Enhanced compressive response of hybrid Mg–CNT nano-composites

Uniaxial compressive properties of hybrid Mg/Al–CNT nano-composites are studied in the present paper. Hybrid nano-composites were fabricated using powder metallurgy route followed by microwave assisted rapid sintering technique and hot extrusion. The hybrid Mg/Al–CNT nano-composites exhibited slightly smaller grain sizes compared to monolithic Mg and reasonable hybrid Al–CNT nano-particle distribution up to Al content of 1.00 wt%. Compared to pure Mg, the Mg/Al–CNT nano-composites exhibited higher compressive yield strength (0.2% CYS), ultimate compressive strength (UCS) and work of fracture (WOF) (up to +36%, +76%, +36%) compared to pure Mg but failure strain was compromised. Inclusive of crystallographic texture changes, the effect of hybrid Al–CNT nano-particle integration on the enhancement of compressive properties of Mg is investigated in this paper.     

Sulfonated polystyrene fiber network-induced hybrid proton exchange membranes

A novel type of hybrid membrane was fabricated by incorporating sulfonated polystyrene (S-PS) electrospun fibers into Nafion for the application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. With the introduction of S-PS fiber mats, a large amount of sulfonic acid groups in Nafion aggregated onto the interfaces between S-PS fibers and the ionomer matrix, forming continuous pathways for facile proton transport. The resultant hybrid membranes had higher proton conductivities than that of recast Nafion, and the conductivities were controlled by selectively adjusting the fiber diameters. Consequently, hybrid membranes fabricated by ionomers, such as Nafion, incorporated with ionic-conducting nanofibers established a promising strategy for the rational design of high-performance proton exchange membranes.     

Factorial study of a certain parametric distribution

The general theory of factorial analysis of continuous correspondance (FACC) is used to investigate the binary case of a continuous probability measure defined as:T(xm,y)=ay ⁿ +b, (x,y)ɛD&nɛN=0, elsewhere Wheren≥0,a andb are the parameters of this distribution. While the DomainD is a variable trapezoidal inscribed in the unit square. The trapezoid depends on two parameters α and β. This problem is solved. As special cases of our problem we obtaine a complete solution fot two of them which correspondt to a particular form of the correlation matrix in the discrete case.     

On the Collapse of Cotton/Epoxy Tubes under Axial Static Loading

Experimental quasi-static crushing tests and finite element analysis have been carried out for unidirectional filament wound laminated cotton/epoxy tubes. The work focuses on three main factors, which considerably affect the axial collapse load of unidirectional natural composite tubes. These factors are structural geometry, fibre diameter and fibre orientation. Cotton/epoxy tubes with different diameters (50, 70, 90, 110 and 130 mm) were examined and tested. The fibre orientation angles were 80 and 90°. The initial geometric imperfections are measured using the computerised Mistral coordinate measuring machine. The numerical prediction was obtained using commercially available finite element software. A limited agreement between the experimental and computational results was obtained. For all structures considered classical axial collapse eigenvalues were computed. The initial failure crush load computed from the finite element simulation model has been compared with the experiments.     

Multivariate statistical process control charts based on the approximate sequential χ2 test

Similar to the univariate CUSUM chart, a multivariate CUSUM (MCUSUM) chart can be designed to detect a particular size of the mean shift optimally based on the scheme of a sequential likelihood ratio test for the noncentrality parameter. However, in multivariate case, the probability ratio of a sequential test is intractable mathematically and the test statistic based on the ratio does not have a closed form expression which makes it impractical for real application. We drive an approximate log-likelihood ratio and propose a multivariate statistical process control chart based on a sequential χ² test to detect a change in the noncentrality parameter. The statistical properties of the proposed test statistic are explored. The average runs length (ARL) performance of the proposed charts is compared with other MCUSUM charts for process mean monitoring. The experimental results reveal that the proposed charts achieve superior, both zero-state and steady-state, ARL performance over a wide range of mean shifts, especially when the dimension of measurements is large.     

Development of new magnesium based alloys and their nanocomposites

In the present study, 1 and 2 wt.% of aluminum were successfully incorporated into magnesium based AZ31 alloy to develop new AZ41 and AZ51 alloys using the technique of disintegrated melt deposition. AZ41-Al₂O₃ and AZ51-Al₂O₃ nanocomposites were also successfully synthesized through the simultaneous addition of aluminum (1 and 2 wt.%, respectively) and 1.5 vol.% nano-sized alumina into AZ31 magnesium following same route. Alloy and composite samples were then subsequently hot extruded at 400 °C and characterized. Microstructural characterization studies revealed equiaxed grain structure, reasonably uniform distribution of particulate and intermetallics in the matrix and minimal porosity. Physical properties characterization revealed that addition of both aluminum and nano-sized alumina reduced the coefficient of thermal expansion of monolithic AZ31. The presence of both Al and nano-sized Al₂O₃ particles also assisted in improving overall mechanical properties including microhardness, engineering and specific tensile strengths, ductility and work of fracture. The results suggest that these alloys and nanocomposites have significant potential in diverse engineering applications when compared to magnesium AZ31 alloy.     

Variations in some heavy metals’ level during processing of soft cheese

The aim of this study was to determine the content of lead, cadmium, aluminum, copper and mercury during Feta cheese manufacturing by using atomic absorption spectrometer. Results revealed that lead and mercury concentrations were higher after curdling and in fresh cheese after salting than other elements. Cadmium was detected at low concentrations in raw milk, pasteurized milk, after curdling and fresh cheese (0.053, 0.10, 0.20 and 0.24 mg/kg, respectively). Aluminum concentration did not change seriously during different steps of cheese manufacturing. On the other hand, the concentration of copper increased from 2.83 ± 0.97 mg/kg in raw milk to 3.25 ± 1.06 mg/kg in fresh cheese. It was concluded that the curdling and cheese after salting are the major technological steps that affect the concentration of some heavy metals rather than heat treatment.     

Performance of a MANET directional MAC protocol with angle‐of‐arrival estimation

The use of directional antennas in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) has shown to offer large throughput gains relative to omnidirectional antennas. When used in ad hoc networks, directional medium‐access‐control (DMAC) protocols usually require all nodes, or part of nodes, to be aware of their exact locations. This location information is typically provided using a global positioning system (GPS). Although GPS systems are designed to be as nearly accurate as possible, there are still estimation errors that can cause a relatively large deviation from the actual GPS receiver position. In this paper, we investigate the effect of inaccurate node position estimation on the throughput of these protocols. Our results clearly indicate that the advantages of DMAC protocols diminish if the available position information is not accurate enough. As an alternative, we propose an efficient DMAC protocol that utilizes signal parameter estimation via the rotational invariance technique (ESPRIT) for direction‐of‐arrival (DOA) estimation; alleviating the need for GPS and, hence, avoiding the degrading associated with typical GPS position estimation errors. Moreover, unlike GPS‐based protocols, our protocol is suitable for both outdoor and indoor applications. Under different operating conditions and channel models, our simulation results show the throughput improvement achieved using the proposed protocol relative to the IEEE 802.11. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanical and thermal stresses in a functionally graded rotating disk with variable thickness due to radially symmetry loads

Rotating disks have many applications in the aerospace industry such as gas turbines and gears. These disks normally work under thermo mechanical loads. Minimizing the weight of such components can help reduce the overall payload in aerospace industry. For this purpose, a rotating functionally graded (FG) disk with variable thickness under a steady temperature field is considered in this paper. Thermo elastic solutions and the weight of the disk are related to the material grading index and the geometry of the disk. It is found that a disk with parabolic or hyperbolic convergent thickness profile has smaller stresses and displacements compared to a uniform thickness disk. Maximum radial stress due to centrifugal load in the solid disk with parabolic thickness profile may not be at the center unlike uniform thickness disk. Functionally graded disk with variable thickness has smaller stresses due to thermal load compared to those with uniform thickness. It is seen that for a given value of grading index, the FG disk having concave thickness profile is the lightest in weight whereas the FG disk with uniform thickness profile is the heaviest. Also for any given thickness profile, the weight of the FG disk lies in between the weights of the all-metal and the all-ceramic disks.     

Thermo elastic analysis of functionally graded rotating disks with temperature-dependent material properties: uniform and variable thickness

A thermo elastic analysis is presented for axisymmetric rotating disks made of functionally graded material (FGM) with variable thickness. Material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent and graded in the radial direction according to a grading index power law distribution. The temperature field considered is assumed to be uniformly distributed over the disk surface and varied in the radial direction. Semi-analytical solutions for the displacement field are given for solid disk and annular disk under free-free and fixed-free boundary conditions. The effects of the thermal field, the material grading index and the geometry of the disk on the displacement and stress fields are investigated. Results of this study emphasize on the crucial role of the temperature-dependent properties in a high temperature environment. A comparison of these results with the reported ones in the literature that is temperature-dependent versus temperature-independent suggests that a functionally graded rotating disk with concave thickness profile can work more efficiently than the one with uniform thickness irrespective of whether the material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent or temperature-independent.