Post mortem analysis of a tungsten coated tile from the outer divertor strike point region of ASDEX upgrade

AbstractIn the present study, the structure and the composition of co-deposited layers developed at the outer divertor strike point tile 1 in ASDEX Upgrade during three campaigns from 2009 to 2013 were examined. The samples were cut from representative locations which differed in received flux: private flux, strike point, the highest plasma fluence and “moderate" flux regions. High resolution scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (HRSTEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and optical profilometry have been used to identify deposits composition and morphology as well as to assess coating degradation. The aim of the post-mortem analyses was the evaluation of materials mixing and evidence of plasma-induced damage.Our results confirm that the outer divertor of AUG is generally a net erosion region for tungsten, however, the strong deposition of eroded tungsten takes place close to the outer strike point (private flux region). The observations on cross-sections of the tungsten coatings revealed micro-cracks around the strike point region. These cracks are caused by thermal stresses due to periodic heating and cooling of the layer during ELMs

An EBSD study of the deformation of service-aged 316 austenitic steel

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) has been used to examine the plastic deformation of an ex-service 316 austenitic stainless steel at 297K and 823K (24 °C and 550 °C)at strain rates 3.5x10-3 to 4 x 10-7 s-1. The distribution of local misorientations was found to depend on the imposed plastic strain following a lognormal distribution at true strains 0.1. At 823 K (550 °C), the distribution of misorientations depended on the applied strain rate. The evolution of lattice misorientations with increasing plastic strain up to 0.23 was quantified using the metrics kernel average misorientation, average intragrain misorientation, and low angle misorientation fraction. For strain rate down to 10-5 s-1 all metrics were insensitive to deformation temperature, mode (tension vs. compression) and orientation of the measurement plane. The strain sensitivity of the different metrics was found to depend on the misorientation ranges considered in their calculation. A simple new metric, proportion of undeformed grains, is proposed for assessing strain in both aged and unaged material. Lattice misorientations build up with strain faster in aged steel than in un-aged material and most of the metrics were sensitive to the effects of thermal aging. Ignoring aging effects leads to significant overestimation of the strains around welds. The EBSD results were compared with nanohardness measurements and good agreement established between the two techniques of assessing plastic strain in aged 316 steel

Quantitative Description of the Evolution in the Geometry of Grains in a Pure α-Fe

Grains in polycrystals differ in their size and shape. The geometry of grains in a given polycrystal is described by the distribution functions of grain size and shape. These functions can be experimentally studied using the methods of quantitative stereology and image analysis. The geometry of grains is related to the physical properties of the grain boundaries and vice versa. The distribution function of the geometrical features of grains can help in the assessment of the physical properties of the grain boundaries. Distribution functions of grains size and shape were investigated in an UHP iron produced at EMSE and in a commercially available Armco iron. Populations of grains in the specimens studied were characterized in terms of mean grain volume, E(V), grain section area, E(A) and the grain size diversity ratio. The data obtained in the study provide a quantitative description of the evolution in the geometry of grains during recrystallization and grain growth. It was found that there are systematic differences in the geometrical features of grains in UHP iron and Armco iron. The possible contribution of these differences to the disparity in the properties of the UHP materials is discussed

Investigation of influence of internal architecture on mechanical properties of 3D printed scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of internal architecture of 3D printed scaffolds on their mechanical properties. The polycaprolactone scaffolds with four different geometries produced by rapid prototyping were tested in this study. The 3D samples were manufactured with different internal architecture. The scaffolds were plotted using a 330 ym dispensing needle, layer by layer with lay-down pattern of the fibers: 00/450/900, 0P/60°/120°, 00/900/1800 and 00/600/1200 with shifted layers. Scanning electron mic¬roscopy analyses and mechanical properties examinations were performed. The mechanical test showed that the highest Young's modulus was obtained for the samples with 0P/6CP/12CP lay-down pattern, especially after layers shifting. The SEM analyzes didn't show any defects or layers delamination in the scaffolds. All the samples were characterized by appropriate 3D architecture and good layers connections. The obtained results confirmed the hypothesis that scaffolds with 00/60°/120l0 lay-down pattern of the fibers and with shifted layers have the highest mechanically properties of the investigated samples and therefore, show high potential to be used in bone tissue engineering application

Highly porous titanium scaffolds for orthopaedic applications

For many years, the solid metals and their alloys have been widely used for fabrication of the implants replacing hard human tissues or their functions. To improve fixation of solid implants to the surrounding bone tissues, the materials with porous structures have been introduced. By tissue ingrowing into a porous structure of metallic implant, the bonding between the implant and the bone has been obtained. Substantial pore interconnectivity, in metallic implants, allows extensive body fluid transport through the porous implant. This can provoke bone tissue ingrowth, consequently, leading to the development of highly porous metallic implants, which could be used as scaffolds in bone tissue engineering. The goal of this study was to develop and then investigate properties of highly porous titanium structures received from powder metallurgy process. The properties of porous titanium samples, such as microstructure, porosity, Young's modulus, strength, together with permeability and corrosion resistance were investigated. Porous titanium scaffolds with nonhomogeneous distribution of interconnected pores with pore size in the range up to 600 pm in diameter and a total porosity in the range up to 75% were developed. The relatively high permeability was observed for samples with highest values of porosity. Comparing to cast titanium, the porous titanium was low resistant to corrosion. The mechanical parameters of the investigated samples were similar to those for cancellous bone. The development of high-porous titanium material shows high potential to be modern material for creating a 3D structure for bone regeneration and implant fixation

Interaction of Schwann cells with laminin encapsulated PLCL core-shell nanofibers for nerve tissue engineering

10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2013.10.021European Polymer Journal50130-38EUPJ

Electrospun bio-composite P(LLA-CL)/collagen I/collagen III scaffolds for nerve tissue engineering

10.1002/jbm.b.32676Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials100 B41093-1102JBMR

<i>Cymatosirella</i> Dabek, Witkowski & Sabbe gen. nov., a new marine benthic diatom genus (Bacillariophyta) belonging to the family Cymatosiraceae

We present a new marine benthic diatom genus Cymatosirella gen. nov. The genus belongs to the family Cymatosiraceae and has been assigned to the subfamily Extubocelluloideae on the basis of ultrastructural cell wall features. It has isovalvate cells with undulate valves and is characterized by the absence of tubular processes and the occurrence of hollow spines which are observed for the first time in the Cymatosiraceae. The new genus contains four species, two of which are transferred from the genus Cymatosira, viz. Cymatosirella capensis comb. nov. and Cymatosirella minutissima comb. nov., and two which are new to science, viz. Cymatosirella benguelensis sp. nov. and Cymatosirella taylorii sp. nov. Cymatosirella capensis is chosen as the generitype. The new genus includes a group of very small taxa inhabiting the intertidal zone of the Atlantic Ocean with three species in South Africa and one in Europe. C. capensis was originally described by Giffen from Langebaan Lagoon (a shallow marine inlet in the southern part of Saldanha Bay, Western Cape Province), on the basis of light microscopy only, and has to date only been illustrated by line drawings. C. minutissima, so far only known from the Westerschelde estuary (The Netherlands), has previously been documented in more detail using both light and electron microscopy. Here, we present the results of detailed light and electron microscopical investigations of C. capensis, both from its original type material and from recently collected samples from the type locality and neighboring littoral areas in the Western Cape Province, and of the new species C. benguelensis and C. taylorii, also from Western Cape localities. All species are compared with similar small taxa belonging to the Cymatosiraceae, subfamily Extubocelluloideae