The assessment of metal fiber reinforced polymeric composites

Because of their low cost, excellent electrical conductivity, high specific strength (strength/density), and high specific modulus (modulus/density) short metal fiber reinforced composites have enjoyed a widespread use in many critical applications such as automotive industry, aircraft manufacturing, national defense, and space technology. However, little data has been found in the study of short metal fibrous composites. Optimum fiber concentration in a resin matrix and fiber aspect ratio (length-to-diameter ratio) are often not available to a user. Stress concentration at short fiber ends is the other concern when the composite is applied to a load-bearing application. Fracture in such composites where the damage will be initiated or accumulated is usually difficult to be determined. An experimental investigation is therefore carefully designed and undertaken to systematically evaluate the mechanical properties as well as electrical properties. Inconel 601 (nickel based) metal fiber with a diameter of eight microns is used to reinforce commercially available thermoset polyester resin. Mechanical testing such as tensile, impact, and flexure tests along with electrical conductivity measurements is conducted to study the feasibility of using such composites. The advantages and limitations of applying chopped metal fiber reinforced polymeric composites are also discussed

Improved Lignin Polyurethane Properties with Lewis Acid Treatment

Chemical modification strategies to improve the mechanical properties of lignin-based polyurethanes are presented. We hypothesized that treatment of lignin with Lewis acids would increase the concentration of hydroxyl groups available to react with diisocyanate monomers. Under the conditions used, hydrogen bromide-catalyzed modification resulted in a 28% increase in hydroxyl group content. Associated increases in hydrophilicity of solvent-cast thin films were also recorded as evidenced by decreases in water contact angle. Polyurethanes were then prepared by first preparing a prepolymer based on mixtures of toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) and unmodified or modified lignin, then polymerization was completed through addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG), resulting in mass ratios of TDI:lignin:PEG of 43:17:40 in the compositions investigated here. The mixture of TDI and unmodified lignin resulted in a lignin powder at the bottom of the liquid, suggesting it did not react directly with TDI. However, a homogeneous solution resulted when TDI and the hydrogen bromide-treated lignin were mixed, suggesting demethylation indeed increased reactivity and resulted in better integration of lignin into the urethane network. Significant improvements in mechanical properties of modified lignin polyurethanes were observed, with a 6.5-fold increase in modulus, which were attributed to better integration of the modified lignin into the covalent polymer network due to the higher concentration of hydroxyl groups. This research indicates that chemical modification strategies can lead to significant improvements in the properties of lignin-based polymeric materials using a higher fraction of an inexpensive lignin monomer from renewable resources and a lower fraction an expensive, petroleum-derived isocyanate monomer to achieve the required material properties

Modal analysis using a Fourier analyzer, curve-fitting, and modal tuning

The proposed modal test program differs from single-input methods in that preliminary data may be acquired using multiple inputs, and modal tuning procedures may be employed to define closely spaced frquency modes more accurately or to make use of frequency response functions (FRF's) which are based on several input locations. In some respects the proposed modal test proram resembles earlier sine-sweep and sine-dwell testing in that broadband FRF's are acquired using several input locations, and tuning is employed to refine the modal parameter estimates. The major tasks performed in the proposed modal test program are outlined. Data acquisition and FFT processing, curve fitting, and modal tuning phases are described and examples are given to illustrate and evaluate them

Constraints on the Inner Mass Profiles of Lensing Galaxies from Missing Odd Images

Most gravitational lens systems consist of two or four observable images. The absence of detectable odd images allows us to place a lower limit on the power-law slope of the inner mass profile of lensing galaxies. Using a sample of six two-image radio-loud lens systems and assuming a singular power-law surface density (Sigma proportional to r^{-beta}) for the inner several kpc of the mass distribution, we find that there is less than a 10% probability that the data are consistent with profile slopes beta < 0.80. Furthermore, individual mass modeling yields beta > 0.85 for B0739+366 and beta > 0.91 for B1030+074. Modeling central black holes as additional point masses changes the constraints in these systems to beta > 0.84 and beta > 0.83, respectively. The inner mass profiles of lensing galaxies are therefore not much shallower than isothermal.Comment: Final published version, minor typos corrected, 13 page

Modal vector estimation for closely spaced frequency modes

Techniques for obtaining improved modal vector estimates for systems with closely spaced frequency modes are discussed. In describing the dynamical behavior of a complex structure modal parameters are often analyzed: undamped natural frequency, mode shape, modal mass, modal stiffness and modal damping. From both an analytical standpoint and an experimental standpoint, identification of modal parameters is more difficult if the system has repeated frequencies or even closely spaced frequencies. The more complex the structure, the more likely it is to have closely spaced frequencies. This makes it difficult to determine valid mode shapes using single shaker test methods. By employing band selectable analysis (zoom) techniques and by employing Kennedy-Pancu circle fitting or some multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) curve fit procedure, the usefulness of the single shaker approach can be extended