Electrospun Chitosan( CS)/Poly( L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)( PLCL ) Nanofibers and Their Potential as Small-Diameter Vascular Scaffold

The ideal small-diameter vascular grafts should mimic the nanostructure and mechanical properties of nature blood vessel. In this study, electrospun chitosan( CS)/poly( L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone)( PLCL) nanofibers were developed for potential small-diameter blood vessel applications. CS is a positively charged polymer which is beneficial for cell attachment and growth,while PLCL provides favorable mechanical support due to its excellent elasticity. Typical nanofibrous structure was observed in both CS/PLCL and pure PLCL scaffolds. The optimal mechanical property could be achieved when the weight ratio of CS/PLCL was 1 ∶ 2.Compared with pure PLCL scaffolds, the CS/PLCL scaffolds showed higher hydrophilicity and markedly promoted the attachment,spreading and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells( HUVECs). Hence,CS/PLCL scaffolds can be used as potential vascular grafts.     

Preparation and Mechanical Performance of Blended Polyester/Silk Small Diameter Arterial Prostheses

Small diameter arterial prostheses were required to treat coronary and cerebrovascular arterial diseases. The diameters of the artificial blood vessels should match the diameters of the host arteries. Besides,the mechanical properties of the arterial prostheses should be strong enough to endure the forces in the body after implantation. In this study,silk and polyester were woven into small diameter arterial prostheses and the dimensional and mechanical properties,as well as the water permeability,were investigated. The woven samples had an inner diameter ranging from 3. 65 to 3. 94mm. The wall thickness of the samples ranged from 0. 26 to 0. 28mm. Compared with polytetrafiuoroethylene( ePTFE) commercial devices,whose probe bursting strength was measured to be 15. 64 N /mm2,the woven samples had superior strength values ranging from20. 53 to 28. 97 N /mm2. In addition,the radial compliance of the woven samples was found to lie between the ePTFE sample and the pig’s carotid artery,and the water permeability of all the woven samples was less than 300 mL /( cm2·min) which indicated that these woven samples could be implanted without preclotting.     

Structure Changes of Silk Fibroin（SF） by Blending with Poly（ε-caprolactone）（PCL）：Characterization of SF and PCL Blended Electrospinning Films

The mechanical properties and water solubility of electrospinning SF films limit their use as biomaterials. In order to develop a tissue engineering biomaterial with both satisfying biological properties and sufficient biomechanical properties,blended films composed of silk fibroin（ SF） and poly（ ε-caprolactone）（ PCL） were fabricated by electrospinning in this study. Scanning electron microscope（ SEM）, X-ray diffraction（ XRD）,thermal analysis,Fourier transform-infrared（ FT-IR）,Raman spectra,mechanical testing,and water solubility were used to characterize the morphological, structural and mechanical properties of the blended electrospinning films. Results showed that the diameter of the blended fiber was distributed between 600 and1000 nm,and the fiber diameter increased as the PCL content increased. There is no obvious phase separation due to the similarity and intermiscibility,as well as the interactions（ mainly hydrogen bonds）, between the two polymers. Meanwhile, the secondary structures of SF changed from random coils and Silk I to Silk II because of the interactions between SF and PCL. For this reason,the tensile strength and elongation at break of the electrospinning films improved significantly,and the water solubility decreased. In conclusion,the blended electrospinning films fabricated in this study showed satisfying mechanical properties and water insolubilities,and they may be promising biomaterials for applications in tissue engineering for blood vessels,nerve conduits,tendons,ligaments and other tissues.     

Effect of silica forms in rice husk ash on the properties of concrete

The strength and durability properties of concrete with or without three types of rice husk ash (RHA), namely, amorphous, partial crystalline, and crystalline RHA, were investigates. The three types of RHA were added into concrete at a 20% replacement level. Consequently, the pozzolanic reactivity of amorphous RHA was higher than that of partial crystalline and crystalline RHA. Concrete added with amorphous RHA showed excellent characteristics in its mechanical and durability properties. The results showed that the higher the amount of crystalline silica in RHA, the lower the concrete resistivity value became. When compared with each other, concretes with 20% of the cement replaced with these types of RHA achieved similar ultrasonic pulse velocity values, but all were lower than that of the control concrete. The incorporation of these kinds of RHA significantly reduced chloride penetration. The results not only encourage the use of amorphous materials, they also support the application of crystalline or partial crystalline RHA as mineral and pozzolanic admixtures for cement.     

Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan Nerve Conduits with Microtubular Architectures

Porous multi-channel chitosan conduits were fabricated using a novel phase-separation technique with an axial temperature gradient. First, porous chitosan tubes were made with a mold that was composed of two concentric polytetrafiuoroethylene tubes. Then 1%-3% （w/v） chitosan solution was injected into the chitosan tube while the two ends of the tube were closed with steel rods. Then the outside of the tube was wrapped with a layer of thermal insulating material to reduce the heat transfer through the outside, and the tubes were placed in a freezer. The resulting phase separation then occurred in the presence of an axial temperature gradient. The porosity, microtubule diameter, and orientation were controlled by adjusting the polymer concentration and temperature gradient. After the preparation course, no poisonous substances remained on the conduits. The mechanical properties, swelling, and biodegradability of the chitosan conduits were investigated, and a scanning electron microscope was used to observe the tubular morphology and growth of neuroblastoma cells （N2A, mouse） in the conduits. The results demonstrate that the multi-channel chitosan conduits have suitable mechanical strength, swelling, degradation properties, and nerve cell affinity, so they hold promise for use as neural tissue engineering scaffolds.     

Processing Methods and Properties of Two Composite Geotextiles

In order to develope new composite geotextiles with good comprehensive properties,the needle-punched composite geotextiles and adhesive bonded composite geotextiles were made in the factory and laboratory separately.The two processing methods were studied and the mechanical and hydraulic properties of the two kinds of products were tested and compared.The experimental resultsshow that the breaking strength of needle-punched composite geotextiles is much lower than that of adhesive bonded composite geotextiles and the latter also have better hydraulic properties than the former which used in     

Micronuclei rate and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase mutation in radon-exposed rats

The genetic changes in rats with radon exposure were studied by the micronucleus technology and detection of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase （hprt） mutations. The rate of the micronuclei in peripheral blood lymphocytes and tracheal-bronchial epithelial cells in the radon-inhaled rats was higher than that of the controls （P 〈 0.05）. A similar result was obtained from the hprt assay, which showed a higher mutation frequency in radon-exposed rats. Our results suggested that micronuclei rate and hprt deficiency could be used as biomarkers for the genetic changes with radon exposure.     

Preparation and Properties of PCL/PLA Shape Memory Composites

Poly(lactic acid)(PLA) was blended with various polycaprolactone(PCL) components through the melt blending process for toughening modification on PLA.The tensile testing,scanning electron microscope(SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) were implemented to analyze mechanical properties,disperse morphology,thermal properties and compatibility of composite materials,respectively.The shape memory performance of PCL/PLA composites was also investigated.The results showed that the elongation at break of composites increased by 10 and 15 times than pure PLA with adding 20% and30% by weight of PCL,and the yield strength retention rates were77% and 67%,respectively.The SEM showed that PCL/PLA composite was a semi-compatible system.PCL particles could be evenly dispersed in the PLA at 20% or 30% by weight PCL content,and the particle size was very small.DSC results showed a decline in Tg and Tm whereas an increase in Td with the addition of PCL.The addition of PCL could improve the shape memory performance of PLA.The shape memory performance was enhanced with the PCL content increase,but decreased with the tensile strain increase.The best temperature for shape recovery was between 60 and 70 ℃,and the shape memory performance remained 80% after 5 times recycle.     

Effect of Blending Ratio on he Properties of Ramie/Polyester Blended Yarn

The effects of the blending ratio on the properties of Ramie/Polyester blended yarns are discussed in this paper. The experimental results show that the elongation of the yarn with the polyester content more than 40% is better than that of others. There is a lowest tenacity of the yarn corresponding to the blending ratio of 50/50 or so. The other properties of the yarn, such as the evenness and hairiness, will be improved with the increasing of the polyester content.     

Longitudinal Mechanical Properties of Small-Diameter Polyurethane Vascular Graft Reinforced by Tubular Knitted Fabric

The vascular graft with 4 mm diameter was prepared by casting one layer of polyurethane (PU) film onto the knitting tubular fabric as the reinforced support. The effects of different PU content and wall thickness on the longitudinal mechanical properties of vascular graft were investigated. The breaking elongation, breaking force, initial modulus and breaking work were studied. The results showed that the longitudinal mechanical properties of vascular graft were enhanced as the content of polyurethane increased, which resulted from the combination of PU excellent elasticity and fabric preferable strength.     

Mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi<Subscript>10</Subscript>Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering

The mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi₁₀Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS) were investigated. The results showed that the densities of the sintered composites gradually increased with increasing sintering temperature and that the highest microhardness and compressive strength were achieved in the specimen sintered at 450℃. CNTs dispersed uniformly in the AlSi₁₀Mg matrix when the addition of CNTs was less than 1.5wt%. However, when the addition of CNTs exceeded 1.5wt%, the aggregation of CNTs was clearly observed. Moreover, the mechanical properties (including the densities, compressive strength, and microhardness) of the composites changed with CNT content and reached a maximum value when the CNT content was 1.5wt%. Meanwhile, the minimum average friction coefficient and wear rate of the CNT/AlSi₁₀Mg composites were obtained with 1.0wt% CNTs.     

Experimental study of heat transfer of ultra-supercritical pressure water in vertical upward internally ribbed tube

Under ultra-supercritical pressure, the heat transfer characteristics of water in vertical upward 4-head internally ribbed tubes with a diameter of 28.65mm and thickness of 8mm were experimentally studied. The experiments were performed at P=25～34MPa, G=450～1800kg/(m2·s) and q=200～600kW/m2. The results show that the pressure has only a moderate effect on the heat transfer of ultra-supercritical water when the water temperature is below the pseudocritical point. Sharp rise of the wall temperature near the pesudocritical region occurs earlier at a higher pressure. Increasing the mass velocity improves the heat transfer with a much stronger effect below the pesudocritical point than that above the pesudocritical point. For given pressure and mass velocity, the inner wall heat flux also shows a significant effect on the inner wall temperature, with a higher inner wall heat flux leading to a higher inner wall temperature. Increasing of inner wall heat flux leads to an early occurrence of sharp rise of the wall temperature. Correlations of heat transfer coefficients are also presented for vertical upward internally ribbed tubes.     

先进高强钢DP590焊缝的组织特征和力学性能改善

The effects of the welding current mode in resistance spot welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steel dual-phase 590 (DP590) sheets were investigated. Results showed that a rough martensitic structure was formed in the weld zone of the sample welded via the single-pulsed mode, whereas the microstructure in the heat-affected zone consisted of a very rough martensitic microstructure and rough ferrite. However, using the secondary pulse mode led to the formation of tempered martensite in the weld zone. The maximum load and the energy absorption to failure of the samples with the secondary pulsed cycle were higher than those of the samples with the single-pulsed mode. Tensile shear results indicated that the secondary pulsed mode could significantly change the mode of failure upon shear tension testing. Therefore, the obtained results suggest that the use of secondary pulsed mode can improve the microstructural feature and mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steel DP590 welds.     

Evolution of carbides and carbon content in matrix of an ultra-high carbon sintered steel during heat treatment process

DTA, thermal expansion, XRD, and SEM were used to evaluate the effect of quenching temperature on the mechanical properties and microstructure of a novel sintered steel Fe-6Co-1Ni-5Cr-5Mo-1C. Lattice parameters and the mass fraction of carbon dissolved in the matrix of the steel quenched were investigated. It is discovered that the hardness of the steel increases with quenching temperature in the range of 840-900℃ and remains constant in the range of 900 to 1100℃. It decreases rapidly when the temperature is higher than 1100℃. The mass fraction of carbon dissolved in the matrix of the steel quenched at 840℃ is 0.38, but when the quenching temperature is increased to 1150℃, it increases to 0.98. The carbides formed during sintering are still present at grain boundaries and in the matrix of the steel quenched at low quenching temperatures, such as 840℃. When the quenching temperature is increased to 1150℃, most of the carbides at grain boundaries are dissolved with just a small amount of spherical M₂₃C₆ existing in the matrix of the quenched steel.     

Mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi_(10)Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering

The mechanical properties and friction behaviors of CNT/AlSi_(10)Mg composites produced by spark plasma sintering(SPS) were investigated.The results showed that the densities of the sintered composites gradually increased with increasing sintering temperature and that the highest microhardness and compressive strength were achieved in the specimen sintered at 450°C.CNTs dispersed uniformly in the AlSi_(10)Mg matrix when the addition of CNTs was less than 1.5wt%.However,when the addition of CNTs exceeded 1.5wt%,the aggregation of CNTs was clearly observed.Moreover,the mechanical properties(including the densities,compressive strength,and microhardness) of the composites changed with CNT content and reached a maximum value when the CNT content was 1.5wt%.Meanwhile,the minimum average friction coefficient and wear rate of the CNT/AlSi_(10)Mg composites were obtained with 1.0wt% CNTs.     

机械合金化法制备的Cu/SiC纳米复合材料的组织、热性能和力学性能评估

Nano-sized silicon carbide (SiC: 0wt%, 1wt%, 2wt%, 4wt%, and 8wt%) reinforced copper (Cu) matrix nanocomposites were manufactured, pressed, and sintered at 775 and 875°C in an argon atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy were performed to characterize the microstructural evolution. The density, thermal expansion, mechanical, and electrical properties were studied. XRD analyses showed that with increasing SiC content, the microstrain and dislocation density increased, while the crystal size decreased. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the nanocomposites was less than that of the Cu matrix. The improvement in the CTE with increasing sintering temperature may be because of densification of the microstructure. Moreover, the mechanical properties of these nanocomposites showed noticeable enhancements with the addition of SiC and sintering temperatures, where the microhardness and apparent strengthening efficiency of nanocomposites containing 8wt% SiC and sintered at 875°C were 958.7 MPa and 1.07 vol%?1, respectively. The electrical conductivity of the sample slightly decreased with additional SiC and increased with sintering temperature. The prepared Cu/SiC nanocomposites possessed good electrical conductivity, high thermal stability, and excellent mechanical properties.     

Investigation on microstructural, mechanical and electrochemical properties of aluminum composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets

In present study, the microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of aluminum–graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) composites were investigated before and after extrusion. The contents of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were varied from 0.25 to 1.0 wt.% in aluminum matrix. The composites were fabricated thorough powder metallurgy method, and the experimental results revealed that Al-0.25%GNPs composite showed better mechanical properties compared with pure Al, Al-0.50%GNPs and Al-0.1.0%GNPs composites. Before extrusion, the Al-0.25%GNPs composite showed ~13.5% improvement in ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and ~50% enhancement in failure strain over monolithic matrix. On the other hand, Al-0.50%GNPs and Al-0.1.0%GNPs composites showed the tensile strength lower than monolithic matrix. No significant change was observed in 0.2% yield strength (YS) of the composites. However, the extruded materials showed different trends. The 0.2%YS of composites increased with increase in GNPs filler weight fractions. Surprisingly, UTS of composites with 0.25 and 0.50% GNPs was lower than monolithic matrix. The failure strain of the baseline matrix was enhanced by ~46% with 0.25% graphene nanoplatelets. The superior mechanical properties (in terms of failure strain) of the Al-0.25%GNPs composite maybe attributed to 2-D structure, high surface area and curled nature of graphene. In addition, the corrosion resistance of pure Al and its composites reinforced with 0.5 and 1.0 wt% GNPs was also investigated. It was found that the corrosion rate increased considerably by the presence of GNPs.     

Influence of silicon on the microstructures,mechanical properties and stretch-flangeability of dual phase steels

Uniaxial tension tests and hole-expansion tests were carried out to determine the influence of silicon on the microstructures, mechanical properties, and stretch-flangeability of conventional dual-phase steels. Compared to 0.03wt% silicon, the addition of 1.08wt% silicon induced the formation of finer ferrite grains (6.8 μm) and a higher carbon content of martensite (C_m ≈ 0.32wt%). As the silicon level increased, the initial strain-hardening rate (n value) and the uniform elongation increased, whereas the yield strength, yield ratio, and stretch-flangeability decreased. The microstructures were observed after hole-expansion tests. The results showed that low carbon content martensite (C_m ≈ 0.19wt%) can easily deform in coordination with ferrite. The relationship between the mechanical properties and stretch-flangeability indicated that the steel with large post-uniform elongation has good stretch-flangeability due to a closer plastic incompatibility of the ferrite and martensite phases, which can effectively delay the production and decohesion of microvoids.     

Influence of acetone on nanostructure and electrochemical properties of interfacial synthesized polyaniline nanofibers

The growth of polyaniline(PANI) nano fi bers through interfacial polymerization can be well controlled by adding a small amount of acetone in the water/chloroform system. It was found that the polymerization rate became slower in the presence of acetone, yielding PANI nano fi bers with larger aspect ratios. The in fl uences of the acetone addition on the morphology, microstructure and properties of as-prepared PANI nano fi bers were studied by scanning electron microscope(FE-SEM), ultraviolet–visible spectra(UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction(XRD), thermogravity analysis(TGA), and electrical and electrochemical measurements. The experimental results showed that PANI nano fi bers prepared by using ammonium persulfate(APS) as an oxidant with acetone exhibited slower growth, the larger ratio of length to diameter, and higher crystallinity(2θ=6℃, 19℃, 26℃) than that without acetone, meanwhile remained larger yield of 11.23% and higher conductivity 1.8*10-2S/cm compared with that obtained by replacing APS with Fe Cl3. More importantly, these PANI nano fi bers exhibited better electrochemical behaviors, which bene fi tted from their high crystallinity and good conductivity.     

Mechanical properties of Mn-doped ZnO nanowires studied by first-principles calculations

First-principles calculations were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of ZnO nanowires and to study the doping and size effects. A series of strains were applied to ZnO nanowires in the axial direction and the elastic moduli of ZnO nanowires were obtained from the energy versus strain curves. Pure and Mn-doped ZnO nanowires with three different diameters (1.14, 1.43, and 1.74 nm) were studied. It is found that the elastic moduli of the ZnO nanowires are 146.5, 146.6, and 143.9 GPa, respectively, which are slightly larger than that of the bulk (140.1 GPa), and they increase as the diameter decreases. The elastic moduli of the Mn-doped ZnO nanowires are 137.6, 141.8, and 141.0 GPa, which are slightly lower than those of the undoped ones by 6.1%, 3.3%, and 2.0%, respectively. The mechanisms of doping and size effect were discussed in terms of chemical bonding and geometry considerations.