Development of an Advanced Engineering Polymer from the Modification of Nylon 66 by e-Beam Irradiation

When Nylon 66 was irradiated by an optimum dose of e-beam in presence of polyurethane as impact modifierin combination with triallyl isocyanurate as cross-linker, a superior performance was observed for the irradiatednylon 66. Significant improvement of properties, such as hardness, tensile strength, flexural modulus and impactstrength was obtained on radiation processing of nylon 66 by e-beam. More interestingly, percent water absorptionof such irradiated nylon 66 was reduced substantially. Improvement of mechanical properties and reduction of waterabsorption of irradiated nylon 66 were due to the cross-linking of the polymer system. Increase of cross-linkingwith dose of e-beam was verified by the increased gel content at higher doses. Irradiated nylon 66 showed betterdimensional stability than those achieved with pristine nylon 66. The increase in dimensional stability may beattributed to reduction in crystallinity with increasing dose of e-beam as revealed by DSC studies.Defence Science Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 2014, pp. 281-289, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.64.732

Progress in development of tapes and magnets made from Bi-2223 superconductors

Long lengths of (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O(x) tapes made by powder-in-tube processing have been wound into coils. Performance of the coils has been measured at temperatures of 4.2 to 77 K, and microstructures have been examined by x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy and then related to superconducting properties. A summary of recent results and an overview of future goals are presented

Processing and fabrication of high-{Tc} superconductors for electric power applications

Recent developments in the powder-in-tube fabrication of (Bi,Pb){sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} tapes include identification of high current transport regions of the superconductor core, optimization of conductor design and processing to take advantage of these high current regions, optimization of superconductor powders and heat treatments, and incorporation of flux pinning defects into the superconductor grains. These developments are briefly discussed and their implications are assessed

Processing and properties of Ag-clad BSCCO superconductors

Long lengths of mono- and multifilament Ag-clad BSCCO (Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O) conductors with critical current densities of >10{sup 4} A/cm{sup 2} at 77 K were fabricated by the powder-in-tube method. {Tc} magnets were assembled by stacking pancake coils fabricated from long tapes and then tested vs applied magnetic field at various temperatures. A magnet that contained {approx}2400 m of {Tc} conductor generated a field of 3.2 T at 4.2 K. In-situ tensile and bending properties of the Ag-clad conductors were studied. Multilayer Ag/superconductor composites were fabricated by chemical etching. Preliminary results with multilayer tapes show that continuous Ag reinforcement of the BSCCO core improves strain tolerance of the tapes so they can carry 90% of their initial I{sub c} at 1% bend strain desite a higher superconductor/Ag ratio than that of unreinforced tapes

Development of Prototype HTS Components for Magnetic Suspension Applications

We have concentrated on developing prototype lengths of bismuth and thallium based silver sheathed superconductors by the powder-in-tube approach to fabricate high temperature superconducting (HTS) components for magnetic suspension applications. Long lengths of mono and multi filament tapes are presently being fabricated with critical current densities useful for maglev and many other applications. We have recently demonstrated the prototype manufacture of lengths exceeding 1 km of Bi-2223 multi filament conductor. Long lengths of thallium based multi-filament conductor have also been fabricated with practical levels of critical current density and improved field dependence behavior. Test coils and magnets have been built from these lengths and characterized over a range of temperatures and background fields to determine their performance. Work is in progress to develop, fabricate and test HTS windings that will be suitable for magnetic suspension, levitation and other electric power related applications

Processing and properties of long-lengths of Ag-clad BSCCO superconductors and high-{Tc} magnets

Long lengths of Ag-clad mono and multicore BSCCO tapes were fabricated by the powder-in-tube technique. The critical current density (J{sub c}) of 125-m-long monocore tapes was {approx}12,000 A/cm{sup 2} (critical current, I{sub c} 20 A) at 77 K. A 230-m-long 37-filament tape carried an I{sub c} of 14 A (corresponding to a J{sub c} of {approx}10,000 A/cm{sup 2}). Pancake-shaped coils were formed from long-length conductors by the wind-and-react approach. High-T{sub c} magnets were then assembled by stacking the pancake coils and connecting them in series. The magnets were tested as a function of applied magnetic fields at 4.2, 27, 64, and 77 K. A magnet containing 480 m of high-{Tc} tape generated a record-high field of 2.6 T at 4.2 K. Another magnet assembled with {approx}770 m of tape generated a field of {approx}1 T at 4.2 K and {approx}0.6 T at 27 K, both in an applied background field of {approx}20 T. Strain tolerance of high-{Tc} tapes was evaluated by measuring J{sub c} retention as a function of applied strain in an 0.5 T applied field at 77 K

Utilising digital health technology to support patient-healthcare provider communication in fragility fracture recovery: systematic review and meta-analysis

The objective of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of digital health supported targeted patient communication versus usual provision of health information, on the recovery of fragility fractures. The review considered studies including older people, aged 50 and above, with a fragility fracture. The primary outcome was prevention of secondary fractures by diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, and its adherence. This review considered both experimental and quasi-experimental study designs. A comprehensive search strategy was built to identify key terms including Medical subject headings (MeSH) and applied to the multiple electronic databases. An intention to treat analysis was applied to those studies included in the meta-analysis and odds ratio was calculated with random effects. Altogether, 15 studies were considered in the final stage for this systematic review. Out of these, 10 studies were Randomised controlled trials (RCT) and five were quasi experimental studies, published between the years 2003 and 2016 with a total of 5037 participants. Five Randomised control trails were included in the meta-analysis suggesting that digital health supported interventions were overall, twice as effective when compared with the usual standard care (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.30-3.48), despite the population sample not being homogeneous. Findings from the remaining studies were narratively interpreted

Coherent Spin-Phonon Coupling in the Layered Ferrimagnet Mn3Si2Te6

We utilize ultrafast photoexcitation to drive coherent lattice oscillations in the layered ferrimagnetic crystal Mn3Si2Te6, which significantly stiffen below the magnetic ordering temperature. We suggest that this is due to an exchange-mediated contraction of the lattice, stemming from strong magneto-structural coupling in this material. Additionally, simulations of the transient incoherent dynamics reveal the importance of spin relaxation channels mediated by optical and acoustic phonon scattering. Our findings highlight the importance of spin-lattice coupling in van der Waals magnets and a promising route for their dynamic optical control through their intertwined electronic, lattice, and spin degrees of freedom

Processing and characterization of Ag-clad Bi-2223 superconductors

Practical applications of high-temperature superconductors will be governed by their current transport and mechanical characteristics. With careful control of the processing parameters high-quality long- length mono- and multifilament Bi-2223 conductors have been fabricated by the powder-in-tube technique. A critical current density (Jc) of up to 1.2 x 104 A cm{sup -2} has been observed at 77 K in a 1260-m-long multifilament conductor containing 37 monocore filaments. A high-temperature superconducting magnet and a prototype transformer were fabricated and characterized from such long-length conductors. Efforts further improve the current characteristics of the Bi-2223 tapes resulted in the development of the wire-in-tube technique. A Jc value >105 A cm{sup -2} at 77 K and in self field have been obtained in a Bi-2223 tape fabricated by the wire- in-tube method. Extensive studies on the in-situ strain characteristics of the mono- and multifilament conductors have been conducted. Multilayer silver/superconductor composite tapes, fabricated by a novel chemical etching technique, were also observed to exhibit improved strain tolerance characteristics