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2010

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Articles 31 - 60 of 159

Full-Text Articles in Engineering Science and Materials

Studies Of Oxidation Processes Of Adsorbed And Solution Co On Pt(110) Electrode By Cyclic Voltammetry And In Situ Ftirs, Li Tian, Jun-Tao Li, Jin-Yu Ye, Chun-Hua Zhen, Shi-Gang Sun Aug 2010

Studies Of Oxidation Processes Of Adsorbed And Solution Co On Pt(110) Electrode By Cyclic Voltammetry And In Situ Ftirs, Li Tian, Jun-Tao Li, Jin-Yu Ye, Chun-Hua Zhen, Shi-Gang Sun

Journal of Electrochemistry

The oxidation processes of adsorbed CO (COad) and solution phase CO (COsol) on Pt(110) electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and in-situ FTIR spectroscopy. It has revealed that in comparison with COad on Pt(110) in a CO-free solution,the oxidation current peak of COsol in a CO-saturated solution is positively shifted ca. 168 mV,and the peak current density has been increased by 6. 70 times. Linear adsorbed CO (COL) is determined by in-situ FTIR spectroscopy as the main species,which is uniformly distributed on Pt (110) surface. In a CO-free solution,the onset potential of COL is measured by in-situ FTIRS ca. 0. …


Multi-Electron Redox Materials For High Energy Density Electrodes, Xin-Ping Ai, Han-Xi Yang Aug 2010

Multi-Electron Redox Materials For High Energy Density Electrodes, Xin-Ping Ai, Han-Xi Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Various new energy technologies being developed require electrochemical energy batteries to have a real breakthrough in energy density and rate capability,which imposes a great challenge for electrochemists and materials chemists. Multi-electron redox reactions seem to open a promising avenue to create new batteries with dramatically enhanced energy densities. This paper describes simply our research works on the multi-electron redox systems,including metal boride anode,lithium alloying compounds and electrochemical conversion materials, and also discusses the problems hindering these systems for battery applications.


In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopic Study Of Sulfur Adsorption On Polycrystalline Platinum Electrode Surface, Bolian Xu-, In-Su Park, Ying Li, De-Jun Chen, Yuye J. Tong Aug 2010

In Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopic Study Of Sulfur Adsorption On Polycrystalline Platinum Electrode Surface, Bolian Xu-, In-Su Park, Ying Li, De-Jun Chen, Yuye J. Tong

Journal of Electrochemistry

The paper reports the first in situ surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroelectrochemistry study of sulfur adsorption and electro-oxidation on highly roughened polycrystalline Pt surface in both acidic and basic supporting electrolytes. The SERS spectra were taken at a constant electrode potential after accumulative electro-oxidation CVs of the Pt electrode with pre-adsorbed sulfur species and at different electrode potentials that were varied stepwise of the Pt electrode immersed in sulfur-containing electrolytes without pre-adsorbed sulfur species. In both cases,a dominant vibrational band at 299 cm -1 in acidic electrolyte but at 310 cm-1 in basic electrolyte was observed,which was assigned to …


Solid State Nmr Studies Of Lithium Manganese Silicate As Positive Electrode Materials For Li-Ion Batteries, Hu Cheng, Zi-Geng Liu, Yi-Xiao Li, Zhong Chen, Yong Yang Aug 2010

Solid State Nmr Studies Of Lithium Manganese Silicate As Positive Electrode Materials For Li-Ion Batteries, Hu Cheng, Zi-Geng Liu, Yi-Xiao Li, Zhong Chen, Yong Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Li2MnSiO4 cathode material for lithium ion batteries was synthesized by sol-gel assisted hydrothermal method. XRD,FTIR and SS-NMR were used to study the phase,structure and morphology of obtained samples. Electrochemical performance of cathode material was tested. The results show that the main phase of sample prepared was Li2MnSiO4,whereas a small amount of impurities ( Li2CO3) were existed. The Li2MnSiO4 cathode material gave an initial discharging capacity of about 190 mAh·g -1. But this capacity faded rapidly during the cycling process due to the decomposition of Li2MnSiO4.


Comparative Study Of Nanoporous Pt,Ptru And Ptruir Catalysts Using Electrochemical Ftir Spectroscopy, M. Amussen Robert, Holt-Hindle Peter, Nigro Samantha, Chen Aicheng Aug 2010

Comparative Study Of Nanoporous Pt,Ptru And Ptruir Catalysts Using Electrochemical Ftir Spectroscopy, M. Amussen Robert, Holt-Hindle Peter, Nigro Samantha, Chen Aicheng

Journal of Electrochemistry

In recent years much effort has been put towards developing efficient Pt-based electrocatalysts for applications in fuel cells. With the rising cost of precious metals such as Pt,the need to enhance the activity and to decrease the load of catalysts is prominent. Herein we report on the synthesis and comparative study of nanoporous Pt,PtRu and PtRuIr electrocatalysts. The nanoporous electrodes were fabricated using a hydrothermal method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) ,energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) ,X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) . The electrocatalytic activity of the fabricated nanopo- rous materials was evaluated using both CO …


An In Situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroelectrochemical Study On Alcohols Electrocatalytic Oxidation At Pd Electrode In Acidic Solution, Hai-Ping Huang, Lian-Qin Wang, Pei-Kang Shen Aug 2010

An In Situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroelectrochemical Study On Alcohols Electrocatalytic Oxidation At Pd Electrode In Acidic Solution, Hai-Ping Huang, Lian-Qin Wang, Pei-Kang Shen

Journal of Electrochemistry

The methanol and ethylene glycol electrooxidation on palladium electrode in acidic solution has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroelectrochemistry. It shows that the oxidation of methanol and ethylene glycol at Pd electrode cannot proceed until over 1. 5 V in acidic and neutral media. The overpotential decreases and the peak current density increases with the reduction in pH values. The formation of the oxygen-containing species significantly affects the alcohol oxidation on Pd electrode. The in situ FTIR spectroscopic measurements show that the oxidation products of ethylene glycol on Pd electrode are CO2 and oxalic …


In-Situ Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Electrochemical Investigation Of 4-Aminoantipyrine On Silver Electrode, Li-Jun Zhang, Wei Song, Ling Chen, Zong-Rang Zhang, Hai-Feng Yang Aug 2010

In-Situ Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Electrochemical Investigation Of 4-Aminoantipyrine On Silver Electrode, Li-Jun Zhang, Wei Song, Ling Chen, Zong-Rang Zhang, Hai-Feng Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this paper,4-AAP was self-assembled on silver surface to form monolayers. Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy ( SERS) was used to in-situ investigate the adsorption mechanism of the 4-aminoantipyrine( 4-AAP) on silver surface dependent on shifting potentials and the effect of solution pH. Based on density functional theory( DFT) calculation of vibration modes,approximate assignment of 4-AAP SERS spectrum was conducted. In situ SERS spectral electrochemical experiments indicated that the 4-AAP monolayers experience a dynamic adsorption process from a tilted fashion to a more vertical mode for benzene ring and more parallel for pyrine ring with the potential applied toward more negative voltages. …


Diffuse Ultrasonic Scattering In Advanced Composites, Christer Stenström Aug 2010

Diffuse Ultrasonic Scattering In Advanced Composites, Christer Stenström

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Non destructive testing (NDT) is a noninvasive technique used for characterization and inspection of the integrity of objects. NDT is an important tool for research, manufacturing monitoring and in-service inspections. Ultrasonic testing is the most used NDT technique, which for advanced composites can identify several types of defects, like delamination and interlaminar cracks. Diffuse ultrasonics has shown to be able to extract information at the microscale of metals and therefore it is believed it can be used for advanced composites to extract microstructural information, i.e. at the level of fibers.

In this thesis, diffuse ultrasonic methods, together with spatial variance …


Characterization, Modeling, And Consequences Of The Development During Plastic Flow Of Large Anisotropy In The Wave-Speeds, Quentin Fichot Aug 2010

Characterization, Modeling, And Consequences Of The Development During Plastic Flow Of Large Anisotropy In The Wave-Speeds, Quentin Fichot

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is a substantial change in the anisotropy of some glassy polymers when they are subjected to large plastic deformations. The most pronounced case probably is seen in polycarbonate (PC), which is a tough thermoplastic used for many structural applications, including as a protective transparent armor for such applications as bulletproof glass. This development of anisotropy in the elastic response can be of the same order as the applied strains, and, therefore, becomes important in problems that show substantial plastic flow. In spite of this, this characteristic of glassy polymers has not been included in the current models. We propose …


Investigation Of Subgrid-Scale Mixing And Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Turbulent Partially Premixed Flames Using Experimental Data, Jian Cai Aug 2010

Investigation Of Subgrid-Scale Mixing And Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction In Turbulent Partially Premixed Flames Using Experimental Data, Jian Cai

All Dissertations

The filtered mass density function (FMDF) of mixture fraction, temperature and species used in large eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent combustion is studied experimentally using line images obtained in turbulent partially premixed methane flames (Sandia flames D and E). Cross-stream filtering is employed to obtain the FMDF and other filtered variables. The mean of the FMDF conditional on the subgrid-scale (SGS) scalar variance at a given location are found to vary from unimodal to bimodal, corresponding to quasi-equilibrium distributed reaction zones and laminar flamelets (including extinguished flamelets), respectively. The conditionally filtered mixture fraction dissipation for small SGS variances has a …


Development Of A Finite Element Model To Predict The Behavior Of A Prototype Wheel On Lunar Soil, Marisa Orr Aug 2010

Development Of A Finite Element Model To Predict The Behavior Of A Prototype Wheel On Lunar Soil, Marisa Orr

All Dissertations

The All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) is a mobile lunar lander under development by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lunar Architecture Team. While previous lunar missions have lasted only a few days, the ATHLETE is designed to last for 10 years, which will enable a sustained U.S. presence on the moon and exploration of the more treacherous regions which are not suitable for landing. Because the ATHLETE will carry entire astronaut habitats, its six wheels must be carefully designed to support a large load on soft lunar soil efficiently.
The purpose of this thesis is to develop a finite …


Parametric Instabilities For Vibratory Energy Harvesting Under Harmonic, Time-Varying Frequency, And Random Excitations, Christopher Stabler Aug 2010

Parametric Instabilities For Vibratory Energy Harvesting Under Harmonic, Time-Varying Frequency, And Random Excitations, Christopher Stabler

All Theses

This effort investigates and evaluates the prospect of using parametric instabilities for vibratory energy harvesting. To that end, we consider a parametrically-excited piezoelectric cantilever beam and study its performance as an energy harvester under i) fixed-frequency harmonic excitations, ii) time-varying frequency excitations, and iii) band-limited Gaussian noise. In the case of fixed-frequency excitations, we use the Method of Multiple Scales to obtain approximate analytical expressions for the steady-state response amplitude and instantaneous output power in the vicinity of the first principle parametric resonance. We show that the electromechanical coupling and load resistance play an important role in determining the output …


Combined Musculo-Skeletal Multi-Body Dynamics/Finite Element Analysis Of Several Ergonomics And Bio-Mechanics Problems, Xin Xie Aug 2010

Combined Musculo-Skeletal Multi-Body Dynamics/Finite Element Analysis Of Several Ergonomics And Bio-Mechanics Problems, Xin Xie

All Theses

Within this thesis, two ergonomics (i.e. seating comfort and long-distance driving fatigue problems) and two structural bio-mechanics (i.e. femur-fracture fixation and radius-fracture fixation) problems are investigated using musculo-skeletal multi-body dynamics and finite element computational analyses.
Within the seating comfort problem analyzed, a complete-body finite element model is constructed and used to assess the effect of seat geometry and seating posture on the feel of comfort experienced by a seated human.
Within the long-distance driving fatigue problem, musculo-skeletal analysis is employed to assess the extent of fatigue experienced by a driver through the evaluation of level of activity of his/her various …


Ultracapacitor Heavy Hybrid Vehicle: Model Predictive Control Using Future Information To Improve Fuel Consumption, Seneca Schepmann Aug 2010

Ultracapacitor Heavy Hybrid Vehicle: Model Predictive Control Using Future Information To Improve Fuel Consumption, Seneca Schepmann

All Theses

This research is concerned with the improvement in the fuel economy of heavy transport vehicles through the use of high power ultracapacitors in a mild hybrid electric vehicle platform. Previous work has shown the potential for up to 15% improvement on a hybrid SUV platform, but preliminary simulations have shown the potential improvement for larger vehicles is much higher.
Based on vehicle modeling information from the high fidelity, forward-looking modeling and simulation program Powertrain Systems Analysis Toolkit (PSAT), a mild parallel heavy ultracapacitor hybrid electric vehicle model is developed and validated to known vehicle performance measures. The vehicle is hybridized …


Non-Contact Spatially Constrained Optical Scanning Methods Applied For Depth, Width And Gap Measurements, Konda Reddy Thotti Reddy Aug 2010

Non-Contact Spatially Constrained Optical Scanning Methods Applied For Depth, Width And Gap Measurements, Konda Reddy Thotti Reddy

All Theses

The thesis presents the non-contact laser projection based systems utilized for quantifying the feature dimensions like width, depth and air gaps. Laser diode, Charge coupled device (CCD) and post-processing software using image processing tools are the major components of the non-contact measurement systems. The study involves two methods where the first method comprises of active laser-based triangulation and morphological edge detection for depth and width measurement applications. The second method uses edge detection technique and Dynamic Field of View (DFOV) for gap detection and tracking. Using the developed techniques, the case studies are conducted with smooth plastic fenders with induced …


Fuzzy Logic Approach To Stability Control, Jeffery Anderson Aug 2010

Fuzzy Logic Approach To Stability Control, Jeffery Anderson

All Theses

Traditional Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for automobiles is usually accomplished through the use of estimated vehicle dynamics from simplified models. Starting with the conventional two degree-of-freedom vehicle model, one can estimate the vehicle states from the driver steering input. From this estimate, vehicle sideslip angle can be found and this is generally used with a threshold value to initiate a control action. The input/output relationship of the model depends heavily on the accuracy of the parameters used and various means to correct model inaccuracies. Specifically, these models depend on the tire cornering stiffness which is prone to change with age …


Modeling And Optimization Of A Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Venkat Vijay Kishore Turlapati Aug 2010

Modeling And Optimization Of A Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Venkat Vijay Kishore Turlapati

All Theses

Today, the world is faced with a situation where new technologies have to be developed to decrease the dependence on natural non-renewable resources. Each day, as the demand for non-renewable resources increases, it puts great pressure on the scientific fraternity to develop new technologies that are aimed at reducing this dependence.
Today's road traffic plays a major part in the energy consumption worldwide. Hence it is imperative that we develop environmentally friendly solutions to this problem that arises in the transportation sector. Hybrid vehicle is one of the alternatives that can be seen as a viable solution to this energy …


Determination Of Higher Order Coefficients For A Crack Parallel To An Interface, Venkata Lakshman Kolluru Aug 2010

Determination Of Higher Order Coefficients For A Crack Parallel To An Interface, Venkata Lakshman Kolluru

All Theses

A general method based on the singular integral equations is developed to
computationally determine the higher order coefficients in mixed mode fracture
mechanics. These 'k' and 'T' coefficients are defined with respect to a polar coordinate
system centered at a crack tip, and give asymptotic expressions for stresses and
displacements according to the William's eigenfunction expansions,
(r, ) (2r) k f (n, ) k f (n, ) IIk
ij
II
n
Ik
ij
I
n
n 0
2
1
n
ij      



1
(0, ) (2 ) ( , ) ( , …


Electromechanical Modeling And Analysis Of A Self-Excited Micro-Power Generator, Amin Bibo Aug 2010

Electromechanical Modeling And Analysis Of A Self-Excited Micro-Power Generator, Amin Bibo

All Theses

Micro-power generators (MPGs) are compact, scalable, and low-maintenance energy harvesting devices that capture and transform wasted ambient energy into electricity.
Such devices, which are currently being researched as a possible replacement for batteries, can act as a power source to maintain and allow autonomous operations of
remote low-power consumption sensors. This thesis introduces a novel MPG which transforms wind energy into electricity via wind-induced self-excited oscillations
of piezoelectric cantilever beams. The operation concept of the device is simple: similar to music-playing harmonica that create tones via oscillations of reeds when
subjected to air blow, the proposed device uses flow-induced self-excited …


Modeling Of Cell Transfer And Process-Induced Cell Damage In Laser-Assisted Cell Direct Writing, Wei Wang Aug 2010

Modeling Of Cell Transfer And Process-Induced Cell Damage In Laser-Assisted Cell Direct Writing, Wei Wang

All Dissertations

Laser-assisted cell direct-write technique has been obtaining more and more attention in different biomaterial direct writing applications. A typical laser-assisted cell direct-write process can be divided into two main stages: the cell droplet ejection and cell droplet landing. The objective of this study is to model the cell mechanical profile during the cell droplet ejection and cell landing and further model the cell damage.
The possible cell damage during the droplet ejection process in laser-assisted cell direct writing may come from two different sources: the phase explosion-induced bubble expansion and the thermoelastic stress wave. The bubble expansion-induced stress wave is …


Infrared Thermography And Ultrasonic Inspection Of Adhesive Bonded Structures, Overview And Validity, Suhas Vedula Aug 2010

Infrared Thermography And Ultrasonic Inspection Of Adhesive Bonded Structures, Overview And Validity, Suhas Vedula

All Theses

The work focuses on establishing a relationship between two different techniques of Nondestructive testing, namely Infrared Thermography and Ultrasonic Inspection. The integration of the two testing techniques is done with an expectation to achieve accurate characterization and determination of internal defects in adhesive bonded structures.
Experiments are done on sandwich samples with defects using various ultrasonic testing methods like pulse-echo and immersion techniques. The results thus obtained are documented and location of the defects is marked. The same samples are then tested using Infrared thermography to visualize the defects.
The results obtained by both the methods are compared to check …


Automation Of Non-Destructive Testing Techiniques Used For Finding Defects, Bhanu Singh Aug 2010

Automation Of Non-Destructive Testing Techiniques Used For Finding Defects, Bhanu Singh

All Theses

This master thesis focuses on the automation and fusion of non-destructive testing methods. The research includes the fusion of non-destructive testing methods done with infrared micro-bolometer and ultrasonic transducers. A control system which utilized mechanical, electrical, electronic systems and computer aided technologies was developed. Conveyor belt system, PLC (programmable logic controller), XYZ mechanism and different sensors were utilized to automate the process of capturing images and a communication link was set up between thermal camera and system that controls the ultrasonic testing apparatus, to integrate the two techniques. The test results from the thermal camera were utilized in ultrasonic testing. …


Induction Assisted Thermography For Inspection Of Micro Defects On Sheet Metals, Sree Pamidi Aug 2010

Induction Assisted Thermography For Inspection Of Micro Defects On Sheet Metals, Sree Pamidi

All Theses

The work focuses on Induction assisted Thermography as a non-contact and non-destructive method of Inspecting micro defects on sheet metals used for making automotive body panels. Induction heating as a source of excitation to elevate the temperatures of sheet metals for uniform heating and detect ability of the defect is the main objective of the study.
Experiments are done on sheet metal samples with defects using excitation techniques like Pulse and Electromagnetic Induction. The thermal images obtained from the infrared camera are used to quantitatively analyze the detect ability of defects on sheet metals. The limitations of using Pulse technique …


Design Method Development For The Design Of Traction Systems, Avinash Kolla Aug 2010

Design Method Development For The Design Of Traction Systems, Avinash Kolla

All Theses

The objective of this research is to develop a design method for rapid exploration of traction concepts primarily for off-road vehicles. Different approaches available to achieve this objective are discussed and compared, such as computational, analytical, and physical methods. Computational approaches are based on simulations performed using Finite Element Method (FEM), Discrete Element Method (DEM), and combined Finite Element-Discrete Element (FE-DE) methods. Analytical approaches are based on closed form mathematical models developed by previous researchers based on the theory of plasticity. Physical approaches include fabrication and testing of prototypes at different levels of abstraction. This thesis compares these different approaches …


Methods For Characterizing Mechanical Properties Of Wood Cell Walls Via Nanoindentation, Yujie Meng Aug 2010

Methods For Characterizing Mechanical Properties Of Wood Cell Walls Via Nanoindentation, Yujie Meng

Masters Theses

Nanoindentation is a method of contacting a material whose mechanical properties are unknown with another material whose properties are known. Nanoindentation has the advantage of being able to probe a material’s microstructure while being sensitive enough to detect variations in mechanical properties. However, nanoindentation has some limitations as a testing technique due to the specific formation and structure of some biomaterials. The main objective of this research is to identify any factors that influence the nanoindentation measurement of wood cell walls (a typical biomaterial).

The function of the embedding media in describing the properties of wood cells is poorly understood. …


Nonlinear Acoustics Of Piston-Driven Gas-Column Oscillations, Andrew William Wilson Aug 2010

Nonlinear Acoustics Of Piston-Driven Gas-Column Oscillations, Andrew William Wilson

Masters Theses

The piston-driven oscillator is traditionally modeled by directly applying boundary conditions to the acoustic wave equations; with better models re-deriving the wave equations but retaining nonlinear and viscous effects. These better models are required as the acoustic solution exhibits singularity near the natural frequencies of the cavity, with an unbounded (and therefore unphysical) solution. Recently, a technique has been developed to model general pressure oscillations in propulsion systems and combustion devices. Here, it is shown that this technique applies equally well to the piston-driven gas-column oscillator; and that the piston experiment provides strong evidence for the validity of the general …


Friction Measurement In Precision Glass Molding, Peiman Mosaddegh Aug 2010

Friction Measurement In Precision Glass Molding, Peiman Mosaddegh

All Dissertations

Extensive growth of state-of-the-art technologies has created a demand for high quality lenses and has driven the industry toward an inexpensive process for manufacturing of aspheric glass lenses called Precision Glass Molding (PGM). Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has been used to predict the right mold geometry. Having a realistic simulation to predict mold geometry depends on the correct model of material behavior and friction coefficient at elevated temperature.
Finding the static and dynamic coefficient of friction experimentally between two flat surfaces at elevated temperature is the subject of this research. The equipment used in this study was originally designed for …


Elements Of Study On Dynamic Materials, Marine Rousseau, Gerard A. Maugin, Mihhail Berezovski Jul 2010

Elements Of Study On Dynamic Materials, Marine Rousseau, Gerard A. Maugin, Mihhail Berezovski

Publications

As a preliminary study to more complex situations of interest in small-scale technology, this paper envisages the elementary propagation properties of elastic waves in one-spatial dimension when some of the properties (mass density, elasticity) may vary suddenly in space or in time, the second case being of course more original. Combination of the two may be of even greater interest. Toward this goal, a critical examination of what happens to solutions at the crossing of pure space-like and time-like material discontinuities is given together with simple solutions for smooth transitions and numerical simulations in the discontinuous case. The effects on …


An Experimental Investigation Of Friction Bit Joining In Az31 Magnesium And Advanced High-Strength Automotive Sheet Steel, Rebecca Gardner Jul 2010

An Experimental Investigation Of Friction Bit Joining In Az31 Magnesium And Advanced High-Strength Automotive Sheet Steel, Rebecca Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

Friction Bit Joining (FBJ) is a recently developed spot joining technology capable of joining dissimilar metals. A consumable bit cuts through the upper layer of metal to be joined, then friction welds to the lower layer. The bit then snaps off, leaving a flange. This research focuses on FBJ using DP980 or DP590 steel as the lower layer, AZ31 magnesium alloy as the top layer, and 4140 or 4130 steel as the bit material. In order to determine optimal settings for the magnesium/steel joints, experimentation was performed using a purpose-built computer controlled welding machine, varying factors such as rotational speeds, …


Natural Fibers And Fiberglass: A Technical And Economic Comparison, Justin Andrew Zsiros Jun 2010

Natural Fibers And Fiberglass: A Technical And Economic Comparison, Justin Andrew Zsiros

Theses and Dissertations

Natural fibers have received attention in recent years because of their minimal environmental impact, reasonably good properties, and low cost. There is a wide variety of natural fibers suitable for composite applications, the most common of which is flax. Flax has advantages in tensile strength, light weight, and low cost over other natural fibers. As with other natural and synthetic fibers, flax is used to reinforce both thermoset and thermoplastic matrices. When flax is used in thermoplastic matrices, polypropylene and polyethylene are the main resins used. Although at first glance flax may seem to be a cheaper alternative to fiberglass, …