Comparative study on the effect of samarium additions on thermo-mechanical behaviour of shape memory alloys

In the present work, a comparative study of the shape memory and thermo-mechanical behaviour of four alloys containing different amount of samarium have been carried out at a strain rate of 0.08 × 10-6s-1. After hot rolling, annealing and solution treatment, the alloy samples were tensile deformed at room temperature from 1% to 5% and were then recovered at 600 °C for 20 minutes repeatedly for six times to complete six training cycles. It is found that thermo-mechanical treatment (training) results in improvement of shape memory effect and has a significant influence on mechanical parameters like proof stress (σ: 0.002), critical stress (σ: 0.0008) and strain hardening exponent. The improvement in shape memory effect by thermo-mechanical treatment can be regarded as the effect of reduction in the values of proof stress and critical stress during training which facilitates the formation of ε (martensite). It has also been noticed that excessive training may result in the formation of ά (martensite) due to continuous softening of the alloy during training, thus degrading the shape memory effect. Finally, it has also been noticed that the addition of samarium increases the values of proof stress, critical stress and strain hardening exponent. Although the addition of samarium increases the values of proof stress, critical stress and strain hardening exponent yet it has not an adverse effect on shape memory effect. In this paper, the effect of thermo-mechanical treatment on mechanical parameters such as proof stress, critical stress, strain hardening exponent and their influence on shape memory effect is discussed

Effect of Recycled Rubber Particles and Silica on Tensile and Tear Properties of Natural Rubber Composites

Application of scrap rubber and worn out tires in natural rubber compounds has been studied. The scrap rubber can, however, be recycled and compounded with natural rubber and thus can be generated as a rubber composite. In this work, recycled rubber particles (RRP) were prepared using pulverization process. Then, RRP was blended with natural rubber and silica compounds, and it was synthesized by two- roll mill and hydraulic press at specified operating conditions. The samples ranging from 0 to 40 phr of RRP loaded with silica were used as constant filler. The mechanical properties and morphological analysis were carried out. The results showed that tensile strength and elongation at break gradually decreased with increasing RRP loading in natural rubber and silica compounds. Tensile modulus went down at 10 phr of RRP and then showed an increasing trend. Hardness increased up to 30 phr of RRP and tear strength increased up to 20 phr of RRP. A comparative study was also carried out with virgin natural rubber vulcanizates. The incorporation of RRP and silica up to 20 phr in natural rubber did not lower the performance of rubber articles. Morphological studies revealed that better filler dispersion, interfacial adhesion, and cross link density could increase the tensile and tear strengths

An Evolutionary Algorithmic Approach for Improving the Success Rate of Selective Assembly through a Novel EAUB Method

This work addresses an evolutionary algorithmic approach to reduce the surplus pieces in selective assembly to increase success rates. A novel equal area amidst unequal bin numbers (EAUB) method is proposed for classifying the parts of the ball bearing assembly by considering the various tolerance ranges of parts. The L16 orthogonal array is used for identifying the effectiveness of the proposed EAUB method through varying the number of bins of the parts of an assembly. Because of qualities such as minimal setting parameters, ease of understanding and implementation, and rapid convergence, the moth–flame optimization (MFO) algorithm is put forward in this work for identifying the optimal combination of bins of the parts of an assembly toward maximizing the percentage of the success rate of making assemblies. Computational results showed a 5.78% improvement in the success rate through the proposed approach compared with the past literature. The usage of the MFO algorithm is justified by comparing the computational results with the harmony search algorithm

Plant-mediated biosynthesis of nanoparticles as an emerging tool against mosquitoes of medical and veterinary importance: a review

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are a key threat for millions of people worldwide, since they act as vectors for devastating parasites and pathogens. Mosquito young instars are usually targeted with organophosphates, insect growth regulators and microbial control agents. Indoors residual spraying and insecticide-treated bed nets are also employed. However, these chemicals have strong negative effects on human health and the environment. Newer and safer tools have been recently implemented to enhance control of mosquitoes. In this review, I focus on characterization, effectiveness, and non-target effects of mosquitocidal nanoparticles synthesized using botanical products (mosquitocidal nanoparticles, MNP). The majority of plant-fabricated MNP are silver ones. The synthesis of MNP is usually confirmed by UV-visualization spectroscopy, followed by scanning electron microscopy or transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction studies. Interestingly, plant-synthesized metal nanoparticles have been reported as effective ovicides, larvicides, pupicides, adulticides, and oviposition deterrents against different mosquito species of medical and veterinary importance. Few parts per million of different MNP are highly toxic against the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, the dengue vector Aedes aegypti, and the filariasis mosquito Culex quiquefasciatus. However, despite the growing number of evidences about the effectiveness of MNP, moderate efforts have been carried out to shed light on their possible non-target effects against mosquito’s natural enemies and other aquatic organisms. In the final section, particular attention was dedicated to this issue. A number of hot areas that need further research and cooperation among parasitologists and entomologists are highlighted