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Discoloration Effects of High-Dose gamma-Irradiation and Long-Term Thermal Aging of (U) HMW-PE
(2017)
Two polyethylene types with ultra-high (UHMWPE) and high molecular weight (HMW-PE) used as neutron radiation shielding materials in casks for radioactive waste were irradiated with doses up to 600 kGy using a 60Co gammasource. Subsequently, thermal aging at 125∘C was applied for up to one year. Degradation effects in the materials were characterized using colorimetry, UV-Visspectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and DSC. Both materials exhibited a yellowing upon irradiation.The discoloration of UHMW-PE disappeared again after thermal aging.Therefore, the yellowing is assumed to originate fromannealable color centers in the formof free radicals that are trapped in the crystalline regions of the polymer and recombine at elevated temperatures. For the antioxidantcontaining HMWPE, yellowing was observed after both irradiation and thermal aging. The color change was correlated mainly to decomposition products of the antioxidant in addition to trapped radicals as in UHMW-PE. Additionally, black spots appeared after thermal aging of HMW-PE.
The authors, Li et al., of the paper entitled “Analysis on the Issues in ISO 6892-1 and
TENSTAND WP4 Report Based on Data to Confirm Tests by 21 Laboratories” (J. Test. Eval.
DOI: 10.1520/JTE20150479 (online only)) have expressed views that the authors of this
rebuttal believe to be based on fundamental misunderstandings and misinterpretations of
the tensile testing standard ISO 6892-1:2009, ISO 6892-1:2016, and its former versions, thus
leading to erroneous conclusions. This refutation is intended to clarify the understanding of
ISO 6892-1 and to address the misunderstandings and the misinterpretations of the authors of the paper. The present standard ISO 6892-1:2016 has a long history dating back to the 1970s. At that time, the tensile testing procedure was standardized on the National and
International scale in parallel. To understand the present standard, the knowledge of the
history helps to understand the background of details of the testing procedure implemented today. The history of the tensile testing standard has been discussed extensively during the
annual international standardization meeting of ISO committee TC 164 SC1 for the last few years, at which some of the authors of the Li et al. paper attended. The authors continue to disagree with facts that were agreed by the consortium of the European
research project TENSTAND and by the present international experts involved in ISO TC 164 SC1. It appears that the principal objective of the authors regarding their present publication was to increase the testing speed during tensile testing. However, the international standardization community has previously declined similar proposals by some of the authors. Many arguments
presented by Li et al. were thus refuted. The conclusions of their paper are misleading and the international standardization community for tensile testing refused to revise the present standard, ISO 6892-1 (2016), according the authors’ proposals.
The authors, Li et al., of the paper entitled “Analysis on the Issues in ISO 6892-1 and TENSTAND WP4 Report Based on Data to Confirm Tests by 21 Laboratories” (J. Test. Eval.
DOI: 10.1520/JTE20150479 (online only)) have expressed views that the authors of this rebuttal believe to be based on fundamental misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the tensile testing standard ISO 6892-1:2009, ISO 6892-1:2016, and its former versions, thus leading to erroneous conclusions. This refutation is intended to clarify the understanding of ISO 6892-1 and to address the misunderstandings and the misinterpretations of the authors of the paper. The present standard ISO 6892-1:2016 has a long history dating back to the 1970s. At that time, the tensile testing procedure was standardized on the National and International scale in parallel. To understand the present standard, the knowledge of the history helps to understand the background of details of the testing procedure implemented today. The history of the tensile testing standard has been discussed extensively during the annual international standardization meeting of ISO committee TC 164 SC1 for the last few years, at which some of the authors of the Li et al. paper attended. The authors continue to disagree with facts that were agreed by the consortium of the European research project TENSTAND and by the present international experts involved in ISO TC 164 SC1. It appears that the principal objective of the authors regarding their present publication was to increase the testing speed during tensile testing. However, the international standardization community has previously declined similar proposals by some of the authors. Many Arguments presented by Li et al. were thus refuted. The conclusions of their paper are misleading and the international standardization community for tensile testing refused to revise the present standard, ISO 6892-1 (2016), according the authors’ proposals.
In the present study, we applied a regularized inversion method to extract the particle size, magnetic moment and relaxation-time distribution of magnetic nanoparticles from small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), DC magnetization (DCM) and AC susceptibility (ACS) measurements. For the measurements the particles were colloidally dispersed in water. At first approximation the particles could be assumed to be spherically shaped and homogeneously magnetized single-domain particles. As model functions for the inversion, we used the particle form factor of a sphere (SAXS), the Langevin function (DCM) and the Debye model (ACS). The extracted distributions exhibited features/peaks that could be distinctly attributed to the individually dispersed and non-interacting nanoparticles. Further analysis of these peaks enabled, in combination with a prior characterization of the particle ensemble by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, a detailed structural and magnetic characterization of the particles. Additionally, all three extracted distributions featured peaks, which indicated deviations of the scattering (SAXS), magnetization (DCM) or relaxation (ACS) behavior from the one expected for individually dispersed, homogeneously magnetized nanoparticles. These deviations could be mainly attributed to partial agglomeration (SAXS, DCM, ACS), uncorrelated surface spins (DCM) and/or intra-well relaxation processes (ACS). The main advantage of the numerical inversion method is that no ad hoc assumptions regarding the line shape of the extracted distribution functions are required, which enabled the detection of these contributions. We highlighted this by comparing the results with the results obtained by standard model fits, where the functional form of the distributions was a priori assumed to be log-normal shaped.
Divalent metal phosphonates are promising hybrid materials with a broad field of application. The rich coordination chemistry of the phosphonate linkers enables the formation of structures with different dimensionalities ranging from isolated complexes and layered structures to porous frameworks incorporating various functionalities through the choice of the building blocks.
In brief, metal phosphonates offer an interesting opportunity for the design of multifunctional materials. Here, we provide a short review on the class of divalent metal phosphonates discussing their syntheses, structures, and applications. We present the advantages of the recently introduced mechanochemical pathway for the Synthesis of divalent phosphonates as a possibility to generate new, in certain cases metastable compounds. The benefits of in situ investigation of synthesis mechanisms as well as the implementation of sophisticated methods for the structure analysis of the resulting compounds are discussed.
Magura Cave, north-western Bulgaria, possesses valuable rock-art paintings made with bat guano and dated from the period between the Eneolithic and Bronze Ages. Since 2008, the Art Gallery is closed to the general public in order to protect the paintings from vandalism, microclimatic changes caused by visitors and artificial illumination, and the consequent growth of fungi and phototrophs. Nevertheless, some tourist visits are allowed under the supervision of cave managers. This study provides the first scientific report on cultivable fungal assemblages dwelling different substrata in the Art Gallery. A total of 78 strains, belonging to 37 OTUs (Ascomycota 81%, Zygomycota 13%, Basidiomycota 5%), were isolated in the study. This fungal diversity was clearly dominated by Penicillium (50% of strains) and Aspergillus (13%). The most relevant visible fungal colonies were detected in sediments rich in bat guano, where, besides Penicillium, other guanophilic fungi such as Mucor, Mortierella, Trichosporon and Trichoderma were dominant. Conversely, scarce fungi were detected on rock surface of painted walls. Based on the biocide susceptibility assay, octylisothiazolinone (OIT) and benzalkonium chloride (BAC) were effective inhibiting the in vitro growth of dominant fungal species in Magura Cave, when applied at concentrations ranged from 100 to 1,000 mg/L. These data provide a valuable knowledge about Magura fungi, and exemplify a type of preliminary test that may be conducted before planning any biocide treatment. However, considering the irreversible effects of biocides on the ecological balance in caves, and the low fungal contamination in painted walls of Magura Cave, there is no reason to use conventional biocides in this cave. Further studies, monitoring microbial communities and microclimatic parameters, should be conducted to improve the knowledge on microbial ecology in Magura Cave and possible human impacts, as well as to allow the early detection of potential microbial outbreaks.
The elucidation of mechanisms underlying the cellular uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) is an important topic in nanotoxicological research. Most studies dealing with silver NP uptake provide only qualitative data about internalization efficiency and do not consider NP-specific dosimetry. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive comparison of the cellular uptake of differently coated silver NPs of comparable size in different human intestinal Caco-2 cell-derived models to cover also the influence of the intestinal mucus barrier and uptake-specialized M-cells. We used a combination of the Transwell system, transmission electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, and ion beam microscopy techniques. The computational in vitro sedimentation, diffusion, and dosimetry (ISDD) model was used to determine the effective dose of the particles in vitro based on their individual physicochemical characteristics. Data indicate that silver NPs with a similar size and shape show coating-dependent differences in their uptake into Caco-2 cells. The internalization of silver NPs was enhanced in uptake-specialized M-cells while the mucus did not provide a substantial barrier for NP internalization. ISDD modeling revealed a fivefold underestimation of dose–response relationships of NPs in in vitro assays. In summary, the present study provides dosimetry-adjusted quantitative data about the influence of NP coating materials in cellular uptake into human intestinal cells. Underestimation of particle effects in vitro might be prevented by using dosimetry models and by considering cell models with greater proximity to the in vivo situation, such as the M-cell model.
Materials used in military applications have to withstand multiple threats like ballistics and explosions. Thus, high-strength low alloyed (HSLA) steels are used. The main joining technique for metals is welding. Therefore, analysing the dynamic impact behaviour of high-strength welds is very important to fulfil these demands.
Investigation of welds at high strain rates has rarely been conducted in the past. To determine the dynamic impact behaviour of hybrid laser-arc welds, the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) technique was used. The base material was a quenched and tempered fine-grained armour steel with yield strength of 1100 MPa.
First, a full hybrid laser-arc weld was investigated by extracting specimens consisting of weld metal and heat affected base material. The influence of two variables, the cooling time between 800 °C and 500 °C (t8/5) and strength of filler material, on the impact behaviour was studied. The cooling time t8/5 was varied by preheating to influence the microstructure in the HAZ and to analyse the effect on the hardness and dynamic compressive strength.
Subsequent analysis to detail the original Investigation was carried out by dilatometer heat treatment of specimens to create homogenous subzones of the weld. These specimens have a homogenous microstructure of HAZ and were tested by SHPB to determine the stress-strain characteristics for the different microstructures of HAZ.
The results of the weld specimen showed the effect of preheating and filler material strength on the dynamic compressive behaviour. The analysis of the different microstructures of the HAZ indicated that especially the tempered microstructure caused a reduction in dynamic compressive strength.
The paper presents a new method for the determination and evaluation of tafel factors using gel-type electrolytes and electrochemical frequency modulation technique (EFM). This relatively new electrochemical method offers the possibility to determine both polarization resistances and tafel factors within one measurement and in short measuring intervals. Starting from a comprehensive parameter study it is shown that a direct relationship between the two values exists that can be described mathematically. This contribution presents the determined tafel factors for the system gel-type electrolyte/zinc and discusses their applicability and their limits.
Strand breaks and conformational changes of DNA have consequences for the physiological role of DNA. The natural protecting molecule ectoine is beneficial to entire bacterial cells and biomolecules such as proteins by mitigating detrimental effects of environmental stresses. It was postulated that ectoine-like molecules bind to negatively charged spheres that mimic DNA surfaces. We investigated the effect of ectoine on DNA and whether ectoine is able to protect DNA from damages caused by ultraviolet radiation (UV-A). In order to determine different isoforms of DNA, agarose gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy experiments were carried out with plasmid pUC19 DNA. Our quantitative results revealed that a prolonged incubation of DNA with ectoine leads to an increase in transitions from supercoiled (undamaged) to open circular (single-strand break) conformation at pH 6.6. The effect is pH dependent and no significant changes were observed at physiological pH of 7.5. After UV-A irradiation in ectoine solution, changes in DNA conformation were even more pronounced and this effect was pH dependent. We hypothesize that ectoine is attracted to the negatively charge surface of DNA at lower pH and therefore fails to act as a stabilizing agent for DNA in our in vitro experiments.
Ectoine plays an important role in protecting biomolecules and entire cells against environmental stressors such as salinity, freezing, drying and high temperatures. Recent studies revealed that ectoine also provides effective protection for human skin cells from damage caused by UV-A radiation. These protective properties make ectoine a valuable compound and it is applied as an active ingredient in numerous pharmaceutical devices and cosmetics. Interestingly, the underlying mechanism resulting in protecting cells from radiation is not yet fully understood. Here we present a study on ectoine and its protective influence on DNA during electron irradiation. Applying gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy, we demonstrate for the first time that ectoine prevents DNA strand breaks caused by ionizing electron radiation. The results presented here point to future applications of ectoine for instance in cancer radiation therapy.
Components in the Aerospace, Power and Automotive engineering sectors are frequently subjected to cyclic stresses induced by thermal fluctuations and mechanical loads. For the design of such components, reliable material property data are required which need to be acquired using well accepted and reproducible test procedures for thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) loading. There is limited availability of proven TMF data indicating there is need for further research and testing. The TMF behaviour of materials is often desired to be simulated in models which describe the cyclic stress-strain behaviour, the fatigue life and the cyclic crack growth behaviour. There is a continuous need for the development and amendment of such models. Models can be validated by using materials in industrial applications which are subjected to TMF loading.
The 3rd Workshop on Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue was held on 27–29 April 2016 at BAM, Berlin, Germany. The workshop was attended by 90 attendees coming from 17 countries in the world. 38 presentations including five poster presentations were held.
The following topics were covered by the workshop:
– TMF of materials coated with Thermal Barrier Coatings.
– Thermal Gradient Mechanical Fatigue.
– TMF crack growth.
– TMF + High Cycle Fatigue.
– TMF Modelling and Lifetime Prediction.
– TMF Properties of steels, cast iron, Al-, Mg- and Ni-alloys
– Advanced TMF Testing Techniques.
– Industrial Applications.
A panel discussion was held regarding the present state of TMF testing standards (ISO and ASTM) and their potential for improvement. The discussion and contributions were summarized and forwarded to the standard committees. The 3rd TMF-Workshop ensured the continuation of international exchange of knowledge providing a forum to present and discuss all recent developments in the field of thermo-mechanical fatigue.
The current special issue publishes eleven selected papers of the 3rd TMF-Workshop 2016. The papers were peer reviewed by a number of experts in the Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue sector. I hope you will enjoy reading papers of this special issue.
The 7th International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (ICSE-7) was held in Berlin in June 2016, jointly organised by ICSE and BAM. The publication of the proceedings special issue in Applied Surface Science follows this event. In the special issue, about 100 articles on current topics of optics and surface science related to ellipsometry, polarimetry, and similar techniques are presented, underpinning the high significance of these techniques for many fields of materials science.
Effect of different sulphur-based crosslink networks on the nitrile rubber resistance to biodiesel
(2017)
Biodiesel possesses some comparable physical properties to petroleum diesel in addition to its improved environmental benefits. Nonetheless, both fuels differ greatly with respect to their chemical compositions.
Therefore, the compatibility of the materials, which are commonly employed in contact with diesel, must also be assured for biodiesel. This paper assessed the influence of sulphur-based curing systems on the resistance of nitrile rubber to soybean biodiesel. Formulations were prepared using highacrylonitrile-content nitrile rubber by employing a two-level experimental design. The amounts of two different accelerators and sulphur were varied to achieve different types of vulcanisation systems.
Thermal analyses, mechanical tests and microscopy analyses were conducted to evaluate the behaviour of the material after contact with biodiesel. The results showed that the choice of the accelerator played an important role on the resistance of the rubber to the biofuel, and crosslink density was not a key factor with respect to the resistance.
The evolution of the internal strains during in situ tension and compression tests has been
measured in an MgY2Zn1 alloy containing long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase using
neutron diffraction. The alloy was extruded at two different temperatures to study the influence
of the microstructure and texture of the magnesium and the LPSO phases on the deformation
mechanisms. The alloy extruded at 623 K (350 °C) exhibits a strong fiber texture with the basal
plane parallel to the extrusion direction due to the presence of areas of coarse non-recrystallised
grains. However, at 723 K (450 °C), the magnesium phase is fully recrystallised with grains
randomly oriented. On the other hand, at the two extrusion temperatures, the LPSO phase
orients their basal plane parallel to the extrusion direction. Yield stress is always slightly higher
in compression than in tension. Independently on the stress sign and the extrusion temperature,
the beginning of plasticity is controlled by the activation of the basal slip system in the dynamic
recrystallized grains. Therefore, the elongated fiber-shaped LPSO phase which behaves as the
reinforcement in a metal matrix composite is responsible for this tension–compression asymmetry.
In the present study, samples fabricated by varying the deposition hatch length during selective laser melting of nickel based superalloy Inconel 718 were investigated. Microstructure and texture of these samples was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, combined with electron back-scattered diffraction, and residual stress assessment, using neutron diffraction method. Textured columnar grains oriented along the sample building direction were observed in the shorter hatch length processed sample. A ten-fold increase in the hatch length reduced the texture intensity by a factor of two attributed to the formation of finer grains in the longer hatch length sample. Larger gradients of transverse residual stress in the longer hatch length sample were also observed. Along the build direction, compressive stresses in the shorter hatch length and negligible stresses for the longer hatch length specimen were observed. Changes to the temperature gradient (G) in response to the hatch length variation, influenced the G to growth rate (R) ratio and the product G × R, in agreement with the microstructures and textures formed. For the residual stress development, geometry of the part also played an important role. In summary, tailored isotropy could be induced in Inconel 718 by a careful selection of parameters during selective laser melting.
A constitutive model for the nonlinear or “pseudoplastic” mechanical behavior in a linear-elastic solid with thermally induced microcracks is developed and applied to experimental results. The model is termed strain dependent microcrack density approximation (SDMDA) and is an extension of the modified differential scheme that describes the slope of the stress-strain curves of microcracked solids. SDMDA allows a continuous variation in the microcrack density with tensile loading. Experimental uniaxial tensile response of β-eucryptite glass and ceramics with controlled levels of microcracking is reported. It is demonstrated that SDMDA can well describe the extent of non-linearity in the experimental uniaxial tensile response of β-eucryptite with varying levels of microcracking. The advantages of the SDMDA are discussed in regard to tensile loading.
The primary aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of mechanical pre-damage and alkali–silica reaction (ASR) on the fracture mechanical properties of pavement concrete. For this purpose, a four point bending test was applied to large format beams to produce a defined level of cyclic pre-damage. The fatigue-induced concrete degradation process was simultaneously recorded using a testing procedure specifically developed for the purpose. In addition, fatigue-induced cracks on extracted drilling cores were spatially visualized and quantified using micro X-ray 3D-computed tomography (3D-CT). The storage of the small-format test specimens, with and without cyclic pre-damage, in an ASR-conducive environment showed that pre-damage leads to an increase in ASR damage processes. Subsequent structural mechanical investigations on small format specimens with and without pre-damage show that fatigue loading and ASR significantly influence fracture mechanical parameters of the concrete.
Härte und Korrosionsbeständigkeit sind die wichtigsten Qualitätsmerkmale von Schneidwaren. Diese werden nur durch eine optimal durchgeführte Wärmebehandlung des martensitischen nichtrostenden Stahls 1.4116 (X50CrMoV15) erreicht. In der industriellen Fertigung wird die Korrosionsbeständigkeit von Schneidwaren durch Wechseltauchversuche überprüft, die herstellerübergreifend eine große Schwankung der Korrosionsbeständigkeit belegen. In den letzten Jahren wurden neue elektrochemische Untersuchungsmethoden für die Werkstoffgruppe der martensitischen nichtrostenden Stähle entwickelt, welche die geringe Lochkorrosionsbeständigkeit von Schneidwaren auf das Phänomen der Chromverarmung zurückzuführen. Derzeit wird in der wissenschaftlichen und in der industriellen Gemeinschaft der Schritt des Anlassens als Hauptursache der Chromverarmung angesehen. Bei Schneidwaren sind die Anlasstemperaturen aber zu gering, um die auftretende Chromverarmung zu erklären. Aus diesem Grund wurden drei verschiedene Wärmebehandlungsparameter (Austenitisierungsdauer, Abkühlgeschwindigkeit und Anlasstemperatur) systematische untersucht, um deren Beitrag zur Chromverarmung darzustellen. Dazu wird die Untersuchungsmethode der elektrochemisch potentiodynamischen Reaktivierung (EPR) eingesetzt, die sehr sensibel auf Veränderungen im Gefüge reagiert und den Grad an Chromverarmung ermittelt. Außerdem wurde die KorroPad-Prüfung durchgeführt und kritische Lochkorrosionspotentiale ermittelt, um den Zusammenhang zwischen Chromverarmung und Lochkorrosionsbeständigkeit herzustellen. Die Ergebnisse aller Untersuchungen verdeutlichen wie eng das Prozessfenster ist, in dem Schneidwaren mit hoher Korrosionsbeständigkeit hergestellt werden können.
In diesem Beitrag werden zerstörungsfreie Untersuchungen mittels aktiver Thermografie an Probekörpern aus CFK und GFK mit unterschiedlichen künstlichen Fehlstellen vorgestellt. Dabei wird die zeitliche und örtliche Temperaturverteilung nach der Erwärmung mit Blitzlampen oder mit einem Infrarot-Strahler mit einer Infrarot-Kamera erfasst. Zur späteren Rekonstruktion der Messdaten wurde ein numerisches Modell entwickelt. Dazu war die Bestimmung der thermophysikalischen und optischen Materialeigenschaften erforderlich, was in diesem Beitrag ebenfalls beschrieben wird. Die Ergebnisse der numerischen Modellierung werden mit den experimentellen Untersuchungen der aktiven Thermografie verglichen. Weiterhin werden die experimentellen Untersuchungen hinsichtlich der beiden Materialsysteme CFK und GFK und unter Berücksichtigung der Teiltransparenz des GFK-Materials sowie der unterschiedlichen Anregungsquellen bewertet.
Mittels Wärmebehandlung lassen sich die hervorragenden Eigenschaften von UHFB nochmals verbessern. Die für eine optimale Umsetzung relevanten Randbedingungen werden aktuell in der Fachwelt diskutiert. In dieser Veröffentlichung werden die Ergebnisse eines Forschungsprojekts vorgestellt, das die Wirkung verschiedener Einflussgrößen bei der Wärmebehandlung auf die Eigenschaften von UHFB zum Thema hatte. Dabei wurden die Art des Schutzes gegen das Austrocknen, die Vorlagerungszeit und die Haltezeit variiert. Um die zugrunde liegenden Prozesse zu verstehen, wurde der Phasenbestand mittels Röntgendiffraktometrie untersucht. Die höchsten Druckfestigkeiten des UHFB ließen sich bei einer Wärmebehandlung mit Wasserlagerung erzielen, da hierbei eine weitere Hydratation begünstigt wird. Vergleichsweise niedriger waren die Steigerungen bei einer Behandlung mit Schutz vor Austrocknung, während eine ungeschützte Behandlung zu deutlich geringeren Festigkeiten führte. Die Vorlagerungszeit beträgt im Idealfall einige Tage, um die Ausbildung eines offenbar günstigen Ausgangsgefüges sicherzustellen. Die Haltezeit sollte möglichst ausgedehnt sein, weil die Hydratation entsprechend lange gefördert wird. Im oberflächennahen Bereich war unter bestimmten Bedingungen eine Zonierung zu beobachten, deren Ursachen und Folgen, insbesondere in Bezug auf die Dauerhaftigkeit, weitere Forschung erfordern.
We present special applications of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) which aim to overcome some of the limitations of this technique as it is currently applied in the scanning electron microscope. We stress that the raw EBSD signal carries additional information which is useful beyond the conventional orientation determination. The background signal underlying the backscattered Kikuchi diffraction (BKD) patterns reflects the chemical composition and surface topography but also contains channeling-in information which is used for qualitative real-time orientation imaging using various backscattered electron signals. A significantly improved orientation precision can be achieved when dynamically simulated pattern are matched to the experimental BKD patterns. The breaking of Friedel’s rule makes it possible to obtain orientation mappings with respect to the point-group symmetries. Finally, we discuss the
determination of lattice parameters from individual BKD
patterns. Subgrain structure in a single quartz grain. The increased noise level in the left map reflects the lower precision of a standard orientation determination using band detection by the Hough transform. The right map results from the same experimental raw data after orientation refinement using a pattern matching approach. The colors correspond an adapted inverse pole figure color key with a maximum angular deviation of about 2° from the mean orientation.
The practical performance of surface coatings in applications like catalysis, water splitting or batteries depends critically on the coating materials’ porosity. Determining the porosity in a fast and nondestructive way is still an unsolved problem for industrial thin-films technology. As a contribution to calibrated, non-destructive, optical layer characterisation, we present a multi-method comparison study on porous TiO2 films deposited by sol-gel synthesis on Si wafers. The ellipsometric data were collected on a range of samples with different TiO2 layer thickness and different porosity values. These samples were produced by templated sol-gel synthesis resulting in layers with a well-defined pore size and pore density. The ellipsometry measurement data were analysed by means of a Bruggeman effective medium approximation (BEMA), with the aim to determine the mixture ratio of void and matrix material by a multi-sample analysis strategy. This analysis yielded porosities and layer thicknesses for all samples as well as the dielectric function for the matrix material. Following the idea of multi-method techniques in metrology, the data was referenced to imaging by electron microscopy (SEM) and to a new EPMA (electron probe microanalysis) porosity approach for thin film analysis. This work might lead to a better metrological understanding of optical porosimetry and also to better-qualified characterisation methods for nano-porous layer systems.
1. IntroductionPorous materials, especially porous thin films play an importantrole in chemical and physical technology in every case where thecontact area between two media has to be maximised. From cataly-sis to photochemistry and photovoltaics, the applications of porouslayer materials are diverse and numerous [1–6].The accurate and non-destructive characterisation of porousfilms for layered systems poses a challenge. This applies especiallyfor the key parameter of porous films, their porosity, i.e. the mix-ing ratio between the Matrix of the film (host material) and thepore volume which is empty or filled with a fluid medium (inclu-sions). This parameter influences most of the physical and chemicalproperties of a porous thin film and is therefore essential for theunderstanding as well as the optimisation of this class of materials.
Single-wire gas metal arc welding (SGMAW) and high power tandem GMAW (TGMAW) are evaluated with respect to energy efficiency. The key performance indicator electrical deposition efficiency is applied to reflect the energy efficiency of GMAW in different material transfer modes. Additionally, the wall-plug efficiency of the equipment is determined in order to identify the overall energy consumption. The results show that energy efficiency can be increased by 24% and welding time is reduced over 50% by application of the tandem processes. A comparative life cycle assessment of a 30-mm-thick weld is conducted to investigate the influences of the energy efficiency on the environmental impacts. The environmental impacts on the categories global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential can be reduced up to 11% using an energy-efficient TGMAW process.
Present trends to lightweight design lead to an expanding relevance of high-strength fine-grained structural steels especially in mobile crane constructions. With growing material strength, the challenge for welding fabrication increases, since high loading capacities and safety requirements have to be accomplished. The utilisation of the high strength potential often requires complex constructions associated with high restraint conditions while welding. Increased residual stresses may occur due to superimposing reaction and restraint stresses, which have to be quantified and evaluated to ensure the safety and integrity of high-strength steel constructions. Particularly, the scope of residual stresses has to be taken into account for different effects in the HAZ, notches, weld and base metal. Commonly, conservative assumptions of residual stresses lead to distinct underestimations of the load bearing capacity particularly for welded high-strength steel constructions. This study concludes results of recent works of the researchers regarding the complex interaction among heat control, material and restraint intensity on the residual stress state in welded components. These analyses are extended by further experiments. Based on the obtained major effects, an approach for a welding residual stress assessment regarding component design according to prevailing standards for crane construction, an important application for high-strength steels, is presented.
Injectable, brushite-forming calcium phosphate cements (CPC) show potential for bone replacement, but they exhibit low mechanical strength. This study tested a CPC reinforced with poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fibers in a minimally invasive, sheep lumbar vertebroplasty model.
The study aimed to test the in vivo biocompatibility and osteogenic potential of a PLGA fiber-reinforced, brushite-forming CPC in a sheep large animal model.
Supercapacitors are an emerging energy-storage system with a wide range of potential applications. In this study, highly porous nickel-cobalt-oxide@reduced graphene oxide (Ni-Co-O@RGO-s) nanosheets were synthesized as an active material for supercapacitors using a surfactant-assisted microwave irradiation technique. The RGO-modified nanocomposite showed a larger specific area, better conductivity, and lower resistivity than the unmodified nanocomposite because the RGO facilitated faster ion diffusion/transport for improved redox activity. The synergistic effect of Ni-Co-O@RGO-s resulted in a high capacitance of 1903 F/g (at 0.8 A/g) in a mixed KOH/redox active K3Fe(CN)6 electrolyte. The asymmetric Ni-Co-O@RGO-s//AC supercapacitor device yielded a high energy density and power density of 39 Wh/kg and 7500 W/kg, respectively. The porous structure and combination of redox couples from both the electrode and electrolyte provided a highly synergistic effect, which improved the performance of the supercapacitor device.
This paper investigates gas metal arc welding (GMAW) with respect to energy consumption and its associated environmental impacts. Different material transfer modes and power levels for single wire GMAW (SGMAW) and tandem GMAW (TGMAW) are evaluated by means of the indicator electrical deposition efficiency. Furthermore, the wall-plug efficiency of the equipment is measured in order to describe the total energy consumption from the electricity grid. The results show that the energy efficiency is highly affected by the respective process and can be significantly enhanced by a TGMAW process. The wall-plug efficiency of the equipment shows no significant dependency on the power range or the material transfer mode. Moreover, the method of life cycle assessment (LCA) is adopted in order to investigate the influences of energy efficient welding on the environmental impacts. In the comparative LCA study, the demand of electrical energy is reduced up to 24%. In consequence, the indicator values for global warming potential (100), acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and photochemical ozone creation potential are reduced up to 11%.
The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is widely used to characterize the slow crack growth (SCG) behavior of polyolefin materials in “inert” media as well as effects of environmental stress cracking (ESC) in which the medium has decisive influence on damage mechanism and time to failure. The test is of greatest importance for pipe and blow molding types of polyethylene, high density (PE-HD). Usually the full-notch creep test is applied as a standardized testing method (ISO 16770) using a few universal liquid media, such as solutions of Arkopal N 100. In our study, selected relevant polyethylene, high density materials are investigated also in real media – practical formulations as well as representative pure chemicals – and influences of temperature and geometry of specimen and notch are explicitly addressed. Furthermore, the investigations comprise also the environmental stress cracking behavior of polyethylene, high density in media that are sorbed to a significant extent – examples are diesel and biodiesel – based on comparison with samples previously saturated with those media. Thus, also the underlying diffusion controlled sorption process has to be assessed before. The investigations were performed using a full-notch creep testing device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.
In den letzten 15 Jahren hat im deutschen Autobahnnetz die Anzahl von Schäden an Betonfahrbahnen, die vor 2005 er-richtet wurden zugenommen. Dies führt oft zu einer Vermin-derung der Lebensdauer von 30 auf 10 bis 15 Jahre. Trotz umfassender Untersuchungen wurde die Ursache bis jetzt nicht eindeutig geklärt, jedoch scheint die Alkali-Kieselsäure-Reaktion (AKR) hierbei eine Rolle zu spielen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurden AKR-Performance-Tests entwickelt, die jedoch die mechanischen Einwirkungen aus Klima und Ver-kehr nicht berücksichtigen. Aus diesem Grund wurde eine AKR-Forschergruppe von der Deutschen Forschungsgemein-schaft ins Leben gerufen, welche sich experimentell und auf Simulationsebene mit diesem Thema befasst. Inhalt dieses Beitrages sind ausgewählte Ergebnisse des an der BAM bear-beiteten experimentellen Projektteils, welche in eine auf die Auswirkung einer mechanischen Degradation fokussierte Promotionsarbeit einfließen.
Ziel der ausgewählten Untersuchung ist es, den Einfluss einer mechanisch induzierten Betondegradation auf den Stofftrans-port herauszuarbeiten. Hierzu wird ein großformatiger Balken einem zyklischen Vier-Punkt Biegezugversuch mit einer Anzahl von 5 Mio. Lastwechseln unterzogen. Während des Versuches findet ein Schadensmonitoring mit verschiedenen zerstörungsfreien Prüftechniken statt. Hierzu zählen Deh-nungsmessungen, Schallemissionsanalyse und Ultraschall-messungen. Nach dem zyklischen Belastungs-versuch werden kleinformatige Probekörper aus dem belasteten Balken entnommen. Als Referenz dienen unbelas-tete Probekörper aus der gleichen Herstellungscharge. Die Oberflächen der entnommenen Probekörper werden in einem kapillaren Saugversuch zum einen mit deionisiertem Wasser und zum anderen mit einer 3,6 %igen NaCl-Lösung beauf-schlagt. Während der Saugversuche dienen verschiedene zerstörungsfreie bzw. -arme Messmethoden dazu, die Feuch-teaufnahme bzw. -verteilung in den Probekörpern zu messen. Hierzu gehören neben der Gravimetrie die Messung mit NMR (Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance) sowie TDR (Time-Domain-Reflectometry). Nach den Saugversuchen wird die Na- und Cl-Verteilung an den mit NaCl-Lösung beaufschlagten Pro-bekörpern zerstörend mittels LIBS (Laser-Induced-Breakdown-Spectroscopy) ermittelt. Erste Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die zyklische Ermüdungsdegradation den Stofftransport tendenziell verstärkt.
Estimation of heat flux parameters during static gas tungsten arc welding spot under argon shielding
(2017)
A multi-physics modelling of a static Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) operation has been established in order to estimate the heat flux exchanged between the arc plasma and the work-piece. The heat flux was described with a Gaussian function where two parameters required to be estimated: process efficiency and radial distribution. An inverse heat transfer problem (ihtp) has been developed in the aim to estimate these parameters from experimental data. Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was used as the regularization method in addition to an iterative process. The experiment consisted in a static spot weld with GTAW process. The weld spot was on for 5 s under Argon shielding gas, 2.4 mm pure tungsten electrode on a SS304L disc. Temperatures were measured with thermocouples and weld pool growth monitored with a high speed camera. The experimental data were used to solve the ihtp what led to values such as 0.7 for process efficiency and average radial distribution of 1.8 mm.
Catalytic C–F bond activation reactions of mono- and polyfluoroalkanes at Lewis acidic amorphous aluminum chlorofluoride (ACF) are presented. The hydrogen sources Et3GeH or Et3SiH control the selectivity of the conversions. The immobilization of Et3GeH at ACF resulted in catalytic dehydrohalogenation reactions to yield olefins under very mild conditions. In contrast, if Et3SiH is immobilized at ACF, C–C coupling occured and the formation of Friedel–Crafts products was observed. MAS NMR spectroscopic studies revealed information about the surface binding of the substrates.
This Conference Proceedings volume contains a selection of the contributions presented in Symposium C “Laser-material interactions for tailoring future applications” organized during the annual Spring Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) held from May 2nd to 6th 2016 in the Lille Grand Palais, France.
The reinforcement of concrete with polymer fibers provides resistance to crack formation. The orientation distribution of these fibers has a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of the material. To optimize material performance, micromechanical models that are capable of making accurate predictions of the mechanical behavior of composite materials are needed. These models must be calibrated using experimental results from microstructural characterization. For the fiber orientation distribution analysis in the present study, computed tomography (CT) data were used to evaluate the properties of a fiber-reinforced cement mortar. The results have indicated that the fibers in this material have highly anisotropic orientation characteristics and that there is a clear tendency for the polymer fibers to agglomerate during mixing and casting. The incorporation of this experimental data into micromechanical models will increase the accuracy of those models for material simulation and optimization.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is often applied to assess the dispersity and the end groups of synthetic polymers through the addition of cationizing agents. Here weaddress how these cation adducts are formed using polystyrene (PS) as a model polymer. We analyzed PSby MALDI-MS with a 2-[(2E)-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methylprop-2-enylidene]malononitrile (DCTB) as the matrix and a range of trifluoroacetate (TFA) salts as cationizing agents on a range of different targetplate materials (copper, 1.4301 stainless steel, aluminum, Inconel 625, Ti90/Al6/V4 and chromium-, gold-and silver-plated stainless steel). It was found that on a stainless steel substrate the metal cations Al+,Li+, Na+, Cu+and Ag+formed polystyrene adducts, whereas K+, Cs+, Ba2+, Cr3+, Pd2+, In3+, or their lower oxidation states, did not. For the copper and silver substrates, PS and DCTB adduct formation with cations liberated from these target plate materials was observed upon addition of a cationizing agent, which indicates the occurrence of redox reactions between the added TFA salts and the target plate material. Judging from their standard electrode potentials, these redox reactions would not normally occur, i.e.,they require an additional energy input, strongly suggesting that the observed redox reactions are laser-induced. Furthermore, copper granules were found to successfully sequester PS from a tetrahydrofuran(THF) solution, consistent with the view complex formation with the copper target plate can take place prior to the MALDI-MS measurement.
Quantum dot (QD) based nanomaterials are very promising materials for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices like solar cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and photodetectors as well as as reporters for chemo- and biosensing and bioimaging. Many of These applications involve the monitoring of changes in photoluminescence intensity and energy transfer processes which can strongly depend on excitation wavelength or energy. In this work, we analyzed the excitation energy dependence (EED) of the photoluminescence quantum yields (PL QYs) and decay kinetics and the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of CdSe/CdS core/shell QDs with different thicknesses of the surface passivation shell. Our results demonstrate a strong correlation between the spectral position of local maxima observed in the EED of PL QY and the zero-crossing points of the CD profiles. Theoretical analysis of the energy band structure of the QDs with effective mass approximation suggests that these structures could correspond to exciton energy levels. This underlines the potential of CD spectroscopy for the study of electronic energy structure of chiroptically active nanocrystals which reveal quantum confinement effects.
The rational design of brighter upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) requires a better understanding of the radiationless deactivation pathways in these materials. Here, we demonstrate the potential of excitation power density (P)-dependent studies of upconversion (UC) luminescence intensities, slope factors, and absolute quantum yields (ΦUC) of popular β-NaYF4:20% Yb3+,2% Er3+ UCNPs of different surface chemistries in organic solvents, D2O, and water as a tool to gain deeper insight into the UC mechanism including population and deactivation pathways particularly of the red emission. Our measurements, covering a P regime of three orders of magnitude, reveal a strong difference of the P-dependence of the ratio of the green and red luminescence bands (Ig/r) in water and organic solvents and P-dependent population pathways of the different emissive energy levels of Er3+. In summary, we provide experimental evidence for three photon processes in UCNPs, particularly for the red emission. Moreover, we demonstrate changes in the excited population dynamics via bi- and triphotonic processes dependent on the environment, surface chemistry, and P, and validate our findings theoretically
The excitation wavelength (lexc) dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (FPL) and decay behavior (tPL) of a series of CdSe/CdS quantum dot/Quantum rods (QDQRs), consisting of the same spherical CdSe core and rod-shaped CdS shells, with aspect ratios ranging from 2 to 20 was characterized. lexc between 400–565 nm were chosen to cover the first excitonic absorption band of the CdSe core material, the onset of absorption of the CDs shell, and the region of predominant shell absorption. A strong lexc dependence of relative and absolutely measured FPL and tPL was found particularly for the longer QDQRs with higher aspect ratios. This is attributed to combined contributions from a length-dependent shell-to-core exciton localization efficiency, an increasing number of defect states within the shell for the longest QDQRs, and probably also the presence of absorbing, yet non-emitting shell material. Although the FPL values of the QDQRs decrease at shorter wavelength, the extremely high extinction coefficients introduced by the shell outweigh this effect, leading to significantly higher brightness values at wavelengths below the absorption onset of the CdS Shell compared with direct excitation of the CdSe cores. Moreover, our results present also an interesting example for the comparability of absolutely measured FPL using an integrating sphere setup and FPL values measured relative to common FPL standards, and underline the Need for a correction for particle scattering for QDQRs with high aspect ratios.
Experimental and analytical investigation of the TMF-HCF lifetime behavior of two cast iron alloys
(2017)
The combined loading Thermomechanical Fatigue (TMF) with High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) has been experimentally investigated for two cast iron alloys. Both alloys contain globular graphite nodules but the first one has a ferritic structure while the second one has an austenitic crystal structure. In particular, the influences of the HCF frequency, of the HCF loading amplitude and of the location of the superposed HCF cycles have been investigated. It was observed that the HCF frequency has a limited impact on the fatigue life. On the other side, the HCF-strain amplitude has a highly non-linear influence on the fatigue life. The experimental results can be understood in terms of a fracture mechanics based damage mechanism: Cracks quickly initiate due to the TMF loading and the growth of the cracks up to a few mm controls the fatigue life. If HCF-loading cycles are superposed, cyclic crack propagation dramatically accelerates after a threshold has been reached. This threshold is regarded as controlling the fatigue life reduction. The previous ideas have been expressed in a model that can be very simply applied to estimate the fatigue life reduction ratio due to the superposed HCF cycles. It only contains two adjustable parameters and can be combined with any TMF life assessment model.
Structural health monitoring contributes to early damage detection in the built infrastructure. During the last two decades, sensor networks transferred from wired to wireless sensor networks. Several methods exist to measure moisture in building materials. Most of the introduced commercial moisture measurement methods provide information about the local or near surface moisture. A feasibility study is presented to demonstrate, how the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal, transmitted from the BLE-module embedded in building materials, correlate with changing moisture content. The feasibility of this influence was investigated in the presented study. The maximum and minimum RSSI were systematically recorded and analysed.
Particle size gradation is regarded as an effective method for overcoming the contradicting requirements in three-dimensional printing (3DP). In present work, particle size gradation was optimized to obtain both acceptable flowability of the powder material and high-strength 3D-printed glass-ceramic products. The effect of gradation on the printing process, sintering process and performance of the 3D-printed glass-ceramic products was investigated comprehensively. The glass-ceramic powders with three size ranges were mixed in certain proportions and applied to print parts. The result showed parts printed with powder mixed by 60 wt% 45–100 µm and 40 wt% 0–25 µm particles had satisfactory density of 1.60 g/cm³ and bending strength of 13.8 MPa. The flowability decreased with an increasing proportion of fine particles. Part density was determined by the powder bulk density in the powder bed as well as the shrinkage during sintering while strength of part was found to be dependent on the sintering degree.
Nanocomposites of Ag-ZnFe2O4@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were synthesized using a one-pot microwave-assisted self-assembly method. The morphology and structure of the Ag-ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposites were characterized. The nanocomposites formed with 15.2 wt% rGO showed excellent adsorption properties and high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB), and methyl orange (MO). The synergistic interactions between Ag, ZnFe2O4, and rGO decreased the aggregation of the nanoparticles (NPs) and increased the surface area, resulting in better absorption in both UV and visible light. Such a structure was helpful for separating the photoexcited electron-hole pairs and accelerating electron transfer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed a smaller resistance in the solid-state interface layer and charge transfer on the composite surface than that of the bare ZnFe2O4 NPs and ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite. The Ag-ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite could be recovered easily by a magnet and reused five times with no significant decrease in photocatalytic activity. The as-prepared Ag-ZnFe2O4@rGO nanocomposite catalyst could be applied to the removal of hard-to-degrade waste materials owing to its high efficiency in both UV and visible light and its excellent reusability.
If fracture mechanics shall be applied to the total lifetime respectively the fatigue limit of components (within the meaning of the S-N curve approach) it has to address four challenges:
(a) It has to adequately describe so-called short crack propagation, which cannot be based on the common long crack concepts for principle reasons. Since the crack size is in the order of the plastic zone size, the modelling of short crack propagation cannot be based on the common linear elastic Delta K concept. Instead, an elastic-plastic parameter such as the cyclic J integral has to be applied. A second point is that the crack closure concept has to be modified in that the crack opening stress is not a constant, crack size- independent parameter but shows a transient behaviour with increasing short crack size.
(b) It has to provide a meaningful definition of the initial crack dimensions as the starting point for an S-N curve relevant (residual) lifetime analysis. This can be based either on the (statistical) size of material defects which can be treated as cracks or by the size of the crack which would arrest subsequent to early crack propagation, whatever is larger.
(c) It has to cope with the problem of multiple cracks for load levels higher than the fatigue limit such as it occurs in many applications in the absence of very large initial defects.
(d) This requires consequent statistical treatment taking into account variations in the local geometry of the area where crack initiation has to be expected as well as the scatter in the initial crack size and in the material data used for the analyses.
The paper provides an overview on the results of a German cluster project on the use of fracture mechanics to the determination of the fatigue strength of weldments with fatigue cracks originating at the weld toes. The approach includes (a) a concept for short crack propagation for which the common ΔK concept is not applicable and the crack closure effects are still being gradually build-up, (b) a method for determining fatigue life relevant initial crack sizes as they are needed in any fracture mechanics analysis and (c) multiple cracking and crack coalescence at load levels higher than the endurance limit. The analyses are stochastically performed. Both, the endurance limit and the finite life branch of the S-N curve are determined.
Besides a brief introduction into the approach, validation examples are presented. These comprise different weldment types (butt welds, cross joints and longitudinal stiffened plates), two steels (S355NL and S960QL) of quite different strengths, different weld geometries due to different welding techniques (WIG, MAG), as-welded and stress relieved welds and different stress ratios varying from R = -1 to R = 0.5.
Rohrsysteme und Behälter aus nichtrostendem Stahl sind mit einer Passivschicht vor Korrosion geschützt. Ist diese jedoch unvollständig ausgebildet oder beschädigt, geht der Schutz verloren. Das KorroPad-Verfahren ist ein Schnelltest zur Überprüfung der Passivschicht. Im Vergleich mit bisher üblichen Bewertungsmethoden ist die Anwendung sehr einfach und nimmt nur 15 Minuten in Anspruch.
Miniaturized pacemakers with a surface consisting of a Ti alloy may have to be removed after several years from their implantation site in the heart and shall, therefore, not be completely overgrown by cells or tissue. A method to avoid this may be to create at the surface by laser-ablation self-organized sharp conical spikes, which provide too little surface for cells (i.e., fibroblasts) to grow on. For this purpose, Ti-alloy substrates were irradiated in the air by 790 nm Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser pulses at fluences above the ablation threshold. The laser irradiation resulted in pronounced microstructure formation with hierarchical surface morphologies. Murine fibroblasts were seeded onto the laser-patterned surface and the coverage by cells was evaluated after 3–21 days of cultivation by means of scanning electron microscopy. Compared to flat surfaces, the cell density on the microstructures was significantly lower, the coverage was incomplete, and the cells had a clearly different morphology. The best results regarding suppression of cell growth were obtained on spike structures which were additionally electrochemically oxidized under acidic conditions. Cell cultivation with additional shear stress could reduce further the number of adherent cells.
Titanium nitride (TiN) was coated on different substrate materials, namely pure titanium (Ti), titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) and steel (100Cr6), generating 2.5 μm thick TiN layers. Using femtosecond laser pulses (30 fs, 790 nm, 1 kHz pulse repetition rate), large surface areas (5 mm × 5 mm) of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) with sub-wavelength periods ranging between 470 nm and 600 nm were generated and characterized by optical microscopy (OM), white light interference microscopy (WLIM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In tribological tests, coefficients of friction (COF) of the nanostructured surfaces were determined under reciprocating sliding conditions (1 Hz, 1.0 N normal load) against a 10-mm diameter ball of hardened 100Cr6 steel during 1000 cycles using two different lubricants, namely paraffin oil and engine oil. It turned out that the substrate material, the laser fluence and the lubricant are crucial for the tribological performance. However, friction and wear could not be significantly reduced by LIPSS on TiN layers in comparison to unstructured TiN surfaces. Finally, the resulting wear tracks on the nanostructured surfaces were investigated with respect to their morphology (OM, SEM), depth (WLIM) and chemical composition by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and, on one hand, compared with each other, on the other hand, with non-structured TiN surfaces.
The presentation will discuss the difference between EU and US standards for the determination of explosion (flammability) limits and limiting oxygen concentration. Small differences observed in measured values can be traced back to the different test apparatuses and criteria. The discrepancies can be much greater in the case of limiting oxygen concentration because of the high amount of inert gases and the corresponding low laminar burning velocities. The paper describes some examples and the influence of the chosen criteria on the results. The European and US standards use the criteria of flame propagation in open test vessels and of pressure rise in closed ones. The examples discussed show that flame propagation is still possible at very small pressure rise values, as observed much below the pressure rise criterion of usual standards. However, flame propagation in a process plant can cause an accident or explosion and must be avoided. Therefore, the flame propagation criterion is recommended to be used in chemical safety engineering. The European safety database CHEMSAFE contains expertevaluated safety data for cases where the determination method and criteria are known. Flammability characteristics based on the pressure rise criterion may suffice in certain cases, e.g. for explosion protection in closed vessels without any connecting pipes.
Force-distance curves have been acquired with an atomic force microscope on perfluorpolyether films. It is shown that curves acquired on films of different thickness, at different rates and with different dwell times can be overlapped by rescaling the time or distance axis.When the time or distance axis is rescaled,the force depends only on the surface tension of perfluorpolyether and on geometrical properties of thetip (aperture and perimeter of the tip at a given distance from the apex). Hence, curves acquired with thesame tip overlap.
By comparing curves acquired at different rates the dynamics of tip-wetting can be investigated. Fur-thermore, rescaled force-distance curves have been matched with the perimeter of cross sections ofthe tip, i.e. with the perimeter of the three-phase contact line. Such measurements pave the way for anon-destructive investigation of the tip shape.