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Intumescent Flame Retardant Polyamide 11 Nanocomposites
Current polyamide 11 and 12 are lacking in fire retardancy and high strength/high heat
resistance characteristics for a plethora of fabricated parts that are desired and required
for performance driven applications. The introduction of selected nanoparticles such as
surface modified montmorillonite (MMT) clay or carbon nanofibers (CNFs), combined
with a conventional intumescent flame retardant (FR) additive into the polyamide
11/polyamide 12 (PA11/PA12) by melt processing conditions has resulted in the
preparation of a family of intumescent polyamide nanocomposites. These intumescent
polyamide 11 and 12 nanocomposites exhibit enhanced polymer performance
characteristics, i.e., fire retardancy, high strength and high heat resistance and are
expected to expand the market opportunities for polyamide 11 and polyamide 12 polymer
manufacturers.
The objective of this research is to develop improved polyamide 11 and 12 polymers with
enhanced flame retardancy, thermal, and mechanical properties for selective laser
sintering (SLS) rapid manufacturing (RM). In the present study, a nanophase was
introduced into the polyamide 11 and combining it with a conventional intumescent FR
additive via twin screw extrusion. Arkema RILSAN® polyamide 11 molding polymer
pellets were examined with two types of nanoparticles: chemically modified
montmorillonite (MMT) organoclays, and carbon nanofibers (CNFs); and Clairant’s
Exolit® OP 1230 intumescent FR additive were used to create a family of FR
intumescent polyamide 11 nanocomposites.
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to determine the degree of
nanoparticles dispersion. Injection molded specimens were fabricated for physical,
thermal, and flammability measurements. Thermal stability of these intumescent
polyamide 11 nanocomposites was examined by TGA. Flammability properties were
obtained using the Cone Calorimeter at an external heat flux of 35 kW/m
2
and UL 94
Test Method. Heat deflection temperatures (HDT) were also measured. TEM
micrographs, physical, thermal, and flammability properties are presented. FR
intumescent polyamide 11 nanocomposites properties are compared with polyamide 11
baseline polymer. Based on flammability and mechanical material performance, selective
polymers including polyamide 11 nanocomposites and control polyamide 11 will be
cryogenically ground into fine powders for SLS RM processing. SLS specimens will be
fabricated for thermal, flammability, and mechanical properties characterization.Mechanical Engineerin
Lost and Found: A New Position and Infrared Counterpart for the X-ray Binary Scutum X-1
Using archival X-ray data, we find that the catalog location of the X-ray
binary Scutum X-1 (Sct X-1) is incorrect, and that the correct location is that
of the X-ray source AX J183528-0737, which is 15' to the west. Our
identification is made on the basis of the 112-s pulse period for this object
detected in an XMM-Newton observation, as well as spatial coincidence between
AX J183528-0737 and previous X-ray observations. Based on the XMM-Newton data
and archival RXTE data, we confirm secular spin-down over 17 years with period
derivative Pdot~3.9e-9 s/s, but do not detect a previously reported X-ray iron
fluorescence line. We identify a bright (Ks=6.55), red (J-Ks=5.51), optical and
infrared counterpart to AX J183528-0737 from 2MASS, a number of mid-IR surveys,
and deep optical observations, which we use to constrain the extinction to and
distance of Sct X-1. From these data, as well as limited near-IR spectroscopy,
we conclude that Sct X-1 is most likely a binary system comprised of a
late-type giant or supergiant and a neutron star.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures. Revised following referee's comments. Accepted
to Ap
Predicting Responses of Geo-ecological Carbonate Reef Systems to Climate Change: A Conceptual Model and Review
Coral reefs provide critical ecological and geomorphic (e.g. sediment production for reef-fronted shoreline maintenance) services, which interact in complex and dynamic ways. These services are under threat from climate change, requiring dynamic modelling approaches that predict how reef systems will respond to different future climate scenarios. Carbonate budgets, which estimate net reef calcium carbonate production, provide a comprehensive ‘snap-shot’ assessment of reef accretionary potential and reef stability. These budgets, however, were not intended to account for the full suite of processes that maintain coral reef services or to provide predictive capacity on longer timescales (decadal to centennial). To respond to the dual challenges of enhancing carbonate budget assessments and advancing their predictive capacity, we applied a novel model elicitation and review method to create a qualitative geo-ecological carbonate reef system model that links geomorphic, ecological and physical processes. Our approach conceptualizes relationships between net carbonate production, sediment transport and landform stability, and rates knowledge confidence to reveal major knowledge gaps and critical future research pathways. The model provides a blueprint for future coral reef research that aims to quantify net carbonate production and sediment dynamics, improving our capacity to predict responses of reefs and reef-fronted shorelines to future climate change
Phase Locking, Devil's Staircases, Farey Trees, and Arnold Tongues in Driven Vortex Lattices with Periodic Pinning
Using numerical simulations, we observe phase locking, Arnold tongues, and
Devil's staircases for vortex lattices driven at varying angles with respect to
an underlying superconducting periodic pinning array. This rich structure
should be observalble in transport measurments. The transverse curves
have a Devil's staircase structure, with plateaus occurring near the driving
angles along symmetry directions of the pinning array. Each of the plateaus
corresponds to a different dyanmical phase with a distinctive vortex structure
and flow pattern.Comment: accepted to Physical Review Letter
Joint estimation of crown of thorns (Acanthaster planci) densities on the Great Barrier Reef
Crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS; Acanthaster spp.) are an outbreaking pest among many Indo-Pacific coral reefs that cause substantial ecological and economic damage. Despite ongoing CoTS research, there remain critical gaps in observing CoTS populations and accurately estimating their numbers, greatly limiting understanding of the causes and sources of CoTS outbreaks. Here we address two of these gaps by (1) estimating the detectability of adult CoTS on typical underwater visual count (UVC) surveys using covariates and (2) inter-calibrating multiple data sources to estimate CoTS densities within the Cairns sector of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We find that, on average, CoTS detectability is high at 0.82 [0.77, 0.87] (median highest posterior density (HPD) and [95% uncertainty intervals]), with CoTS disc width having the greatest influence on detection. Integrating this information with coincident surveys from alternative sampling programs, we estimate CoTS densities in the Cairns sector of the GBR averaged 44 [41, 48] adults per hectare in 2014
Critical Currents and Vortex States at Fractional Matching Fields in Superconductors with Periodic Pinning
We study vortex states and dynamics in 2D superconductors with periodic
pinning at fractional sub-matching fields using numerical simulations. For
square pinning arrays we show that ordered states form at 1/1, 1/2, and 1/4
filling fractions while only partially ordered states form at other filling
fractions, such as 1/3 and 1/5, in agreement with recent imaging experiments.
For triangular pinning arrays we observe matching effects at filling fractions
of 1/1, 6/7, 2/3, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/7. For both square and triangular
pinning arrays we also find that, for certian sub-matching fillings, vortex
configurations depend on pinning strength. For weak pinning, ordering in which
a portion of the vortices are positioned between pinning sites can occur.
Depinning of the vortices at the matching fields, where the vortices are
ordered, is elastic while at the incommensurate fields the motion is plastic.
At the incommensurate fields, as the applied driving force is increased, there
can be a transition to elastic flow where the vortices move along the pinning
sites in 1D channels and a reordering transition to a triangular or distorted
triangular lattice. We also discuss the current-voltage curves and how they
relate to the vortex ordering at commensurate and incommensurate fields.Comment: 14 figure
AKARI and BLAST Observations of the Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant and Surrounding Interstellar Medium
We use new large area far infrared maps ranging from 65 - 500 microns
obtained with the AKARI and the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter
Telescope (BLAST) missions to characterize the dust emission toward the
Cassiopeia A supernova remnant (SNR). Using the AKARI high resolution data we
find a new "tepid" dust grain population at a temperature of ~35K and with an
estimated mass of 0.06 solar masses. This component is confined to the central
area of the SNR and may represent newly-formed dust in the unshocked supernova
ejecta. While the mass of tepid dust that we measure is insufficient by itself
to account for the dust observed at high redshift, it does constitute an
additional dust population to contribute to those previously reported. We fit
our maps at 65, 90, 140, 250, 350, and 500 microns to obtain maps of the column
density and temperature of "cold" dust (near 16 K) distributed throughout the
region. The large column density of cold dust associated with clouds seen in
molecular emission extends continuously from the surrounding interstellar
medium to project on the SNR, where the foreground component of the clouds is
also detectable through optical, X-ray, and molecular extinction. At the
resolution available here, there is no morphological signature to isolate any
cold dust associated only with the SNR from this confusing interstellar
emission. Our fit also recovers the previously detected "hot" dust in the
remnant, with characteristic temperature 100 K.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Maps and
related data are available at http://blastexperiment.info
Melting and transverse depinning of driven vortex lattices in the periodic pinning of Josephson junction arrays
We study the non-equilibrium dynamical regimes of a moving vortex lattice in
the periodic pinning of a Josephson junction array (JJA) for {\it finite
temperatures} in the case of a fractional or submatching field. We obtain a
phase diagram for the current driven JJA as a function of the driving current I
and temperature T. We find that when the vortex lattice is driven by a current,
the depinning transition at and the melting transition at
become separated even for a field for which they coincide in equilibrium. We
also distinguish between the depinning of the vortex lattice in the direction
of the current drive, and the {\it transverse depinning} in the direction
perpendicular to the drive. The transverse depinning corresponds to the onset
of transverse resistance in a moving vortex lattice at a given temperature
. For driving currents above the critical current we find that the
moving vortex lattice has first a transverse depinning transition at low T, and
later a melting transition at a higher temperature, .Comment: 17 pages, 19 figure
Transplantation of canine olfactory ensheathing cells producing chondroitinase ABC promotes chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan digestion and axonal sprouting following spinal cord injury
Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation is a promising strategy for treating spinal cord injury (SCI), as has been demonstrated in experimental SCI models and naturally occurring SCI in dogs. However, the presence of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans within the extracellular matrix of the glial scar can inhibit efficient axonal repair and limit the therapeutic potential of OECs. Here we have used lentiviral vectors to genetically modify canine OECs to continuously deliver mammalian chondroitinase ABC at the lesion site in order to degrade the inhibitory chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans in a rodent model of spinal cord injury. We demonstrate that these chondroitinase producing canine OECs survived at 4 weeks following transplantation into the spinal cord lesion and effectively digested chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans at the site of injury. There was evidence of sprouting within the corticospinal tract rostral to the lesion and an increase in the number of corticospinal axons caudal to the lesion, suggestive of axonal regeneration. Our results indicate that delivery of the chondroitinase enzyme can be achieved with the genetically modified OECs to increase axon growth following SCI. The combination of these two promising approaches is a potential strategy for promoting neural regeneration following SCI in veterinary practice and human patients
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