An Evaluation of the Effect of Ultrasonic Degassing on Components Produced by High Pressure Die Casting

Ultrasonic treatment is known to be efficient for aluminium melt degassing with the additional benefits of being both economical and environment friendly. This paper describes the effect of ultrasonic degassing on the preparation of an AlSi9Cu3(Fe) alloy for High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC). The degassing efficiency was assessed in terms of the indirect evaluation of the melt, by means of the reduced pressure test and the porosity evaluation of the cast parts. Additionally, the corresponding hydrogen content was estimated with an experimental equation reported in the literature. Ultrasonic degassing shows greater efficiency in terms of hydrogen removal from the melt than conventional N2 + Ar lance bubbling. Components produced by HPDC without degassing, with ultrasonic degassing and with lance degassing, were analysed by computed tomography and by metallography. The results show that the components produced by HPDC after ultrasonic degassing have a similar porosity level to components degassed with conventional lance bubbling, both showing an important improvement over components produced without degassing treatment. Hardness values were similar for all different treatment conditions and well over the minimum value established for the alloy by the corresponding standard

Ultrasonic moulding: current state of the technology

Ultrasonic moulding, also known as ultrasonic microinjection moulding, is a new technology that uses high-power ultrasound to melt and mould thermoplastic polymers to produce samples with mini- and micro-features. The main feature of this technology is the use of ultrasonic energy as the heating source instead of a conventional injection screw. Since 2002, several authors have experimentally and theoretically studied the ability of ultrasonic energy to mould polymers. However, different machine configurations and experimental design strategies have been used, which makes it very difficult to compare the results obtained from different articles. In this report, the authors have compiled experimental studies on the ultrasonic moulding process and analysed them along with providing a theoretical framework. An accurate description of the process and the machine configurations used in the literature is also presented. The results obtained from the analysis are summarized and discussed, and possible next steps to further the research in this field are suggested.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Effects of ultrasonic vibration on the micro-molding processing of polylactide

A new ultrasonic micro-molding system was used to process polylactide (PLA) and fabricate reduced dimension specimens. Plasticization and molding of PLA were achieved by applying ultrasonic waves after feeding the polymer into a plasticizing chamber. Chemical and physical characteristics of processed PLA varied depending on the processing window (i.e. changes in ultrasonic wave amplitude between 14.2 and 48.1 μm and molding pressure between 0.5 in 6 bars). In terms of chemical effects, the application of ultrasound can lead to lower molecular weights (e.g. decreases of more than 45% in the weight average molecular weight), revealing partial degradation of the material. Also, the processed materials exhibited slightly higher thermal degradability than pure PLA because ultrasonic vibrations break molecular linkages and worsen the polymer structure. Finally, the processing conditions for the preparation of PLA specimens could be optimized without causing degradation and preserving structural characteristics and mechanical properties. Specifically, the use of an amplitude of 48.1 μm and a pressure of 3 bars gave samples with the same molecular weight as the raw material (i.e. 117,500 g/mol as opposed to 117,300 g/mol for Mw).Peer Reviewe

Antimicrobial Drug Resistance Trends of Bacteremia Isolates in a Rural Hospital in Southern Mozambique

Antibiotic resistance in Africa is increasing but insufficiently recognized as a public health problem. However, there are scarce data for antimicrobial resistance trends among bloodstream isolates in sub-Saharan Africa. Antimicrobial drug resistance trends among bacteria isolated from blood of children < 15 years of age admitted to the Manhiça District Hospital in Mozambique during May 2001–April 2006 were monitored by disk diffusion. We documented a linear trend of increasing resistance throughout the study period to chloramphenicol among isolates of Non-typhi Salmonella (P < 0.001), Escherichia coli (P = 0.002), Staphylococcus aureus (P < 0.001), and Haemophilus influenzae (P < 0.001). Increasing resistance to ampicillin was also observed for H. influenzae isolates (P < 0.001). We report trends of increasing resistance among the most frequent etiologies of bacteremia to the most commonly used antibiotics for empirical therapy in this community. Quinolones and third-generation cephalosporines may be needed in the short term to manage community-acquired infections