nanocomposite film interface increase with the addition of the doped Al2O3 contents. Through the study on the trap level distribution in the interface, it is possible to further analyze the insulation mechanism and to improve the performance of nano-dielectric materials.

Review of magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect in the intermetallic compounds of rare earth with low boiling point metals

The magnetocaloric effect （MCE） in many rare earth （RE） based intermetallic compounds has been extensively in- vestigated during the last two decades, not only due to their potential applications for magnetic refrigeration but also for better understanding of the fundamental problems of the materials. This paper reviews our recent progress on studying the magnetic properties and MCE in some binary or ternary intermetallic compounds of RE with low boiling point metal（s） （Zn, Mg, and Cd）. Some of them exhibit promising MCE properties, which make them attractive for low temperature magnetic refrigeration. Characteristics of the magnetic transition, origin of large MCE, as well as the potential application of these compounds are thoroughly discussed. Additionally, a brief review of the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in the quaternary rare earth nickel boroncarbides RENi2B2C superconductors is also presented.

Synthesis and characterization of lanthanide complexes containing a bulky tridentate [N,N,O] Schiff base ligand

The lanthanide complexes containing a bulky tridentate [N,N,O] Schiff base ligand 3,5-But2-2-（OH）C6H2CH=N-8-C9H6N （HL） were synthesized and characterized. The reaction of anhydrous LnCl3 with NaL formed in situ in a 1：1 molar ratio in THF at room temperature afforded the lanthanide Schiff base dichloride complexes LnLCl2（DME） （Ln=Eu （1）; Sm （2））. Complexes 1 and 2 can be used as precursors for the synthesis of the lanthanide cyclopentadienyl Schiff base derivatives. The reactions of complexes 1 and 2 with one equiv of NaCH3C5H4 in THF provided the desired products LnL（CH3C5H4）CI（THF）.THF （Ln=Eu （3）; Sm （4）） in good isolated yields. These complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, and X-ray structural determination, in the case of complexes 3 and 4. The crystal data of complex 3 are monoclinic, P21/C space group, a=1.3370（2） nm, b=1.5190（2） nm, c=1.8910（3） nm, β=109.846（4）°, V=3.6125（8） nm^3, Z=4, Dc=1.416 mg/m^3,μ=1.847 mm^-1, F（000）=1584, R=0.0707, wR=0.1350. The crystal data of complex 4 are monoclinic, P21/c space group, a=1.3383（1） nm, b=1.5210（2） nm, c=1.8960（2） nm, β =109.878（3）°, V=3.6293（7） nm^3, Z=4, Dc=1.407 mg/m^3, μ=1.728 mm^-1, F（000）= 1580, R=0.0670, wR=0.1385.

Studies on Heterobinuclear Complexes of Ln^(3+) and Zn^(2+) with Acyclic Polyether Schiff Base

Eight novel heterobinuclear complexes of Ln3+ and Zn2+ with salicylidene diethylene glycol diamine(SALDA) Schiff base (NO3)22H2O(Ln=Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Er, Yb, Y) were synthesized and characterized on the basis of IR and UV, particularly by1H and13C NMR spectra. It is confirmed that the azomethine nitrogen, ethereal oxygen and a part of phenolic oxygen atoms coordinate to the central ions.

Soil−water characteristics of weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores

The permeability of the weathered crust elution-deposited rare earth ores directly affects the efficiency of in-situ leaching.The soil−water characteristic curve(SWCC)is an important constitutive relation for calculating the permeability of ore body,which is related to many factors.Soil−water characteristic tests of rare earth ore samples considering different factors were carried out by using the pressure plate instrument.Effects of dry density,particle size and solution leaching on water holding behavior and the mechanism were investigated.The experimental observations indicate that with the decrease of dry density,the pore ratio increases gradually,and the saturated water content increases.Under the same matric suction,the water content decreases gradually with the increase of particle size,thus decreasing water holding capacity of ore accordingly.In the same water content,matric suction is inversely proportional to particle size.Under the same matric suction,the water content of ore samples after leaching is less than that of the ore samples before leaching,indicating that solution leaching can decrease water holding capacity of ore.