Addition of magnetic markers for non-destructive evaluation of polymer composites

Polymer composite pipes are an appealing option as a substitute for conventional steel pipes, particularly due to their inherent corrosion resistance. However, the composite pipes currently used do not allow non-destructive evaluation (NDE) using instrumented devices which operate with magnetic sensors. The present work aims at the development of polymer composites with the addition magnetic markers to allow the application non-destructive evaluation techniques which use magnetic sensors. Glass-polyester composite flat, circular plates were fabricated with the addition of ferrite particles (barium ferrite and strontium ferrite) and four types of notches were introduced on the plates' surfaces. The influence of these notches on the measured magnetic properties of each material was measured. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) nitrogen adsorption were used for the characterization of the ferrite particles. Particle dispersion in the polymer matrix was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). According to the results, a particular variation in magnetic field was detected over the region surrounding each type of notch. The results suggest that the proposed technique has great potential for damage detection in polymer composites using magnetic sensors and thus constitute a valuable contribution which may ultimately lead to the development of non-destructive evaluation techniques for assessing the structural integrity polymer composite pipes

Mechanical milling of the (a-Fe2O3)x(a-Al2O3)1 x system : an x-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectral study

The system (a-Fe2O3)x(a-Al2O3)1 x was subjected to 24 h of high-energy ball-milling in different milling media and velocities, with x varying in the 0.10 – 0.50 range. Stainless-steel vial with stainless-steel balls and alumina vial with zirconia rods were alternately used in a planetary mill apparatus, at velocities ranging from 100 to 600 rpm. The phases present in the milled samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS). For the stainless-steel milling medium, the results revealed that the final products are extremely dependent on the starting concentration of hematite and on the milling velocity. Iron contamination, originated from abrasion in the metallic medium (MM), was detected for low x and, also, for intermediate x at higher milling velocities. Solid solutions of the (Fe,Al)2O3 type, with different iron concentration ranges, were identified in both milling media. In the ceramic vial, a medium in which milling velocity is also found to be a decisive factor, the FeAlO3 phase, non-isostructural to the precursors, was also recognized in addition to solid solutions. Low-temperature Mössbauer measurements verified the occurrence of four magnetic iron sites in this compound

Structural and Mössbauer characterization of the ball-milled Fe/sub x/(Al/sub 2/O/sub 3)/sub 100-x/ system

Metal-oxide composites were synthesized by high-energy ball milling of metallic iron (α-Fe) and alumina (α-Al2O3) powders, varying the starting relative concentration and the milling time. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The results revealed the formation of a FeAl2O3+W spinel phase (hercynite) and of iron (super)paramagnetic nanoprecipitates, in addition to residual magnetic iron and alumina. We also observed that the relative amounts of nanoprecipitates and hercynite for isochronally milled samples were correlated with the sample nominal concentration x, with the precursor iron being relatively more converted in those phases for low x values. Particularly for x=10 milled sample, the relative amounts of the (super)paramagnetic and spinel phases were observed to increase linearly with the milling time. An x=20/24 h milled sample was annealed in H2 atmosphere and revealed the reduction of hercynite, with iron phase separation

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora