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Materials, Volume 10, Issue 7 (July 2017) – 163 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): Structural health monitoring often leverages on strain wave analysis for the reconstruction of passive impact force and the identification of active Lamb wave impact damage. A fiber optic-based interferometric architecture associated to an innovative coherent detection scheme is proposed in this paper for high frequency dynamics detection. Different sensor configurations are tested and the signals are validated with a piezoelectric transducer. A finite element model is also used for verification. View the paper
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4154 KiB  
Article
Construction of a Novel Three-Dimensional PEDOT/RVC Electrode Structure for Capacitive Deionization: Testing and Performance
by Ali Aldalbahi, Mostafizur Rahaman, Periyasami Govindasami, Mohammed Almoiqli, Tariq Altalhi and Amine Mezni
Materials 2017, 10(7), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070847 - 24 Jul 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4572
Abstract
This article discusses the deposition of different amount of microstuctured poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) by electrochemical method to prepare three-dimensional (3D) PEDOT/RVC electrodes aimed to be used in capacitive deionization (CDI) technology. A CDI unit cell has been constructed here [...] Read more.
This article discusses the deposition of different amount of microstuctured poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) by electrochemical method to prepare three-dimensional (3D) PEDOT/RVC electrodes aimed to be used in capacitive deionization (CDI) technology. A CDI unit cell has been constructed here in this study. The performance of CDI cell in the ion removal of NaCl onto the sites of PEDOT/RVC electrode has been systematically investigated in terms of flow-rate, applied electrical voltage, and increasing PEDOT loading on PEDOT/RVC electrodes. It is observed that the increase in flow-rate, electric voltage, and PEDOT loading up to a certain level improve the ion removal performance of electrode in the CDI cell. The result shows that these electrodes can be used effectively for desalination technology, as the electrosorption capacity/desalination performance of these electrodes is quite high compared to carbon materials. Moreover, the stability of the electrodes has been tested and it is reported that these electrodes are regenerative. The effect of increasing NaCl concentration on the electrosorption capacity has also been investigated for these electrodes. Finally, it has been shown that 1 m3 PEDOT-120 min/RVC electrodes from 75 mg/L NaCl feed solution produce 421, 978 L water per day of 20 mg/L NaCl final concentration. Full article
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2720 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Immobilization of Phthalocyanine onto Bacterial Cellulose for Construction of a High-Performance Catalytic Membrane Reactor
by Shiliang Chen and Qiaoling Teng
Materials 2017, 10(7), 846; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070846 - 24 Jul 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4598
Abstract
We report the fabrication of a tetra-amino cobalt (II) phthalocyanine (CoPc)-immobilized bacterial cellulose (BC) functional nanocomposite, CoPc@BC, by quantitative immobilization of CoPc onto a BC membrane. Lab-cultured BC was oxidized by NaIO4 to generate aldehyde groups on BC for the subsequent CoPc [...] Read more.
We report the fabrication of a tetra-amino cobalt (II) phthalocyanine (CoPc)-immobilized bacterial cellulose (BC) functional nanocomposite, CoPc@BC, by quantitative immobilization of CoPc onto a BC membrane. Lab-cultured BC was oxidized by NaIO4 to generate aldehyde groups on BC for the subsequent CoPc immobilization, the processing conditions were optimized by monitoring both the generated aldehyde content and the resulting CoPc loading. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to characterize the change of the element bonding environment during the functionalization processes. The CoPc@BC functional nanocomposite was utilized for the treatment of reactive red X-3B dye wastewater. The CoPc molecules in the CoPc@BC nanocomposite can function as an “antenna” to adsorb the target anionic dye molecules, the adsorption takes place both on the surface and in the interior of CoPc@BC. A catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) was assembled with the CoPc@BC nanocomposite, the performance of CMR was evaluated based on the catalytic oxidation behavior of reactive red X-3B, with H2O2 as an oxidant. Highly-reactive hydroxyl radical (OH) was involved in the catalytic oxidation process, as detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Under optimal operating conditions of a flow rate of 6 mL/min, a reaction temperature of 50 °C, and an H2O2 concentration of 10 mmol/L, the decoloration rate of CMR was as high as 50 μmol⋅min−1⋅g−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Advanced Composites)
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3319 KiB  
Article
On Identification of Critical Material Attributes for Compression Behaviour of Pharmaceutical Diluent Powders
by Jianyi Zhang, Chuan-Yu Wu, Xin Pan and Chuanbin Wu
Materials 2017, 10(7), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070845 - 23 Jul 2017
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5939
Abstract
As one of the commonly-used solid dosage forms, pharmaceutical tablets have been widely used to deliver active drugs into the human body, satisfying patient’s therapeutic requirements. To manufacture tablets of good quality, diluent powders are generally used in formulation development to increase the [...] Read more.
As one of the commonly-used solid dosage forms, pharmaceutical tablets have been widely used to deliver active drugs into the human body, satisfying patient’s therapeutic requirements. To manufacture tablets of good quality, diluent powders are generally used in formulation development to increase the bulk of formulations and to bind other inactive ingredients with the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). For formulations of a low API dose, the drug products generally consist of a large fraction of diluent powders. Hence, the attributes of diluents become extremely important and can significantly influence the final product property. Therefore, it is essential to accurately characterise the mechanical properties of the diluents and to thoroughly understand how their mechanical properties affect the manufacturing performance and properties of the final products, which will build a sound scientific basis for formulation design and product development. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanical properties of the widely-used pharmaceutical diluent powders, including microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) powders with different grades (i.e., Avicel PH 101, Avicel PH 102, and DG), mannitol SD 100, lactose monohydrate, and dibasic calcium phosphate, were performed. The powder compressibility was assessed with Heckel and Kawakita analyses. The material elastic recovery during decompression and in storage was investigated through monitoring the change in the dimensions of the compressed tablets over time. The powder hygroscopicity was also evaluated to examine the water absorption ability of powders from the surroundings. It was shown that the MCC tablets exhibited continuous volume expansion after ejection, which is believed to be induced by (1) water absorption from the surrounding, and (2) elastic recovery. However, mannitol tablets showed volume expansion immediately after ejection, followed by the material shrinkage in storage. It is anticipated that the expansion was induced by elastic recovery to a limited extent, while the shrinkage was primarily due to the solidification during storage. It was also found that, for all powders considered, the powder compressibility and the elastic recovery depended significantly on the particle breakage tendency: a decrease in the particle breakage tendency led to a slight decrease in the powder compressibility and a significant drop in immediate elastic recovery. This implies that the particle breakage tendency is a critical material attribute in controlling the compression behaviour of pharmaceutical powders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials for Drug Delivery and Biomedical Consideration)
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2570 KiB  
Article
Zinc Sorption Studies on Pectin-Based Biosorbents
by Agata Jakóbik-Kolon, Krzysztof Mitko and Joanna Bok-Badura
Materials 2017, 10(7), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070844 - 22 Jul 2017
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4401
Abstract
The previously-obtained and characterized hybrid pectin-based beads containing agar-agar and guar gum, as well as sole pectin beads (P, for comparison) were examined for zinc ions sorption and desorption properties. The sorption kinetics and equilibrium in the studied system was described by two [...] Read more.
The previously-obtained and characterized hybrid pectin-based beads containing agar-agar and guar gum, as well as sole pectin beads (P, for comparison) were examined for zinc ions sorption and desorption properties. The sorption kinetics and equilibrium in the studied system was described by two kinetic models (pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order) and two isotherms (Langmuir and Freundlich), respectively. The desorption kinetics and equilibrium was also investigated by applying various inorganic acids (nitric, hydrochloric, and sulfuric acid) of various concentrations. In the case of guar gum additive, no significant change in sorption capacity compared to sole pectin beads was observed (q: 37.0 ± 2.6 and 34.7 ± 2.0 mg/g, respectively). Addition of agar-agar significantly decreased the sorption capacity to 22.3 ± 1.0 mg/g, but stripping of zinc(II) ions from this biosorbent was complete even with very diluted acids (0.01 M). Total desorption of zinc from sole pectin and pectin-guar gum beads required acid solution of higher concentration (0.1 M). Sorption rates for all biosorbents are roughly the same and maximum sorption is achieved after 4–5 h. Obtained results and the advantage of our sorbent’s shape formation ability, make the pectin-based biosorbents interesting alternative for zinc(II) ions removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sorption Materials for Environment Purification)
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4182 KiB  
Article
Anti-Inflammatory, Immunomodulatory, and Tissue Repair Activity on Human Keratinocytes by Green Innovative Nanocomposites
by Pierfrancesco Morganti, Alessandra Fusco, Iole Paoletti, Brunella Perfetto, Paola Del Ciotto, Marco Palombo, Angelo Chianese, Adone Baroni and Giovanna Donnarumma
Materials 2017, 10(7), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070843 - 22 Jul 2017
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 5242
Abstract
The use of raw materials obtained by waste and processed through innovative industrial methodologies has generated an industry of about a trillion dollars in a short time, and in the near future will provide resources and services for the conservation and sustainable use [...] Read more.
The use of raw materials obtained by waste and processed through innovative industrial methodologies has generated an industry of about a trillion dollars in a short time, and in the near future will provide resources and services for the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in order to ensure a better and fairer welfare for the human race. The production of nano-fiber chitin non-woven tissue is in accordance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union (EU) bio-economic programs: 100% biodegradable, ecological, and therefore useful in decreasing dependence on fossil fuel resources. The aim of our study is the evaluation of different formulations of a non-woven tissue obtained from electrospinning of a mixture of nanochitin fibrils, lignin, and poly (ethylene) oxide (PEO) on the restoration of damaged tissues. Wound repair is a complex process that involves epithelial and immune cells and includes the induction of metalloproteinases, inflammatory mediators, and angiogenic factors. Our in vitro results have shown that all of the realized chitin nanofibrils-bio-lignin non-woven tissues tested as nontoxic for human keratinocytes (HaCat) cells. Furthermore, the bio-composites that included bio-lignin at 0.1% have been able to modulate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, IL-1α, and IL8), lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and human beta-defensin 2 (HBD-2) expression in HaCat cells, suggesting an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory role. Taken together, our results suggest that our chitin nanofibrils-bio-lignin non-woven tissue represents a skin-friendly tool that is able to favor a correct and fast wound repair. Full article
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1700 KiB  
Article
Interaction of Shear and Rayleigh–Lamb Waves with Notches and Voids in Plate Waveguides
by Annamaria Pau and Dimitra V. Achillopoulou
Materials 2017, 10(7), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070841 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4190
Abstract
This paper investigates the interaction of different shear- and Rayleigh–Lamb-guided waves in plates with a discontinuity such as a notch or an internal void. The problem was solved numerically using a finite element model and by exploiting an analytical solution obtainable for the [...] Read more.
This paper investigates the interaction of different shear- and Rayleigh–Lamb-guided waves in plates with a discontinuity such as a notch or an internal void. The problem was solved numerically using a finite element model and by exploiting an analytical solution obtainable for the double sharp changes of the cross-section that served as a reference. We aimed to elucidate the relation between the size and shape of the discontinuity and the reflection and transmission coefficients of the scattered field. Different sizes and profiles of the discontinuity were considered, with the shapes ranging from step changes of the height to ellipses, both symmetric and nonsymmetric. Regimes related to low and high values of the product frequency multiplied by the height of the plate were investigated. These showed how the mode conversion was related to the symmetry between the incident mode and the discontinuity, and to the actual existence of multiple propagating modes. The analysis presented was motivated by the need to set up procedures that exploit propagating waves not only to detect the presence of a notch, but also to characterize its size and shape. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Health Monitoring for Aerospace Applications 2017)
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6595 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Bioactive Chlorogenic Acid-Silica Hybrid Materials via the Sol–Gel Route and Evaluation of Their Biocompatibility
by Michelina Catauro and Severina Pacifico
Materials 2017, 10(7), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070840 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4516
Abstract
Natural phenol compounds are gaining a great deal of attention because of their potential use as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in many diseases, as well as in applied science for their preventing role in oxidation deterioration. With the aim to synthetize new phenol-based [...] Read more.
Natural phenol compounds are gaining a great deal of attention because of their potential use as prophylactic and therapeutic agents in many diseases, as well as in applied science for their preventing role in oxidation deterioration. With the aim to synthetize new phenol-based materials, the sol–gel method was used to embed different content of the phenolic antioxidant chlorogenic acid (CGA) within silica matrices to obtain organic-inorganic hybrid materials. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements were used to characterize the prepared materials. The new materials were screened for their bioactivity and antioxidant potential. To this latter purpose, direct DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) methods were applied: radical scavenging capability appeared strongly dependent on the phenol amount in investigated hybrids, and became pronounced, mainly toward the ABTS radical cation, when materials with CGA content equal to 15 wt% and 20 wt% were analyzed. The in vitro biocompatibility of the synthetized materials was estimated by using the MTT assay towards fibroblast NIH 3T3 cells, human keratinocyte HaCaT cells, and the neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. As cell viability and morphology of tested cell lines seemed to be unaffected by new materials, the attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR method was applied to deeply measure the effects of the hybrids in the three different cell lines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sol-Gel Chemistry Applied to Materials Science)
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21827 KiB  
Article
The Microstructural Characterization of Multiferroic LaFeO3-YMnO3 Multilayers Grown on (001)- and (111)-SrTiO3 Substrates by Transmission Electron Microscopy
by Bin Pang, Lei Sun, Xuan Shen, Yang-Yang Lv, Xiao Li, Fei-Xiang Wu, Shu-Hua Yao, Jian Zhou, Shan-Tao Zhang and Y.B. Chen
Materials 2017, 10(7), 839; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070839 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4766
Abstract
The microstructure of multiferroic LaFeO3-YMnO3 (LFO-YMO) multilayers grown on (001)- and (111)-SrTiO3 substrates is characterized by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Detailed TEM characterization reveals that LFO-YMO multilayers grown on both substrates have clear layer-by-layer morphology and distinct chemical-composition [...] Read more.
The microstructure of multiferroic LaFeO3-YMnO3 (LFO-YMO) multilayers grown on (001)- and (111)-SrTiO3 substrates is characterized by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Detailed TEM characterization reveals that LFO-YMO multilayers grown on both substrates have clear layer-by-layer morphology and distinct chemical-composition layered structure. The most notable feature is that LFO-YMO multilayers grown on (001)-SrTiO3 substrate have three types of domains, while those on (111)-SrTiO3 have only one. The multi-/twin- domain structure can be qualitatively explained by the lattice mismatch in this system. The details of the domain structure of LFO-YMO multilayers are crucial to understanding their magnetic properties. Full article
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3039 KiB  
Article
Influences of Thermal Treatment on the Dielectric Performances of Polystyrene Composites Reinforced by Graphene Nanoplatelets
by Benhui Fan, Yu Liu, Delong He and Jinbo Bai
Materials 2017, 10(7), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070838 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4136
Abstract
Dielectric properties of composites near percolation threshold (fc) are often sensitive to thermal treatments, and the annealing temperature is usually associated with a polymer’s rheological properties. In this study, the influences of the thermal treatment on dielectric properties are investigated [...] Read more.
Dielectric properties of composites near percolation threshold (fc) are often sensitive to thermal treatments, and the annealing temperature is usually associated with a polymer’s rheological properties. In this study, the influences of the thermal treatment on dielectric properties are investigated for the polystyrene (PS) matrix composite reinforced by graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) fillers near fc. It can be found that the thermal treatment can not only increase the dielectric constant, but also decrease the dielectric loss for the PS/GNP composite. This interesting phenomenon possibly happens in the interfacial region of PS/GNP with the thickness about 4–6 nm according to the electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) results. The free volumes around the interface can be easily altered by the movement of polymeric segments after annealing at the glass transition temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymers for Film Capacitors)
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6805 KiB  
Article
Effects of Annealing Conditions on Mixed Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells and Their Thermal Stability Investigation
by Haifeng Yang, Jincheng Zhang, Chunfu Zhang, Jingjing Chang, Zhenhua Lin, Dazheng Chen, He Xi and Yue Hao
Materials 2017, 10(7), 837; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070837 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6551
Abstract
In this work, efficient mixed organic cation and mixed halide (MA0.7FA0.3Pb(I0.9Br0.1)3) perovskite solar cells are demonstrated by optimizing annealing conditions. AFM, XRD and PL measurements show that there is a better perovskite film [...] Read more.
In this work, efficient mixed organic cation and mixed halide (MA0.7FA0.3Pb(I0.9Br0.1)3) perovskite solar cells are demonstrated by optimizing annealing conditions. AFM, XRD and PL measurements show that there is a better perovskite film quality for the annealing condition at 100 °C for 30 min. The corresponding device exhibits an optimized PCE of 16.76% with VOC of 1.02 V, JSC of 21.55 mA/cm2 and FF of 76.27%. More importantly, the mixed lead halide perovskite MA0.7FA0.3Pb(I0.9Br0.1)3 can significantly increase the thermal stability of perovskite film. After being heated at 80 °C for 24 h, the PCE of the MA0.7FA0.3Pb(I0.9Br0.1)3 device still remains at 70.00% of its initial value, which is much better than the control MAPbI3 device, where only 46.50% of its initial value could be preserved. We also successfully fabricated high-performance flexible mixed lead halide perovskite solar cells based on PEN substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Energy Materials)
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8641 KiB  
Review
Surface Plasmon Resonance or Biocompatibility—Key Properties for Determining the Applicability of Noble Metal Nanoparticles
by Ana Maria Craciun, Monica Focsan, Klara Magyari, Adriana Vulpoi and Zsolt Pap
Materials 2017, 10(7), 836; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070836 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 7985
Abstract
Metal and in particular noble metal nanoparticles represent a very special class of materials which can be applied as prepared or as composite materials. In most of the cases, two main properties are exploited in a vast number of publications: biocompatibility and surface [...] Read more.
Metal and in particular noble metal nanoparticles represent a very special class of materials which can be applied as prepared or as composite materials. In most of the cases, two main properties are exploited in a vast number of publications: biocompatibility and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). For instance, these two important properties are exploitable in plasmonic diagnostics, bioactive glasses/glass ceramics and catalysis. The most frequently applied noble metal nanoparticle that is universally applicable in all the previously mentioned research areas is gold, although in the case of bioactive glasses/glass ceramics, silver and copper nanoparticles are more frequently applied. The composite partners/supports/matrix/scaffolds for these nanoparticles can vary depending on the chosen application (biopolymers, semiconductor-based composites: TiO2, WO3, Bi2WO6, biomaterials: SiO2 or P2O5-based glasses and glass ceramics, polymers: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Gelatin, polyethylene glycol (PEG), polylactic acid (PLA), etc.). The scientific works on these materials’ applicability and the development of new approaches will be targeted in the present review, focusing in several cases on the functioning mechanism and on the role of the noble metal. Full article
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26171 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Quasi-Brittle Failure of Alashan Granite Viewed from Laboratory Experiments and Grain-Based Discrete Element Modeling
by Jian Zhou, Luqing Zhang, Duoxing Yang, Anika Braun and Zhenhua Han
Materials 2017, 10(7), 835; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070835 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 6599
Abstract
Granite is a typical crystalline material, often used as a building material, but also a candidate host rock for the repository of high-level radioactive waste. The petrographic texture—including mineral constituents, grain shape, size, and distribution—controls the fracture initiation, propagation, and coalescence within granitic [...] Read more.
Granite is a typical crystalline material, often used as a building material, but also a candidate host rock for the repository of high-level radioactive waste. The petrographic texture—including mineral constituents, grain shape, size, and distribution—controls the fracture initiation, propagation, and coalescence within granitic rocks. In this paper, experimental laboratory tests and numerical simulations of a grain-based approach in two-dimensional Particle Flow Code (PFC2D) were conducted on the mechanical strength and failure behavior of Alashan granite, in which the grain-like structure of granitic rock was considered. The microparameters for simulating Alashan granite were calibrated based on real laboratory strength values and strain-stress curves. The unconfined uniaxial compressive test and Brazilian indirect tensile test were performed using a grain-based approach to examine and discuss the influence of mineral grain size and distribution on the strength and patterns of microcracks in granitic rocks. The results show it is possible to reproduce the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and uniaxial tensile strength (UTS) of Alashan granite using the grain-based approach in PFC2D, and the average mineral size has a positive relationship with the UCS and UTS. During the modeling, most of the generated microcracks were tensile cracks. Moreover, the ratio of the different types of generated microcracks is related to the average grain size. When the average grain size in numerical models is increased, the ratio of the number of intragrain tensile cracks to the number of intergrain tensile cracks increases, and the UCS of rock samples also increases with this ratio. However, the variation in grain size distribution does not have a significant influence on the likelihood of generated microcracks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Brittle Failure of Different Materials)
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2920 KiB  
Article
Improvement of Cr-Co-Mo Membrane Surface Used as Barrier for Bone Regeneration through UV Photofunctionalization: An In Vitro Study
by Oscar Decco, Jésica Zuchuat and Nicolás Farkas
Materials 2017, 10(7), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070825 - 21 Jul 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4058
Abstract
Although there are several studies of the ultraviolet (UV) light-mediated photofunctionalization of titanium for use as implant material, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. However, the results of in vitro and in vivo studies are very encouraging. The use of UV photofunctionalization [...] Read more.
Although there are several studies of the ultraviolet (UV) light-mediated photofunctionalization of titanium for use as implant material, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. However, the results of in vitro and in vivo studies are very encouraging. The use of UV photofunctionalization as a surface treatment on other implant materials, as the Cr-Co-Mo alloy, has not been explored in depth. Using sandblasted Cr-Co-Mo discs, the surface photofunctionalization was studied for ultraviolet A (UVA, 365 nm) and ultraviolet C (UVC, 254 nm), and the surfaces were evaluated for their ability to sustain hydroxyapatite crystal growth through incubation in simulated body fluid for a seven-day period. The variation of the pre- and post-irradiation contact angle and surface composition was determined through the quantification of the weight percentage of Ca and P crystals by the EDAX ZAF method (EDS). Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found for samples irradiated with UVA over 48 h, corresponding with hydrophilic surfaces, and the same result was found for samples exposed to 3 h of UVC. Superhydrophilic surfaces were found in samples irradiated for 12, 24 and 48 h with UVC. The decrease in the carbon content is related with the increase in the surface content of Ca and P, and vice versa over the Cr-Co-Mo surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Biomaterials)
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2669 KiB  
Article
Biological Degradation of Chinese Fir with Trametes Versicolor (L.) Lloyd
by Meiling Chen, Chuangui Wang, Benhua Fei, Xinxin Ma, Bo Zhang, Shuangyan Zhang and Anmin Huang
Materials 2017, 10(7), 834; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070834 - 20 Jul 2017
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4595
Abstract
Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) has been an important afforestation species in northeast China. It has obvious defects of buckling and cracking easily, which are caused by its chemical components. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd, a white-rot fungus, can decompose the cellulose, [...] Read more.
Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) has been an important afforestation species in northeast China. It has obvious defects of buckling and cracking easily, which are caused by its chemical components. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd, a white-rot fungus, can decompose the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the wood. White-rot fungus was used to biologically degrade Chinese fir wood. The effects of different degradation time on the Chinese fir wood’s mechanical properties, micromorphology, chemical components, and crystallinity were studied. The results showed that the heartwood of Chinese fir was more durable than the sapwood and the durability class of Chinese fir was III. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd had a greater influence on the mechanical properties (especially with respect to the modulus of elasticity (MOE)) for the sapwood. Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd degraded Chinese fir and colonized the lumen of various wood cell types in Chinese fir, penetrated cell walls via pits, caused erosion troughs and bore holes, and removed all cell layers. The ability of white-rot fungus to change the chemical composition mass fraction for Chinese fir was: hemicellulose > lignin > cellulose. The durability of the chemical compositions was: lignin > cellulose > hemicellulose. The crystallinity of the cellulose decreased and the mean size of the ordered (crystalline) domains increased after being treated by white-rot fungus. Full article
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13243 KiB  
Article
Effect of the Ultrasonic Surface Rolling Process on the Fretting Fatigue Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy
by Chengsong Liu, Daoxin Liu, Xiaohua Zhang, Shouming Yu and Weidong Zhao
Materials 2017, 10(7), 833; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070833 - 20 Jul 2017
Cited by 68 | Viewed by 6189
Abstract
The effect of the ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP) on the rotary bending fretting fatigue (FF) of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was investigated. The reason for the USRP’s ability to improve the FF resistance of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was studied. The results revealed that the USRP [...] Read more.
The effect of the ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP) on the rotary bending fretting fatigue (FF) of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was investigated. The reason for the USRP’s ability to improve the FF resistance of Ti-6Al-4V alloy was studied. The results revealed that the USRP induced a compressive residual stress field with a depth of 530 μm and a maximum residual stress of −930 MPa. Moreover, the surface micro-hardness of the USRP sample was significantly higher than that of the untreated base material (BM) sample, and the USRP yielded a 72.7% increase in the FF limit of the alloy. These further enhanced fatigue properties contributed mainly to the compressive residual stress field with large numerical value and deep distribution, which could effectively suppress FF crack initiation and early propagation. The USRP-induced surface work-hardening had only a minor impact on the FF resistance. Full article
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18947 KiB  
Article
An Advanced Multi-Sensor Acousto-Ultrasonic Structural Health Monitoring System: Development and Aerospace Demonstration
by Joel Smithard, Nik Rajic, Stephen Van der Velden, Patrick Norman, Cedric Rosalie, Steve Galea, Hanfei Mei, Bin Lin and Victor Giurgiutiu
Materials 2017, 10(7), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070832 - 20 Jul 2017
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5703
Abstract
A key longstanding objective of the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) research community is to enable the embedment of SHM systems in high value assets like aircraft to provide on-demand damage detection and evaluation. As against traditional non-destructive inspection hardware, embedded SHM systems must [...] Read more.
A key longstanding objective of the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) research community is to enable the embedment of SHM systems in high value assets like aircraft to provide on-demand damage detection and evaluation. As against traditional non-destructive inspection hardware, embedded SHM systems must be compact, lightweight, low-power and sufficiently robust to survive exposure to severe in-flight operating conditions. Typical Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) systems can be bulky, costly and are often inflexible in their configuration and/or scalability, which militates against in-service deployment. Advances in electronics have resulted in ever smaller, cheaper and more reliable components that facilitate the development of compact and robust embedded SHM systems, including for Acousto-Ultrasonics (AU), a guided plate-wave inspection modality that has attracted strong interest due mainly to its capacity to furnish wide-area diagnostic coverage with a relatively low sensor density. This article provides a detailed description of the development, testing and demonstration of a new AU interrogation system called the Acousto Ultrasonic Structural health monitoring Array Module+ (AUSAM+). This system provides independent actuation and sensing on four Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensor (PWAS) elements with further sensing on four Positive Intrinsic Negative (PIN) photodiodes for intensity-based interrogation of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG). The paper details the development of a novel piezoelectric excitation amplifier, which, in conjunction with flexible acquisition-system architecture, seamlessly provides electromechanical impedance spectroscopy for PWAS diagnostics over the full instrument bandwidth of 50 KHz–5 MHz. The AUSAM+ functionality is accessed via a simple hardware object providing a myriad of custom software interfaces that can be adapted to suit the specific requirements of each individual application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Health Monitoring for Aerospace Applications 2017)
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16056 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of 3D-Printed Polycaprolactone Scaffolds Coated with Freeze-Dried Platelet-Rich Plasma for Bone Regeneration
by Junda Li, Meilin Chen, Xiaoying Wei, Yishan Hao and Jinming Wang
Materials 2017, 10(7), 831; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070831 - 19 Jul 2017
Cited by 80 | Viewed by 8730
Abstract
Three-dimensional printing is one of the most promising techniques for the manufacturing of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. However, a pure scaffold is limited by its biological properties. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been shown to have the potential to improve the osteogenic effect. [...] Read more.
Three-dimensional printing is one of the most promising techniques for the manufacturing of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. However, a pure scaffold is limited by its biological properties. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been shown to have the potential to improve the osteogenic effect. In this study, we improved the biological properties of scaffolds by coating 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with freeze-dried and traditionally prepared PRP, and we evaluated these scaffolds through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro, we evaluated the interaction between dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and the scaffolds by measuring cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and osteogenic differentiation. The results showed that freeze-dried PRP significantly enhanced ALP activity and the mRNA expression levels of osteogenic genes (ALP, RUNX2 (runt-related gene-2), OCN (osteocalcin), OPN (osteopontin)) of DPSCs (p < 0.05). In vivo, 5 mm calvarial defects were created, and the PRP-PCL scaffolds were implanted. The data showed that compared with traditional PRP-PCL scaffolds or bare PCL scaffolds, the freeze-dried PRP-PCL scaffolds induced significantly greater bone formation (p < 0.05). All these data suggest that coating 3D-printed PCL scaffolds with freeze-dried PRP can promote greater osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs and induce more bone formation, which may have great potential in future clinical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Biomaterials)
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12199 KiB  
Article
Sliding Wear Behavior of UNS R56400 Titanium Alloy Samples Thermally Oxidized by Laser
by Juan Manuel Vazquez Martinez, Francisco J. Botana Pedemonte, Marta Botana Galvin, Jorge Salguero Gomez and Mariano Marcos Barcena
Materials 2017, 10(7), 830; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070830 - 19 Jul 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4516
Abstract
Wear of elements subjected to friction and sliding is among the main causes of low tribological performance and short lifetime of strategic materials such as titanium alloys. These types of alloys are widely used in different areas such as aerospace and the biomechanics [...] Read more.
Wear of elements subjected to friction and sliding is among the main causes of low tribological performance and short lifetime of strategic materials such as titanium alloys. These types of alloys are widely used in different areas such as aerospace and the biomechanics industry. In this sense, surface modification treatments allow for the overcoming of limitations and improvement of features and properties. In the case of titanium alloys, improvements in the main weaknesses of these materials can be obtained. Laser texturing of UNS R56400 (Ti6Al4V) alloy, according to Unified Numbering System designation, surface layers in a non-protective atmosphere produces an increase of the oxides, especially of titanium dioxide (TiO2) species. The presence of oxides in the alloy results in color tonality variations as well as hardness increases. In addition, specific roughness topographies may be produced by the track of laser beam irradiation. In this research, thermochemical oxidation of UNS R56400 alloy has been developed through laser texturing, using scan speed of the beam (Vs) as the process control variable, and its influence on the sliding wear behavior was analyzed. For this purpose, using pin on disc tribological tests, wear was evaluated from the friction coefficient, and wear mechanisms involved in the process were analyzed. Combined studies of wear mechanisms and the friction coefficient verified that by means of specific surface treatments, an increase in the wear resistance of this type of alloys is generated. The most advantageous results for the improvement of tribological behavior have been detected in textured surfaces using a Vs of 150 mm/s, resulting in a decrease in the friction coefficient values by approximately 20%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribological Behavior of Materials by Surface Engineering)
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3563 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Properties of Carbon Nanotube-Grafted Silica Nanoarchitecture-Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid)
by Yao-Wen Hsu, Chia-Ching Wu, Song-Mao Wu and Chean-Cheng Su
Materials 2017, 10(7), 829; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070829 - 19 Jul 2017
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5381
Abstract
A novel nanoarchitecture-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposite was prepared using multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-grafted silica nanohybrids as reinforcements. MWCNT-grafted silica nanohybrids were synthesized by the generation of silica nanoparticles on the MWCNT surface through the sol-gel technique. This synthetic method involves organo-modified MWCNTs [...] Read more.
A novel nanoarchitecture-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposite was prepared using multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-grafted silica nanohybrids as reinforcements. MWCNT-grafted silica nanohybrids were synthesized by the generation of silica nanoparticles on the MWCNT surface through the sol-gel technique. This synthetic method involves organo-modified MWCNTs that are dispersed in tetrahydrofuran, which incorporates tetraethoxysilane that undergoes an ultrasonic sol-gel process. Gelation yielded highly dispersed silica on the organo-modified MWCNTs. The structure and properties of the nanohybrids were established using 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance, Raman spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The resulting MWCNT nanoarchitectures were covalently assembled into silica nanoparticles, which exhibited specific and controllable morphologies and were used to reinforce biodegradable PLA. The tensile strength and the heat deflection temperature (HDT) of the PLA/MWCNT-grafted silica nanocomposites increased when the MWCNT-grafted silica was applied to the PLA matrix; by contrast, the surface resistivity of the PLA/MWCNT-grafted silica nanocomposites appeared to decline as the amount of MWCNT-grafted silica in the PLA matrix increased. Overall, the reinforcement of PLA using MWCNT-grafted silica nanoarchitectures was efficient and improved its mechanical properties, heat resistance, and electrical resistivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Material Related Papers from ICI2016)
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12273 KiB  
Article
Effect of Fly-Ash Cenospheres on Properties of Clay-Ceramic Syntactic Foams
by Kristine Rugele, Dirk Lehmhus, Irina Hussainova, Julite Peculevica, Marks Lisnanskis and Andrei Shishkin
Materials 2017, 10(7), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070828 - 19 Jul 2017
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5866
Abstract
A low-density clay ceramic syntactic foam (CSF) composite material was successfully synthesized from illitic clay added by fly ash cenospheres (CS) using the semi-dry formation method. The content of CS varied in the range of 10, 30, 50 and 60 vol %. Furthermore, [...] Read more.
A low-density clay ceramic syntactic foam (CSF) composite material was successfully synthesized from illitic clay added by fly ash cenospheres (CS) using the semi-dry formation method. The content of CS varied in the range of 10, 30, 50 and 60 vol %. Furthermore, reference samples without cenospheres were produced for property comparison. The materials comprising different amount of the additives were fired at temperatures of 600, 950, 1000, 1050, 1100, 1150 and 1200 °C. Firing times were kept constant at 30 min. Processing characteristics of the materials were evaluated in terms of density achieved and shrinkage observed as functions of both the CS content and the sintering temperature. The compressive strength and water uptake were determined as application-oriented properties. Except for the reference and the low CS level samples, the materials show an increase in strength with the increase in firing temperature, and a decrease of mechanical reliability with a decrease in density, which is typical for porous materials. Exceptions are the samples with no or low (10 vol %) content of cenospheres. In this case, the maximum strength is obtained at an intermediate sintering temperature of 1100 °C. At a low density (1.10 and 1.25 g/cm3), the highest levels of strength are obtained after sintering at 1200 °C. For nominal porosity levels of 50 and 60 vol %, 41 and 26 MPa peak stresses, respectively, are recorded under compressive load. Full article
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4075 KiB  
Article
Simulations on Monitoring and Evaluation of Plasticity-Driven Material Damage Based on Second Harmonic of S0 Mode Lamb Waves in Metallic Plates
by Xiaoqiang Sun, Xuyang Liu, Yaolu Liu, Ning Hu, Youxuan Zhao, Xiangyan Ding, Shiwei Qin, Jianyu Zhang, Jun Zhang, Feng Liu and Shaoyun Fu
Materials 2017, 10(7), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070827 - 19 Jul 2017
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5224
Abstract
In this study, a numerical approach—the discontinuous Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin-Eshelby Method (MLPGEM)—was adopted to simulate and measure material plasticity in an Al 7075-T651 plate. The plate was modeled in two dimensions by assemblies of small particles that interact with each other through bonding [...] Read more.
In this study, a numerical approach—the discontinuous Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin-Eshelby Method (MLPGEM)—was adopted to simulate and measure material plasticity in an Al 7075-T651 plate. The plate was modeled in two dimensions by assemblies of small particles that interact with each other through bonding stiffness. The material plasticity of the model loaded to produce different levels of strain is evaluated with the Lamb waves of S0 mode. A tone burst at the center frequency of 200 kHz was used as excitation. Second-order nonlinear wave was extracted from the spectrogram of a signal receiving point. Tensile-driven plastic deformation and cumulative second harmonic generation of S0 mode were observed in the simulation. Simulated measurement of the acoustic nonlinearity increased monotonically with the level of tensile-driven plastic strain captured by MLPGEM, whereas achieving this state by other numerical methods is comparatively more difficult. This result indicates that the second harmonics of S0 mode can be employed to monitor and evaluate the material or structural early-stage damage induced by plasticity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Health Monitoring for Aerospace Applications 2017)
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4158 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of Gelatin-Based Crosslinkers for the Fabrication of Superabsorbent Hydrogels
by Penphitcha Amonpattaratkit, Sureerat Khunmanee, Dong Hyun Kim and Hansoo Park
Materials 2017, 10(7), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070826 - 19 Jul 2017
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5438
Abstract
In this work, crosslinkers were prepared by conjugating high- and low-molecular-weight gelatin with different mole ratios of itaconic acid (IA) with double bonds. Then, the gelatin-itaconic acid (gelatin-IA) crosslinkers were compared with the gelatin-methacrylate (gelatin-MA) crosslinkers. The molecular weights and structures of gelatin-MA [...] Read more.
In this work, crosslinkers were prepared by conjugating high- and low-molecular-weight gelatin with different mole ratios of itaconic acid (IA) with double bonds. Then, the gelatin-itaconic acid (gelatin-IA) crosslinkers were compared with the gelatin-methacrylate (gelatin-MA) crosslinkers. The molecular weights and structures of gelatin-MA and gelatin-IA were confirmed using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Additionally, the swelling ratio and biodegradation properties of the hydrogels using IA as starting monomers and gelatin-IA and gelatin-MA as crosslinkers were investigated. Both hydrogels prepared with high and low molecular weights of gelatin-IA showed higher swelling ratios than those prepared with the gelatin-MA. The results also showed that absorbent hydrogels with different biodegradabilities and swelling ratios could be prepared by changing the ratio of the gelatin-based crosslinkers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from IEEE ICASI 2017)
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1815 KiB  
Article
First Principles Study of Adsorption of Hydrogen on Typical Alloying Elements and Inclusions in Molten 2219 Al Alloy
by Yu Liu, Yuanchun Huang, Zhengbing Xiao and Guangze Jia
Materials 2017, 10(7), 816; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070816 - 19 Jul 2017
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3685
Abstract
To better understand the effect of the components of molten 2219 Al alloy on the hydrogen content dissolved in it, the H adsorption on various positions of alloying element clusters of Cu, Mn and Al, as well as the inclusion of Al2 [...] Read more.
To better understand the effect of the components of molten 2219 Al alloy on the hydrogen content dissolved in it, the H adsorption on various positions of alloying element clusters of Cu, Mn and Al, as well as the inclusion of Al2O3, MgO and Al4C3, were investigated by means of first principles calculation, and the thermodynamic stability of H adsorbed on each possible site was also studied on the basis of formation energy. Results show that the interaction between Al, MgO, Al4C3 and H atoms is mainly repulsive and energetically unfavorable; a favorable interaction between Cu, Mn, Al2O3 and H atoms was determined, with H being more likely to be adsorbed on the top of the third atomic layer of Cu(111), the second atomic layer of Mn(111), and the O atom in the third atomic layer of Al2O3, compared with other sites. It was found that alloying elements Cu and Mn and including Al2O3 may increase the hydrogen adsorption in the molten 2219 Al alloy with Al2O3 being the most sensitive component in this regard. Full article
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2240 KiB  
Article
Thermostability of Hybrid Thermoelectric Materials Consisting of Poly(Ni-ethenetetrathiolate), Polyimide and Carbon Nanotubes
by Keisuke Oshima, Shifumi Sadakata, Hitoshi Asano, Yukihide Shiraishi and Naoki Toshima
Materials 2017, 10(7), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070824 - 18 Jul 2017
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5064
Abstract
Three-component organic/inorganic hybrid films were fabricated by drop-casting the mixed dispersion of nanodispersed-poly(nickel 1,1,2,2-ethenetetrathiolate) (nano-PETT), polyimide (PI) and super growth carbon nanotubes (SG-CNTs) in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) at the designed ratio on a substrate. The dried nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films were prepared by the [...] Read more.
Three-component organic/inorganic hybrid films were fabricated by drop-casting the mixed dispersion of nanodispersed-poly(nickel 1,1,2,2-ethenetetrathiolate) (nano-PETT), polyimide (PI) and super growth carbon nanotubes (SG-CNTs) in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) at the designed ratio on a substrate. The dried nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films were prepared by the stepwise cleaning of NMP and methanol, and were dried once more. The thermoelectric properties of Seebeck coefficient S and electrical conductivity σ were measured by a thin-film thermoelectric measurement system ADVANCE RIKO ZEM-3M8 at 330–380 K. The electrical conductivity of nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films increased by 1.9 times for solvent treatment by clearing insulated of polymer. In addition, the density of nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films decreased 1.31 to 0.85 g·cm−3 with a decrease in thermal conductivity from 0.18 to 0.12 W·m−1·K−1. To evaluate the thermostability of nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films, the samples were kept at high temperature and the temporal change of thermoelectric properties was measured. The nano-PETT/PI/SG-CNT hybrid films were rather stable at 353 K and kept their power factor even after 4 weeks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Thermoelectric Materials)
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3107 KiB  
Article
Characterisation of Asphalt Concrete Using Nanoindentation
by Salim Barbhuiya and Benjamin Caracciolo
Materials 2017, 10(7), 823; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070823 - 18 Jul 2017
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4354
Abstract
In this study, nanoindentation was conducted to extract the load-displacement behaviour and the nanomechanical properties of asphalt concrete across the mastic, matrix, and aggregate phases. Further, the performance of hydrated lime as an additive was assessed across the three phases. The hydrated lime [...] Read more.
In this study, nanoindentation was conducted to extract the load-displacement behaviour and the nanomechanical properties of asphalt concrete across the mastic, matrix, and aggregate phases. Further, the performance of hydrated lime as an additive was assessed across the three phases. The hydrated lime containing samples have greater resistance to deformation in the mastic and matrix phases, in particular, the mastic. There is strong evidence suggesting that hydrated lime has the most potent effect on the mastic phase, with significant increase in hardness and stiffness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanoindentation in Materials)
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3416 KiB  
Article
Strengthening Effect of Extruded Mg-8Sn-2Zn-2Al Alloy: Influence of Micro and Nano-Size Mg2Sn Precipitates
by Weili Cheng, Yang Bai, Lifei Wang, Hongxia Wang, Liping Bian and Hui Yu
Materials 2017, 10(7), 822; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070822 - 18 Jul 2017
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 3867
Abstract
In this study, Mg-8Sn-2Zn-2Al (TZA822) alloys with varying Mg2Sn contents prior to extrusion were obtained by different pre-treatments (without and with T4), and the strengthening response related to micro and nano-size Mg2Sn precipitates in the extruded TZA822 alloys was [...] Read more.
In this study, Mg-8Sn-2Zn-2Al (TZA822) alloys with varying Mg2Sn contents prior to extrusion were obtained by different pre-treatments (without and with T4), and the strengthening response related to micro and nano-size Mg2Sn precipitates in the extruded TZA822 alloys was reported. The results showed that the morphology of nano-size Mg2Sn precipitates exhibits a significant change in basal plane from rod-like to spherical, owing to the decrement in the fraction of micro-size particles before extrusion. Meanwhile, the spherical Mg2Sn precipitates provided a much stronger strengthening effect than did the rod-like ones, which was ascribed to uniform dispersion and refinement of spherical precipitates to effectively hinder basal dislocation slip. As a consequence, the extruded TZA822 alloy with T4 showed a higher tensile yield strength (TYS) of 245 MPa, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 320 MPa and elongation (EL) of 26.5%, as well as a lower degree of yield asymmetry than their counterpart without T4. Detailed reasons for the strengthening effect were given and analyzed. Full article
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7015 KiB  
Article
Thin-Film Coated Plastic Wrap for Food Packaging
by Hsin-Yu Wu, Ting-Xuan Liu, Chia-Hsun Hsu, Yun-Shao Cho, Zhi-Jia Xu, Shu-Chuan Liao, Bo-Han Zeng, Yeu-Long Jiang and Shui-Yang Lien
Materials 2017, 10(7), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070821 - 18 Jul 2017
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6328
Abstract
In this study, the antimicrobial property and food package capability of polymethylpentene (PMP) substrate with silicon oxdie (SiOx) and organic silicon (SiCxHy) stacked layers deposited by an inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition system were investigated. The [...] Read more.
In this study, the antimicrobial property and food package capability of polymethylpentene (PMP) substrate with silicon oxdie (SiOx) and organic silicon (SiCxHy) stacked layers deposited by an inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition system were investigated. The experimental results show that the stacked pair number of SiOx/SiCxHy on PMP is limited to three pairs, beyond which the films will crack and cause package failure. The three-pair SiOx/SiCxHy on PMP shows a low water vapor transmission rate of 0.57 g/m2/day and a high water contact angle of 102°. Three-pair thin-film coated PMP demonstrates no microbe adhesion and exhibits antibacterial properties within 24 h. Food shelf life testing performed at 28 °C and 80% humidity reports that the three-pair thin-film coated PMP can enhance the food shelf-life to 120 h. The results indicate that the silicon-based thin film may be a promising material for antibacterial food packaging applications to extend the shelf-life of food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from IEEE ICASI 2017)
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2681 KiB  
Article
Low-Temperature Preparation of Tungsten Oxide Anode Buffer Layer via Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis Method for Large-Area Organic Solar Cells
by Ran Ji, Ding Zheng, Chang Zhou, Jiang Cheng, Junsheng Yu and Lu Li
Materials 2017, 10(7), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070820 - 18 Jul 2017
Cited by 59 | Viewed by 6122
Abstract
Tungsten oxide (WO3) is prepared by a low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method in air atmosphere, and it is used as an anode buffer layer (ABL) for organic solar cells (OSCs). The properties of the WO3 transition metal oxide material as [...] Read more.
Tungsten oxide (WO3) is prepared by a low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method in air atmosphere, and it is used as an anode buffer layer (ABL) for organic solar cells (OSCs). The properties of the WO3 transition metal oxide material as well as the mechanism of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis processes are investigated. The results show that the ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO3 ABL exhibits low roughness, matched energy level, and high conductivity, which results in high charge transport efficiency and suppressive recombination in OSCs. As a result, compared to the OSCs based on vacuum thermal evaporated WO3, a higher power conversion efficiency of 3.63% is reached with low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO3 ABL. Furthermore, the mostly spray-coated OSCs with large area was fabricated, which has a power conversion efficiency of ~1%. This work significantly enhances our understanding of the preparation and application of low temperature-processed WO3, and highlights the potential of large area, all spray coated OSCs for sustainable commercial fabrication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Energy Materials)
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4858 KiB  
Article
Color Shift Failure Prediction for Phosphor-Converted White LEDs by Modeling Features of Spectral Power Distribution with a Nonlinear Filter Approach
by Jiajie Fan, Moumouni Guero Mohamed, Cheng Qian, Xuejun Fan, Guoqi Zhang and Michael Pecht
Materials 2017, 10(7), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070819 - 18 Jul 2017
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7421
Abstract
With the expanding application of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the color quality of white LEDs has attracted much attention in several color-sensitive application fields, such as museum lighting, healthcare lighting and displays. Reliability concerns for white LEDs are changing from the luminous efficiency to [...] Read more.
With the expanding application of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the color quality of white LEDs has attracted much attention in several color-sensitive application fields, such as museum lighting, healthcare lighting and displays. Reliability concerns for white LEDs are changing from the luminous efficiency to color quality. However, most of the current available research on the reliability of LEDs is still focused on luminous flux depreciation rather than color shift failure. The spectral power distribution (SPD), defined as the radiant power distribution emitted by a light source at a range of visible wavelength, contains the most fundamental luminescence mechanisms of a light source. SPD is used as the quantitative inference of an LED’s optical characteristics, including color coordinates that are widely used to represent the color shift process. Thus, to model the color shift failure of white LEDs during aging, this paper first extracts the features of an SPD, representing the characteristics of blue LED chips and phosphors, by multi-peak curve-fitting and modeling them with statistical functions. Then, because the shift processes of extracted features in aged LEDs are always nonlinear, a nonlinear state-space model is then developed to predict the color shift failure time within a self-adaptive particle filter framework. The results show that: (1) the failure mechanisms of LEDs can be identified by analyzing the extracted features of SPD with statistical curve-fitting and (2) the developed method can dynamically and accurately predict the color coordinates, correlated color temperatures (CCTs), and color rendering indexes (CRIs) of phosphor-converted (pc)-white LEDs, and also can estimate the residual color life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Light Emitting Diodes and Laser Diodes: Materials and Devices)
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2419 KiB  
Article
Monoclinic 122-Type BaIr2Ge2 with a Channel Framework: A Structural Connection between Clathrate and Layered Compounds
by Xin Gui, Tay-Rong Chang, Tai Kong, Max T. Pan, Robert J. Cava and Weiwei Xie
Materials 2017, 10(7), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10070818 - 18 Jul 2017
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4930
Abstract
A new 122-type phase, monoclinic BaIr2Ge2 is successfully synthesized by arc melting; X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy are used to purify the phase and determine its crystal structure. BaIr2Ge2 adopts a clathrate-like channel framework structure of [...] Read more.
A new 122-type phase, monoclinic BaIr2Ge2 is successfully synthesized by arc melting; X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy are used to purify the phase and determine its crystal structure. BaIr2Ge2 adopts a clathrate-like channel framework structure of the monoclinic BaRh2Si2-type, with space group P21/c. Structural comparisons of clathrate, ThCr2Si2, CaBe2Ge2, and BaRh2Si2 structure types indicate that BaIr2Ge2 can be considered as an intermediate between clathrate and layered compounds. Magnetic measurements show it to be diamagnetic and non-superconducting down to 1.8 K. Different from many layered or clathrate compounds, monoclinic BaIr2Ge2 displays a metallic resistivity. Electronic structure calculations performed for BaIr2Ge2 support its observed structural stability and physical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Insulator Transition)
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