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Structural Applications (structural + application)
Selected AbstractsSynthesis in optimization of bionics bascule bridgesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 8 2007Alexander Tesar Abstract The optimization of modern bionics bascule bridges mapping the configurations from the nature and adopted in advanced structural engineering is dealt with in the present paper. Theoretical and numerical approaches suggested are based on the evolution algorithms also appearing in the nature. Generalized synthesis in optimization of ultimate behaviour of bionics bascule bridges is analysed. Actual structural application based on such principles is submitted. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Processing and mechanical behavior of carbon black graded rubber compoundsJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010Sandeep S. Ahankari Abstract Functionally graded rubber compounds (FGRCs) were prepared by construction based method. The matrix used was natural rubber (NR). Amorphous carbon black (N-330) was used as grading material. The gradation of nanoparticles in a rectangular geometry comprised the variation of particle volume fraction along thickness direction. Its performance was evaluated for structural application through various mechanical and surface properties like tensile strength, modulus, tear strength, elongation at break, hardness, fracture surface by scanning electron microscopy, etc. At the same percentage of nanofiller loading, FGRCs show enhanced properties, i.e., modulus and tear strength (in some grades) compared to uniformly dispersed rubber compounds (UDRCs). Modulus of FGRCs, for a given particular stacking sequence of the layers, increases as much as by 275% compared to UDRCs. The ultimate properties like tensile strength and elongation at break made up for the modulus enhancement that decreases to as minimum as 50 and 80%, respectively. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Factors influencing the partitioning and toxicity of nanotubes in the aquatic environment,,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2008Alan J. Kennedy Abstract Carbon nanotubes (NTs) may be among the most useful engineered nanomaterials for structural applications but could be difficult to study in ecotoxicological evaluations using existing tools relative to nanomaterials with a lower aspect ratio. Whereas the hydrophobicity and van der Waals interactions of NTs may suggest aggregation and sedimentation in aquatic systems, consideration regarding how engineered surface modifications influence their environmental fate and toxicology is needed. Surface modifications (e.g., functional groups and coatings) are intended to create conditions to make NTs dispersible in aqueous suspension, as required for some applications. In the present study, column stability and settling experiments indicated that raw, multiwalled NTs (MWNTs) settled more rapidly than carbon black and activated carbon particles, suggesting sediment as the ultimate repository. The presence of functional groups, however, slowed the settling of MWNTs (increasing order of stability: hydroxyl > carboxyl > raw), especially in combination with natural organic matter (NOM). Stabilized MWNTs in high concentrations of NOM provided relevance for water transport and toxicity studies. Aqueous exposures to raw MWNTs decreased Ceriodaphnia dubia viability, but such effects were not observed during exposure to functionalized MWNTs (>80 mg/L). Sediment exposures of the amphipods Leptocheirus plumulosus and Hyalella azteca to different sizes of sediment-borne carbon particles at high concentration indicated mortality increased as particle size decreased, although raw MWNTs induced lower mortality (median lethal concentration [LC50], 50 to >264 g/kg) than carbon black (LC50, 18,40 g/kg) and activated carbon (LC50, 12,29 g/kg). Our findings stress that it may be inappropriate to classify all NTs into one category in terms of their environmental regulation. [source] Ab Initio Guided Design of bcc Ternary Mg,Li,X (X,=,Ca, Al, Si, Zn, Cu) Alloys for Ultra-Lightweight ApplicationsADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 7 2010William Art Counts Abstract Ab initio calculations are becoming increasingly important for designing new alloys as these calculations can accurately predict basic structural, mechanical, and functional properties using only the atomic composition as a basis. In this paper, fundamental physical properties (like formation energies and elastic constants) of a set of bcc Mg,Li and Mg,Li-based compounds are calculated using density functional theory (DFT). These DFT-determined properties are in turn used to calculate engineering parameters such as (i) specific Young's modulus (Y/,) or (ii) shear over bulk modulus ratio (G/B) differentiating between brittle and ductile behavior. These parameters are then used to identify those alloys that have optimal mechanical properties for lightweight structural applications. First, in case of the binary Mg,Li system, an Ashby map containing Y/, versus G/B shows that it is not possible to increase Y/, without simultaneously increasing G/B (i.e., brittleness) by changing only the composition of a binary alloy. In an attempt to bypass such a fundamental materials-design limitation, a set of Mg,Li,X ternaries (X,=,Ca, Al, Si, Cu, Zn) based on stoichiometric Mg,Li with CsCl structure was studied. It is shown that none of the studied ternary solutes is able to simultaneously improve both specific Young's modulus and ductility. [source] Materials Selection Process for Compound-Extruded Aluminium Matrix Composites,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 12 2005A. Weidenmann Compound extrusion is a near-net-shape process allowing for the rapid and flexible in-line production of unidirectionally-reinforced profiles. Regarding the use of this technology for the production of reinforced lightweight profiles for structural applications, no materials combination has yet been systematically assessed or examined since the first investigations on compound conductor rails starting in the 1970s. On this account, a materials selection process respecting the compound extrusion demands is mandatory. [source] Cone calorimeter testing of S2 glass reinforced polymer compositesFIRE AND MATERIALS, Issue 7 2009Alexander B. Morgan Abstract With the ever increasing demand for fuel savings on vehicles, there is a strong push to replace metal with polymeric + fiber (carbon/glass) composites. However, the replacement of metal with polymeric composites can lead to additional fire risk. Our study focused on glass fiber reinforced polymer composites meant for vehicular structural applications, and flammability performance of these composites was studied by cone calorimetery. The effects of fiberglass loading, nanocomposite use (clay, carbon nanofiber) and polymer type (epoxy, phenolic) were studied under a heat flux of 50kW/m2 to better understand the potential effects that these variables would have on material flammability. It was found that as fiberglass loading increased, flammability decreased, but at a cost to structural integrity of the residual polymer + fiber char. The use of nanocomposites has little effect on reducing flammability in this set of samples, but the use of phenolic resins in comparison with epoxy resins was found to yield the greatest improvements in flammability performance. Further, the phenolic system yielded a higher level of structural integrity to the final polymer + fiberglass char when compared with the other polymer systems of low heat release. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] High Mechanical Performance Composite Conductor: Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Sheet/Bismaleimide NanocompositesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 20 2009Qunfeng Cheng Abstract Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT)-sheet-reinforced bismaleimide (BMI) resin nanocomposites with high concentrations (,60,wt%) of aligned MWNTs are successfully fabricated. Applying simple mechanical stretching and prepregging (pre-resin impregnation) processes on initially randomly dispersed, commercially available sheets of millimeter-long MWNTs leads to substantial alignment enhancement, good dispersion, and high packing density of nanotubes in the resultant nanocomposites. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the nanocomposites reaches 2,088,MPa and 169,GPa, respectively, which are very high experimental results and comparable to the state-of-the-art unidirectional IM7 carbon-fiber-reinforced composites for high-performance structural applications. The nanocomposites demonstrate unprecedentedly high electrical conductivity of 5,500,S cm,1 along the alignment direction. Such unique integration of high mechanical properties and electrical conductance opens the door for developing polymeric composite conductors and eventually structural composites with multifunctionalities. New fracture morphology and failure modes due to self-assembly and spreading of MWNT bundles are also observed. [source] Sensing of Damage Mechanisms in Fiber-Reinforced Composites under Cyclic Loading using Carbon NanotubesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 1 2009Limin Gao Abstract The expanded use of advanced fiber-reinforced composites in structural applications has brought attention to the need to monitor the health of these structures. It has been established that adding carbon nanotubes to fiber-reinforced composites is a promising way to detect the formation of microscale damage. Because carbon nanotubes are three orders of magnitude smaller than traditional advanced fibers, it is possible for nanotubes to form an electrically conductive network in the polymer matrix surrounding the fibers. In this work, multi-walled carbon nanotubes are dispersed into epoxy and infused into a glass-fiber preform to form a network of in situ sensors. The resistance of the cross-ply composite is measured in real-time during incremental cyclic tensile loading tests to evaluate the damage evolution and failure mechanisms in the composite. Edge replication is conducted to evaluate the crack density after each cycle, and optical microscopy is utilized to study the crack mode and growth. The evolution of damage can be clearly identified through the damaged resistance parameter. Through analyzing the damaged resistance response curves with measurements of transverse crack density and strain, the transition between different failure modes can be identified. It is demonstrated that the integration of an electrically conducting network of carbon nanotubes in a glass fiber composite adds unique damage-sensing functionality that can be utilized to track the nature and extent of microstructural damage in fiber composites. [source] On the Fracture Toughness of Advanced MaterialsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 20 2009Maximilien E. Launey Abstract Few engineering materials are limited by their strength; rather they are limited by their resistance to fracture or fracture toughness. It is not by accident that most critical structures, such as bridges, ships, nuclear pressure vessels and so forth, are manufactured from materials that are comparatively low in strength but high in toughness. Indeed, in many classes of materials, strength and toughness are almost mutually exclusive. From a fracture-mechanics perspective, the ability of a microstructure to develop toughening mechanisms acting either ahead or behind the crack tip can result in resistance-curve (R-curve) behavior where the fracture resistance actually increases with crack extension; the implication here is that toughness is often developed primarily during crack growth and not for crack initiation. Biological materials are perfect examples of this; moreover, they offer microstructural design strategies for the development of new materials for structural applications demanding combinations of both strength and toughness. [source] Mechanical behavior of carbon nanofibre-reinforced epoxy compositesJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 4 2010Sohel Rana Abstract Epoxy resins are widely used in a variety of applications because of their high chemical and corrosion resistance and good mechanical properties. But few types of epoxy resins are brittle and possess low toughness which makes them unsuitable for several structural applications. In this work, carbon nanofibres have been dispersed uniformly into the epoxy resin at a very low concentration (0.07 vol. %). Improvement of 98% in Young modulus, 24% in breaking stress and 144% in work of rupture was achieved in the best sample. The emphasis is on achieving uniform dispersion of carbon nanofibers into epoxy resin using a combination of techniques such as ultrasonication, use of solvent and surfactants. The fracture surfaces of the specimens were studied under scanning electron microscope to see the fracture mechanism of nanocomposites under tensile load and correlate it to the enhancement in their properties. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Novel Composites Constituted from Hafnia and a Polymer-Derived Ceramic as an Interface: Phase for Severe Ultrahigh Temperature ApplicationsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 10 2007Sudhir Brahmandam HfO2,SiCN (polymer-derived silicon carbonitride) composites were prepared by two methods. In one case, equal volume fractions of HfO2 and pyrolyzed powders of SiCN were co-sintered, to create a particulate composite. The second type, called interface composites, were prepared by coating HfO2 particles with a thin film of the polymer precursor, followed by sintering so that densification and pyrolysis of the precursor occurred simultaneously; this process results in a ,5-nm-thick grain boundary film constituted from Hf, O, and Si. The fracture properties and environmental degradation (in a humid environment at a velocity of 17.6,35.0 cm/s at 1300°C) of these two composites were measured. They were compared with the properties of a reference material made by sintering HfO2 powders without any additives, under similar conditions (1450°C for 2 h in air). The interface composite yielded the highest sintered density (0.90), exhibited negligible grain growth, and possessed the highest fracture strength (110 MPa). The strength remained immune to hydrothermal oxidation for several hundred hours. In contrast, the particulate composite suffered severe degradation in strength after hydrothermal exposure. The interface composites, with their highly refractory grain boundaries, represent a new class of ceramics for structural applications in harsh environments and at ultrahigh temperatures. [source] Wear and microstructural characteristics of spray atomized zircon sand reinforced LM13 alloy.MATERIALWISSENSCHAFT UND WERKSTOFFTECHNIK, Issue 7 2010Verschleiß- und Gefügecharakteristik von sprühkompaktierter mit Zirkoniumsand verstärkter LM13 Legierung Verbundwerkstoff; Aluminiummatrix; Sprühkompaktieren; Verschleißverhalten Abstract The requirement of the high performance light weight materials demands the development of varieties of materials within the economical range to get it commercialized. Light weight aluminium alloys are used in several structural applications like automotive, aerospace, defense industry and other fields of engineering. The ceramic particle reinforced aluminium metal matrix composites (AMCs) have emerged as a suitable candidate for commercial applications. A variety of processing routes have been adopted to manufacture AMCs. In the present work LM13 alloy reinforced with zircon sand is formed via spray forming. During experimentation a self prepared convergent-divergent nozzle is used for inert gas atomization of the melt which is subsequently deposited on copper substrate placed vertically below the atomizer. The zircon sand particles are injected in the atomization zone by external injectors aligned perpendicular to the gas atomization axis. Zircon sand has been found to have new promising economical commercial candidate due to its easy availability and good mechanical properties like high hardness, high modulus of elasticity and good thermal stability. The microhardness of cast alloy and spray formed composite shows that the spray formed zircon sand reinforced composite has higher hardness. Also the lower wear rate has been observed in case of the zircon sand reinforced AMC as compared to LM13 alloy. This behaviour is further analyzed in light of microstructural features of the spray deposited composite using optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM). A comparative study of this material (LM13/Zircon sand) with the parent alloy (LM13) is presented in this work. [source] | |||||||||||||