No description available.

Cartapip-treated pulps are evaluated for increased strength properties / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Institute of Paper Science and Technology, 1995.

A polymer-based composite reinforced with a mixture of Ni and Al powders was investigated as an example of a multifunctional structural energetic material. Micron-sized Ni powder, nano/micron-sized Al powders, and Teflon or epoxy were fabricated as bulk materials by pressing or casting. The thermally initiated reaction response of these materials was evaluated using differential thermal analysis coupled with x-ray diffraction. The analyses showed evidence of thermally initiated reactions between Ni and Al powders, as well as between Ni+Al and Teflon. Nano-sized Al powder showed a preference for reaction with Teflon over Ni, while micron-sized Al reacted strongly with Ni regardless of the presence of a binder. Teflon was shown to be very reactive with the Ni+Al/nano Al mixture, whereas epoxy was not reactive with the metallic powders, and also inhibited reaction between Ni and nano Al. The structural/mechanical behavior of these materials was evaluated using elastic and plastic property measurements via static and dynamic compression tests. Dynamic mechanical testing using reverse Taylor anvil-on-rod impact tests combined with velocity interferometry gave qualitative and quantitative information about the transient deformation and failure response of the composites. The material containing 20wt% epoxy and nano-sized Al powder showed the most superior mechanical properties in terms of elastic modulus and static and dynamic compressive strength. The addition of Ni and Al powders to the epoxy matrix increased the strength of the composites, and their tendency toward brittle fracture, as evidenced by Ni particle pullout in SEM analysis. The results illustrate that nano-sized Al particles provide significant enhancement to strength of epoxy composites, but at the expense of reactivity. The nano-Al particles get dissociated from the Ni and Al mixture and swept into the epoxy, generating a nano-Al containing epoxy matrix with embedded Ni particles. The chemical reactivity of the system is thus sacrificed as contacts between Ni and Al powders are minimized. A mixture of nano-sized Ni and Al particles may however provide the best combination of high strength and reactivity.

No description available.

In this study, a novel technique was used to produce aluminum based in situ composites from powder mixtures of Al and CeO2. This technique has combined hot working nature of friction stir processing (FSP) and exothermic reaction between Al and oxide. Billet of powder mixtures was prepared by the use of conventional pressing and sintering route. The sintered billet was then subjected to multiple passages of friction stir processing (FSP). The microstructure was characterized by the use of TEM, SEM and XRD. The reinforcing phases were identified as Al11Ce3 and £_*-Al2O3. The Al2O3 particles with an average size of ~10 nm are uniformly distributed in the aluminum matrix, which has an average grain size about 390-500 nm. The analysis of TEM indicated that these Al2O3 particles exhibit crystallographic orientation relationship with the aluminum matrix, i.e., (223)£_*-Al2O3//(111)Al and [1-10]£_*-Al2O3 roughly parallel to [1-10]Al. The precipitates of Al2O3 exhibiting crystallographic orientation relationship with the aluminum clearly indicates that they were formed from solid state precipitation. Apparently, significant supersaturation of oxygen in aluminum had been created in FSP, and nanometric Al2O3 particles were then precipitated uniformly in the aluminum matrix. This study shows that both sintering temperature and the tool traversing speed used in FSP have significant influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite. The composites produced exhibit high strength both at ambient and elevated temperatures. For example, the composite produced by 833K sintering followed by FSP with tool traversing speed of 30 mm/min possesses enhanced modulus (E = 109 GPa) and strength (UTS = 488 MPa) as well as a tensile ductility of ~3%. The major contributions to the high strength of the composite are the submicrometer grain structure of aluminum matrix and the Orowan strengthening caused by the fine dispersion of nanometer size Al2O3 particles inside aluminum grains. In addition, the composite also exhibits high strength at elevated temperatures up to 773 K. The good thermal stability and high temperature strength of the composite may be attributed to the uniform dispersion of nanometric Al2O3 particles, which are very stable at elevated temperatures.

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are a new form of carbon with exceptional electrical and mechanical properties. This makes them attractive as inclusions in nanocomposite materials with the potential to provide improvements in electrical and mechanical properties and allows for the creation of a new range of multifunctional materials. In this study single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) were dispersed in polystyrene using a solution mixing method, with the aid of a surfactant. A good dispersion was achieved and the resulting nanocomposites were characterized for electrical conductivity and mechanical properties by 3 point flexural and fracture toughness tests. Results show a significant improvement in electrical properties with electrical percolation occurring between 0.1 and 0.2 wt%. A minor improvement was observed in the flexural modulus but the strength and fracture toughness values in the nanocomposites decreased relative to the neat material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to characterize the morphology and fracture surface of the specimens. The results of testing and microscopy show that the presence of the nanotubes has an adverse effect on the crazing mechanism in Polystyrene (PS) resulting in a deterioration of the mechanical properties that depend on this mechanism.

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Oligomers of soft and hard segments of unsaturated polyesters (UPE) were synthesized in two steps of esterification. For the hard segment, isophthalic acid was first reacted with 1,2-propanediol, then maleic anhydride was added for further esterification. For the soft segment, diethylene glycol was used to replace 1,2-propanediol. Oligomers of soft and hard segments were blended in different ratios, and then cured with various amount of styrene. Dynamic mechanical and the stress-strain properties of these cured UPEs were evaluated. The results indicated that both stress and strain were above the criteria of the inhibitors when the amount of hard segment oligomer was 30, 60 or 70 wt% of UPE, and the added styrene was 35 or 45 phr relative to UPE. The formula of 30 wt% hard segment, 70 wt% soft segment, and 45 phr styrene was selected for the following studies. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and poly(dimethyl siloxane) were incorporated into the uncured UPE resins via sol-gel process. Then fillers and 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 wt% of magnesium hydroxide were blended with UPE resins and cured. Self-extinguished phenomenon was observed in the erosion tests when the amount of magnesium hydroxide was equal or higher than 15 wt% relative to UPE. After 101 days of nitroglycerin migration experiments, the migration rate and amount were significantly reduced for these filled specimens compared with the current formula of inhibitors. In addition, 2.5 or 5 phr of phenyl triethoxysilane (PhTES) relative to UPE was added together with TEOS to study the physical properties of the organic-inorganic hybrid materials. When the amount of PhTES was 2.5 phr, it was found that the miscibility between inorganic and organic components improved, and their stress- strain properties also satisfied the criteria of the inhibitors.

In this study, billet of a binary Al-10at%Fe alloy was prepared from pure Al and Fe powders by the use of conventional press and sinter route. The sintered billet was then subjected to multiple passages of friction stir processing (FSP). After FSP, the structure of a binary Al-10at%Fe alloy can be refined to sub-micrometer scale. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that particles of Fe-containing phase were distributed uniformly in the aluminum matrix, and the mean size of these second phase particles was about 100nm. From the results of X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), the Al-Fe second phase was identified as Al13Fe4. We also observed obvious reaction zone around iron particles in the friction-stirred zone. Apparently, a rapid in-situ reaction between Al and Fe had occurred in FSP. In order to reduce the reaction time and the heat input, the higher traversing speed was used. In addition, a higher sintering temperature was used to promote Al-Fe reaction. Furthermore, micro-hardness, tensile and compressive tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the Al-10at%Fe alloy fabricated by FSP.

In this work, EPDM rubber was compounded with increasing amount of filler (FEF N 550 type carbon black), process oil (saturated mineral oil), vulcanizing agent [di (t-butylperoxy) diisopropyl benzene, i.e., BBPIB] and diene [5-ethylidenebicyclo(2.2.1)-hept-2-ene, i.e., ENB] in order to investigate mechanical and rheological properties. Effect of Increasing amount of filler was investigated by using FEF N 550 type carbon black in 35, 70, 87.5, 105 phr. Decrease in scorch times of vulcanization reactions, ts2 (25, 21, 19, and 18 s, respectively) and slight increase in rate constants for vulcanization reactions (0.0270, 0.0274, 0.0301 and 0.0302 s-1, respectively) were explained in terms of nature of semi-active filler. Effect of increasing amount of process oil was investigated by using saturated mineral oil (TUDALEN 3909) in 15, 30, 45 phr. Scorch time for vulcanization reaction and rate constants were measured as 95, 103, 97 s and 0.0277, 0.0274, 0.0291 s-1, respectively. Effect of increasing amount of vulcanizing agent was investigated by using BBPIB (PERKADOX 14/40 MB-gr) in 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 phr. The compound with 5 phr vulcanizing agent gave optimum rheometer data, crosslink density,, ultimate tensile strength, hardness, deflection and damping. Vulcanization reaction rate constant reached 0.0335 s-1 with 7.5 phr vulcanizing agent. Effect of increasing ENB ratio was investigated by using 4 different EPDM with ENB ratios 5.0, 5.6, 7.5, 8.9%. With two different cure systems, compounds with 5.6 and 7.5% ENB ratio gave optimum results. Vulcanization cure time, reaction rate constant and compression set properties changed in irregular manner.