Diabetic foot plantar pressure monitoring system using force sensitive resistor system

Many people are suffering from diabetes; it was the major cause that has led many to hospitalization. According to [1], patients with Type 2 diabetes suffering from peripheral neuropathy are at high risks of developing diabetic foot syndrome, which leads to foot ulcerations that caused mainly by high peak plantar pressures. Without early prevention and intervention [2], diabetic foot ulcer has 15 times greater risk to cause lower limb amputation. Therefore, further studies on early prevention may help in healthcare management

A study of the nanostructure and hardness of electron beam evaporated TiAlBN coatings

TiAlBN coatings have been deposited by electron beam (EB) evaporation from a single TiAlBN material source onto AISI 316 stainless steel substrates at a temperature of 450 °C and substrate bias of − 100 V. The stoichiometry and nanostructure have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The hardness and elastic modulus were determined by nanoindentation. Five coatings have been deposited, three from hot-pressed TiAlBN material and two from hot isostatically pressed (HIPped) material. The coatings deposited from the hot-pressed material exhibited a nanocomposite nc-(Ti,Al)N/a-BN/a-(Ti,Al)B2 structure, the relative phase fraction being consistent with that predicted by the equilibrium Ti–B–N phase diagram. Nanoindentation hardness values were in the range of 22 to 32 GPa. Using the HIPped material, coating (Ti,Al)B0.29N0.46 was found to have a phase composition of 72–79 mol.% nc-(Ti,Al)(N,B)1 − x+ 21–28 mol.% amorphous titanium boride and a hardness of 32 GPa. The second coating, (Ti,Al)B0.66N0.25, was X-ray amorphous with a nitride+boride multiphase composition and a hardness of 26 GPa. The nanostructure and structure–property relationships of all coatings are discussed in detail. Comparisons are made between the single-EB coatings deposited in this work and previously deposited twin-EB coatings. Twin-EB deposition gives rise to lower adatom mobilities, leading to (111) (Ti,Al)N preferential orientation, smaller grain sizes, less dense coatings and lower hardnesses

Chemical Composition Analysis of TiAlBN Nanocomposite Coating Deposited via RF Magnetron Sputtering

TiAlBN nanocomposite coating have been successfully deposited on AISI 316 substrate via RF magnetron sputtering by varying nitrogen-to-total flow ratio (RN) of 5, 15, 20, 25%, as well as varying substrate temperature of 100, 200, 300, and 400 ºC; using single Ti-Al-BN hot-pressed target. Chemical compositions of the coatings were analysed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS results showed that the TiAlBN nanocomposite coating reaches a nitride saturated state at higher RN (e.g 15, 20, and 25%) and boron concentration was found to be approximately 9 at.%. However, as the concentration of nitrogen decreases at lower RN (5%), boron concentration was found to increase to 16.17 at. %. This is due to the increase of TiB2 phase in the coating. Variations of substrate temperatures were found to give no significant effect on the chemical composition of the deposited TiAlBN nanocomposite coating

Characterization of TiAlBN Nanocomposite Coating deposited via Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering using Single Hot-Pressed Target

TiAlBN coatings have been deposited at varying bias voltage of 0, -60, and -150 V by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. A single hot-pressed Ti-Al-BN target was used for the deposition process. With glancing angle X-ray diffraction analysis (GAXRD), the nanocrystalline (nc-) (Ti,Al)N phase was identified. In addition, the existence of BN and TiB2 amorphous (a-) phase were detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Thus, the deposited TiAlBN coatings were confirmed as nc-(Ti,Al)N/a-BN/a-TiB2 nanocomposite. On theother hand, it was found that optimum bias voltage used in present study is -60 V where the deposited TiAlBN coating exhibits an excellent adhesion quality. The adhesion quality of the coatings deposited at -60V bias voltage is classified as HF 1 evaluated using the Rockwell-C adhesion test method (developed by the Union of German Engineers)

Effect of Grain Size on the Corrosion Behavior of TiAlBN Nanocomposite Coating

TiAlBN nanocomposite coating have been deposited by varying nitrogen-to-total gas flow rate ratio (RN) of 5, 15, 20, 25%, and varying substrate temperature of 100, 200, 300, and 400 °C. The coating was deposited on AISI 316 substrates using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering with single Ti-Al-BN hot-pressed target. The crystallographic phase, structural, and grain size was evaluated using glancing angle X-ray diffraction analysis (GAXRD). The corrosion behavior of the coating was determined using potentiodynamic polarization test. The grains size of the deposited coating (calculated using Scherrer’s formula) were found to be in the range of 3.5 to 5.7 nm. It was also found that the grain size affects the corrosion behavior of the coating in which larger grain size decreases the corrosion resistance of the deposited TiAlBN nanocomposite coating. In addition, it was observed that the corrosion resistance of the coating is lower than the substrate material. Nevertheless, the coating was able to protect the surface of the uncoated AISI 316 substrate from pitting corrosion. Moreover, the coating exhibited a corrosion resistance comparable with other high corrosion resistance coatings such as (Ti,Al)N, and TiAlSiN