Using radioactive techniques for tribological research

The possibility of using radioactive tracing techniques for the measurement of wear etc on mating surface has been investigated using the assumption that the lubricating oil will pick up the radioactive particles from the worn surfaces. In this report the basic principles of the technique are outlined and first results presented on the wear of gear teeth.     

The influence of heat treatment and finishing on the mechanical and dielectric properties of glass fabric-epoxy resin laminar composites

The aim of this investigation was to define the optimum conditions of obtaining glass fabric-epoxy resin laminar composites with mechanical and dielectric properties that satisfy the quality needed for production of printed circuit boards for microelectronics. Commercial materials: glass woven fabric, different types of silane finish and epoxy resin were the starting materials in obtaining composites. The conditions needed for the thermal removal of the original size from glass fabric were investigated. The optimal heat treatment should be performed at temperatures less than 550 °C, while cooling rates should be as low as possible. In this manner, the fabric has less than 0.1% of residual size, and the mechanical properties remain satisfactory. Different types of adhesion promoters based on silanes were applied on heat-treated glass fabric as finishes. The quality of the composite material made of thermally and chemically treated glass fabric and epoxy resin was controled by measuring the tensile and dielectric strength of the composite. Depending on which properties of composite are of primary concern, mechanical or dielectric, a finish with an amino functional group and lower heat-treatment temperature or epoxy-modified coatings and higher heat-treatment temperature should be used for obtaining glass-fabric epoxy resin laminar composites.     

Modeling and Management of Fuzzy Information in Multimedia Database Applications

In this paper, we firstly present a conceptual data model for multimedia database applications based on ExIFO₂ model. The ExIFO₂ data model is chosen as the conceptual model since it handles complex objects along with their uncertain and imprecise properties. We enhanced this conceptual model in order to meet the multimedia data requirements. In addition to uncertain and imprecise information, we present a way of handling relationships among objects of multimedia database applications. Events that might be extracted from video or audio are also considered in this study. Secondly, the conceptual model is mapped to a logical model, which the fuzzy object-oriented data (FOOD) model is chosen, for storing and manipulating the multimedia objects. This mapping is done in a way that it preserves most of the information represented at the conceptual level. Finally, in this study videos of football (soccer) games is selected as the multimedia database application to show how we handle crisp and fuzzy querying and retrieval of fuzzy and crisp data from the database. A program has been developed to draw ExIFO₂ schemas and to map the schema to FOOD code automatically.     

Mothers of Pipelines

We present a method for pipeline verification using SMT solvers. It is based on a non-deterministic “mother pipeline” machine (MOP) that abstracts the instruction set architecture (ISA). The MOP vs. ISA correctness theorem splits naturally into a large number of simple subgoals. This theorem reduces proving the correctness of a given pipelined implementation of the ISA to verifying that each of its transitions can be modeled as a sequence of MOP state transitions.     

Effect of nonthermal plasma treatment on surface roughness and bond strength between veneer ceramic and zirconia core

This in vitro study evaluated the effect of nonthermal plasma (NTP) treatment on the surface roughness (Ra) of the zirconia and the shear bond strength (SBS) between the veneer ceramic and the zirconia. Ninety zirconia specimens were divided into six groups according to the surface treatments applied: control with no treatment; sandblasting with 50-μm Al₂O₃ particles; oxygen plasma treated for 5 min; oxygen plasma treated for 10 min; argon plasma treated for 5 min; and argon plasma treated for 10 min. Ra values were measured using a profilometer. Specimens (n = 12) were then veneered with a nano-fluorapatite ceramic, and the SBS test was performed. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses were performed. The sandblasting procedure significantly increased the surface roughness; however, the plasma groups showed similar Ra values compared to the control group. NTP and sandblasting treatment significantly increased the bond strength and led to higher SBS values than the control. Plasma application did not induce phase transformation; however, sandblasting caused monoclinic phase transformation of the zirconia. NTP application (either oxygen or argon) can enhance the bond strength between the veneer ceramic and the zirconia core without altering the surface morphology or causing zirconia phase transformation.     

The diffusion of water in poly(ditetrahydrofurfuryl itaconate)

The diffusion of water into solid poly(ditetrahydrofurfuryl itaconate) (PDTFI) films and in analogous polymer solutions was measured. Diffusion into solid PDTFI films on a glass support was measured in three solutions of different pH (4, 7 and 10) at 37 and 60 °C during a 90 day period. The uptake was high and was both pH and temperature dependent, ranging from 120 to 2000%. A Fickian mechanism is observed for the initial stages of uptake, whilst a non-Fickian mechanism is present when the equilibrium is approached. The pH 7 samples did not equilibrate at any temperature during the experiment. The FTIR investigations of the films indicated some deesterification took place during the uptake. The diffusion coefficients and diffusion exponents are calculated for the samples. The diffusion of water into PDTFI solution in acetone was measured by PGSE-NMR, showing the expected linear attenuation functions. The diffusion coefficient of water was calculated for polymer concentrations up to 10%.     

POWER CONSUMPTION AND GAS HOLDUP IN A GAS-LIQUID RECIPROCATING PLATE COLUMN

The pressure fluctuation at the column base is confirmed to be proportional to the vibration intensity on a power of 2 in non-gassed conditions and up to a critical vibration intensity, corresponding to the dispersion resonance frequency, in gassed conditions. The power consumption is successfully correlated with the vibration intensity and the liquid holdup. The gas holdup in both mixer-settter and emulsion regime is well correlated with the power consumption and the superficial gas velocity. The effect of the superficial gas velocity is more important than that of the power consumption. The effects of the liquid phase properties, the wetting tendency of the plate material and the fraction free area above 41% were not observed     

Highly Textured BaTiO3 via Templated Grain Growth and Resulting Polarization Reversal Dynamics

Samples of bulk textured polycrystalline BaTiO₃ ceramics were fabricated using a templated grain growth (TGG) approach in order to investigate effects of polycrystallinity and texture related to ferroelectric domain reversal under high‐power drive conditions. Barium titanate platelets were formed via two‐step topochemical conversion of bismuth titanate platelets grown via molten salt synthesis, then aligned via tape casting within a matrix of fine BaTiO₃ powder. The coarse‐grained parts showed a high degree of crystallographic texture after sintering. Combined with ceramics of similar density and polycrystallinity, but random orientation and commercial single‐crystal specimens, this sample set enabled direct isolation of crystallographic texture and polycrystallinity as the primary variables for high‐power polarization reversal studies. These studies have also demonstrated a link between grain size and polarization reversal time that strongly suggests that grain boundaries serve effectively as nucleation sites during the ferroelectric switching process.