Preparation of Nanocomposites from Styrene and Modified Graphite Oxides

Graphite oxide was prepared and modified with several ammonium salts and these modified graphite oxides were used to prepare nanocomposites with polystyrene by in situ polymerization of styrene monomer and by melt blending with polystyrene. Nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, cone calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and the evaluation of mechanical properties. Nanocomposites are formed by in situ polymerization but not by melt blending; the graphite oxide undergoes thermal degradation at the temperature of melt blending so nanocomposite formation would be unlikely. Mechanical properties of the melt blended nanocomposites are improved relative to the virgin polystyrene while those prepared by in situ polymerization are decreased, except in the case of Young\u27s Modulus, where melt blended and in situ polymerized materials show similar results

Polystyrene/Graphite Nanocomposites: Effect on Thermal Stability

Nanocomposites consisting of polymer and clay have been shown to exhibit a significant reduction in flammability and an increase in mechanical properties. This work examines the effect of thermal stability and mechanical properties of nanocomposites prepared from potassium graphite and styrene. Synthesis of nanocomposites was accomplished by using potassium graphite (KC8) as the initiator in the polymerization of styrene. A slight increase in thermal stability is observed but mechanical properties are decreased

Polybutadiene Cross-Linked With Various Diols – Effect On Thermal Stability

The relationship between cross-linking and thermal stability as related to polybutadiene is the focus of current research. Cross-linked polybutadienes have been prepared using various diols as the cross-linking agent. Cross-linked polymers have been characterized by gel content, swelling ratios, infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. These polymers are not highly cross-linked, as seen by gel content and swelling ratios, and cross-linking does not have a large effect on the onset temperature of the degradation. Nonetheless, extensive formation of a non-volatile residue occurs

Determination of the universality class of crystal plasticity

Although scaling phenomena have long been documented in crystalline plasticity, the universality class has been difficult to identify due to the rarity of avalanche events, which require large system sizes and long times in order to accurately measure scaling exponents and functions. Here we present comprehensive simulations of two-dimensional dislocation dynamics under shear, using finite-size scaling to extract scaling exponents and the avalanche profile scaling function from time-resolved measurements of slip-avalanches. Our results provide compelling evidence that both the static and dynamic universality classes are consistent with the mean-field interface depinning model.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Figure 4 inset has been corrected as compared to the EPL publication. We thank Michael Zaiser for bringing its incorrect caption to our attention. The correction leaves all results unaffecte

Detection of fixed points in spatiotemporal signals by clustering method

We present a method to determine fixed points in spatiotemporal signals. A 144-dimensioanl simulated signal, similar to a Kueppers-Lortz instability, is analyzed and its fixed points are reconstructed.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Expandable Graphite/Polyamide-6 Nanocomposites

Polyamide-6 (PA-6)/graphite nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending, using a variety of graphites, including virgin graphite, expandable graphites and expanded graphite. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimetry, and tensile mechanical analysis. Nanocomposite formation does occur, as denoted by the nanometre dispersion of graphite layers in the polymer matrix, and the dispersion depends on the graphite treatment. The material properties of the resulting composites are improved relative to the virgin/unfilled polymer; in particular, there is an enhancement of the thermal stability without any significant deterioration of the mechanical properties

Wearable IMU for Shoulder Injury Prevention in Overhead Sports

Body-worn inertial sensors have enabled motion capture outside of the laboratory setting. In this work, an inertial measurement unit was attached to the upper arm to track and discriminate between shoulder motion gestures in order to help prevent shoulder over-use injuries in athletics through real-time preventative feedback. We present a detection and classification approach that can be used to count the number of times certain motion gestures occur. The application presented involves tracking baseball throws and volleyball serves, which are common overhead movements that can lead to shoulder and elbow overuse injuries. Eleven subjects are recruited to collect training, testing, and randomized validation data, which include throws, serves, and seven other exercises that serve as a large null class of similar movements, which is analogous to a realistic usage scenario and requires a robust estimator