Light scattering of glass-particle filled matrices with similar refractive index

If fillers can be added to transparent materials without losing transparency, then advantages like enhanced mechanical and thermal properties can be integrated. The investigated specimens consist of glass particles and refractive index oil as a model for transparent matrices with a very similar refractive index. Their optical properties and resulting limitations are described. Potential uses are also demonstrated by application-oriented optical testing. Besides a standard spectrometer, additional spectrometer setups were used. These include a diffuse as well as a collimated illumination and different sample positioning. Furthermore, the scattered light intensity was measured at different angles. This analysis reveals that composites with smaller particles transmit more light directly. In contrast, standard spectrometers indicate an increasing direct transmittance of composites with larger particles. They collect significant amounts of scattered light and, therefore, are not suitable for transmission measurements of such composites. The different positioning shows that all specimens exhibit very little scattering when placed directly on a diffuse light source. With a greater distance between specimen and light source, the scattering increases strongly. To display the composites' optical appearance, the light-dark-contrast of the diffuse white light source photographed behind the composite was analyzed. Both long and short distances between composite and light source lead to a precise image of the light source. Nevertheless, the white light source appears in the color of the wavelength with matching refractive indices at long distances

Nanofiller materials for transparent polymer composites: Influences on the properties and on the transparency—A review

Filler materials are widely used in combination with polymer materials. Conventional filler particles generally cause light scattering and absorption because of their optical characteristic or refractive index difference. With nanoparticles (NPs) as a filler material, it is theoretically possible to manufacture transparent compounds due to their small particle dimensions reducing the interaction with light. Nevertheless, the particles tend to build agglomerates and aggregates which reduce the composite’s transparency considerably. This review gives an overview of the effect different particle materials have on the properties of transparent polymer composites with consideration of the composite’s transparency. There are very few reports on highly transparent and thick (>1 mm) polymer nanocomposites with such an amount of particles that affect other properties of the polymer significantly. In the majority of cases, NPs lead to a significant lower transparency. This indicates that the homogeneous dispersion of the particles is still a major difficulty in producing transparent nanocomposites with enhanced properties

Dynamic Compression Induced Solidification

This study presents a method for the determination of the dynamic pressure-dependent solidification of polycarbonate (PC) during flow using high pressure capillary rheometer (HPC) measurements. In addition, the pressure-dependent solidification was determined by isothermal pressure-volume-temperature (pvT) measurements under static conditions without shear. Independent of the compression velocity, a linear increase of the solidification pressure with temperature could be determined. Furthermore, the results indicate that the relaxation time at a constant temperature and compression rate can increase to such an extent that the material can no longer follow within the time scale specified by the compression rate. Consequently, the flow through the capillary stops at a specific pressure, with higher compression rates resulting in lower solidification pressures. Consequently, in regard to HPC measurements, it could be shown that the evaluation of the pressure via a pressure hole can lead to measurement errors in the limit range. Since the filling process in injection molding usually takes place under such transient conditions, the results are likely to be relevant for modelling the flow processes of thin-walled and microstructures with high aspect ratios

2023 EULAR recommendations on imaging in diagnosis and management of crystal-induced arthropathies in clinical practice

Objective: To formulate evidence-based recommendations and overarching principles on the use of imaging in the clinical management of crystal-induced arthropathies (CiAs). Methods: An international task force of 25 rheumatologists, radiologists, methodologists, healthcare professionals and patient research partners from 11 countries was formed according to the EULAR standard operating procedures. Fourteen key questions on the role of imaging in the most common forms of CiA were generated. The CiA assessed included gout, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease and basic calcium phosphate deposition disease. Imaging modalities included conventional radiography, ultrasound, CT and MRI. Experts applied research evidence obtained from four systematic literature reviews using MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL. Task force members provided level of agreement (LoA) anonymously by using a Numerical Rating Scale from 0 to 10. Results: Five overarching principles and 10 recommendations were developed encompassing the role of imaging in various aspects of patient management: making a diagnosis of CiA, monitoring inflammation and damage, predicting outcome, response to treatment, guided interventions and patient education. Overall, the LoA for the recommendations was high (8.46-9.92). Conclusions: These are the first recommendations that encompass the major forms of CiA and guide the use of common imaging modalities in this disease group in clinical practice

Light scattering of glass-particle filled matrices with similar refractive index

If fillers can be added to transparent materials without losing transparency, then advantages like enhanced mechanical and thermal properties can be integrated. The investigated specimens consist of glass particles and refractive index oil as a model for transparent matrices with a very similar refractive index. Their optical properties and resulting limitations are described. Potential uses are also demonstrated by application-oriented optical testing. Besides a standard spectrometer, additional spectrometer setups were used. These include a diffuse as well as a collimated illumination and different sample positioning. Furthermore, the scattered light intensity was measured at different angles. This analysis reveals that composites with smaller particles transmit more light directly. In contrast, standard spectrometers indicate an increasing direct transmittance of composites with larger particles. They collect significant amounts of scattered light and, therefore, are not suitable for transmission measurements of such composites. The different positioning shows that all specimens exhibit very little scattering when placed directly on a diffuse light source. With a greater distance between specimen and light source, the scattering increases strongly. To display the composites' optical appearance, the light-dark-contrast of the diffuse white light source photographed behind the composite was analyzed. Both long and short distances between composite and light source lead to a precise image of the light source. Nevertheless, the white light source appears in the color of the wavelength with matching refractive indices at long distances

Analysis of the Processing‐Pressure Dependent Refractive Index of Polycarbonate by Transmission Measurements of Glass‐Filled Specimen

In this study, the influence of pressure during processing on the refractive index (RI) of polycarbonate (PC) was investigated by transmission measurements on glass‐filled samples with a spectrometer. In order to isolate the pressure dependence of the RI from other influencing parameters such as cooling rate, orientation and stress states, the samples were prepared in a pressure‐specific volume‐Temperature (pvT) instrument under constant cooling rate and temperature history and without shear effects. Subsequently, the RI was determined at the intersection of the dispersion curves of the glass and the polymer by evaluating the wavelength of the maximal transmission of the samples. The mean RI over the entire cross section of the sample is determined by the transmission measurements without complex sample preparation. The investigations show that the RI of PC increases by 3.26 E‐6 per bar with increasing pressure. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:512–516, 2020. © 2019 The Authors. Polymer Engineering & Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Plastics Engineers