No description available.

La stéréolithographie, technique additive de mise en forme couche par couche, permet de limiter les contraintes de l’usinage mais doit répondre aux exigences des normes dentaires en vigueur pour son utilisation clinique. L’effet de la formulation de différentes céramiques alumineuses mises en barbotines et de l’orientation des modèles lors de la mise en forme ont été évalués. Ces travaux ont permis de développer et d’optimiser les différentes étapes de stéréolithographie à masque dynamique sans racleur et les propriétés physiques et mécaniques des céramiques densifiées adaptées à une application dentaire. Pour cette application, la mise en forme des barbotines était assurée lorsque la viscosité est inférieure ou égale à 138 mPa.s. Lorsque la viscosité était supérieure ou égale à 151 mPa.s, la mise en forme est impossible. L’augmentation du taux de matière sèche des barbotines d’alumine a augmenté la viscosité et la durée minimale nécessaire à la mise en repos avant photo-polymérisation. La diminution de la proportion de la phase organique a permis de limiter l’apparition de défauts et d’augmenter les propriétés mécaniques des céramiques. Le compromis entre un taux de matière sèche élevé et une viscosité maximale à ne pas dépasser a permis de sélectionner la barbotine avec un taux matière sèche de 80% et une grande granulométrie, comme meilleure formulation pour une utilisation dentaire. Lors de la mise en forme, l’augmentation de la surface des couches polymérisées a augmenté la durée de mise en repos des barbotines mais également le risque d’apparition de défauts dans les pièces. Ceci est à l’origine d’une diminution des propriétés mécaniques des céramiques. La surface maximale des couches pour ce type de procédé doit donc être limitée. Parallèlement, l’analyse microstructurale de l’alumine pure densifiée a montré une texturation. En effet, l’axe principal des grands grains suit l’orientation des couches, ce qui peut induire des propriétés mécaniques anisotropes. Plus précisément, lorsque ces grains étaient orientés perpendiculairement à la charge, la ténacité (par flexion) des céramiques a augmenté par rapport à celles des céramiques dont l’axe principal des grains était orienté parallèlement à la charge. Enfin, la répartition du stress dans une infrastructure de bridge, analysée par la méthode des éléments finis, était comparable entre les céramiques mises en forme par stéréolithographie et les céramiques usinées commercialisées. En vue d’une utilisation clinique, les céramiques mises en forme par stéréolithographie sans racleur doivent donc être orientées afin de présenter la plus faible surface de couche. Si l’axe principal des grands grains dans la céramique suit l’axe de la mise en forme, ces particules doivent être orientées perpendiculairement à la charge occlusale. Enfin, des études complémentaires sont nécessaires pour étudier la précision d’adaptation d’une infrastructure sur la préparation dentaire afin d’optimiser son ajustage. / Stereolithography is a layer-by layer additive manufacturing method. It allows to reduce the strains that occur with milling methods. Its use for clinical purposes needs to follow dental material standards. The impact of slurry composition and the influence of layer orientation on mechanical and physical properties have been studied. This work permitted to develop and optimize a stereolithographic manufacturing process with digital light processing with no blade in order to obtain suitable physical and mechanical properties of alumina ceramics for dental applications. The slurries could be processed by stereolithography when their viscosity was below 138 mPa.s. Viscosity values beyond 151 mPa.s caused deformations in the printed layers. High dry matter content increased the viscosity and the minimal time needed to relax the slurries before photopolymerization. Reduction of the organic phase reduced the formation of defects and thus increased mechanical strength of the ceramics. The compromise between a high dry matter content and low viscosity that is compatible with stereolithography manufacturing was found for 80% dry matter content slurries having large particle size. The great layer surfaces increased the period needed to relax the slurries between two polymerizations, and the risk of defects to appear. This can reduce mechanical strength of the ceramics. To avoid this drawback, the maximal surface of the printed layers should be limited. In addition, microstructural analysis showed a texturation of pure densified alumina. In fact, the main axis of large particles followed the orientation of the printed layers. This led to anisotropic mechanical properties. Moreover, an orientation of these particles perpendicular to the load increased fracture toughness (measured by flexural strength) of the ceramics compared to those of ceramics presenting particles oriented parallel to the load. Finally, compared finite element analysis of a bridge framework showed similar strain repartition between stereolithographic and subtractive methods. In conclusion, stereolithography with no blade of dental ceramics need to orientate the models in order to present the smallest layer surfaces. If the axis of the large particles is the same as the printing axis, these particles must be oriented in order to be perpendicular to masticatory forces. More studies are required to evaluate the marginal gap between prosthetic frameworks and dental crown preparations to allow clinical use.

The rapid settling nature of some industrial mineral slurries can cause problems in the measurement of their rheological properties. To address this problem a flow rheometer based on the principles of helical flow was developed. The rheometer designed, is a modified Couette flow system, whereby slurries are circulated through the concentric cylinders by the addition of an axial flow. The purpose of this axial flow is to prevent particles from settling and to maintain a homogeneous suspension. However, the addition of an axial flow component to Couette flow complicates the analysis procedure for non-Newtonian fluids particularly in wide gap geometries. Thus a specific emphasis in this study was placed on developing a correct analysis procedure for helical flow that eliminated the need for rudimentary calibration procedures. Experimental measurements with different liquids, including those with Newtonian and non-Newtonian flow properties showed good agreement between data obtained from the flow rheometer and data obtained using other standard laboratory instruments. Typical differences between the results from the flow rheometer and results from other laboratory instrument varied between 1-2%, with standard deviations in the flow rheometer data of between 2-4%. The flow properties of several non-Newtonian slow settling slurries were examined using the flow rheometer and also with a specially modified tube rheometer. As with the pure liquid results good agreement was obtained between the results from the flow rheometer and those obtained with the modified tube rheometer. Several rapid settling slurries were examined using the flow rheometer, but due to the rapid settling nature of these slurries they could not be examined with any other laboratory instruments. However, internally consistent results were obtained from different tests with the flow rheometer using different values of axial flow rate. These results demonstrate that the correct data analysis method was developed for the helical flow of non-Newtonian fluids Particle migration is a phenomenon known to affect the results of both rotational and axial flow rheological equipment. Whilst the motion of particles within the helical The University of Adelaide Continuous Flow Rheometry for Settling Slurries flow geometry could not be directly observed, careful examination of the results from several experiments with slurries showed that the effects of particle migration were minimal or non-existent within the flow rheometer. It is presumed that the circulation of the fluid through the geometry minimises the residence time in the geometry, which reduces the likelihood of particle migration. The development of Taylor vortices in a Couette type geometry can cause substantial errors in any rheological measurements. The flow rheometer is based on helical flow, which is a combination of both Couette and axial flow and as such may also suffer from measurement errors if instabilities develop in the flow. A stability criterion for the helical flow of non-Newtonian fluids is therefore required to ensure measurements from the flow rheometer were obtained in the laminar flow region. The stability criterion for laminar Couette flow of a Newtonian fluid was well known, as was the effect of imposing axial flow on Newtonian Couette flow. However, the effect of the rate of acceleration of the inner cylinder and the effect of non-Newtonian fluids on the onset of Taylor vortices was unknown. An increase in the rate of acceleration of the inner cylinder was found to have a destabilising effect on Couette flow. A modified Taylor number was developed for non-Newtonian fluids using the power-law model and was experimentally validated for a range of non-Newtonian fluids. These results were then used to develop a laminar flow stability criterion for rheological measurements of non-Newtonian fluids in the flow rheometer. To test the suitability of the results from the flow rheometer for use in the design and optimisation of process units, the power requirements to turn an impeller in a small baffled mixing vessel were investigated. Good agreement was obtained in the laminar and turbulent flow regions for a variety of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids between measured values of impeller power and those predicted using rheological measurements from the flow rheometer. Altering the density of the solid particles in a slurry is known to affect the overall rheological properties of the slurry. However, the effects of changing the liquid density were not so clearly defined and thus several artificial slurries of PMMA (poly-methylmethacrylate) spheres in water/NaCl and water/glycerol solutions were used to investigate this phenomenon. It was found that the slurry rheology was altered by The University of Adelaide Continuous Flow Rheometry for Settling Slurries changes in the suspending liquid density, however, these changes could be entirely attributed to changes in the liquid viscosity associated with the changes in liquid density. To summarise, the work presented in this Thesis provides a fundamental approach for the absolute measurement of the rheological properties of settling slurries, under conditions that more accurately represent those found in actual mineral processing operations. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Chemical Engineering, 2004.

The characterisation and stability of coal slurries for introduction into an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP OES) and the application of slurries in the analysis of coal was investigated. The importance of rheology and the stability of the coal slurries on the analytical results produced by ICP OES was demonstrated. The homogeneity and stability of various coal slurries were characterised by sedimentation tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential and viscosity measurements. The porosities and surface areas of different South African coals and a mechanism for the adsorption of the dispersants onto the coals were determined using low-temperature nitrogen physisorption studies. The possibility of partially solubulising the coal in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was investigated. SEM indicated that DMF solubulised coal fines and that 0.1% (m/v) Triton X-100 with 10% (v/v) DMFresulted in well dispersed slurries relative to other dispersants (glycerol, PEI and water). Slurry analysis of coarse and ground coal in 0.1% (m/v) Triton X-100, showed that higher emission intensities and better precision was obtained when using ground coal. This was confirmed by lower RSDs (less than 5% for most of the elements analysed) relative to the unground, coarse coal. Glycerol slurries gave higher RSDs (higher than 5% for most of the elements) most of the time, thus negatively influencing the precision of measurement. Physisorption studies indicated that ground coal had up to ten times higher surface areas than coarse coal. The higher surface areas for fine ground coals suggested why they were better dispersed and thus better transported into the plasma, resulting in higher emission signals. Zeta potentials indicated that for all dispersants, the coal particles were well repelled from each other, although SEM pictures indicated better dispersion for 0.1% (m/v) Triton X-100 with 10% (v/v) DMF. It was demonstrated that higher intensities and higher precision could be obtained with well dispersed and stable coal slurries.

The rapid settling nature of some industrial mineral slurries can cause problems in the measurement of their rheological properties. To address this problem a flow rheometer based on the principles of helical flow was developed. The rheometer designed, is a modified Couette flow system, whereby slurries are circulated through the concentric cylinders by the addition of an axial flow. The purpose of this axial flow is to prevent particles from settling and to maintain a homogeneous suspension. However, the addition of an axial flow component to Couette flow complicates the analysis procedure for non-Newtonian fluids particularly in wide gap geometries. Thus a specific emphasis in this study was placed on developing a correct analysis procedure for helical flow that eliminated the need for rudimentary calibration procedures. Experimental measurements with different liquids, including those with Newtonian and non-Newtonian flow properties showed good agreement between data obtained from the flow rheometer and data obtained using other standard laboratory instruments. Typical differences between the results from the flow rheometer and results from other laboratory instrument varied between 1-2%, with standard deviations in the flow rheometer data of between 2-4%. The flow properties of several non-Newtonian slow settling slurries were examined using the flow rheometer and also with a specially modified tube rheometer. As with the pure liquid results good agreement was obtained between the results from the flow rheometer and those obtained with the modified tube rheometer. Several rapid settling slurries were examined using the flow rheometer, but due to the rapid settling nature of these slurries they could not be examined with any other laboratory instruments. However, internally consistent results were obtained from different tests with the flow rheometer using different values of axial flow rate. These results demonstrate that the correct data analysis method was developed for the helical flow of non-Newtonian fluids Particle migration is a phenomenon known to affect the results of both rotational and axial flow rheological equipment. Whilst the motion of particles within the helical The University of Adelaide Continuous Flow Rheometry for Settling Slurries flow geometry could not be directly observed, careful examination of the results from several experiments with slurries showed that the effects of particle migration were minimal or non-existent within the flow rheometer. It is presumed that the circulation of the fluid through the geometry minimises the residence time in the geometry, which reduces the likelihood of particle migration. The development of Taylor vortices in a Couette type geometry can cause substantial errors in any rheological measurements. The flow rheometer is based on helical flow, which is a combination of both Couette and axial flow and as such may also suffer from measurement errors if instabilities develop in the flow. A stability criterion for the helical flow of non-Newtonian fluids is therefore required to ensure measurements from the flow rheometer were obtained in the laminar flow region. The stability criterion for laminar Couette flow of a Newtonian fluid was well known, as was the effect of imposing axial flow on Newtonian Couette flow. However, the effect of the rate of acceleration of the inner cylinder and the effect of non-Newtonian fluids on the onset of Taylor vortices was unknown. An increase in the rate of acceleration of the inner cylinder was found to have a destabilising effect on Couette flow. A modified Taylor number was developed for non-Newtonian fluids using the power-law model and was experimentally validated for a range of non-Newtonian fluids. These results were then used to develop a laminar flow stability criterion for rheological measurements of non-Newtonian fluids in the flow rheometer. To test the suitability of the results from the flow rheometer for use in the design and optimisation of process units, the power requirements to turn an impeller in a small baffled mixing vessel were investigated. Good agreement was obtained in the laminar and turbulent flow regions for a variety of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids between measured values of impeller power and those predicted using rheological measurements from the flow rheometer. Altering the density of the solid particles in a slurry is known to affect the overall rheological properties of the slurry. However, the effects of changing the liquid density were not so clearly defined and thus several artificial slurries of PMMA (poly-methylmethacrylate) spheres in water/NaCl and water/glycerol solutions were used to investigate this phenomenon. It was found that the slurry rheology was altered by The University of Adelaide Continuous Flow Rheometry for Settling Slurries changes in the suspending liquid density, however, these changes could be entirely attributed to changes in the liquid viscosity associated with the changes in liquid density. To summarise, the work presented in this Thesis provides a fundamental approach for the absolute measurement of the rheological properties of settling slurries, under conditions that more accurately represent those found in actual mineral processing operations. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Chemical Engineering, 2004.

The wide fluctuations that occur in the aggregate electrical demand of a generating utility are punitive with respect to total system efficiency. Demand side management techniques have been applied to reduce such fluctuations including the conversion of electrical energy to thermal energy during periods of low demand for use during peak demand periods. For thermal processes requiring energy above ambient temperature it is feasible to use sensible heat due to the existence of stable storage mediums and efficient methods of heating at the high temperatures required. However where energy is required below ambient temperatures, efficiency of cooling limits the use of sensible heat, hence latent heat storage has been adopted. Conventional cold storage systems use ice banks to store cooling energy at 0°C in order to capture the high latent heat of fusion of water. The rate of discharge for such stores is limited by thermal resistance in the store and the thermal capacity of secondary coolants (such as glycol solutions). This investigated the use of hydrophilic materials to overcome the limitations of current cold-storage technology. Such materials have the capacity to absorb and retain up to 95% by mass of water (or other aqueous solutions) regardless of how the materials is subdivided. Furthermore the thermal properties of the polymers in their hydrated state resemble those of the free hydration fluid, including any phase transitions. By supporting the hydrated materials in a non-freeing, non-aqueous fluid the resultant mixture provides a medium for cold storage that can be pumped and used at the point of load, and is not limited by the thermal resistance of an encapsulating material. Three aspects concerning the utilisation of hydrophilic materials for thermal engineering applications have been investigated; (i) the physical properties of the materials in their hydrated state, (ii) methods of fluidising material in a high density store, and (iii) the heat transfer properties of hydrophilic based slurries while undergoing phase transition. Material tests have shown that currently available hydrophilic materials have thermo- physical properties that depend principally upon the hydrating fluid, regardless of particle size, and are stable over long periods (>3years). Suitable hydration fluids can lower the temperature of the phase transition thus extending their potential as storage mediums beyond those of ice-based technologies. Novel materials, of very high water content (95%) have been produced and investigated. These appear to be very suitable for thermal storage because they increase the maximum achievable energy densities of a fluidised storage system and potentially reduce cost. A number of thermal storage devices to utilise hydrophilic based slurries have been designed and evaluated. The resultant devices has been shown to provide a means of taking hydrophilic materials to, and from, a packed bed and feeding them at a controlled rate into a fluid stream. The thermal charge/discharge rates of such a device are limited only by the choice of external heat exchange systems. An experimental apparatus has been designed to investigate the effects of phase change particles on the heat transfer properties of flowing mixtures. The results have shown that (i) at temperatures above the phase transition temperature the presence of the particles causes an increase in the measured heat transfer coefficient for concentrations above 10% by volume, (ii) there is a significant interaction of particles at the heat transfer surface, and (iii) that under high flow rate conditions, with phase change occurring, heat transfer coefficients are considerably enhanced (ie 80%) above those of the support fluid when used alone or with non-active particles. Further work is recommended to extend this study to produce an engineering prototype storage system for trial evaluation.

A brief review is made of the rheology of suspensions in general and cement slurries in particular. The factors influencing the flow behaviour of these systems are discussed. It is pointed out that the rheological properties of cement slurries can not be determined by theory alone from the original constituents, and experimental tests combined with empirical formulae are needed. The co-axial cylinder viscometer was used to characterise the rheological behaviour of the cement slurry used in this investigation, the slurry being made highly thixotropic by the use of additives, It is shown that no single flow model, however complex, can correctly fully describe the flow behaviour of such materials. The cement slurry used in this research programme had a structure which changed continuously with time and, when pumped through a pipe, formed a high water content slip layer on the pipe surface. An accurate theoretical solution for this type of pipe flow is lacking in the literature. A new method to predict the pressure gradient of such suspensions flowing in pipes is proposed and the technique was tested using a small pumping line and also with data extracted from the literature. The shear vane test, commonly used to measure shear strength of soils, was developed to measure gel strength of the cement slurry used in this investigation. It is shown that the gel strength measured with this technique is of considerable benefit when assessing the real material behaviour.

No description available.

Abstract In order to improve the optimisation of mineral processing operations the rheological properties of slurries must be determined as accurately as possible under the conditions that closely resemble actual site conditions. The rheology of particles suspended in Newtonian fluids is well documented. However, the rheology of particles in non-Newtonian fluids has not been the subject of much investigation till now. The work conducted here attempts to fill this gap in knowledge. The rheological properties of slurries are heavily dependent on the solids concentrations and particle-solid interaction. At low solids concentrations, constant viscosity and Newtonian behaviour is observed, but as solids concentration increases the rheological behaviour becomes increasingly complex and non-Newtonian with viscosity becoming dependent on the shear rate. The nature of the non-Newtonian behaviour depends on the solid concentration, particle shape, particle size, particle size distribution and the suspending liquid rheological properties. The suspension/slurry may develop a yield stress and become time dependent in nature as structures develop within the fluid at higher solids concentrations. This study however, is primarily focused on the measurement of the rheological properties, where it is assumed that the fluid will be fully sheared and that the rheological properties will be unlikely to change with time. Shear thickening behaviour of slurries was the focus of this work. The aim was to investigate the slurry concentration region where shear thickening occurs. The first objective of the project was to develop a fluid analogue which will have similar rheological behaviour to that of concentrated tailings from gold mines so that it can be used as a test material to simulate the flow behaviour of the tailings in a pipe. The second objective of this project was to enable the prediction of flow behaviour in the pipe loop under certain conditions using the fluid analogue for slurry from Sunrise dam. In order to achieve the objectives, experiments were carried out to obtain a fluid analogue of a shear thickening slurry. CSL 500 and SR 200 rheometers were used for the characterisation of different fluid analogues and shear thickening mineral slurries. Malvern Sizer, model: mastersizerX v1.1, was used to obtain particle size distributions. A mini pipe loop system, located in the laboratory of the Rheology and Materials Processing Centre (RMPC) was used to get pipe line flow data for comparison with the rheometer data. A few fluid analogues with different suspending medium and different concentrations of glass spheres was tested before finally using, 48 vol% glass spheres in 1.8 wt% CMC solution as a fluid analogue for the mineral tailings obtained from Sunrise dam, WA. For comparison between the pipe line and rheometer data, all pipe line data (in the form of 8V/D) were converted to rheometer data (in the form of du/dr) using the Robinowitsch-Mooney equation. The above comparison indicated that it is possible to produce fluid analogue to simulate the flow behaviour of Sunrise dam slurry using a shear thinning suspending medium with high concentration of glass particles. Shear thickening flow behaviour was clearly observed in the rheometer while it was less predominant in a pipe line flow.

Attempts were made to adapt the microtiter hemagglutination inhibition assay technique for the assay of enterotoxin A. The presence of a potent hemagglutinin in crude and partially purified preparations and the instability of sensitized erythrocytes prevented its use for routine analysis of enterotoxin from culture media and foods. A capillary tube immunological assay was developed in which 1 μ g of enterotoxin/ml was detected in less than 1 hr . Interfacial reaction of antisera and enterotoxin solutions in a 1 mm internal diameter capillary tube allowed rapid detection and serological typing of enterotoxins. Staphylococcus aureus growth and enterotoxin A development in Cheddar cheese slurry was evaluated. S. aureus growth and enterotoxin production occurred at 32 C. in 45 and 60% moisture cheese slurries following inoculation with 10 3 to 10 5 bacteria/gram. Hydrogen peroxide (0. 5%) treatment of slurry at 37 C did not inhibit S. aureus and enterotoxin A development. Heating slurry at 72 C for 30 min eliminated staphylococci but reinoculation with ripening organisms was essential. Addition of sorbic acid (0. 2 to 0. 3%) to a slurry adjusted to pH 5. 0 with lactic acid, inhibited staphylococci. in milk and slurry. Cheese flavor development was retarded due to inhibition of micrococci and lipolysis. Non-protein nitrogen increases paralleled that of sorbate-free controls. Sorbate treatment was preferred over other treatments .