Search

Powder-based (inkjet) three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology presents great promise in the construction industry. The capacity to build complex geometries is one of the most appealing features...

Amidst a world of never-ending waste production and waste disposal crises, scientists have been working their ways to come up with solutions to serve the earth better. Two such commonly found trashes deteriorating the environment are glass and tin can waste. This study aims to investigate the comparative suitability of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) in predicting the mechanical strength of concrete prepared with fine glass aggregate (GFA) and condensed milk can (tin) fibers (CMCF). An experimental scheme has been designed in this study with two input variables as GFA and CMCF, and two output variables as compressive and splitting tensile strength. The results show that both variables influenced the compressive and splitting tensile strength of concrete at 7, 28, and 56 days (p

The object of research is the physical and chemical processes of forming the structure and properties of ceramic masses based on local low-melting clay raw materials of the Kyiv region of Ukraine by adjusting the chemical and mineralogical composition and technological regimes. Building ceramic materials are durable, ecological and natural. They provide increased comfort of buildings due to the creation of a favorable temperature and humidity climate of the premises. When using low-melting raw materials in production, there is a need to develop ways and methods to improve the quality of building ceramics. The efficiency of the manufacture of ceramic products largely depends on the processes that occur during drying. This is of crucial importance and affects the quality of finished products and accounts for 10–12% of the total cost of finished products. Polymineral clay compositions with the addition of natural mineral raw materials are mainly used for the production of construction materials. For effective use of these materials, it is necessary to study their technological properties. Therefore, the question of researching masses based on low-melting clays with high sensitivity to drying, and the use of zeolite-containing mineral rock as an admixture is relevant. This will allow expanding the nomenclature of building ceramics products. Modern physico-chemical and physico-technological methods of research of raw materials and masses based on them during drying were used to solve the task of obtaining ceramic material from local raw materials with the use of a non-deficient natural additive of zeolite-containing rock as an admixture. The conducted studies indicate that the addition of zeolite-containing rock can be used to improve the drying properties of ceramic masses based on low-melting clays. Adding admixture of zeolite-containing rock also increased the compressive strength of finished products, which ensures defect-free transportation of products to other technological operations.

Current wood-plastic materials available for selective laser sintering (SLS) are limited and often suffer from low-quality and mechanical strength. In this study, a new composite of peanut husk pow...

In an article to study the effect of sizing agent and filler on the structural features of paper from the cellulose mass of the inner layer of the bark of mulberry tree branches, mechanical strength, absorbency and sorption properties were studied. Tensile strength was determined on a tensile testing machine by the force causing the destruction of the sample. Surface absorbency at one side wetting was determined by the method of Cobb(30), by determining the mass of water absorbed by the surface of the paper when wetting one side of the test sample. Sorption properties were studied on a high-vacuum setup with mercury gates and McBain quartz balances according to water vapor sorption data. It was found that the internal 2% sizing of the paper pulp with cherry tree resin glue contributes to the strengthening of the paper structure, which is confirmed by the values of mechanical strength and surface absorbency when unilaterally wetted with water, relative to the values obtained when sizing with pine oleoresin rosin glue. When using glue from cherry resin, it is advisable to add 2 g of kaolin to 100 g of pulp from the inner layer of the bark of mulberry tree branches, since the increase negatively affects mechanical strength and hydrophobicity., В статье для исследования влияния проклеивающего вещества и наполнителя на структурные особенности бумаги из целлюлозной массы внутреннего слоя коры веток тутового дерева изучены механическая прочность, впитывающая способность и сорбционные свойства. Прочность на разрыв при растяжении определяли на разрывной машине по усилию, вызывающему разрушение образца. Поверхностную впитываемость при одностороннем смачивании определяли по методу Кобб(30), путем определения массы воды, поглощенной поверхностью бумаги при смачивании одной стороны испытуемого образца. Сорбционные свойства исследовали на высоковакуумной установке с ртутными затворами и кварцевыми весами Мак-Бена по данным сорбции паров воды. Выявлено, что внутренняя 2%-ная проклейка бумажной массы клеем из живицы черешневого дерева способствует упрочнению структуры бумаги, что подтверждается значениями механической прочности и поверхностной впитываемостью при одностороннем смачивании водой, относительно значений, полученных при проклейке канифольным клеем из сосновой живицы. При использовании клея из живицы черешневого дерева целесообразно к 100 г целлюлозной массы из внутреннего слоя коры веток тутового дерева добавлять каолин в количестве 2 г, так как увеличение отрицательно влияет на механическую прочность и гидрофобность.

8 figures.-- © 2022. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, Engineering high-performance chrome-free colored leather is currently a tough challenge in the leather industry. Herein, we report on a novel tanning–dyeing integration strategy based on converting natural cochineal carmine (Car) into an effective tanning agent (DCar) without losing its dyeing capabilities via periodate oxidation. Initially, DCar was used as a tanning–dyeing agent, leading to tanned-dyed leather with well-dispersed and fixed collagen fibers (CFs) and a shrinkage temperature (Ts) of ca. 70 °C. Subsequently, this leather was filled and fatliquored to be prepared for the subsequent aluminum fixation of the CFs matrix, which was facilitated by the excellent metal complexation capabilities of DCar. This dual integrative process resulted in successful simultaneous leather tanning and dyeing. Consequently, the resultant crust leather had a Ts of ca. 80 °C with an outstandingly dispersed and fixed CFs network and excellent softness, fullness, and commercializable mechanical strength (tensile strength: 13 N/mm2; tear strength: 54 N/mm). Besides, it also had a highly marketable brown color, a smooth grain surface, and excellent coloring uniformity and fastness. These results open the door for a new paradigm, i.e., providing natural pigments and dyes with tanning properties to develop novel and benign dual tanning–dyeing agents for the leather industry., The authors thank the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22108297), the National Key Research and Development Program (2020YFE0203800), the Science and Technology Innovation Key Project of Sinolight Corporation (ZQ2021YY05), and the National Foreign Expert Project (G2022056002). Javier Remón is grateful to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for the awarded Juan de la Cierva (JdC) fellowship (IJC2018-037110-I).

This paper aimed to study the physical and chemical changes taking places in a hybrid alkaline-belite cement (HYP, with a high level of fly ash, 47.5%) paste at high temperature. To investigate the influence of chemical and mineralogical differences on the behavior of cementitious materials when exposed to high temperature, an alkaline-activated fly ash cement (FAN) paste was also parallelly studied. The stressestrain behavior of HYP was compared with that of FAN under exposure to high temperatures, and its compressive strength was determined. Additionally, the mechanical strength of both materials was assessed by performing post-thermal treatment tests after high-temperature exposure. Mineralogical and microstructural variations in the binders with temperature were examined by X-ray diffractometer, thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and 29Si and 27Al magic angle spinning with nuclear magnetic resonance. The different types of hydration gels lead to the following. First, softening phenomenon did not occur in the matrix of HYP compared to FAN under high temperature; Second, an increase in total porosity with temperature but different pore size fractions, 1 mm may be a critical pore size to determine the mechanical strength after high temperature exposure; Third, different stressestrain behaviors of HYP and FAN during exposure, at 600 ºC, the stain for FAN and HYP are 12% and 3.5%, respectively; Fourth, different pathways for phase recrystallization (>800 ºC) contributing to high-temperature resistance.

This review focuses on advances in the field of bioprinting for skeletal tissue engineering, as well as a discussion of various bone marrow transplants. All methods (cellular, non-cellular and both) are aimed at finding complex living tissues capable of growing and maturing, using the same basic technology. To date, co-printing of cellular and non-cellular material has been identified as the most promising method for muscle applications because materials with good performance and good mechanical strength can be integrated within the same structure. Integration of orthopedic applications is an evolving field, and a detailed discussion of current challenges and ideas for the future is also presented in this review.

This review focuses on advances in the field of tendon bioprinting and ligament tissue engineering, as well as a discussion of the various mechanisms underlying the tendon and ligament tissue. All methods (cellular, non-cellular and both) aim to find complex living tissues capable of growing and maturing, using the same basic technology. To date, co-printing of cellular and non-cellular material has been identified as the most promising method for muscle applications because materials with good performance and good mechanical strength can be integrated within the same structure. Bioprinting publications for tendon and ligament applications are a developing field, and a detailed discussion of current challenges and future ideas is also presented in this review.

Waste mineral wool represents a huge amount of construction and demolition waste that is still not adequately returned into the value chain but needs to be landfilled. In the present study, waste stone wool (SW) was evaluated for the preparation of alkali-activated foams. For this purpose SW was milled and sieved below 63 μm, then the activator (sodium silicate) and different amounts of foaming agent (hydrogen peroxide, H2O2), varying between 1 wt% and 3 wt%, were added to the slurry and cured in moulds at an elevated temperature (70 ◦ C) for three days. In this way, foamed, highly porous materials were obtained whose density and mechanical properties were influenced by the amount of foaming agent used. The densities obtained ranged between 1.4 and 0.5 g/cm3, with corresponding mechanical properties of between 12.6 and 1.5 MPa and total porosities in the range 37.8–78.6%, respectively. In the most porous samples with the total porosity of 78.6%, a thermal conductivity of 0.092 W/(m∙K) was confirmed. The study confirmed the suitability of waste mineral wool (in our case SW) as a precursor for alkali-activated foams with potential use in the construction sector or other industrial applications.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-05-11T14:13:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Effects-of-Kraft-Lignin-and-Corn-Residue-on-the-Production-of-Eucalyptus-Pellets-BioEnergy-Research-2022.pdf: 710386 bytes, checksum: 098659cc0146e1cc539e6d1e15118b77 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022

This work consists of an experimental study on the ageing response and resulting properties of AA7050 plate material. New heat treatments are investigated for achieving a peak-aged temper, as a T6 temper may be said to be, that achieves yield and tensile strengths superior to those of the documented T7 treatments. For this alloy, the Standard establishes T7X tempers which were developed to obtain a very good compromise between mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. Nevertheless, for all those applications in which the environment is not considered critical for corrosion behaviour, the peak strength condition could be beneficial. In this experimental work, the authors use standard hardness testing to investigate mechanical response as a function of ageing time at several ageing temperatures, all applied immediately after solution. Upon identifying specific times and temperatures of interest, specimens aged under the selected treatments were subjected to tensile testing and intergranular corrosion testing. The results show that a single-step ageing heat treatment is able to produce a significantly high both yield and ultimate tensile strength. Moreover, the corrosion test data indicates that this new heat treatment produces corrosion resistance similar to that of the T76 heat treatment.

The use of natural nanocomponents for increasing the mechanical strength of paper in the aerodynamic method has been investigated. Milled bacterial cellulose and a fine fraction of sulphate bleached softwood cellulose formed during grinding (secondary fines) were used as nanocomponents. The treatment with nanocomponents was carried out while moistening the fibrous layer with the use of an anti-adhesive material providing uniform one sided application of substances in the form of a suspension on the paper surface. The growth of the indicators of the mechanical strength of paper occurred due to the formation of additional hydrogen bonds and an increase in the interfacial interaction between the fibrous layer of plant cellulose and the nanocomponent. It was found that the use of a suspension of bacterial cellulose is more promising due to the low consumption of the binder with a significant increase in the mechanical strength of the paper. The application of a bacterial cellulose coating layer on aerodynamically molded eucalyptus cellulose makes it possible to increase the mechanical strength of the paper to consumer requirements with the consumption of bacterial cellulose in an amount of 0.9% to 1.5% by weight of absolutely dry eucalyptus cellulose., Исследовано применение природных нанокомпонентов для повышения механической прочности бумаги при аэродинамическом способе формования. В качестве нанокомпонентов использовали измельченную бактериальную целлюлозу и мелкую фракцию сульфатной беленой хвойной целлюлозы, образующуюся в процессе размола (вторичную мелочь). Введение нанокомпонентов проводили при увлажнении волокнистого слоя с применением антиадгезионного материала, обеспечивающего равномерное одностороннее нанесение веществ в виде суспензии на поверхность бумаги. Рост показателей механической прочности бумаги происходил за счет образования дополнительных водородных связей и возрастания межфазного взаимодействия между волокнистым слоем из растительной целлюлозы и нанокомпонентами. Установлено, что использование суспензии бактериальной целлюлозы более перспективно из-за малого расхода при значительном повышении показателей механической прочности бумаги. Нанесение покровного слоя бактериальной целлюлозы на бумагу аэродинамического формования из сульфатной беленой эвкалиптовой целлюлозы позволяет повысить значение механической прочности бумаги до потребительских требований при расходе бактериальной целлюлозы в количестве от 0.9 до 1.5% к массе абсолютно сухой целлюлозы.

The increase in solid fraction (SF) of a packed granule bed with pressure applied during the in-die compression process results in an evolution of the tablet's matrix and mechanical strength. In this case study, the tensile strength (TS) of a dry granulated microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)/mannitol (MNT)-based formulation was modeled in light of the deformation potential, ∆ (tablet SF – initial granule bed SF). Results showed that the TS of tablets linearly decreased as SF of granules (produced as mini-tablets of an ibuprofen formulation) increased. The formulated granules achieved a measurable tablet strength at a slightly lower critical deformation potential (∆c) than the pure MCC granules. Beyond ∆c, tablet TS increased almost linearly as the deformation potential increased, and the rate was higher for tablets with higher SF. Compared to the simple MCC system, the granules of the MCC/MNT-based formulation were weaker, and TS of tablets increased with deformation potential at a lower rate.

Mineral wool is a widely used insulation material and one of the largest components of construction and demolition waste, yet it mainly ends up in landfills. In this work, we explored the potential recycling of waste stone wool in the pilot production of alkali-activated façade panels. The current work shows mechanical properties, SEM-EDS and mercury intrusion porosimetry analyses for three different mix designs used for the preparation of façade panels. They are all composed of waste stone wool and differ in the amount of co-binders (local slag, lime, metakaolin and/or fly ash) selected by the preliminary studies. In this study, co-binders were added to increase early strength and improve the mechanical properties and freeze-thaw resistance. The mechanical properties of each were measured up to 256 days, different durability tests were executed, and, by evaluating the mechanical properties, microstructure and workability of the mortar, the most suitable mix was selected to be used for pilot production. In addition, the leaching test of the selected mixture showed no exceeded toxic trace elements and therefore got classified as non-hazardous waste after its use. Nasl. z nasl. zaslona. Opis vira z dne 7. 1. 2022. Bibliografija: 12 ref. Abstract.

Nano modified concretes have become the attractive research area now-a-days. It was anticipated that the inclusion of appropriate nano-sized particles would enhance the mechanical properties of the concrete. Though the capability of nano-TiO2 particles in improving the mechanical strength of the base material was documented in the earlier studies, their influence on the concrete was not yet dealt properly. The current study is attempting to enhance the mechanical properties of the concrete using small mass fraction of nano-TiO2 particles as cement substitute and nanoclay as the fine aggregate substitute. The initial tests were accompanied on the concrete, only with different fraction of nano-TiO2 particles to identify the best nano-TiO2 proportions for different curing periods (7 days, 28 days and 60 days). Then, the secondary tests were piloted with varying mass fractions of nanoclay with the identified best proportion of the nanoconcrete. The results revealed that 2.0% nano-TiO2 particles and 3.0% nanoclay were the optical fractions in the nanoconcrete to obtain maximum values of split tensile, compressive, and flexure strengths. The improvement in the mechanical properties of the concrete was attained about 30% with the help of nano-TiO2 particles and nanoclay.

The present experimental investigation focused on the effect of Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) on Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) Pavement. Generally, the pavement requirements are workability, mechanical strength, drying shrinkage, and abrasion resistance, and these are predicted in the present experimental investigation as a function of GGBS percentage. The GGBS of 0% to 60% is partially replaced with cement to accomplish the maximal performance of SCC. From the experimental investigation, the workability properties are improved as the percentage of GGBS enhances. Mechanical strength properties like compressive, flexural, and split tensile strength of SCC mixes are improved till 40% if GGBS is introduced in place of cement. It is identified that the percentage of GGBS increases when the drying shrinkage of concrete reduces. For abrasion resistance, the percentage of weight loss is minimal for SCC mixtures as the percentage of GGBS increases. Relationships are established between slump flow (mm) and T50cm (sec), similarly the dependence of flexural strength on compressive strength of SCC mixtures are reported for further development of concrete pavements.

This research paper focuses on the influence of nano silica on the mechanical strength behaviour of M40 grade concrete with groundnut shell ash. Initially the pozzolanic activity index test was done to know the reactivity of groundnut shell ash and the percentage of groundnut shell ash used as a partial replacement of cement was fixed as 5%. Later experimental study was carried out by varying the percentage of nano silica in concrete to investigate the combined effect of groundnut shell ash and nano silica on compressive strength, flexure strength and split tensile strength of concrete at 7, 14, 28 and 56 days. The addition of groundnut shell ash showed 9% improvement in the compressive strength and further addition of nano silica showed substantial improvement in the compressive strength by 12.78%.

With the escalation in continuous human curiosity, massive research work is going on in the field of inflatable structures and inflatable systems. These inflatable structures offer a great advantage for the building of emergency air shelters for civilian and military, industrial fuel and gas storage tanks, life rafts, lifeboats, etc. Even, more advanced inflatables like hull structure for lighter-than-air systems (LTA) and inflated radomes are employed in the defence sector. The advantage of inflatable structures lies on their excellent mechanical strength, lightweight, durability and they can be stored in a small volume. Specialty elastomers play an important role in developing inflatable structures because of their excellent properties towards weather resistance, UV and ozone resistance, stability against aging, and oxidation. In addition, they show good gas and vapour barrier properties. In the beginning of this review article, the structure and properties of specialty elastomers selected in this study have been discussed and then the gas transport mechanism through polymeric material is described. In the last part, the development of diverse types of inflatable systems used in industry, defence, and marine applications have been highlighted. More attention is given to the advanced application of inflatables in the defence sector. Throughout this review work, various literature and published work related to specialty elastomers application in inflatable systems have been reviewed. The main emphasis of this study is on the structure, properties and application of specialty elastomers in the advancement of inflatable structures.

Magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) cement is often seen as a ‘green engineering material in the twenty-first century’. However, low mechanical strength is one of the major drawbacks for large-scale applications of MOS cement. In this paper, MOS cement with desirable strength was prepared by adding phosphoric acid. The effects of phosphoric acid on the hydration process, hydration products and microstructure of MOS cement were studied in detail using isothermal calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the incorporation of phosphoric acid could retard the hydration process and increase the setting time of MOS cement. Furthermore, the incorporation of phosphoric acid was shown to increase the compressive strength through its effect in promoting the formation of 5Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·7H2O. The space-filling properties and directional growth characteristics of 5Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·7H2O contributed to a more compact and uniform microstructure of the MOS cement formed.

To maintain the structural integrity of fuel elements for a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) under beyond design conditions, strong and oxidation-resistant fuel elements should be further developed. The HTGR fuel elements employ a hot-pressed silicon carbide (SiC)/carbon (C) mixed matrix to improve the oxidative resistance. Hot-press conditions such as pressure, temperature, and duration would be one of the factors that affect the strength of the HTGR fuel elements. To identify the optimal hot-press conditions for preparing the high-strength fuel elements, modeling their effects on the mechanical-strength properties of the HTGR fuel elements should be evaluated quantitatively. In this study, the response–surface model, which represents the relationship between the hot-press conditions and the mechanical-strength properties, has been constructed by introducing statistical design of experiments approaches. The model estimated the optimal hot-press conditions for producing the high-strength fuel elements. We discuss the model’s validity by comparing its predictions with experimental observations.

Cognition maintenance is essential for healthy and safe life if sleep deprivation happens. Armodafinil is a wake-promoting agent against sleep deprivation related disorders. However, only the tablet formulation is available, which may limit its potential in some circumstances. Here, we report the synthesis of a new formulation of armodafinil, microneedle patches, which can be conveniently used by any individual and removed in time if not wanted. To produce the needles of higher mechanical strength and higher drug loading, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) K90 was used to fabricate armodafinil-loaded microneedles by applying the mold casting method after dissolving in methanol and drying. The higher mechanical strength was validated by COMSOL Multiphysics® software stimulation and universal mechanical testing machines. The obtained armodafinil microneedles can withstand a force of 70 N and penetrate the skin to a depth of 230 μm, and quickly released the drug within 1.5 h in vitro. The pharmacokinetic analysis showed that microneedle administration can maintain a more lasting and stable blood concentration as compared to oral administration. After the treatment of sleep deprived mice with microneedles, the in vivo pharmacodynamics study clearly demonstrated that armodafinil microneedles could eliminate the effects of sleep deprivation and improve the cognitive functions of sleep-deprived mice. A self-administered, high drug-loaded microneedle patch were prepared successfully, which appeared to be highly promising in preserving cognition by transdermal administration.

Extreme vertex design (EVD) method was adapted for the experimental investigation involving the incorporation of industrial waste known as cement kiln dust (CKD) for concrete production; to encourage reuse and recycling of wastes and to achieve eco-friendly construction materials. This design method is mostly suited for factor levels impose with multiple constraints. Components’ constraint formulation was imposed expertly through the relevant literatures to determine the mixture-simplex bounded regions. The laboratory results obtained indicate maximum compressive-strength of 34.85 N/mm2 with concrete mixture-ratio of 13.0434%-cement, 13.043%-CKD, 26.09%-fine-aggregate, 34.78%-coarse-aggregate and 13.0434%-water while the minimum of 18 N/mm2 was obtained with mixture-ratio of 13.79%-cement, 2.299%-CKD, 39.08%-fine-aggregate, 36.78%-coarse-aggregate and 8.05%-water. The generated results were utilized for model-development and statistical-analysis. The statistical influence and diagnostic test results showed a good statistical correlation and points of great influence. The desirability-function was further deployed to achieve numerical and statistical optimization in-order to derive the optimal-solution for the factor-levels combination at 0.15:0.15:0.3:0.4 for cement, CKD, fine-aggregate and coarse-aggregate, respectively. A desirability computation result of 0.907 was obtained with optimal-response of 33.283 N/mm2. Model simulation was further carried out to test the EVD-model’s applicability using Student’s t-test and ANOVA. The results of statistical analysis indicated p-value > 0.05, showing no significant difference between the EVD-model simulated results and actual values.

This paper is focused on solving the problems of positioning and alignment of rivets in double-sided self-pierce riveting by means of flat-bottom holes that are previously machined in the overlapped sheets with greater mechanical strength. The work combines experimentation in joints made from dissimilar materials (aluminium AA5754-H111 and polyvinylchloride) with finite element modelling to investigate the influence of the flat-bottom hole geometry in the overall joining mechanisms. It is shown that the use of flat hole-bottom holes with rivets having identical chamfered angles in both ends is unable to create undercuts and to produce form-closed mechanical interlockings. Undercuts are created if different chamfered angles in the rivet ends are introduced to compensate the greater or lesser difficulty of the rivets to pierce through sheets with different mechanical strengths. Destructive shear and peel tests performed with different types of joints confirm the good performance of the joints produced by double-sided self-pierce riveting with flat-bottom holes.

Pediatric, geriatric, and other patients who suffer from swallowing difficulties represent a special patient group, where an increased need in appropriate formulation development is required. To overcome these mostly swallowability linked issues, orodispersible tablets (ODTs) and orodispersible mini-tablets (ODMTs) can be seen as a suitable alternative to improve compliance. Orodispersible tablets are oral solid dosage forms which rapidly disintegrate after contact with saliva, leaving a liquid dispersion, which can be easily swallowed. To fulfil the required quality criteria and optimize the formulations regarding tensile strength and disintegration time, co-processed excipients (CPE) based on mannitol are frequently used in the manufacturing of orodispersible tablets. This study aimed to systematically compare two new CPEs, namely Granfiller-D® and Hisorad® and evaluate their potential in future OD(M)T formulations with already marketed products. The performance of the CPEs was examined in combination with three different APIs. Disintegration time, sufficient mechanical strength and content uniformity for low dosed formulation were chosen as main quality aspects. Conventionally sized tablets (9 mm) with 50% drug load of ibuprofen and paracetamol were produced with each CPE. Low dosed OD(M)Ts with a drug load of 4% enalapril maleate were manufactured to study content uniformity. Large differences were visible in the formulations containing ibuprofen and only Hisorad® allowed to compress ODT fulfilling the specifications of Ph.Eur. and FDA regarding disintegration times (180 s and 30 s, respectively). For the poorly binding model drug paracetamol, none of the studied excipients showed a satisfactory performance, with maximum tensile strengths 1 MPa. To reach content uniformity in low dosed ODMTs, Ludiflash® seems to be the most preferable alternative, as the formulation showed the lowest acceptance values (AV) according to Ph.Eur. (4) as well as the smallest coefficient of variation (CV) in API content (CV 2%). In conclusion, the study revealed that none CPE is the ideal choice for all approaches, but different CPEs should be selected dependent on different challenges during formulation development of OD(M)Ts.

Combining several high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes into an assembled HTS conductor can enhance the current-carrying capacity, mechanical strength and improve the large width-to-thickness ratio of HTS tapes. And in practical applications, joints can extend the assembled HTS conductors to required lengths. Therefore, encapsulated joints for Soldered-stacked (SS) wire has been proposed as a preliminary study to achieve long length Soldered-Stacked-Square (3S) wire. And in this paper, we numerically study the performances of different types of encapsulated joints. Firstly, encapsulated joints are divided into two categories according to their positions, and a nonlinear circuit model is presented to demonstrate the numerical study process and experiments are conducted to determine the parameters in this model. Then, resistance performances of the encapsulated joints are discussed such as the “multilinear resistance” phenomenon where the encapsulated joints show different resistance under different current. And HTS tape arrangements in the encapsulated joint are also discussed to achieve minimum resistances.

Osteoporoza jest schorzeniem wynikającym między innymi z niedoboru estrogenów u kobiet w okresie menopauzalnym. Choroba ta charakteryzuje się zmniejszoną wytrzymałością kości na uszkodzenia mechaniczne. Osłabienie układu szkieletowego wynika z zaburzeń na poziomie mikroarchitektury tkanki kostnej. Aby zapobiec rozwojowi osteoporozy pomenopauzalnej, można stosować terapię hormonalną, która jednak niesie za sobą wiele działań niepożądanych. W związku z tym poszukuje się bezpiecznej alternatywy dla hormonalnej terapii zastępczej. W tym celu wykorzystywane są związki pochodzenia roślinnego, w tym substancje o charakterze flawonoidów, nazywane fitoestrogenami. Celem pracy było zbadanie, czy związek o strukturze flawonoidu – chryzyna – może wykazywać ochronne działanie na tkankę kostną na poziomie mikroarchitektury u szczurów z eksperymentalnie wywołaną osteoporozą. Badania prowadzono na samicach szczurów szczepu Wistar podzielonych na grupy: SHAM – pozornie operowane, OVX – owariektomizowane i OVX+CHR – owariektomizowane, którym podawano doustnie chryzynę w dawce 50 mg/kg przez 4 tygodnie. Po izolacji kości zanalizowano parametry makrometryczne oraz wykonano preparaty histologiczne i oznaczono szereg parametrów histomorfometrycznych. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują, że chryzyna podawana szczurom owariektomizowanym powoduje nieznaczną poprawę badanych parametrów.

This research was carried out to investigate the interactive effects of MMT loading level and electron beam irradiation on the properties of PLA composites added with Mackerel-derived hydroxyapatite (MHAp). The introduction of MMT particles has increased the mechanical strength of PLA/MHAp composite due to effective intercalation of PLA matrix into MMT interlayer space as evident in increment of d-spacing. However, the mechanical properties of PLA composite were deteriorated when MMT amount increased up to 4 phr. Besides, the application of irradiation dosage up to 20 kGy has enhanced the mechanical properties and gel content of all PLA composites due to the occurrence of cross-linking networks induced by irradiation. The increase in MMT amounts has restricted the formation of cross-linking as evident in XRD analysis. For non-MMT added samples, further increasing irradiation dose up to 30 kGy had decreased the gel content by inducing predominant chains scissioning reaction.

The development of polymer dielectric materials with low dielectric constant and dielectric loss, high-temperature resistance, and mechanical strength is of great significance to meet the requireme...

The objective of this research was to comprehensively compare the effects of two different types of nanoclay, namely layered double hydroxide (LDH) and halloysite nanotube (HNT) on the physical, mechanical, and dynamic mechanical properties of compression-molded composite panels fabricated from reed flour (RF) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). To achieve the desired properties in the composites, the clay nanoparticles were modified with surfactant (mLDH and mHNT) before usage. The results showed that the composite specimens with mLDH exhibited higher tensile and flexural properties (strength and moduli) than with mHNT at low content. Compared with the maximum flexural strength and tensile modulus of 21.56 MPa and 2186.16 MPa for the specimens made with mHNT, the highest flexural strength and tensile modulus were found in the specimens incorporated with mLDH (23.05 MPa and 2227.44 MPa). Moreover, at high content, the composite specimens with mHNT presented greater hydrophobicity. The comparative analysis exhibited that that the water uptake of the composites including mHNT (5.03%) was approximately 15% lower than that of the mLDH (5.73%) based composite. The DMTA results indicated that the composite specimens with mLDH demonstrated better molecular restriction and larger storage modulus than with mHNT. Besides, the loss-tangent (tan δ) peak was shifted to a higher temperature for the samples including both mLDH and mHNT than without ones. The specimens made with mLDH had the highest glass transition temperature values (70.67°C) compared with 70.12°C for the specimens treated with mHNT. Morphological observations showed that the nanoparticles were predominantly dispersed uniformly within the polymer matrix. Overall, it is found that the addition of 3 phc mLDH clay was the most effective in the composite formulation; it has significantly enhanced the properties of the wood-plastic composites.

The exploration of mechanochemical reactions has brought new opportunities for the design of functional materials. We synthesized the novel organic peroxide mechanophore bis(9-methylphenyl-9-fluorenyl) peroxide (BMPF) and examined its mechanochromic properties. The mechanism behind its mechanofluorescence was clarified and harnessed in polymer networks that can release the small fluorescent molecule 9-fluorenone upon exposure to a mechanical stimulus. Additionally, polymer networks cross-linked with BMPF units are able to tolerate temperatures up to 110 °C without any change in optical properties or mechanical strength. As mechanophores based on organic peroxide have rarely been documented so far, these fascinating results suggest excellent potential for applications of BMPF in stress-responsive materials. The mechanochemical protocol demonstrated here may provide guiding principles to expand the field of mechanochromic peroxides.

Clinically, implant-related bone infections are a serious concern as they reduce the success rate of grafting techniques and increases the risk of morbidity. Clinicians use antibiotics to treat bone grafts. Silver-based components are gaining popularity for their exceptional antimicrobial activity. The current review provides the preparative procedure, characterization methods, and mechanical strength of silver-based composites. Additionally, the assessment includes information on the biocompatibility of silver-based composites and clinical studies for bone tissue engineering. Finally, the review discusses titanium implants coated with silver-based composites, their derivatives, and related studies. Overall, silver-based composites are a potential candidate for bone tissue engineering.

The present work investigates the use of an alumino-silicate material, the pyrophyllite as cement substitution, synthetic polypropylene fibers and binder to create an unusual ultra-performance fiber concrete; new composite, which offers a wide field of possible use in construction industry. Effect of pyrophyllite on the physical-mechanical properties is analyzed. One reference fiber concrete without pyrophyllite and three fiber concretes containing 10%, 20%, 30% of pyrophyllite were elaborated. Results show that the pyrophyllite affects the characteristics of the concrete. Indeed, in the hardened state, the density of fiber concrete decreased with pyrophyllite rate increasing. Moreover, the use of pyrophyllite slows down the hardening process of concrete, consequently producing at early ages, compressive, flexural and tensile strengths and elastic modulus of concretes approaching without exceeding those of the reference fiber concrete. The fiber concretes are also considered to be of good quality. It seems that the rate of 10 % of pyrophyllite generates the best physical-mechanical performances that approach those of the reference fiber concrete. The use of pyrophyllite as a cement substitution is beneficial since it can help to decrease the production of cement; the amount of CO2 released and protects the environment.

MXenes are two-dimensional materials that can be used in various fields due to their large surface areas, electronic possessions, high mechanical strength, hydrophilicity, and antibacterial properties. First, a summary of the structure and properties of MXenes is presented in this review. Efforts for delamination or exfoliation of MXene sheets are introduced. Because little research works have focused on the different roles of MXenes-based materials in tackling environmental pollution, this review concentrates on the importance of MXenes and their hybrids in eliminating environmental pollution, especially water. As can be seen in the following, MXene can help in various forms of membrane, absorbent, catalyst, and as a shield to eliminate environmental pollution. To build a basic understanding of remediation processes, the mechanism of pollutant removal in adsorption, degradation, and other remediation manners is discussed in detail.

As one of the most promising fixators developed for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, biodegradable magnesium (Mg)-based interference screws have gained increasing attention attributed to their appropriate modulus and favorable biological properties during degradation after surgical insertion. However, its fast degradation and insufficient mechanical strength have also been recognized as one of the major causes to limit their further application clinically. This review focused on the following four parts. Firstly, the advantages of Mg or its alloys over their counterparts as orthopaedic implants in the fixation of tendon grafts in ACL reconstruction were discussed. Subsequently, the underlying mechanisms behind the contributions of Mg ions to the tendon-bone healing were introduced. Thirdly, the technical challenges of Mg-based interference screws towards clinical trials were discussed, which was followed by the introduction of currently used modification methods for gaining improved corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. Finally, novel strategies including development of Mg/Titanium (Ti) hybrid fixators and Mg-based screws with innovative structure for achieving clinically customized therapies were proposed. Collectively, the advancements in the basic and translational research on the Mg-based interference screws may lay the foundation for exploring a new era in the treatment of the tendon-bone insertion (TBI) and related disorders., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • The advantages of Mg or its alloys over their counterparts as orthopaedic implants in the fixation of tendon grafts in ACL reconstruction were discussed. • The underlying mechanisms behind the contributions of Mg ions to the tendon-bone healing were introduced. • The technical challenges and strategies of Mg-based interference screws towards clinical trials were discussed. • Promising directions for development of novel Mg-based fixators to achieve customized therapies in ACL reconstruction clinically were proposed.

Lithium-based batteries are promising and encouraging energy storage devices in different fields such as portable electronic equipment and new-energy vehicles. Separator, which serves as a physical blockade between electrodes as well as a reliable bridge for ion transport, plays a vital role in maintaining the sustainability of batteries. Unfortunately, most studies in the field of lithium-based batteries have only focused on separators between 20-25 μm so as to achieve a balance between battery safety and performance. However, such thick separators come at the expense of less free space for accommodating active materials inside the battery, thus impeding further development of next-generation lithium-based batteries with high energy density. Thin separators with robust mechanical strength are undoubtedly prime choice to make lithium-based batteries more reliable and safer. This review focuses mainly on recent developments in thin separators for lithium-based batteries, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries in particular, with a detailed introduction of thin separator preparation methodologies and an analysis of new progress in separators owning the thickness less than 15 μm or an ultrathin functional layer less than 1 μm. Effects of separator thickness on energy density are explored through practical evaluation. Furthermore, a brief outlook for realizing an ‘infinitely-thin’ separator with excellent physical performances and negligible resistance is provided.

Hydroxyapatite is the main mineral component of the bone and the main responsible for their hardness and mechanical strength. It shows enormous scientific and technological value as it presents a potential for application in medical purposes and pharmaceutical, chemical, and environmental remedy industries. Many authors have demonstrated the possibility of hydroxyapatite synthesis from different sources and synthesis methodologies. However, studies which lead to an effectively controlled crystallite size and crystallinity are still scarce. Our study aims to evaluate the effects of heat treatment temperature and high energy milling time on obtaining nanometric hydroxyapatite from a natural source. The characterization has been performed by employing thermal, chemical, structural, morphological, and surface area analysis. It has been possible to verify only hydroxyapatite formation. In the milled samples, it's been possible to verify a reduction in the crystallite size and crystallinity. The surface area increased from 0.07 to 41.37 m2/g, but excessive milling times caused agglomeration and reduced the surface area. The results showed that it is possible to synthetize nanostructured hydroxyapatite (9,8–95 nm) with crystallinity ranging from 3 to 99% from Tilapia bones. ANOVA has validated the results. The produced materials present an excellent potential for application in the biomedical or adsorption substances area.

Lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries have obtained great progress in recent decades, and will make excellent contribution in portable electronics, electric vehicles and other large-scale energy storage areas. The safety issues of batteries have become increasingly important and challenging because of frequent occurrence of battery accidents. The separator is an indispensable component in lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries and directly affects the electrochemical performance and, especially, safety. It is imperative to develop high-safety separators for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries. This review summarizes and discusses lithium-ion battery separators from a new perspective of safety (chemical compatibility, heat-resistance, mechanical strength and anti-dendrite ability), the development status of sodium-ion battery separators and the difference between lithium-ion battery separators and sodium-ion battery separators. The key challenges and perspectives in the development direction of high-safety separators are outlined.

Interest in carbon fibers (CFs) is due to their chemical properties, high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, which makes them promising candidates for various kinds of practical applications. The need to develop low-cost technologies for producing CFs is a major factor in research in this area. Currently, the widespread commercial use of CFs is limited by their high cost, which primarily depends on the type of carbon feedstock. Conventional methods for producing CFs use expensive raw materials such as hydrocarbons and graphite. A possible solution to this problem is the use of coal, petroleum and coal tar as an effective precursor to produce CFs. The review examines recent progress in the synthesis of CFs using petroleum and coal tar and details the prospects for their application in the energy sector and as a structural material for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds. In addition, methods for improving the chemical and structural properties of these CFs have been reviewed and described.

To investigate the effect of moderate thermal modification (TM) on wood properties, American alder (Alnus rubra) wood was treated at 140 °C for 4 h, 8 h and 13 h, the physical and mechanical properties, dimensional stability and color changes of wood were compared and studied. The results showed that the absolute dry density of moderate-TM wood decreased significantly with time except for the 4 h treatment. Moderate TM can significantly reduce the residual stress of wood up to 90.3%. There were no significant differences in MOR and MOE between most moderate TM wood and the control group; moderate TM decreased the moisture absorption and water up-taking of wood significantly; compared to the control group, the swelling of TM wood for 13 h decreased by 24.2% and 16.0% in the tangential and radial direction, respectively, showing a significant improvement in dimensional stability. There were almost no color changes even when wood endured 140 °C and 13 h TM. The moderate TM at 140 °C for 13 h can efficiently improve wood dimensional stability and retains the natural color of wood while causing almost no damage to the wood’s mechanical strength.

In this work, the advanced all solid-state block copolymer electrolytes (SBCPEs) for lithium-ion batteries with double conductive phases, poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(trimethyl-N-((2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-7-propyl)-ammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide) (PEO-b-PDM-dTFSI)/LiTFSI, were fabricated, in which the charged PDM-dTFSI block contained double quaternary ammonium cations and the PEO block was doped with LiTFSI. The disordered (DIS) and ordered lamellae (LAM) phase structures were achieved by adjusting the composition of the block copolymer and the doping ratio r. In addition, the presence of the hard PDM-dTFSI block and the formation of the LAM phase structure resulted in a good mechanical strength of the solid PEO-b-PDM-dTFSI/LiTFSI electrolyte, and it could maintain a high level of 104 Pa at 100 °C, which was around 10,000 times stronger than that of the PEO/LiTFSI electrolyte. Based on the good mechanical and electrochemical properties, the PEO-b-PDM-dTFSI/LiTFSI SBCPE exhibited excellent long-term galvanostatic cycle performance, indicating the strong ability to suppress lithium dendrites.

The rich structures and hierarchical organizations in nature provide many sources of inspiration for advanced material designs. We wish to recapitulate properties such as high mechanical strength, colour-changing ability, autonomous healing and antimicrobial efficacy in next-generation synthetic materials. Common in nature are non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions and hydrophobic effects, which are all useful motifs in tailor-made materials. Among these are biobased components, which are ubiquitously conceptualized in the space of recently developed bioinspired and biomimetic materials. In this regard, sustainable organic polymer chemistry enables us to tune the properties and functions of such materials that are essential for daily life. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in bioinspired and biomimetic polymers and provide insights into biobased materials through the evolution of chemical approaches, including networking/crosslinking, dynamic interactions and self-assembly. We focus on advances in biobased materials; namely polymeric mimics of resilin and spider silk, mechanically and optically adaptive materials, self-healing elastomers and hydrogels, and antimicrobial polymers. This Review describes bioinspired biomimetic polymers that recapitulate macro-scale to atomic-scale features of naturally occurring materials. Particular attention is paid to biobased concepts, with an eye to having renewable supplies of self-healing, stimuli-responsive and/or antimicrobial materials.

Süperhidrofobik kaplamalar sahip oldukları birçok avantajın yanı sıra buz ile yüzey arasında zayıf adhezyon kuvveti oluşumu, buzlanmayı geciktirme ve buzlanmayı azaltma özellikleri nedeniyle hava araçlarında kullanım potansiyeli taşımaktadırlar. Günümüzde süperhidrofobik yüzeylerin çok sayıda yöntem kullanılarak üretilebiliyor olmasına karşın bu yüzeyler dış ortam koşullarında su iticilik özelliğini uzun süre koruyamamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, sprey kaplama yöntemi ile hazırlanan süperhidrofobik kaplamaların üretim parametreleri ile mekanik aşınma dayanımları arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir. Kaplamaların dış ortam koşullarında kullanılabilirliğini incelemek amacıyla iki farklı mekanik dayanım testi kullanılmıştır. Yüzeylerin darbe dayanımı düşen kum aşınma testi, teğetsel aşınma dayanımı ise doğrusal abrazif aşınma testi ile incelenmiştir. Yüzeylerin mekanik dayanımı üretim parametrelerine bağlı olarak önemli farklılıklar göstermektedir. Belirli miktarlarda polidimetilsiloksan ve SiO2 nano partikül içeren Epoksi/Polidimetilsiloksan/SiO2 yüzeyler üstün ıslanabilirlik ve mekanik dayanım özellikleri sergilemektedir. Püskürtme süresi, yüzeylerin mekanik aşınma davranışında önemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Püskürtme süresi kısa kaplamalar yüksek abrazif aşınma dayanımı özelliği sergilerken uzun püskürtme süresi ile üretilen kaplamalar ise dinamik darbeler altında uzun süre su iticilik özelliklerini korumaktadırlar., Superhydrophobic coatings, in addition to their many advantages, have the potential to be used in aircraft due to weak adhesion force formation between the ice and the surface, delaying and reducing icing. Today, although superhydrophobic surfaces can be produced using many methods, these surfaces cannot maintain their water-repellent properties for a long time under outdoor conditions. In this study, the relationship between the production parameters and mechanical abrasion resistance of superhydrophobic coatings prepared by the spray coating method was investigated. Two different mechanical strength tests were used to examine the usability of the coatings in outdoor conditions. The impact resistance of the surfaces was examined by the sand impact durability test and the abrasive wear resistance by the linear abrasion stability test. The mechanical strength of the surfaces shows significant differences depending on the production parameters. Epoxy/Polydimethylsiloxane/SiO2 surfaces containing certain amounts of polydimethylsiloxane and SiO2 nanoparticles exhibit superior water repellent and mechanical durability properties. Spraying time has a significant effect on the mechanical wear behavior of surfaces. Coatings with a short spraying time exhibit high abrasive wear resistance, while coatings produced with a long spraying time maintain their water-repellent properties for a long time under dynamic impacts.

Corrosion is a major challenge in construction technology and manufacturing industry. It does not only reduce the aesthetics of a building but also weakens the structure. Structural weakness caused by rust leads to the reduction in the durability of reinforced concrete. Various efforts and research ranging from prevention to maintenance process are being carried out globally to overcome this problem. Due to the increased awareness of the importance of preserving the environment for health and ecological system, studies are increasingly focused on the use of environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor. This paper discusses several conditioning methods of using organic corrosion inhibitors in concrete reinforcement. It also takes a close look at the effect of every conditioning method towards the reinforced concrete strength and the mechanism to improve it. The migrating and admixed corrosion inhibitors (MCI) conditioning methods is considered as the best solution so far to enhance corrosion resistance performance that contributes to superior reinforced concrete mechanical strength.