Experimental study on RC beams with FRP strips bonded with rubber modified resins

This paper presents the effects of adhesive properties on structural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) strips. The epoxy adhesives modified with liquid rubber of different content were used to bond the CFRP strips, and four point bending experiments were carried out on RC beams. The experimental results show that different CFRP strip thickness of 0.22 and 0.44 mm resulted in a transition of failure mechanism from interfacial debonding along the CFRP-concrete interface to concrete cover separation starting from the end of CFRP strips in the concrete. Moreover, it is suggested that no matter interfacial debonding or concrete cover separation, the rubber modifier enhanced the structural performance by increasing the maximum load-carrying capacity and the corresponding ductility, compared with the beams bonded with a neat epoxy resin. The improvement of structural performance due to modified adhesive was associated with the modification of stress profiles along the CFRP-concrete interface especially the stress concentration at the end of FRP, and the enhanced interlaminar fracture toughness. Rubber modified epoxy therefore is worth further studying in practical repair applications.     

Magnetic multipole line-cusp plasma generator for neutral beam injectors

The magnetic multipole line-cusp device developed by MacKenzie and associates has been adapted for use as a neutral beam ion source. It has produced high-density, large volume, quiescent, uniform hydrogen plasmas, which makes it a potential candidate for use as a plasma generator for neutral beam injectors. The device is a water-cooled cylindrical copper discharge chamber (25 cm in diameter by 36 cm long) with one end enclosed by a set of extraction grids with a 15-cm-diam multi-aperture pattern. The chamber wall serves as an anode and is surrounded by an external system of rare-earth cobalt magnets arranged in a line-cusp geometry of 12 cusps; plasma is produced by electron emission from a hot cathode assembly. This source has achieved extracted beam currents of 12 A at 18.5 kV, radial plasma density uniformities of +/-5% over a 15-cm diameter, noise levels of less than +/-0.5%, and arc efficiencies (beam current/arc power) of 0.6 A/kW.     

Aligning RFID applications with supply chain strategies

Many large retailers decided to adopt RFID as their new supply chain technology, but RFID adoption by all industries did not spread as rapidly as initially expected. We believe that its benefits constituted the major barrier to its adoption, and argued that a major contributor to the delay has been its inappropriate implementation. Our study reports the result of six in-depth case studies, which, together with case content analysis of 88 reported RFID applications, provided us with a clear view of the RFID implementation landscape, suggesting that organizations often mindlessly adopted RFID applications that were misaligned with their supply chain strategies, leading to unsatisfactory benefits. Insights into how organizations should adopt RFID were developed from our results and were discussed.     

Centering of organic-inorganic hybrid liposomal cerasomes in electrospun gelatin nanofibers

A study investigating the embedding of stabilized organic-inorganic liposomal cerasomes in gelatin nanofibers through the electrospinning of cerasome-dispersed gelatin aqueous solution is presented. Fluorescent and transmission electron microscopy confirm the embedding and centering of cerasomes in the electrospun nanofibers. A simple mechanism is proposed for the centering of cerasomes in gelatin nanofibers. The ability to incorporate cerasomes capable of encapsulating a variety of bioactive molecules provides a promising method to functionalize polymer nanofibers.     

Transmission Electron Microscopy of Fe79.5B6.5C14 Network Alloys: Part II

When undercooled deeply into its undercooling regime, a molten Fe_79.5B_6.5C₁₄ ingot undergoes spinodal decomposition, splitting into two interpenetrating subnetworks which are denoted by α-(liquid subnetwork) and β-(liquid subnetwork). Transmission electron microscopy results suggest that there are three constraints on crystal growth when the undercooled, decomposed molten ingot solidifies, which are (i) the solidification is due to the advancement of a bulk solid/liquid interface. It consists of a number of α-solid/liquid interfaces moving in the α-(liquid subnetwork) and a number of β-solid/liquid interfaces moving in the β-(liquid subnetwork); (ii) to overcome two long-range composition gradients of C and B atoms; and (iii) the two long-range composition gradients stabilize the bulk solid/liquid interface. The morphology of a solidified or network Fe_79.5B_6.5C₁₄ ingot is explained in terms of the obtained microscopic results.     

Novel dual-layer photoelectrode prepared by RF magnetron sputtering for photocatalytic water splitting

Visible-light absorbing TiO₂ and WO₃ photocatalytic thin films were prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The effects of sputtering condition on the structural, optical, as well as photocatalytic properties of the prepared thin films were explored. In addition, a novel dual-layer photocatalytic thin film that combines both visible-light TiO₂ and WO₃ was prepared by the same deposition technique to further enhance the photocatalytic performance. Instrumental analyses such as XRD, SEM-EDX, and UV–visible absorption spectrometry were performed to reveal the crystallinity, surface morphology, chemical composition, and light absorption of the prepared photocatalytic thin films. The activities of the prepared photocatalytic thin films under both UV and visible-light irradiations were evaluated by conducting photovoltammetry and water-splitting reaction in an H-type reactor. The enhanced photocurrent of dual-layer photocatalytic thin film was proved to be resulted from the improved charge separation of the dual-layer structure. The H₂ and O₂ yields obtained from the water-splitting reactions were consistent with the photocurrent results, showing dual-layer photocatalyst with higher photoactivity than mono-layer photocatalyst.     

Applying bifocal displays to topological maps

Presentation techniques for topological networks can be broadly classified as distortion‐oriented and nondistortion‐oriented. Although there has been a growing interest in applying various distortion‐oriented techniques, the application of an earlier example, the bifocal display, has so far been underexploited. This article describes a number of human‐computer interface techniques potentially relevant to the presentation and navigation of topological networks associated with transport systems, and describes a preliminary experimental study of a number of techniques for presenting the London Underground map as part of a real‐time information system for travelers.     

Inverted polymer solar cells with a solution-processed cesium halide interlayer

We demonstrate the utility of a low-cost cesium iodide interlayer spun from an aqueous or 2-ethoxyethanol solution on ITO in inverted polymer solar cells of the structure ITO/CsI/P3HT:PCBM/MoO₃/Al, where P3HT is poly(3-hexylthiophene) and PCBM is [6,6]-phenyl-C₆₀-butyric acid methyl ester. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of optimized cells was ～3.4%, comparable to that we obtained for inverted cells with Cs carbonate. The thickness of the CsI film was adjusted by varying the solution concentration. The concentration affected the surface morphology of P3HT:PCBM and the density of fractal-like aggregates (possibly related to the presence of Cs and film fabrication conditions) formed near the anode, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. Auger analysis indicated a P3HT-rich surface. Optimization of the cells was achieved also by varying the thickness of the MoO₃ and the drying/annealing conditions of the active layer, as was evident from the current–voltage characteristics, external quantum efficiency spectra, and PCE. The cells with the CsI interlayer were compared additionally to cells with CsCl or CsF interlayers (with a PCE of up to ～2.7%), which were inferior to the comparable cells with Cs₂CO₃ or CsI. The surface concentrations of Cs and the halide on ITO were monitored using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The iodine level was low with the Cs:I ratio exceeding 8:1. In contrast, the Cs:Cl ratio was ～1.4:1 and the Cs:F ratio was ～1:1; the Cs₂CO₃ decomposed partially, as expected. Therefore, for CsI, as is the case for Cs₂CO₃ but not for CsF, Cs–O bonds are formed at the surface. Such bonds on ITO are important in modifying the ITO work function, improving the cell performance. The results indicate that spin coating solutions of the high polarity CsI is a promising and easy approach to introduce Cs–O on ITO in inverted structures for increased electron extraction from PCBM and possibly hole extraction from the P3HT-rich surface at the anode.