The exciting thermomechanical properties of nickel-titanium shape memory alloys have sparked significant research efforts seeking to exploit their exotic capabilities. Until recently, the performance capabilities of nickel-titanium devices have been inhibited by the retention of only one thermomechanical characteristic. However, laser processing technology promises to deliver enhanced material offerings which are capable of multiple functional responses. Presented in this thesis, is an investigation of the effects of laser processing on the thermomechanical behaviour of nickel-titanium shape memory alloys. In the context of this work, laser processing refers to removal of alloy constituents, as in the case of laser ablation, or alternatively, addition of elements through laser alloying. The effects of laser ablation on the composition, crystallography and phase transformation temperatures of a nickel-titanium strip have been studied. Application of laser energy was shown to ablate nickel constituents, induce an austenite-martensite phase change and cause an increase in phase transformation onset temperatures, which correlated well with reported findings. Laser processing of a nickel-titanium wire was shown to locally embed an additional thermomechanical response which manifested as unique shape memory and pseudoelastic properties. Localized alloying of ternary species via laser processing of nickel-titanium strip was investigated. Synthesis of a ternary shape memory intermetallic within the laser processing region was achieved through melting of copper foils. Results from thermoanalytical testing indicated that the ternary compound possessed a higher phase transformation temperature and reduced transformation hysteresis in comparison to the reference alloy. Indentation testing was used to demonstrate the augmented thermomechanical characteristics of the laser processed shape memory alloy. In order to demonstrate the enhanced functionality of laser processed nickel-titanium shape memory alloys, a self-positioning nickel-titanium microgripper was fabricated. The microgripper was designed to actuate through four different positions, corresponding to activation of three embedded shape memory characteristics. Thermoanalytical and tensile testing instrumentations were used to characterize the thermomechanical performance of the laser processed nickel-titanium microgripper. Results indicated that each of the laser processed microgripper components possessed unique mechanical and shape memory recovery properties.

Boron element plays an important role for our country since approximately 70% of the world&rsquo / s reserves are in Turkey. It is widely used in different areas of industry. Besides being vital for the plants, it is important also for human health. It has been shown that high boron exposure does not affect fertility negatively and also with an increasing boron exposure, risk of prostate and cervical cancers decreases. There are different opinions regarding health effects of boron. There are both positive and negative findings. Therefore, determination of boron in body fluids such as urine and blood is necessary to monitor exposed concentration level and its relation with diseases. Furthermore, these studies may contribute to define a reference value for safe maximum daily boron intake. In this study, a method previously developed by our research group was applied for the determination of boron in urine samples. Urine and blood samples were collected from human subjects living or working in different regions of Balikesir where boron reserves are located. While urine analysis was done by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), due to lower concentrations of boron in blood, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for blood analysis. A sensitive method was developed using ICP-MS. Samples were digested in microwave oven by applying optimized digestion procedures. Indium (In) and Beryllium (Be) internal standards were spiked into the urine and blood samples, respectively. A sample introduction system containing no glass or silica surfaces was used in ICP-MS to eliminate boron memory effect. Two isotopes of the boron, 10B and 11B, were monitored during the study. Space charge effect due to Na+ ion and carbon interference on B and Be signals was investigated in detail. Limit of Detection was 0.021 mg/L for ICP-OES and it was 2.2 &micro / g/L for ICP-MS. The accuracies of the methods were checked by using NIST 1573a Tomato Leaves and BCR Human Hair certified reference materials for urine and blood, respectively.

Crystallization of water or water-encaged gas molecules occurs when nuclei reach a critical size. Certain antifreeze proteins (AFPs) can inhibit the growth of both of these, with most representations conceiving of an embryonic crystal with AFPs adsorbing to a preferred face, resulting in a higher kinetic barrier for molecule addition. We have examined AFP-mediated inhibition of ice and clathrate hydrate crystallization, and these observations can be both explained and modeled using this mechanism for AFP action. However, the remarkable ability of AFPs to eliminate „memory effect‟ (ME) or the faster reformation of clathrate hydrates after melting, prompted us to examine heterogeneous nucleation. The ubiquitous impurity, silica, served as a model nucleator hydrophilic surface. Quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) experiments indicated that an active AFP was tightly adsorbed to the silica surface. In contrast, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinylcaprolactam (PVCap), two commercial hydrate kinetic inhibitors that do not eliminate ME, were not so tightly adsorbed. Significantly, a mutant AFP (with no activity toward ice) inhibited THF hydrate growth, but not ME. QCM-D analysis showed that adsorption of the mutant AFP was more similar to PVCap than the active AFP. Thus, although there is no evidence for „memory‟ in ice reformation, and the structures of ice and clathrate hydrate are distinct, the crystallization of ice and hydrates, and the elimination of the more rapid recrystallization of hydrates, can be mediated by the same proteins.

Certain organisms, including some bugs (both insects and microbes) are able to survive low temperatures by the production of either ice nucleating proteins (INPs) or antifreeze proteins (AFPs). INPs direct crystal growth by inducing rapid ice formation whereas AFPs adsorb to ice embryos and decrease the temperature at which the ice grows. We have also shown that certain AFPs can inhibit the crystallization of clathrate hydrates and eliminate more rapid recrystallization or “memory effect”. Here we examine several bacterial species with iceassociating properties for their effect on tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate crystallization. The bacteria Chryseobacterium sp. C14, which shares the ice recrystallization inhibition ability of AFPs, increased induction time to THF hydrate crystallization in isothermal experiments. In an effort to understand the association between AFPs and THF hydrate we have produced bacterially-expressed AFPs as probes for hydrate binding. Although the structure of hydrates is clearly distinct from ice, the apparent potential for these products to perturb clathrate hydrate growth compels us to explore new techniques to uncover “green inhibitors” for hydrate binding.

The behavioural and electrophysiological consequences of two newly developed aniracetam analogues were investigated in male Long-Evans rats. Results indicate that an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of LD38.2 significantly improved retention in a two odour olfactory discrimination task. However, three different dosages of LN1 did not facilitate memory in the task. In rats with chronically implanted electrodes, both compounds rapidly crossed the blood brain barrier (BBB) after an i.p. injection and influenced several parameters of the field excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) in the CA1 and dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus. The enhancement of the field EPSP following LD38.2 administration may be related to the drug's ability to facilitate memory in the olfactory discrimination task. Compounds, like LD38.2, that enhance both hippocampal transmission and performance in learning/memory tasks in laboratory rodents may have implications for the treatment of clinical memory disorders.

The exciting thermomechanical properties of nickel-titanium shape memory alloys have sparked significant research efforts seeking to exploit their exotic capabilities. Until recently, the performance capabilities of nickel-titanium devices have been inhibited by the retention of only one thermomechanical characteristic. However, laser processing technology promises to deliver enhanced material offerings which are capable of multiple functional responses. Presented in this thesis, is an investigation of the effects of laser processing on the thermomechanical behaviour of nickel-titanium shape memory alloys. In the context of this work, laser processing refers to removal of alloy constituents, as in the case of laser ablation, or alternatively, addition of elements through laser alloying. The effects of laser ablation on the composition, crystallography and phase transformation temperatures of a nickel-titanium strip have been studied. Application of laser energy was shown to ablate nickel constituents, induce an austenite-martensite phase change and cause an increase in phase transformation onset temperatures, which correlated well with reported findings. Laser processing of a nickel-titanium wire was shown to locally embed an additional thermomechanical response which manifested as unique shape memory and pseudoelastic properties. Localized alloying of ternary species via laser processing of nickel-titanium strip was investigated. Synthesis of a ternary shape memory intermetallic within the laser processing region was achieved through melting of copper foils. Results from thermoanalytical testing indicated that the ternary compound possessed a higher phase transformation temperature and reduced transformation hysteresis in comparison to the reference alloy. Indentation testing was used to demonstrate the augmented thermomechanical characteristics of the laser processed shape memory alloy. In order to demonstrate the enhanced functionality of laser processed nickel-titanium shape memory alloys, a self-positioning nickel-titanium microgripper was fabricated. The microgripper was designed to actuate through four different positions, corresponding to activation of three embedded shape memory characteristics. Thermoanalytical and tensile testing instrumentations were used to characterize the thermomechanical performance of the laser processed nickel-titanium microgripper. Results indicated that each of the laser processed microgripper components possessed unique mechanical and shape memory recovery properties.

TiNiPd high-temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) have attracted considerable attention as potential solid-state actuators capable of operating at temperatures up to 500 °C, exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance, adequate ductility levels and significant strain recovery under both constrained and unconstrained thermomechanical conditions. During operation, these actuators may be subjected to multiple cycles and from an application point of view, the functional stability, i.e. conservation of original actuator dimensions and transformation temperatures during repeated employment, is of considerable importance. This study addresses the issue of functional stability in a model HTSMA, Ti50.5Ni24.5Pd25, for its use as a compact solid-state actuator. Since the primary reason for functional instability is the creation of lattice defects (dislocations, vacancies, etc.) during repeated transformation cycles, several methods were successfully undertaken to improve the functional stability through inhibiting the generation of these defects. Solid-solution strengthening through Sc microalloying and thermomechanical treatments via severe plastic deformation were the two approaches used to strengthen the HTSMA against defect generation. Thermal cycling the HTSMA under stress was the third method to voluntarily introduce defects into the microstructure such that further defect generation during application would be impeded. Overall, severe plastic deformation was found to be more efficient than other strengthening methods in improving the functional stability of TiNiPd HTSMA, yet it brought about disadvantages such as reduction in transformation strain and transformation temperatures. While functional instability is due to the creation of lattice defects, the generation of these defects is mainly controlled by the crystallographic incompatibility between martensitically transforming phases and the strength levels for plastic deformation. It was shown that TiNiPd HTSMAs, which exhibited martensitic transformation from a cubic (B2) to orthorhombic (B19) symmetry, illustrated better compatibility and thus better functional stability levels compared to TiNi SMAs, which had a B2 to monoclinic (B19’) transition. Although crystallographic incompatibility seems to be the governing factor for the functional stability of the TiNiPd HTSMA, the strength differential between the onset of plastic deformation and local constraint due to the martensitic transformation was also found to be an influential factor determining the overall stable behavior. Functional stability was also investigated for the two-way shape memory effect (TWSME) in TiNiPd HTSMAs. Better strength and compatibility levels compared to TiNi SMAs were also reflected in the TWSME characteristics in the form of enhanced stability under stress-free thermal cycling. The stability during constrained thermal cycling was not as good and TWSME degraded rapidly while doing work against an opposing stress. Nevertheless, work output levels were much higher as compared to those obtained from conventional TiNi and Cu-based SMAs.

Le silicium se présente comme un bon candidat d’électrode négative pour améliorer la densité d’énergie des accumulateurs Li-ion ou rendre les microaccumulateurs compatibles avec le procédé de brasure à refusion qui nécessite un recuit à 260 °C. En effet, il présente une forte capacité spécifique (3759 mAh.g-1) et sa température de fusion est élevée (1410°C). Néanmoins, de fortes variations volumiques se produisent lors du processus de lithiation/délithiation pouvant atteindre 280 %, ce qui constitue un frein majeur à son développement. Ces travaux de thèse se focalisent sur l’étude approfondie du comportement électrochimique du silicium préparé sous forme de couche mince par pulvérisation cathodique. Cette nanostructuration limite la décrépitation de la matière active, et évite l’utilisation de charges et de liants. Ainsi, elle permet d’étudier plus finement le comportement intrinsèque du matériau et révèle des phénomènes en général non détectables avec les électrodes composites. / Silicon which has a theoretical capacity of 3579 mAh.g-1 and low insertion/deinsertion potentials is one of the most promising candidates to replace graphite as a negative electrode in lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, silicon could replace lithium in microbatteries to make them compatible with the solder-reflow. However, this high capacity associated with a dense material leads to high volumetric variations which are a starting point to various issues resulting in poor cycle performances. During this thesis, electrochemical behavior of silicon is evaluated on thin films electrodes. This allows avoiding the use of binder and charges, and it leads to better cycle performances which emphasizes slow phenomenon, not yet measurable on conventional composite electrode.

abstract: Space systems such as communication satellites, earth observation satellites and telescope require accurate pointing to observe fixed targets over prolonged time. These systems typically use reaction wheels to slew the spacecraft and gimballing systems containing motors to achieve precise pointing. Motor based actuators have limited life as they contain moving parts that require lubrication in space. Alternate methods have utilized piezoelectric actuators. This paper presents Shape memory alloys (SMA) actuators for control of a deployable antenna placed on a satellite. The SMAs are operated as a series of distributed linear actuators. These distributed linear actuators are not prone to single point failures and although each individual actuator is imprecise due to hysteresis and temperature variation, the system as a whole achieves reliable results. The SMAs can be programmed to perform a series of periodic motion and operate as a mechanical guidance system that is not prone to damage from radiation or space weather. Efforts are focused on developing a system that can achieve 1 degree pointing accuracy at first, with an ultimate goal of achieving a few arc seconds accuracy. Bench top model of the actuator system has been developed and working towards testing the system under vacuum. A demonstration flight of the technology is planned aboard a CubeSat. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2016

Doctorat en sciences psychologiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished