A TEM study on the microstructure of spark plasma sintered ZrB_2-based composite with nano-sized SiC dopant

Sintering behavior of ZrB_2 ceramic with nano-sized SiC dopant was studied. ZrB_2-25 vol% nano-sized SiC was selected as the starting mixture to fabricate the composite. The manufacturing process was accomplished at 1800℃ for 5 min under 25 MPa via spark plasma sintering(SPS). The as-sintered sample reached a relative density of 99%. Besides the initial phases, namely ZrB_2 and SiC, the high-resolution X-ray diffraction(HRXRD) was used to study the formation of an in-situ ZrC phase. The possible chemical interactions during the ZrC phase formation were scrutinized. The microstructure of the composite was studied by the field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Elemental analysis through FESEM evaluations revealed the formation of amorphous phases, rich in Zr, C, Si, B, and O elements, which was in harmony with the thermodynamical assessments. TEM studies endorsed the formation of such phases, containing a glassy bed of Si–B–O with ZrC and C islands dispersed therein.     

Improvement in the protective performance and adhesion of polypyrrole coating on AZ31 Mg alloys

The electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole (Ppy) coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy was successfully achieved in a solution containing sodium salicylate and monomer of pyrrole through cyclic voltammetry technique. The effect of potential range, passivation pretreatment and number of cycles of polymerization on the quality and protective performance of the coatings was evaluated using surface analysis and electrochemical techniques. Through taking the advantage of charge transfer resistance, current density, corrosion potential, optical microscopy images and SEM micrographs, the optimum condition of synthesis of a Ppy coating with the best adhesion and corrosion protection was determined. The optimal PPy coating synthesized over AZ31 increases the polarization resistance and decreases the corrosion current more than one order of magnitude and shift the corrosion potential about 200 mV toward nobler potentials. The SEM studies showed that Ppy coating have cauliflower morphology of Ppy grains with a diameter ranging from 20 nm to 60 nm.     

Adaptive Output Feedback Regulation for a Class of Uncertain Feedforward Time-Delay Nonlinear Systems

This paper addresses the global output feedback regulation problem for a class of uncertain feedforward time-delay nonlinear systems. Unlike to the previous works, the nonlinear functions in the class of systems under consideration are dominated by an input-output function multiplied by an unknown parameter and linear unmeasured states. By using only one dynamic gain and an appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals, it is shown that the closed-loop system is globally asymptotically stable. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design scheme.     

Levels ofβ-trace protein and lysozyme in human amniotic fluids

Summary The levels of -trace protein and lysozyme were estimated in amniotic fluids from normal fetuses and from fetuses with neuraltube defects. The values of these proteins in normal amniotic fluids were found to be similar to those detected in fetuses with anencephaly and spina bifida. The levels of lysozyme were shown to be correlated with gestational age.     

Levels of beta-trace protein and lysozyme in human amniotic fluids.

The levels of beta-trace protein and lysozyme were estimated in amniotic fluids from normal fetuses and from fetuses with neuraltube defects. The values of these proteins in normal amniotic fluids were found to be similar to those detected in fetuses with anencephaly and spina bifida. The levels of lysozyme were shown to be correlated with gestational age.