Tribological and Wear Properties of Multi-Layered Materials

The usage of fabrics as reinforcements in composites is spreading due to fabrics’ properties. The use of fabrics allows obtaining of sinuous surfaces, for instance, unlike the use of prepregs. Using fabrics as reinforcements it is also possible to obtain laminate-like materials having the same matrix in all their volume. In the case of pre-pregs usage always it is necessary to discuss about the bonding between individual plies. For this study eight materials were formed. The forming method consisted in placing the pre-polymer imbued fabric pieces into a mould to obtain plates of composites. Two types of fabric were used: one simple type of untwisted tows of carbon fibres and the second one simple type of alternated untwisted tows of carbon and aramide fibres. Both fabrics were prepared in order to ensure the matrix adherence. The polymer matrix is realised from epoxy system EPIPHEN RE 4020 / EPIPHEN DE 4020 filled with clay and talc in equal amounts of 5% (weight ratio). The use of clay and talc were meant to improve the thermal dimensional stability of final materials. Tribological properties of formed materials were studied using pin-on-disk method with steel disk and pins made of materials. Both orientation of reinforcement fibres relative to friction direction were taken into account. Results are encouraging further studies in order to identify the best solution of forming a multi-component material with more than one designable property

Static and vibration analysis of functionally graded beams using refined shear deformation theory

Static and vibration analysis of functionally graded beams using refined shear deformation theory is presented. The developed theory, which does not require shear correction factor, accounts for shear deformation effect and coupling coming from the material anisotropy. Governing equations of motion are derived from the Hamilton's principle. The resulting coupling is referred to as triply coupled axial-flexural response. A two-noded Hermite-cubic element with five degree-of-freedom per node is developed to solve the problem. Numerical results are obtained for functionally graded beams with simply-supported, cantilever-free and clamped-clamped boundary conditions to investigate effects of the power-law exponent and modulus ratio on the displacements, natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes

Novel inhibitors of the calcineurin/NFATc hub - alternatives to CsA and FK506?

The drugs cyclosporine A (CsA) and tacrolimus (FK506) revolutionized organ transplantation. Both compounds are still widely used in the clinic as well as for basic research, even though they have dramatic side effects and modulate other pathways than calcineurin-NFATc, too. To answer the major open question - whether the adverse side effects are secondary to the actions of the drugs on the calcineurin-NFATc pathway - alternative inhibitors were developed. Ideal inhibitors should discriminate between the inhibition of (i) calcineurin and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases (PPIases; the matchmaker proteins of CsA and FK506), (ii) calcineurin and the other Ser/Thr protein phosphatases, and (iii) NFATc and other transcription factors. In this review we summarize the current knowledge about novel inhibitors, synthesized or identified in the last decades, and focus on their mode of action, specificity, and biological effects