Soil and plant selection for rain gardens along streets and roads in cold climates: Simulated cyclic flooding and real-scale studies of five herbaceous perennial species

This paper presents results from a container experiment and a real-scale study in road environments for evaluating the performance of soil mixtures and herbaceous perennials for use in rain gardens. The container experiment included 12 soil mixtures and 4 perennial species. The plants were exposed to three flooding events and one drought period, and their overall vitality was recorded after the floodings. The containers were stored outdoors the following winter and plant survival was observed in spring. Amsonia orientalis did not survive the winter after being exposed to flooding in the growing season and was replaced by Hosta ‘Francee’ in the real-scale study, which was established in Drammen (Norway) in a soil mixture based on optimisation of the best mixtures in the container experiment. Luzula sylvatica performed well in the container study and survived the winter; however, in the field study, individuals of this species that were located close to the road died due to de-icing salt. Eurybia divaricata showed some mortality in both studies, and total mortality occurred in individuals that were close to the road, due to de-icing salt. Hemerocallis cvv. performed well in both experiments and appeared to be useful in all rain garden positions in the cold climate road environment. H. ‘Francee’ developed well in the road environment, except when exposed to splashes of road water. The study highlights considerable differences between species’ adaption to roadside rain gardens in cold climates, and the need for further field investigations.publishedVersio

Development of a high strength Al-Mg2Si-Mg-Zn based alloy for high pressure die casting

A high strength Al-Mg2Si-Mg-Zn based alloy has been developed for the application in high pressure die casting to provide improved mechanical properties. The effect of various alloying elements on the microstructure and mechanical properties including yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the alloy was investigated under the as-cast and heat-treated conditions. The typical composition of the high strength alloy has been optimised to be Al-8.0wt%Mg2Si-6.0wt%Mg-3.5wt%Zn-0.6wt%Mn (Al-11.0wt%Mg-2.9wt%Si-3.5wt%Zn-0.6wt%Mn) with unavoidable trace impurities. The mechanical properties of the alloy were enhanced by a quick solution treatment followed by ageing treatment. The improved tensile properties were at a level of yield strength over 300MPa, the ultimate tensile strength over 420MPa and the elongation over 3% assessed using international standard tensile samples made by high pressure die casting. The microstructure of the die-cast alloy consisted of the primary α-Al phase, Al-Mg2Si eutectics, AlMgZn intermetallics and α-AlFeMnSi intermetallics under the as-cast condition. The AlMgZn intermetallic compound was dissolved into the Al-matrix during solution treatment and subsequently precipitated during ageing treatment for providing the effective improvement of the mechanical properties.The financial support is gratefully acknowledged for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (Project number: EP/I038616/1), Technology Strategy Board (TSB) (Project number: 101172) and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), United Kingdom

Evoked potentials in the Atlantic cod following putatively innocuous and putatively noxious electrical stimulation: a minimally invasive approach

Aspects of peripheral and central nociception have previously been studied through recording of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to putative noxious stimuli in specific brain regions in a few freshwater fish species. In the present study, we describe a novel, minimally invasive method for recording SEPs from the central nervous system of the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Cutaneous electric stimulation of the tail in 15 fish elicited SEPs at all stimulus intensities (2, 5, 10 and 20 mA) with quantitative properties corresponding to stimulus intensity. In contrast to previous fish studies, the methodological approach used in Atlantic cod in the current study uncovered a number of additional responses that could originate from multiple brain regions. Several of these responses were specific to stimulation at the highest stimulus intensities, possibly representing qualitative differences in central processing between somatosensory and nociceptive stimuli

Grain refinement of magnesium alloys: a review of recent research, theoretical developments and their application

This paper builds on the ‘‘Grain Refinement of Mg Alloys’’ published in 2005 and reviews the grain refinement research onMg alloys that has been undertaken since then with an emphasis on the theoretical and analytical methods that have been developed. Consideration of recent research results and current theoretical knowledge has highlighted two important factors that affect an alloy’s as-cast grain size. The first factor applies to commercial Mg-Al alloys where it is concluded that impurity and minor elements such as Fe and Mn have a substantially negative impact on grain size because, in combination with Al, intermetallic phases can be formed that tend to poison the more potent native or deliberately added nucleant particles present in the melt. This factor appears to explain the contradictory experimental outcomes reported in the literature and suggests that the search for a more potent and reliable grain refining technology may need to take a different approach. The second factor applies to all alloys and is related to the role of constitutional supercooling which, on the one hand, promotes grain nucleation and, on the other hand, forms a nucleation-free zone preventing further nucleation within this zone, consequently limiting the grain refinement achievable, particularly in low solute-containing alloys. Strategies to reduce the negative impact of these two factors are discussed. Further, the Interdependence model has been shown to apply to a broad range of casting methods from slow cooling gravity die casting to fast cooling high pressure die casting and dynamic methods such as ultrasonic treatment

High Pressure Die Casting of Aluminium and Magnesium Alloys : Grain Structure and Segregation Characteristics

Cold chamber high pressure die casting, (HPDC), is an important commercial process for the production of complex near net shape aluminium and magnesium alloy castings. The work presented in the thesis was aimed at investigating the microstructure formation in this type of casting. The solidification characteristics related to the process and the alloys control the formation of grains and defects. This again has a significant impact on the mechanical properties of the castings. The investigations were carried out mainly using the AM60 magnesium alloy and the A356 aluminium alloy. Two different casting arrangements were used: the cold chamber HPDC and the gravity die casting methods, which allowed for different flow and solidification conditions. The microstructures in the castings were investigated using optical microscopy, image analysis, scanning electron microscopy, electron back scatter diffraction measurements and electron probe microanalysis. In the HPDC experiments, the shot sleeve solidification conditions were investigated primarily by changing the melt superheat on pouring. This significantly affected the microstructures in the castings. The fraction of externally solidified crystals (ESCs) was consistently found to be largest near the gate in both the AM60 and the A356 die castings. This was attributed to the inherent shot sleeve solidification conditions and the flow set up by the plunger movement. When the superheat was increased, a lower fraction of ESCs was found in the castings. Furthermore, a high superheat gave ESCs with branched dendritic/elongated trunk morphology whilst a low superheat generated coarser and more globular ESCs, both in the AM60 and the A356 castings. The ESCs typically segregated towards the central region of the cross sections at further distances from the gate in the die castings. When a thin layer of thermal insulating coating was applied on the shot sleeve wall in the production of AM60 die castings, it nearly removed all ESCs in the castings. Using an A356 alloy, (and no shot sleeve coating), with no Ti in solution gave a significantly lower fraction of ESCs, whereas AlTi5B1 grain refiner additions induced an increase in the fraction of ESCs and a significantly finer grain size in the castings. The formation of globular ESCs was enhanced when AlTi5B1 grain refiner was added to the A356 alloy. In controlled laboratory gravity die casting experiments, typical HPDC microstructures were created by pouring semi-solid metal into a steel die: The ESCs were found to segregate/migrate to the central region during flow, until a maximum packing, (fraction of ESCs of ~35-40%), was reached. The extent of segregation is determined by the fraction of ESCs, and the die temperature affects the position of the ESCs. The segregation of ESCs was explained to occur during flow as a result of lift forces. The formation of banded defects has also been studied: the position of the bands was affected by the die temperature and the fraction of ESCs. Based on the nature of the bands and their occurrence, a new theory on the formation of defect bands was proposed: During flow the solid distribution from the die wall consists of three regions: 1) a solid fraction gradient at the wall; 2) a low solid fraction region which carries (3) a network of ESCs. A critical fraction solid exists where the deformation rate exceeds the interdendritic flow rate. When the induced stress exceeds the network strength, deformation can occur by slip, followed by liquid flow. The liquid flow is caused by solidification shrinkage, hydrostatic pressure on the interior ESC network, and gaps forming which draw in liquid