Sharif Digital Repository

In this letter a simple procedure to synthesize sodium tungsten oxide nano-thick plates from WO 3 films has been reported. WO 3 films were grown by pulsed-laser deposition method and then heat treated at temperatures up to 560 °C and times up to 120 min. Slide glass was used as both substrate and sodium source simultaneously. XRD analysis revealed presence of an amorphous structure for as-deposited WO 3 films. On the other hand, XRD showed formation of a monoclinic WO 3 structure with annealing in lower temperatures and a triclinic Na 0.5WO 3.25 structure with annealing at higher temperatures. Intensity of the triclinic phase peaks enhanced drastically by rising annealing temperature and... 

Based on the fact that the manipulation of fine nanoclusters calls for more precise modelling, the aim of this paper is to conduct an atomistic investigation for interaction analysis of particle-substrate system for pushing and positioning purposes. In the present research, 2D molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate such behaviours. Performing the planar simulations can provide a fairly acceptable qualitative tool for our purpose while the computation time is reduced extremely in comparison to 3D simulations. To perform this study, Nose-Hoover dynamics and Sutton-Chen interatomic potential will be used to investigate the behaviour of the aforementioned system. Pushing of... 

A two-stage hydrogen-reduction/sintering procedure was used to synthesize W-15 wt%Cu nano-composite tablets. Hydrogen-reduction was carried out at 600, 650, 700 and 750 °C for 15-90 min and sintering was performed at 1100, 1150, 1200 and 1250 °C for 60 min. Morphology and grain size of the products were rigorously investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and nano-particle Zeta-sizer. Maximum consolidation of the nano-composite product was achieved at 1200 °C. Hydrogen-reduction at 700 °C for 90 min showed an average particle size of ∼72.9 nm. Total reduction was achieved at higher temperatures and longer times. The mixture had a homogeneous structure... 

Molybdenum disilicide (ModSi 2) is an attractive structural material due to its unique combination of properties, namely excellent oxidation resistance, high melting point (2030°C) and relatively low density (6.3g.cm -3). The present work investigates joining of two MoSi 2 parts through Cusil/Zr/Cusil interlayer with Cusil being a commercial eutectic of Cu-Ag alloy. The joining operation was implemented in an inert gas tube furnace by brazing. The brazing temperature ranged at 830-930°C while the operation lasted for 1hr. Interfacial microstructure was studied by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. Applying the... 

Recently, Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) have been receiving more attention and further study, due to their ability to develop extremely large, recoverable strains and great forces. In this paper, three major models of SMA behavior, used in the literature, for studying the static performance of SMA components attributed to Tanaka, Liang and Rogers, and Brinson, have been analyzed and compared. The major differences and similarities between these models have also been emphasized and presented in this paper, based on the experimental data of the shape memory and superelastic behavior of an SMA wire. It is shown that these models all agree well in their prediction of the superelastic behavior of... 

Various composite friction materials containing 40. vol.% organic binder (phenolic resin plus styrene-butadiene-rubber (SBR)) with varying phenolic-resin/SBR ratio were prepared. The content of phenolic resin in each composite was indicated by the resin value (RV) index ranging between 0 and 100%. The composites with RVs greater than 50% form resin-based friction materials in which the primary binder is the phenolic resin. For RVs less than 50%, the composites become the rubber-based materials where the primary binder is the SBR. The analysis of mechanical properties exhibited that the conformability of the composites increases upon incorporation of SBR. The frictional analysis revealed that... 

IN738LC is one of the superior nickel base superalloys utilized at high temperatures in aggressive environments. However, experiencing high temperatures and stresses during service causes microstructure deterioration and degradation of mechanical properties in this alloy. To restore the microstructure and mechanical properties of the degraded alloy, rejuvenation heat treatments can be considered. In this study, the evolution of microstructural features in a creep damaged IN738LC superalloy during different stages of rejuvenation heat treatment cycles was investigated. During solution treatment stage, dissolution of coarsened γ′ precipitates, grain boundary films and transition zone around... 

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to study the mechanical behaviour of β-SiC at nano-scale under tensile loading. Effects of loading rate and tensile temperature on the mechanical properties and failure were studied. Modified embedded-atom method (MEAM) potential and Berendsen thermostat were utilized for modelling. Periodic boundary conditions were employed and the behaviour of material was analyzed under three-axial loading condition at which the stress- strain relation was acceptably size independent. It is shown that with increasing the loading rate from 5 m/s to 70 m/s, the failure strain increases without a remarkable change in the stress-strain relationship. The MD... 

The aim of this work is to produce two layered thin-walled Cu/Al composite tube by the spin-bonding process. The process is utilized to bond the aluminum tube into the copper one at thickness reductions of 20-60% and process temperatures of 25°C, 130°C, and 230°C. The bond strength is measured by T-peeling test, and the bond interfaces are examined by metallography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that after a threshold thickness reduction of about 30%, the bond strength increased with the amount of deformation. SEM fractography of the peel surfaces confirms that the copper oxide film is broken in a shear manner during deformation. Severe shear strains applied during... 

Nanofluid is the term applied to a suspension of solid, nanometer-sized particles in conventional fluids; the most prominent features of such fluids include enhanced heat characteristics, such as convective heat transfer coefficient, in comparison to the base fluid without considerable alterations in physical and chemical properties. In this study, nanofluids of aluminum oxide and copper oxide were prepared in ethylene glycol separately. The effect of forced convective heat transfer coefficient in turbulent flow was calculated using a double pipe and plate heat exchangers. Furthermore, we calculated the forced convective heat transfer coefficient of the nanofluids using theoretical... 

In continuum mechanics, the constitutive models are usually based on the Cauchy-Born (CB) hypothesis which seeks the intrinsic characteristics of the material via the atomistic information and it is valid in small deformation. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the temperature effect on the stability and size-dependency of Cauchy-Born hypothesis. Three-dimensional temperature-related Cauchy-Born formulations are developed for crystalline structure and the stability and size-dependency of temperature-related Cauchy-Born hypothesis are investigated by means of direct comparison between atomistic and continuous mediums. In order to control the temperature effect, the Nose-Hoover... 

Effects of initiator and surfactant concentrations and temperature on styrene conversion and polymer particle size distribution (PSD) in a batch emulsion polymerization are investigated through simulation and experimental studies. The detailed model based on population balance (zero-one model), accounting for nucleation, growth and coagulation phenomena has been used for prediction of particle size distribution. In checking the effect of initiator concentration on final PSD, it was noticed that when critical micelle concentration (CMC) is kept constant, the model cannot predict PSD very well. Thus, a correlation for calculating critical micelle concentration has been proposed and... 

Recent uses of intelligent composites in biomedical appliances aggrandize the necessity of bonding-strength improvement in NiTi/silicone matrix interface. SEM micrographs and pull-out tests are employed to determine the strength of the NiTi/silicone bonds in a flexible composite piece. Greater adhesion strengths are obtained due to the presence of thin oxide layer, surface roughness and frictional forces between the embedded-wires and the contacting phase. Effect of curing treatment on phase transformation temperatures of the wires is determined by electrical resistivity (ER) measurements. Results show that the curing treatment shifts the transition points of the wires towards higher... 

A new method for fabrication of silver nano-islands on glass fibers using a top-down process is introduced. A thin layer of silver chemically coated on the surface of the glass fibers evolves into silver islands by heat treatment. The effect of the concentration of the initial solution and the temperature were investigated. Segregation was more clearly observed for lower solution concentrations and higher temperatures. The temperature of 500 °C was found optimum where separated islands form. At higher temperatures, the coagulation and burial of silver islands occur. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) were... 

Thermodynamic and kinetic studies have been carried out on the adsorption of uranium(VI) by Amberlite IRA-910 resin. The adsorption process has been investigated as a function of adsorbate concentration, solution acidity, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. The experiments were preformed in batch mode, where uranium initial concentration on the solution samples were 185.5, 277.6 and 456.8 (mg/lit), sulfuric acid concentration range was 0.02-9 (mol/lit) and sorbent dosages were 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 g. Equilibrium isotherm data were analyzed using Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The results showed that the adsorption process was well described by Freundlich... 

Ce-doped ZnO nanocomposite thin films with Ce/Zn ratio fixed at optimum value (10 at.%) have been prepared via sol-gel method at different annealing temperatures varied from 180 to 500 °C. The synthesized samples were characterized employing atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. According to AFM analysis, the average grain size increased from about 70 nm to 150 nm by increasing the annealing temperature from 300 to 500 °C. Moreover, based on the XPS data analysis, it was found that three major metal ions namely Ce 3+, Ce4+, and Zn2+ coexist on the surface of the nanocomposite films. XPS data analysis also revealed that... 

Ultrafine-grained (UFG) Al6063 alloy reinforced with 0.8 vol% nanometric alumina particles (25 nm) was prepared by reactive mechanical alloying and direct powder extrusion. Transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction analysis showed that the grain structure of the nanocomposite composed of nanosize grains (<0.1 μm), ultrafine grains (0.1-1 μm) and micronsize grains (>1 μm) with random orientations. Mechanical properties of the material were examined at room and high temperatures by compression test. It was found that the yield strength of the UFG composite material is mainly controlled by the Orowan mechanism rather than the grain boundaries. The deformation... 

A thermosensitive copolymer was synthesized by graft copolymerization of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) copolymers onto the surface of chitosan membranes. Acryloyl chloride was used as a coupling reagent for the covalent attachment of PLGA to the chitosan membranes. FTIR spectroscopy and DSC analysis were used to characterize the resulting graft copolymer. Thermosensitive swelling behaviors of the copolymer were investigated as well. The membranes exhibited reversible swelling-shrinking behavior; higher swelling ratios were obtained observed at higher temperatures. Drug permeation studies were carried out using vancomycin hydrochloride and betamethasone sodium phosphate as the model... 

Al–5·6Zn, Al–5·6Zn–2·5Mg and Al–5·6Zn–2·5Mg–1·6Cu (wt-%) powder blends were compacted at 350 MPa and sintered in nitrogen at different temperatures to study microstructural evolution during sintering. Densification, dimensional changes and mechanical properties of the Al alloys were investigated. Microstructural analyses were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) in order to determine the temperature and chemical composition of the phases formed during sintering. It was shown that various liquids and intermetallic phases including Al0·71Zn0·29 at 438°C,... 

Hydrogen storage capacities of raw, oxidized, purified and Fe-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were studied by electrochemical method. Based on transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopic data, thermal oxidation removed defective graphite shells at the outer walls of MWCNTs. The analysis results indicated that the acid treatment dissolved most of the catalysts and opened some tips of the MWCNTs. Thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results illustrated that by oxidation and purification of MWCNTs, the weight loss peak shifts toward a higher temperature. N2 adsorption isotherms of the purified and oxidized MWCNTs showed an increase in N2...