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Total Porosity (total + porosity)
Selected AbstractsPowder Metallurgical Near-Net-Shape Fabrication of Porous NiTi Shape Memory Alloys for Use as Long-Term Implants by the Combination of the Metal Injection Molding Process with the Space-Holder Technique,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 12 2009Manuel Köhl Abstract A new method was developed for producing highly porous NiTi for use as an implant material. The combination of the space-holder technique with the metal injection molding process allows a net-shape fabrication of geometrically complex samples and the possibility of mass production for porous NiTi. Further, the porosity can be easily adjusted with respect to pore size, pore shape, and total porosity. The influence of the surface properties of powder metallurgical NiTi on the biocompatibility was first examined using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). It was found that pre-alloyed NiTi powders with an average particle size smaller than 45,,m led to the surface properties most suitable for the adhesion and proliferation of hMSCs. For the production of highly porous NiTi, different space-holder materials were investigated regarding low C- and O-impurity contents and the reproducibility of the process. NaCl was the most promising space-holder material compared to PMMA and saccharose and was used in subsequent studies. In these studies, the influence of the total porosity on the mechanical properties of NiTi is investigated in detail. As a result, bone-like mechanical properties were achieved by the choice of Ni-rich NiTi powder and a space-holder content of 50,vol% with a particle size fraction of 355,500,,m. Pseudoelasticity of up to 6% was achieved in compression tests at 37,°C as well as a bone-like loading stiffness of 6.5,GPa, a sufficient plateau stress ,25 of 261,MPa and a value for ,50 of 415,MPa. The first biological tests of the porous NiTi samples produced by this method showed promising results regarding proliferation and ingrowth of mesenchymal stem cells, also in the pores of the implant material. [source] Three-Dimensional Printing of Complex-Shaped Alumina/Glass Composites,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 12 2009Wei Zhang Abstract Alumina/glass composites were fabricated by three-dimensional printing (3DPÔ) and pressureless infiltration of lanthanum-alumino-silicate glass into sintered porous alumina preforms. The preforms were printed using an alumina/dextrin powder blend as a precursor material. They were sintered at 1600,°C for 2,h prior to glass infiltration at 1100,°C for 2,h. The influence of layer thickness and sample orientation within the building chamber of the 3D-printer on microstructure, porosity, and mechanical properties of the preforms and final composites was investigated. The increase of the layer thickness from 90 to 150,µm resulted in an increase of the total porosity from ,19 to ,39,vol% and thus, in a decrease of the mechanical properties of the sintered preforms. Bending strength and elastic modulus of sintered preforms were found to attain significantly higher values for samples orientated along the Y -axis of the 3D-printer compared to those orientated along the X - or the Z -axis, respectively. Fabricated Al2O3/glass composites exhibit improved fracture toughness, bending strength, Young's modulus, and Vickers hardness up to 3.6,MPa m1/2, 175,MPa, 228,GPa, and 12,GPa, respectively. Prototypes were fabricated on the basis of computer tomography data and computer aided design data to show geometric capability of the process. [source] Shrinkage of initially very wet soil blocks, cores and clods from a range of European Andosol horizonsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007F. Bartoli Summary In advanced stages of volcanic ash soil formation, when more clay is formed, soil porosity values and soil water retention capacities are large and the soils show pronounced shrinkage on drying. Soil shrinkage is a key issue in volcanic soil environments because it often occurs irreversibly when topsoils dry out after changes from permanent grassland or forest to agriculture. European Andosols have developed in a wide range of climatic conditions, leading to a wide range in intensity of both weathering and organo-mineral interactions. The question arises as to whether these differences affect their shrinkage properties. We aimed to identify common physically based shrinkage laws which could be derived from soil structure, the analysis of soil constituents, the selected sampling size and the drying procedure. We found that the final volumetric shrinkage of the initially field-wet (56,86% of total porosity) or capillary-wet (87,100% of total porosity) undisturbed soil samples was negatively related to initial bulk density and positively related to initial capillary porosity (volumetric soil water content of soil cores after capillary rise). These relationships were linear for the soil clods of 3,8 cm3, with final shrinkage ranging from 21.2 to 52.2%. For soil blocks of 240 cm3 and soil cores of 28.6 cm3 we found polynomial and exponential relationships, respectively, with thresholds separating shrinkage and nearly non-shrinkage domains, and larger shrinkage values for the soil cores than for the soil blocks. For a given sample size, shrinkage was more pronounced in the most weathered and most porous Andosol horizons, rich in Al-humus, than in the less weathered and less porous Andosol horizons, poor in Al-humus. The Bw horizons, being more weathered and more porous, shrank more than the Ah horizons. We showed that the structural approach combining drying kinetics under vacuum, soil water analysis and mercury porosimetry is useful for relating water loss and shrinkage to soil structure and its dynamics. We also found that the more shrinkage that occurred in the Andosol horizon, the more pronounced was its irreversible mechanical change. [source] In situ Mixing of Organic Matter Decreases Hydraulic Conductivity of Denitrification Walls in Sand AquifersGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 1 2008Gregory F. Barkle In a previous study, a denitrification wall was constructed in a sand aquifer using sawdust as the carbon substrate. Ground water bypassed around this sawdust wall due to reduced hydraulic conductivity. We investigated potential reasons for this by testing two new walls and conducting laboratory studies. The first wall was constructed by mixing aquifer material in situ without substrate addition to investigate the effects of the construction technique (mixed wall). A second, biochip wall, was constructed using coarse wood chips to determine the effect of size of the particles in the amendment on hydraulic conductivity. The aquifer hydraulic conductivity was 35.4 m/d, while in the mixed wall it was 2.8 m/d and in the biochip wall 3.4 m/d. This indicated that the mixing of the aquifer sands below the water table allowed the particles to re-sort themselves into a matrix with a significantly lower hydraulic conductivity than the process that originally formed the aquifer. The addition of a coarser substrate in the biochip wall significantly increased total porosity and decreased bulk density, but hydraulic conductivity remained low compared to the aquifer. Laboratory cores of aquifer sand mixed under dry and wet conditions mimicked the reduction in hydraulic conductivity observed in the field within the mixed wall. The addition of sawdust to the laboratory cores resulted in a significantly higher hydraulic conductivity when mixed dry compared to cores mixed wet. This reduction in the hydraulic conductivity of the sand/sawdust cores mixed under saturated conditions repeated what occurred in the field in the original sawdust wall. This indicated that laboratory investigations can be a useful tool to highlight potential reductions in field hydraulic conductivities that may occur when differing materials are mixed under field conditions. [source] Field and laboratory estimates of pore size properties and hydraulic characteristics for subarctic organic soilsHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 19 2007Sean K. Carey Abstract Characterizing active and water-conducting porosity in organic soils in both saturated and unsaturated zones is required for models of water and solute transport. There is a limitation, largely due to lack of data, on the hydraulic properties of unsaturated organic soils in permafrost regions, and in particular, the relationship between hydraulic conductivity and pressure head. Additionally, there is uncertainty as to what fraction of the matrix and what pores conduct water at different pressure heads, as closed and dead-end pores are common features in organic soil. The objectives of this study were to determine the water-conducting porosity of organic soils for different pore radii ranges using the method proposed by Bodhinayake et al. (2004) [Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 68:760,769] and compare these values to active pore size distributions from resin-impregnated laboratory thin sections and pressure plate analysis. Field experiments and soil samples were completed in the Wolf Creek Research Basin, Yukon. Water infiltration rates were measured 16 times using a tension infiltrometer (TI) at 5 different pressure heads from , 150 to 0 mm. This data was combined with Gardiner's (1958) exponential unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function to provide water-conducting porosity for different pore-size ranges. Total water-conducting porosity was 1·1 × 10,4, which accounted for only 0·01% of the total soil volume. Active pore areas obtained from 2-D image analysis ranged from 0·45 to 0·60, declining with depth. Macropores accounted for approximately 65% of the water flux at saturation, yet all methods suggest macropores account for only a small fraction of the total porosity. Results among the methods are highly equivocal, and more research is required to reconcile field and laboratory methods of pore and hydraulic characteristics. However, this information is of significant value as organic soils in permafrost regions are poorly characterized in the literature. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] New Design of a Ceramic Filter for Diesel Emission Control ApplicationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2005Aleksander J. Pyzik Diesel particulate filters (DPF) made from an advanced ceramic material (ACM) based on mullite have demonstrated high filtration efficiency, low-pressure drop, high-temperature handling capability, and excellent mechanical integrity at a porosity of 60% or higher. Due to the ability to control microstructure, total porosity, and particle size distribution, Dow's acicular mullite can be tailored to meet requirements for deep bed filtration and fine particles emission control. In addition, the ACM DPF is suitable for catalyzed applications and it can retain its performance with a broad range of catalysts and over a wide range of catalyst loadings. This study describes a material selected for a DPF design that meets current diesel particulate emission control requirements as well as a four-way NOx control system. [source] Computational study of a novel continuous solar adsorption chiller: performance prediction and adsorbent selectionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 10 2007Evan Voyiatzis Abstract A novel solar adsorption chiller intended for domestic use is presented. The chiller can be integrated with existing solar systems based on flat plate collectors, and, contrary to commercial chillers, it operates continuously. A detailed analysis of both the simple and the heat-integrated cycle is carried out so as to select the optimal adsorbent and operating conditions. The employed integral thermodynamic model takes into account the inert masses that limit the performance of the chiller, such as the metal frame, the thermo-fluid, and the non-adsorbed steam, by introducing heat capacity effects. Given the adsorption equilibrium data, the energy balances, the performance, and the useful thermal loads of the system can be calculated at any operating conditions. The results indicate that silica gel Type A is a more efficient adsorbent compared to silica gel Type RD or Type 3A. Furthermore, the total porosity has a slight effect on system performance, while optimal operation can be achieved when the condenser temperature is less than 326 K and the evaporator temperature greater than 280 K. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Saline Drainage Water, Irrigation Frequency and Crop Species Effects on Some Physical Properties of SoilsJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 1 2001Y. A. Al-Nabulsi This field study evaluated the effects of water quality, irrigation frequency and crop species on some physical properties of soils. The experiment had a split-split-plot design, with three irrigation water qualities (normal water, drainage water and a 1 : 1 mixture of freshwater and drainage water) as the main treatments, two irrigation frequencies (at 7- and 14-day intervals) as the subtreatments and two crops (barley and alfalfa) as the subsubtreatments. The soil infiltration rate was highest in the barley plot receiving freshwater irrigation at weekly intervals. The lowest soil infiltration rate was found in alfalfa plots receiving saline irrigation water at 14-day intervals. Bulk density and proportions of micropores [pore radius (r) < 1.4 µm] were higher and the proportion of macropores (r > 14.4 µm) was lower in barley than in alfalfa. Saline irrigation caused the greatest decrease in total porosity. The soil infiltration rate was higher with more frequent irrigation, and was highest in alfalfa plots receiving freshwater irrigation. The decrease in soil bulk density and infiltration rate was greater with saline drainage water, irrespective of the crop grown and the irrigation frequency. Salzhaltiges Drainagewasser, Bewässerungshäufig-keit und Kulturpflanzenarten mit Wirkung auf einige physikalische Eigenschaften des Bodens Eine Felduntersuchung wurde vorgenommen, um dem Einfluss der Wasserqualität, der Bewässerungshäufigkeit und Kulturpflanzenarten auf einige physikalische Eigenschaften von Böden zu untersuchen. Die Infiltrationrate mit Frischwasser in wöchentlichen Abständen unter Gerste war hoch. Eine Behandlung mit Salzwasser in 14 tägigen Abständen unter Luzerne zeigte eine geringere Infiltrationsrate des Bodens. Bodendichte und der Anteil der Mikroporen (Poren mit einem Radius von r < 1,4 mm) waren größer und der Anteil der Makroporen (r > 14,4 mm) war unter Gerste geringer. Bewässerung mit Salzwasser verursachte die stärkste Abnahme in der Gesamtporosität. Die Infiltrationsrate des Bodens nahm mit der Häufigkeit der Bewässerung zu und zeigte den höchsten Wert bei Luzerne und einer Frischwasserbewässerung. Die Abnahme in der Bodendichte und der Infiltrationseigenschaften waren bei Salzwasserdrainage unabhängig von der Kulturpflanzenart und der Bewässerungshäufigkeit höher. [source] Capacity of activated carbon derived from pistachio shells by H3PO4 in the removal of dyes and phenolicsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Amina A Attia Abstract Two activated carbons were obtained from pistachio shells by impregnation with H3PO4 under standard conditions of acid concentration (50 wt%) and heat treatment at 773 K for 2 h. The soaking time was 24 and 72 h for the two samples before thermal pyrolysis. Analysis of the N2/77 K adsorption isotherms proved that both were highly adsorbing carbons with considerable microporosity, and that the prolonged contact with activant enhanced total porosity (surface area and pore volume) and increased the amount of mesoporosity. Adsorption isotherms of probe molecules, viz methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RB), phenol (P) and p -nitrophenol (PNP), were determined at room temperature, from aqueous solutions. Both the Langmuir and Freundlich model adsorption equations show satisfactory fit to experimental data. Both carbons exhibit similar adsorption parameters irrespective of their porosity characteristics. The sequence of uptake per unit weight was: PNP > MB > RB > P. Low affinity towards phenol may be associated with its competition with water molecules which are more favourably attracted to the acid surface which has a high oxygen functionality. Preferred adsorption in the order PNP > MB > RB is proposed to be a function of carbon porosity, related to the increased molecular dimensions of the solutes. Adsorption from a binary mixture of equal concentrations of MB and RB showed reduced uptake for both sorbates in comparison to the single component experiments. RB removal surpasses that of MB in the binary test and may be attributed to lower water solubility and higher molecular dimensions. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Self-hardening calcium phosphate composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering,JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2004Hockin H. K. Xu Abstract Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) sets in situ to form solid hydroxyapatite, can conform to complex cavity shapes without machining, has excellent osteoconductivity, and is able to be resorbed and replaced by new bone. Therefore, CPC is promising for craniofacial and orthopaedic repairs. However, its low strength and lack of macroporosity limit its use. This study investigated CPC reinforcement with absorbable fibers, the effects of fiber volume fraction on mechanical properties and macroporosity, and the cytotoxicity of CPC,fiber composite. The rationale was that large-diameter absorbable fibers would initially strengthen the CPC graft, then dissolve to form long cylindrical macropores for colonization by osteoblasts. Flexural strength, work-of-fracture (toughness), and elastic modulus were measured vs. fiber volume fraction from 0% (CPC Control without fibers) to 60%. Cell culture was performed with osteoblast-like cells, and cell viability was quantified using an enzymatic assay. Flexural strength (mean ± SD; n == 6) of CPC with 60% fibers was 13.5 ± 4.4 MPa, three times higher than 3.9 ± 0.5 MPa of CPC Control. Work-of-fracture was increased by 182 times. Long cylindrical macropores 293 ± 46 ,m in diameter were created in CPC after fiber dissolution, and the CPC,fiber scaffold reached a macroporosity of 55% and a total porosity of 81%. The new CPC,fiber formulation supported cell adhesion, proliferation and viability. The method of using large-diameter absorbable fibers in bone graft for mechanical properties and formation of long cylindrical macropores for bone ingrowth may be applicable to other tissue engineering materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of Orthopuedic Research Society. © 2003 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [source] Quantification of soil structural changes induced by cereal anchorage failure: Image analysis of thin sectionsJOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2007Sacha J. Mooney Abstract Cereal anchorage failure, or lodging, is the permanent displacement of a crop from the vertical and results in significant annual yield losses globally. Several factors have been identified as contributors to this phenomenon but the precise mechanisms of failure are still largely unknown because of difficulties in observing these processes as they occur in situ. To identify potential soil management practices to minimize losses associated with cereal root failure, an understanding of the nature of root-soil interactions attributed to lodging is needed. An experiment was conducted that involved field impregnation and subsequent thin sectioning of lodged and unlodged root-soil complexes from contrasting soils, cereal crops, and management practices to elucidate the effects of lodging on soil structure and porous architecture. Using image analysis, size and distribution of pores in soils were quantified at both meso- (100,30 ,m) and microscales (<30 ,m). A significant effect of lodging on porosity was recorded whereby lodging reduced total porosity through compaction created by movement of the stem base, although this was variable among soil types. Pore-size distributions comprehensively supported these trends since alteration in the relative frequency of pores within specific size classes was clearly observed. The effects of lodging were more pronounced at the mesoscale because the data were more susceptible to variations created by natural soil heterogeneity at the microscale. These data suggested that sideways movement of the subterranean stem within the soil is a significant factor which is likely to affect the propensity for a cereal plant to lodge, indicating soil strength in the upper part of the soil profile is crucial. [source] Depth-Resolved Porosity Investigation of EB-PVD Thermal Barrier Coatings Using High-Energy X-raysJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 2 2004Anand A. Kulkarni Demands for designing prime reliant, energy-efficient, and high-performance thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) in gas turbines have led to a growing interest toward comprehensive microstructural characterization. Here we investigate the novel use of high-energy X-rays for small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), together with wide-angle scattering and radiography, for the depth-resolved characterization of TBCs grown by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD). The coating microstructure is found to consist of columns perpendicular to the substrate, extending through the thickness, with a [001] growth texture and significant intercolumnar porosity. In addition, overshadowing effects during deposition together with gas entrapment give rise to nanoscale intracolumnar porosity consisting of featherlike and globular pores. Radiography showed an increase in the total porosity, from 15% near the substrate to 25% near the coating surface, which is ascribed to an increase in the intercolumnar spacing at the top of the coating. By contrast, the small-angle scattering studies, which are sensitive to fine features, showed the pore internal surface area to be greatest near the substrate. [source] Preparation of Porous Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 and ,-Ca3(PO4)2 BioceramicsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 7 2000N. Özgür Engin Submicrometer-sized, pure calcium hydroxyapatite (HA, (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2)) and ,-tricalcium phosphate (,-TCP, Ca3(PO4)2) bioceramic powders, that have been synthesized via chemical precipitation techniques, were used in the preparation of aqueous slurries that contained methyl cellulose to manufacture porous (70%,95% porosity) HA or ,-TCP ceramics. The pore sizes in HA bioceramics of this study were 200,400 ,m, whereas those of ,-TCP bioceramics were 100,300 ,m. The pore morphology and total porosity of the HA and ,-TCP samples were investigated via scanning electron microscopy, water absorption, and computerized tomography. [source] "Barbed nanowires" from polymers via electrospinningPOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009Andreas Holzmeister Electrospinning is a highly versatile technique that allows producing fibers with diameters down to a few nanometers not only from polymers but also from metals, metal oxides, or ceramics. Fiber formation in electrospinning differs strongly from other fiber producing methods such as extrusion in that it is basically governed by self-assembly processes induced by specific electrostatic interactions following the Earnshaw theorem of electrostatics. This allows the production of nanofibers with very peculiar shapes. Here, we report the one step fabrication of barbed nanofibers due to a particular choice of the spinning conditions. Such barbed fibers allow, among others, to control the total porosity of nanofiber nonwovens and to reduce the tendency of linear nano-objects towards aggregation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers [source] | ||||||||||||||||