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In the present study, the effect of different ratios of GelMA concentration has been exhibited for wound dressing implementation by the electrospinning method using a new polymer combination of Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)/Polycaprolactone (PCL)/Chitosan (CS). The nanofiber composites were fabricated due to their biocompatible, biodegradable, improved mechanical strength, low degradation rate, and hydrophilic nature to develop cell-mimicking, cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Different concentrations of GelMA were added to the PCL/CS solution as 5, 10, and 20 wt%, respectively, in the formic acid/acetic acid (7:3) solution. A photoinitiator was added to the solution for photo-crosslinking of GelMA. The influence of different solution concentrations (5, 10, and 20 wt%) on the structure’s nanofiber production and fiber morphology was examined. SEM micrographs revealed that varied GelMA concentrations resulted in suitable and stable nanofiber composites. The average diameter of nanofiber composites grows as the GelMA concentration rises. FTIR, DSC, tensile test, degradation, and swelling test were evaluated. The results demonstrated that high mechanical strength, hydrophilic properties, and a slow degradation rate were observed with the presence and increment of GelMA concentration within the nanofiber composites. The antibacterial potential of GelMA/PCL/CS nanofiber composites was evaluated against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus using a disc diffusion assay. In vitro cell culture research was conducted by seeding NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells on nanofiber composites, proving these cells’ high cell proliferation rate, viability, and adhesion. 10 wt% GelMA-based nanofiber composites were found to have great potential for wound dressing applications.

The building sectors are increasingly in need of more wood-based panels. Forests and environments are being destroyed to produce these wood-based panels. The aim of this study is to protect forest assets by recycling peanut (Arachis hypogaea) husk and manufacturing particleboard for green building design. The manufactured composite panels were subjected to combustion and formaldehyde tests. According to the test results, peanut husk reduced the combustion time and increased the combustion temperature. Phenol-formaldehyde adhesive decreased illuminance values and the peanut husk ratio increased the illuminance values. It was understood that, when the peanut husk additive ratio increased, combustion times decreased. Slow-combustion of green building composite panels delays the danger of collapse in case of a fire in a building. The combustion performance of the composite panels can be improved by adding non-combustible materials that do not affect the adhesion performance of the composite panels. When the adhesive type is taken into consideration, it is seen that the FF additive ratio reduces the combustion time. According to the formaldehyde emission test results, 24 hours after the manufacturing process all composite panels met the requirements of the board formaldehyde class E1. These composite panels can be used in green buildings as a sustainable building material. The furniture industry can also use these agro-fiber composite panels as green materials.

In-situ pre-decorated different content of TiB2 particle reinforced 2024 Al matrix composites (xTiB2/2024Al composite, x = 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 wt.%) were printed by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). A quantitative equation was established to quantify heterogeneous nucleating potency by TiB2 nanoparticles on the grain size of the LPBFed samples. Optimized mechanical properties were obtained in the as-printed 4TiB2/2024Al alloy which proved the feasibility of replacing the wrought part with the LPBFed one. This manuscript provides a method to determine the optimized content of TiB2 nanoparticles to change the noncastable material to the printable one. This manuscript provides a method to determine the optimized TiB2 content to change the noncastable material to the printable one, and can potentially guide the introduction of many other nanoparticles.

In the present study, the potential of barium zirconate (BaZrO3; 1-5 wt. %) on the sinterability, and properties of bovine hydroxyapatite (BHA) was evaluated. BHA decomposed into beta and alpha-tricalcium phosphate (beta and alpha-TCP) at a 4.7 % rate. Tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) was detected as the decomposition phase in the BaZrO3 added BHAs, and it increased up to 10.7 % with an increasing BaZrO3 ratio. In addition to TTCP, the phases of BaZrO3, Ba2ZrO4, sigma-Ba2P2O7, Ba3P2O8 and CaZrO3 were detected in the composites. The addition of BaZrO3 at an amount of 3 wt. % has a higher potential than the others to improve the sinterability and properties of BHA. It contributed to the increase in the fracture toughness from 0.99 +/- 0.13 to 1.80 +/- 0.12 MPa center dot m1/2 and the compressive strength from 115.75 +/- 4.27 to 173.66 +/- 13.61 MPa, and the de-crease in the brittleness index from 4.24 +/- 0.31 to 2.45 +/- 0.15 mu-1/2. The in-vitro bioactivity of BHA also increases with the additional BaZrO3. However; it is recommended to be used in applications that do not require load bearing in the human body due to its insufficient fracture toughness.

Hinged total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a valid option to treat patients during revision of an implant; however, in case of varus/valgus deformity, the force transmission from the femur to the tibia could be altered and therefore the performance of the implant could be detrimental. To be able to evaluate this, the goal of this study was to investigate, using a validated finite element analysis, the effect of varus/valgus load configurations in the bones when a hinged TKA is used. In detail, short and long stem lengths (50 mm, and 120 mm), were analyzed both under cemented or press-fit fixation under the following varus and valgus deformity: 5°, 10°, 20°, and 30°. The main outputs of the study were average bone stress in different regions of interest, together with tibio-femoral contact pressure and force. Results demonstrated that changes in the varus or valgus deformity degrees induce a change in the medio-lateral stress and force distribution, together with a change in the contact area. The effect of stem length and cement do not alter the tibio-femoral contact biomechanics but its effect is mainly localized in the distal femoral region, and it is negligible in the proximal regions.

The resistance of wear protective coatings against oxidation is crucial for their use at high temperatures. Here, three nanocomposite AlCr(Si)N coatings with a fixed Al/Cr atomic ratio of 70/30 and a varying Si-content of 0 at.%, 2.5 at.% and 5 at.% were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray in order to understand the oxidation behavior depending on their Si-content. Additionally, a partially oxidized AlCrSiN coating with 5 at.% Si on a sapphire substrate was studied across the coating thickness by depth-resolved cross-sectional X-ray nanodiffraction and scanning trans-mission electron microscopy to investigate the elemental composition, morphology, phases and residual stress evolution of the oxide scale and the non-oxidized coating underneath. The results reveal enhanced oxidation properties of the AlCr(Si)N coatings with increasing Si-content, as demonstrated by a retarded onset of oxidation to higher temperatures from 1100°C for AlCrN to 1260°C for the Si-containing coatings and a simultaneous deceleration of the oxidation process. After annealing of the AlCrSiN sample with 5 at.% Si at an extraordinary high temperature of 1400°C for 60 min in ambient air, three zones developed throughout the coating strongly differing in their composition and structure: (i) a dense oxide layer comprising an Al-rich and a Cr-rich zone formed at the very top, followed by (ii) a fine-grained transition zone with incomplete oxidation and (iii) a non-oxidized zone with a porous structure. The varying elemental composition of these zones is furthermore accompanied by micro-structural variations and a complex residual stress development revealed by cross-sectional X-ray nanodiffraction. The results provide a deeper understanding of the oxidation behavior of AlCr(Si)N coatings depending on their Si-content and the associated elemental, microstructural and residual stress evolution during high-temperature oxidation. peerReviewed

In this study, different amounts of boric acid (BA, 1.25, 2.5, 3.75 and 5.0 wt%) were used to enhance the effectiveness of an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system composed of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and pentaerythritol (PER) in polypropylene (PP) including 2 wt% montmorillonite nanoclay (MMT). Meanwhile, metaboric acid and boron oxide which were generated by the decomposition of BA appeared in the melt compounding and the burning processes, respectively. Extensive experimental studies were performed to investigate the effects of BA/boron oxide and MMT combinations on the properties of PP/IFR. The fire resistances of the composites were studied by UL 94, limiting oxygen index (LOI) and cone calorimetry tests. The thermal properties were determined by using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal conductivity measurements. In addition, the mechanical properties of the composites were examined. The experimental results revealed that although the additions of 1.25 and 2.5 wt% BA with 2 wt% MMT significantly enhanced thermal and flame resistances of PP composites, 3.75 and 5.0 wt% BA additions generated antagonistic effects and deteriorated the fire resistance of the composites. The sample including 2.5 wt% BA addition achieved the best flame retardancy. The LOI value was increased from 18 to 31% with UL 94 V-0 rating. In addition, the peak heat release rate was reduced from 668.6 to 150.0 kW/m2 and the total heat release value was decreased from 247.9 to 98.4 MJ/m2. In the meantime, the thermal conductivity was increased from 0.22 up to 0.28 W/mK. Furthermore, CO, CO2 and the smoke productions were significantly decreased with respect to PP. NO generation was decreased with BA replacements. At the same time, although there was a slight decrease in the tensile strength, the flexural strength significantly increased with BA and MMT additions.

In this study, the nanostructural vacancy behavior of bovine derived hydroxyapatite (BHA) doped with powder zirconmullite (ZM) contents of 5, 7.5, 10 and 12.5 wt.% were presented at sintering temperatures of 1000, 1100, 1200 and 1300 degrees C. ZM-doped BHA (ZM-BHA) was characterized by X-ray diffraction and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). Density and hardness behavior were measured with respect to increasing sintering temperature. PALS results indicate that the longest lifetime component tau(3) of ortho-positronium (o-Ps) localized at open spaces is attributed to the vacancy site and almost constant with the ZM contents and the sintering temperatures to have a mean value of 0.680 ns (corresponding to the radius of 0.997 nm). This average value is ascribed to the OH group defects along the main crystalline line. On the other hand, the o-Ps intensity attributed to the number of vacancy sites increases almost linearly with ZM additives and sintering temperatures. The intensity is also related to the density and hardness of ZM-BHA in terms of ZM contents.

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) occur at or nearby the centre of the multicomponent phase space, and they have the unique potential to be tailored with a blend of several desirable properties for the development of materials of future. The lack of universal phase diagrams for MPEAs has been a major challenge in the accelerated design of products with these materials. This study aims to solve this issue by employing data-driven approaches in phase prediction. A MPEA is first represented by numerical fingerprints (composition, atomic size difference , electronegativity , enthalpy of mixing , entropy of mixing , dimensionless $$\Omega$$ Ω parameter, valence electron concentration and phase types ), and an artificial neural network (ANN) is developed upon the datasets of these numerical descriptors. A pyMPEALab GUI interface is developed on the top of this ANN model with a computational capability to associate composition features with remaining other input features. With the GUI interface, an user can predict the phase(s) of a MPEA by entering solely the information of composition. It is further explored on how the knowledge of phase(s) prediction in composition-varied $$\hbox {Al}_x$$ Al x CrCoFeMnNi and $$\hbox {CoCrNiNb}_x$$ CoCrNiNb x can help in understanding the mechanical behavior of these MPEAs. Graphic Abstract

Metal eklemeli imalatta en yaygın kullanılan alaşımlar olan Inconel 718 ve Ti6Al4V otomotiv, uzay-uçak, savunma sanayii, biyomedikal gibi bir çok alandaki uygulamalarda tercih edilmektedirler. Bilindiği üzere, fonksiyonel hafifletilmiş parçalar, hafif olmalarına karşın sergilemiş oldukları yüksek spesifik dayanımdan dolayı araştırmacıların ilgi odağı haline gelmiştir. Artan ilgilerin bir sonucu olarak da üzerine gelen yükü homojen dağıtma, yükü ve sesi iyi düzeyde absorbe etme gibi üstün özelliklere sahip olan hafifletilmiş parçaların yapılan tasarımı katman katman gerçek ürüne dönüştüren eklemeli imalat (Eİ) teknolojisi ile üretilme fikri ön plana çıkmıştır. Seçici lazer ergitme (SLE) ve elektron ışın ergitme (EIE) gibi Eİ yöntemlerinin geleneksel imalat yöntemlerine nazaran bir çok avantajı olmasına ragmen, üretim sırasında parçada meydana gelen kalıntı gerilim oluşumları, yüksek yüzey pürüzlülüğü ve distorsiyonlar nedeniyle, ilgili imalat yöntemleri geliştirilmeye ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Bu bağlamda, eklemeli imal edilen hücresel yapıların deneysel olarak kalıntı gerilim ve distorsiyon ölçümleri oldukça zor ve zaman alıcıdır. Bu çalışmada ise, biyomedikal alanda iskele ve implant çekirdek yapısı olarak kullanılan hücresel yapılar ele alınmıştır. İmplantın yükü kemiğe oranla daha fazla taşıması nedeniyle kemiğin güç kaybetmesi anlamına gelen stress shielding olgusunu minimize eden kemik-implant arasındaki osseointegrasyonu geliştiren bu hücresel yapılar % 100, % 73,4 ve % 42,6 doluluk oranı ile tasarlanmıştır. Bu hücresel yapıların Inconel 718 ve Ti6Al4V malzemelerden SLE metoduyla üretimi sırasında meydana gelen kalıntı gerilmeler (σx, σy, ve σz), distorsiyonlar, plastik birim şekil değişimleri ve meydana gelen maksimum sıcaklık değerleri Eİ simülasyon programı Amphyon 2021 ile tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar göstermektedir ki, Ti6Al4V parçalar, Inconel 718 parçalara göre daha fazla deplasman göstermektedir. Çatlak oluşumunun hangi bölgede gerçekleşebileceğine dair öngörü sağlayan plastik birim şekil değişimleri ise parçaların alt köşe bölgelerinde, destek yapının bittiği, asıl parçanın yer aldığı bölgelerde lokalize olmuştur. Ayrıca, parçalardaki maksimum sıcaklık değerleri imalat yüksekliğinin artmasıyla birlikte artış göstermekte ve her iki malzeme türü için de doluluk oranları % 73,4 ve % 42,6 olan parçalarda kritik bir imalat yüksekliğinden sonra tam dolu parçaya nazaran daha fazla maksimum sıcaklık değerleri gözlemlenmiştir.

High performance colloid flake of carbon is gaining interest due importance in meeting the challenges of the globe. To make novel superior materials, the pulverized fuel ash-green adhesive based construction materials modified with the flake of carbon and the colloid flake of carbon were evaluated in view of synthesis, physico-mechanical properties, and material processing and models. For better understanding, such experimental samples as green adhesive plaster and green adhesive grout were made of the pulverized fuel ash of class C, the common adhesive, the flake of carbon, the colloid flake of carbon, fine sand, and the distilled water to compare with the structural material properties each other. The results of the adsorption spectra of optical atomic spectroscopy of the colloid flake carbon, the thickening-period of plaster, the spread and the consolidating level, the apparent unit volume mass, the apparent porosity, the apparent compacity, and the compressive stress of green grouts were reported in the research. It was concluded that the flake of carbon and the colloid flake of carbon led to important progress in the novel superior materials, e.g., accelerating of the thickening-period of plasters and increasing of the compressive stress of grouts. (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

This work aimed to comprehensively assess the influence of various surface modifications on the formation of apatite ability for EBM Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Sandblasting (S), acid-etching (E), sandblasting and acid-etching (SE), anodization (NA), micro-arc oxidations in 1M H2SO4solution (SM) and 1M H3PO4solution (PM) methods were applied to modify electron beam melted (EBM) Ti-6Al-4V surface. The α/α’-Ti structures and TiO2phases were detected by XRD. The surface roughness (Ra) values ranged from 0.25 μm and 2.86 μm. The wettability of samples was between around 25° and 104°. The SM sample possessed the lowest contact angle. In vitro tests were employed in the simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for 28 days. The samples with different surface textures demonstrated bioactive behaviors. In vitro test results showed that apatite layers formed on the surfaces. The SM sample exhibited good apatite formation ability when the Ca/P ratios were considered. The apatite formation for the SM sample might derive from high roughness, low contact angle value, the existence of Ti-OH groups, and anatase and rutile phases. The SM can be implemented to boost bioactivity on EBM Ti-6Al-4V alloys.

Bioceramics are a fast-growing materials group, which are widely used in orthopedics, maxillofacial, dental, and reconstructive surgeries. They are produced using raw materials either from synthetic or natural sources. As naturally originated resources, the bones of sheep and cows are used after converting to calcium phosphates. Human-originated sources in the past were obtained from human cadaver bones, however now-a-days this has been discontinued. On the other hand, the “golden standard” in the reconstruction surgery has been using patients own bones, -i.e., autogenous bones, which heal better than other alternatives. Besides natural products, synthetic materials are produced from a range of inorganic raw and natural materials based on marine sources, such as corals, and other marine-derived materials (i.e., seashells, nacre). These are used to produce bioceramics and hence implants, devices, and bone grafts. Although during the last four decades a number of excellent books and book chapters have been published, no comprehensive review has been yet reported to cover the available marine materials and to indicate the related work and corresponding references to allow for both medical and ceramic scientists to access directly and open new avenues for further research on marine structures and their applications in orthopedic, maxillofacial, and reconstructive surgery areas. Hence, this review covers the general marine structures, their locations and availability in different countries and, current research on production methods of these unique structures that are difficult to fabricate synthetically. The authors are confident that this comprehensive review will be an excellent source not only for the ceramists, but also for the medical scientists.

The effects of microwave and steam treatment were analyzed relative to the immediate (thermo-hygro-plasticity) and post-assessed (permanent changes) properties of wood. The study was conducted using European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) standard and 1.5 times up-scaled (only for microwave-heated and reference samples) bending specimens tested in a static three-point loading mode. The specimens were plasticized by heat and moisture (1) separately and (2) simultaneously by heating moist specimens using (i) various microwave regimes in continuous mode, and (ii) heated saturated steam in discontinuous mode. Oven-dried specimens tested at 20 degrees C served as references. The thermo-hygro-plasticity was studied immediately after treatment, whereas the permanent changes were assessed after oven-drying of plasticized specimens to 0% moisture content. Permanent structural changes were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Microwave treatment increased the plasticity of wood (decreasing the modulus of elasticityby 70%) comparably to steam treatment, when the output moisture content was 30% or higher. A similar degree of plasticity was found in up-scaled specimens heated by microwaves. Further analyses confirmed that microwave treatment did not cause any permanent damage to wood structure or reduce mechanical performance. The results showed that microwave treatment is an efficient alternative to steaming when plasticizing moist wood.

Expanding suitable severe plastic deformation processes seems essential to design lightweight wire-formed materials for emerging demands. In this regard, 6063 aluminum alloy in the form of wire was processed successfully by polyurethane rubber assisted-equal channel angular pressing up to 16 passes by route BC. It was found that significant improvement of hardness and strength is achieved at the initial passes due to the increment of material’s dislocations density which leads to the crystallite size decrease and lattice microstrain increase. Also, subsequent passes improve the mechanical properties with a gentle rate due to the saturation of dislocation strengthening. The fractography analysis indicated that the ductile fracture mode of the annealed aluminum decreases by imposing the ECAP process. It is related to the formation of cleavage and rive patterns and the reduction in the number and size of the dimples compared to the initial condition. Eventually, X-ray diffraction findings showed that by adding pass numbers, the isotropy degree of the aluminum sample enhances because of the lowest diffraction scattering.

Auxetic structures are popular, since they have many applications in defense, textile and sport industries. The advantages of providing comfort and protection to people for the impact energy increase the usability of auxetic structures in these areas. Within the scope of this study, two structures were designed as honeycomb and auxtetic structures with lateral displacements in opposite directions. The auxetic and honeycomb structures were modeled in Ansys software by keeping the boundaries of these two structures close to each other. Structural and modal analysis were applied to these structures and the auxetic structure gave better results in terms of the tensile strength.

The variables that are effective in joining high density polyethylene sheets by friction stir welding (FSW) have been investigated. In order to understand the effects of welding parameters, using Taguchi optimization, tool rotation speed, feed rate, shoulder diameter and pin diameter values were selected in a wide range. The results obtained with Taguchi optimization method were evaluated according to the highest / the best signal-noise ratio. Macro photographs taken cross-sectional view taken the weld seam, SEM images and hardness measurements were used to evaluate. As a result of the evaluation, the accuracy of the optimization was found to be approximately 96 %. As a result, feed rate and shoulder diameter were determined as the most effective parameter affecting the welding quality and welding performance. These two parameters (shoulder diameter and feed rate) have found to effect of approximately 65 % on tensile strength, weld quality and hardness. Finally, it has obtained that the most effective welding parameter was the shoulder diameter with 40.81 %.

Inconel 718 alloy is widely used in applications that require advanced strength properties especially at high temperature conditions. Combust room walls, exhaust parts, jet tribune blades and gas tribune equipment are the most known using areas. This alloy can be welded with various fusion welding methods, but TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding is preferred since, it provides simply application, mobility and low cost. This study was aimed to clarify that how adjusting the welding parameters and welding automatically can help to achieve promising mechanical properties before heat treatments. The welding experiments were conducted on three different welding current values and attention was paid to provide full penetration for each condition. The results showed that the highest welding current value which did not cause welding defects lead to decrease heat input due to the high transverse speed usage. Moreover, by automatically welding, the heat input was decreased to a minimum level that provided excellent tensile strength and elongation properties. Dendrites turned to cellular from colon. Hazardous zones, such as HAZ and PMZ, narrowed down. The Laves phase ratio and grain size also decreased. Microhardness results confirmed these microstructure observations. The crack observations after tensile tests showed that failures were near HAZ in high-heat input conditions. However, failures were observed in FZ for low-heat input conditions. Additionally, ductile fracture and fracture similar to cleavage mechanisms were observed together due to adjusting the parameters and automatization.

Thermoplastic polymer–filler composites are excellent materials for bone tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds, combining the functionality of fillers with suitable load-bearing ability, biodegradability, and additive manufacturing (AM) compatibility of the polymer. Two key determinants of their utility are their rheological behavior in the molten state, determining AM processability and their mechanical load-bearing properties. We report here the characterization of both these physical properties for four bone TE relevant composite formulations with poly(ethylene oxide terephthalate)/poly(butylene terephthalate (PEOT/PBT) as a base polymer, which is often used to fabricate TE scaffolds. The fillers used were reduced graphene oxide (rGO), hydroxyapatite (HA), gentamicin intercalated in zirconium phosphate (ZrP-GTM) and ciprofloxacin intercalated in MgAl layered double hydroxide (MgAl-CFX). The rheological assessment showed that generally the viscous behavior dominated the elastic behavior (G″ > G′) for the studied composites, at empirically determined extrusion temperatures. Coupled rheological–thermal characterization of ZrP-GTM and HA composites showed that the fillers increased the solidification temperatures of the polymer melts during cooling. Both these findings have implications for the required extrusion temperatures and bonding between layers. Mechanical tests showed that the fillers generally not only made the polymer stiffer but more brittle in proportion to the filler fractions. Furthermore, the elastic moduli of scaffolds did not directly correlate with the corresponding bulk material properties, implying composite-specific AM processing effects on the mechanical properties. Finally, we show computational models to predict multimaterial scaffold elastic moduli using measured single material scaffold and bulk moduli. The reported characterizations are essential for assessing the AM processability and ultimately the suitability of the manufactured scaffolds for the envisioned bone regeneration application., The work was supported by a Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme grant from the European Union, called the FAST project (grant no. 685825, project website: http://project-fast.eu). The authors acknowledge the support of the FAST project consortium for the various aspects of this work.

On the road to real applications, although there are lots of efforts focusing on mechanical and physical features in the literature, their machining abilities were examined in a very limited manner. In this study, machining properties of pumice reinforced AA7075 syntactic foams manufactured via the newly offered sandwich infiltration technique were investigated by performing face turning. Physical and microstructural (optical and SEM works) analyses were conducted on fabricated foams to carry out sample characterization. All machining forces were measured for different cutting speeds (25, 50, and 100 m/min) and feed rates (0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 mm/rev). After the turning operation, areal surface roughness values were measured using a 3D surface profilometer and material removal rate (MRR) values were calculated. Besides, chip mixtures including pumice and metal fragments were collected to probe chip morphology in detail. The results showed that machining forces were affected by the operation parameters differently, and the lowest surface roughness was detected at the cutting speed of 100 m/min and 0.05 mm/rev feed rate. Furthermore, the shape of the metal chips changed from long/continuous characteristic to saw-tooth morphology depending on increasing cutting speed levels while pumice particles exhibited breakaway tendency as the feed rates went up.

The primary goal of this study is to localize a defect (cavity) in a curved geometry. Curved topologies exhibit multiple resonances and the presence of hotspots for acoustic waves. Launching acoustic waves along a specific direction e.g. by means of an extended laser source reduces the complexity of the scattering problem. We performed experiments to demonstrate the use of a laser line source and verified the experimental results in FEM simulations. In both cases, we could locate and determine the size of a pit in a steel hemisphere which allowed us to visualize the defect on a 3D model of the sample. Such an approach could benefit patients by enabling contactless inspection of acetabular cups. © 2021, The Author(s). Open access funded by University of Helsinki Library.

Functionally graded materials (FGM) present enormous potential to combine materials with distinct mechanical and thermal properties in a component via a compositional gradient throughout the body. In the present work, step graded Al2O3/NbC composites were assessed in order to obtain a FGM with high hardness and good fracture toughness. Step graded uniaxially pressed cylinders were consolidated by Spark plasma sintering (SPS) into fully dense (>99% TD) crack-free graded bodies. The designed gradient was successfully maintained after sintering and, due to the high density of FGMs, it was possible to obtain a high hardness up to 25.1 GPa and a good fracture toughness of ~5 MPa m1/2.

Bone remodeling is mediated by several factors including strain. An increase in strain between 1% and 10% compared to homeostasis can trigger bone formation. We aim to create an orthopedic implant using clinically established imaging and manufacturing methods that induces this strain control in human bone. Titanium scaffolds were manufactured with multiaxial apparent modulus tailored to the mechanical properties of bone defined from computed tomography scans of cadaver human tibiae. Five bone cubes were tested with corresponding titanium scaffolds by loading under compression, which is similar to the implanted tibia loading condition. Bone strain was precisely controlled by varying the scaffold modulus, from 0% to 15% bone strain increase. This strain increase is the magnitude reported to invoke bone's positive remodeling. Axial modulus was closely matched between titanium scaffolds and bone, ranging from 48-728 and 81-800 MPa, respectively, whereby scaffold axial modulus was within 2% of nominal target values. Fine control of multiaxial moduli resulted in transverse modulus that matched bone well; ranging from 42-648 and 47-585 MPa in scaffolds and bone respectively. The scaffold manufacturing material and method are already used in the orthopedic industry. This study has significant clinical implications as it enables the design of implants which positively harness bone's natural mechanoresponse and respect bone's mechanical anisotropy and heterogeneity.

In this study, the holes of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) doped GFRP composite materials were drilled using abrasive water jet (AWJ), CO2 laser cutting, orbital drilling, and punching methods; the effects of these methods on hole quality were determined. The hole entry and exit dimensions were obtained equal and in the desired size by orbital drilling; thus, kerf formation was prevented due to the lateral and face milling of the end mill. The surface hardness change was not observed in the hole circles obtained with the orbital drilling and punching methods. However, epoxy hardening was observed in the hole circles obtained by laser cutting due to the heat effect of laser beam. In AWJ method, matrix-fiber integrity was disrupted, and delamination was observed due to the effect of water pressure and kinetic energy; consequently an increase in material thickness was observed and surface hardness decreased. It was determined that MWCNTs additive increased the surface hardness of composites and maintained its hardness and durability in post-cutting measurements. Splintering and burring were not seen in any method, but fiber carbonization was observed in the inner parts of the hole due to thermal effects in laser cutting.

In this study, the effect of adding nanosize additive to glass fiber reinforced composite plates on mechanical properties and surface milling was investigated. In the light of the investigations, with the addition of MWCNTs additive in the composite production, the strength of the material has been changed and the more durable composite materials have been obtained. Slots were opened with different cutting speed and feed rate parameters to the composite layers. Surface roughness of the composite layers and slot size were examined and also abrasions of cutting tools used in cutting process were determined. It was observed that the addition of nanoparticles to the laminated glass fiber composite materials played an effective role in the strength of the material and caused cutting tool wear.

In this work, 3D porous hybrid scaffolds made of a titanium alloy and a beta-tricalcium phosphate ceramic (Ti6Al4V-TCP) were developed using the direct additive manufacturing technique 3D fiber deposition. Upon optimization of the powders and slurry, scaffolds with up to 10 wt.% TCP with good mechanical properties and controllable porous structure at different length scales were successfully manufactured. A preliminary in vivo study in an intramuscular model demonstrated that the addition of TCP to the metal alloy improved its bioactivity. The combination of the two materials and the use of a direct additive manufacturing technique resulted in scaffolds that may lead to more effective strategies to control the implant-bone interface and thereby improve long-term clinical results in orthopaedics and craniomaxillofacial surgery.3D Ti6Al4V-beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) hybrid scaffolds with interconnected porous network and controllable porosity and pore size were successfully produced by three-dimensional fiber deposition (3DF). The macrostructure of scaffolds was determined by the 3D design, whereas the micro-and submicron structure were derived from the Ti6Al4V powder sintering and the crystalline TCP powder, respectively.Ti6Al4V-TCP slurry was developed for 3DF by optimizing the TCP powder size, Ti6Al4V-to-TCP powder ratio and Ti6Al4V-TCP powder content. Moreover, the air pressure and fiber deposition rate were optimized. A maximum achievable ceramic content in the Ti6Al4V-TCP slurry that enables 3DF manufacturing was 10 wt%. The chemical analysis showed that limited contamination occurred during sintering. The compressive strength and Young's modulus of the scaffolds exhibited values between those of cancellous and cortical bone. The 3D Ti6Al4V-TCP scaffolds with 10 wt% TCP allowed deposition of a calcium phosphate layer on the surface in a simulated body fluid. Cumulative release of calcium and phosphate ions from the scaffolds was observed in a simulated physiological solution, in contrast to a cell culture medium. A pilot in vivo study, in which the scaffolds were implanted intramuscularly in dogs showed ectopic bone formation in the Ti6Al4V-TCP scaffolds with 10 wt% TCP, showing their osteoinductive potential. The porous 3D Ti6Al4V-TCP scaffolds developed here combine the mechanical properties of the metal with the bioactivity of the ceramic and are therefore likely to yield more effective strategies to control the implant-bone interface and thereby improve long-term clinical results in orthopaedics and craniomaxillofacial surgery.Statement of significanceIn this work, 3D porous hybrid scaffolds made of a titanium alloy and a beta-tricalcium phosphate ceramic (Ti6Al4V-TCP) were developed using the direct additive manufacturing technique 3D fiber deposition. Upon optimization of the powders and slurry, scaffolds with up to 10 wt.% TCP with good mechanical properties and controllable porous structure at different length scales were successfully manufactured. A preliminary in vivo study in an intramuscular model demonstrated that the addition of TCP to the metal alloy improved its bioactivity. The combination of the two materials and the use of a direct additive manufacturing technique resulted in scaffolds that may lead to more effective strategies to control the implant-bone interface and thereby improve long-term clinical results in orthopaedics and craniomaxillofacial surgery.(c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )

© 2022In this research theoretical and practical studies have been highlighted about alloy design, casting and steel-slag interaction. The use of a protective slag layer was identified as an advantageous method in the production of low-density steels. For the first time in this study, a unique synthetic steelmaking (CaO/Al2O3:1.57) slag was implemented in an induction furnace with no vacuum chamber to produce high aluminum in steel. This study showed that manganese and aluminum directly influence the solidification structure and carbide formation. Coarser k-carbides have been detected at grain boundaries in austenite as-cast matrix when the Aluminum increases in the low-density steel.

ispartof: SURFACE ENGINEERING vol:38 issue:4 pages:430-439 status: published

ispartof: MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION vol:187 status: published

NiTi thin sheets were ultrasonic spot welded with a Cu interlayer, where different welding vibration amplitudes were applied to study the influence on the surface and interface microstructural characteristics, phase transformation behavior and mechanical response of the joints, which aimed to enhance the joint performance by proper optimization of the process parameters. An excellent bonding interface was achieved when an optimized vibration amplitude was applied, with a recrystallized microstructure formed in the Cu foil side near the bonding interface, which helped to improve the mechanical performance of the joints. Joints made with vibration amplitude of 55 mu m had an improved strength compared to the NiTi base material.

In this study, powder metallurgy was applied in a furnace atmosphere to form titanium boride layers on a commercially pure Ti surface. Experiments were carried out using the solid-state boriding method at 900 °C and 1000°C for 12 h and 24 h. Samples were produced by pressing the commercially pure Ti powders under 870 MPa. The sintering process required by the powder metallurgy method was carried out simultaneously with the boriding process. Thus, the sintering and boriding were performed in one stage. The formation of the boride layer was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, optical-light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and elemental dispersion spectrometry analyses. In addition, microhardness measurements were performed to examine the effect of the boriding process on hardness. The Vickers microhardness of the boronized surface reached 1773 HV, which was much higher than the 150 HV hardness of the commercially pure Ti substrate. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the boriding process had enabled the formation of TiB and TiB2 on the powder metallurgy Ti substrate surface. Consequently, the production of Ti via powder metallurgy is a potentially cost-effective alternative to the conventional method, and the boriding process supplies TiB and TiB2 that provide super-high hardness and excellent wear and corrosion resistance.

ispartof: COMPOSITES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY vol:232 status: published

The physical and mechanical properties of particleboard panels were evaluated relative to various loading levels of nanocellulose (NC) and boric acid (BA) in the urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin used for panel production. The results showed that NC and BA reinforcement substantially affected the performance properties of the particleboard panels. It was determined that using 3% NC and 3% BA in the panels afforded the best results relative to thickness swelling (TS), water absorption (WA), moisture content (MC), modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and internal bonding strength (IB). It was concluded that the performance properties of the particleboard panels could be enhanced by adjusting the loading levels of NC and BA. The study also showed that it is possible to apply NC and BA as modifiers for the formaldehyde resin in the process of manufacturing particleboard panels. The NC and BA reinforcement techniques could be used to develop novel furniture components and interior design materials. Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Research Fund [31076]; Turkish Academy of SciencesTurkish Academy of Sciences; [4806]; [19515]; [31014]; [43150]; [49525] The authors would like to thank Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Research Fund for its financial support in this study (Project No. 31076). Additionally, the support from Project Nos. 4806, 19515, 31014, 43150, and 49525 is greatly acknowledged. The authors thank Kastamonu Integrated Wood Industry and Trade Inc., Gebze, Turkey for providing raw materials, and Starwood Forest Products Inc., Bursa, Turkey for testing facilities. The support from Turkish Academy of Sciences is also appreciated.

A hybrid coating was fabricated on ZK60 magnesium (Mg) alloy using alternating current electrophoretic deposition (AC-EPD). The hybrid coating comprised chitosan, gelatin (Type-B), bioactive glasses (BG(a,b)) and nanoparticles of ZnO/CeO2. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed the presence of the above-mentioned materials on coated samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that coating morphology was homogeneous and covered the maximum surface area. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements (PDP) of coated samples were investigated in Ringer’s solution at 25°C. PDP results showed that lowest corrosion current density values of 1.39 and 1.84 µA cm−2 were observed for suspensions CS0.8–G0.8–BG(b)1.0–ZnO0.6 and CS0.8–G0.8–G(a)1–CeO2(0.6), respectively. SEM analysis and PDP results confirmed that best AC-EPD parameters for ZK60 are (Voltage = 35 V, Frequency = 300 Hz, DC off-set = 2 V, Time = 480 s, Distance = 10 mm). DC off-set with the same direction to high amplitude peak was a promising addition in AC-EPD parameters.

In this study, B4C+SiC/B4C +TiB2/SiC+TiB2 hybrid reinforcements were added to Al 7075 matrix via the powder metallurgy method. The powders were subjected to mechanical grinding for 240 min, as shown in the graphical abstract. The hybrid composite powder structure produced by the mechanical grinding was then placed in a vertical casting chamber and molten Al 7075 (main matrix) was added to obtain the samples. Samples were dissolved for 1 h at 480 ?C, and then aged at 120 ?C in 4-h increments (32 h in total). After the aging process, the wear behavior of the samples was investigated. In the study, FESEM images were examined for microstructural analysis, and hardness plots of the aged samples were created depending on the time after the solutioning treatment. The friction coefficient, volume loss, and worn surface images were investigated to determine the wear behavior of the hybrid structures. Results showed that the increased reinforcement rate and the reinforcement size and type directly affected the hardness and wear behavior. In the experiments, the highest hardness and wear resistance behavior were obtained in the hybrid sample of 3% B4C + 3% SiC after 12 h of aging.

Ion-irradiated FeCr alloys are useful for understanding and predicting neutron damage in the structural steels of future nuclear reactors. Previous studies have largely focused on the structure of irradiation induced defects, probed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as changes in mechanical properties. Across these studies, a wide range of irradiation conditions has been employed on samples with different processing histories, which complicates the analysis of the relationship between defect structures and material properties. Furthermore, key properties, such as irradiation-induced changes in thermal transport and lattice strain, are little explored. Here we present a systematic study of Fe3Cr, Fe5Cr and Fe10Cr binary alloys implanted with 20 MeV Fe3+ ions to nominal doses of 0.01 dpa and 0.1 dpa at room temperature. Nanoindentation, transient grating spectroscopy (TGS) and X-ray micro-beam Laue diffraction were used to study the changes in hardness, thermal diffusivity and strain in the material as a function of damage and Cr content. Our results suggest that Cr leads to an increased retention of irradiation-induced defects, causing substantial changes in hardness and lattice strain. However, thermal diffusivity varies little with increasing damage and instead degrades significantly with increasing Cr content in the material. We find significant lattice strains even in samples exposed to a nominal displacement damage of 0.01 dpa. The defect density predicted from the lattice strain measurements is significantly higher than that observed in previous TEM studies, suggesting that TEM may not fully capture the irradiation-induced defect population. (C) 2020 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fatigue of structural adhesives has been investigated through joints and a little number of works investigate bulk adhesive behaviour itself. Aerospace and automotive engineering focuses more on joint configuration studies, which are correlated with practical applications. Previous works showed that for thin adhesive joints, material properties measured by bulk adhesive testing and joint testing are similar despite the triaxial stress states developing in the adhesive bondlines. However, with the introduction of structural adhesives in construction industry, thicker bondlines have emerged where the bulk adhesive material dominates the joint behaviour. This review work summarises works on the fatigue of bulk structural adhesives used mainly in the construction industry investigating structural adhesives fatigue behaviour either through experiment on joints or on bulk adhesive specimens. The work focuses on thick adhesive bondlines in joints, and discusses the controversy that is over whether adhesive properties from joints or from bulk material should be used.

The microstructure of products manufactured by selective laser sintering (SLS) is known to be highly dependent on various process and material parameters. The latter thus also affect the final part properties. While most work has focused on ex-situ characterization of the printed parts, little is known about the time-dependent microstructure development during sintering. In this work, we present direct observations of the microstructural evolution during laser sintering of polyamide 12 (PA12) particle doublets by in-situ synchrotron wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), using our in-house developed laser sintering setup. Simultaneously, the neck growth between the particles and the temperature are captured via optical and infrared microscopy. We show that isothermal crystallization experiments under quiescent conditions are not sufficient to describe crystallization in a non-isothermal process like SLS. The enhanced crystallization kinetics in small particles suggests that both temperature and flow play a role. This finding was corroborated by the critical Weissenberg numbers estimated from rheological reptation and Rouse time scales. Furthermore, a microstructure survey has been carried out by microtoming thin slices of the sintered doublets. Both optical and atomic force microscopy reveal significant differences in the crystalline structure of the laser-affected zone as compared to the un-sintered region.

Replacement of Portland cement with high volumes of blast furnace slag is known to negatively affect the early-age properties of concrete, particularly at low temperatures. In this study, the effectiveness of Na2SO4 on the mechanical properties, hydration kinetics and microstructure development of a commercial CEM III/B (~69% slag) is investigated at 10 and 20 °C. Na2SO4 enhances compressive strength at both 10 and 20 °C, and at both early (1 and 7 days) and later ages (28 and 90 days). QXRD shows an increase in the degree of alite hydration at 1 day with Na2SO4 addition, while the degree of clinker and slag hydration is similar for all the systems from 7 to 90 days. An increase in ettringite content is observed at all ages in the systems with Na2SO4. Microstructure and pore structure shows densification of hydrates and reduction in porosity on addition of Na2SO4. ispartof: MATERIALS vol:15 issue:5 ispartof: location:Switzerland status: published

ispartof: ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES vol:9 issue:7 status: published

The use of Ti6Al4V in bone engineering is limited, due to the biological inertia of the surface. In this study, a porous Ti6Al4V scaffold with mechanical properties similar to cancellous bone was designed and 3D-printed. Under physiological conditions, the scaffold was immersed firstly in a 5-fold-concentrated sim-ulated body fluid, then in a supersaturated CaP solution containing BMP-2, to form a bone-like porous micro/nano structured biomimetic coating on the surface. Scaffolds were implanted in the muscle pouches created in six beagle dogs and were retrieved four weeks later for histologic and histomorpho-metric analysis. Results showed that BMP-2 integrated biomimetic CaP coating induced ectopic bone for- mation, which was absent in other two groups. Soft tissue infiltrated the scaffold’s outside 1 mm layer, while the new-formed bone was evenly distributed in the longitudinal and horizontal directions withinv the rest of the scaffold based on BA/TA, BIC and BA measurements. In conclusion, the BMP-2 incorporated biomimetic CaP coating creates a micro/nano surface structure on the Ti6Al4V scaffold, which helps to increase biocompatibility. The integrated BMP-2 is capable of inducing ectopic bone formation in vivo We acknowledged the contributions of all members of our research group to this article. This research was granted by National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC) No. 81670964, and Shandong Taishan Scholar Program to Dr. Yue-lian Liu. The authors appreciate Shanghai Rebone Biomaterials Co. for the supply of BMP-2

Inorganic/organic sol–gel hybrids consist of co-networks of inorganic and organic components that can lead to unique properties, compared to conventional composites, especially when there is covalent bonding between the networks. The aim here was to develop new electrospun silica/gelatin sol–gel hybrids, with covalent coupling and unique 3D cotton–wool-like morphology for application as regenerative medicine scaffolds. Covalent coupling is critical for obtaining sustained dissolution of the fibres and we identified the sol–gel synthesis conditions needed for coupling within the electrospun fibres. Under carefully controlled conditions, such as constant humidity, we investigated the effect of the electrospinning process variables of sol viscosity (and aging time) and amount of coupling agent on the 3D morphology of the fibres, their structure (bonding) and dissolution, identifying a detailed optimised protocol for fibre scaffold production.

G115 steel has gained a growing interesting recently for its use in next-generation ultra-supercritical power plant applications. Due to the high densities of dislocations and lath martensite boundaries in G115 steel, interactions between solutes and dislocations result in unique microstructural evolution during creep with the formation of dense Cu-rich precipitates (CRPs) and M(23)C(6 )carbides. Atom-probe tomography reveals that Mn is preferentially associated with CRPs, probably because the Mn atoms reduce the critical energy of nucleation. Solute-dragging and precipitate-pinning effects enhance the formation of dislocation network during earlier creep deformation. Compared with aged G115 steel, long-term creep deformation accelerates the coarsening of CRPs. The fast diffusion of solutes along dislocations, dislocation network walls, and lath boundaries significantly increases the CRP coarsening kinetics. Particle coarsening reduces the pinning strength, causing the dislocation density to decrease and the dislocation network to disappear during long creep stages. Our results enhance our understanding of CRP evolution in G115 steel during creep and provide a guide for the design of novel heat-resistant steels with excellent creep strength. (C) 2020 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermoplastic composites consisting of a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) and poly(lactide) (PLA) have the potential to combine good mechanical performance with recyclability and are therefore interesting as strong and sustainable composite materials. The viscoelastic behavior of both the LCP and the PLA is of great importance for the performance of these composites, as they determine the LCP morphology in the composite and play a crucial role in preventing the loss of mechanical performance upon recycling. Though the effect of the matrix viscosity is well-documented in literature, well-controlled systems where the LCP viscosity is tailored are not reported. Therefore, four LCPs, with the same chemical backbone but different molecular weights, are used to produce reinforced LCP-PLA composites. The differences in viscosity of the LCPs and viscosity ratio between the dispersed phase and the matrix of the blends are evident in the resultant composite morphology: in all cases fibrils are formed; however, the diameter increases considerably as the viscosity ratio increases for the higher molar mass LCPs. The fibril diameter ranges from several hundred nanometer to a few micrometer. A typical layered structure in the injection molded composites is observed, where the layer-thickness is influenced by the LCP viscosity. The LCPs are found to effectively reinforce the PLLA matrix, increasing the Young's modulus by 60% and the maximum stress by 40% for the composite containing 30 wt % of the most viscous LCP. Remarkably, this did not result in an increase in brittleness, effectively increasing the toughness of the composite compared to pure PLLA. The feasible reprocessability of this composite is confirmed, by subjecting it to three reprocessing cycles. The relaxation of the LCPs orientation upon heating is measured via in situ WAXD. We compare the relaxation in an amorphous PLA matrix and in a semicrystalline PLLA matrix with that of the pure LCPs. The matrix viscosity is found to strongly influence the relaxation. For example, in a low viscous amorphous matrix relaxation of the LCP fibrils into droplets dominates the process, whereas a semicrystalline matrix helps in maintaining the fibril morphology and intermolecular orientation of the LCP. In the latter case, the LCPs relax via contraction and coalescence of the polydomain texture and maintains a significant degree of orientation until the PLLA crystals melt and the matrix viscosity decreases. The insights gained in this study on the role of the LCP viscosity on the morphology and performance of thermoplastic composites, as well as the relaxation of LCPs in a matrix, will aid progression toward sustainable and reprocessable LCP reinforced thermoplastic composites.

Tissue-engineered constructs have great potential in many intervention strategies. In order for these constructs to function optimally, they should ideally mimic the cellular alignment and orientation found in the tissues to be treated. Here we present a simple and reproducible method for the production of cell-laden pure fibrin micro-fibers with longitudinal topography. The micro-fibers were produced using a molding technique and longitudinal topography was induced by a single initial stretch. Using this method, fibers up to 1 m in length and with diameters of 0.2-3 mm could be produced. The micro-fibers were generated with embedded endothelial cells, smooth muscle cell/fibroblasts or Schwann cells. Polarized light and scanning electron microscopy imaging showed that the initial stretch was sufficient to induce longitudinal topography in the fibrin gel. Cells in the unstretched control micro-fibers elongated randomly in both the floating and encapsulated environments, whereas the cells in the stretched micro-fibers responded to the introduced topography by adopting a similar orientation. Proof of concept bottom-up tissue engineering (TE) constructs are shown, all displaying various anisotropic organization of cells within. This simple, economical, versatile and scalable approach for the production of highly orientated and cell-laden micro-fibers is easily transferrable to any TE laboratory.

Thermoplastic elastomers benefit from high elasticity and straightforward (re)processability; they are widely used across a multitude of sectors. Currently, the majority derive from oil, do not degrade or undergo chemical recycling. Here a new series of ABA triblock polyesters are synthesized and show high-performances as degradable thermoplastic elastomers; their composition is poly(cyclohexene-alt-phthalate)-b-poly(ε-decalactone)-b-poly(cyclohexene-alt-phthalate) {PE–PDL–PE}. The synthesis is accomplished using a zinc(ii)/magnesium(ii) catalyst, in a one-pot procedure where ε-decalactone ring-opening polymerization yielding dihydroxyl telechelic poly(ε-decalatone) (PDL, soft-block) occurs first and, then, addition of phthalic anhydride/cyclohexene oxide ring-opening copolymerization delivers semi-aromatic polyester (PE, hard-block) end-blocks. The block compositions are straightforward to control, from the initial monomer stoichiometry, and conversions are high (85–98%). Two series of polyesters are prepared: (1) TBPE-1 to TBPE-5 feature an equivalent hard-block volume fraction (fhard = 0.4) and variable molar masses 40–100 kg mol−1; (2) TBPE-5 to TBPE-9 feature equivalent molar masses (∼100 kg mol−1) and variable hard-block volume fractions (0.12 < fhard < 0.4). Polymers are characterized using spectroscopies, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). They are amorphous, with two glass transition temperatures (∼−51 °C for PDL; +138 °C for PE), and block phase separation is confirmed using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Tensile mechanical performances reveal thermoplastic elastomers (fhard < 0.4 and N > 1300) with linear stress–strain relationships, high ultimate tensile strengths (σb = 1–5 MPa), very high elongations at break (εb = 1000–1900%) and excellent elastic recoveries (98%). There is a wide operating temperature range (−51 to +138 °C), an operable processing temperature range (+100 to +200 °C) and excellent thermal stability (Td,5% ∼ 300 °C). The polymers are stable in aqueous environments, at room temperature, but are hydrolyzed upon gentle heating (60 °C) and treatment with an organic acid (para-toluene sulfonic acid) or a common lipase (Novozyme® 51032). The new block polyesters show significant potential as sustainable thermoplastic elastomers with better properties than well-known styrenic block copolymers or polylactide-derived elastomers. The straightforward synthesis allows for other commercially available and/or bio-derived lactones, epoxides and anhydrides to be developed in the future., A new series of block polyester thermoplastic elastomers are prepared by a one-pot procedure; they show properties competitive or better than conventional materials and can be fully degraded after use.

Supramolecular polymer combs/brushes can be used as smart materials which incorporate the properties of linear polymers with branch polymers depending on the temperature, grafting density, branch molecular weight and most importantly type of non-covalent interaction between the main chain and side chains. Three sets of polymers were synthesized and mixed based on a specific interaction between the main chain and the side chain polymers. The first two sets based on the combination of 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (DAT) : thymine (THY) and 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) : (1-(6-isocyanatohexyl)-3-(7-oxo-7,8-dihydro-1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl)urea) (ODIN) were a blend and the third one using ODIN : ODIN interactions was used without a main chain. The polymer set using ODIN : ODIN interaction showed long-range ordering due to strong ODIN aggregation, whereas UPy : ODIN-based polymer combs showed comb-like clusters without any ordering. The phase separation in the THY : DAT system was more pronounced and was further improved after the addition of more equivalents of side chains. Moreover, using melt rheology, consistent with the SAXS data, it was concluded that long-range ordering is responsible for the elastic properties and the flow temperature (T-flow) is lower than the order-disorder transition temperature (T-ODT). This work can be considered as a toolkit for the design of bottlebrush and comb polymers as well as supersoft elastomers and stimuli-responsive materials.

The element Vanadium (V) appears unique among alloying elements for providing high strengthening in both the fcc Co-Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni-V and bcc Cr-Mo-Nb-Ta-V-W-Hf-Ti-Zr high-entropy alloy families. The origin of Vanadium's special role is its atomic volume: large in the fcc alloys and small in the bcc alloys, and thus having a large misfit volume in both crystalline structures. A parameter-free theory applicable to both fcc and bcc HEAs rationalizes this finding, with predictions of strength across a range of fcc and bcc alloys in quantitative and qualitative agreement with experiments. In the fcc class, the analysis demonstrates why the newly-discovered NiCoV and Ni0.632V0.368 alloys have far higher strength than any other fcc alloy and are predicted to be the highest attainable. In the bcc class, the analysis demonstrates that the addition of V always increases the strength relative to the same alloys without V. The optimization of complex alloys for high strength should thus center around the inclusion of V as a primary element at concentration levels of around 25 at.% (C) 2020 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International audience; This work presents a straightforward strategy to introduce highly dynamic and adaptable cross-links into common epoxy resin formulations. For this, an oligomeric amine-based curing agent containing vinylogous urethane (VU) bonds was developed. This novel polyfunctional amine curing agent can be used as a drop-in solution for existing epoxy resin technologies, resulting in transparent, rigid, and, at the same time, highly reprocessable catalyst-free epoxy vitrimers. The oligomeric VU-curing agents are prepolymerized via a straightforward condensation reaction between acetoacetates extended with different classical amine monomers and epoxy hardeners. It is found that vitrimer properties can be readily introduced into these epoxy formulations by converting

Steels are the most used structural material in the world, and hydrogen content and localization within the microstructure play an important role in its properties, namely inducing some level of embrittlement. The characterization of the steels susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement (HE) is a complex task requiring always a broad and multidisciplinary approach. The target of the present work is to introduce the artificial neural network (ANN) computing system to predict the hydrogen-induced mechanical properties degradation using the hydrogen thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) data of the studied steel. Hydrogen sensitivity parameter (HSP) calculated from the reduction of elongation to fracture caused by hydrogen was linked to the corresponding hydrogen thermal desorption spectra measured for austenitic, ferritic, and ferritic-martensitic steel grades. Correlation between the TDS input data and HSP output data was studied using two ANN models. A correlation of 98% was obtained between the experimentally measured HSP values and HSP values predicted using the developed densely connected layers ANN model. The performance of the developed ANN models is good even for never-before-seen steels. The ANN-coupled system based on the TDS is a powerful tool in steels characterization especially in the analysis of the steels susceptibility to HE.