Search Results (14)

In this study, homogeneous (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coatings with almost defect-free microstructures were successfully prepared on a 42CrMo steel substrate by coupling ultra-high-speed laser cladding (USLC) with the direct reaction synthesis (DRS) technique to introduce the in-situ exothermic reaction into the cladding materials; these were comparatively analyzed with the pure IN625 coating prepared only by USLC. Our results showed that the interface of the composite coating/substrate was greatly affected by about 670 kJ Joule heat released from the in-situ reaction happening during the cladding process, which was sufficient to remelt the as-deposited materials and significantly increased the coating/substrate interface width to around 24 μm, six times the interface width of pure IN625 coating. Furthermore, the residual stress inside the coating and across the interfacial region was also reduced, alleviating the interface stress mismatch. However, the surface hardness of (Ti, Nb)(C, B)/IN625 composite coating was found to be lower than that of the IN625 coating, and the average wear weight loss was only 10% of that of the IN625 coating, attributable to the in-situ authigenic TiCB, TiC, NbMo₃B₄ and NbMo₂B₂ phases providing load transfer from the hard phases to the IN625 composite matrix to achieve abrasion reduction and wear resistance. It was also found that the formation of nano-equiaxial ultrafine grains in the depth range of 250 nm below the wear surface was facilitated by the coupling of the three fields of plastic rheology-heat-force, which dynamically strengthened the wear surface. Based on these findings, it is suggested to promote the strategy of combing USLC and DRS techniques to achieve an additional ability to enhance the coating microstructure and reduce residual stress, to achieve better tribological performance. Full article

The combination of natural and synthetic polymers to form hybrid hydrogels offers the potential of fabricating new materials that possess a combination of properties resulting from both types of polymer classes. Within this work, two alkene-functionalized poly(2-alkyl/aryl–2-oxazoline) (PAOx) copolymers and one gelatin derivative, thiolated gelatin (gel-SH), are synthesized as precursors for hybrid hydrogels through a photo-induced radical thiol-ene crosslinking process. In-situ photo-rheology revealed an increased mechanical stability for hydrogels that possess an excess amount of PAOx precursor. A final qualitative investigation of the thermo-responsive properties of a P(EtOx₂₇₀–norbornenOx₃₀):gel-SH (2:1) hydrogel film revealed a cloud point temperature (T_cp) in the same range as the T_cp of the P(EtOx₂₇₀–norbornenOx₃₀) polymer precursor, which is around 30 °C. This promising result demonstrates that thermo-responsive hybrid poly(2-oxazoline)-gelatin hydrogels could be prepared with predictable T_cps and that further investigation into this appealing feature might be of interest. Ultimately, this work shows a proof-of-concept of using PAOx as potential hybrid hydrogel precursor in combination with cell-interactive gelatin derivatives to potentially improve the mechanical stability of the final scaffolds and introduce additional features such as thermo-responsiveness for the purpose of drug delivery. Full article

In the present investigation, in-situ epoxidation of waste cooking oil and its methyl esters was prepared, and the rheological behavior was analyzed for biolubricant applications. Rheological properties of the prepared epoxides were measured at a temperature of 25–100 °C, at a shear rate ranging from 5 to 300 s⁻¹. As viscosity is one of the critical parameters for potential biolubricant applications, in the present study, the power-law model was used to investigate the flow behavior of the epoxides. The viscosity of epoxidized waste cooking oil and its methyl ester epoxides showed Newtonian flow behavior in the studied temperature range. Different shear rates (5–100, 5–300, 100–300 s⁻¹) were studied to determine the shear rate dependency of the epoxidized waste cooking oil and its methyl ester epoxides at different temperatures. From the average viscosity values, it was shown that the epoxides show identical results at all shear rates. The dynamic viscosities of the epoxidized waste cooking oil and its methyl ester epoxides were found to be dependent on fatty acid chain length, unsaturation, and temperature. Detailed physicochemical characterization for epoxide waste cooking oil (EWCO) and epoxide waste cooking oil methyl esters (EWCOME) were carried out to evaluate the properties for suitable biolubricant applications using standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) methods. Based on the viscosity for EWCO (278.9 mm²/s) and EWCOME (12.15 mm²/s) and viscosity index for EWCO (164.94) and EWCOME (151.97) of the prepared epoxides, they could complement the standard ISO vegetable grade (VG) lubricants in the market. Full article

Effective pharmacotherapy during glaucoma treatment depends on interventions that reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) and retain the IOP lowering effect for sufficient time so as to reduce dosing frequency and enhance patient adherence. Combination anti-glaucoma therapy and dosage forms that increase precorneal residence time could therefore constitute a promising therapeutic intervention. The in-situ gel forming self-assembling peptide ac-(RADA)₄-CONH₂ was evaluated as carrier for the ocular co-delivery of timolol maleate (TM) and brimonidine tartrate (BR). The hydrogel’s microstructure and mechanical properties were assessed with atomic force microscopy and rheology, respectively. Drug diffusion from the hydrogel was evaluated in vitro in simulated tear fluid and ex vivo across porcine corneas and its effect on the treated corneas was assessed through physicochemical characterization and histological analysis. Results indicated that TM and BR co-delivery affected hydrogel’s microstructure resulting in shorter nanofibers and a less rigid hydrogel matrix. Rapid and complete release of both drugs was achieved within 8 h, while a 2.8-fold and 5.4-fold higher corneal permeability was achieved for TM and BR, respectively. No significant alterations were induced in the structural integrity of the corneas treated with the hydrogel formulation, suggesting that self-assembling peptide hydrogels might serve as promising systems for combination anti-glaucoma therapy. Full article

Polymer flooding is an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process, which has received increasing interest in the industry. In this process, water-soluble polymers are used to increase injected water viscosity in order to improve mobility ratio and hence improve reservoir sweep. Polymer solutions are non-Newtonian fluids, i.e., their viscosities are shear dependent. Polymers may exhibit an increase in viscosity at high shear rates in porous media, which can cause injectivity loss. In contrast, at low shear rates they may observe viscosity loss and hence enhance the injectivity. Therefore, due to the complex non-Newtonian rheology of polymers, it is necessary to optimize the design of polymer injectivity tests in order to improve our understanding of the rheology behavior and enhance the design of polymer flood projects. This study has been addressing what information that can be gained from polymer injectivity tests, and how to design the test for maximizing information. The main source of information in the field is from the injection bottom-hole pressure (BHP). Simulation studies have analyzed the response of different non-Newtonian rheology on BHP with variations of rate and time. The results have shown that BHP from injectivity tests can be used to detect in-situ polymer rheology. Full article

Biomaterials that promote angiogenesis are required for repair and regeneration of bone. In-situ formed injectable hydrogels functionalised with bioactive agents, facilitating angiogenesis have high demand for bone regeneration. In this study, pH and thermosensitive hydrogels based on chitosan (CS) and hydroxyapatite (HA) composite materials loaded with heparin (Hep) were investigated for their pro-angiogenic potential. Hydrogel formulations with varying Hep concentrations were prepared by sol–gel technique for these homogeneous solutions were neutralised with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) at 4 °C. Solutions (CS/HA/Hep) constituted hydrogels setting at 37 °C which was initiated from surface in 5–10 minutes. Hydrogels were characterised by performing injectability, gelation, rheology, morphology, chemical and biological analyses. Hydrogel solutions facilitated manual dropwise injection from 21 Gauge which is highly used for orthopaedic and dental administrations, and the maximum injection force measured through 19 G needle (17.191 ± 2.296N) was convenient for manual injections. Angiogenesis tests were performed by an ex-ovo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay by applying injectable solutions on CAM, which produced in situ hydrogels. Hydrogels induced microvascularity in CAM assay this was confirmed by histology analyses. Hydrogels with lower concentration of Hep showed more efficiency in pro-angiogenic response. Thereof, novel injectable hydrogels inducing angiogenesis (CS/HA/Hep) are potential candidates for bone regeneration and drug delivery applications. Full article

The rheological behavior of cement paste and the improvement of its flowability takes center stage in many research projects. An improved flowability can be achieved by the addition of superplasticizers (SP), such as polycarboxylate ethers (PCE). In order to be able to use these PCEs effectively and in a variety of ways and to make them resistant to changes in the environment, it is crucial to understand the influence of SPs on cement hydration. For that reason, the topic of this paper was the incompatibility of a specific SP and an ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The incompatible behavior was analyzed using rheological tests, such as the spread flow test and penetration test, and the behavior was compared by means of an ultrasound technique and explained by the phase content measured by in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) the heat evolution measured by calorimetry, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. We showed that the addition of the SP in a high dosage led to a prevention of the passivation of the most reactive and aluminum-containing clinker phases, aluminate and brownmillerite. This induced the aluminate reaction to take place in the initial period and led to an immediate stiffening of the cement paste and, therefore, to the complete loss of workability. The results showed that in addition to the ettringite, which began to form directly after water addition, hemicarbonate precipitated. The fast stiffening of the paste could be prevented by delayed addition of the SP or by additional gypsum. This fast stiffening was not desirable for SPs, but in other fields, for example, 3D printing, this undesirable interaction could be used to improve the properties of printable mortar. Full article

Pressure drop (ΔP) versus volumetric injection rate (Q) data from linear core floods have typically been used to measure in situ rheology of non-Newtonian fluids in porous media. However, linear flow is characterized by steady-state conditions, in contrast to radial flow where both pressure and shear-forces have non-linear gradients. In this paper, we qualify recently developed methods for measuring in situ rheology in radial flow experiments, and then quantitatively investigate the robustness of these methods against pressure measurement error. Application of the new methods to experimental data also enabled accurate investigation of memory and rate effects during polymer flow through porous media. A radial polymer flow experiment using partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) was performed on a Bentheimer sandstone disc where pressure ports distributed between a central injector and the perimeter production line enabled a detailed analysis of pressure variation with radial distance. It has been suggested that the observed shear-thinning behavior of HPAM solutions at low flux in porous media could be an experimental artifact due to the use of insufficiently accurate pressure transducers. Consequently, a generic simulation study was conducted where the level of pressure measurement error on in situ polymer rheology was quantitatively investigated. Results clearly demonstrate the robustness of the history match methods to pressure measurement error typical for radial flow experiments, where negligible deviations from the reference rheology was observed. It was not until the error level was increased to five-fold of typical conditions that significant deviation from the reference rheology emerged. Based on results from pore network modelling, Chauveteau (1981) demonstrated that polymer flow in porous media may at some rate be influenced by the prior history. In this paper, polymer memory effects could be evaluated at the Darcy scale by history matching the pressure drop between individual pressure ports and the producer as a function of injection rate (conventional method). Since the number of successive contraction events increases with radial distance, the polymer has a different pre-history at the various pressure ports. Rheology curves obtained from history matching the radial flow experiment were overlapping, which shows that there is no influence of geometry on in-situ rheology for the particular HPAM polymer investigated. In addition, the onset of shear-thickening was independent of volumetric injection rate in radial flow. Full article

Polymer bonded permanent magnets find significant applications in a multitude of electrical and electronic devices. In this study, magnetic particle-loaded epoxy resin formulations were developed for in-situ polymerization and material jetting based additive manufacturing processes. Fundamental material and process issues like particle settling at room temperature and elevated temperature curing, rheology control and geometric stability of the magnetic polymer during the thermal curing process are addressed. Control of particle settling, modifications in rheological behavior and geometric stability were accomplished using an additive that enabled the modification of the formulation behavior at different process conditions. The magnetic particle size and additive loading were found to influence the rheological properties significantly. The synergistic effect of the additive enabled the developing of composites with engineered magnetic filler loading. Morphological characterization using scanning electron microscopy revealed a homogenous particle distribution in composites. It was observed that the influence of temperature was profound on the coercive field and remanent magnetization of the magnetic composites. The characterization of magnetic polymers and composites using rheometry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry analysis enabled the correlating of the behavior observed in different stages of the manufacturing processes. Furthermore, this fundamental research facilitates a pathway to construct robust materials and processes to develop magnetic composites with engineered properties. Full article

In maintaining the efficiency of coal mining, the stability of roadway plays a significant role, as it is closely related to the production of coal and the safety of personnel. In deep underground coal mines, the rheological deformation of roadway normally occurs, which affects its service life. To address this problem, in this paper, a novel high-efficiency Jet Grouting (JG) technique was presented, and its control effect on roadway stability was investigated. A creep test of a coal specimen in a laboratory scale was performed, and its creep behavior was revealed. The rheology of the coal mass surrounding the roadway was further analyzed according to the field-monitoring results of roadway deformation. A time-dependent numerical model with a Burger-creep visco-plastic model (CVISC) was established and validated by comparing the calculated displacement with in-situ measurement. The JG technique was tested in the field, and its applicability and practicability were confirmed. According to the validated model and field test results of JG, a numerical model with CVISC by JG support was established to analyze the effect of JG on the roadway. The results showed that the JG support can effectively reduce roadway deformation, optimize stress conditions, and reduce the extent of the plastic zone around the roadway. The rheological properties of the soft coal roadway were constrained and long-term stability was ensured. This pioneering work can guide the application of JG for the stability control of roadways and promote the sustainability of coal mining efficiently. Full article

A calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) forming cement with a bimodal grain size distribution, composed of α-TCP and fine grained CDHA at a weight ratio of 9:1, was modified by the addition of sodium phytate (IP6) in variable amounts ranging from 0.25 to 2 wt.%, related to the powder content. The injectability of the cement paste was drastically increased by the IP6 addition, independent of the amount of added IP6. Additionally, the cement paste viscosity during the first minutes decreased. These effects could be clearly related to a slightly more negative zeta potential. Furthermore, IP6 was shown to strongly retard the setting reaction, as can be seen both in the calorimetry and X-ray diffraction measurements. In addition, octacalcium phosphate (OCP) was identified as a further setting product. All measurements were performed at 23 °C and 37 °C to assess the effect of temperature on the setting reaction for both clinical handling by the surgeon and the final hardening in the bone defect. Full article

Water soluble polymers have attracted increasing interest in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, especially polymer flooding. Despite the fact that the flow of polymer in porous medium has been a research subject for many decades with numerous publications, there are still some research areas that need progress. The prediction of polymer injectivity remains elusive. Polymers with similar shear viscosity might have different in-situ rheological behaviors and may be exposed to different degrees of mechanical degradation. Hence, determining polymer in-situ rheological behavior is of great significance for defining its utility. In this study, an investigation of rheological properties and mechanical degradation of different partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) polymers was performed using Bentheimer sandstone outcrop cores. The results show that HPAM in-situ rheology is different from bulk rheology measured by a rheometer. Specifically, shear thickening behavior occurs at high rates, and near-Newtonian behavior is measured at low rates in porous media. This deviates strongly from the rheometer measurements. Polymer molecular weight and concentration influence its viscoelasticity and subsequently its flow characteristics in porous media. Exposure to mechanical degradation by flow at high rate through porous media leads to significant reduction in shear thickening and thereby improved injectivity. More importantly, the degraded polymer maintained in-situ viscosity at low flow rates indicating that improved injectivity can be achieved without compromising viscosity at reservoir flow rates. This is explained by a reduction in viscoelasticity. Mechanical degradation also leads to reduced residual resistance factor (RRF), especially for high polymer concentrations. For some of the polymer injections, successive degradation (increased degradation with transport length in porous media) was observed. The results presented here may be used to optimize polymer injectivity. Full article

Polymer flooding is one of the most successful chemical EOR (enhanced oil recovery) methods, and is primarily implemented to accelerate oil production by sweep improvement. However, additional benefits have extended the utility of polymer flooding. During the last decade, it has been evaluated for use in an increasing number of fields, both offshore and onshore. This is a consequence of (1) improved polymer properties, which extend their use to HTHS (high temperature high salinity) conditions and (2) increased understanding of flow mechanisms such as those for heavy oilmobilization. A key requirement for studying polymer performance is the control and prediction of in-situ porous medium rheology. The first part of this paper reviews recent developments in polymer flow in porous medium, with a focus on polymer in-situ rheology and injectivity. The second part of this paper reports polymer flow experiments conducted using the most widely applied polymer for EOR processes, HPAM (partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide). The experiments addressed highrate, near-wellbore behavior (radial flow), reservoir rate steady-state flow (linear flow) and the differences observed in terms of flow conditions. In addition, the impact of oil on polymer rheology was investigated and compared to single-phase polymer flow in Bentheimer sandstone rock material. Results show that the presence of oil leads to a reduction in apparent viscosity. Full article

Fully integrated monitoring systems have shown promise in improving confidence in composite materials while reducing lifecycle costs. A distributed optical fibre sensor is embedded in a fibre reinforced composite laminate, to give three sensing regions at different levels through-the-thickness of the plate. This study follows the resin infusion process during fabrication of the composite, monitoring the development of strain in-situ and in real time, and to gain better understanding of the resin rheology during curing. Piezoelectric wafer active sensors and electrical strain gauges are bonded to the plate after fabrication. This is followed by progressive loading/unloading cycles of mechanical four point bending. The strain values obtained from the optical fibre are in good agreement with strain data collected by surface mounted strain gauges, while the sensing regions clearly indicate the development of compressive, neutral, and tensile strain. Acoustic emission event detection suggests the formation of matrix (resin) cracks, with measured damage event amplitudes in agreement with values reported in published literature on the subject. The Felicity ratio for each subsequent loading cycle is calculated to track the progression of damage in the material. The methodology developed here can be used to follow the full life cycle of a composite structure, from manufacture to end-of-life. Full article