Numerical Simulation and Experimental Characterization of Clay Paste under Loads for Energy Saving in Clay Materials Processing

Requirements for the respect of the environment encourage to reduce the impact of human activity on the nature. Civil engineering answers these requirements by the development of ecological construction materials. This paper deals with the transformation of clay raw materials which enable the processing of environmentally friendly construction materials: in addition to their biodegradability, the alveolar fired clay materials allow energy saving in home heating thanks to their thermal isolation properties. But their manufacturing is a high energy consumption process, in particular during compaction, drying and firing which contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. The goal of this paper is to study the rheology of clay pastes in order to develop low energy in manufacturing processes. For this purpose, theoretical and experimental approaches were carried out on six clay varieties. In the theoretical approach, a finite element (FE) simulation model has been developed for pressing a non-rigid material predicting deformations and stresses occurring within the clay structure. Experiments have then been carried out to validate the finite element modelling. In this experimental approach, the clay pastes were transformed with water content respecting the Atterberg limits which determine the plasticity of clays. The samples compaction has been carried out under variable loadings in order to determine the suitable low energy consumption loading.

Optimization of cold-sprayed AA2024/Al_2O_3 metal matrix composites via friction stir processing: Effect of rotation speeds

In this study, friction stir processing（FSP） was employed to modify cold-sprayed（CSed） AA2024/Al2 O3 metal matrix composites（MMCs）. Three different rotation speeds with a constant traverse speed were used for FSP. Microstructural analysis of the FSPed specimens reveals significant Al2 O3 particle refinement and improved particle distribution over the as-sprayed deposits. After FSP, a microstructural and mechanical gradient MMC through the thickness direction was obtained. Therefore, a hybrid technique combining these two solid-state processes, i.e. CS and FSP, was proposed to produce functionally gradient deposits. The Guinier-Preston-Bagaryatskii zone was dissolved during FSP, while the amounts at different rotation speeds were approximately the same, which is possibly due to the excellent thermal conductivity of the used Cu substrate. Mechanical property tests confirm that FSP can effectively improve the tensile performance and Vickers hardness of CSed AA2024/Al2 O3 MMCs. The properties can be further enhanced with a larger rotation speed with a maximum increase of 25.9% in ultimate tensile strength and27.4% in elongation at 1500 rpm. Friction tests show that FSP decreases the wear resistance of CSed MMCs deposits due to the breakup of Al2 O3 particles. The average values and fluctuations of friction coefficients at different rotation speeds vary significantly.

Ultra-compact on-chip slot Bragg grating structure for small electric field detection

In this paper, we present an ultra-compact 1D photonic crystal(Ph C) Bragg grating design on a thin film lithium niobate slot waveguide(SWG) via 2D-and 3D-FDTD simulations. 2D-FDTD simulations are employed to tune the photonic bandgap(PBG) size, PBG center, cavity resonance wavelength, and the whole size of Ph C. 3DFDTD simulations are carried out to model the real structure by varying different geometrical parameters such as SWG height and Ph C size. A moderate resonance quality factor Q of about 300 is achieved with a Ph C size of only 0.5 μm× 0.7 μm× 6 μm. The proposed slot Bragg grating structure is then exploited as an electric field(E-field) sensor. The sensitivity is analyzed by 3D-FDTD simulations with a minimum detectable E-field as small as 23 m V∕m. The possible fabrication process of the proposed structure is also discussed. The compact size of the proposed slot Bragg grating structure may have applications in on-chip E-field sensing, optical filtering, etc.

Editorial of special issue on ultrafast optics: fundamentals and applications

Ultrafast optics is an interdisciplinary research area as the interface between physics,optics,photonics,chemistry and engineering.Currently,the cutting-edge research interests in this area include,but are not limited to,the development of frontier ultrafast lasers and their applications in photophysics,quantum science,nonlinear optics,light–matter interaction,and ultrafast dynamics.This special issue is a collection of selective research articles focusing on ultrafast laser sources,ultrafast imaging technique,and ultrafast dynamics in molecules and solid-state materials.Ongoing with this special issue,Chinese Optics Letters aims to continuously offer an active platform for communications on the latest progress in the field of ultrafast optics.

Experimental evidence of Bloch surface waves on photonic crystals with thin-film LiNbO_3 as a top layer

Strong nonlinear, electro-optical, and thermo-optical properties of lithium niobate(LN) have gained much attention. However, the implementation of LiNbO_3 in real devices is not a trivial task due to difficulties in manufacturing and handling thin-film LN. In this study, we investigate an optical device where the Bloch surface wave(BSW) propagates on the thin-film LN to unlock its properties. First, access to the LN film from air(or open space) is important to exploit its properties. Second, for sustaining the BSW, one-dimensional photonic crystal(1DPhC) is necessary to be fabricated under the thin-film LN. We consider two material platforms to realize such a device: bulk LN and commercial thin-film LN. Clear reflectance dips observed in far-field measurements demonstrate the propagation of BSWs on top of the LN surface of the designed 1DPhCs.