Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2005. / Principal faculty advisor: Suresh G. Advani, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Engineering: Mechanical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Vacuum Infusion (VI) and Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) are liquid composite moulding processes used in the manufacture of components from composite materials. The composite material in this case consists of a resin matrix combined with fibre reinforcement. In both moulding processes, a dry reinforcement preform is placed in the mould cavity and a liquid resin is introduced, driven by a pressure differential. Two rigid surfaces are used in RTM to create a fixed mould cavity. In contrast VI implements only one rigid surface and a flexible membrane or vacuum bag to form a non rigid cavity. The flexible cavity in VI influences and differentiates resin flow behaviour from that of RTM. Modelling resin flow enables the velocity, pressure and flow direction to be predicted. Resin flow in the RTM process is understood and modelled using Darcy’s law. However, flow in the VI process is not accurately modelled due to the added complexity introduced as a result of the flexible cavity. In the present work a novel approach was developed to investigate fluid flow in both processes. A unique experimental setup and testing procedure allowed for the direct comparison of fluid flow in RTM and VI. Identical flow parameters, conditions and preform construction were used in the assessment. The comparison isolated the effect of preform thickness variation as a differentiating factor influencing flow. From the experimentation, material behaviour was characterised and used to evaluate flow models for RTM and in particular VI. The model solutions were compared back to corresponding experiments. The pressure distribution behind the flow front, fill time and thickness behaviours were assessed. The pressure distribution / profiles behind the flow front of both VI and RTM were noted to be scalable with flow front progression. The profiles were curved in the VI experiments and linear in the RTM case. All VI models evaluated including the non accumulation based model accurately predicted the pressure distribution and consequently thickness variations in the VI tests. Fill times of the VI experiments were longer than that of the equivalent RTM tests. This behaviour is in contrast to previously interpreted fill time behaviour for the VI process based on VI models. It was also noted that the VI fill times were not only proportional to the square of the fill length, as in the RTM case, but also proportional to the square of the mass present. In addition, no significant accumulation was noted in the VI experiments. / D

Dissertation (Ph. D.)--University of Akron, Dept. of Polymer Engineering, 2009. / "May, 2009." Title from electronic dissertation title page (viewed 11/27/2009) Advisor, Avraam I. Isayev; Committee members, James L. White, Erol Sancaktar, Kevin Kreider, Minel J. Braun; Department Chair, Sadhan C. Jana; Dean of the College, Stephen Cheng; Dean of the Graduate School, George R. Newkome. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed Feb. 8, 2010). Additional advisors: J. Barry Andrews, Kathryn Brannon, Derrick R. Dean, Gregg M. Janowski, Mark L. Weaver. Includes bibliographical references (p. 158-161).

No description available.

Integrated high-temperature (HT) ultrasonic sensors have been developed successfully by using piezoelectric bismuth titanate and lead zirconate titanate films HT ultrasonic transducers for real-time, non-destructive, and non-intrusive diagnosis of polymer injection molding (IM) processes. The HT ultrasonic sensors can be integrated onto the barrel and/or mold of IM machine, according to the customer's requirements. These sensors can be operated up to 400°C without cooling system and ultrasonic couplant, and can be miniaturized with sufficient signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio. / The chosen IM processes are grouped to large- and small-scale 1M processes. The large-scale ones include conventional IM, co-injection molding (COIM), and fluid (gas/water) assisted injection molding (GAIM/WAIM). A filling incompleteness of 1 volume-% for IM of polycarbonate (PC) part, the core (PC) material movement and layers dimensions for COIM, the fluid motion, thickness and deformation of the hollowed high-density polyethylene (HDPE) part for GAIM/WAIM were diagnosed during processing by ultrasonic sensors and techniques developed. / The small-scale ones include IM for microfluidic device (IMMF) and micromolding (MM). The optimization of holding pressure for producing a flat polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) part (surface roughness < 5 mum) having micro structures for IMMF, estimation of temperature of polyacetal copolymer (POM) melt in the barrel and filler concentration of nylon 66 (PA66) mixed with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) part in the mold for MM, and evaluation of thickness variation of molded alumina ceramic powder part for MM were demonstrated. The melting stages and quality of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in the barrel has been successfully monitored using ultrasound. The important phenomena during melting processes, such as partially melting pellets, air bubbles, melting completeness, and effects of melting temperature and rotation speed have been diagnosed by ultrasonic signatures. / These diagnostic results verify that the developed integrated HT ultrasonic sensors and techniques are capable of monitoring various IM processes to fabricate parts and products having complex formation, tiny size and micro structures, and evaluating the part quality in order to provide timely information for process optimization.

Thesis (M.Eng.). / Written for the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/01/14). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisors: Chuck Zhang, Ben Wang, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 18, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 168 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

This dissertation examines the vital role of bronze in the political, economic, and cultural interactions in the southern borderlands during the period of the Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BCE) in present-day Hubei province, China. It shows how the bronze economy – the production, exchange, and consumption of bronze goods – transformed the borderlands landscape. It adopts a bottom-up perspective and argues that instead of controlling the redistribution of metal, the Zhou state competed and negotiated with the local powers on the acquisition of metal resources. The regional states and indigenous polities were not passively acculturated to the Zhou center but developed local bronze culture and casting technology. Through the economic perspective, this dissertation examines social interaction not in the traditional binary of center and periphery or the royal domain and regional states but in politico-economic zones transcending political boundaries. Based on textual, archeological, and paleographical evidence, it discusses how the indigenous people in the southeastern Hubei mining region joined a transregional economic network. It also traces metal exchange, bronze production, and technology innovation in the Sui-Zao Corridor, the crossroads connecting north and south throughout the Zhou dynasty. This dissertation uses archaeometallurgical method to examine the circulation of bronze-smelting knowledge between Sujialong and other mining societies. Statistical analysis of the Sifangtang cemetery makes it possible to reconstruct the changing societal organization at the Tonglüshan mines under different political powers. This dissertation argues that the bronze economy led to unique ways of social interaction and created transregional social networks, and thus shaped the southern borderlands of the Zhou dynasty.