Effect of Dietary Components on the Shear Bond Strength of Orthodontics Brackets after Thermal Aging

Introduction: The stability of orthodontic brackets throughout orthodontic treatment plays a critical role in the treatment’s effectiveness. The present in vitro study was designed to assess the impact of various dietary components on the performance of orthodontic brackets. Methods: Metal orthodontic brackets were bonded to 66 extracted anterior teeth divided into groups based on the solution type: Milk, Gatorade, Cold Coffee, and a control group using water. Each group consisted of 20 teeth except for the control group, which included six teeth. The bracketed teeth were submerged in their respective solutions for 15 minutes three times daily at different intervals to mimic an in vivo environment and were stored in artificial saliva at room temperature (23?C). The specimens underwent artificial aging through 10,000 cycles of thermocycling (representing one clinical year) between 5?C and 55?C. Shade measurements were taken using a VITA Easy Shade device, capturing the classic shade and L*, a*, and b* values. Delta E values were calculated immediately post-bonding and after 7 days, 1 month, 1, and 2 clinical years. The shear bond strength of each bracket was measured using an ultra-tester machine. Results: After two clinical years, significant differences in ΔE color values were observed across all groups, with the most substantial change noted in teeth immersed in cold coffee. Brackets submerged in milk demonstrated lower shear bond strength than other solutions, whereas the control group exhibited the highest shear bond strength (P = 0.01). Conclusion: The study indicates that dietary components significantly influence tooth color stability and the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets, underscoring the importance of considering these factors in orthodontic treatment planning.

A comparative study of the thermal and hydrothermal aging effect on Cu-SSZ-13 for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH_(3)

In this work,the characterizations of Cu-SSZ-13 after hydrothermal aging(HTA)and thermal aging(TA)at different temperatures(750,800,and 850°C)are compared,and the differences between those two serious aged samples are analyzed.With this data,the effect of steam on catalysts deactivation during hydrothermal aging is analyzed.The TA at 750 and 800°C causes the dealumination and the agglomeration of Cu^(2+)ions to Cu O,resulting in the activity loss of Cu-SSZ-13.The presence of steam upon HTA at750 and 800°C aggravates the catalyst deactivation by increasing the Al detachment and the Cu^(2+)agglomeration.The structure and cupric state are almost the same in the Cu-SSZ-13 after TA and HTA at 850°C,respectively,indicating that the steam has little influence on the deactivation.The formation of CuAl_(2)O_(4) spinel is the primary reason for the deactivation after both HTA and TA at 850°C,probably attributed to the strong interaction between Cu^(2+)ions and framework Al sites at high temperatures.

Coarsening behavior of MX carbonitrides in type 347H heat-resistant austenitic steel during thermal aging

In this work, the growth kinetics of MX （M - metal, X - C/N） nanoprecipitates in type 347H austenitic steel was systematically studied. To investigate the coarsening behavior and the growth mechanism of MX carbonitrides during long-term aging, experiments were performed at 700, 800, 850, and 900℃ for different periods （1, 24, 70, and 100 h）. The precipitation behavior of carbonitrides in specimens subjected to various aging conditions was explored using carbon replicas and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） observations. The corresponding sizes ofMX carbonitrides were measured. The results demonstrates that MX carbonitrides precipitate in type 347H austenitic steel as Nb（C,N）. The coarsening rate constant is time-independent; however, an increase in aging temperature results in an increase in coarsening rate of Nb（C,N）. The coarsening process was analyzed according to the calculated diffusion activation energy of Nb（C,N）. When the aging temperature was 800-900℃, the mean activation energy was 294 kJ·mol -1, and the coarsening behavior was controlled primarily by the diffusion of Nb atoms.

Effect of Pre-Deformation Enhanced Thermal Aging on Precipitation and Microhardness of a Reactor Pressure Vessel Steel

Microstructure evolution in neutron irradiated Reactor Pressure Vessel （RPV） steels was experimentally simulated through an improved degradation procedure in this study. The degradation procedure includes austenitizing at 1 150℃ and water quench, deformation 10% and 30% respectively, and then thermal aging at 500℃ for different period of time. The microstructure of the specimens was analyzed in details using transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The micro-hardness test results showed that all the hardness curves of undeformed, 10% pre-deformed and 30% pre-deformed specimens have two micro-hardness peaks with the first peak value corresponding to different thermal aging time of 1 hour, 5 hours and 10 hours, respectively. It was revealed that the hardness curves were influenced by the precipitation of Cu-rich precipitates （CRPs） and carbides, deposition of martensite and work hardening.

Application of time-temperature superposition method in thermal aging life prediction of shipboard cables

The life of shipboard cables will decrease due to the complex aging processes. In terms of the safety perspective, remaining life prediction of the cable is essential to maintain a reliable operation. In this paper, firstly, based on Arrhenius equation, residual life of new styrene-butadiene cable is calculated; result indicates that the degradation rate which changes with time is proportional to thermal temperature. Then second order dynamic model is adopted into the residual life prediction, combined with the time-temperature superposition method(TTSP), and a new residual life model is proposed. According to the accelerated thermal aging experiment data and Arrhenius equation, TTSP method demonstrates to be an efficient way for life prediction, and life at normal temperature can be estimated by this model. In order to monitor the state of styrene-butadiene cable more accurately, an improved residual life model based on equivalent environment temperature of cable is proposed, and life of cable under real operation is analyzed. Result indicates that this model is credible and reliable, and it provides an important theoretical base for residual life of cables.

Thermal aging behavior of high performance poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel

The thermal aging behavior of poly （ vinyl alcohol ） （ PVA ） hydrogel was studied at four different temperatures of 40 ℃, 50 ℃, 60 ℃ and 70 ℃ in one year. The samples of PVA hydrogel were closely covered by plastic film. The changes of their chemical structures and physical properties during aging were measured through different measurable techniques including tensile testing, gel permeation chromatography （ GPC ）, viscosity analysis, and Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spec- trum. The results showed that the molecular weight of PVA in hydrogel changed little with time and temperature. FTIR spectra of PVA in all the samples were similar to those of the original samples. The tensile strength of PVA hydrogel didn＇t change until the 330th days.

Thermal aging effect on 2205 duplex stainless steel

： The effect of isothermal aging treatment on the mechanical and corrosion properties of 2205 duplex stainless steel was investigated by means of impact toughness test and micro-hardness measurement in combination with the critical pitting temperature （CPT） technique. The corresponding fractography of the steel was then observed after the impact toughness test. The results demonstrated that, at the critical temperature for precipitation of the sigma （σ） phase, e. g., 850 ℃, the impact toughness decreased rapidly and the micro-hardness increased gradually with increasing aging time. The CPT decreased from 61 to 15 ℃ as the aging time increased from 4 rain to 8 h. In addition, optical microscopy, transmission electron microscope （TEM） and X-ray diffraction studies showed that the ferrite in the steel transformed into secondary austenite and σ phase.

Studies on the Effect of Accelerated Thermal Aging on Electrical and Physicochemical Properties of XLPE Cable

The degradation of crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation during service, such as thermo-oxidation and water treeing may lead to a premature electrical breakdown of the XLPE insulation cables. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the period of replacement to evenly distribute the replacement cost by ascertaining the deterioration degree. Estimation of the aging degree is at present the most important task for diagnosis of the residual lifetime of the power cable insulation. This paper presents a study on the changes in the dielectric properties of the thermally aged XLPE cables in the frequency range from 0.07～10 MHz. Based on electrical and physicochemical characterization, some new "dactylograms" for the thermally aged XLPE cable insulation have been proposed.

Comparative Evaluation of the Thermal Aging of Solid Insulation in Mineral Oil and Methyl Ester of Palm Kernel Oil

The purpose of this work is to determine the impact of thermal aging on the dielectric and physicochemical properties of the oil/paper mixed insulation. We performed a comparative analysis of dielectric paper dipped in two cooling fluids: palm kernel oil methyl ester (MEPKO) and mineral oil (MO). Two types of dielectric paper were used: Thermally Upgraded Kraft paper (TUK) and Nomex-910 paper (NP-910). An accelerated aging test was realized at 110°C during a total of 96 hours. Samples of oil and paper were collected after 0, 48, 72 and 96 hours for analyses purposes. The analyses performed included the measurement of the Breakdown voltage (BDV) of the dielectric papers, the Total Acid Number (TAN) and the Decay Dissolved Products (DDP) of the liquid dielectrics. The BDV of NP-910 is greater than the BDV of TUK. Concerning the type of oil, the BDV of dielectric papers impregnated with MEPKO is greater than the BDV of similar papers impregnated with MO, indicating a better preservation of paper when dipped in methyl esters. The analyses of TAN and DDP revealed that Nomex-910 improves the oxidation stability of MO, but reduces the oxidation stability of MEPKO. These results prove that methyl esters can be used as a substitute to replace mineral oils in power transformers. Furthermore, they show that NP can be used mainly in areas of transformer where solid insulation is subjected to high thermal and electrical stress, and TUK other places where solid insulation is required. Such combination could assure money savings and a better preservation of the oil viscosity.

Effect of thermal aging on the fatigue crack growth behavior of cast duplex stainless steels

The effect of thermal aging on the fatigue crack growth（FCG） behavior of Z3CN20？09M cast duplex stainless steel with low ferrite content was investigated in this study. The crack surfaces and crack growth paths were analyzed to clarify the FCG mechanisms. The microstructure and micromechanical properties before and after thermal aging were also studied. Spinodal decomposition in the aged ferrite phase led to an increase in the hardness and a decrease in the plastic deformation capacity, whereas the hardness and plastic deformation capacity of the austenite phase were almost unchanged after thermal aging. The aged material exhibited a better FCG resistance than the unaged material in the near-threshold regime because of the increased roughness-induced crack closure associated with the tortuous crack path and rougher fracture surface; however, the tendency was reversed in the Paris regime because of the cleavage fracture in the aged ferrite phases.

Interactive effect of thermal aging and proton irradiation on microstructural evolution and hardening ofδ-ferrite in 308L stainless steel weld metal

In the harsh service environment of high temperature and intense neutron irradiation in water-cooled nuclear reactors,the austenitic stainless steel weld overlay cladding on the inner surface of the reactor pressure vessel suffers from thermal aging and irradiation damage simultaneously,which can induce microstructural evolution and hardening of the material.Since it is quite difficult to achieve this simul-taneous process out of the pile,two kinds of combined experiments,i.e.,post-irradiation thermal aging and post-aging irradiation were performed on 308 L stainless steel weld metals in this work.The interactive effect of thermal aging and proton irradiation on microstructural evolution and hardening ofδ-ferrite in 308 L weld metal was investigated by combining atom probe tomography,transmission elec-tron microscopy and nanoindentation tests.The results revealed that thermal aging could eliminate the dislocation loops induced by irradiation and affect the phase transition process by accelerating spinodal decomposition and G-phase precipitation,thus enhancing hardening of irradiatedδ-ferrite.For the effect of irradiation on the microstructure and hardening of thermally agedδ-ferrite,however,intensive collision cascades can intensify G-phase precipitation and dislocation loop formation but decrease spinodal decomposition,leading to a limited effect on hardening of thermally agedδ-ferrite.Furthermore,the interaction of thermal aging and irradiation can promote G-phase precipitation.Meanwhile,the interaction can causeδ-ferrite hardening,which is mainly influenced by spinodal decomposition,followed by G-phase and dislocation loops,where spinodal decomposition and G-phase cause hardening by inducing strain fields.

Investigation on Thermal Aging and Scaling of NBR in Alkaline Solution

The thermal aging and scaling tests of Butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber （NBR） samples in alkaline solution were done, and after the tests, the surface contact angle of samples was measured and the sample surface was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy （IR）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The test results shows that after the NBR samples were dipped in pH 11, 70 ℃ alkaline solution for 215 d, many microcracks were observed on the surface and a lot of small sized scales existed near the cracks; element constituents of scale adhering on the surface were： Ca, Fe and A1, of which Ca was from saturated CaCO3, Fe was from rust scale and A1 was from A1203 ceramic existing also in the test environment; IR and XPS inspection indicate that there were outgrowths of carboxy group, acyloxy group, hydroxyl group, CaO and Ca3Si309, which showed that oxidation degradation and hydrolyzation happened on NBR and the scale appeared on the samples＇ surfaces. Dissolution, aging or scale adhesion led to non-uniformity of contact angle and surface energy data.

A comparative analysis of dielectric properties of oil-paper insulation and polymer materials before and after thermal aging

The shortcomings of oil-immersed transformer solid insulation like low high-temperature resistance of the insulation paper and the uneven distribution of electric field caused by the large difference of dielectric constants between insulation paper and transformer oil,restricted the development of transformer with smaller size and larger capacity.In view of this situation and the transformer’s demand for the dielectric physicochemical and mechanical property of insulation material,polycarbonate,polyester film and polyphenylene sulfide with high high-temperature resistance were chosen for the comparison analysis in this paper We did the 300-day thermal aging experiment on four samples in transformer oil under different aging temperatures of90°C,110°C and 130°C,then analyzed the changes of their dielectric properties.The experiment results are as follows;the permittivity and dielectric dissipation factor of the three polymer materials are apparently smaller than those of the paper both before and after 300-day aging;the volume resistivity and partial discharge inception voltage of the three materials are higher than those of the paper both before and after aging;and the breakdown field strength of polycarbonate is higher than that of the paper both before and after aging,while that of polyester film and polyphenylene sulfide are slightly lower than that of the paper.

Ratcheting boundary of 316LN austenitic stainless steel under thermal aging

Previous studies,including ASME and RCC-MR standards,did not consider the influence of environmental factors on the ratcheting boundary of the material,and only a unified ratcheting boundary was proposed.In this paper,thermal aging was taken into consideration,and the effect of thermal aging time on the ratcheting boundary of 316 LN austenitic stainless steel was characterized by the efficiency diagram rule.The results show that,when the secondary ratio U is small,there is no significant difference in ratcheting boundary between the original material and the thermal aged material.When the secondary ratio U is large,the ratcheting boundary of the material presents a slight upward trend with the increase of thermal aging time.Compared with ASME and RCC-MR standards,it is found that RCC-MR is conservative.Based on the evolution of the efficiency index V with the number of cycles,it is more conservative and reasonable to choose the stage when the efficiency index V develops into a constant.

Effect of Silicone Maintenance Materials on Thermal Aging Resistance of Asphalt Mixture

Early water damage of asphalt pavement is one of the major types of destruction,so taking maintenance on asphalt pavement at the proper time is necessary. Many new maintenance materials and methods are in use nowadays to prevent pavement from water damage and skidding. This paper aims to study the effects of the silicone maintenance materials on thermal aging resistance of asphalt mixture. After thermal aging,the asphalt mixture using silicone materials and the control mixture are evaluated through their engineering properties,including indirect tensile modulus,low-temperature performance and fatigue resistance. The results indicate that the silicone materials used as repairing material can improve low-temperature performance and fatigue resistance of asphalt mixture,and decrease the indirect tensile modulus ratio before and after thermal aging. Consequently,the silicone maintenance material has the ability to protect asphalt mixture from thermal aging.

Effect of multiple heat treatments on fracture property of centrifugal casting stainless steels Z3CN20.09M with long-term thermal aging degradation

It is of great significance to investigate effect of multiple heat treatments on fracture property of centrifugal casting stainless steels Z3CN20.09M cut from pump casing with long-term thermal aging degradation for nuclear power plants to consider actual operation of nuclear power plants.Both multiple heat treatments and accelerated thermal aging experiment at the same temperature of 400℃ for different time were successively carried out on centrifugal casting stainless steels Z3CN20.09M in order to examine the metallographic modification and impact properties.Finally,an additional investigation on the related fracture properties was carried out,in which the critical initial fracture toughness Ji was determined by stretch zone width and 0.2 mm offset line methods.These results indicated that the multiple heat treatments led to the dispersed distribution of ferrite phases in austenite matrix and thus microhardness increased,but impact energy exhibited a decreasing tendency significantly.After long-term aging,the metallographic structure remained almost unchanged,but the size of ferrite phases showed a slight increasing trend because of spinodal decomposition in ferrite phases and G-phase precipitation.In addition,centrifugal casting stainless steels Z3CN20.09M with multiple heat treatments exhibited the higher microhardness,Charpy impact toughness,critical initial fracture toughness J_(IC)(J-integral determined by 0.2 mm offset line method),and J_(SZW)(J-integral determined by stretch zone width method)than those with primary heat treatment,while the specific number of the heat treatment had a low influence on fracture toughness.

Thermal Oxidative Aging Characterization of SBS Modified Asphalt

Both macro and micro-methods were introduced to study the physical and chemical properties of thermal oxidative aging of SBS （styrene-butadiene-styrene） modified asphalt. The physical properties of SBS modified asphalt before and after aging were analyzed by normal tests. The structure and quality variation of SBS modified asphalt during the aging process was analyzed by FTIR （Fourier transform infrared spectrum）. FTIR result shows that the degeneration of SBS modified asphalt is mainly caused by oxidative reaction and rupture of C=C double bond. The molecular weight variations of asphalt function groups and SBS polymer were studied by GPC （Gel Permeation Chromatography）. GPC result shows that small molecules transform into larger one in asphalt and SBS polymer molecule degrade during the aging process. SBS polymer may lose its modifying function after long time aging.

Martensite Aging Effect and Thermal Cyclic Characteristics in Ti-Pd and Ti-Pd-Ni High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys

The effect of thermal cycling and aging in martensitic state in Ti-Pd-Ni alloys were investigated by DSC and TEM observations. It is shown that the thermal cycling causes the decreases in M, and Af temperatures in Ti50Pd50-xNix (x=10, 20, 30) alloys, but no obvious thermal cycling effect was observed in Ti50Pd50Pd40Ni10 alloys and the aging effect shows a curious feature, i.e., the Af temperature does not saturate even after relatively long time aging, which is considered to be due to the occurrence of recovery recrystallization during aging.

Effect of weld microstructure on brittle fracture initiation in the thermallyaged boiling water reactor pressure vessel head weld metal

Effects of the weld microstructure and inclusions on brittle fracture initiation are investigated in a thermally aged ferritic high-nickel weld of a reactor pressure vessel head from a decommissioned nuclear power plant.As-welded and reheated regions mainly consist of acicular and polygonal ferrite,respectively.Fractographic examination of Charpy V-notch impact toughness specimens reveals large inclusions(0.5-2.5μm)at the brittle fracture primary initiation sites.High impact energies were measured for the specimens in which brittle fracture was initiated from a small inclusion or an inclusion away from the V-notch.The density,geometry,and chemical composition of the primary initiation inclusions were investigated.A brittle fracture crack initiates as a microcrack either within the multiphase oxide inclusions or from the debonded interfaces between the uncracked inclusions and weld metal matrix.Primary fracture sites can be determined in all the specimens tested in the lower part of the transition curve at and below the 41-J reference impact toughness energy but not above the mentioned value because of the changes in the fracture mechanism and resulting changes in the fracture appearance.

Small-angle neutron scattering study on the stability of oxide nanoparticles in long-term thermally aged 9Cr-oxide dispersion strengthened steel

A 9 Cr-oxide dispersion strengthened(ODS)steel was thermally aged at 873 K for up to 5000 h.The size distribution and chemical composition of the dispersed oxide nanoparticles were analyzed by small-angle neutron scattering under a magnetic field.Combined with transmission electron microscopy,Vickers micro-hardness tests and electron backscattered diffraction measurements,all the results showed that the thermal treatment had little or no effect on the size distributions and volume fractions of the oxide nanoparticles in the ferromagnetic matrix,which suggested excellent thermal stability of the 9 Cr-ODS steel.