Alkaline Cleaning-in-Place of Pink Guava Puree Fouling Deposit Using Lab-scale Cleaning Test Rig

AbstractCleaning-in-place (CIP) of pink guava puree (PGP) fouling deposits is not well known compared to dairy deposits which is well established. Lab-scale cleaning test rig has been used to investigate the cleaning performance of PGP deposits. Removal mechanism during alkaline-based cleaning of PGP deposits were investigated using NaOH concentrations (1.0 wt% -2.0 wt%), temperatures (35 - 70°C) and fluid velocities (0.6-1.5m/s) over a range of Reynolds number (Re= 4x104 - 1.8x105). Cleaning rate was quantified by measuring the remaining area of the deposits at sample holder at every 1min. The efficient CIP process for PGP fouling deposit can be obtained at 1.5m/s, 70°C, with concentration of (1.0 - 2.0wt%)

Thermoplastic Matrix Material Selection using Multi Criteria Decision Making Method for Hybrid Polymer Composites

Multi criteria decision making (MDCM) methods are amongst the approaches available in aiding composite designers to make the final decision especially during the material selection process where multiple solutions are present and various requirements are required to be satisfied simultaneously. Thus, in this paper, material selection process of thermoplastic matrix using MDCM methods for hybrid natural fiber/glass fiber polymer composites is presented. The aim is to identify the most suitable type of thermoplastic matrix to be used in the hybrid polymer composites formulation. The Weighted Sum Method (WSM) is applied in the selection process of seven candidate thermoplastic matrix materials based on the product design specifications. The overall analysis highlights that low density polyethylene (LDPE) is the preferred matrix for the intended application based on the highest scores obtained compared to other candidate materials. A signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio analysis was further performed to validate the initial selection results where LDPE once again outperformed other candidate materials with highest S/N ratio score in the noncompensatory approach

Materials Selection of Hybrid Bio-Composites Thermoset Matrix for Automotive Bumper Beam Applicationusing Topsis Method

Materials selection is among the fundamental process involved in automotive product development. Yet, the decision making task is very challenging considering the involvement of multiple conflicting criteria which need to be analyzed simultaneously and selected from list of candidate materials with varying attributes between them, thus multi criteria decision making (MCDM) method is often employed in solving the issue. In this paper, the TOPSIS multi criteria decision making method was applied in the materials selection process of determining the best thermoset matrix for hybrid bio-composites towards the application in automotive bumper beam. Three (3) candidate thermoset materials namely polyester, vinyl ester and epoxy matrics were analysed based on eight (8) performance criteria extracted from the pre-defined product design specification of the bumper beam component. Results from the selection exercise showed that polyester resin is the best thermoset matrix for the hybrid bio-composites construction based on the highest relative closeness to the idea solution score compared to other candidate materials. The use of TOPSIS method was also found able to provide systematic and justified decision making process in gaining the best solution when multi criteria requirement are present and need to be satisfied concurrently

Application of Hybrid Sugar Palm-filled Polyurethane Composites in Conceptual Design of an Automotive Anti-roll Bar

Forest products are important sources of income in developing countries like Malaysia and research on utilizing them has intensified. One of the forest products that is investigated at Universiti Putra Malaysia is sugar palm (Arenga pinnata). Biocomposites made from sugar palm fiber and biopolymers have been developed using different types of plasticizers. In addition, sugar palm fiber alone can be a good raw material for various domestic products like brooms, ropes, roofs and headgear, just to name a few. The most recent work on sugar palm bio-composites was devoted to fabricating an automotive component, i.e. an anti-roll bar, from hybrid glass/sugar palm fiber-filled polyurethane composites. The conceptual design of the automotive anti-roll bar was developed and refined. The conceptual design was developed according to the design requirements and characteristics of the sugar palm composite. Reinforcement of the rib in the anti-roll bar’s design showed an improvement in terms of the stiffness of the anti-roll bar.

Interfacial IMC evolution and shear strength of MWCNTs-reinforced Sn–5Sb composite solder joints: Experimental characterization and artificial neural network modelling

The continuous miniaturization of electronic products and the constantly rising functionality demand by final users necessitate major challenges for the academia and the industry to produce reliable lead-free solders for long-term service. In the present study, an analysis on the influence of MWCNTs (multi-walled carbon nanotubes) on the interfacial IMC (intermetallic compound) evolution and shear strength of Sn–5Sb solder joint was performed. The composite solder joint samples were developed through the reflow soldering process and thereafter subjected to isothermal aging at different temperatures (120 °C, 150 °C and 170 °C). Given the promising properties of MWCNTs, empirical findings showed that inhibited interfacial IMC evolution and enhanced shear strength were markedly achieved due to the presence of MWNCTs in the Sn–5Sb solder alloy. Artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed by making use of the experimental data to characterize the composite solder joints. Various influential parameters that affect the thickness of the IMC layer and the shear strength performance of the composite solder joints including the MWCNTs content, aging temperature and aging time were considered as the input parameters for the ANN model. Having used the statistical parameters such as the coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) to evaluate the model, the ANN model developed in this study adequately predicted the IMC layer thickness (R2 = 0.9913; RMSE = 0.0234) and shear strength (R2 = 0.9798; RMSE = 0.0314) of the composite solder joints

Shape memory alloys actuated upper limb devices: A review

Recently, significant efforts have been made to develop prostheses, soft rehabilitation, and assistive devices that enhance the quality of life of limb amputees and the activities of daily living (ADL) of stroke patients. Therefore, this present study provides a general overview of the current prosthetic, assistive, and rehabilitative devices with a focus on actuators that provide actuation via shape-memory alloys (SMA). Shape-memory alloy (SMA)-based actuators are the subject of considerable research as they possess high force-to-weight ratio, quiet operation, muscular mobility, bio-compatibility, and accessible design options, all of which can potentially be used to develop inventive actuating systems. Several studies have examined the use of SMA-actuated devices in the medical and engineering industry. They have also, more recently, been used to develop soft robotic systems. This present review primarily focuses on the characterization, number, type of actuator, degrees of freedom (DOF), weight, cooling technique, control strategies, and applications as well as the advantages and disadvantages of plate, spring, and wire-based SMA actuators. Composite-based upper limb SMA actuators were also reviewed and compared in terms of the matrix, reinforcing materials, SMA configuration actuator dimensions, and manufacturing method as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The findings indicate that, in the last few years, more studies have examined developing novel intelligent materials with which to improve hand flexibility. Therefore, SMA materials have a promising future in the development of intelligent designs for hand-robots. They may also be used to improve control robustness as well as the accuracy of hand functions for ADL and effective rehabilitation

A Simplified Life Cycle Analysis of an Automotive Parking Brake Lever using Polymer Composites

This paper presents a simplified life cycle analysis case study of a new developed automotive parking brake lever using polymer composites. Two composite materials were analysed for the component construction, namely glass fiber/polypropylene composites and hybrid kenaf/glass fiber/polypropylene composites. The rule of mixture and hybrid rule of mixture composite’s micromechanical models were utilized to determine the functional unit in the life cycle analysis. Later, the life cycle inventory data were defined for the production, use and end-of-life stages for the component. The Eco-indicator 99 method was selected for the overall LCA process. The final life cycle analysis results show that parking brake lever using the hybrid kenaf/glass fiber/polypropylene composites scores better environmental impact when compared to the similar component using glass fiber composites. This proved that the introduction of kenaf natural fiber, as the alternative reinforcement material in the polymer composites construction, is able to reduce the environmental impact throughout the product life cycle towards achieving better sustainable performance of the product