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Eingeladener Vortrag
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In this study 50 construction products were tested in emission test chambers according to the requirements of the AgBB-scheme: 7 acrylic and 6 silicone sealants, 6 paste-like synthetic resin plasters, 13 wood based products, 4 adhesives, 5 lacquers, 6 wall paints and 3 further construction products. VOC and odour emissions were tested on the 1st, 3rd, 10th, and 28th day. In addition to the VOC-measurements, a test procedure was developed to evaluate odour emission of construction products.This test is planned to be implemented into the AgBB-Scheme. A direct evaluation by a sensory panel in the emission test chamber was not possible. So the odour samples were collected in 300- litre tedlar bags which were evaluated later. Odour intensity of the samples was compared with different acetone concentrations. Within this study an interlaboratory comparison was conducted using the newly developed odour test method. Additionally, VVOC emissions, detection of carcinogenic compounds, repeatability of emission test chamber tests, and other issues are presented. This project has shown that construction products can be evaluated in accordance with the AgBB scheme. A sensory evaluation is intended to be introduced in the AgBB scheme. A method for this evaluation is described in this study. The test procedure should be enhanced and validated for practical utilisation.
Measuring perceived air quality and intensity by a Sensor System, the European Project SysPAQ
(2008)
Emissions from building products can considerably impair the quality of indoor air. The AgBB scheme is employed to evaluate the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from building products. The hygienic evaluation according to the AgBB scheme requires product-specific measuring procedures.
These are available for a range of products. They have been validated in co-operation with several research and testing institutes and have been included in the criteria for awarding the Blue Angel ecolabel.
The evaluation is, however, stricter and generally has lower limits. VOC emissions and odours can cause health problems so testing using sensors is an important element in the evaluation of building products and has – for reasons of precaution – been set down in the AgBB scheme. The main goal of the project was to derive a method of evaluation using sensors and limits for awarding the Blue Angel and for the AgBB scheme. Based on the research conducted (see Chapter 5 Results and Discussion), perceived intensity and hedonics were suggested as a suitable Evaluation method. The derivation of limits for the evaluation using sensors on the 28th day was effected in the present study through the additional questioning of the test subjects on the reasonability of a sample.
For the Blue Angel, there could be different limits of perceived intensity and hedonics for each group of products. A preliminary suggestion for possible limits – for all product groups – is a perceived intensity of 7 pi (5 pi + 2 pi as confidence coefficient, Chapter 5.1.5) and -1 (0+/-0.8, rounded to -1) for the hedonic value.
VOC emissions from building materials accompanying sensory tests for different evaluation schemes
(2011)
Within a follow up project of a former study (Horn et al. 2005) emissions and odor from different types of construction products were investigated (financed by the German Federal Environmental Agency - FKZ 37 07 62 300).
The tested materials were mainly those used for construction of floors indoors. For this type of materials in Germany several labeling procedures exist which are based on Emission chamber testing. Two important labeling procedures in Germany are based on the AgBBevaluation scheme (Däumling et al. 2005). For some applications (flooring material) it is the mandatory Ü-mark of DIBt (German Institute for Construction Technology). Furthermore for carpets, adhesives and many other products, like sealants, mattresses, furniture and so on the voluntary blue angel mark exist. Within this scheme the volatile organic compounds (VOC) compounds are measured with well established procedures and are evaluated with LCI-values which were derived from health information.
Beyond that many complaints according to building products are caused by odors. Therefore an evaluation procedure for the odor is very important and should be implemented into all of the mentioned labeling schemes.
Indoor air pollutants influence the health and comfort of building occupants and consequently the energy consumption of the building. The pollutants are emitted by various sources.
Among these sources, building products are of particular importance. To control the emission of pollutants from building materials, a few different voluntary labelling Systems have been introduced in Europe. In Germany also mandatory “Principles for the health assessment of construction products used in interiors” have been applied for the technical approval of floor coverings since 2004. This procedure is based on the assessment scheine of the Committee for Health-related
Evaluation of Building Products (AgBBScheme). The sensory-limit settings for building-material label Blue Angel offer consumer to differ not only low-emission but also low-odour Building materials from another building materials.
Synchrotron X-ray radiography and tomography investigations of a custom-made polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell optimised for visualisation purposes are presented. The 3D water distribution and transport pathways in the porous carbon fibre gas diffusion layers (GDLs) were investigated. The authors found that water is not only moving from the GDL into the channel, but can also take the opposite way, that is, from the channel into free pore space of the GDL. Such movement of water into the opposite direction has been subject of speculations but has so far not yet been reported and might bring new insights into the general water transport behaviour, which might give new aspects to the general description of water transport processes and influence modelling assumptions to describe the process taking place in the GDL.
Investigation of fuel cell materials and liquid water transport by means of synchrotron imaging
(2013)
Synchrotron imaging allows addressing various important issues in fuel cell research, for example water distribution and transport. The water distribution in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) was observed quasi in-situ directly after operation by means of synchrotron tomography. The 3D data set was compared with the tomogram of a dry cell in order to separate the water distribution from cell materials. Engineered transport pathways realized by perforating holes through the gas diffusion layer (GDL) are a recent approach to optimize water transport and cell performance. For some parameter sets a cell performance increase and an improvement of stabilization have already been proven. We present high resolution investigations of the water distribution in perforated GDLs of operating PEMFCs by means of in-situ synchrotron radiography. The surrounding areas of the holes exhibited a distinct hydrophilic character.
Asymmetrically bridged aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals and aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal multichromophores can be readily synthesized in consecutive three-, four-, or five-component syntheses in good to excellent yields by several successive Suzuki-couplings of aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals and bis(boronic)acid esters. Different aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals as well as linker molecules yield a library of 23 multichromophores with substitution and linker pattern-tunable emission properties. This allows control of different communication pathways between the chromophores and of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and energy transfer (ET) properties, providing elaborate aggregation-based fluorescence switches.
Metal-Assisted and Solvent-Mediated Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Triazine Structures on Gram Scale
(2020)
Covalent triazine frameworks are an emerging material class that have shown promising performance for a range of applications. In this work, we report on a metal-assisted and solvent-mediated reaction between calcium carbide and cyanuric chloride, as cheap and commercially available precursors, to synthesize two-dimensional triazine structures (2DTSs). The reaction between the solvent, dimethylformamide, and cyanuric chloride was promoted by calcium carbide and resulted in dimethylamino-s-triazine intermediates, which in turn undergo nucleophilic substitutions. This reaction was directed into two dimensions by calcium ions derived from calcium carbide and induced the formation of 2DTSs. The role of calcium ions to direct the two-dimensionality of the final structure was simulated using DFT and further proven by synthesizing molecular intermediates. The water content of the reaction medium was found to be a crucial factor that affected the structure of the products dramatically. While 2DTSs were obtained under anhydrous conditions, a mixture of graphitic material/2DTSs or only graphitic material (GM) was obtained in aqueous solutions. Due to the straightforward and gram-scale synthesis of 2DTSs, as well as their photothermal and photodynamic properties, they are promising materials for a wide range of future applications, including bacteria and virus incapacitation.
Merocyanine–triarylamine bichromophores are readily synthesized by sequentially Pd-catalyzed insertion alkynylation–Michael–Suzuki four-component reactions. White-light emissive systems form upon aggregation in 1 : 99 and 0.1 : 99.9 vol% CH2Cl2–cyclohexane mixtures, ascribed to aggregation-induced dual emission (AIDE) in combination with partial energy transfer between both chromophore units as supported by spectroscopic studies.
The present work shows results on elemental distribution analyses in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films for solar cells performed by use of wavelength-dispersive and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) in a scanning electron microscope, EDX in a transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron, angle-dependent soft X-ray emission, secondary ion-mass (SIMS), time-of-flight SIMS, sputtered neutral mass, glow-discharge optical emission and glow-discharge mass, Auger electron, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, by use of scanning Auger electron microscopy, Raman depth profiling, and Raman mapping, as well as by use of elastic recoil detection analysis, grazing-incidence X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction, and grazing-incidence X-ray fluorescence analysis. The Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films used for the present comparison were produced during the same identical deposition run and exhibit thicknesses of about 2 µm. The analysis techniques were compared with respect to their spatial and depth resolutions, measuring speeds, availabilities, and detection limits.
Results are reported from a pilot study under the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM) to compare measurements of and resolve any relevant measurement issues in, the amount of thermal SiO2 oxide on (100) and (111) orientation Si wafer substrates in the thickness range 1.5 - 8 nm. As a result of the invitation to participate in this activity, 45 sets of measurements have been made in different laboratories using 10 analytical methods: medium-energy ion scattering spectrometry (MEIS), nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), RBS, elastic backscattering spectrometry (EBS), XPS, SIMS, ellipsometry, grazing-incidence x-ray reflectrometry (GIXRR), neutron reflectometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The measurements are made on separate sets of 10 carefully prepared samples, all of which have been characterised by a combination of ellipsometry and XPS using carefully established reference conditions and reference parameters.
The results have been assessed against the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) data and all show excellent linearity. The remaining data sets correlate with the NPL data with average root-mean-square scatters of 0.15 nm, half being better than 0.1 nm and a few at or better than 0.05 nm. Each set of data allows a relative scaling constant and a zero thickness offset to be determined. Each method has an inherent zero thickness offset between 0 nm and 1 nm and it is these offsets, measured here for the first time, that have caused many problems in the past. There are three basic classes of offset: water and carbonadeous contamination equivalent to ~1 nm as seen by ellipsometry; adsorbed oxygen mainly from water at an equivalent thickness of 0.5 nm as seen by MEIS, NRA, RBS and possibly GIXRR; and no offset as seen by XPS using the Si 2p peaks. Each technique has a different uncertainty for the scaling constant and consistent results have been achieved. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy has large uncertainties for the scaling constant but a high precision and, critically, if used correctly, has zero offset. Thus, a combination of XPS and the other methods allows the XPS scaling constant to be determined with low uncertainty, traceable via the other methods. XPS laboratories returning results early were invited to test a new reference procedure. All showed very significant improvements. The reference attenuation lengths thus need scaling by 0.986 ± 0.009 (at an expansion factor of 2) deduced from the data for the other methods. Several other methods have small offsets and, to the extent that these can be shown to be constant or measurable, then these methods will also show low uncertainty. Recommendations are provided for parameters for XPS, MEIS, RBS and NRA to improve their accuracy.
Glass-ceramics are noted for their unusual combination of properties and manifold commercialized products for consumer and specialized markets. Evolution of novel glass and ceramic processing routes, a plethora of new compositions, and unique exotic nano- and microstructures over the past 60 years led us to review the Definition of glass-ceramics. Well-established and emerging processing methods, such as co-firing, additive manufacturing, and laser patterning are analyzed concerning the core requirements of processing glass-ceramics and the Performance of the final products. In this communication, we propose a revised, updated definition of glass-ceramics, which reads “Glass-ceramics are inorganic, non-metallic materials prepared by controlled crystallization of glasses via different processing methods. They contain at least one type of functional crystalline phase and a residual glass. The volume fraction crystallized may vary from ppm to almost 100%”.
Service life of geosynthetics made of polyolefin materials is mainly limited by oxidative degradation. Durability of polyolefin products depend on formulation, morphology resulting from manufacturing, design and particularly on the antioxidants used. Although the fundamental oxidative reactions are known, the complex effect of geosynthetic characteristics and external influences mean that durability assessments require practical tests.
The assessment of oxidative durability involves exposure to accelerating conditions as well as the material characterisation with respect to the state of stabilisation and/or degradation (e.g. by tensile testing and/or oxidation induction time).
The autoclave test developed by BAM for durability assessments of polyolefin geosynthetics is based on the simultaneous application of moderately elevated temperatures (up to 80 degrees Celsius) and elevated oxygen pressures (up to 5.0 MPa) in combination with a surrounding aqueous medium. Thus this test method provides several advantages in comparison to conventional oven testing, especially with respect to test duration, impact of surrounding environment and the potential to differentiate and rank oxidative resistance between products of very different dimensions (surface/volume) and stabilisation.
In view of the increasing demand for durability assessments of geosynthetic products with lifetimes significantly exceeding 25 years, the contribution is focused on practical aspects concerning implementation and optimisation of test procedures, conditions and evaluation of results. Furthermore, advanced approaches based on multiple exposure conditions will also be included and corresponding calculations of expected service life in typical applications will be evaluated with respect to significance and repeatability. Thereby involved standards and recommendations - such as EN ISO 13438, Part C or EAG-EDT - are considered.
Whenever geosynthetics are used to reinforce or stabilise infrastructural elements such as road- and railways, bridge abutments, run- and taxiways on airports or to protect coastlines of canals and other steep slopes they may be exposed to cyclic loads. Therefore, a reduction factor for dynamic effects on the geosynthetic tensile strength has been included into the calculation of the Long Term Design Strength (LTDS). An approach to assess the behaviour of geosynthetics is to adopt Woehler- or Smith graphs and Haigh-diagrams for polymers. This is because an endurance limit for polymers, which defines an infinite life under a defined cyclic load, has not been seen so far. A huge amount of mechanical testing is needed to predict the behaviour of geosynthetics against this particular background.
To reduce these efforts while getting an indication of the cyclic effect on geosynthetics, a combined method of mechanical and chemical analysis has been developed. The pure tensile strength tests to determine the residual strength after cyclic stress has been amended by IR-spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). In this context the chain change model of PET has been proven as valid for cyclic loads as well, which helps to define the endurance limit of materials made out of PET. For polyolefins such as PP and PE, a limit for the maximum alternating load has been identified at the point of the stress strain graph where the actual and the numerical stress of a material diverge from each other. Cyclic tensile strength tests have been carried out in a hydraulic test frame. The test parameters have been set to simulate the service life of a railway bed trafficked by high speed trains (ICE).
Microstructural aspects of composites such as reinforcement particle size, shape, and distribution play important roles in deformation behavior. In addition, Fe-rich inclusions and porosity also influence the behavior of these composites, particularly under fatigue loading. Three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of porosity and Fe-rich inclusions in three dimensions is critical to a thorough understanding of fatigue resistance of metal matrix composites (MMCs), because cracks often initiate at these defects. In this article, we have used X-ray synchrotron tomography to visualize and quantify the morphology and size distribution of pores and Fe-rich inclusions in a SiC particle-reinforced 2080 Al alloy composite. The 3-D data sets were also used to predict and understand the influence of defects on the deformation behavior by 3-D finite element modeling.
We present a synchrotron X-ray tomographic study on the morphology of carbon fiber-based gas diffusion layer (GDL) material under compression. A dedicated compression device is used to provide well-defined compression conditions. A flat compression punch is employed to study the fiber geometry at different degrees of compression. Transport relevant geometrical parameters such as porosity, pore size and tortuosity distributions are calculated. The geometric properties notably change upon compression which has direct impact on transport conditions for gas and fluid flow. The availability of broad 3D paths, which are most important for the transport of liquid water from the catalyst layer through the GDL, is markedly reduced after compression. In a second experiment, we study the influence of the channel-land-pattern of the flow-field on shape and microstructure of the GDL. A flow-field compression punch is employed to reproduce the inhomogeneous compression conditions found during fuel cell assembly. While homogenously compressed underneath the land the GDL is much less and inhomogeneously compressed under the channel. The GDL material extends far into the channel volume where it can considerably influence gas and fluid flow. Loose fiber endings penetrate deeply into the channel and form obstacles for the discharge of liquid water droplets.
Aroyl-S,N-ketene acetal-based bichromophores can be readily synthesized in a consecutive three-component synthesis in good to excellent yields by condensation of aroyl chlorides and an N-(p-bromobenzyl) 2-methyl benzothiazolium salt followed by a Suzuki coupling, yielding a library of 31 bichromophoric fluorophores with substitution patterntunable emission properties. Varying both chromophores enables different communication pathways between the chromophores, exploiting aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and energy transfer (ET) properties, and thus, furnishing aggregation-based fluorescence switches. Possible applications range from fluorometric analysis of alcoholic beverages to pH sensors.
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has been meanwhile observed for many dye classes and particularly for fluorophores containing propeller-like groups. Herein, we report on the AIE characteristics of a series of four hydrophobic pyrrolidinylvinylquinoxaline (PVQ) derivatives with phenyl, pyrrolyl, indolyl, and methoxythienyl substituents used to systematically vary the torsion angle between this substituent at the quinoxaline C2 position and the planar PVQ moiety. These molecules, which are accessible via four- or five-component one-pot syntheses, were spectroscopically studied in organic solvents and solvent−water mixtures, as dye aggregates, solids, and entrapped in polystyrene particles (PSP). Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements revealed a strong fluorescence enhancement for all dyes in ethanol−water mixtures of high water content, accompanying the formation of dye aggregates with sizes of a few hundred nm, overcoming polarity and H-bonding-induced fluorescence quenching of the chargetransfer-type emission of these PVQ dyes. The size and shape of these dye aggregates and the size of the AIE effect are controlled by the water content and the substituent-dependent torsion angle that influences the nucleation process and the packing of the molecules during aggregation. Staining of 1 μm-sized carboxy-functionalized PSP with the PVQ dyes resulted also in a considerable increase in the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime, reflecting the combined influence of the restricted molecular motion and the reduced polarity of the dye microenvironment.
Fabrication of modern microelectronic components requires miscellaneous solder materials for joining. In order to guarantee the quality of the manufacturing process and the reliability of the resulting solder joint it is necessary to know the material properties of the joining parts and of the solder materials. In particular Youngs modulus, yield stress, and the hardness are of great interest. Moreover, a complete stress-strain curve is important for a detailed material characterization and simulation of a component, e.g., by Finite Elements (FE). The miniaturization of modern electronic products with small solder joints allows only fabrication of very small-sized specimens. Because of this miniature tests are used for measuring the mechanical properties of the solders in the experimental investigations of this paper. More specifically two miniature tests are presented and discussed, a mini-uniaxial-tension-test and a nanoindenter experiment. In the tensile test the axial loading is prescribed, the corresponding extension of the specimen length is recorded, both of which determines the stress-strain- curve directly. The stress-strain curves are then mathematically analyzed by assuming a non-linear relationship between stress and strain of the Ramberg-Osgood type and fitting the corresponding parameters to the experimental data by means of an optimization routine. For a detailed analysis of very local mechanical properties nanoindentation is used, resulting primarily in load vs. indentation-depth data. According to the procedure of Pharr and Oliver this data can be used to obtain hardness and Youngs modulus but not a complete stress-strain curve, at least not directly. In order to obtain such a stress-strain-curve, the nanoindentation experiment is combined with FE and the coefficients involved in the corresponding constitutive equation for stress and strain are obtained by means of the inverse method. Finally in this paper, the stress-strain curves from nanoindentation and tensile tests are compared for two materials, namely aluminum and steel and differences are explained in terms of the locality of the measured properties.
We present an experimental approach to study the three-dimensional microstructure of gas diffusion layer (GDL) materials under realistic compression conditions. A dedicated compression device was designed that allows for synchrotron-tomographic investigation of circular samples under well-defined compression conditions. The tomographic data provide the experimental basis for stochastic modeling of nonwoven GDL materials. A plain compression tool is used to study the fiber courses in the material at different compression stages. Transport relevant geometrical parameters, such as porosity, pore size, and tortuosity distributions, are exemplarily evaluated for a GDL sample in the uncompressed state and for a compression of 30 vol.%. To mimic the geometry of the flow-field, we employed a compression punch with an integrated channel-rib-profile. It turned out that the GDL material is homogeneously compressed under the ribs, however, much less compressed underneath the channel. GDL fibers extend far into the channel volume where they might interfere with the convective gas transport and the removal of liquid water from the cell.
In this investigation, synchrotron X-ray imaging was used to investigate the water distribution inside newly developed gas diffusion media in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. In-situ radiography was used to reveal the relationship between the structure of the microporous layer (MPL) and the water flow in a newly developed MPL equipped with randomly arranged holes. A strong influence of these holes on the overall water transport was found. This contribution provides a brief overview to some of our recent activities on this research field.
A series of twelve 3-piperazinyl propenylidene indolone merocyanines was synthesized in a one-pot fashion using a consecutive three-component insertion-coupling-Michael addition sequence. Physicalorganic treatment of the absorption data of a consanguineous series of this library allows semiquantitative Linear Free Energy Relationships (LFERs) to be established and confirmation of the positive Absorption solvatochromicity. All Boc-substituted piperazinyl merocyanines display aggregation induced Emission (AIE), which was corroborated for two solvent systems. In particular, crystallization-induced Emission enhancement (CIEE) induced by ultrasonication could be shown for a model chromophore by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).
3-Aminovinylquinoxalines are readily accessible from (hetero)aryl glyoxylic acids or heterocyclic π-nucleophiles by consecutive four- and fivecomponent syntheses in the sense of an activation-alkynylation-cyclocondensation-addition sequence or glyoxylation-alkynylation-cyclocondensation-addition sequence in good yields. The title compounds are highly fluorescent with pronounced emission solvatochromicity and protochromic fluorescence quenching. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy furnishes radiative and nonradiative fluorescence decay rates in various solvent polarities. The electronic structure is corroborated by DFT and TD-DFT calculations rationalizing the observed spectroscopic effects.
Mechanically stable structures with interconnected hierarchical porosity combine the benefits of both small
and large pores, such as high surface area, pore volume, and good mass transport capabilities. Hence, lightweight micro-/meso-/macroporous monoliths are prepared from ordered mesoporous silica COK-12 by means of spark plasma sintering (SPS, S-sintering) and compared to conventionally (C-) sintered monoliths. A multi-scale model is developed to fit the small angle X-ray scattering data and obtain information on the hexagonal lattice parameters, pore sizes from the macro to the micro range, as well as the dimensions of the silica population. For both sintering techniques, the overall mesoporosity, hexagonal pore ordering, and amorphous character are preserved. The monoliths' porosity (77–49%), mesopore size (6.2–5.2 nm), pore volume (0.50–0.22 g cm-3
), and specific surface area (451–180 m2 g-1) decrease with increasing processing temperature and pressure. While the difference in porosity is enhanced, the
structural parameters between the C-and S-sintered monoliths are largely converging at 900 C, except for the mesopore size and lattice parameter, whose dimensions are more extensively preserved in the
S-sintered monoliths, however, coming along with larger deviations from the theoretical lattice. Their higher mechanical properties (biaxial strength up to 49 MPa, 724 MPa HV 9.807 N) at comparable porosities and ability to withstand ultrasonic treatment and dead-end filtration up to 7 bar allow S-sintered monoliths to reach a high permeance (2634 L m-2 h-1 bar-1), permeability (1.25 x 10^-14 m2), and ability to reduce the chemical oxygen demand by 90% during filtration of a surfactant-stabilized oil in water emulsion, while indicating reasonable resistance towards fouling.
Superficial white matter (SWM) contains the most cortico-cortical white matter connections in the human brain encompassing the short U-shaped association fibers. Despite its importance for brain connectivity, very little is known about SWM in humans, mainly due to the lack of noninvasive imaging methods. Here, we lay the groundwork for systematic in vivo SWM mapping using ultrahigh resolution 7 T magnetic resonance imaging. Using biophysical modeling informed by quantitative ion beam microscopy on postmortem brain tissue, we demonstrate that MR contrast in SWM is driven by iron and can be linked to the microscopic iron distribution. Higher SWM iron concentrations were observed in U-fiber–rich frontal, temporal, and parietal areas, potentially reflecting high fiber density or late myelination in these areas. Our SWM mapping approach provides the foundation for systematic studies of interindividual differences, plasticity, and pathologies of this crucial structure for cortico-cortical connectivity in humans.
Background - It is known that dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids may improve cardiac function. However, relatively high daily doses are required to achieve sufficient cardiac concentrations of beneficial omega‐3 fatty acids. The liver X receptor (LXR) is a nuclear hormone receptor and a crucial regulator of lipid homeostasis in mammals. LXR activation has been shown to endogenously reprogram cellular lipid profiles toward increased polyunsaturated fatty acids levels. Here we studied whether LXR lipid reprogramming occurs in cardiac tissue and exerts cardioprotective actions.
Methods and Results - Male 129SV mice were treated with the LXR agonist AZ876 (20 µmol/kg per day) for 11 days. From day 6, the mice were injected with the nonselective β‐agonist isoproterenol for 4 consecutive days to induce diastolic dysfunction and subendocardial fibrosis while maintaining systolic function. Treatment with isoproterenol led to a marked impairment of global longitudinal strain and the E/e' ratio of transmitral flow to mitral annular velocity, which were both significantly improved by the LXR agonist. Histological examination showed a significant reduction in isoproterenol‐induced subendocardial fibrosis by AZ876. Analysis of the cardiac lipid composition by liquid chromatography‐high resolution mass spectrometry revealed a significant increase in cardiac polyunsaturated fatty acids levels and a significant reduction in saturated fatty acids by AZ876.
Conclusions - The present study provides evidence that the LXR agonist AZ876 prevents subendocardial damage, improves global longitudinal strain and E/e' in a mouse model of isoproterenol‐induced cardiac damage, accompanied by an upregulation of cardiac polyunsaturated fatty acids levels. Cardiac LXR activation and beneficial endogenous cardiac lipid reprogramming may provide a new therapeutic strategy in cardiac disease with diastolic dysfunction.
N-Benzyl aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals can be readily synthesized by condensation of aroyl chlorides and N-Benzyl 2-methyl benzothiazolium salts in good to excellent yields, yielding a library of 35 chromophores with bright solid-state emission and aggregation-induced emission characteristics.
Varying the substituent from electron-donating to electronwithdrawing enables the tuning of the solid-state emission Color from deep blue to red.
The water management in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is strongly influenced by the design of the gas diffusion layers (GDL). Limiting current measurements in small-scale cells operating at high stoichiometries are useful to determine the oxygen transport resistance. The oxygen transport resistance increases, once water condenses inside the GDL. In this study a new electrochemical method for voltage loss estimation of GDL induced oxygen transport losses are presented. This new method, referred to as “transient limiting current” (TLC), is compared with the literature method. TLC allows a direct estimation of oxygen transport resistance at an arbitrarily conditioned state. This study also presents a case study of liquid water visualization of a PEM fuel cell with varying GDLs types.
With the help of quasi in-situ synchrotron X-ray computed tomography and time resolved radiography measurements we investigate appearance and distribution of liquid water inside the GDLs under limiting current conditions.
Theory of nucleation in viscoelastic media: application to phase formation in glassforming melts
(2003)
Glassforming melts behave, in the vicinity of the temperature of vitrification Tg, as viscoelastic bodies. A general theory of nucleation in a viscoelastic body developed elsewhere is applicable to the description of phase formation processes in such systems. The present contribution is directed to the demonstration of the relevance of this proposed general theory to describing phase transformation processes in glassforming melts. The application of the theory is shown to explain a number of experimental results on crystallization of glassforming melts, which have not found a satisfactory interpretation so far.
Forest fires start mostly in partial combustion. In this paper we present a hydrogen sensor to defect early stages of forest fires. First indoor experiments in a smoke density chamber with wood samples, proved that the sensor produce a strong signal change when the smouldering of wood starts, already before the CO concentration, measured in FTIR spectrometry, exceeds 10 ppm. In outdoor experiments we were able to detect forest fire in a distance of 110 m.
27Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of polycrystalline aluminium borate 9Al2O3 · 2B2O3 have been measured in double rotation at 11.7 and 7.0 T and high-speed magic-angle spinning at 7.0, 9.4, 11.7, 14.1 and 17.6 T. Spinning sidebands from the satellite transitions were observed at 7.0 and 14.1 T. Each of the four structural aluminium sites [Al(IV), Al(V)(1), Al(V)(2) and Al(VI)] are observed, characterised and assigned in the spectra. The obtained parameter set gives a fully consistent interpretation in agreement with the crystal structure of the compound.
Long-term behaviour of geosynthetic drains - excavations on landfills after up to 12 years service
(2002)
For the first time Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) have been investigated by 3D Computed Tomography combined with enhanced interface contrast due to X-ray refraction. X-ray refraction is a relatively new approach for the characterization of advanced materials. The related techniques of Refraction Topography and Refraction Computed Tomography have been developed and applied at our laboratory during the last decade to meet the actual demand for improved nondestructive characterization of high performance composites, ceramics and other low density materials and components. X-ray refraction occurs, when X-rays crosses interfaces of spherical or cylindrical shape (e.g. pores or fibres) in the same way as visible light is refracted by lenses. These X-ray optical effects can be observed at small scattering angles of few minutes of arc as the refractive index n of X-rays is nearly unity (n = 1 10-6). Due to the short X-ray wavelength of about 0.1 nm the technique determines the amount of inner surfaces and interfaces of nanometer dimensions. The technique is expected to solve many problems in understanding the meaning of micro and sub micro structures in materials science. With the results of the CT investigation, some questions could be clarified for a better understanding of fatigue failure mechanisms under cyclic loading conditions. The specimens for the test programme have been provided by MTU Aero Engines. They consist of a titanium matrix (Ti6242) reinforced by SiC fibres (SCS6). The investigations have been performed at the materials research station of BAM (BAMline) at the Synchrotron Facility BESSY in Berlin, Germany.
Im Zuge der Anwendung des Schadens-Toleranz-Prinzips wird ein adäquates zerstörungsfreies Prüfsystem benötigt um strukturelle Integrität sicher zu stellen. Wenn ein zerstörungsfreies Prüfsystem jedoch bis zu den Grenzen der Detektionsfähigkeit beansprucht wird, liefert es keine übereinstimmende Indikationen der Defektentdeckung (Hit/Miss). Deshalb wird dessen Fähigkeit Defekte zu entdecken als Entdeckungswahrscheinlichkeit (POD Probability of Detection) ausgedrückt. In der herkömmlichen 'Signal Response' Signal-Antwort-Zuverlässigkeitsanalyse wird die Entdeckungswahrscheinlichkeit als eine Funktion der Defektgröße angegeben. Die Eignung des Prüfsystems wird durch den Vergleich der Größe des Defektes, der zuverlässig entdeckt wird, mit der des größten zulässigen Defektes, der die strukturelle Integrität nicht gefährdet, verifiziert. Analysen moderner Strukturen zeigen aber, dass auch andere Parameter den Schweregrad des Defektes bzgl. der Integrität der Struktur bestimmen können. Im Rahmen der Multi-Parameter-Zuverlässigkeitsanalyse kann die Entdeckungswahrscheinlichkeit als eine Funktion verschiedener Einflussparameter ausgedrückt werden. Wenn die Eignung des zerstörungsfreien Prüfsystems bestimmt wird, muss die Fähigkeit des Systems Defekte zu entdecken gegenüber dem kritischen Wert genau des Parameters ausgedrückt und geprüft werden, der den Schweregrad des Defektes für die Integrität der Struktur bestimmt. Die Nichterfüllung dieser Forderung kann zur Ablehnung von intakten Teilen oder der Akzeptanz von schlechten Teilen führen. Das Prinzip wird anhand von longitudinalen Ultraschall-Sende-Empfangs-Prüfdaten der Gußeisenmatrix mit oberflächenoffenen, semi-elliptischen, rißartigen Defekten demonstriert.
Das Ziel des Artikels ist es eine Übersicht über neue methodische Ansätze und Verfahren zur Bewertung der Zuverlässigkeit von ZfP-Systemen in Übereinstimmung mit den spezifischen Anforderungen verschiedener industrieller Anwendungen zu geben. Nach einem Überblick über die in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten erreichten Fortschritte, wird der Fokus auf die gegenwärtigen Entwicklungen gerichtet. Für hohe Sicherheitsanforderungen wurde die quantitative Fehlerauffindwahrscheinlichkeit (probability of detection, POD) basierend auf 'hit/miss'- oder 'Signal-Response'-Analysen und die ROC-Analyse (Receiver Operating Characteristics) als typische Werkzeuge entwickelt. Im Rahmen des modularen Modells für die ZfP-Zuverlässigkeit unterscheidet man zwischen den rein physikalisch-technischen Einflussfaktoren, den industriellen Anwendungsfaktoren und den menschlichen Faktoren. Es hilft zum Beispiel zu erkennen, welche dieser Faktoren man in Modellierungsrechnungen bzw. mittels offenen oder Blindversuchen untersuchen kann. Ein neues Paradigma wird für die Betrachtung der POD als eine Funktion der gewählten Systemparameter und somit als Optimierungswerkzeug verwendet, anstelle sie für die endgültige Beurteilung zu nehmen. Zur Handhabung der Zuverlässigkeitsuntersuchung von realen Defekten in einer realistischen Umgebung werden ökonomisch vertretbare, aber dennoch präzise genug arbeitende Methoden, wie der Ansatz von Bayes oder modellbasierte Methoden vorgestellt. Die menschlichen Faktoren sind oft von ausschlaggebender Wichtigkeit für die Gesamtzuverlässigkeit. Hier hilft ein systematischer psychologischer Ansatz die Engpässe und Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten zu finden.
New methodologies for evaluating the reliability of NDE systems are discussed in accordance with the specific
requirements of industrial application. After a review of the substantive issues from the previous decades, the go
forward guidance is concluded.
For high safety demands a quantitative probability of detection (POD) created from hit miss
experiments or signal response analysis and ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristics) are typically created. The
modular model distinguishes between the influence of pure physics and technique, industrial application factors
and the human factor and helps to learn what factors are covered by modelling, open or blind trials. A new
paradigm is offered to consider the POD or reliability of the system as a function of the configuration of input
variables and use it for optimisation rather than for a final judgement. New approaches are considered dealing
with real defects in a realistic environment, affordable but precisely like the Bayesian approach or model assisted
methods.
Among the influencing parameters, the human factor is of high importance. A systematic psychological
approach helps to find out where the bottlenecks are and shows possibilities for improvement.
The Probability of Detection (POD) is used to evaluate the detectability of non-destructive testing (NDT) systems. The POD is highly dependent on the amount of available data. The Bayesian approach provides a solution to compute POD-curves in case of a small amount of real defects without losing the necessary information. The result contains the needed information for the computation of POD-curves for real defects with an acceptable amount of information, even for sparse amount of data. In this paper is shown limitations of the Bayesian approach and how it can be applied to NDT. The Bayesian approach is applied in this case to the evaluation of radiographic testing. Bayesian approach is applied to determine POD-curves for the inspection techniques of nuclear fuel disposal canisters. The reason for using Bayesian approach is the high safety demands and also the low amount of real defects due to the high quality of the reliable production techniques.
This paper gives an introduction to the field of human factors with the focus on their influence on the reliability of NDT in the nuclear energy production (in-service inspections) and final storage of highly radioactive nuclear waste. A set of methodological tools has been developed in the scope of three projects, namely: 1) a theoretical model describing potential human factors influencing manual ultrasonic inspection performance during inservice inspections in nuclear power plants; 2) a method for identifying potential human errors during acquisition and evaluation of data gathered with mechanized ultrasonic, radiographic and eddy-current systems, as well as visual testing with a remote camera (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, FMEA); and 3) use of eye tracking methodology to optimize existing procedures and practices. The experimental results have shown that time pressure, mental workload and experience influence the quality of the inspection performance. Noticeable were influences from the organization of the working schedule, communication, procedures, supervision and demonstration task. Implementing human redundancy in critical tasks, such as defect identification, as well as using an automated aid (software) to help operators in decision making about the existence and size of defects, could lead to other kinds of problems, namely social loafing (excerpting less effort when working on tasks collectively as compared to working alone) and automation bias (uncritical reliance on the proper function of an automated system without recognizing its limitations and the possibilities of automation failure) that might affect the reliability of NDT in an undesired manner.
To properly understand and assess the long-term behaviour of geosynthetic materials it is necessary to investigate the various types of possible degradation mechanims. This includes both chemical and mechanical behaviour, and sometimes even their interactions with one another. Clearly, chemical degradation of geosynthetics depends on the polymer type. For example, polyolefins are vulnerable to oxidation; polyesters are susceptible to hydrolysis; and plasticizers can leach from polyvinyl chloride. This paper describes the concept of these three types of degradation, but focuses on the oxidation of polyolefins since the majority of the geosynthetics is made from this type of polymer. The methods used to predict the lifetime of antioxidants and service life of the geosynthetic material will be illustrated. Furthermore, the influence of temperature, pressure, and ultraviolet light on the service life are also demonstrated. Finally, the current specifications targeting the longevity of different geosynthetics are presented.
Regarding mechanical degradation, the paper mainly focuses upon the creep deformation of geogrids and stress crack resistance (SCR) of polyethylene geomembranes and geopipe. The method to assess stress crack resistance is described, and the microscopic mechanisms that lead to such failure are explained. For creep evaluation, different acceleration tests are presented and their applicability with respect to the different types of polymers is illustrated. In addition, the long-term shear behaviour of geocomposites and geosynthetic clay liners is presented.
The high-resolution synchrotron-based imaging stations at the BAMline (BESSY) and TopoTomo (ANKA)
(2008)
The BAMline at the BESSY light source in Berlin and the TopoTomo beamline at the ANKA synchrotron facility in Karlsruhe (both Germany) operate in the hard X-ray regime (above 6 keV) with similiar photon flux density. For typical imaging applications, a double multilayer monochromator or a filtered white beam is used. In order to optimise the field of view and the resolution of the available indirect pixel detectors, different optical systems have been installed, adapted, respectively, to a large field of view (macroscope) and to high spatial resolution (microscope). They can be combined with different camera systems, ranging from 16-bit dynamic range slow-scan CCDs to fast CMOS cameras. The spatial resolution can be brought substantially beyond the micrometer limit by using a Bragg magnifier. The moderate flux of both beamlines compared to other 3rd generation light sources is compensated by a dedicated scintillator concept. For selected applications, X-ray beam collimation has proven to be a reliable approach to increase the available photon flux density. Absorption contrast, phase contrast, holotomography and refraction-enhanced imaging are used depending on the application. Additionally, at the TopoTomo beamline digital white beam synchrotron topography is performed, using the digital X-ray pixel detectors installed.
Lithium disilicate, leucite and apatite glass-ceramics have become state-of-the-art framework materials in the fabrication of all-ceramic dental restorative materials. The goal of this study was to examine the crack propagation behaviour of these three known glass-ceramic materials after they have been subjected to Vickers indentation and to characterize their crack opening profiles (δmeas vs. (a-r)). For this purpose, various methods of optical examination were employed. Optical microscopy investigations were performed to examine the crack phenomena at a macroscopic level, while high-resolution techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), were employed to investigate the crack phenomena at a microscopic level. The crack patterns of the three glass-ceramics vary from fairly straightforward to more complex, depending on the amount of residual glass matrix present in the material. The high-strength lithium disilicate crystals feature a high degree of crosslinking, thereby preventing crack propagation. In this material, the crack propagates only through the residual glass phase, which constitutes 30%40% by volume. Having a high glass content of more than 65% by volume, the leucite and apatite glass-ceramics show far more complex crack patterns. Cracks in the leucite glass-ceramic propagate through both the glass and crystal phase. The apatite glass-ceramic shows a similar crack behaviour as an inorganicorganic composite material containing nanoscale fillers, which are pulled out in the surroundings of the crack tip. The observed crack behaviour and the calculated View the MathML source values of the three types of glass-ceramics were compared to the Kkic values determined according to the SEVNB method.
We studied sintering of LTCC-type glass matrix composites (GMCs) consisting of small glass and alumina particles of equal size. Primarily, crystals act as rigid inclusions, decelerating the densification rate. In later stages, they also dissolve, partially increasing the viscosity. Release of alumina finally induces crystallization of alumosilicates, which enables post-firing stability. To study both effects, two model GMCs were prepared: an α-Al2O3 + barium alumoborosilicate glass (BABS)GMC, which shows neither significant dissolution nor crystallization, and an α-Al2O3 + calcium alumoborosilicate glass (CABS)GMC, which dissolves readily and promotes crystallization. The kinetics of shrinkage for both GMC were modeled by utilizing Frenkel theory for the early stage and MackenzieShuttleworth theory for the late stage, assuming that sintering is superimposed by the weighted contributions of triparticle glasscrystal clusters, their random occurrence (ideal mixing), and a shrinkage rate controlled by the GMC effective viscosity. In agreement with modeling, the experimental results showed that the shrinkage rate of BABSGMC decreases progressively for crystal volume fractions Φ > 0.15. The attainable shrinkage is reduced by up to 8% for Φ = 0.45. For the CABSGMC with Φ = 0.25, a reduction of Φ to 0.20 was evident due to partial α-Al2O3 dissolution. This effect was found able to increase the sintering temperature by ~5060 K.
The sintering of Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics prepared from alumoborosilicate
glass- and Al2O3 powders of similar small particle size was studied by dilatometry, heating microscopy,
microstructure analysis, glass- and effective viscosity measurements. The steric effect of
Al3O3 inclusions was studied using a gnon-reactiveh model composite. With increasing Al3O3 volume
fraction (Φ ≤ 0.45), sintering decelerates and its final stage shifts to higher temperature. The
attainable shrinkage is reduced as Al2O3 particle clusters bearing residual pores become more frequent.
The kinetics of sintering could be described formally superposing the weighed contributions
of differentially sized and randomly composed glass-crystal particle clusters and assuming a sintering
rate controlled by the effective matrix viscosity, which increases with Φ and with progressive
wetting of Al2O3 particles during densification. The "reactive" model composite shows significant
dissolution of Al2O3 into the glass, which has two opposed effects on sintering: reducing Φ and increasing
glass viscosity. For the present case (Φ = 0.25), the latter effect dominates and sintering is
retarded by Al2O3 dissolution. Crystallization of wollastonite starts after full densification. Dissolution
of Al2O3 was found to promote the subsequent growth of anorthite.
The viscosity of silica glasses with different water contents was measured by penetration of sapphire microspheres in the range from 1012-1014·7 Pas at ambient pressure. Commercial silica glasses were used together with hydrous silica glasses, which were prepared by melting glass powder plus water in an internally heated pressure vessel at 2-3 kbar and 1350-1450°C. The temperature dependence of the viscosity of silica glasses with total water contents Cw of 5·4×10-4, 7·0×10-4, 1·00×10-2, and 1·55×10-2(Cw in mass fractions) can be described by Arrhenius equations. From the results, the linear dependence of the T12 isokom (K) with the logarithm of the water content was determined as T12=192-409 logCw. The analysis of the compositional dependence of the T12 isokom in the H2O-Na2O-SiO2 system reveals a temperature depression of up to 200 K for mixed water- and sodium-bearing glasses compared to H2O-SiO2 and Na2O-SiO2 glasses with same molar silica content. From these findings we conclude that protons may contribute significantly to the mixed alkali effect in glasses.
The effect of hydration on the kinetic fragility of soda-lime-silica glasses was investigated by viscometry in the glass transition range. Water-bearing glasses were prepared from industrial float glass (FG) and a ternary model glass (NCS = 16Na2O 10CaO 74SiO2 in mol%) by bubbling steam through the melt at 1480 °C and up to 7 bar. Additionally, a sodium borosilicate glass (NBS = 16Na2O 10B2O3 74SiO2 in mol%) was hydrated under equal conditions. As detected by infrared spectroscopy water dissolves in the glasses exclusively as OH-groups. The hydration resulted in a total water content CW up to ~ 0.2 wt% for FG, NCS and NBS glasses. Kinetic fragility, expressed by the steepness index m, was determined from the temperature dependence of η at the glass transition. Viscosity data from previous studies on hydrous float glasses (CW > 1 wt%) were surveyed together with literature data on the (H2O)Na2OCaOSiO2, (H2O)Na2OSiO2 and (H2O)SiO2 systems to expand the range of water concentration and bulk composition. We could demonstrate that m decreases for all glasses although water is dissolved as OH and should depolymerize the network. An empirical equation of the general type m = a - b logCW where a, b are fitting parameters, enables m to be predicted, for each glass series as function of the water content CW. The enlarged data base shows that the parameter B of the Arrhenius viscosity-temperature relation decreases much stronger than the isokom temperature at the glass transition.
Erstmals wurden MMCs mit Hilfe der Interface-Kontrast verstärkenden Röntgen-Refraktions-Technik in Kombination mit der 3D-CT-Technik untersucht. Die Methode der Röntgen-Refraktions-Topography sowie der Röntgen-Refraktions-Tomography wurden in den letzten Jahren speziell für die zerstörungsfreie Charakterisierung von Leichtbau-Hochleistungs-Werkstoffen wie Verbund-Werkstoffen und Keramiken entwickelt. Die Technik basiert auf der Refraktion von Röntgenlicht an Grenzflächen zwischen Bereichen unterschiedlicher Elektronendichte wie z.B. Faser- und Matrix-Werkstoff. Auf Grund der kurzen Röntgen-Wellenlänge hat der Brechungsindex einen Wert dicht bei eins, sodass der Streuwinkel nur wenige Bogenminuten beträgt. Der Vorteil der kurzen Wellenlänge besteht jedoch darin, dass Poren und Risse detektiert werden können, deren Größe im Nanometerbereich liegen. Damit kann die Refraktions-Technik zum besseren Verständnis von Mikro- und Submikro-Strukturen in der Materialwissenschaft eingesetzt werden. Mit der hier vorgestellten Refraktions-CT wurden Ermüdungsmechanismen an MMCs, bestehend aus SiC-Faser verstärktem Titan (Ti6242) untersucht. Die Messungen wurden am Röntgen-Messplatz der BAM (BAMline) am Synchrotron-Speicherring-BESSY in Berlin Adlershof durchgeführt.
The paper will give an overview of new methodology for evaluating the
reliability of NDE systems accurately, reliably and efficiently in accordance with the
specific requirements of industrial application. After a review of the substantive
issues from the previous workshops, the go forward guidance from these
interactions is considered.
At the beginning of the reliability analysis, the actual safety demands have to
be defined in order to fit the investigation to the level of risk when the component
would fail. Next, all the essential influencing parameters need to be documented and
transferred to an appropriate design of experiments (DOE) to determine the
reliability in terms of a qualitative assessment for lower risk or in terms of a
quantitative probability of detection (POD) or ROC (Receiver Operating
Characteristics) curves for higher safety demands. A new paradigm is offered to
consider the POD or reliability of the system as a function of the configuration of
input variables and use it for optimisation rather than for a final judgement. An
advantage for the end user is also to sample all single PODs to an integral 'Volume
POD' of a part.
Among the influencing parameters, the human factor is the most important one.
A systematic psychological approach shall help to find out where the bottlenecks are
but most importantly to provide best possible working conditions for the human
inspectors.
The internal friction of hydrated soda-lime-silica glasses with total water content (CW ) up to 1.9 wt. % was studied by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) using temperature-frequency sweeps from 723 K to 273 K and from 1 s-1 to 50 s-1. Total water content and concentrations of H2O molecules (CH2O ) and OH groups (COH) in the DMA specimens were determined by infrared spectroscopy. For low water contents (CW ≈ COH < 0.25 wt. %) two discrete internal friction peaks below the glass transition (α relaxation) were assigned to the low-temperature motion of alkali ions (γ relaxation) and cooperative movements of dissimilar mobile species under participation of OH at higher temperature (βOH relaxation). For large water contents (CW > 1 wt. %), where significant amounts of molecular water are evident (CH2O > 0.15 wt. %), however, internal friction spectra change unexpectedly: the βOH peak heights saturate and a low temperature shoulder appears on the β-relaxation peak. This emerging relaxation mode (βH2O relaxation) was assigned to the motions of H2O molecules. βH2O relaxation was found to be faster than βOH but slower than γ relaxation. Activation energy of the different relaxation modes increased in the order γ < βH2O < βOH < α.
While structural ceramics usually display a brittle mechanical behavior, their composites may show nonlinearities, mostly due to microcracking. Herein, the stiffness evolution of a sandwich-like laminate of an Al2O3 15%vol. ZrO2 matrix reinforced with Nextel 610 fibers is studied as a function of number of cycles N in tension. The stiffness of the composite degrades with increasing N, indicating microcracking. However, synchrotron X-ray refraction radiography shows that the internal specific surface of such cracks varies differently. A modeling strategy is developed for the calculation of the equivalent stiffness of mixtures (first the matrix and then the sandwich), based on the Voigt and Reuß schemes. The Bruno–Kachanov model is then used to estimate the initial microcrack density in the matrix (due to the thermal expansion mismatch) and the amount of microcracking increase upon cyclic loading. The stiffness in the composite degrades dramatically already after 20 000 cycles but then remains nearly constant. The combination of mechanical testing, quantitative imaging analysis, and modeling provides insights into the damage mechanisms acting: microcrack propagation is more active than microcrack initiation upon cyclic loading, but the second also occurs. This scenario is similar but not equal to previous results on porous and microcracked ceramics.
Crack growth velocity in alkali silicate glasses was measured in vacuum across 10 orders of magnitude with double cantilever beam technique. Measured and literature crack growth data were compared with calculated intrinsic fracture toughness data obtained from Young´s moduli and the theoretical fracture surface energy estimated from chemical bond energies. Data analysis reveals significant deviations from this intrinsic brittle fracture behavior. These deviations do not follow simple compositional trends. Two opposing processes may explain this finding: a decrease in the apparent fracture surface energy due to stress-induced chemical changes at the crack tip and its increase due to energy dissipation during fracture.
Within the Collaborative Research Center InPROMPT a novel process concept for the hydroformylation of long-chained olefins is studied in a mini-plant, using a rhodium complex as catalyst in the presence of syngas. Recently, the hydroformylation in micro¬emulsions, which allows for the efficient recycling of the expensive rhodium catalyst, was found to be feasible. However, the high sensitivity of this multi-phase system with regard to changes in temperature and composition demands a continuous observation of the reaction to achieve a reliable and economic plant operation. For that purpose, we tested the potential of both online NMR and Raman spectroscopy for process control. The lab-scale experiments were supported by off-line GC-analysis as a reference method.
A fiber optic coupled probe of a process Raman spectrometer was directly integrated into the reactor. 25 mixtures with varying concentrations of olefin (1-dodecene), product (n-tridecanal), water, n-dodecane, and technical surfactant (Marlipal 24/70) were prepared according to a D-optimal design. Online NMR spectroscopy was implemented by using a flow probe equipped with 1/16” PFA tubing serving as a flow cell. This was hyphenated to the reactor within a thermostated bypass to maintain process conditions in the transfer lines.
Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were established based on the initial spectra after activation of the reaction with syngas for the prediction of unknown concentrations of 1-dodecene and n-tridecanal over the course of the reaction in the lab-scale system. The obtained Raman spectra do not only contain information on the chemical composition but are further affected by the emulsion properties of the mixtures, which depend on the phase state and the type of micelles. Based on the spectral signature of both Raman and NMR spectra, it could be deduced that especially in reaction mixtures with high 1-dodecene content the formation of isomers as a competitive reaction was dominating. Similar trends were also observed during some of the process runs in the mini-plant. The multivariate calibration allowed for the estimation of reactants and products of the hydroformylation reaction in both laboratory setup and mini-plant.
The stress-induced tetragonal to monoclinic (t-m) zirconia phase transformation can provide a certain degree of plasticity to Ceria-stabilized (Ce-TZP) zirconia-based composites. Characterizing and monitoring this phase transition on a millimeter-size range, within the bulk and in-situ remains a challenge. In this work, the mechanical behavior of Ce-TZP based composite was studied in tension, combining microscopy and synchrotron Xray refraction techniques. In contrast with microscopy methods, which only provide surface information, X-ray refraction radiography (SXRR) allowed the visualization of all the transformation bands, over the entire length and thickness of tested specimens, opening up new avenues for in-situ stress-induced t-m transformation studies.
A comparison of different isotope dilution mass spectrometric (IDMS) procedures using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) was carried out to examine the degree of equivalence between the used procedures in terms of requirements for reference material certification. The comparison was based on the measurement results and their uncertainties. The sample used in this study is a pure zinc metal to be certified by the Bureau Communie de Référence (BCR) for amount contents of different trace elements. This study focuses on cadmium and thallium. The TIMS values contributed to the certified values. To guarantee identical conditions as far as possible for the procedures under investigation, the samples were split into subsamples after spiking and digestion took place. Thus, every IDMS procedure started with an identical set of samples. In total, four different IDMS procedures and one external calibration procedure using internal standardization as an example of routine analysis were applied. The IDMS procedures divide in a group with and a group without trace/matrix separation. Multicollector TIMS (TI-MC-MS) and multicollector ICPMS (ICP-MC-MS) were used in combination with trace/matrix separation, whereas quadrupole ICPMS (ICP-QMS) and ICP-MC-MS were also applied to nonseparated samples. All IDMS results agree well within their combined uncertainties, while some results from the external calibration procedure do not. IDMS results obtained by ICPMS without separation are comparable to those obtained by TI-MC-MS with separation regarding precision and accuracy. The smallest uncertainties were achieved using ICP-MC-MS in combination with trace/matrix separation.
The in situ analysis of the damage evolution in a metal Matrix composite (MMC) using synchrotron X-ray refraction radiography (SXRR) is presented. The investigated material is an Al alloy (6061)/10 vol% Al2O3 MMC after T6 heat treatment.
In an interrupted tensile test the gauge section of dog bone-shaped specimens is imaged in different states of tensile loading. On the basis of the SXRR images, the relative change of the specific surface (proportional to the amount of damage) in the course of tensile loading was analyzed. It could be shown that the damage can be detected by SXRR already at a stage of tensile loading, in which no Observation of damage is possible with radiographic absorption-based imaging methods.
Moreover, the quantitative analysis of the SXRR images reveals that the amount of damage increases homogeneously by an average of 25% with respect to the Initial state. To corroborate the experimental findings, the damage distribution was imaged in 3D after the final tensile loading by synchrotron X-ray refraction computed tomography (SXRCT) and absorption-based synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SXCT). It could be evidenced that defects and damages cause pronounced indications in the SXRCT images.
Borosilicate glasses (16Na2O–10B2O3–74SiO2, NBS) with water contents up to 22 mol% H2O were prepared to study the effect of water on structural relaxation using DTA, viscometry and internal friction measurements. The results show that the glass transition temperature Tg of DTA and the isokom temperature T12, of viscometry are in excellent agreement, confirming the equivalence of enthalpy and viscous relaxation for NBS glass. Combining Tg data with water speciation data demonstrates that OH groups are mainly responsible for the decrease of Tg with increasing hydration, while molecular water plays only a minor role. Internal friction spectra at 7.125 Hz confirm the decisive influence of water on mechanical relaxation. The temperature range of α-relaxation (glass transition) strongly decreases while two β-relaxation peaks (sub-Tg) progressively appear with increasing water content. A high temperature β-relaxation peak, attributed to the presence of OH groups, shifts from 670 to 450 K as total water content increases from 0.01 to 5 wt%. A low temperature β-relaxation peak, attributed to molecular water, appears at 380 K and 330 K in glasses containing 3 and 5 wt% H2O, respectively. These findings suggest that relaxation mechanism of different hydrous species at low temperature may contribute to fatigue of stressed glasses.
Stable crack growth was measured for nominal dry and water-bearing (6 wt%) soda-lime silicate glasses in double cantilever beam geometry and combined with DMA studies on the effects of dissolved water on internal friction and glass transition, respectively. In vacuum, a decreased slope of logarithmic crack growth velocity versus stress intensity factor is evident for the hydrous glass in line with an increase of b-relaxation intensity indicating more energy Dissipation during fracture. Further, inert crack growth in hydrous glass is found to be divided into sections of different slope, which indicates different water related crack propagation mechanism. In ambient air, a largely extended region II is observed for the hydrous glass, which indicates that crack growth is more sensitive to ambient water.
Using SXRR to Probe the Nature of Discontinuities in SLM Additive Manufactured Inconel 718 Specimens
(2020)
The utilization of additive manufacturing (AM) to fabricate robust structural components relies on understanding the nature of internal anomalies or discontinuities, which can compromise the structural integrity. While some discontinuities in AM microstructures stem from similar mechanisms as observed in more traditional processes such as casting, others are unique to the AM process. Discontinuities in AM are challenging to detect, due to their submicron size and orientation dependency. Toward the goal of improving structural integrity, minimizing discontinuities in an AM build requires an understanding of the mechanisms of formation to mitigate their occurrence. This study utilizes various techniques to evaluate the shape, size, nature and distribution of discontinuities in AM Inconel 718, in a non-hot isostatic pressed (HIPed) as-built, non-HIPed and direct age, and HIPed with two step age samples. Non-destructive synchrotron radiation refraction and transmission radiography (SXRR) provides additional information beyond that obtained with destructive optical microscopy. SXRR was able to distinguish between voids, cracks and lack of melt in, due to its sensitivity to the orientation of the discontinuity.
We report the synthesis and spectroscopic characteristics of two different sets of carbon dots (CDs) formed by hydrothermal reaction between citric acid and polyethylenimine (PEI) or 2,3-diaminopyridine (DAP). Although the formation of amide-based species and the presence of citrazinic acid type derivates assumed to be responsible for a blue emission is confirmed for both CDs by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry, a higher abundance of sp2-hybridized nitrogen is observed for DAP-based CDs, which causes a red-shift of the n-π* absorption band relative to the one of PEI-based CDs. These CD Systems possess high photoluminescence quantum yields (QY) of ∼40% and ∼48% at neutral pH, demonstrating a possible tuning of the optical properties by the amine precursor. pH-Dependent spectroscopic studies revealed a drop in QY to < 9% (pH ∼ 1) and < 21% (pH ∼ 12) for both types of CDs under acidic and basic conditions. In contrast, significant differences in the pHdependency of the n-π* transitions are found for both CD types which are ascribed to different (de)protonation sequences of the CD-specific fluorophores and functional groups using Zeta potential analysis.
In the present study we have investigated whether the effect of water on properties of borate glasses resembles that of alkali oxide. Soda-lime-borate glasses with nominal compositions of x Na2O, 10 CaO, (90-x) B2O3 (x = 5, 15 and 25 mol%) were doped with up to 8 wt.% H2O by processing glass powder + distilled water in platinum capsules in an internally heated gas pressure vessel at 1523 K and 500 MPa. The water content of hydrous glasses was determined by Karl-Fischer titration and near-infrared spectroscopy. The glass transition temperature T-g. was derived from DTA and micropenetration experiments for which the effect of water loss at the surface of the hydrous glasses was studied. Heating glass samples at 10 K min(-1) in the DTA resulted in T-g values which are close to T-12 isokom temperatures confirming the equivalence of enthalpy relaxation and viscous relaxation for borate glasses. For all three glass series it is shown that T-g strongly decreases whereas the liquid fragility strongly increases upon the addition of water. These findings reveal that H2O primarily causes breaking of B-O-B bonds rather than supporting 4-fold coordinated boron as it is well-known for alkali oxides in this concentration range. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Wild bees are important pollinators for agricultural crops and solitary species such as Osmia bicornis are particularly suitable for pollination management. Wild bees share floral resources with managed honey bees and may be exposed to emerging infectious diseases. Although studies have explored the prevalence of pathogens in solitary wild bee species, data regarding the impact of pathogens on solitary bee health are lacking.
We carried out experiments examining whether the solitary bee species O. bicornis is susceptible to infection with the emerging pathogen The results obtained indicate that N. ceranae may be able to infect O. bicornis but its impact on host fitness is negligible: survival rates did not differ between Control and inoculated bees, although male survival was marginally lower after infection. To explore the possible field-relevance of our findings, we collected wild bees near an infected and a non-infected hive and showed that N. ceranae was shared between managed and wild bees, although only the in presence of infected honey bees.
The findings of the present study show that O. bicornis is susceptible to pathogen spillover and could act as a potential reservoir host for N. ceranae in pollinator networks. Additional studies on this species incorporating sublethal effects, multiple infections and other interacting stressors are warranted.
Wild bees are important pollinators of wild plants and agricultural crops and they are threatened by several environmental stressors including emerging pathogens. Honey bees have been suggested as a potential source of pathogen spillover. One prevalent pathogen that has recently emerged as a honey bee disease is the microsporidian Nosema ceranae. While the impacts of N. ceranae in honey bees are well documented, virtually nothing is known about its effects in solitary wild bees.
The solitary mason bee Osmia bicornis is a common pollinator in orchards and amenable to Commercial management. Here, we experimentally exposed larvae of O. bicornis to food contaminated with N. ceranae and document spore presence during larval development. We measured mortality, growth parameters, and timing of pupation in a semi-field experiment. Hatched individuals were assessed for physiological state including fat body mass, wing muscle mass, and body size. We recorded higher mortality in the viable-spore-exposed group but could only detect a low number of Spores among the individuals of this treatment. Viable-spore-treated individuals with higher head capsule width had a delayed pupation start. No impact on the physiological status could be detected in hatched imagines. Although we did not find overt evidence of O. bicornis infection, our findings indicate that exposure of larvae to viable N. ceranae spores could affect bee development.
Ceramics and their composites are in general brittle materials because they are predominantly made up of ionic and covalent bonds that avoid dislocation motion at room temperature. However, a remarkable ductile behavior has been observed on newly developed 11 mol.% ceria-stabilized zirconia (11Ce-TZP) composite containing fine alumina (8 vol.% Al2O3) and elongated strontium hexa-aluminate (8 vol.% SrAl12O19) grains. The as-synthesized composite also has shown full resistance to Low Temperature Degradation (LTD), relatively high strength and exceptionally high Weibull modulus, allowing its use in a broader range of biomedical applications. In this study, to deepen the understanding of plastic deformation in Ce-TZP based composites that could soon be used for manufacturing dental implants, different mechanical tests were applied on the material, followed by complete microstructural characterization. Distinct from pure Ce-TZP material or other zirconia-based ceramics developed in the past, the material here studied can be permanently strained without affecting the Young modulus, indicating that the ductile response of tested samples cannot be associated to damage occurrence. This ductility is related to the stress-induced tetragonal to monoclinic (t-m) zirconia phase transformation, analogue to Transformation-Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steels, where retained austenite is transformed to martensite. The aim of this study is to corroborate if the observed plasticity can be associated exclusively to the zirconia t-m phase transformation, or also to microcraking induced by the transformation. The t-m transformed-zones produced after bending and biaxial tests were examined by X-ray refraction and SEM/TEM coupled with Raman. The results revealed that the observed elastic-plastic behavior occurs without extensive microcracking, confirming a purely elastic-plastic behavior driven by the phase transformation (absence of damage).
Currently at Deutsche Bahn (DB) ultrasonic inspections in maintenance procedures for wheelset axles with a bore hole are, to the greatest possible extent, carried out using automated ultrasonic inspection system. Although the acceptance levels are in accordance with DIN 27201 part 7, the testing results have shown in recent years that in the case of true indications, the effective defect sizes were far below the level of acceptance. Due to this experience it can be assumed that the automated ultrasonic inspection systems are testing substantially more sensitively than required. This increased sensitivity leads to an increase in false indications, generally resulting in the unnecessary demounting of wheelsets. In Research cooperation between Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and DB the effective flaw detection sensitivity of existing automated ultrasonic inspection system will be determined and the true/false indication ratio optimised. Through systematic investigations with the Probability of Detection method on the existing automated ultrasonic inspection system the results could be directly applied to the optimisation of existing ultrasonic inspections of wheelset axles with a bore hole in maintenance procedures and the level of reliability can be considerably increased.
The H2 effusion from H2 saturated glass powders, H2 permeation through the wall of blown glass bulbs, and H2 permeation through the wall of glass capillaries were applied to evaluate the permeability of hydrogen gas in a barium-aluminoborosilicate (BABS) glass. To validate these methods, two commercial glasses (vitreous silica and borosilicate) were used as a reference. Permeation values obtained from the different experiments agreed within a factor of 3 or less. The H2 permeability of BABS glass at temperatures close to ambient was found to be at least 3 orders of magnitude below that of borosilicate and silica glasses. The powder method, which requires minimal sample preparation efforts, turned out to provide easy access to the measurement of H2 permeability of glasses down to P = 3.9 × 10- 21 mol s- 1 Pa- 1 m- 1.
POD is the most often used approach for the evaluation of the reliability of non-destructive testing methods in critical areas. But especially for those cases the requirements for a sufficient amount of data, adequate type of defects and the statistical requirements are high. The claim for checking these requirements is not new, but never the less often ignored. Especially the large amount of data for critical real defects seems too often to be not really solvable. In this presentation we show an approach to use real defect data with knowledge from former testing results with the same equipment, in a useful adequate way. Furthermore we introduce a method to evaluate the real defect description parameters for the radiographic testing. This approach was used for a joint project with the company POSIVA, which is building a final depository for spent nuclear fuel in Finland. Radiographic testing is one of the NDT-methods they use to test the electron beam weld of the copper canister. The copper canister will be used in the deposit as a corrosion barrier within the deposit concept. Through the high sophisticated manufacturing methods of the canister there are almost no material defects, which could be used for reliability evaluation. In this context the idea of Bayesian Updating of the POD with real defect data with former results from artificial defect data was born to get a useful evaluation.
Using the Modular Reliability Model the three different main influencing elements, i.e. intrinsic capability (IC), application parameters (AP) and the human factors (HF), are, in the first instance, investigated separately. The intrinsic capability stands for the pure physical-technological process of the signal detection caused by the waves or the rays from a material defect in the presence of noise (driven by the material and the devices). This intrinsic capability is the upper bound of the possible reliability. Already when measuring this intrinsic capability for thick walled components the original one-parameter POD must be extended to a multiparameter POD, where, in addition to the defect size, a number of additional physical parameters, such as the grain size distribution (or attenuation), defect depth, and angle or surface roughness, must be considered. For real life cycle assessments it is necessary to evaluate the signal response from real defects. The industrial application factors, e.g. coupling conditions, limited accessibility, heat and environmental vibrations, diminish the reliability. The amount of reduction can be determined quantitatively, if the underlying conditions are controlled. In case they are not controlled it is necessary to count for a fluctuation in the reliability in the field anyway. The third group of important influencing factors are the human factors, which do not only cover the individual performance capability of the inspectors but also the design of the working place,the procedure, the teamwork quality, interaction with systems, the organization, and finally, the relationship between the companies involved in the inspection process and to which extend the responsible parties are aware of it. When comparing an “ideal inspection” with a “real inspection” it is worth while to look how the existing practices, rules and standards support reliable testing and where the “delta” is. In the context of vigor, with respect to the industrial end user, it needs to be shown how the level of reliability of NDE, influenced by the different factors, has an impact on acceptance or rejection of safety critical parts.
Since the beginnings of the European American Workshops (EAW) in 1997, the aim was to gather the experts in NDE reliability and discuss burning topics with the aim of identifying crucial problems and suggesting ways to move forward. This was usually achieved during the so-called break-out sessions, in which predetermined topics were discussed. During the 5th EAW, held in Berlin in 2013, this approach was replaced by an Open Space Technology (OST) approach. The benefit of this approach is seen in the freedom of topic choices, i. e., the topics are not predetermined but rather arise at that moment in that space and by the participants choice. The following topics arose: new reliability methods (Bayesian, MAPOD,
), structural health monitoring, definition of requirements of NDE by customer versus provider, what value of POD is good enough?, human factors, manual versus automated inspection, and basic concepts of reliability of NDE. The participants were encouraged to walk from one session to another and openly express their opinions. These were in the end summarized by a chosen group of moderators and presented in this paper.
The inspection of the sealing weld is an important phase for the evaluation of the acceptability of final disposal canister, but the weld is only a part of the 3D shielding of copper shell. The main tasks for reliable NDT evaluation requires an extensive evaluation of the parameters which contains typical inspection related items like repeatability, S/N ratio, POD, setting up the equipment for inspection, and all practices for inspections. The other parameters are material parameters, their variation must be taken into account in the evaluation of NDT reliability. Further parameters include human factors, i. e. human inspectors and their interaction with technical systems; their effects were studied on an example of the evaluation of eddy current data. Final parameters are related to evaluation of detected defects, which means sizing and base for acceptance and this can be done in different ways. Some examples are given and results are compared with different methods for instance between radiographic testing and ultrasonic testing by raw data analysis and PA-SAFT results. Also, preliminary curves for the evaluation of metallographic results of 55 defects will be shown by EB weld measurements. Some practical items concerning copper inspections will be also discussed related to acceptability.