Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on January 11, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / A espectroscopia fotoacústica (PAS) é uma técnica não destrutiva e muito utilizada na caracterização óptica e térmica de materiais. Ela é baseada no efeito fotoacústico que consiste, basicamente, na absorção de onda eletromagnética modulada e na geração de calor no interior do material em estudo (amostra), via processo de desexcitação não-radiativa. Dentre as muitas aplicações relacionadas à caracterização de materiais, recentemente, a técnica PAS vem sendo desenvolvida para estudos de transição de fase de segunda ordem. Entretanto, poucos trabalhos são encontrados na literatura com relação à aplicação da técnica PAS ao estudo da transição vítrea. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho é o de aplicar a técnica PAS na determinação da temperatura de transição vítrea de materiais poliméricos, de uma maneira inovadora com relação à célula fotoacústica e ao sistema de aquecimento. Para isso foi projetada e construída uma célula fotoacústica que possibilita a variação de temperatura da amostra, sem afetar a curva de resposta do microfone. Foi desenvolvido um sistema de aquecimento baseado no efeito Peltier, possibilitando fazer rampas de subida de temperatura, com várias velocidades, da temperatura ambiente até 130 C, de forma linear. Todo o aparato experimental foi testado e aplicado em várias amostras poliméricas: poliamida 6.0 (Nylon); poliestireno (PS-n1921 e PS-n2380); e poli(tereftalato de etileno) (PET). Os resultados obtidos foram: para o Nylon, ; para o PS-n1921, ; para o PS-n2380, ; e para o PET, . Estes resultados estão de acordo com os respectivos valores da temperatura de transição vítrea encontrados na literatura e mostram a potencialidade da técnica PAS ao estudo da transição vítrea de materiais poliméricos. / Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a non-destructive technique and it has been largely applied to the thermal and optical characterization of materials. PAS technique is based on the photoacoustic effect which consist, basically, absorption of a modulated electromagnetic radiation and generation of heat inside of the material studied (sample), by a nonradiative deexcitation processes. Nowadays, among many PAS applications, effort are carried out to apply PAS technique for second-order phase transitions. However, only a few works can be found in the literature about glass transition studies with PAS technique. In this context, the main goal of this work is to apply PAS technique to determine glass transition temperature of the polymeric materials, based on the new photoacoustic cell configuration and on the new heating system. In this way, a photoacoustic cell was builted up for monitoring temperature variation of the sample, where the performance of the microphone was not affected. A heating system was developed based on the Peltier effect, in such way that it is possible to scan the temperature from the environment one up to 130 C, linearly at several speeds. The experimental apparatus was tested and applied to some polymeric materials: polyamide 6.0 (Nylon); polystyrene (PS-n1921 e PS-n2380); and poli(tereftalato de etileno) (PET). The results obtained were: Nylon, ; PS-n1921, ; PS-n2380, ; and PET, . These results are in a good agreement with the respective values of glass transition temperature found in the literature and show the PAS technique potentiality for glass transition studies in polymeric materials.

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / A espectroscopia fotoacústica (PAS) é uma técnica não destrutiva e muito utilizada na caracterização óptica e térmica de materiais. Ela é baseada no efeito fotoacústico que consiste, basicamente, na absorção de onda eletromagnética modulada e na geração de calor no interior do material em estudo (amostra), via processo de desexcitação não-radiativa. Dentre as muitas aplicações relacionadas à caracterização de materiais, recentemente, a técnica PAS vem sendo desenvolvida para estudos de transição de fase de segunda ordem. Entretanto, poucos trabalhos são encontrados na literatura com relação à aplicação da técnica PAS ao estudo da transição vítrea. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho é o de aplicar a técnica PAS na determinação da temperatura de transição vítrea de materiais poliméricos, de uma maneira inovadora com relação à célula fotoacústica e ao sistema de aquecimento. Para isso foi projetada e construída uma célula fotoacústica que possibilita a variação de temperatura da amostra, sem afetar a curva de resposta do microfone. Foi desenvolvido um sistema de aquecimento baseado no efeito Peltier, possibilitando fazer rampas de subida de temperatura, com várias velocidades, da temperatura ambiente até 130 C, de forma linear. Todo o aparato experimental foi testado e aplicado em várias amostras poliméricas: poliamida 6.0 (Nylon); poliestireno (PS-n1921 e PS-n2380); e poli(tereftalato de etileno) (PET). Os resultados obtidos foram: para o Nylon, ; para o PS-n1921, ; para o PS-n2380, ; e para o PET, . Estes resultados estão de acordo com os respectivos valores da temperatura de transição vítrea encontrados na literatura e mostram a potencialidade da técnica PAS ao estudo da transição vítrea de materiais poliméricos. / Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a non-destructive technique and it has been largely applied to the thermal and optical characterization of materials. PAS technique is based on the photoacoustic effect which consist, basically, absorption of a modulated electromagnetic radiation and generation of heat inside of the material studied (sample), by a nonradiative deexcitation processes. Nowadays, among many PAS applications, effort are carried out to apply PAS technique for second-order phase transitions. However, only a few works can be found in the literature about glass transition studies with PAS technique. In this context, the main goal of this work is to apply PAS technique to determine glass transition temperature of the polymeric materials, based on the new photoacoustic cell configuration and on the new heating system. In this way, a photoacoustic cell was builted up for monitoring temperature variation of the sample, where the performance of the microphone was not affected. A heating system was developed based on the Peltier effect, in such way that it is possible to scan the temperature from the environment one up to 130 C, linearly at several speeds. The experimental apparatus was tested and applied to some polymeric materials: polyamide 6.0 (Nylon); polystyrene (PS-n1921 e PS-n2380); and poli(tereftalato de etileno) (PET). The results obtained were: Nylon, ; PS-n1921, ; PS-n2380, ; and PET, . These results are in a good agreement with the respective values of glass transition temperature found in the literature and show the PAS technique potentiality for glass transition studies in polymeric materials.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Photoacoustic Imaging is a non-invasive optical imaging modality used to image biological tissues. In this method, a pulsating laser illuminates a region of tissues to be imaged, which then generates an acoustic wave due to thermal volume expansion. This wave is then sensed using an acoustic sensor such as a piezoelectric transducer and the resultant signal is converted into an imaging using the back projection algorithm. Since different types of tissues have different photo-acoustic properties, this imaging modality can be used for imaging different types of tissues and bodily organ systems. This study aims at quantifying the process of light conversion into the acoustic signal. Light travels through tissues and gets attenuated (scattered or absorbed) or reflected depending on the optical properties of the tissues. The process of light propagation through tissues is studied using Monte Carlo simulation software which predicts the propagation of light through tissues of various shapes and with different optical properties. This simulation gives the resultant energy distribution due to light absorption and scattering on a voxel by voxel basis. The Monte Carlo code alone is not sufficient to validate the photon propagation. The success of the Monte Carlo code depends on accurate prediction of the optical properties of the tissues. It also depends on accurately depicting tissue boundaries and thus the resolution of the imaging space. Hence, a validation algorithm has been designed so as to recover the optical properties of the tissues which are imaged and to successfully validate the simulation results. The accuracy of the validation code is studied for various optical properties and boundary conditions. The results are then compared and validated with real time images obtained from the photoacoustic scanner. The various parameters for the successful validation of Monte Carlo method are studied and presented. This study is then validated using the algorithm to study the conversion of light to sound. Thus it is a significant step in the quantification of the photoacoustic effect so as to accurately predict tissue properties.