Relationship between structure and mechanical properties in rubber-toughened epoxy resins

Toughened polymers were prepared by adding CTBN rubbers to DGEBA-type epoxy resins. Structure was varied by altering the type and concentration of hardener, the initial molecular weight of the resin, the amount of Bisphenol A added, and the conditions of cure. Electron microscopy showed that these factors affected both particle size and degree of phase separation: rapid curing inhibited phase separation, and produced small particles. Increasing the molecular weight of the resin, either directly or by reaction with Bisphenol A, improved phase separation. Dynamic mechanical measurements of rubber phase volume proved possible, although T_g of the CTBN rubber coincided with a β process in the epoxy resin. Fracture resistance, measured by G_IC, increased linearly with rubber phase volume. Creep and yield behaviour were also affected by the degree of phase separation.     

Time optimal discrete control system with bounded state variable

This paper considers the minimum time regulator problem for a linear time-invariant discrete system with input and state variable constraints. The state space techniques are used throughout. Conditions for controllability of the system are examined in detail and an algorithm for generating optimal controls is given such that computor implementation is possible for higher-order systems.     

Single molecular orientation switching of an endohedral metallofullerene

The single molecular orientation switching of the Tb@C82 endohedral metallofullerene has been studied by using low-temperature ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). An octanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) was introduced between Tb@C82 and the Au111 substrate to control the thermal rotational states of Tb@C82. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) of Tb@C82 on an octanethiol SAM at 13 K demonstrated hysteresis including negative differential conductance (NDC). This observed hysteresis and NDC is interpreted in terms of a switching of the Tb@C82 molecular orientation caused by the interaction between its electric dipole moment and an external electric field.     

Electrolytic oxidation of Ce(III) in nitric acid and sulfuric acid media using a flow type cell

The electrochemical oxidation behavior of Ce(III) in nitric acid and sulfuric acid media with various concentrations and compositions were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and potentiostatic electrolysis. In nitric acid media, the peak potential separation for the redox reactions of the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) couple shifted to base side with the increasing concentration of nitric acid from 1 to 6 M. The kinetics of the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) couple is rapid in high concentration nitric acid. The formal potential is independent of both proton and nitrate concentrations while the standard rate constant increases with added protons but is independent of nitrate concentration. Constant-potential electrolysis also shows that a high proton concentration is electrochemically favorable for the electron transfer of the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) couple and for a high Ce(IV) yield in nitric acid media. The current efficiency was ca. 75% for the oxidation process of Ce(III) at 298 K. A Ce(IV) yield of ca. 80% was achieved for the electrolysis of 100 mM Ce(III) in 6 M HNO₃ solution. In sulfuric acid media, the peak potential separation for the redox reactions of the Ce(III)/Ce(IV) couple shifted to noble side with rising concentration of sulfuric acid from 0.1 to 2 M and then shifted to base side with further increase in the concentration. A Ce(IV) yield of ca. 95% was achieved for the potentiostatic electrolysis of 100 mM Ce(III) in 3 M H₂SO₄ solution.     

Power and energy measurements of transient electric discharge

A simple and inexpensive calculating device for electrical power and energy of transient electric discharges is described. The calculation is made by multiplication of the voltage and current of the discharge by use of wideband integrated circuits.     

Isolation and structure determination of cassumunarins A,B, and C: New anti-inflammatory antioxidants from a tropical ginger,Zingiber cassumunar

New antioxidants, cassumunarins A, B, and C, were isolated from the rhizomes ofZingiber cassumunar, and the structures were determined by spectroscopic methods to be complex curcuminoids. The antixidant efficiency of cassumunarins was determined by inhibitory activity of autoxidation of linoleic acid in a buffer-ethanol system. The anti-inflammatory effect was measured by inhibition of edema formation on mouse ear induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Both types of activities were stronger for the cassumunarins than for the curcumin. Visiting scholar at University of Texas (October 1992–September 1993).     

Note: Unshielded bilateral magnetoencephalography system using two-dimensional gradiometers

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) noninvasively measures neuronal activity with high temporal resolution. The aim of this study was to develop a new type of MEG system that can measure bilateral MEG waveforms without a magnetically shielded room, which is an obstacle to reducing both the cost and size of an MEG system. An unshielded bilateral MEG system was developed using four two-dimensional (2D) gradiometers and two symmetric cryostats. The 2D gradiometer, which is based on a low-T(c) superconducting quantum interference device and wire-wound pickup coil detects a magnetic-field gradient in two orthogonal directions, or ?/?x(?(2)B(z)/?z(2)), and reduces environmental magnetic-field noise by more than 50 dB. The cryostats can be symmetrically positioned in three directions: vertical, horizontal, and rotational. This makes it possible to detect bilateral neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex simultaneously. Bilateral auditory-evoked fields (AEF) of 18 elderly subjects were measured in an unshielded hospital environment using the MEG system. As a result, both the ipsilateral and the contralateral AEF component N100m, which is the magnetic counterpart of electric N100 in electroencephalography and appears about 100 ms after the onset of an auditory stimulus, were successfully detected for all the subjects. Moreover, the ipsilateral P50m and the contralateral P50m were also detected for 12 (67%) and 16 (89%) subjects, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the unshielded bilateral MEG system can detect MEG waveforms, which are associated with brain dysfunction such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Down syndrome.     

Application of Ni-free high nitrogen stainless steel for bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Ni-free 23Cr-1N stainless steel was examined as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Corrosion resistance of the 23Cr-1N stainless steel was better relative to 22Cr stainless steel in the simulated cathodic environments. As confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the polarized 22Cr and 23Cr-1N stainless steels at pH 2.3 presented predominantly chromium oxide in the outer passive layers. At pH 4.3, the passive layer of the polarized 22Cr stainless steel changed to iron oxides dominant. Interestingly, on the other hand, the polarized 23Cr-1N stainless steel preserved chromium oxide rich outer passive layer, which provides good corrosion resistance. As a result, although the initial cell voltage was slightly lower (∼40 mV), the 23Cr-1N stainless steel bipolar plates employing cell showed better cell voltage stability up to 1000 h, compared with the 22Cr stainless steel employing cell. The operation voltage became further higher through a surface modification of the 23Cr-1N stainless steel with TiN nanoparticles. It seems that the corrosion resistive Ni-free 23Cr-1N is possible to apply for bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.     

Pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse pretreated with sulfuric acid

Pyrolysis is a promising technique for the recovery of useful gas, tar, and solid products from biomass waste. However, the low tar yields obtained from lignocellulosic biomass are a significant drawback. To enhance tar yields, sugarcane bagasse, which is the most abundant agricultural waste in Fiji, was pretreated at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure using various sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) concentrations. Here, the ether bonds of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were partially hydrolyzed. The pretreated samples were then pyrolyzed at 500 °C, and it was confirmed that H₂SO₄-pretreatment disrupted the bagasse cell structure, with the thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry results confirming that decomposition occurred at lower temperatures after pretreatment. In addition, tar yields were significantly enhanced from 5.6 wt% to 13.4 wt% for the untreated and 3 M H₂SO₄-pretreated samples respectively. The main components detected in this tar product were levoglucosan, andcellulose-and hemicellulose-derived products, whose proportions were increased following pretreatment. Thus, our work demonstrates that dilute acid pretreatment enhances tar production from sugarcane bagasse due to the production of shorter chain components via the partial hydrolysis of ether bonds.