WorldWideScience

Sample records for fibre length dispersion

  1. System performance of new types of dispersion compensating fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peucheret, Christophe; Tokle, Torger; Knudsen, Stig Nissen

    2001-01-01

    Summary form only given. The management of dispersion and non-linearities is of prime importance in WDM systems. Dispersion compensating fibres (DCF) are extremely attractive when used in conjunction with standard single mode fibres (SMF). New types of DCFs compensating for the dispersion of SMF...... in a 1:1 length ratio have been recently presented and intermediate types of DCF (compensating for SMF in a 1:2 or 1:3 length ratio) have also been designed and fabricated. The properties of the various types of available DCFs with dispersion of -17, -40, -54 and -100 ps/(nm.km), corresponding to SMF......-linear coefficient are significantly reduced. As all these new fibres are designed to be cabled (therefore the DCF is part of the span length), and as it has also been shown that conventional DCF can be cabled successfully, their use in real systems needs to be compared...

  2. Dispersion properties of photonic crystal fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjarklev, Anders Overgaard; Broeng, Jes; Dridi, Kim

    1998-01-01

    Approximate dispersion and bending properties of all-silica two-dimensional photonic crystal fibres are characterised by the combination of an effective-index model and classical analysis tools for optical fibres. We believe for the first time to have predicted the dispersion properties of photonic...... crystal fibres. The results strongly indicate that these fibres have potential applications as dispersion managing components...

  3. Fibre Length Reduction in Natural Fibre-Reinforced Polymers during Compounding and Injection Moulding—Experiments Versus Numerical Prediction of Fibre Breakage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharina Albrecht

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available To establish injection-moulded, natural fibre-reinforced polymers in the automotive industry, numerical simulations are important. To include the breakage behaviour of natural fibres in simulations, a profound understanding is necessary. In this study, the length and width reduction of flax and sisal fibre bundles were analysed experimentally during compounding and injection moulding. Further an optical analysis of the fibre breakage behaviour was performed via scanning electron microscopy and during fibre tensile testing with an ultra-high-speed camera. The fibre breakage of flax and sisal during injection moulding was modelled using a micromechanical model. The experimental and simulative results consistently show that during injection moulding the fibre length is not reduced further; the fibre length was already significantly reduced during compounding. For the mechanical properties of a fibre-reinforced composite it is important to overachieve the critical fibre length in the injection moulded component. The micromechanical model could be used to predict the necessary fibre length in the granules.

  4. Dispersion-engineered and highly-nonlinear microstructured polymer optical fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frosz, Michael Henoch; Nielsen, Kristian; Hlubina, Petr

    2009-01-01

    We demonstrate dispersion-engineering of microstructured polymer optical fibres (mPOFs) made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). A significant shift of the total dispersion from the material dispersion is confirmed through measurement of the mPOF dispersion using white-light spectral interferome......We demonstrate dispersion-engineering of microstructured polymer optical fibres (mPOFs) made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). A significant shift of the total dispersion from the material dispersion is confirmed through measurement of the mPOF dispersion using white-light spectral...

  5. A validation of the fibre orientation and fibre length attrition prediction for long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopmann, Ch.; Weber, M.; van Haag, J.; Schöngart, M.

    2015-05-01

    To improve the mechanical performance of polymeric parts, fibre reinforcement has established in industrial applications during the last decades. Next to the widely used Short Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (SFT) the use of Long Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (LFT) is increasingly growing. Especially for non-polar polymeric matrices like polypropylene (PP), longer fibres can significantly improve the mechanical performance. As with every kind of discontinuous fibre reinforcement the fibre orientations (FO) show a high impact on the mechanical properties. On the contrary to SFT where the local fibre length distribution (FLD) can be often neglected, for LFT the FLD show a high impact on the material's properties and has to be taken into account in equal measure to the FOD. Recently numerical models are available in commercial filling simulation software and allow predicting both the local FOD and FLD in LFT parts. The aim of this paper is to compare i.) the FOD results and ii) the FLD results from available orientation- and fibre length attrition-models to those obtained from experimental data. The investigations are conducted by the use of different injection moulded specimens made from long glass fibre reinforced PP. In order to determine the FOD, selected part sections are examined by means of Computed Tomographic (CT) analyses. The fully three dimensional measurement of the FOD is then performed by digital image processing using grey scale correlation. The FLD results are also obtained by using digital image processing after a thermal pyrolytic separation of the polymeric matrix from the fibres. Further the FOD and the FLD are predicted by using a reduced strain closure (RSC) as well as an anisotropic rotary diffusion - reduced strain closure model (ARD-RSC) and Phelps-Tucker fibre length attrition model implemented in the commercial filling software Moldflow, Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA.

  6. A validation of the fibre orientation and fibre length attrition prediction for long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hopmann, Ch.; Weber, M.; Haag, J. van; Schöngart, M.

    2015-01-01

    To improve the mechanical performance of polymeric parts, fibre reinforcement has established in industrial applications during the last decades. Next to the widely used Short Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (SFT) the use of Long Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (LFT) is increasingly growing. Especially for non-polar polymeric matrices like polypropylene (PP), longer fibres can significantly improve the mechanical performance. As with every kind of discontinuous fibre reinforcement the fibre orientations (FO) show a high impact on the mechanical properties. On the contrary to SFT where the local fibre length distribution (FLD) can be often neglected, for LFT the FLD show a high impact on the material’s properties and has to be taken into account in equal measure to the FOD. Recently numerical models are available in commercial filling simulation software and allow predicting both the local FOD and FLD in LFT parts. The aim of this paper is to compare i.) the FOD results and ii) the FLD results from available orientation- and fibre length attrition-models to those obtained from experimental data. The investigations are conducted by the use of different injection moulded specimens made from long glass fibre reinforced PP. In order to determine the FOD, selected part sections are examined by means of Computed Tomographic (CT) analyses. The fully three dimensional measurement of the FOD is then performed by digital image processing using grey scale correlation. The FLD results are also obtained by using digital image processing after a thermal pyrolytic separation of the polymeric matrix from the fibres. Further the FOD and the FLD are predicted by using a reduced strain closure (RSC) as well as an anisotropic rotary diffusion - reduced strain closure model (ARD-RSC) and Phelps-Tucker fibre length attrition model implemented in the commercial filling software Moldflow, Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA

  7. A validation of the fibre orientation and fibre length attrition prediction for long fibre-reinforced thermoplastics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hopmann, Ch.; Weber, M.; Haag, J. van; Schöngart, M. [Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University, Pontstr. 49, 52062 Aachen (Germany)

    2015-05-22

    To improve the mechanical performance of polymeric parts, fibre reinforcement has established in industrial applications during the last decades. Next to the widely used Short Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (SFT) the use of Long Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastics (LFT) is increasingly growing. Especially for non-polar polymeric matrices like polypropylene (PP), longer fibres can significantly improve the mechanical performance. As with every kind of discontinuous fibre reinforcement the fibre orientations (FO) show a high impact on the mechanical properties. On the contrary to SFT where the local fibre length distribution (FLD) can be often neglected, for LFT the FLD show a high impact on the material’s properties and has to be taken into account in equal measure to the FOD. Recently numerical models are available in commercial filling simulation software and allow predicting both the local FOD and FLD in LFT parts. The aim of this paper is to compare i.) the FOD results and ii) the FLD results from available orientation- and fibre length attrition-models to those obtained from experimental data. The investigations are conducted by the use of different injection moulded specimens made from long glass fibre reinforced PP. In order to determine the FOD, selected part sections are examined by means of Computed Tomographic (CT) analyses. The fully three dimensional measurement of the FOD is then performed by digital image processing using grey scale correlation. The FLD results are also obtained by using digital image processing after a thermal pyrolytic separation of the polymeric matrix from the fibres. Further the FOD and the FLD are predicted by using a reduced strain closure (RSC) as well as an anisotropic rotary diffusion - reduced strain closure model (ARD-RSC) and Phelps-Tucker fibre length attrition model implemented in the commercial filling software Moldflow, Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA.

  8. From nanoparticles to fibres: effect of dispersion composition on fibre properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schirmer, Katharina S. U.; Esrafilzadeh, Dorna; Thompson, Brianna C.; Quigley, Anita F.; Kapsa, Robert M. I.; Wallace, Gordon G.

    2015-06-01

    A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-stabilized polypyrrole nanodispersion has been optimised for conductivity and processability by decreasing the quantity of PVA before and after synthesis. A reduction of PVA before synthesis leads to the formation of particles with a slight increase in dry particle diameter (51 ± 6 to 63 ± 3 nm), and conversely a reduced hydrodynamic diameter. Conductivity of the dried nanoparticle films was not measureable after a reduction of PVA prior to synthesis. Using filtration of particles after synthesis, PVA content was sufficiently reduced to achieve dried thin film conductivity of 2 S cm-1, while the electroactivity of the dispersed particles remained unchanged. The as-synthesized and PVA-reduced polypyrrole particles were successfully spun into all-nanoparticle fibres using a wet-extrusion approach without the addition of any polymer or gel matrix. Using nanoparticles as a starting material is a novel approach, which allowed the production of macro-scale fibres that consisted entirely of polypyrrole nanoparticles. Fibres made from PVA-reduced polypyrrole showed higher electroactivity compared to fibres composed of the dispersion high in PVA. The mechanical properties of the fibres were also improved by reducing the amount of PVA present, resulting in a stronger, more ductile and less brittle fibre, which could find potential application in various fields.

  9. From nanoparticles to fibres: effect of dispersion composition on fibre properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schirmer, Katharina S. U.; Esrafilzadeh, Dorna; Thompson, Brianna C.; Quigley, Anita F.; Kapsa, Robert M. I.; Wallace, Gordon G., E-mail: gwallace@uow.edu.au [University of Wollongong, ARC Centre for Electromaterials Science and Intelligent Polymer Research Institute (Australia)

    2015-06-15

    A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-stabilized polypyrrole nanodispersion has been optimised for conductivity and processability by decreasing the quantity of PVA before and after synthesis. A reduction of PVA before synthesis leads to the formation of particles with a slight increase in dry particle diameter (51 ± 6 to 63 ± 3 nm), and conversely a reduced hydrodynamic diameter. Conductivity of the dried nanoparticle films was not measureable after a reduction of PVA prior to synthesis. Using filtration of particles after synthesis, PVA content was sufficiently reduced to achieve dried thin film conductivity of 2 S cm{sup −1}, while the electroactivity of the dispersed particles remained unchanged. The as-synthesized and PVA-reduced polypyrrole particles were successfully spun into all-nanoparticle fibres using a wet-extrusion approach without the addition of any polymer or gel matrix. Using nanoparticles as a starting material is a novel approach, which allowed the production of macro-scale fibres that consisted entirely of polypyrrole nanoparticles. Fibres made from PVA-reduced polypyrrole showed higher electroactivity compared to fibres composed of the dispersion high in PVA. The mechanical properties of the fibres were also improved by reducing the amount of PVA present, resulting in a stronger, more ductile and less brittle fibre, which could find potential application in various fields.

  10. From nanoparticles to fibres: effect of dispersion composition on fibre properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schirmer, Katharina S. U.; Esrafilzadeh, Dorna; Thompson, Brianna C.; Quigley, Anita F.; Kapsa, Robert M. I.; Wallace, Gordon G.

    2015-01-01

    A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-stabilized polypyrrole nanodispersion has been optimised for conductivity and processability by decreasing the quantity of PVA before and after synthesis. A reduction of PVA before synthesis leads to the formation of particles with a slight increase in dry particle diameter (51 ± 6 to 63 ± 3 nm), and conversely a reduced hydrodynamic diameter. Conductivity of the dried nanoparticle films was not measureable after a reduction of PVA prior to synthesis. Using filtration of particles after synthesis, PVA content was sufficiently reduced to achieve dried thin film conductivity of 2 S cm −1 , while the electroactivity of the dispersed particles remained unchanged. The as-synthesized and PVA-reduced polypyrrole particles were successfully spun into all-nanoparticle fibres using a wet-extrusion approach without the addition of any polymer or gel matrix. Using nanoparticles as a starting material is a novel approach, which allowed the production of macro-scale fibres that consisted entirely of polypyrrole nanoparticles. Fibres made from PVA-reduced polypyrrole showed higher electroactivity compared to fibres composed of the dispersion high in PVA. The mechanical properties of the fibres were also improved by reducing the amount of PVA present, resulting in a stronger, more ductile and less brittle fibre, which could find potential application in various fields

  11. Flat super-continuum generation based on normal dispersion nonlinear photonic crystal fibre

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chow, K.K.; Takushima, Y.; Lin, C.

    2006-01-01

    Flat super-continuum generation spanning over the whole telecommunication band using a passively modelocked fibre laser source at 1550 nm together with a dispersion-flattened nonlinear photoinc crystal fibre is demonstrated. Since the pulses propagate in the normal dispersion regime of the fibre...

  12. Study of injection moulded long glass fibre-reinforced polypropylene and the effect on the fibre length and orientation distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parveeen, B.; Caton-Rose, P.; Costa, F.; Jin, X.; Hine, P.

    2014-05-01

    Long glass fibre (LGF) composites are extensively used in manufacturing to produce components with enhanced mechanical properties. Long fibres with length 12 to 25mm are added to a thermoplastic matrix. However severe fibre breakage can occur in the injection moulding process resulting in shorter fibre length distribution (FLD). The majority of this breakage occurs due to the melt experiencing extreme shear stress during the preparation and injection stage. Care should be taken to ensure that the longer fibres make it through the injection moulding process without their length being significantly degraded. This study is based on commercial 12 mm long glass-fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP) and short glass fibre Nylon. Due to the semi-flexiable behaviour of long glass fibres, the fibre orientation distribution (FOD) will differ from the orientation distribution of short glass fibre in an injection molded part. In order to investigate the effect the change in fibre length has on the fibre orientation distribution or vice versa, FOD data was measured using the 2D section image analyser. The overall purpose of the research is to show how the orientation distribution chnages in an injection moulded centre gated disc and end gated plaque geometry and to compare this data against fibre orientation predictions obtained from Autodesk Moldflow Simulation Insight.

  13. A discrete fibre dispersion method for excluding fibres under compression in the modelling of fibrous tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kewei; Ogden, Ray W; Holzapfel, Gerhard A

    2018-01-01

    Recently, micro-sphere-based methods derived from the angular integration approach have been used for excluding fibres under compression in the modelling of soft biological tissues. However, recent studies have revealed that many of the widely used numerical integration schemes over the unit sphere are inaccurate for large deformation problems even without excluding fibres under compression. Thus, in this study, we propose a discrete fibre dispersion model based on a systematic method for discretizing a unit hemisphere into a finite number of elementary areas, such as spherical triangles. Over each elementary area, we define a representative fibre direction and a discrete fibre density. Then, the strain energy of all the fibres distributed over each elementary area is approximated based on the deformation of the representative fibre direction weighted by the corresponding discrete fibre density. A summation of fibre contributions over all elementary areas then yields the resultant fibre strain energy. This treatment allows us to exclude fibres under compression in a discrete manner by evaluating the tension-compression status of the representative fibre directions only. We have implemented this model in a finite-element programme and illustrate it with three representative examples, including simple tension and simple shear of a unit cube, and non-homogeneous uniaxial extension of a rectangular strip. The results of all three examples are consistent and accurate compared with the previously developed continuous fibre dispersion model, and that is achieved with a substantial reduction of computational cost. © 2018 The Author(s).

  14. Dispersion engineering of mode-locked fibre lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodward, R. I.

    2018-03-01

    Mode-locked fibre lasers are important sources of ultrashort pulses, where stable pulse generation is achieved through a balance of periodic amplitude and phase evolutions. A range of distinct cavity pulse dynamics have been revealed, arising from the interplay between dispersion and nonlinearity in addition to dissipative processes such as filtering. This has led to the discovery of numerous novel operating regimes, offering significantly improved laser performance. In this Topical Review, we summarise the main steady-state pulse dynamics reported to date through cavity dispersion engineering, including average solitons, dispersion-managed solitons, dissipative solitons, giant-chirped pulses and similaritons. Characteristic features and the stabilisation mechanism of each regime are described, supported by numerical modelling, in addition to the typical performance and limitations. Opportunities for further pulse energy scaling are discussed, in addition to considering other recent advances including automated self-tuning cavities and fluoride-fibre-based mid-infrared mode-locked lasers.

  15. Length dependence of force generation exhibit similarities between rat cardiac myocytes and skeletal muscle fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanft, Laurin M; McDonald, Kerry S

    2010-08-01

    According to the Frank-Starling relationship, increased ventricular volume increases cardiac output, which helps match cardiac output to peripheral circulatory demand. The cellular basis for this relationship is in large part the myofilament length-tension relationship. Length-tension relationships in maximally calcium activated preparations are relatively shallow and similar between cardiac myocytes and skeletal muscle fibres. During twitch activations length-tension relationships become steeper in both cardiac and skeletal muscle; however, it remains unclear whether length dependence of tension differs between striated muscle cell types during submaximal activations. The purpose of this study was to compare sarcomere length-tension relationships and the sarcomere length dependence of force development between rat skinned left ventricular cardiac myocytes and fast-twitch and slow-twitch skeletal muscle fibres. Muscle cell preparations were calcium activated to yield 50% maximal force, after which isometric force and rate constants (k(tr)) of force development were measured over a range of sarcomere lengths. Myofilament length-tension relationships were considerably steeper in fast-twitch fibres compared to slow-twitch fibres. Interestingly, cardiac myocyte preparations exhibited two populations of length-tension relationships, one steeper than fast-twitch fibres and the other similar to slow-twitch fibres. Moreover, myocytes with shallow length-tension relationships were converted to steeper length-tension relationships by protein kinase A (PKA)-induced myofilament phosphorylation. Sarcomere length-k(tr) relationships were distinct between all three cell types and exhibited patterns markedly different from Ca(2+) activation-dependent k(tr) relationships. Overall, these findings indicate cardiac myocytes exhibit varied length-tension relationships and sarcomere length appears a dominant modulator of force development rates. Importantly, cardiac myocyte length

  16. Influence of the Testing Gage Length on the Strength, Young's Modulus and Weibull Modulus of Carbon Fibres and Glass Fibres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Claudio Pardini

    2002-10-01

    Full Text Available Carbon fibres and glass fibres are reinforcements for advanced composites and the fiber strength is the most influential factor on the strength of the composites. They are essentially brittle and fail with very little reduction in cross section. Composites made with these fibres are characterized by a high strength/density ratio and their properties are intrisically related to their microstructure, i.e., amount and orientation of the fibres, surface treatment, among other factors. Processing parameters have an important role in the fibre mechanical behaviour (strength and modulus. Cracks, voids and impurities in the case of glass fibres and fibrillar misalignments in the case of carbon fibres are created during processing. Such inhomogeneities give rise to an appreciable scatter in properties. The most used statistical tool that deals with this characteristic variability in properties is the Weibull distribution. The present work investigates the influence of the testing gage length on the strength, Young's modulus and Weibull modulus of carbon fibres and glass fibres. The Young's modulus is calculated by two methods: (i ASTM D 3379M, and (ii interaction between testing equipment/specimen The first method resulted in a Young modulus of 183 GPa for carbon fibre, and 76 GPa for glass fibre. The second method gave a Young modulus of 250 GPa for carbon fibre and 50 GPa for glass fibre. These differences revelead differences on how the interaction specimen/testing machine can interfere in the Young modulus calculations. Weibull modulus can be a tool to evaluate the fibre's homogeneity in terms of properties and it is a good quality control parameter during processing. In the range of specimen gage length tested the Weibull modulus for carbon fibre is ~ 3.30 and for glass fibres is ~ 5.65, which indicates that for the batch of fibres tested, the glass fibre is more uniform in properties.

  17. Modeling Wood Fibre Length in Black Spruce (Picea mariana (Mill. BSP Based on Ecological Land Classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisha Townshend

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Effective planning to optimize the forest value chain requires accurate and detailed information about the resource; however, estimates of the distribution of fibre properties on the landscape are largely unavailable prior to harvest. Our objective was to fit a model of the tree-level average fibre length related to ecosite classification and other forest inventory variables depicted at the landscape scale. A series of black spruce increment cores were collected at breast height from trees in nine different ecosite groups within the boreal forest of northeastern Ontario, and processed using standard techniques for maceration and fibre length measurement. Regression tree analysis and random forests were used to fit hierarchical classification models and find the most important predictor variables for the response variable area-weighted mean stem-level fibre length. Ecosite group was the best predictor in the regression tree. Longer mean fibre-length was associated with more productive ecosites that supported faster growth. The explanatory power of the model of fitted data was good; however, random forests simulations indicated poor generalizability. These results suggest the potential to develop localized models linking wood fibre length in black spruce to landscape-level attributes, and improve the sustainability of forest management by identifying ideal locations to harvest wood that has desirable fibre characteristics.

  18. All-silica photonic bandgap fibre with zero dispersion and a large mode area at 730 nm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riishede, Jesper; Lægsgaard, Jesper; Broeng, Jes

    2004-01-01

    A theoretical analysis of a photonic bandgap fibre, consisting of a pure silica background with a triangular lattice of Ge-doped high-index rods, is presented. This novel fibre design guides a single, well-confined mode in a core region made from undoped silica. The fibre is found to have positive...... waveguide dispersion, which may be used to shift the zero-dispersion wavelength down to 730 nm, while maintaining an effective mode area of 17 $mu@-m$+2$/. This is an order of magnitude larger than what may be achieved in highly non-linear index-guiding microstructured fibres with comparable zero...

  19. Polarization dependent dispersion and its impact on optical parametric process in high nonlinear microstructure fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao Li; Zhang Wei; Huang Yidong; Peng Jiangde

    2008-01-01

    High nonlinear microstructure fibre (HNMF) is preferred in nonlinear fibre optics, especially in the applications of optical parametric effects, due to its high optical nonlinear coefficient. However, polarization dependent dispersion will impact the nonlinear optical parametric process in HNMFs. In this paper, modulation instability (MI) method is used to measure the polarization dependent dispersion of a piece of commercial HNMF, including the group velocity dispersion, the dispersion slope, the fourth-order dispersion and group birefringence. It also experimentally demonstrates the impact of the polarization dependent dispersion on the continuous wave supercontinuum (SC) generation. On one axis MI sidebands with symmetric frequency detunings are generated, while on the other axis with larger MI frequency detuning, SC is generated by soliton self-frequency shift

  20. Optical properties study of nano-composite filled D shape photonic crystal fibre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Udaiyakumar

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available With the nano-composite materials gaining momentum in the optical field, a new nano-composite filled D shape Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF is designed and the various optical properties are investigated with help of Finite Element Method. In the proposed structure the D-shape PCF is made up of silica with embedded silver nanoparticles and air holes are distributed along the fibre. The designed fibre shows various optical properties such as dispersion, birefringence, beat length and loss with respect to wavelength and compared with different filling factor like 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5. From our estimation and comparative analysis, it has been proved that the fibre loss has been decreased with increasing filling factor. Further this also showed flat dispersion at maximum filling factor. Keywords: Nanoparticles, Nano-composite, Dispersion, Birefringence, Beat length

  1. Effect of the doped fibre length on soliton pulses of a bidirectional mode-locked fibre laser

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahmad, H; Alwi Kutty, N A; Zulkifli, M Z; Harun, S W [Photonics Research Center (Department of Physics), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2015-08-31

    A passively bidirectional mode-locked fibre laser is demonstrated using a highly concentrated erbium-doped fibre (EDF) as a gain medium. To accomplish mode-locked operation in a short cavity, use is made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a saturable absorber. Soliton pulses are obtained at a wavelength of 1560 nm with a repetition rate ranging from 43.92 MHz to 46.97 MHz and pulse width stretching from 0.56 ps to 0.41 ps as the EDF length is reduced from 60 cm to 30 cm. (lasers)

  2. Electromagnetic waves in optical fibres in a magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorelik, V S; Burdanova, M G

    2016-01-01

    A new method is reported of recording the secondary radiation of luminescent substances based on the use of capillary fibres of great length. Theoretical analysis of the dispersion curves of electromagnetic radiation in capillary fibres doped with erbium ions Er 3+ has been established. The Lorentz model is used for describing the dispersion properties of electromagnetic waves in a homogeneous medium doped with rare-earth ions. The dispersion dependencies of polariton and axion–polariton waves in erbium nitrate hydrate are determined on the basis of the model of the interaction between electromagnetic waves and the resonance electronic states of erbium ions in the absence and presence of a magnetic field. (paper)

  3. Demonstration of Raman-based, dispersion-managed VCSEL technology for fibre-to-the-hut application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rotich Kipnoo, E. K.; Kiboi Boiyo, D.; Isoe, G. M.; Chabata, T. V.; Gamatham, R. R. G.; Leitch, A. W. R.; Gibbon, T. B.

    2017-03-01

    For the first time, we experimentally investigate the use of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) in the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) flavour for Africa, known as fibre-to-the-hut. Fibre-to-the-hut is a VCSEL based passive optical network technology designed and optimized for African continent. VCSELs have attracted attention in optical communication due to its vast advantages; low power consumption, relatively cheap costs among others. A 4.25 Gb/s uncooled VCSEL is used in a dispersion managed, Raman assisted network achieving beyond 100 km of error free transmission suited for FTTHut scenario. Energy-efficient high performance VCSEL is modulated using a 27-1 PRBS pattern and the signal transmitted on a G.655 fibre utilizing the minimum attenuation window.

  4. Optical properties study of nano-composite filled D shape photonic crystal fibre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Udaiyakumar, R.; Mohamed Junaid, K. A.; Janani, T.; Maheswar, R.; Yupapin, P.; Amiri, I. S.

    2018-06-01

    With the nano-composite materials gaining momentum in the optical field, a new nano-composite filled D shape Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) is designed and the various optical properties are investigated with help of Finite Element Method. In the proposed structure the D-shape PCF is made up of silica with embedded silver nanoparticles and air holes are distributed along the fibre. The designed fibre shows various optical properties such as dispersion, birefringence, beat length and loss with respect to wavelength and compared with different filling factor like 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5. From our estimation and comparative analysis, it has been proved that the fibre loss has been decreased with increasing filling factor. Further this also showed flat dispersion at maximum filling factor.

  5. Simple fibre based dispersion management for two-photon excited fluorescence imaging through an endoscope

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dimopoulos, Konstantinos; Marti, Dominik; Andersen, Peter E.

    2018-01-01

    We want to implement two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy (TPEFM) into endoscopes, since TPEFM can provide relevant biomarkers for cancer staging and grading in hollow organs, endoscopically accessible through natural orifices. However, many obstacles must be overcome, among others...... the delivery of short laser pulses to the distal end of the endoscope. To this avail, we present imaging results using an all-fibre dispersion management scheme in a TPEFM setup. The scheme has been conceived by Jespersen et al. in 20101 and relies on the combination of a single mode fibre with normal...

  6. Control of fibre laser mode-locking by narrow-band Bragg gratings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laegsgaard, J

    2008-01-01

    The use of narrow-band high-reflectivity fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) as end mirrors in a fibre laser cavity with passive mode-locking provided by a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) is investigated numerically. The FBG is found to control the energy range of stable mode-locking, which may be shifted far outside the regime of SESAM saturation by a suitable choice of FBG and cavity length. The pulse shape is controlled by the combined effects of FBG dispersion and self-phase modulation in the fibres, and a few ps pulses can be obtained with standard uniform FBGs

  7. Static and cyclic performance of cementitious composites reinforced with glass-fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arabi, N.

    2018-01-01

    This paper concerns an experimental study of the influence of short glass-fibres randomly oriented of a reinforced cement-based composite on the mechanical behaviour. The matrix material parameters used are: cement/sand ratio and water/cement ratio fixed at 0.5; the glass-fibre content (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2% and 2.5%) and fibre lengths (3, 6 and 12 mm). Composites mechanical characterisation under static behaviour at flexural and compression tests, shows that the reinforcement effect is beneficial only in flexural case. A synergy (matrix-reinforcement) was observed when fibre length of 12 mm is used with application rate of 2% in flexural. The fatigue behaviour determined by Wöhler plots (stress-number of cycles to rupture), derived from experimental results; showed a large results dispersion which is attributed to many causes initiating this damage. The cyclic tests illustrate brittle character of these materials; even with low-amplitude cycles of loading no adaptation of these materials can be reported. [es

  8. Influence of fibre design and curvature on crosstalk in multi-core fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egorova, O N; Astapovich, M S; Semjonov, S L; Dianov, E M; Melnikov, L A; Salganskii, M Yu; Mishkin, S N; Nishchev, K N

    2016-01-01

    We have studied the influence of cross-sectional structure and bends on optical cross-talk in a multicore fibre. A reduced refractive index layer produced between the cores of such fibre with a small centre-to-centre spacing between neighbouring cores (27 μm) reduces optical cross-talk by 20 dB. The cross-talk level achieved, 30 dB per kilometre of the length of the multicore fibre, is acceptable for a number of applications where relatively small lengths of fibre are needed. Moreover, a significant decrease in optical cross-talk has been ensured by reducing the winding diameter of multicore fibres with identical cores. (fiber optics)

  9. Influence of fibre design and curvature on crosstalk in multi-core fibre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Egorova, O N; Astapovich, M S; Semjonov, S L; Dianov, E M [Fiber Optics Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Melnikov, L A [Kotel' nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saratov Branch, Saratov (Russian Federation); Salganskii, M Yu [G.G.Devyatykh Institute of Chemistry of High-Purity Substances, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhnii Novgorod (Russian Federation); Mishkin, S N; Nishchev, K N [N.P. Ogarev Mordovia State University, Physics and Chemistry Institute, Saransk (Russian Federation)

    2016-03-31

    We have studied the influence of cross-sectional structure and bends on optical cross-talk in a multicore fibre. A reduced refractive index layer produced between the cores of such fibre with a small centre-to-centre spacing between neighbouring cores (27 μm) reduces optical cross-talk by 20 dB. The cross-talk level achieved, 30 dB per kilometre of the length of the multicore fibre, is acceptable for a number of applications where relatively small lengths of fibre are needed. Moreover, a significant decrease in optical cross-talk has been ensured by reducing the winding diameter of multicore fibres with identical cores. (fiber optics)

  10. Limitations in distance and frequency due to chromatic dispersion in fibre-optic microwave and millimeter-wave links

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gliese, Ulrik Bo; Nielsen, Søren Nørskov; Nielsen, Søren Nørskov

    1996-01-01

    Chromatic dispersion significantly limits the distance and/or frequency in fibre-optic microwave and millimeter-wave links based on direct detection due to a decrease of the carrier to noise ratio. The limitations in links based on coherent remote heterodyne detection, however, are far less...

  11. Experimental and numerical analysis of the chromatic dispersion dependence upon the actual profile of small core microstructured fibres

    OpenAIRE

    Labonté , Laurent; Roy , Philippe; Pagnoux , Dominique; Louradour , Frédéric; Restoin , Christine; Mélin , Gilles; Burov , Ekatarina

    2006-01-01

    International audience; The chromatic dispersion curve of the fundamental mode in small core microstructured fibres (SCMF) is both calculated using a Finite Element Method (FEM) and measured with a low coherence interferometric method. The great sensitivity of the chromatic dispersion to variations of the geometrical parameters of SCMFs (the pitch and the diameter) is pointed out. An excellent agreement is obtained between the numerical and the experimental results over a half micrometer spec...

  12. Fibre tracking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaillard, J.M.

    1994-03-01

    A large-size scintillating plastic fibre tracking detector was built as part of the upgrade of the UA2 central detector at the SPS proton-antiproton collider. The cylindrical fibre detector of average radius of 40 cm consisted of 60000 plastic fibres with an active length of 2.1 m. One of the main motivations was to improve the electron identification. The fibre ends were bunched to be coupled to read-out systems of image intensifier plus CCD, 32 in total. The quality and the reliability of the UA2 fibre detector performance exceeded expectations throughout its years of operation. A few examples of the use of image intensifiers and of scintillating fibres in biological instrumentation are described. (R.P.) 11 refs., 15 figs., 2 tabs

  13. Optimised dispersion management and modulation formats for high speed optical communication systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tokle, Torger

    2004-01-01

    both narrow spectral width and good transmission properties. The cost of an optical communication system can be lowered by using longer span lengths to reduce the number of amplifier stations. We experimentally study optimum dispersion compensation schemes for systems with 160 km fibre spans made...... modulated signals. In summary, we show that dispersion management using recently developed fibres in combination with advanced modulation formats significantly improves the transmission performance compared to traditional systems. Multi-level phase modulation is demonstrated at bit rates up to 80 Gbit......This thesis studies dispersion management and modulation formats for optical communication systems using per channel bit rates at and above 10 Gbit/s. Novel modulation formats—including recently proposed multilevel phase modulation—are investigated and demonstrated at bit rates up to 80 Gbit/s. New...

  14. FOAM CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT BY BASALT FIBRES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhukov Aleksey Dmitrievich

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available The authors demonstrate that the foam concrete performance can be improved by dispersed reinforcement, including methods that involve basalt fibres. They address the results of the foam concrete modeling technology and assess the importance of technology-related parameters. Reinforcement efficiency criteria are also provided in the article. Dispersed reinforcement improves the plasticity of the concrete mix and reduces the settlement crack formation rate. Conventional reinforcement that involves metal laths and rods demonstrates its limited application in the production of concrete used for thermal insulation and structural purposes. Dispersed reinforcement is preferable. This technology contemplates the infusion of fibres into porous mixes. Metal, polymeric, basalt and glass fibres are used as reinforcing components. It has been identified that products reinforced by polypropylene fibres demonstrate substantial abradability and deformability rates even under the influence of minor tensile stresses due to the low adhesion strength of polypropylene in the cement matrix. The objective of the research was to develop the type of polypropylene of D500 grade that would demonstrate the operating properties similar to those of Hebel and Ytong polypropylenes. Dispersed reinforcement was performed by the basalt fibre. This project contemplates an autoclave-free technology to optimize the consumption of electricity. Dispersed reinforcement is aimed at the reduction of the block settlement in the course of hardening at early stages of their operation, the improvement of their strength and other operating properties. Reduction in the humidity rate of the mix is based on the plasticizing properties of fibres, as well as the application of the dry mineralization method. Selection of optimal parameters of the process-related technology was performed with the help of G-BAT-2011 Software, developed at Moscow State University of Civil Engineering. The authors also

  15. Muscle architecture and fibre characteristics of rat gastrocnemius and semimembranosus muscles during isometric contractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huijing, P A; van Lookeren Campagne, A A; Koper, J F

    1989-01-01

    Rat gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles have a very different morphology. GM is a very pennate muscle, combining relatively short muscle fibre length with sizable fibre angles and long muscle and aponeurosis lengths. SM is a more parallel-fibred muscle, combining a relatively long fibre length with a small fibre angle and short aponeurosis length. The mechanisms of fibre shortening as well as angle increase are operational in GM as well as SM. However, as a consequence of isometric contraction, changes of fibre length and angle are greater for GM than for SM at any relative muscle length. These differences are particularly notable at short muscle lengths: at 80% of optimum muscle length, fibre length changes of approximately 30% are coupled to fibre angle changes of 15 degrees in GM, while for SM these changes are 4% and 0.6 degrees, respectively. A considerable difference was found for normalized active slack muscle length (GM approximately 80 and SM approximately 45%). This is explained by differences of degree of pennation as well as factors related to differences found for estimated fibre length-force characteristics. Estimated normalized active fibre slack length was considerably smaller for SM than for GM (approximately 40 and 60%, respectively). The most likely explanation of these findings are differences of distribution of optimum fibre lengths, possibly in combination with differences of myofilament lengths and/or fibre length distributions.

  16. Frost resistance of fibre reinforced concrete structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Ernst Jan De Place

    1999-01-01

    Frost resistance of fibre reinforced concrete with 2.5-4.2% air and 6-9% air (% by volume in fresh concrete) casted in the laboratory and in-situ is compared. Steel fibres with hooked ends (ZP, length 30 mm) and polypropylene fibres (PP, CS, length 12 mm) are applied. It is shown that· addition...... of 0.4-1% by volume of fibres cannot replace air entrainment in order to secure a frost resistant concrete; the minimum amount of air needed to make the concrete frost resistant is not changed when adding fibres· the amount of air entrainment must be increased when fibres are added to establish...

  17. Natural fibre reinforced non-asbestos organic non-metallic friction composites: effect of abaca fibre on mechanical and tribological behaviour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yucheng; Ma, Yunhai; Che, Junjian; Duanmu, Lingjian; Zhuang, Jian; Tong, Jin

    2018-05-01

    To obtain a natural fibre reinforced non-asbestos organic non-metallic friction composite with good wear resistance and environmental-friendly performances, friction composites reinforced with different lengths of abaca fibre were fabricated by a compression molder equipment and evaluated by using a constant-speed friction test machine. The worn surface morphologies were observed and analyzed using a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Experimental results show that the length of abaca fibre had no significant effect on the density and hardness, but was obvious on impact strength. The impact strength increased and then decreased with the increasing of length of abaca fibres. Abaca fibres, especially short fibre (lengths of 5 mm, 10 mm), could improve the wear resistance of the friction composites. Meanwhile, the increase of test temperature could result in the increasing of wear rates of the friction composites. A large amount of secondary plateaux presented on the worn surface of specimens FC1 and FC2 which showe relatively smooth worn surfaces and yield the better wear resistance performance.

  18. Drying Shrinkage Behaviour of Fibre Reinforced Concrete Incorporating Polyvinyl Alcohol Fibres and Fly Ash

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amin Noushini

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The current study assesses the drying shrinkage behaviour of polyvinyl alcohol fibre reinforced concrete (PVA-FRC containing short-length (6 mm and long-length (12 mm uncoated monofilament PVA fibres at 0.125%, 0.25%, 0.375%, and 0.5% volumetric fractions. Fly ash is also used as a partial replacement of Portland cement in all mixes. PVA-FRC mixes have been compared to length change of control concrete (devoid of fibres at 3 storage intervals: early-age (0–7 days, short-term (0–28 days, and long-term (28–112 days intervals. The shrinkage results of FRC and control concrete up to 112 days indicated that all PVA-FRC mixes exhibited higher drying shrinkage than control. The shrinkage exhibited by PVA-FRC mixes ranged from 449 to 480 microstrain, where this value was only 427 microstrain in the case of control. In addition, the longer fibres exhibited higher mass loss, thus potentially contributing to higher shrinkage.

  19. Impact performance of the fibre-cement composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agopyan, V.; Savastano Junior, H.

    1995-01-01

    The transition zone of short filament fibres randomly dispersed in a paste of ordinary portland cement is analysed. Composites of vegetable fibres (malva, sisal and coir) are compared with those containing chrysotile asbestos and polypropylene fibres. The series of composites are prepared to be tested at the ages of 7, 28, 90 and 180 days. The water-cement ratio is 0.38 and at the age of 28 days specimens with ratio of 0.30 and 0.46 are also tested. The backscattered electron image and energy dispersive spectroscopy identify the major properties of the fibre-matrix interface. The microstructural characteristics are directly associated with the toughness of the composites, once the energy dissipation at transition zone is confirmed. (author). 8 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

  20. The Effect of Height, Wing Length, and Wing Symmetry on Tabebuia rosea Seed Dispersal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasmeen Moussa

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The relationship between the vertical drop height and the horizontal distance traveled (dispersal ratio was investigated for a sample of fifty Tabebuia rosea seeds by dropping the seeds from five heights ranging from 1.00 to 2.00 meters. The dispersal ratio was found to be a constant 0.16 m/m for these heights. The effects of total seed length and asymmetry of seed wings on dispersal ratio were also measured using separate samples of fifty Tabebuia rosea seeds. It was found that neither seed length nor asymmetry had a significant effect on the dispersal ratio.

  1. An ultra-wideband tunable multi-wavelength Brillouin fibre laser based on a semiconductor optical amplifier and dispersion compensating fibre in a linear cavity configuration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zulkifli, M Z; Ahmad, H; Hassan, N A; Jemangin, M H; Harun, S W

    2011-01-01

    A multi-wavelength Brillouin fibre laser (MBFL) with an ultra-wideband tuning range from 1420 nm to 1620 nm is demonstrated. The MBFL uses an ultra-wideband semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a dispersion compensating fibre (DCF) as the linear gain medium and nonlinear gain medium, respectively. The proposed MBFL has a wide tuning range covering the short (S-), conventional (C-) and long (L-) bands with a wavelength spacing of 0.08 nm, making it highly suitable for DWDM system applications. The output power of the observed Brillouin Stokes ranges approximately from -5.94 dBm to -0.41 dBm for the S-band, from -4.34 dBm to 0.02 dBm for the C-band and from -2.19 dBm to 0.39 dBm for the L-band. The spacing between each adjacent wavelengths of all the three bands is about 0.08 nm, which is approximately 10.7 GHz for the frequency domain. (lasers)

  2. Vocal tract length and formant frequency dispersion correlate with body size in rhesus macaques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitch, W T

    1997-08-01

    Body weight, length, and vocal tract length were measured for 23 rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) of various sizes using radiographs and computer graphic techniques. linear predictive coding analysis of tape-recorded threat vocalizations were used to determine vocal tract resonance frequencies ("formants") for the same animals. A new acoustic variable is proposed, "formant dispersion," which should theoretically depend upon vocal tract length. Formant dispersion is the averaged difference between successive formant frequencies, and was found to be closely tied to both vocal tract length and body size. Despite the common claim that voice fundamental frequency (F0) provides an acoustic indication of body size, repeated investigations have failed to support such a relationship in many vertebrate species including humans. Formant dispersion, unlike voice pitch, is proposed to be a reliable predictor of body size in macaques, and probably many other species.

  3. Fibre-Matrix Interaction in Soft Tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Zaoyang

    2010-01-01

    Although the mechanical behaviour of soft tissue has been extensively studied, the interaction between the collagen fibres and the ground matrix has not been well understood and is therefore ignored by most constitutive models of soft tissue. In this paper, the human annulus fibrosus is used as an example and the potential fibre-matrix interaction is identified by careful investigation of the experimental results of biaxial and uniaxial testing of the human annulus fibrosus. First, the uniaxial testing result of the HAF along the axial direction is analysed and it is shown that the mechanical behaviour of the ground matrix can be well simulated by the incompressible neo-Hookean model when the collagen fibres are all under contraction. If the collagen fibres are stretched, the response of the ground matrix can still be described by the incompressible neo-Hookean model, but the effective stiffness of the matrix depends on the fibre stretch ratio. This stiffness can be more than 10 times larger than the one obtained with collagen fibres under contraction. This phenomenon can only be explained by the fibre-matrix interaction. Furthermore, we find that the physical interpretation of this interaction includes the inhomogeneity of the soft tissue and the fibre orientation dispersion. The dependence of the tangent stiffness of the matrix on the first invariant of the deformation tensor can also be explained by the fibre orientation dispersion. The significant effect of the fibre-matrix interaction strain energy on mechanical behaviour of the soft tissue is also illustrated by comparing some simulation results.

  4. Evaluation of Fibre Lifetime in Optical Ground Wire Transmission Lines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grunvalds, R.; Ciekurs, A.; Porins, J.; Supe, A.

    2017-06-01

    In the research, measurements of polarisation mode dispersion of two OPGWs (optical ground wire transmission lines), in total four fibres, have been carried out, and the expected lifetime of the infrastructure has been assessed on the basis of these measurements. The cables under consideration were installed in 1995 and 2011, respectively. Measurements have shown that polarisation mode dispersion values for cable installed in 1995 are four times higher than that for cable installed in 2011, which could mainly be explained by technological differences in fibre production and lower fibre polarisation mode dispersion requirements in 1995 due to lack of high-speed (over 10 Gbit/s) optical transmission systems. The calculation methodology of non-refusal work and refusal probabilities, using the measured polarisation mode dispersion parameters, is proposed in the paper. Based on reliability calculations, the expected lifetime is then predicted, showing that all measured fibres most likely will be operational within minimum theoretical service life of 25 years accepted by the industry.

  5. Quantitative evaluation of standard deviations of group velocity dispersion in optical fibre using parametric amplification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rishøj, Lars Søgaard; Svane, Ask Sebastian; Lund-Hansen, Toke

    2014-01-01

    A numerical model for parametric amplifiers, which include stochastic variations of the group velocity dispersion (GVD), is presented. The impact on the gain is investigated, both with respect to the magnitude of the variations and by the effect caused by changing the wavelength of the pump. It i....... It is demonstrated that the described model is able to predict the experimental results and thereby provide a quantitative evaluation of the standard deviation of the GVD. For the investigated fibre, a standard deviation of 0.01 ps/(nm km) was found....

  6. Some fundamental problems relating to optical fibres. II. The ultimate bandwidth performance of optical fibre transmission lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gambling, W.A.

    1977-01-01

    Optical fibre transmission lines can be divided broadly into two types, namely single mode and multimode. The bandwidth of the former is limited by the variation in group velocity with frequency caused by mode dispersion and material dispersion, with predicted values of tens of gigahertz over tens of kilometres for a monochromatic carrier, falling to approximately l GHz over 1km for a typical injection laser. Multimode fibres have the additional limitation of group delay between the various propagating modes. Several schemes have been suggested for reducing this effect, such as: (a) exciting only a few modes (ideally one) in a fibre exhibiting no mode conversion, (b) inducing coupling between bound modes but not into radiating modes, and (c) equalizing the mode velocities by means of a suitable refractive index profile. Most effort is presently being devoted to (c) and it has been shown that the optimum profile is affected by leaky modes and material dispersion. By operating at a wavelength in the region of 1.25μm the effect of material dispersion can be greatly reduced and bandwidths in excess of 1 GHz over 1km might be expected, even with sources of large linewidth. (author)

  7. Advanced Fibre Based Energy Storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid, Daniel Oliver

    New energy storage devices are required to enable future technologies. With the rise of wearable consumer and medical devices, a suitable flexible and wearable means of storing electrical energy is required. Fibre-based devices present a possible method of achieving this aim. Fibres are inherently more flexible than their bulk counterparts, and as such can be employed to form the electrodes of flexible batteries and capacitors. They also present a facile possibility for incorporation into many fabrics and clothes, further boosting their potential for use in wearable devices. Electrically conducting fibres were produced from a dispersion of carbon nanomaterials in a room temperature ionic liquid. Coagulation of this dispersion was achieved through manual injection into aqueous solutions of xanthan gum. The limitations of this method are highlighted by very low ultimate tensile strengths of these fibres, in the order of 3 MPa, with high variation within all of the fibres. Fibres were also produced via scrolling of bi-component films containing poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Chemical treatments were employed to impart water compatibility to these fibres, and their electrochemical, physical and electrical properties were analysed. Fibres were wet spun from two PEDOT:PSS sources, in several fibre diameters. The effect of chemical treatments on the fibres were investigated and compared. Short 5 min treatment times with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on 20 mum fibres produced from Clevios PH1000 were found to produce the best overall treatment. Up to a six-fold increase in electrical conductivity resulted, reaching 800 S cm-1, with up to 40 % increase in specific capacitance and no loss of mechanical strength (55 F g-1 and 150 MPa recorded). A wet spinning system to produce PEDOT:PSS fibres containing functionalised graphenes and carbon nanotubes, as well as birnessite nanotubes was subsequently developed

  8. Genetic analysis of fibre quality traits in upland cotton

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, I.A.; Shakeel, A.; Azhar, F.M.

    2001-01-01

    Five-parent diallel cross data were analysed following Hayman-Jinks genetic model in order to study pattern of inheritance of staple length, fibre strength, fibre fineness and fibre uniformity of upland cotton. The regression analysis of the F/sub 1/ data revealed that the simple additive dominance model was adequate for genetic analysis. Graphic analysis showed the presence of over-dominance type of gene action in the inheritance e of all the traits. The comparison of array means indicated that varieties Co-2-1 and B-682 had good general combining ability for staple length and fibre strength respectively, whilst CIM-443 showed better general combining ability for fibre fineness and fibre uniformity than the other varieties. The cross combination of Co-2-1 and CIM-443 with B-682 expressed best specific combining ability for staple length and fibre uniformity respectively. Similarly variety B-682 nickel well with DPL 7740-424 for the fibre strength, and coker-307 with CO-2-1 for fibre fineness. The type of gene action controlling inheritance of these characters, and better performance of some of the hybrids suggest that improvement may be possible by developing on appropriate breeding programme. (author)

  9. Theorem of comparative sensitivity of fibre sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belovolov, M. I.; Paramonov, V. M.; Belovolov, M. M.

    2017-12-01

    We report an analysis of sensitivity of fibre sensors of physical quantities based on different types of interferometers. We formulate and prove the following theorem: under the time-dependent external physical perturbations at nonzero frequencies (i.e., except the static and low-frequency ones) on the sensitive arms of an interferometer in the form of multiturn elements (coils), there exist such lengths L of the measuring arms of the fibre interferometers at which the sensitivity of sensors based on the Sagnac fibre interferometers can be comparable with the sensitivity of sensors based on Michelson, Mach - Zehnder, or Fabry - Perot fibre interferometers, as well as exceed it under similar other conditions (similar-type perturbations, similar arm lengths and single-mode fibre types). The consequences that follow from the theorem, important for practical implementation of arrays of fibre sensors for measurement purposes and the devices with stable metrological properties, are discussed.

  10. Plasma influence on the dispersion properties of finite-length, corrugated waveguides

    OpenAIRE

    Shkvarunets, A.; Kobayashi, S.; Weaver, J.; Carmel, Y.; Rodgers, J.; Antonsen, T.; Granatstein, V.L.; Destler, W.W.; Ogura, K.; Minami, K.

    1996-01-01

    We present an experimental study of the electromagnetic properties of transverse magnetic modes in a corrugated-wall cavity filled with a radially inhomogeneous plasma. The shifts of the .resonant frequencies of a finite-length, corrugated cavity were measured as a function of the background plasma density and the dispersion diagram was reconstructed up to a peak plasma density of 1012 em - 3. Good agreement with a calculated dispersion diagram is obtained for plasma densities below 5 X 1011 ...

  11. Radial variation in fiber length of some lesser used wood species in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Variations in fibre length of ten lesser used wood species were investigated. The mean fibre length varied from 1.07mm in Lannea acida to 2.41mm in Sterculia setigera. Four patterns of within tree radial variations in fibre length were observed in the studied species. In pattern one, fibre length increased from the pith to the ...

  12. Modelling of photonic crystal fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Erik

    2003-01-01

    , as well as a honeycomb bandgap fibre and the first analysis of semi-periodic layered air-hole fibres. Using the modelling framework established as a basis, we provide an analysis of microbend loss, by regarding displacement of a fibre core as a stationary stochastic process, inducing mismatch between......In the presenta ph.d. work a theoretical study of aspects of modelling photonic crystal fibres was carried out. Photonic crystal fibres form a class of optical waveguides where guidance is no longer provided by a difference in refractive index between core and cladding. Instead, guidance...... is provided by an arrangement of air-holes running along the length of the fibre. Depending on the geometry of the fibre, the guiding mechanism may be either arising from the formation of a photonic bandgap in the cladding structure (photonic bandgap fibre), or by an effect resembling total internal...

  13. Plasma influence on the dispersion properties of finite-length, corrugated waveguides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shkvarunets, A.; Kobayashi, S.; Weaver, J.; Carmel, Y.; Rodgers, J.; Antonsen, T. M., Jr.; Granatstein, V. L.; Destler, W. W.; Ogura, K.; Minami, K.

    1996-03-01

    We present an experimental study of the electromagnetic properties of transverse magnetic modes in a corrugated-wall cavity filled with a radially inhomogeneous plasma. The shifts of the resonant frequencies of a finite-length, corrugated cavity were measured as a function of the background plasma density and the dispersion diagram was reconstructed up to a peak plasma density of 1012 cm-3. Good agreement with a calculated dispersion diagram is obtained for plasma densities below 5×1011 cm-3.

  14. A statistical analysis of fibre size and shape distribution after compounding in composites reinforced by natural fibres

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moigne, Le N.; Oever, van den M.J.A.; Budtova, T.

    2011-01-01

    Using high resolution optical microscopy coupled with image analysis software and statistical methods, fibre length and aspect ratio distributions in polypropylene composites were characterized. Three types of fibres, flax, sisal and wheat straw, were studied. Number and surface weighted

  15. Compaction in optical fibres and fibre Bragg gratings under nuclear reactor high neutron and gamma fluence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Remy, L.; Cheymol, G. [CEA, French Nuclear Energy Commission, Nuclear Energy Division, DPC/SEARS/LISL Bat 467 CEA Saclay 91191 Gif/Yvette Cedex (France); Gusarov, A. [SCK.CEN - Belgian Nuclear Research center, Boeretang 200 2400 Mol (Belgium); Morana, A.; Marin, E.; Girard, S. [Universite de Saint-Etienne, Laboratoire Hubert Curien, UMR CNRS5516, 18, rue du Pr. Lauras, F-42000 Saint-Etienne (France)

    2015-07-01

    In the framework of the development by CEA and SCK.CEN of a Fabry Perot Sensor (FPS) able to measure dimensional changes in Material Testing Reactor (MTR), the first goal of the SAKE 1 (Smirnof extention - Additional Key-tests on Elongation of glass fibres) irradiation was to measure the linear compaction of single mode fibres under high fast neutron fluence. Indeed, the compaction of the fibre which forms one side of the Fabry Perot cavity, may in particular cause a noticeable measurement error. An accurate quantification of this effect is then required to predict the radiation-induced drift and optimize the sensor design. To achieve this, an innovative approach was used. Approximately seventy uncoated fibre tips (length: 30 to 50 mm) have been prepared from several different fibre samples and were installed in the SCK.CEN BR2 reactor (Mol Belgium). After 22 days of irradiation a total fast (E > 1 MeV) fluence of 3 to 5x10{sup 19} n{sub fast}/cm{sup 2}, depending on the sample location, was accumulated. The temperature during irradiation was 291 deg. C, which is not far from the condition of the intended FPS use. A precise measurement of each fibre tip length was made before the irradiation and compared to the post irradiation measurement highlighting a decrease of the fibres' length corresponding to about 0.25% of linear compaction. The amplitude of the changes is independent of the capsule, which could mean that the compaction effect saturates even at the lowest considered fluence. In the prospect of performing distributed temperature measurement in MTR, several fibre Bragg gratings written using a femtosecond laser have been also irradiated. All the gratings were written in radiation hardened fibres, and underwent an additional treatment with a procedure enhancing their resistance to ionizing radiations. A special mounting made it possible to test the reflection and the transmission of the gratings on fibre samples cut down to 30 to 50 mm. The comparison

  16. Fibre Bragg grating encapted with no-core fibre sensors for SRI and temperature monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Daud

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available In this work, a Fibre Bragg grating (FBG encapted with no-core fibre (NCF as surrounding refractive index (SRI and temperature sensors are practically demonstrated. A FBG with 1550 nm wavelength was attached with 5 cm length of no-core fibre (NCF is used as SRI and temperature sensing probe. The change of temperature and SRI induced the wavelength shift in FBG. The wavelength shift in FBG reacts directly proportional to the temperature with a sensitivity of while the sensitivity of NCF was measured as 13.13 pm °C−1. Keywords: FBG, No-core fibre (NCF, Temperature, Sensor

  17. Influence of Random Inclusion of Coconut Fibres on the Short term Strength of Highly Compressible Clay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramani Sujatha, Evangelin; SaiSree, S.; Prabalini, C.; Aysha Farsana, Z.

    2017-07-01

    The choice of natural fibres for soil stabilization provides an economic, safe and eco-friendly alternative to improve the properties of soil. They are an important step forward toward sustainable development. An attempt was made to study the influence of the random addition of untreated coconut fibres on the short term strength of soil, its stress-strain behavior, compaction characteristics and index properties. The soil selected for the study is a highly compressible clay sample with a liquid limit of 52.5 % and plasticity index of 38 %. The soil has no organic content. The study reveals that the compaction curves tend to shift to the right side, indicating more plastic behavior with the addition of fibres. The addition of fibres also reorient the soil structure to a more dispersed fashion. A significant increase in the unconfined compressive strength is also observed. An increase of nearly 51 % in the unconfined compressive strength is observed at 0.75 % coir inclusion. The stress-strain behavior of the soil shows a shift toward more plastic behavior. The mode of failure of the soil specimen is by cracking and with fibre inclusion, length of the failure cracks is restrained as the fibre tends to hold the cracks together, resulting in shorter cracks, with significant bulging of the specimen at failure.

  18. Fibre and components induced limitations in high capacity optical networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peucheret, Christophe

    2003-01-01

    The design of future all-optical networks relies on the knowledge of the physical layer transport properties. In this thesis, we focus on two types of system impairments: those induced by the non-ideal transfer functions of optical filters to be found in network elements such as optical add...... design in order to maximise the spectral efficiency in a four add-drop node ring network. The concept of "normalised transmission sections" is introduced in order to ease the dimensioning of transparent domains in future all-optical networks. Normalised sections based on standard single mode fibre (SMF......-drop multiplexers (OADM) and optical cross-connects (OXC), as well as those due to the interaction of group-velocity dispersion, optical fibre non-linearities and accumulation of amplifier noise in the transmission path. The dispersion of fibre optics components is shown to limit their cascadability. Dispersion...

  19. Design of DFB fibre lasers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Vibeke Claudia; Povlsen, Jørn Hedegaard; Varming, Poul

    1998-01-01

    A numerical model for erbium distributed feedback (DFB) fibre lasers is presented. The model is used to optimise the location of a discrete phase-shift to obtain maximum output power. For DFB fibre lasers of up to 10cm in length it is shown that the influence of Kerr nonlinearity with respect to ...... to output power is negligible....

  20. Fruiting branch K+ level affects cotton fibre elongation through osmoregulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiashuo eYang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Potassium (K deficiency in cotton plants results in reduced fibre length. As one of the primary osmotica, K+ contributes to an increase in cell turgor pressure during fibre elongation. Therefore, it is hypothesized that fibre length is affected by K deficiency through an osmotic pathway, so in 2012 and 2013, an experiment was conducted to test this hypothesis by imposing three potassium supply regimes (0, 125, 250 kg K ha-1 on a low-K-sensitive cultivar, Siza 3, and a low-K-tolerant cultivar, Simian 3. We found that fibres were longer in the later season bolls than in the earlier ones in cotton plants grown under normal growth conditions, but later season bolls showed a greater sensitivity to low-K stress, especially the low-K sensitive genotype. We also found that the maximum velocity of fibre elongation (Vmax is the parameter that best reflects the change in fibre elongation under K deficiency. This parameter mostly depends on cell turgor, so the content of the osmotically active solutes was analysed accordingly. Statistical analysis showed that K+ was the major osmotic factor affecting fibre length, and malate was likely facilitating K+ accumulation into fibres, which enabled the low-K-tolerant genotype to cope with low-K stress. Moreover, the low-K-tolerant genotype tended to have greater K+ absorptive capacities in the upper fruiting branches. Based on our findings, we suggest a fertilization scheme for Gossypium hirsutum that adds extra potash fertilizer or distributes it during the development of late season bolls to mitigate K deficiency in the second half of the growth season and to enhance fibre length in late season bolls.

  1. Optical rogue waves and soliton turbulence in nonlinear fibre optics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Genty, G.; Dudley, J. M.; de Sterke, C. M.

    2009-01-01

    We examine optical rogue wave generation in nonlinear fibre propagation in terms of soliton turbulence. We show that higher-order dispersion is sufficient to generate localized rogue soliton structures, and Raman scattering effects are not required.......We examine optical rogue wave generation in nonlinear fibre propagation in terms of soliton turbulence. We show that higher-order dispersion is sufficient to generate localized rogue soliton structures, and Raman scattering effects are not required....

  2. Nonlocal plasticity effects on fibre debonding in a whisker-reinforced metal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Tvergaard, Viggo

    2002-01-01

    Numerical cell-model analyses for the matrix-fibre debonding in a metal matrix composite are used to study the effect of a characteristic material length in the plasticity description of the matrix material deformations. Characteristic material lengths are already present in the model problem...... in the problem. The nonlocal plasticity effect tends to increase the stress level at a given overall strain, which clearly tends to promote the onset of debonding......., in the form of fibre sizes and the length associated with the debonding process, so the nonlocal plasticity model brings in an additional material length. The analyses for metal reinforced by aligned short fibres are used to obtain an understanding of the interaction of the different length scales...

  3. The relationship between critical flux and fibre movement induced by bubbling in a submerged hollow fibre system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wicaksana, F; Fan, A G; Chen, V

    2005-01-01

    Bubbling has been used to enhance various processes. In this paper we deal with the effect of bubbling on submerged hollow fibre membranes, where bubbling is applied to prevent severe membrane fouling. Previous work with submerged hollow fibres has observed that significant fibre movement can be induced by bubbling and that there is a qualitative relationship between fibre movement and filtration performance. Therefore, the aim of the present research has been to analyse the link between bubbling, fibre movement and critical flux, identified as the flux at which the transmembrane pressure (TMP) starts to rise. Tests were performed on vertical isolated fibres with a model feed of yeast suspension. The fibres were subject to steady bubbling from below. The parameters of interest were the fibre characteristics, such as tightness, diameter and length, as well as feed concentration. The results confirmed that the critical fluxes are affected by the fibre characteristics and feed concentration. Higher critical flux values can be achieved by using loose fibres, smaller diameters and longer fibres. The enhancement is partially linked to fibre movement and this is confirmed by improved performance when fibres are subject to mechanical movement in the absence of bubbling.

  4. Sensitivity of a fibre scattered-light interferometer to external phase perturbations in an optical fibre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alekseev, A E; Potapov, V T [V.A.Kotel' nikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Fryazino Branch, Fryazino, Moscow region (Russian Federation); Gorshkov, B G [OOO ' Petrofaiber' , Russia, Tula region, Novomoskovsk (Russian Federation)

    2015-10-31

    Sensitivity of a fibre scattered-light interferometer to external phase perturbations is studied for the first time. An expression is derived for an average power of a useful signal at the interferometer output under external harmonic perturbations in a signal fibre of the interferometer. It is shown that the maximum sensitivity of the scattered-light interferometer depends on the dispersion of the interferogram intensity. An average signal-to-noise ratio is determined theoretically and experimentally at the output of the interferometer at different amplitudes of external perturbations. Using the measured dependences of the signal-to-noise ratio, the threshold sensitivity of the fibre scattered-light interferometer to external phase perturbations is found. The results obtained can be used to optimise characteristics of optical time-domain reflectometers and to design individual phase-sensitive fibre-optic sensors. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

  5. REINFORCING FIBRES AS PART OF TECHNOLOGY OF CONCRETES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhukov Aleksey Dmitrievich

    2012-07-01

    It was identified that the basalt fibre consumption rate influences both the strength and the density of products made of cellular concrete. The length of the basalt fibre impacts the strength of products. A nomogram was developed to identify the consumption rate of the basalt fibre driven by the strength of products and the Portland cement consumption rate. The authors also studied the influence of the consumption rate of Portland cement and basalt fibre onto the structural quality ratio of the foamed fibre concrete.

  6. Towards the Wetness Characterization of Soil Subsurface Using Fibre Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciocca, F.; Bodet, L.; Simon, N.; Karaulanov, R.; Clarke, A.; Abesser, C.; Krause, S.; Chalari, A.; Mondanos, M.

    2017-12-01

    Active seismic methods combined with detectors deployed at the soil surface, such as vertical collinear geophones, have revealed great potential for hydrogeophysical characterization of the soil vadose zone. In particular, recent findings have highlighted a clear dependence of both P-waves arrival times and surface-wave dispersion on the local degree of soil saturation, visible at laboratory as well as at field scale. In this study, we investigate the sensitivity of a fibre optic Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS) to different soil saturation. In vertical seismic applications, DAS have proven to offer equal and often better performance compared to the geophones, with the advantage that a fibre optic cable, whose length can reach 40 km, replaces the array of geophones as sensing element. We present the response to active seismic tests of 20 m of fibre optic cable buried in a poorly permeable bare soil. Tests were conducted in different moments of the year, with saturation monitored by means of independent dielectric probes. Body-wave travel times as well as surface-wave dispersion are compared. Finally, we discuss the possibility to determine a site-specific relation between the Poisson ratio and the soil saturation. This research has been performed in the framework of the British National Environmental Research Council (NERC) funded Distributed intelligent Heat Pulse System (DiHPS) project and of the Marie Curie H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) consortium Hi-Freq.

  7. Microstructural characterization of stone wool fibre network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chapelle, Lucie; Brøndsted, Povl; Kusano, Yukihiro

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the mechanical properties of fibrous network as complex as stone wool materials requires a relevant description of their microstructure and architecture. In this study, different methods have been proposed to characterize the fibre orientation, diameter and length of fibres as well...

  8. On the nature of fibres grown from nanodiamond colloids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batsanov, Stepan S., E-mail: batsanov@mail.ru [National Research Institute of Physical-Technical Measurements, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Guriev, Dmitry L.; Gavrilkin, Sergey M. [National Research Institute of Physical-Technical Measurements, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Hamilton, Katherine A.; Lindsey, Keith [School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham (United Kingdom); Mendis, Budhika G. [Physics Department, Durham University, Durham (United Kingdom); Riggs, Helen J.; Batsanov, Andrei S. [Chemistry Department, Durham University, Durham (United Kingdom)

    2016-04-15

    Contrary to earlier assumptions, the fibres spontaneously forming in aqueous colloids of detonation-produced nanodiamond (ND), do not consist purely of ND particles but are agglomerates of the latter with water and/or soft matter of biological (probably fungal) origin, as shown by elemental analysis, IR and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, optical refractometry, optical and electron (TEM and ESEM)microscopy, as well as biological staining tests. - Graphical abstract: Fibres spontaneously formed in water colloids of nanodiamond, consist of diamond nanoparticles dispersed in bioorganic matter. - Highlights: • Entangled fibres slowly grow in dilute (∼0.1%) colloids of nanodiamond in water. • Refractive index (∼1.56), electron microscopy and CHN analysis indicate nanodiamond dispersed in organic matter. • Explanation: nanodiamond grains help the growth of fungi which assemble them.

  9. On the nature of fibres grown from nanodiamond colloids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batsanov, Stepan S.; Guriev, Dmitry L.; Gavrilkin, Sergey M.; Hamilton, Katherine A.; Lindsey, Keith; Mendis, Budhika G.; Riggs, Helen J.; Batsanov, Andrei S.

    2016-01-01

    Contrary to earlier assumptions, the fibres spontaneously forming in aqueous colloids of detonation-produced nanodiamond (ND), do not consist purely of ND particles but are agglomerates of the latter with water and/or soft matter of biological (probably fungal) origin, as shown by elemental analysis, IR and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, optical refractometry, optical and electron (TEM and ESEM)microscopy, as well as biological staining tests. - Graphical abstract: Fibres spontaneously formed in water colloids of nanodiamond, consist of diamond nanoparticles dispersed in bioorganic matter. - Highlights: • Entangled fibres slowly grow in dilute (∼0.1%) colloids of nanodiamond in water. • Refractive index (∼1.56), electron microscopy and CHN analysis indicate nanodiamond dispersed in organic matter. • Explanation: nanodiamond grains help the growth of fungi which assemble them.

  10. Cell length variation in Phloem fibres within the bark of four tropical fruit trees Aegle Marmelos, Mangifera indica, Syzygium cumini, and Zizyphus mauritiana

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ghouse, A.K.M.; Siddiqui, Firoz A.

    1976-01-01

    Bark samples from collections made at monthly intervals during the calendar years 1973 and 1974, were studied to estimate the average length of phloem fibres in different positions within the bark of four tropical fruit trees, viz. Aegle marmelos Correa, Mangifera indica L., Syzygium cumini L., and

  11. Cross-phase modulation instability in optical fibres with exponential saturable nonlinearity and high-order dispersion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xian-Qiong, Zhong; An-Ping, Xiang

    2010-01-01

    Utilizing the linear-stability analysis, this paper analytically investigates and calculates the condition and gain spectra of cross-phase modulation instability in optical fibres in the case of exponential saturable nonlinearity and high-order dispersion. The results show that, the modulation instability characteristics here are similar to those of conventional saturable nonlinearity and Kerr nonlinearity. That is to say, when the fourth-order dispersion has the same sign as that of the second-order one, a new gain spectral region called the second one which is far away from the zero point may appear. The existence of the exponential saturable nonlinearity will make the spectral width as well as the peak gain of every spectral region increase with the input powers before decrease. Namely, for every spectral regime, this may lead to a unique value of peak gain and spectral width for two different input powers. In comparison with the case of conventional saturable nonlinearity, however, when the other parameters are the same, the variations of the spectral width and the peak gain with the input powers will be faster in case of exponential saturable nonlinearity. (classical areas of phenomenology)

  12. Rheology of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Cement-Based Mortar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banfill, Phillip F. G.; Starrs, Gerry; McCarter, W. John

    2008-01-01

    Carbon fibre reinforced cement based materials (CFRCs) offer the possibility of fabricating 'smart' electrically conductive materials. Rheology of the fresh mix is crucial to satisfactory moulding and fresh CFRC conforms to the Bingham model with slight structural breakdown. Both yield stress and plastic viscosity increase with increasing fibre length and volume concentration. Using a modified Viskomat NT, the concentration dependence of CFRC rheology up to 1.5% fibre volume is reported

  13. Rheology of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Cement-Based Mortar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banfill, Phillip F. G.; Starrs, Gerry; McCarter, W. John

    2008-07-01

    Carbon fibre reinforced cement based materials (CFRCs) offer the possibility of fabricating "smart" electrically conductive materials. Rheology of the fresh mix is crucial to satisfactory moulding and fresh CFRC conforms to the Bingham model with slight structural breakdown. Both yield stress and plastic viscosity increase with increasing fibre length and volume concentration. Using a modified Viskomat NT, the concentration dependence of CFRC rheology up to 1.5% fibre volume is reported.

  14. Effects of fibre dimension and charge density on nanocellulose gels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza, Llyza; Gunawardhana, Thilina; Batchelor, Warren; Garnier, Gil

    2018-04-18

    Carboxylated cellulose nanofibres can produce gels at low concentrations. The effect of pulp source on the nanocellulose fibre dimension and gel rheology are studied. It is hypothesised that fibre length and surface charge influence aspects of the gel rheological properties. TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl)- mediated oxidised cellulose nanofibres from never-dried hardwood and softwood pulp and containing different charge levels were produced and characterized. Steady-state and dynamic rheological studies were performed to ascertain the effects of pulp type on gel behavior and properties. Nanocellulose fibres extracted from softwood (SW-TOCN) and hardwood (HW-TOCN) pulp exhibit similar widths but different length dimensions as shown via AFM analysis. Rheological measurements show that the dynamic moduli (G' and G'') of nanocellulose gels are independent of pulp source and are mostly influenced by fibre concentration. Differences in the steady-state behavior (i.e. viscosity) at constant surface charge can be attributed to differences in fibre length. Increasing the surface charge density influences the critical strain and the viscosity at the percolation concentration (0.1 wt%) due to higher electrostatic interactions. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Photonic Crystal Fibres for Dispersion and Sensor Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Thorkild

    2005-01-01

    of the involved nonlinear processes. A hollow-core photonic crystal fibre (HC-PCF) is used as a sensor for gas. It is filled with two gasses, 12C2H2 acetylene, and H13CN hydrogen cyanide, and the transmission spectra are subject for a discussion. A model for infusion speed of fluids to a capillary presented...

  16. Adjustable supercontinuum laser source with low coherence length and low timing jitter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreana, Marco; Bertrand, Anthony; Hernandez, Yves; Leproux, Philippe; Couderc, Vincent; Hilaire, Stéphane; Huss, Guillaume; Giannone, Domenico; Tonello, Alessandro; Labruyère, Alexis; Rongeat, Nelly; Nérin, Philippe

    2010-04-01

    This paper introduces a supercontinuum (SC) laser source emitting from 400 nm to beyond 1750 nm, with adjustable pulse repetition rate (from 250 kHz to 1 MHz) and duration (from ~200 ps to ~2 ns). This device makes use of an internally-modulated 1.06 μm semiconductor laser diode as pump source. The output radiation is then amplified through a preamplifier (based on single-mode Yb-doped fibres) followed by a booster (based on a double-clad Yb-doped fibre). The double-clad fibre output is then spliced to an air-silica microstructured optical fibre (MOF). The small core diameter of the double-clad fibre allows reducing the splice loss. The strongly nonlinear propagation regime in the MOF leads to the generation of a SC extending from the violet to the nearinfrared wavelengths. On the Stokes side of the 1.06 μm pump line, i.e., in the anomalous dispersion regime, the spectrum is composed of an incoherent distribution of quasi-solitonic components. Therefore, the SC source is characterised by a low coherence length, which can be tuned by simply modifying pulse duration, that is closely related to the number of quasi-solitonic components brought into play. Finally, the internal modulation of the laser diode permits to achieve excellent temporal stability, both in terms of average power and pulse-to-pulse period.

  17. CHARACTERIZATION AND PERFORMANCE OF ELEMENTARY HEMP FIBRES: FACTORS INFLUENCING TENSILE STRENGTH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mizi Fan

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the outcomes from an extensive investigation on the structure and geometry of single hemp fibres, as well as configurations and related tensile strength (TS of hemp fibres, with the aid of field emission scanning and optical microscopy. The results showed that 1 the TS increased with the decrease of the diameter of individual test pieces, due possibly to the stacks of multiple single fibres within the test pieces; 2 shear failure between single fibres in a test pieces played a significant role in the test results; 3 the TS was closely related to the number of both the inherent joints along the fibre length and single fibres contained in the test pieces; 4 the splits along the length and width of hemp fibres may complicate the test results, and 5 the optimized treatment prior to decortications may double the TS of hemp fibres compared to a normal retting processing. Reliable TS of single hemp fibres have been derived by a power regression, and the predicted TS were verified with an excellent agreement with experimentally tested results. The tensile strain-stress plot was found to be linear for all hemp test pieces, showing that the behaviour of single hemp fibres obeys Hooke’s law.

  18. Dispersion and guidance characteristics of microstructured 68TeO2 - 22WO3 - 8La2O3 - 2Bi2O3 glass fibres for supercontinuum generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yatsenko, Yu P; Nazaryants, V O; Kosolapov, A F; Astapovich, M S; Plotnichenko, V G; Dianov, Evgenii M; Moiseev, A N; Churbanov, M F; Dorofeev, V V; Chilyasov, A V; Snopatin, G E

    2010-01-01

    We report the preparation of a high-purity optical-quality four-component glass of composition 68TeO 2 - 22WO 3 - 8La 2 O 3 - 2Bi 2 O 3 , containing (2.7±0.5)x10 -5 mol % OH groups. Its refractive index has been determined in the range 0.9 - 5.45 μm using interference refractometry. The data are used to assess the dispersion and guidance characteristics of microstructured optical fibres potentially attractive for supercontinuum generation in the range 1 - 5 μm (optical fibres)

  19. Generation of Length Distribution, Length Diagram, Fibrogram, and Statistical Characteristics by Weight of Cotton Blends

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Azzouz

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The textile fibre mixture as a multicomponent blend of variable fibres imposes regarding the proper method to predict the characteristics of the final blend. The length diagram and the fibrogram of cotton are generated. Then the length distribution, the length diagram, and the fibrogram of a blend of different categories of cotton are determined. The length distributions by weight of five different categories of cotton (Egyptian, USA (Pima, Brazilian, USA (Upland, and Uzbekistani are measured by AFIS. From these distributions, the length distribution, the length diagram, and the fibrogram by weight of four binary blends are expressed. The length parameters of these cotton blends are calculated and their variations are plotted against the mass fraction x of one component in the blend .These calculated parameters are compared to those of real blends. Finally, the selection of the optimal blends using the linear programming method, based on the hypothesis that the cotton blend parameters vary linearly in function of the components rations, is proved insufficient.

  20. Neuromuscular organization of avian flight muscle: architecture of single muscle fibres in muscle units of the pectoralis (pars thoracicus) of pigeon (Columba livia)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokoloff, A. J.

    1999-01-01

    The M. pectoralis (pars thoracicus) of pigeons (Columba livia) is comprised of short muscle fibres that do not extend from muscle origin to insertion but overlap 'in-series'. Individual pectoralis motor units are limited in territory to a portion of muscle length and are comprised of either fast twitch, oxidative and glycolytic fibres (FOG) or fast twitch and glycolytic fibres (FG). FOG fibres make up 88 to 90% of the total muscle population and have a mean diameter one-half of that of the relatively large FG fibres. Here we report on the organization of individual fibres identified in six muscle units depleted of glycogen, three comprised of FOG fibres and three comprised of FG fibres. For each motor unit, fibre counts revealed unequal numbers of depleted fibres in different unit cross-sections. We traced individual fibres in one unit comprised of FOG fibres and a second comprised of FG fibres. Six fibres from a FOG unit (total length 15.45 mm) ranged from 10.11 to 11.82 mm in length and averaged (± s.d.) 10.74 ± 0.79 mm. All originated bluntly (en mass) from a fascicle near the proximal end of the muscle unit and all terminated intramuscularly. Five of these ended in a taper and one ended bluntly. Fibres coursed on average for 70% of the muscle unit length. Six fibres from a FG unit (total length 34.76 mm) ranged from 8.97 to 18.38 mm in length and averaged 15.32 ± 3.75 mm. All originated bluntly and terminated intramuscularly; one of these ended in a taper and five ended bluntly. Fibres coursed on average for 44% of the muscle unit length. Because fibres of individual muscle units do not extend the whole muscle unit territory, the effective cross-sectional area changes along the motor unit length. These non-uniformities in the distribution of fibres within a muscle unit emphasize that the functional interactions within and between motor units are complex.

  1. Interfaces between a fibre and its matrix

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lilholt, Hans; Sørensen, Bent F.

    2017-01-01

    in polyester matrix. The analysis of existing experimental literature data is demonstrated for steel fibres in epoxy matrix and for tungsten wires in copper matrix. These latter incomplete analyses show that some results can be obtained even if all three experimental parameters are not recorded....... parameters (applied load, debond length and relative fibre/matrix displacement) are rather similar for these test modes. A simplified analysis allows the direct determination of the three interface parameters from two plots for the experimental data. The complete analysis is demonstrated for steel fibres...

  2. Non-damaging and scalable carbon nanotube synthesis on carbon fibres

    OpenAIRE

    De Luca, H; Anthony, DB; Qian, H; Greenhalgh, E; Bismarck, A; Shaffer, M

    2016-01-01

    The growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on carbon fibres (CFs) to produce a hierarchical fibre with two differing reinforcement length scales, in this instance nanometre and micrometre respectively, is considered a route to improve current state-of-the-art fibre reinforced composites [1]. The scalable production of carbon nanotube-grafted-carbon fibres (CNT-g-CFs) has been limited due to high temperatures, the use of flammable gases and the requirement of inert conditions for CNT synthesis, whi...

  3. Non-dispersive method for measuring longitudinal neutron coherence length using high frequency cold neutron pulser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawai, T.; Tasaki, S.; Ebisawa, T.; Hino, M.; Yamazaki, D.; Achiwa, N.

    1999-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. A non-dispersive method is proposed for measuring the longitudinal coherence length of a neutron using a high frequency cold neutron pulser (hf-CNP) placed between two multilayer spin splitters (MSS) which composes the cold neutron spin interferometer. Two spin eigenstates of a neutron polarized x-y plane are split non-dispersively and longitudinally in time by the hf-CNP which could reflect two components alternatively in time. The reduction of the visibility of interference fringes after being superposed by the second MSS is measured as a function of the frequency of the pulser by TOF method. From the zero visibility point obtained by extrapolation one could obtain the longitudinal coherence length of the neutron. (author)

  4. The analysis of an optical fibre communication system using laser ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Such techniques include electrical and optical dispersion compensation, optical and electrical pulse shaping, and modifications of the fibre dispersion profiles. Some of these techniques and methods have resulted into very effective but expensive systems, and it has been difficult to adopt them. Others have resulted into ...

  5. Generation of micro-sized conductive lines on glass fibre fabrics by inkjet printing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Balda Irurzun, Unai; Dutschk, Victoria; Calvimontes, Alfredo; Akkerman, Remko

    2012-01-01

    Micro-sized lines were inkjet printed on glass fibre fabrics using different droplet spacing. A conductive ink containing silver nanoparticles was used in this study. Glass fibre fabrics were differently pre-treated to avoid spontaneous spreading of the ink dispersion. The sample topography was

  6. Non-Linear Fibres for Widely Tunable Femtosecond Fibre Lasers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Martin Erland Vestergaard

    and numerically. For the intermodal four-wave mixing experiment an alternative version of the Generalised Non-Linear Schrödinger Equation is derived, which includes the correct dispersion of the transverse field. It is observed that the alternative version of the Generalised Non-Linear Schrödinger Equation......, as opposed to the commonly used version, is able to reproduce the intermodal four-wave mixing experiment. The relation between the intramodal self-phase modulation and the intramodal Raman effect is determined from experimental measurements on a number of step-index fibres. The Raman fraction is found...

  7. Fibre amplifier based on an ytterbium-doped active tapered fibre for the generation of megawatt peak power ultrashort optical pulses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koptev, M Yu; Anashkina, E A; Lipatov, D S; Andrianov, A V; Muravyev, S V; Kim, A V [Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Bobkov, K K; Likhachev, M E; Levchenko, A E; Aleshkina, S S; Semjonov, S L; Denisov, A N; Bubnov, M M [Fiber Optics Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Laptev, A Yu; Gur' yanov, A N [G.G.Devyatykh Institute of Chemistry of High-Purity Substances, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhnii Novgorod (Russian Federation)

    2015-05-31

    We report a new ytterbium-doped active tapered fibre used in the output amplifier stage of a fibre laser system for the generation of megawatt peak power ultrashort pulses in the microjoule energy range. The tapered fibre is single-mode at its input end (core and cladding diameters of 10 and 80 μm) and multimode at its output end (diameters of 45 and 430 μm), but ultrashort pulses are amplified in a quasi-single-mode regime. Using a hybrid Er/Yb fibre system comprising an erbium master oscillator and amplifier at a wavelength near 1.5 μm, a nonlinear wavelength converter to the 1 μm range and a three-stage ytterbium-doped fibre amplifier, we obtained pulses of 1 μJ energy and 7 ps duration, which were then compressed by a grating-pair dispersion compressor with 60% efficiency to a 130 fs duration, approaching the transform-limited pulse duration. The present experimental data agree well with numerical simulation results for pulse amplification in the threestage amplifier. (extreme light fields and their applications)

  8. Radial variation in fiber length of some lesser used wood species in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    computer

    2012-09-20

    Sep 20, 2012 ... Variations in fibre length of ten lesser used wood species were investigated. The mean fibre length ..... the growth of coniferous trees. Can. J. Bot.45: 1359-1369 ... morphology and paper properties: a review of literature. Tappi ...

  9. ASSESSMENT OF FIBRE CHARACTERISTICS AND SUITABILITY ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Samuel

    HUSK AND STALK FOR PULP AND PAPER PRODUCTION. *Ekhuemelo ... Key Words: Maize, husk, stalk, pulp, and fibre length. ..... Turk. J. Agric. For. 23(3):. 589-597. Encyclopaedia Britannica, (2012). Corn ... Anatomical, structure and lignin.

  10. Improvement of compressive strength of segmentation of zeolites as absorber of Sr-90 liquid waste using coconut fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasmudin; Kusnanto

    2002-01-01

    The use of the coconut fibres to increase compressive strength of segmentation of zeolites as absorber of Sr-90 liquid waste was studied. The purpose of this research was to find the optimum content and length of fibres that give maximum compressive strength. This research was done with mortar-zeolites specimen of cylinder 2,2 cm diameter and 4,4 cm high, the content of zeolites was 13% volume of specimen, weight ratio of water and cement 0,3, length of fibres 1,5 cm, 2 cm, 2,5 cm, and 3 cm (aspect ratio ± 60, ± 80, ± 100 and ± 120) with the fibres content of each fibre 0%, 0,5%, 0,10%, 0,25%, 0,50%, 0,75%, and 1,00%. Addition of fibres was done with a direction of orientation longitudinal to the specimen. The specimens were tested on 28 days old test specimens. The result showed that addition of coconut fibres until certain content would increase compressive strength. The optimum size of fibres with 92,313 N/MM 2 of compressive strength or increased 119,21% of no fibres specimen were 0,50% of volume and 3 cm in length

  11. Effect of tubing length on the dispersion correction of an arterially sampled input function for kinetic modeling in PET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Doherty, Jim; Chilcott, Anna; Dunn, Joel

    2015-11-01

    Arterial sampling with dispersion correction is routinely performed for kinetic analysis of PET studies. Because of the the advent of PET-MRI systems, non-MR safe instrumentation will be required to be kept outside the scan room, which requires the length of the tubing between the patient and detector to increase, thus worsening the effects of dispersion. We examined the effects of dispersion in idealized radioactive blood studies using various lengths of tubing (1.5, 3, and 4.5 m) and applied a well-known transmission-dispersion model to attempt to correct the resulting traces. A simulation study was also carried out to examine noise characteristics of the model. The model was applied to patient traces using a 1.5 m acquisition tubing and extended to its use at 3 m. Satisfactory dispersion correction of the blood traces was achieved in the 1.5 m line. Predictions on the basis of experimental measurements, numerical simulations and noise analysis of resulting traces show that corrections of blood data can also be achieved using the 3 m tubing. The effects of dispersion could not be corrected for the 4.5 m line by the selected transmission-dispersion model. On the basis of our setup, correction of dispersion in arterial sampling tubing up to 3 m by the transmission-dispersion model can be performed. The model could not dispersion correct data acquired using a 4.5 m arterial tubing.

  12. FibreBags vs. FibreCaps for acid and neutral detergent fibre analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Koivisto , Jason

    2003-01-01

    International audience; A new procedure for determining acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre (ADF and NDF) was developed to reduce the need for filtration and to allow for batch processing of forage samples. The FibreBag system is an economically necessary evolution of the earlier FibreCap system. The purpose of this enquiry was to determine if the FibreBag is a suitable replacement for the FibreCap. The FibreBag method produced very similar results to the FibreCap system of analy...

  13. Fabrication of electric papers of graphene nanosheet shelled cellulose fibres by dispersion and infiltration as flexible electrodes for energy storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Yan-Ru; Li, Ya-Li; Hou, Feng; Wen, Yang-Yang; Su, Dong

    2012-05-21

    An electrically conductive and electrochemically active composite paper of graphene nanosheet (GNS) coated cellulose fibres was fabricated via a simple paper-making process of dispersing chemically synthesized GNS into a cellulose pulp, followed by infiltration. The GNS nanosheet was deposited onto the cellulose fibers, forming a coating, during infiltration. It forms a continuous network through a bridge of interconnected cellulose fibres at small GNS loadings (3.2 wt%). The GNS/cellulose paper is as flexible and mechanically tough as the pure cellulose paper. The electrical measurements show the composite paper has a sheet resistance of 1063 Ω□(-1) and a conductivity of 11.6 S m(-1). The application of the composite paper as a flexible double layer supercapacitor in an organic electrolyte (LiPF(6)) displays a high capacity of 252 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1) with respect to GNS. Moreover, the paper can be used as the anode in a lithium battery, showing distinct charge and discharge performances. The simple process for synthesising the GNS functionalized cellulose papers is attractive for the development of high performance papers for electrical, electrochemical and multifunctional applications.

  14. Fibre optics compatibility with radiative environment inside PWR containment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Breuze, G.; Jucker, P.; Serre, J.

    1993-01-01

    Fibre optic links operating with multiplexed sensors data are potentially attractive for nuclear power plant applications. It hence became essential to test for radiation vulnerability not only transmission support -fibres- but also fibre-end electro-optical components which could be exposed to hostile environment, perhaps in worse conditions than fibres. Present paper gives results of multimode silica-based fibre behaviour during long-term steady-state low dose-rate gamma ray exposure - one year under 0.1 to 0.2 Gy/h. Studies concerned radiation-induced loss (ΔL) measurement of eight different commercially available fibres and bit error-rate (BER) recording of four 1 100 m length data links operating with a 100 m part exposed to gamma-rays. Main result is the good behaviour of pure silica-core fibres, especially a step-index polymer-clad fibre transmitting 850 nm light but also a graded-index fluorine-clad fibre for 1 300 nm window. Mean ΔL values are respectively 3 dB/km and 4.5 dB/km at the exposure end. Complementary result is no influence of gamma-ray exposure upon data link initial 10 -9 BER. (authors). 9 figs., 7 tabs., 26 refs

  15. A remodelling metric for angular fibre distributions and its application to diseased carotid bifurcations.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Creane, Arthur

    2012-07-01

    Many soft biological tissues contain collagen fibres, which act as major load bearing constituents. The orientation and the dispersion of these fibres influence the macroscopic mechanical properties of the tissue and are therefore of importance in several areas of research including constitutive model development, tissue engineering and mechanobiology. Qualitative comparisons between these fibre architectures can be made using vector plots of mean orientations and contour plots of fibre dispersion but quantitative comparison cannot be achieved using these methods. We propose a \\'remodelling metric\\' between two angular fibre distributions, which represents the mean rotational effort required to transform one into the other. It is an adaptation of the earth mover\\'s distance, a similarity measure between two histograms\\/signatures used in image analysis, which represents the minimal cost of transforming one distribution into the other by moving distribution mass around. In this paper, its utility is demonstrated by considering the change in fibre architecture during a period of plaque growth in finite element models of the carotid bifurcation. The fibre architecture is predicted using a strain-based remodelling algorithm. We investigate the remodelling metric\\'s potential as a clinical indicator of plaque vulnerability by comparing results between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid bifurcations. Fibre remodelling was found to occur at regions of plaque burden. As plaque thickness increased, so did the remodelling metric. A measure of the total predicted fibre remodelling during plaque growth, TRM, was found to be higher in the symptomatic group than in the asymptomatic group. Furthermore, a measure of the total fibre remodelling per plaque size, TRM\\/TPB, was found to be significantly higher in the symptomatic vessels. The remodelling metric may prove to be a useful tool in other soft tissues and engineered scaffolds where fibre adaptation is also present.

  16. Analisi dell’anisotropia microstrutturale in materiali compositi rinforzati con fibre corte

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Dreossi

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available La microtomografia con luce di sincrotrone si è rivelata una tecnica particolarmente efficace per l’analisi della struttura risultante dalla distribuzione degli orientamenti assunti dalle fibre di rinforzo di compositi rinforzati con fibre di vetro. La ricostruzione dell'immagine tridimensionale ha consentito la visualizzazionedella distribuzione spaziale delle fibre all'interno della matrice polimerica anche nel caso di fibre di piccole dimensioni (diametro medio di 10 micrometri. E' stato quindi possibile misurare le differenze nell'orientamento delle fibre nei differenti strati di un campione utilizzando metodi basati sulla valutazione del Mean Intercept Length (MIL e del fabric tensor. La tecnica descritta è stata applicata a un campione di poliammide 6 rinforzato con il 30% di fibre corte di vetro ricavato da lastra.

  17. Durability and inflammogenic impact of carbon nanotubes compared with asbestos fibres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clark Steve

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been suggested that carbon nanotubes might conform to the fibre pathogenicity paradigm that explains the toxicities of asbestos and other fibres on a continuum based on length, aspect ratio and biopersistence. Some types of carbon nanotubes satisfy the first two aspects of the fibre paradigm but only recently has their biopersistence begun to be investigated. Biopersistence is complex and requires in vivo testing and analysis. However durability, the chemical mimicking of the process of fibre dissolution using in vitro treatment, is closely related to biopersistence and more readily determined. Here, we describe an experimental process to determine the durability of four types of carbon nanotubes in simulated biological fluid (Gambles solution, and their subsequent pathogenicity in vivo using a mouse model sensitive to inflammogenic effects of fibres. The in vitro and in vivo results were compared with well-characterised glass wool and asbestos fibre controls. Results After incubation for up to 24 weeks in Gambles solution, our control fibres were recovered at percentages consistent with their known in vitro durabilities and/or in vivo persistence, and three out of the four types of carbon nanotubes tested (single-walled (CNTSW and multi-walled (CNTTANG2, CNTSPIN showed no, or minimal, loss of mass or change in fibre length or morphology when examined by electron microscopy. However, the fourth type [multi-walled (CNTLONG1] lost 30% of its original mass within the first three weeks of incubation, after which there was no further loss. Electron microscopy of CNTLONG1 samples incubated for 10 weeks confirmed that the proportion of long fibres had decreased compared to samples briefly exposed to the Gambles solution. This loss of mass and fibre shortening was accompanied by a loss of pathogenicity when injected into the peritoneal cavities of C57Bl/6 mice compared to fibres incubated briefly. CNTSW did not elicit an

  18. Regeneration of irradiated optical fibres by photo-bleaching?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henschel, H.; Koehn, O.

    1999-01-01

    It is known that a light power between 0,1 and 20 μW caused bleaching of colour centres, which implies a reduction of induced loss. Older fibres especially those with a core made of undoped, low OH silica, experience tremendous photo-bleaching. Light of shorter wavelengths has a higher bleaching efficiency than that of longer wavelengths and same light intensity. The investigations have demonstrated that the injection of photo-bleaching light of shorter wavelength and higher intensity can distinctly decrease the radiation-induced loss of Ge-doped fibres, especially at low temperatures. Another possibility to apply photo-bleaching by short wavelength is to regenerate fibres that are permanently installed in radiation environments. Modern undoped multi-mode (MM) step index (Si), Ge-doped MM graded index (Gi) and Ge-doped single-mode (SM) fibres that had been irradiated were submitted to bleaching light. In this article it is shown how loss reduction and necessary bleaching time depend on wavelength and intensity of the bleaching light, on fibre length (bleaching time) and on radiation dose. These results are promising for the regeneration of optical fibres in facilities where the fibres cannot be replaced easily by new ones. (A.C.)

  19. Femtosecond pulse generation and amplification in Yb-doped fibre ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    remained a challenge as it requires the careful optimization of dispersion, nonlinearity, gain and ASE ... power is obtained from the fibre oscillator–amplifier system at a repetition rate of 43 ..... ing to 53% optical-to-optical conversion efficiency.

  20. Method for Forming Pulp Fibre Yarns Developed by a Design-driven Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiia-Maria Tenhunen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A simple and inexpensive method for producing water-stable pulp fibre yarns using a deep eutectic mixture composed of choline chloride and urea (ChCl/urea was developed in this work. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs are eutectic mixtures consisting of two or more components that together have a lower melting point than the individual components. DESs have been previously studied with respect to cellulose dissolution, functionalisation, and pre-treatment. This new method uses a mixture of choline chloride and urea, which is used as a swelling and dispersing agent for the pulp fibres in the yarn-forming process. Although the pulp seemed to form a gel when dispersed in ChCl/urea, the ultrastructure of the pulp was not affected. To enable water stability, pulp fibres were crosslinked by esterification using polyacrylic acid. ChCl/urea could be easily recycled and reused by distillation. The novel process described in this study enables utilisation of pulp fibres in textile production without modification or dissolution and shortening of the textile value chain. An interdisciplinary approach was used, where potential applications were explored simultaneously with material development from process development to the early phase prototyping.

  1. Optimisation of mechanical properties of bamboo fibre reinforced-PLA biocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nurnadia M., J.; Fazita, M. R. Nurul; Abdul Khalil H. P., S.; Mohamad Haafiz M., K.

    2017-12-01

    The majority of the raw materials that have been widely used in industries are petroleum-based. Growing environmental awareness, the depletion of fossil fuels, and climate change are the key drivers to seek more ecologically friendly materials, such as natural fibres to replace synthetic fibres in polymeric composite. Among the natural fibres available, bamboo fibre has relatively high strength. Poly (lactic) acid (PLA), one of the well-known biopolymers, has been used as a matrix in order to produce totally biodegradable biocomposites. In this study, bamboo fibres were compounded with PLA by a twin screw extruder. The bamboo fibre reinforced PLA composites were then manufactured via the compression moulding method. The influences of screw speed and die temperature during extrusion on the mechanical properties, the tensile and flexural of the biocomposites, were studied. The effects of fibre content and fibre length were also investigated. Taguchi experimental design approach was adopted to determine the optimum set of conditions to achieve the "best" mechanical properties of the composites. Tensile and flexural properties were characterised based on the D638-10 and D790-10 standards, respectively. It was observed that the fibre aspect ratio and fibre content significantly affected the mechanical performance of bamboo fibres reinforced PLA composites.

  2. Damping and tuning of the fibre violin modes in monolithic silica suspensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gossler, S; Cagnoli, G; Crooks, D R M; Lueck, H; Rowan, S; Smith, J R; Strain, K A; Hough, J; Danzmann, K

    2004-01-01

    High Q mirror suspensions are a key element of the advanced interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. In December 2002 the last of the final interferometer optics of GEO 600 were monolithically suspended, using fused silica fibres. The violin modes of the suspension fibres can have Q greater than 10 8 and can therefore interfere with the interferometer length control servo. Hence, the violin modes need to be damped, without degrading the pendulum Q itself. Furthermore, the frequency spread of the fibres used has to be small to allow for high Q notch filtering in the length control servo. The requirements for the violin modes of the two GEO 600 inboard suspensions are Q 6 for the fundamental and Q 6 for the first harmonic mode, respectively. The frequency spread should not exceed 10% within one mode. To accomplish that, two sections of the fibres were coated with amorphous Teflon. By applying the coating, the Q of the relevant modes can be degraded to the desired values and furthermore, the frequencies of these modes can be tuned almost independently with a good accuracy over a wide range. After welding the fibres in the monolithic suspension, a corrective coating was applied to some fibres, to compensate for the frequency spread due to the tension spread of the four fibres within a suspension. We present the method and the results achieved

  3. Study of the tensile properties of individual multicellular fibres generated by Bacillus subtilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Xuan; Zhao, Liang; Liang, Jiecun; Li, Xide; Chen, Guo-Qiang

    2017-04-01

    Multicellular fibres formed by Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) are attracting interest because of their potential application as degradable biomaterials. However, mechanical properties of individual fibres remain unknown because of their small dimensions. Herein, a new approach is developed to investigate the tensile properties of individual fibres with an average diameter of 0.7 μm and a length range of 25.7-254.3 μm. Variations in the tensile strengths of fibres are found to be the result of variable interactions among pairs of microbial cells known as septa. Using Weibull weakest-link model to study this mechanical variability, we predict the length effect of the sample. Moreover, the mechanical properties of fibres are found to depend highly on relative humidity (RH), with a brittle-ductile transition occurring around RH = 45%. The elastic modulus is 5.8 GPa in the brittle state, while decreases to 62.2 MPa in the ductile state. The properties of fibres are investigated by using a spring model (RH  45%) for the time-dependent response. Loading-unloading experiments and numerical calculations demonstrate that necking instability comes from structural changes (septa) and viscoelasticity dominates the deformation of fibres at high RH.

  4. Composite Strain Hardening Properties of High Performance Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vikram Jothi Jayakumar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Hybrid fibres addition in concrete proved to be a promising method to improve the composite mechanical properties of the cementitious system. Fibre combinations involving different fibre lengths and moduli were added in high strength slag based concrete to evaluate the strain hardening properties. Influence of hybrid fibres consisting of steel and polypropylene fibres added in slag based cementitious system (50% CRL was explored. Effects of hybrid fibre addition at optimum volume fraction of 2% of steel fibres and 0.5% of PP fibres (long and short steel fibre combinations were observed in improving the postcrack strength properties of concrete. Test results also indicated that the hybrid steel fibre additions in slag based concrete consisting of short steel and polypropylene (PP fibres exhibited a the highest compressive strength of 48.56 MPa. Comparative analysis on the performance of monofibre concrete consisting of steel and PP fibres had shown lower residual strength compared to hybrid fibre combinations. Hybrid fibres consisting of long steel-PP fibres potentially improved the absolute and residual toughness properties of concrete composite up to a maximum of 94.38% compared to monofibre concrete. In addition, the relative performance levels of different hybrid fibres in improving the matrix strain hardening, postcrack toughness, and residual strength capacity of slag based concretes were evaluated systematically.

  5. Flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams with discrete steel – polypropylene fibres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amizah Wan Jusoh Wan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses the experimental results on the flexural test of concrete containing different proportions of steel fibre (SF and polypropylene fibre (PPF. The flexural test was carried out under 4-point bending load and followed the relevant standards to FRC. Hooked-end deformed SF fibre with 60 mm length and fibrillated virgin PPF fibre with 19 mm length were used in this study. Meanwhile, the concrete was designed for high strength concrete of C60. The mixture included both single SF and PPF, and also the combination of both fibres; Control beam (PC, beam with 75%SF, beam with 75%SF + 25%PPF and beam with 25%PPF. The total fibre volume fraction (Vf was fixed at 1.5%. The experimental results show that the percentage proportion of combined SF-PPF at 75-25% had the best performance for its flexural capacity. Mixture with single PPF was also found not effective in delaying the onset of tension cracks and to increase the tensile strength of the concrete. Experimental result also shows beam with 75%SF +25%PPF had their structural stiffness improved the most as compared with the others. For the compressive strength, beam with 75%SF + 25%PPF also revealed comparable performance with the control for high strength composite concrete.

  6. Tracers as invisible evidence - The transfer and persistence of flock fibres during a car exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slot, Ana; van der Weerd, Jaap; Roos, Martin; Baiker, Martin; Stoel, Reinoud D; Zuidberg, Matthijs C

    2017-06-01

    This study assessed the recovery of flock fibres used as a tracer in a car exchange scenario. Flock fibres were deposited onto a car seat (or model thereof) and their transfer and persistence was investigated after a real or simulated car exchange. The overall aim of this study was to achieve an optimal use of flock fibres as tracers, i.e. to be able to select a fit-for-purpose flock fibre, to be able to predict the amount of flock fibres to be recovered from crime related items, and to be able to use these numbers to exclude accidental uptake. The effect of a number of variables on the transfer and persistence of flock fibres was studied, including flock fibre length, car upholstery, and trousers material. Laboratory based experiments were undertaken first, followed by realistic field based experiments. The flock fibres were captured in a non-destructive manner through fluorescence photography. A Matlab algorithm enabled fast automated counting of flock fibres on the images. Results indicate that an initial rapid loss of flock fibres from garments may be expected as a result of moderate movement. Although the amount of flock fibres to be recovered is affected by the flock fibre length, the type of car upholstery, and the type of trousers materials (if frictional force is taken into consideration), large numbers of flock fibres have been recovered from all target materials throughout the transfer route. These numbers are higher than the amount of flock fibres recovered due to accidental uptake. In conclusion, flock fibres can serve as invisible evidence to reconstruct a series of events. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Fibre-reinforced hydrogels for tissue engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waters, Sarah; Byrne, Helen; Chen, Mike; Dias Castilho, Miguel; Kimpton, Laura; Please, Colin; Whiteley, Jonathan

    2017-11-01

    Tissue engineers aim to grow replacement tissues in vitro to replace those in the body that have been damaged through age, trauma or disease. One approach is to seed cells within a scaffold consisting of an interconnected 3D-printed lattice of polymer fibres, cast in a hydrogel, and subject the construct (cell-seeded scaffold) to an applied load in a bioreactor. A key question is to understand how this applied load is distributed throughout the construct to the mechanosensitive cells. To address this, we exploit the disparate length scales (small inter-fibre spacing compared with construct dimensions). The fibres are treated as a linear elastic material and the hydrogel as a poroelastic material. We employ homogenisation theory to derive equations governing the material properties of a periodic, elastic-poroelastic composite. To validate the mobel, model solutions are compared to experimental data describing the unconfined compression of the fibre-reinforced hydrogels. The model is used to derive the bulk mechanical properties of a cylindrical construct of the composite material for a range of fibre spacings, and the local mechanical environment experienced by cells embedded within the construct is determined. Funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013).

  8. Assessment of the toughness of fibre-reinforced concrete using the ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Stefie J Stephen

    2018-03-28

    Mar 28, 2018 ... ments, slab-on-grade, tunnel linings, bridge decks, etc. As the fibre ... are obtained based on simple elastic bending theory at the crack plane [3–7]. ... (d) ¼ 150 mm, notch length (a0) ¼ 25 mm and span. (l) ¼ 500 mm (figure .... [5] RILEM TC 162-TDF 2002 Test and design methods for steel fibre reinforced ...

  9. Dispersion properties of three-layered orthotropic shells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markus, S.

    1995-01-01

    This paper studies the harmonic wave propagation in thick, cylindrical, three-layered shells of infinite length. Both the outer layers and the core are composites made of short strand fiberglass and polyester resin. The randomly oriented fibers were approximately in parallel planes to constitute a transversely isotropic fibre composite. The planes of isotropy in the outer layers are orthogonal to the plane of isotropy at the core. A closed form solution of the exact linear equations of elasticity in sought in terms of a Frobenius series. The influence of the core thickness on the dynamics of the wave motion is estimated from numerically computed dispersion curves. Asymmetric wave motion is given prime consideration and the different types of waves which can occur are identified over a wide range of wave numbers

  10. Rheological, Colour and Processing Properties of Polypropylene Masterbatches for Nanocomposite Fibre Preparation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Štefan Krivoš

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Asia’s current dominance of the global production of standard types of chemical fibres requires the sophistication of European fibre and textile products. Modifying the mass or surface of materials using nanotechnologies is one of the most promising ways to ensure the special, mono- and multi-functionally modified fibre properties of clothing and technical textiles. The permanent antimicrobial treatment of fibre mass represents one the most desired functional modifi cations of chemical fibres. It involves the use of an antimicrobial additive masterbatch with the appropriate rheological, colour and processing properties required for the preparation of antimicrobial modified fibres. This article presents the results of our study of the effect of two types of nanoadditives (nanosilica and nanocalcium carbonate as potential carriers of an AMB active ingredient, and the effect of stearic acid, polyethylene glycol and propylene oxide as various dispersing systems on the rheological, colour and processing properties of polypropylene nanoadditive masterbatches. The obtained experimental results are evaluated in terms of the suitability of the properties of prepared nanoadditive masterbatches for the preparation of nanocomposite polypropylene fibres.

  11. Flexural properties of reinforced date palm fibres concrete in Sahara climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abani, S.; Kriker, A.; Khenfer, M. M.

    2018-05-01

    The mechanical characteristics of fibres reinforced concrete depend on many factors which are; the conditions of the work, the dosage, the distance between fibres and their orientation and distribution in the concrete. There are also other factors concerns the fibres themselves such as: the proportion of the length of the fibres to their diameter, their nature, the mechanical characteristics and the geometrical form. The main objective of our work is to contribute in the estimation of the vegetable fibres of the palm-trees that exist too much in our region and to introduce them scientifically in the domain of construction with taking into consideration the climatic conditions of the use. In this work, we will study the effect of the palm fibres on the mechanical characteristics of the concrete, such as: the strength of tensile by flexion.

  12. Comparison of plastic scintillating fibres and capillaries filled with liquid scintillator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardini, A.; Cavasinni, V.; Girolamo, B. di; Flaminio, V.; Golovkin, S.V.; Gorin, A.M.; Kulichenko, A.V.; Kushnirenko, A.E.; Pyshev, A.I.; Manuilov, I.; Vasilchenko, V.G.

    1994-01-01

    A comparison is made between the light yield, attenuation length, time response and light propagation speed in plastic scintillating fibres (SCSF-38 and Kuraray-3HF) and quartz capillaries filled with liquid scintillator (LS) 1-methilnaphthalene (1MN) doped with new dyes R45 and R39. The inner diameter of capillaries and diameter of plastic fibres is 0.5 mm. The number of photoelectrons detected at the far end (2 m) was 2.9 for capillaries filled with 1MN+3 g/l R45 while it was 1.8 times smaller in the case of SCSF-38 and 3 times smaller in the case of Kuraray 3HF plastic fibres. Taking into account the quantum efficiency of the photodetector used these reduction factors became 3.0 and 2.0, respectively. Good attenuation length, high light output and also excellent radiation resistance of capillaries filled with LS (>60 Mrad, measured elsewhere) show that they are a very promising alternative to plastic scintillating fibres for future applications in tracking detectors and calorimeters. ((orig.))

  13. Preliminary Design and Experimental Investigation of a Novel Pneumatic Conveying Method to Disperse Natural Fibers in Thermoset Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fahimian, Mahi; Kortschot, Mark; Sain, Mohini

    2016-01-01

    Natural fibers can be attractive reinforcing materials in thermosetting polymers due to their low density and high specific mechanical properties. Although the research effort in this area has grown substantially over the last 20 years, manufacturing technologies to make use of short natural fibers in high volume fraction composites; are still limited. Natural fibers, after retting and preprocessing, are discontinuous and easily form entangled bundles. Dispersion and mixing these short fibers with resin to manufacture high quality, high volume fraction composites presents a significant challenge. In this paper, a novel pneumatic design for dispersion of natural fibers in their original discontinuous form is described. In this design, compressed air is used to create vacuum to feed and convey fibres while breaking down fibre clumps and dispersing them in an aerosolized resin stream. Model composite materials, made using proof-of-concept prototype equipment, were imaged with both optical and X-ray tomography to evaluate fibre and resin dispersion. The images indicated that the system was capable of providing an intimate mixture of resin and detangled fibres for two different resin viscosities. The new pneumatic process could serve as the basis of a system to produce well-dispersed high-volume fraction composites containing discontinuous natural fibres drawn directly from a loosely packed source. PMID:28773670

  14. Preliminary Design and Experimental Investigation of a Novel Pneumatic Conveying Method to Disperse Natural Fibers in Thermoset Polymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahi Fahimian

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Natural fibers can be attractive reinforcing materials in thermosetting polymers due to their low density and high specific mechanical properties. Although the research effort in this area has grown substantially over the last 20 years, manufacturing technologies to make use of short natural fibers in high volume fraction composites; are still limited. Natural fibers, after retting and preprocessing, are discontinuous and easily form entangled bundles. Dispersion and mixing these short fibers with resin to manufacture high quality, high volume fraction composites presents a significant challenge. In this paper, a novel pneumatic design for dispersion of natural fibers in their original discontinuous form is described. In this design, compressed air is used to create vacuum to feed and convey fibres while breaking down fibre clumps and dispersing them in an aerosolized resin stream. Model composite materials, made using proof-of-concept prototype equipment, were imaged with both optical and X-ray tomography to evaluate fibre and resin dispersion. The images indicated that the system was capable of providing an intimate mixture of resin and detangled fibres for two different resin viscosities. The new pneumatic process could serve as the basis of a system to produce well-dispersed high-volume fraction composites containing discontinuous natural fibres drawn directly from a loosely packed source.

  15. Prediction of fibre architecture and adaptation in diseased carotid bifurcations.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Creane, Arthur

    2011-12-01

    Many studies have used patient-specific finite element models to estimate the stress environment in atherosclerotic plaques, attempting to correlate the magnitude of stress to plaque vulnerability. In complex geometries, few studies have incorporated the anisotropic material response of arterial tissue. This paper presents a fibre remodelling algorithm to predict the fibre architecture, and thus anisotropic material response in four patient-specific models of the carotid bifurcation. The change in fibre architecture during disease progression and its affect on the stress environment in the plaque were predicted. The mean fibre directions were assumed to lie at an angle between the two positive principal strain directions. The angle and the degree of dispersion were assumed to depend on the ratio of principal strain values. Results were compared with experimental observations and other numerical studies. In non-branching regions of each model, the typical double helix arterial fibre pattern was predicted while at the bifurcation and in regions of plaque burden, more complex fibre architectures were found. The predicted change in fibre architecture in the arterial tissue during plaque progression was found to alter the stress environment in the plaque. This suggests that the specimen-specific anisotropic response of the tissue should be taken into account to accurately predict stresses in the plaque. Since determination of the fibre architecture in vivo is a difficult task, the system presented here provides a useful method of estimating the fibre architecture in complex arterial geometries.

  16. Processing of fibre composites - challenges for maximum materials performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Madsen, B.; Lilholt, H.; Kusano, Y.; Faester, S.; Ralph, B. (eds.)

    2013-09-01

    The Proceedings book contains 9 invited papers and 26 contributed papers. Among the specific topics covered by the papers are (1) experiments and theoretical models for the analysis of resin rheology, resin cure kinetics, together with fibre assembly permeability for efficient mould filling, and optimisation of process conditions, (2) modelling of residual stresses generated during processing for control and minimization of shape distortion, (3) design and characterisation of the fibre/matrix interface, and the related technological techniques for surface treatment, (4) development of techniques and analyses for the characterisation of the process controlled volumetric composition and microstructural parameters, such as length and orientation of fibres, and the related effect on composite properties, (5) compaction behaviour of fibre assemblies, (6) new types of fibres and matrices, such as bio-based and at nano-scale, and their processing and properties, and finally, (7) comparative studies and systems for selection, monitoring and control of processes. (LN)

  17. Damping and tuning of the fibre violin modes in monolithic silica suspensions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gossler, S [Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein-Institute) and University of Hannover, Callinstr 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Cagnoli, G [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Crooks, D R M [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Lueck, H [Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein-Institute) and University of Hannover, Callinstr 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Rowan, S [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Smith, J R [Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein-Institute) and University of Hannover, Callinstr 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Strain, K A [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Hough, J [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Danzmann, K [Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein-Institute) and University of Hannover, Callinstr 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany)

    2004-03-07

    High Q mirror suspensions are a key element of the advanced interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. In December 2002 the last of the final interferometer optics of GEO 600 were monolithically suspended, using fused silica fibres. The violin modes of the suspension fibres can have Q greater than 10{sup 8} and can therefore interfere with the interferometer length control servo. Hence, the violin modes need to be damped, without degrading the pendulum Q itself. Furthermore, the frequency spread of the fibres used has to be small to allow for high Q notch filtering in the length control servo. The requirements for the violin modes of the two GEO 600 inboard suspensions are Q < 3 x 10{sup 6} for the fundamental and Q < 2 x 10{sup 6} for the first harmonic mode, respectively. The frequency spread should not exceed 10% within one mode. To accomplish that, two sections of the fibres were coated with amorphous Teflon. By applying the coating, the Q of the relevant modes can be degraded to the desired values and furthermore, the frequencies of these modes can be tuned almost independently with a good accuracy over a wide range. After welding the fibres in the monolithic suspension, a corrective coating was applied to some fibres, to compensate for the frequency spread due to the tension spread of the four fibres within a suspension. We present the method and the results achieved.

  18. Recycling C/PPS laminates into long fibre thermoplastic composites by low shear mixing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Bruijn, Thomas A.; Vincent, Guillaume Almire; van Hattum, Ferrie

    2017-01-01

    The increasing interest in continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites has resulted in a rise of industrial waste. The recycling of the waste is topic of this study, aiming at high mechanical properties by retaining both a long fibre length and the matrix material. Consolidated continuous

  19. Topological calculation of key parameters of fibre for production of foam concrete based on cement-free nanostructured binder

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KHARKHARDIN Anatoly Nikolaevich

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Fiber reinforcement is the process of introduction of fibers of different origins into binding system to enhance strength, stress-strain behavior of products and structures. Maximal effect of reinforcing process is possible when optimal parameters (length and consumption of fibre are determined. Moreover one need to consider particle-size composition and hardening process of binding system. In this paper the critical length of natural and sinthesized fibres as well as minimally required content in cellular systems is calculated with the mathematical apparatus of structural topology. As an example the foam concrete based on cement-free nanostructured binder with basalt fibre and microreinforcing constructional polymeric fibre is studied. Fiber diameter, refined with microstructure analysis, accomplished by SEM-microscopy and experimentally determined packing density in loose and compact state are applied as input parameters. Measurement of the fibre topological characteristics with acceptable is accomplished according to material porosity and pore size. So the minimal effective fibre length taking into account homogeneous distribution in bulk of composite matrix is less of 1 mm; minimal fibre consumption is 0,2–0,5 (by wt. %. Irrational optimization leads to unreasonable cost growth of final materials as well as formation of balling inclusions that negatively affects on final performance of composite.

  20. Light propagation in gas-filled kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Sílvia M. G.; Facão, Margarida; Ferreira, Mário F. S.

    2018-04-01

    We study the propagation of light in kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres (HC-PCFs) filled with three different noble gases, namely, helium, xenon and argon. Various properties, including the guided modes, the group-velocity dispersion, and the nonlinear parameter were determined. The zero dispersion wavelength and the nonlinear parameter vary with the gas pressure which may be used to tune the generation of new frequencies using the same pump laser and the same fibre. In the case of the kagomé HC-PCF filled with xenon, the zero dispersion wavelength shifts from 693 to 1973 nm when the pressure is increased from 1 to 150bar, while the effective Kerr nonlinearity becomes comparable to that of silica. We have simulated the propagation of femtosecond pulses launched at 790 nm in order to study the generation of supercontinuum and UV light in kagomé HC-PCFs filled with the noble gases.

  1. 3D in situ observations of glass fibre/matrix interfacial debonding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martyniuk, Karolina; Sørensen, Bent F.; Modregger, Peter

    2013-01-01

    X-ray microtomography was used for 3D in situ observations of the evolution of fibre/matrix interfacial debonding. A specimen with a single fibre oriented perpendicular to the tensile direction was tested at a synchrotron facility using a special loading rig which allowed for applying a load...... transverse to the fibre. Three distinguishable damage stages were observed: (i) interfacial debond initiation at the free surface, (ii) debond propagation from the surface into the specimen and (iii) unstable debonding along the full length of the scanned volume. The high resolution microtomography provides...

  2. Dynamical mass of a star cluster in M 83: a test of fibre-fed multi-object spectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moll, S.L.; Grijs, R.; Anders, P.; Crowther, P.A.; Larsen, S.S.; Smith, L.J.; Portegies Zwart, S.F.

    2008-01-01

    Aims. We obtained VLT/FLAMES+UVES high-resolution, fibre-fed spectroscopy of five young massive clusters (YMCs) in M 83 (NGC 5236). This forms the basis of a pilot study testing the feasibility of using fibre-fed spectroscopy to measure the velocity dispersions of several clusters simultaneously, in

  3. Dynamical mass of a star cluster in M 83: A test of fibre-fed multi-object spectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moll, S.L.; de Grijs, R.; Anders, P.; Crowther, P.A.; Larsen, S.S.; Smith, L.J.; Portegies Zwart, S.F.

    2008-01-01

    Aims. We obtained VLT/FLAMES+UVES high-resolution, fibre-fed spectroscopy of five young massive clusters (YMCs) in M 83 (NGC 5236). This forms the basis of a pilot study testing the feasibility of using fibre-fed spectroscopy to measure the velocity dispersions of several clusters simultaneously, in

  4. Engineering Performance of High Strength Concrete Containing Steel Fibre Reinforcement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md Azree Othuman Mydin

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The development and utilization of the high strength concrete in the construction industry have been increasing rapidly. Fiber reinforced concrete is introduced to overcome the weakness of the conventional concrete because concrete normally can crack under a low tensile force and it is known to be brittle. Steel fibre is proved to be the popular and best combination in the high strength concrete to result the best in the mechanical and durability properties of high strength concrete with consideration of curing time, steel fibre geometry, concrete grade and else more. The incorporation of steel fibre in the mortar mixture is known as steel fibre reinforced concrete have the potential to produce improvement in the workability, strength, ductility and the deformation of high strength concrete. Besides that, steel fibre also increases the tensile strength of concrete and improves the mechanical properties of the steel fibre reinforced concrete. The range for any high strength concrete is between 60MPa-100MPa. Steel fibre reinforced concrete which contains straight fibres has poorer physical properties than that containing hooked end stainless steel fibre due to the length and the hooked steel fibre provide a better effective aspects ratio. Normally, steel fibre tensile strength is in the range of 1100MPa-1700MPa. Addition of less steel fibre volumes in the range of 0.5% to 1.0% can produce better increase in the flexural fatigue strength. The strength can be increased with addition of steel fibre up to certain percentage. This paper will review and present some basic properties of steel fibre reinforced concrete such as mechanical, workability and durability properties.

  5. Latest developments in silica fibre luminescence dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bradley, D. A.; Abdul S, S. F.; Jafari, S. M.; Alanazi, A. [University of Surrey, Department of Physics, GU2 7XH Guildford, Surrey (United Kingdom); Amouzad M, G. [University of Malaya, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Integrated Lightwave Research Group, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Addul R, H. A.; Mizanur R, A. K. M.; Zubair, H. T.; Begum, M.; Yusoff, Z.; Omar, N. Y. M. [Multimedia University, Faculty of Engineering, 2010 Cyberjaya, Selangor (Malaysia); Maah, M. J. [University of Malaya, Department of Chemistry, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Collin, S. [National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 OLW Middlesex (United Kingdom); Mat-Sharif, K. A.; Muhd-Yassin, S. Z.; Zulkifli, M. I., E-mail: d.a.bradley@surrey.ac.uk [Telekom Malaysia Research and Development Sdn Bhd., 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2015-10-15

    Full text: Using tailor made sub-mm diameter doped-silica fibres, we are carrying out luminescence dosimetry studies for a range of situations, including thermoluminescence (Tl)investigations on a liquid alpha source formed of {sup 223}RaCl (the basis of the Bayer Health care product Xofigo), the Tl response to a 62 MeV proton source and Tl response to irradiation from an {sup 241}Am-Be neutron source. In regard to the former, in accord with the intrinsic high linear energy transfer (Let) and short path length (<100 um) of the α-particles in calcified tissue, the product is in part intended as a bone-seeking radionuclide for treatment of metastatic cancer, offering high specificity and efficacy. The Tl yield of Ge-doped SiO{sub 2} fibres has been investigated including for photonic crystal fibre un collapsed, flat fibres and single mode fibres, these systems offering many advantages over conventional passive dosimetry types. In particular, one can mention comparable and even superior sensitivity, an effective atomic number Z{sub eff} of the silica dosimetric material close to that of bone, and the glassy nature of the fibres offering the additional advantage of being able to place such dosimeters directly into liquid environments. Finally we review the use of our tailor made fibres for on-line radioluminescence measurements of radiotherapy beams. The outcome from these various lines of research is expected to inform development of doped fiber radiation dosimeters of versatile utility, ranging from clinical applications through to industrial studies and environmental evaluations. (Author)

  6. Filter media properties of mineral fibres produced by plasma spray.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasauskas, Tadas; Matulevicius, Jonas; Kliucininkas, Linas; Krugly, Edvinas; Valincius, Vitas; Martuzevicius, Dainius

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the properties of fibrous gas filtration media produced from mineral zeolite. Fibres were generated by direct current plasma spray. The paper characterizes morphology, chemical composition, geometrical structure of elementary fibres, and thermal resistance, as well as the filtration properties of fibre media. The diameter of the produced elementary fibres ranged from 0.17 to 0.90 μm and the length ranged from 0.025 to 5.1 mm. The release of fibres from the media in the air stream was noticed, but it was minimized by hot-pressing the formed fibre mats. The fibres kept their properties up to the temperature of 956°C, while further increase in temperature resulted in the filter media becoming shrunk and brittle. The filtration efficiency of the prepared filter mats ranged from 95.34% to 99.99% for aerosol particles ranging in a size between 0.03 and 10.0 μm. Unprocessed fibre media showed the highest filtration efficiency when filtering aerosol particles smaller than 0.1 µm. Hot-pressed filters were characterized by the highest quality factor values, ranging from 0.021 to 0.064 Pa(-1) (average value 0.034 Pa(-1)).

  7. Relationships between myonuclear domain size and fibre properties in the muscles of Thoroughbred horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawai, M; Kuwano, A; Hiraga, A; Miyata, H

    2010-11-01

    The myonuclear domain (MND) is the region of cytoplasm governed by a single myonucleus. Myonuclear domain size is an important factor for muscle fibre plasticity because each myonucleus has limitations in the capacity of protein synthesis. Previous studies have demonstrated that differences in MND size exist in different fibre types in several species, including horses. To understand the basic mechanism of muscle plasticity, the relationships between MND size, muscle fibre type population and metabolic properties of skeletal muscles throughout the whole body in Thoroughbred horses were examined. Post mortem samples were taken from 20 muscles in 3 Thoroughbred horses aged 3-5 years of age. Fibre type population was determined on serial cross sections of each muscle sample, stained for monoclonal antibodies to each myosin heavy chain isoform. Oxidative (succinic dehydrogenase; SDH) and glycolytic (phosphofructokinase; PFK) enzyme activities were determined spectrophotometrically in each muscle sample. Furthermore, 30 single fibres were isolated from each muscle under stereomicroscopy and then fibre volume and myonuclear number for a given length analysed under confocal microscopy. The MND size of each single fibre was measured after normalisation of sarcomere length to 2.8 µm by staining with membrane-specific dye. Immunohistochemical staining indicated that soleus, vastus lateralis and gluteus medius muscles had the highest percentage of type I, IIa and IIx muscle fibre, respectively. Biochemical analysis indicated highest activities of SDH and PFK in diaphragm and longissimus lumborum muscles, respectively. MNDs were largest in the splenius muscle and smallest in the soleus and masseter muscles. Myonuclear domain size is significantly related to type I muscle fibre population, but not to SDH activities of the muscles. The MND size of muscle fibre depends on fibre type population rather than mitochondrial enzyme activities. © 2010 EVJ Ltd.

  8. Biomimetic calcium phosphate coatings on recombinant spider silk fibres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang Liang; Habibovic, Pamela; Van Blitterswijk, Clemens A [Department of Tissue Regeneration, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Hedhammar, My; Johansson, Jan [Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Biomedical Centre, Box 575, 751 23 Uppsala (Sweden); Blom, Tobias; Leifer, Klaus [Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala University, Box 534, S-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2010-08-01

    Calcium phosphate ceramic coatings, applied on surfaces of metallic and polymeric biomaterials, can improve their performance in bone repair and regeneration. Spider silk is biocompatible, strong and elastic, and hence an attractive biomaterial for applications in connective tissue repair. Recently, artificial spider silk, with mechanical and structural characteristics similar to those of native spider silk, has been produced from recombinant minispidroins. In the present study, supersaturated simulated body fluid was used to deposit calcium phosphate coatings on recombinant spider silk fibres. The mineralization process was followed in time using scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) detector and Raman spectroscope. Focused ion beam technology was used to produce a cross section of a coated fibre, which was further analysed by EDX. Preliminary in vitro experiments using a culture of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on coated fibres were also performed. This study showed that recombinant spider silk fibres were successfully coated with a homogeneous and thick crystalline calcium phosphate layer. In the course of the mineralization process from modified simulated body fluid, sodium chloride crystals were first deposited on the silk surface, followed by the deposition of a calcium phosphate layer. The coated silk fibres supported the attachment and growth of hMSCs.

  9. Biomimetic calcium phosphate coatings on recombinant spider silk fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Liang; Habibovic, Pamela; Van Blitterswijk, Clemens A; Hedhammar, My; Johansson, Jan; Blom, Tobias; Leifer, Klaus

    2010-01-01

    Calcium phosphate ceramic coatings, applied on surfaces of metallic and polymeric biomaterials, can improve their performance in bone repair and regeneration. Spider silk is biocompatible, strong and elastic, and hence an attractive biomaterial for applications in connective tissue repair. Recently, artificial spider silk, with mechanical and structural characteristics similar to those of native spider silk, has been produced from recombinant minispidroins. In the present study, supersaturated simulated body fluid was used to deposit calcium phosphate coatings on recombinant spider silk fibres. The mineralization process was followed in time using scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) detector and Raman spectroscope. Focused ion beam technology was used to produce a cross section of a coated fibre, which was further analysed by EDX. Preliminary in vitro experiments using a culture of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on coated fibres were also performed. This study showed that recombinant spider silk fibres were successfully coated with a homogeneous and thick crystalline calcium phosphate layer. In the course of the mineralization process from modified simulated body fluid, sodium chloride crystals were first deposited on the silk surface, followed by the deposition of a calcium phosphate layer. The coated silk fibres supported the attachment and growth of hMSCs.

  10. Environmentally friendly procedure for in-situ coating of regenerated cellulose fibres with silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pivec, Tanja; Hribernik, Silvo; Kolar, Mitja; Kleinschek, Karin Stana

    2017-05-01

    This study introduces a novel green in-situ procedure for introduction of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on and into cellulose fibres in a three-stage process. First-stage of the process includes the activation of cellulose fibres in alkaline solution, followed by reduction of silver nitrate to Ag NPs in the second stage, while the last stage of process involves washing and neutralization of fibres. Efficiency of the method towards incorporation of silver particles into the fibres' internal structure was characterized; the coatings' morphology and determination of spatial presence of Ag particles were imagining by the scanning electron microscopy and accompanying energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis; prepared fibres have superior durability of particles' coating against washing and excellent antimicrobial activity even after 20 washing cycles. Additionally, the water retention of silver treated fibres was improved, while the mechanical properties were not significantly impaired. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Lion (Panthera leo) and caracal (Caracal caracal) type IIx single muscle fibre force and power exceed that of trained humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohn, Tertius A; Noakes, Timothy D

    2013-03-15

    This study investigated for the first time maximum force production, shortening velocity (Vmax) and power output in permeabilised single muscle fibres at 12°C from lion, Panthera leo (Linnaeus 1758), and caracal, Caracal caracal (Schreber 1776), and compared the values with those from human cyclists. Additionally, the use and validation of previously frozen tissue for contractile experiments is reported. Only type IIx muscle fibres were identified in the caracal sample, whereas type IIx and only two type I fibres were found in the lion sample. Only pure type I and IIa, and hybrid type IIax fibres were identified in the human samples - there were no pure type IIx fibres. Nevertheless, compared with all the human fibre types, the lion and caracal fibres were smaller (Plion: 3008±151 μm(2), caracal: 2583±221 μm(2)). On average, the felid type IIx fibres produced significantly greater force (191-211 kN m(-2)) and ~3 times more power (29.0-30.3 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)) than the human IIax fibres (100-150 kN m(-2), 4-11 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)). Vmax values of the lion type IIx fibres were also higher than those of human type IIax fibres. The findings suggest that the same fibre type may differ substantially between species and potential explanations are discussed.

  12. Investigating the sensitivity of PMMA optical fibres for use as an evanescent field absorption sensor in aqueous solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lye, P G; Boerkamp, M; Ernest, A; Lamb, D W

    2005-01-01

    Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) optical fibres are low-cost polymer fibres that are generally more physically robust than silica fibres, are more flexible, yet like silica fibres have the potential to be used for practical evanescent field absorption sensors in aqueous solutions. However, evanescent field absorption in aqueous solutions is influenced by more than just the specific absorptivity of the solution in question. The physical configuration of the optical fibre itself, as well as surface charge interactions between the fibre and the chromophore in the solution also significantly affects the sensitivity of the fibre to evanescent field absorption. This paper reports on an investigation of numerous physical phenomena that influence evanescent field absorption for PMMA fibres using an aqueous solution of the dye Amidoblack. Parameters investigated included fibre coiling configuration and bend radius, fibre interaction length, and effect of solution pH. Coiled fibres were found to be more sensitive to evanescent field absorption than straight (uncoiled) lengths, and sensitivity was found to increase with a further reduction in bend radius. At high solution pH, the absorption versus solution concentration proved to be linear whereas at low pH the absorption versus concentration relationship exhibited a clear deviation from linearity. The observed nonlinearity at low pH points to the importance of accounting for electrostatic interactions between chromophore and fibre surface when designing a PMMA sensor for evanescent field absorption measurements in aqueous solutions

  13. Influence of irrigation water types and stress levels on cotton fibre and yarn quality for different varieties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazar, A.; Ishaq, W.

    2012-01-01

    Cotton fibre quality is being deteriorated day by day due to various reasons and shortage/ poor quality of irrigation water is one of the reasons for the low quality of cotton fibre. The effect of the stress of water can be seen on the fibre length, strength and elongation. All these properties of fibre have also a significant influence on yarn characteristics and thus the yarn quality is also dependent on agronomic practices including irrigation. When new varieties are evolved it becomes necessary to examine such cotton varieties keenly, so that one which reflects maximum agricultural as well as industrial benefits can be recommended. The present study was planned to explore the spinning performance of various cotton varieties under different water quality treatments and water stress levels. Cotton of four varieties (CIM-501, CIM-496, CIM-499, and NIAB-111) under different types of irrigation water (canal water and tube well water) and different water stress levels (75ET, 100ET and 125ET) were selected for this research. The effect of these treatments was investigated on cotton fibre span length, strength and fibre elongation as well as on yarn quality. The study revealed that effect of different cotton varieties, water types and water stress levels on fibre and yarn quality was highly significant. Yarn characteristics showed greater values for the canal water similarly fibre length and elongations were better for canal water. Yarn tensile properties were decreased with increase in the water stress. The overall results indicated that the cotton variety NIAB-111 performed better as compared to other varieties. It is suggested that the cotton farmers may be trained by the agri. extension staff regarding maintenance of fibre quality through cultural practices and better irrigation techniques. (author)

  14. Fibre cables in the lacunae of Typha leaves contribute to a tensegrity structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witztum, Allan; Wayne, Randy

    2014-04-01

    Cables composed of long, non-lignified fibre cells enclosed in a cover of much shorter thin-walled, crystal-containing cells traverse the air chambers (lacunae) in leaves of the taller species of Typha. The non-lignified fibre cables are anchored in diaphragms composed of stellate cells of aerenchyma tissue that segment the long air chambers into smaller compartments. Although the fibre cables are easily observed and can be pulled free from the porous-to-air diaphragms, their structure and function have been ignored or misinterpreted. Leaves of various species of Typha were dissected and fibre cables were pulled free and observed with a microscope using bright-field and polarizing optics. Maximal tensile strength of freshly removed cables was measured by hanging weights from fibre cables, and Instron analysis was used to produce curves of load versus extension until cables broke. Polarized light microscopy revealed that the cellulose microfibrils that make up the walls of the cable fibres are oriented parallel to the long axis of the fibres. This orientation ensures that the fibre cables are mechanically stiff and strong under tension. Accordingly, the measured stiffness and tensile strength of the fibre cables were in the gigapascal range. In combination with the dorsal and ventral leaf surfaces and partitions that contain lignified fibre bundles and vascular strands that are strong in compression, the very fine fibre cables that are strong under tension form a tensegrity structure. The tensegrity structure creates multiple load paths through which stresses are redistributed throughout the 1-3 m tall upright leaves of Typha angustifolia, T. latifolia, T. × glauca, T. domingensis and T. shuttleworthii. The length of the fibre cables relative to the length of the leaf blades is reduced in the last-formed leaves of flowering individuals. Fibre cables are absent in the shorter leaves of Typha minima and, if present, only extend for a few centimetres from the sheath

  15. The fibre bundle anatomy of human cruciate ligaments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mommersteeg, T. J.; Kooloos, J. G.; Blankevoort, L.; Kauer, J. M.; Huiskes, R.; Roeling, F. Q.

    1995-01-01

    The cruciate ligaments of the knee consist of numerous fascicles, groups of which comprise fibre bundles. The stabilising function of these ligaments is established by changes in the lengths and orientations of the fascicles. Understanding the function of knee ligaments thus requires an

  16. Microstructure and mechanical performance of modified mortar using hemp fibres and carbon nanotubes

    KAUST Repository

    Hamzaoui, Rabah

    2014-04-01

    Mechanical performance of modified mortar using hemp fibres is studied following various processing conditions. Hemp fibres combined with carbon nanotubes (CNT) are introduced in mortar and their effect is studied as function of curing time. The cement phase is replaced by different percentages of dry or wet hemp fibres ranging from 1.1. wt% up to 3.1. wt% whereas carbon nanotubes are dispersed in the aqueous solution. Our experimental results show that compressive and flexural strengths of wet fibres modified mortar are higher than those for dry hemp-mortar material. The achieved optimal percentage of wet hemp fibres is 2.1. wt% allowing a flexural strength higher than that of reference mortar. The addition of an optimal CNT concentration (0.01. wt%) combined with wet hemp has a reinforcing effect which turns to be related to an improvement of compressive and flexural strengths by 10% and 24%, respectively, in comparison with reference condition. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Toward a multipoint optical fibre sensor system for use in process water systems based on artificial neural network pattern recognition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, D; Lyons, W B; Flanagan, C; Lewis, E

    2005-01-01

    An optical fibre sensor capable of detecting various concentrations of ethanol in water supplies is reported. The sensor is based on a U-bend sensor configuration and is incorporated into a 170-metre length of silica cladding silica core optical fibre. The sensor is interrogated using Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) and it is proposed to apply artificial neural network (ANN) pattern recognition techniques to the resulting OTDR signals to accurately classify the sensor test conditions. It is also proposed that additional U-bend configuration sensors will be added to the fibre measurement length, in order to implement a multipoint optical fibre sensor system

  18. Effect of a 17 day spaceflight on contractile properties of human soleus muscle fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widrick, J. J.; Knuth, S. T.; Norenberg, K. M.; Romatowski, J. G.; Bain, J. L.; Riley, D. A.; Karhanek, M.; Trappe, S. W.; Trappe, T. A.; Costill, D. L.; hide

    1999-01-01

    1. Soleus biopsies were obtained from four male astronauts 45 days before and within 2 h after a 17 day spaceflight. 2. For all astronauts, single chemically skinned post-flight fibres expressing only type I myosin heavy chain (MHC) developed less average peak Ca2+ activated force (Po) during fixed-end contractions (0.78 +/- 0. 02 vs. 0.99 +/- 0.03 mN) and shortened at a greater mean velocity during unloaded contractions (Vo) (0.83 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.64 +/- 0.02 fibre lengths s-1) than pre-flight type I fibres. 3. The flight-induced decline in absolute Po was attributed to reductions in fibre diameter and/or Po per fibre cross-sectional area. Fibres from the astronaut who experienced the greatest relative loss of peak force also displayed a reduction in Ca2+ sensitivity. 4. The elevated Vo of the post-flight slow type I fibres could not be explained by alterations in myosin heavy or light chain composition. One alternative possibility is that the elevated Vo resulted from an increased myofilament lattice spacing. This hypothesis was supported by electron micrographic analysis demonstrating a reduction in thin filament density post-flight. 5. Post-flight fibres shortened at 30 % higher velocities than pre-flight fibres at external loads associated with peak power output. This increase in shortening velocity either reduced (2 astronauts) or prevented (2 astronauts) a post-flight loss in fibre absolute peak power (microN (fibre length) s-1). 6. The changes in soleus fibre diameter and function following spaceflight were similar to those observed after 17 days of bed rest. Although in-flight exercise countermeasures probably reduced the effects of microgravity, the results support the idea that ground-based bed rest can serve as a model of human spaceflight. 7. In conclusion, 17 days of spaceflight decreased force and increased shortening velocity of single Ca2+-activated muscle cells expressing type I MHC. The increase in shortening velocity greatly reduced the impact

  19. Influence of low shear mixing settings on the mechanical properties of long glass fibre polypropylene

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Bruijn, Thomas A.; Vincent, Guillaume Almire; van Hattum, Ferrie

    2017-01-01

    The influence of several mixing settings on the mechanical properties were studied. A Long fibre thermoplastic glass polypropylene material was mixed, compression moulded and analysed by flexural tests and charpy impact. In a low-shear mixing machine, chosen for limited fibre length degradation, six

  20. Properties of hemp fibre polymer composites - An optimisation of fibre properties using novel defibration methods and fibre characterisation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thygesen, Anders

    2006-01-01

    Characterization of hemp fibres was carried out with fibres obtained with low handling damage and defibration damage to get an indication of how strong cellulose based fibres that can be produced from hemp. Comparison was made with hemp yarn producedunder traditional conditions where damage...... obtained by steam explosion of hemp fibres prior defibrated with pectin degrading enzymes. The S2 layer in the fibre wall of the hemp fibres consisted of1-4 cellulose rich and lignin poor concentric layers constructed of ca. 100 nm thick lamellae. The microfibril angle showed values in the range 0......-10° for the main part of the S2-layer and 70-90° for the S1-layer. The microfibrils that are mainly parallelwith the fibre axis explain the high fibre stiffness, which in defibrated hemp fibres reached 94 GPa. The defibrated hemp fibres had higher fibre stiffness (88-94 GPa) than hemp yarn (60 GPa), which...

  1. Post-cracking Behaviour and Fracture Energy of Synthetic Fibre Reinforced Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta KOSIOR-KAZBERUK

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The paper reports the results of experimental programme focused on the effect of various synthetic fibres on fracture properties and ductility of concrete. The fracture energy was assessed on beams with initial notches in three-point bend test. The incorporation of synthetic fibres had a slight effect on mechanical properties of concrete but, at the same time, it had a significant influence on the fracture energy by modification of post-cracking behaviour of concrete. It was found that the modern synthetic fibres might be able to impart significant toughness and ductility to concrete. However, the beneficial effect of fibres depends on their length and flexibility. The analysis of load-deflection curves obtained made it possible to fit the simple function, describing the post-peak behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete, which can be useful for the calculation of GF value.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.4.13246

  2. The expression of the skeletal muscle force-length relationship in vivo: a simulation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter, Samantha L; Challis, John H

    2010-02-21

    The force-length relationship is one of the most important mechanical characteristics of skeletal muscle in humans and animals. For a physiologically realistic joint range of motion and therefore range of muscle fibre lengths only part of the force-length curve may be used in vivo, i.e. only a section of the force-length curve is expressed. A generalised model of a mono-articular muscle-tendon complex was used to examine the effect of various muscle architecture parameters on the expressed section of the force-length relationship for a 90 degrees joint range of motion. The parameters investigated were: the ratio of tendon resting length to muscle fibre optimum length (L(TR):L(F.OPT)) (varied from 0.5 to 11.5), the ratio of muscle fibre optimum length to average moment arm (L(F.OPT):r) (varied from 0.5 to 5), the normalised tendon strain at maximum isometric force (c) (varied from 0 to 0.08), the muscle fibre pennation angle (theta) (varied from 0 degrees to 45 degrees) and the joint angle at which the optimum muscle fibre length occurred (phi). The range of values chosen for each parameter was based on values reported in the literature for five human mono-articular muscles with different functional roles. The ratios L(TR):L(F.OPT) and L(F.OPT):r were important in determining the amount of variability in the expressed section of the force-length relationship. The modelled muscle operated over only one limb at intermediate values of these two ratios (L(TR):L(F.OPT)=5; L(F.OPT):r=3), whether this was the ascending or descending limb was determined by the precise values of the other parameters. It was concluded that inter-individual variability in the expressed section of the force-length relationship is possible, particularly for muscles with intermediate values of L(TR):L(F.OPT) and L(F.OPT):r such as the brachialis and vastus lateralis. Understanding the potential for inter-individual variability in the expressed section is important when using muscle models to

  3. Performance of Hot Mix Asphalt Mixture Incorporating Kenaf Fibre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hainin, M. R.; Idham, M. K.; Yaro, N. S. A.; Hussein, S. O. A. E.; Warid, M. N. M.; Mohamed, A.; Naqibah, S. N.; Ramadhansyah, P. J.

    2018-04-01

    Kenaf fibre has been recognised to increase the strength of concrete, but its application in asphalt concrete is still unanswered. This research investigated the performance of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) incorporated with different percentages of kenaf fibre (0.1 %, 0.2% and 0.3% by weight of dry aggregate) in term of resilient modulus, rutting performance using Asphalt Pavement analyser (APA) and moisture damage using the Modified Lottman test (AASHTO-T283). The fibre was interweaved to a diameter of about 5-10 mm and length of 30 mm which is three times the nominal maximum aggregate size used in the mix. Asphaltic mixtures of asphalt concrete (AC) 10 were prepared and compacted using Marshall compactor which were subsequently tested to evaluate the resilient modulus and moisture susceptibility. Twelve cylindrical specimens (150mm diameter) from AC10, two control samples with two modified ones for each percentage of kenaf fibres compacted using Gyratory compactor were used for rutting test using APA. The laboratory results reveal that the addition of kenaf fibres slightly reduce the resilient modulus of the mixes and that asphaltic mix with 0.3% kenaf fibre can mitigate both rutting and moisture damage which makes the pavement more sustain to the loads applied even in the presence of water. 0.3% kenaf fibre content is considered to be the optimal content which had the least rut depth and the highest TSR of 81.07%. Based on grid analysis, addition of 0.3% kenaf fibre in asphaltic concrete was recommended in modifying the samples.

  4. Effect of gamma rays on fibre of sida rhombifolia Linn

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dnyansagar, V.R.

    1975-01-01

    It was reported long back that the stem fibre of Sida rhombifolia might be advantageously employed for many purposes. A study was, therefore, undertaken to study the effect of gamma rays on plants of this species raised from irradiated seeds to assess its value with reference to its fibre and as a substitute for jute. The fibres were extracted from stems of Sida rhombifolia and their characters were compared with those obtained from the plants raised from seeds irradiated at different doses of gamma rays ranging from 5,000 R to 35,000 R. The physical tests such as length and diameter of ultimate cells, intrinsic strength, elongation percentage at break were applied while the chemical tests were based on the estimation of ash, cellulose, lignin, fat and wax contents of fibres. The results indicate that the fibres of plants raised from seeds irradiated at 20,000 R, are stronger than those of control. Their strength reaches the value of those of Corchorus species and their cellulose content is more than that in Corchorus. (author)

  5. Plasmon-enhanced refractometry using silver nanowire coatings on tilted fibre Bragg gratings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bialiayeu, A; Bottomley, A; Prezgot, D; Ianoul, A; Albert, J

    2012-11-09

    A novel technique for increasing the sensitivity of tilted fibre Bragg grating (TFBG) based refractometers is presented. The TFBG sensor was coated with chemically synthesized silver nanowires ~100 nm in diameter and several micrometres in length. A 3.5-fold increase in sensor sensitivity was obtained relative to the uncoated TFBG sensor. This increase is associated with the excitation of surface plasmons by orthogonally polarized fibre cladding modes at wavelengths near 1.5 μm. Refractometric information is extracted from the sensor via the strong polarization dependence of the grating resonances using a Jones matrix analysis of the transmission spectrum of the fibre.

  6. Tensile strength of glass fibres with carbon nanotube–epoxy nanocomposite coating: Effects of CNT morphology and dispersion state

    OpenAIRE

    Siddiqui, Naveed A.; Li, Erin L.; Sham, Man-Lung; Tang, Ben Zhong; Gao, Shang Lin; Mäder, Edith; Kim, Jang-Kyo

    2010-01-01

    A study has been made of a concept of 'healing' coatings applied onto the brittle fibre surface to reduce the stress concentrations and thus to improve the reinforcing efficiency in a composite. Coatings made from neat epoxy and carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced epoxy nanocomposite were applied onto the individual glass fibres as well as rovings. It is shown that the 0.3 wt.% CNT–epoxy nanocomposite coating gave rise to a significant increase in tensile strength of the single fibre for all gau...

  7. Modelling of the nonlinear soliton dynamics in the ring fibre cavity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razukov, Vadim A.; Melnikov, Leonid A.

    2018-04-01

    Using the cabaret method numerical realization, long-time spatio-temporal dynamics of the electromagnetic field in a nonlinear ring fibre cavity with dispersion is investigated during the hundreds of round trips. Formation of both the temporal cavity solitons and irregular pulse trains is demonstrated and discussed.

  8. Crystal structure of the fibre head domain of the Atadenovirus Snake Adenovirus 1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abhimanyu K Singh

    Full Text Available Adenoviruses are non-enveloped icosahedral viruses with trimeric fibre proteins protruding from their vertices. There are five known genera, from which only Mastadenoviruses have been widely studied. Apart from studying adenovirus as a biological model system and with a view to prevent or combat viral infection, there is a major interest in using adenovirus for vaccination, cancer therapy and gene therapy purposes. Adenoviruses from the Atadenovirus genus have been isolated from squamate reptile hosts, ruminants and birds and have a characteristic gene organization and capsid morphology. The carboxy-terminal virus-distal fibre head domains are likely responsible for primary receptor recognition. We determined the high-resolution crystal structure of the Snake Adenovirus 1 (SnAdV-1 fibre head using the multi-wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD method. Despite the absence of significant sequence homology, this Atadenovirus fibre head has the same beta-sandwich propeller topology as other adenovirus fibre heads. However, it is about half the size, mainly due to much shorter loops connecting the beta-strands. The detailed structure of the SnAdV-1 fibre head and other animal adenovirus fibre heads, together with the future identification of their natural receptors, may lead to the development of new strategies to target adenovirus vectors to cells of interest.

  9. The electro-structural behaviour of yarn-like carbon nanotube fibres immersed in organic liquids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terrones, Jeronimo; Windle, Alan H; Elliott, James A

    2014-01-01

    Yarn-like carbon nanotube (CNT) fibres are a hierarchically-structured material with a variety of promising applications such as high performance composites, sensors and actuators, smart textiles, and energy storage and transmission. However, in order to fully realize these possibilities, a more detailed understanding of their interactions with the environment is required. In this work, we describe a simplified representation of the hierarchical structure of the fibres from which several mathematical models are constructed to explain electro-structural interactions of fibres with organic liquids. A balance between the elastic and surface energies of the CNT bundle network in different media allows the determination of the maximum lengths that open junctions can sustain before collapsing to minimize the surface energy. This characteristic length correlates well with the increase of fibre resistance upon immersion in organic liquids. We also study the effect of charge accumulation in open interbundle junctions and derive expressions to describe experimental data on the non-ohmic electrical behaviour of fibres immersed in polar liquids. Our analyses suggest that the non-ohmic behaviour is caused by progressively shorter junctions collapsing as the voltage is increased. Since our models are not based on any property unique to carbon nanotubes, they should also be useful to describe other hierarchical structures. (paper)

  10. X-Ray Investigation and Strength Measurement of Steel Fibre Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete Beams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ponikiewski Tomasz

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a study on self-compacting concrete with two types of steel fibres. Under consideration was the effect the method of forming of beam elements has on the distribution of steel fibres. Formed we beams of dimensions 120×15×15 cm3 and 180×15×15 cm3. The self-compacting mixture contained steel fibres of varying lengths (35 and 50 mm and varying levels of their volume ratio in the mix (0.5% - 1.0% - 1.5%.

  11. Student laboratory experiments exploring optical fibre communication systems, eye diagrams, and bit error rates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, Douglas; Moodie, David; Mauchline, Iain; Conner, Steve; Johnstone, Walter; Culshaw, Brian

    2005-06-01

    Optical fibre communications has proved to be one of the key application areas, which created, and ultimately propelled the global growth of the photonics industry over the last twenty years. Consequently the teaching of the principles of optical fibre communications has become integral to many university courses covering photonics technology. However to reinforce the fundamental principles and key technical issues students examine in their lecture courses and to develop their experimental skills, it is critical that the students also obtain hands-on practical experience of photonics components, instruments and systems in an associated teaching laboratory. In recognition of this need OptoSci, in collaboration with university academics, commercially developed a fibre optic communications based educational package (ED-COM). This educator kit enables students to; investigate the characteristics of the individual communications system components (sources, transmitters, fibre, receiver), examine and interpret the overall system performance limitations imposed by attenuation and dispersion, conduct system design and performance analysis. To further enhance the experimental programme examined in the fibre optic communications kit, an extension module to ED-COM has recently been introduced examining one of the most significant performance parameters of digital communications systems, the bit error rate (BER). This add-on module, BER(COM), enables students to generate, evaluate and investigate signal quality trends by examining eye patterns, and explore the bit-rate limitations imposed on communication systems by noise, attenuation and dispersion. This paper will examine the educational objectives, background theory, and typical results for these educator kits, with particular emphasis on BER(COM).

  12. Research on test of alkali-resistant glass fibre enhanced seawater coral aggregate concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Leiyang; Wang, Xingquan

    2017-12-01

    It is proposed in the 13th five-year plan that reefs of the south China sea should be constructed. In the paper, an innovative thinking was proposed for the first time in order to realize local material acquisition in island construction and life dependence on sea, namely alkali-resistant glass fibre is mixed in coralaggregate concrete as reinforcing material. The glass fibre is characterized by low price, low hardness, good dispersibility and convenient construction. Reliable guarantee is provided for widely applying the material in future projects. In the paper, an orthogonal test method is firstly applied to determine the mix proportion of grade C50 coral aggregate concrete. Then, the design plan ofmix proportion of alkali-resistant glass fibre enhanced seawater coral aggregate concrete is determined. Finally, the influence law of alkali-resistant glass fibre dosageon tensile compressiveflexture strength of seawatercoralaggregate concrete is made clear.

  13. Shrinking of bumps by drawing scintillating fibres through a hot conical tool

    CERN Document Server

    Rodrigues Cavalcante, Ana Barbara; Gavardi, Laura; Joram, Christian; Kristic, Robert; Pierschel, Gerhard; Schneider, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    The LHCb SciFi tracker will be based on scintillating fibres with a nominal diameter of 250 $\\mu$m. A small length fraction of these fibres shows millimetre-scale fluctuations of the diameter, also known as bumps and necks. In particular, bumps exceeding a diameter of about 350 $\\mu$m are problematic as they can distort the winding pattern of the fibre mats over more extended regions. We present a method to reduce the diameter of large bumps to a diameter of 350 $\\mu$m by locally heating and pulling the fibre through a conical tool. The method has been proven to work for bumps up to 450 – 500 $\\mu$m diameter. Larger bumps need to be treated manually by a cut-and-glue technique which relies on UV-curing instant glue. The bump shrinking and cut-and-glue processes were integrated in a fibre diameter scanner at CERN. The central scanning and bump shrinking of all fibres is expected to minimise bump related issues at the four mat winding centres of the SciFi project.

  14. In vitro acellular dissolution of mineral fibres: A comparative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gualtieri, Alessandro F; Pollastri, Simone; Bursi Gandolfi, Nicola; Gualtieri, Magdalena Lassinantti

    2018-05-04

    The study of the mechanisms by which mineral fibres promote adverse effects in both animals and humans is a hot topic of multidisciplinary research with many aspects that still need to be elucidated. Besides length and diameter, a key parameter that determines the toxicity/pathogenicity of a fibre is biopersistence, one component of which is biodurability. In this paper, biodurability of mineral fibres of social and economic importance (chrysotile, amphibole asbestos and fibrous erionite) has been determined for the first time in a systematic comparative way from in vitro acellular dissolution experiments. Dissolution was possible using the Gamble solution as simulated lung fluid (pH = 4 and at body temperature) so to reproduce the macrophage phagolysosome environment. The investigated mineral fibres display very different dissolution rates. For a 0.25 μm thick fibre, the calculated dissolution time of chrysotile is in the range 94-177 days, very short if compared to that of amphibole fibres (49-245 years), and fibrous erionite (181 years). Diffraction and SEM data on the dissolution products evidence that chrysotile rapidly undergoes amorphization with the formation of a nanophasic silica-rich fibrous metastable pseudomorph as first dissolution step whereas amphibole asbestos and fibrous erionite show minor signs of dissolution even after 9-12 months.

  15. Experimental observations of stray current effects on steel fibres embedded in mortar

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Solgaard, A.O.S.; Carsana, M.; Geiker, M.R.

    2013-01-01

    It is known that stray direct current can cause corrosive damage over time to bar reinforced concrete, but knowledge on the consequences to steel fibre reinforced concrete is limited. This paper presents analyses and corresponding results from an experimental program (parametric study) investigat......It is known that stray direct current can cause corrosive damage over time to bar reinforced concrete, but knowledge on the consequences to steel fibre reinforced concrete is limited. This paper presents analyses and corresponding results from an experimental program (parametric study......) investigating the conditions required for current to be picked up by embedded steel fibres or reinforcement (rebars). The experiments showed that there is a clear ‘length effect’ related to the susceptibility of stray current being picked up by embedded steel (fibres or rebars): the shorter the reinforcement...

  16. FULL LENGTH RESEARCH ARTICLE Adamu & Babatunde (2008 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Dr. Ahmed

    standards which now appear in BS 1006 (standard method 1978). These properties are fundamental in the ... to increase its affinity for disperse colours and make it possible to dye the fibre easily. Determination of dye ... Colour fastness to washing test results are shown in Table 4. The procedure was also repeated for dye ...

  17. Plasmon-enhanced refractometry using silver nanowire coatings on tilted fibre Bragg gratings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bialiayeu, A; Albert, J; Bottomley, A; Prezgot, D; Ianoul, A

    2012-01-01

    A novel technique for increasing the sensitivity of tilted fibre Bragg grating (TFBG) based refractometers is presented. The TFBG sensor was coated with chemically synthesized silver nanowires ∼100 nm in diameter and several micrometres in length. A 3.5-fold increase in sensor sensitivity was obtained relative to the uncoated TFBG sensor. This increase is associated with the excitation of surface plasmons by orthogonally polarized fibre cladding modes at wavelengths near 1.5 μm. Refractometric information is extracted from the sensor via the strong polarization dependence of the grating resonances using a Jones matrix analysis of the transmission spectrum of the fibre. (paper)

  18. The Influence of Fibre Content on the Performance of Steel Fibre ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Influence of Fibre Content on the Performance of Steel Fibre Refractory Concrete. ... Little information is available on the effect of fibre content on refractory performance and in particular resistance to thermal shock. This study has examined the influence of fibre content of stainless steel melt extract fibres on the ...

  19. Distributed strain measurement in perfluorinated polymer optical fibres using optical frequency domain reflectometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liehr, Sascha; Wendt, Mario; Krebber, Katerina

    2010-01-01

    We present the latest advances in distributed strain measurement in perfluorinated polymer optical fibres (POFs) using backscatter techniques. Compared to previously introduced poly(methyl methacrylate) POFs, the measurement length can be extended to more than 500 m at improved spatial resolution of a few centimetres. It is shown that strain in a perfluorinated POF can be measured up to 100%. In parallel to these investigations, the incoherent optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) technique is introduced to detect strained fibre sections and to measure distributed length change along the fibre with sub-millimetre resolution by applying a cross-correlation algorithm to the backscatter signal. The overall superior performance of the OFDR technique compared to the optical time domain reflectometry in terms of accuracy, dynamic range, spatial resolution and measurement speed is presented. The proposed sensor system is a promising technique for use in structural health monitoring applications where the precise detection of high strain is required

  20. The relationship between hardness to the tensile properties of kenaf/ unsaturated polyester composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaztar, Muhammad Mustakim Mohd; Romli, Ahmad Zafir; Ibrahim, Nik Noor Idayu Nik

    2017-12-01

    The level of fibre-matrix interaction and consolidation are essential aspects to determine the composite deformation but, less attention is given to the effect of small fibre weight increment (5 wt%), chemical treatment coalition (NaOH/ silane), fibre's length and aspect ratio to the physical and mechanical properties of the composite. Hence, this paper studies the correlation between these parameters towards hardness and tensile properties of Kenaf fibre and unsaturated polyester (UP) matrix. The study was carried out by fabricating the sample into two (2) types of fibre categories and fibre loadings and tested to determine its properties. The results showed that the hardness and tensile stress were significantly influenced by the fibre loading and dispersion of the fabricated samples. At low filler loading, the treated samples for both fibre sizes showed lower hardness property compared to the untreated samples. The chemical treatment coalition might diffuse out the pectin and hemicellulose which affect the ability of the fibre to absorb the force applied by the hardness indenter. Good fibre dispersion observed for the treated samples also resulted in the fibre-dominating composite system where the fibres were efficiently absorbed and distributed the indentation force. However, chemical treatments and good fibre dispersion contributed to the higher tensile stress of the treated fibre samples especially for smaller fibre length and aspect ratio compared to the untreated samples. At high fibre loading, treated fibre samples showed higher hardness property compared to the untreated samples since the treatment resulted in better fibre wetting by the matrix and the formation of pack structure. However, high fibre loading caused the mutual abrasion among the fibre which led to the lower tensile stress compared to the low fibre loading samples. In conclusion, by understanding the factors that influenced the reinforcing mechanism of the composite, the inconsistency of

  1. Muscle fibre types of fishes : structural and functional specialization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akster, H.A.

    1984-01-01

    Muscles of fishes are active in a variety of movements that differ in velocity, duration and excursion length. To investigate how muscles meet the, often conflicting, demands imposed upon them by these movements, the fibre type composition of several muscles was determined. The ultrastructural and

  2. Oxidation of lignin in hemp fibres by laccase: effects on mechanical properties of hemp fibres and unidirectional fibre/epoxy composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Ming; Baum, Andreas; Odermatt, Jürgen

    2017-01-01

    Laccase activity catalyzes oxidation and polymerization of phenols. The effect of laccase treatment on the mechanical properties of hemp fibres and hemp fibre/epoxy composites was examined. Laccase treatment on top of 0.5% EDTA + 0.2% endo-polygalacturonase (EPG) treatments increased the mechanical...... properties of hemp fibres and fibre/epoxy composites. Comparing all fibre treatments, composites with 0.5% EDTA + 0.2% EPG + 0.5% laccase treated fibres had highest stiffness of 42 GPa and highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 326 MPa at a fibre volume content of 50%. The thermal resistance of hemp...... hemp fibres and their composites were due to laccase catalyzed polymerization of lignin moieties in hemp fibres....

  3. BEHAVIOUR OF UNREINFORCED EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE (EPS-LWC WALL PANEL ENHANCED WITH STEEL FIBRE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ROHANA MAMAT

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study used steel fibre as reinforcement while enhancing the EPS-LWC strength. In line with architectural demand and ventilation requirement, opening within wall panel was also taken into account. Experimental tests were conducted for reinforced and unreinforced EPS-LWC wall panel. Two samples with size of 1500 mm (height x 1000 mm (length x 75 mm (thickness for each group of wall panel were prepared. Samples in each group had opening size of 600 mm (height x 400 mm (length located at 350 mm and 550 mm from upper end respectively. EPS-LWC wall panel had fcu of 20.87 N/mm2 and a density of 1900 kg/m3. The loading capacity, displacement profiles and crack pattern of each sample was analyzed and discussed. Unreinforced EPS-LWC enhanced with steel fibre resist almost similar loading as reinforced EPS-LWC wall panel. The presence of steel fibre as the only reinforcement creates higher lateral displacement. Wall panel experience shear failure at the side of opening. The number of micro cracks reduces significantly due to presence of steel fibre.

  4. An optimal method for producing low-stress fibre optic cables for astronomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Graham; Tamura, Naoyuki; Takato, Naruhisa; Ekpenyong, Paul; Jenkins, Daniel; Leeson, Kim; Trezise, Shaun; Butterley, Timothy; Gunn, James; Ferreira, Decio; Oliveira, Ligia; Sodre, Laerte

    2017-09-01

    An increasing number of astronomical spectrographs employ optical fibres to collect and deliver light. For integral-field and high multiplex multi-object survey instruments, fibres offer unique flexibility in instrument design by enabling spectrographs to be located remotely from the telescope focal plane where the fibre inputs are deployed. Photon-starved astronomical observations demand optimum efficiency from the fibre system. In addition to intrinsic absorption loss in optical fibres, another loss mechanism, so-called focal ratio degradation (FRD) must be considered. A fundamental cause of FRD is stress, therefore low stress fibre cables that impart minimum FRD are essential. The FMOS fibre instrument for Subaru Telescope employed a highly effective cable solution developed at Durham University. The method has been applied again for the PFS project, this time in collaboration with a company, PPC Broadband Ltd. The process, planetary stranding, is adapted from the manufacture of large fibre-count, large diameter marine telecommunications cables. Fibre bundles describe helical paths through the cable, incorporating additional fibre per unit length. As a consequence fibre stress from tension and bend-induced `race-tracking' is minimised. In this paper stranding principles are explained, covering the fundamentals of stranded cable design. The authors describe the evolution of the stranding production line and the numerous steps in the manufacture of the PFS prototype cable. The results of optical verification tests are presented for each stage of cable production, confirming that the PFS prototype performs exceptionally well. The paper concludes with an outline of future on-telescope test plans.

  5. Spectrofluorimetry with attomole sensitivity in photonic crystal fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Gareth O S; Jones, Anita C; Euser, Tijmen G; Russell, Philip St J

    2013-01-01

    We report the use of photonic crystal fibres (PCF) as spectrofluorimetric systems in which sample solutions are excited within the microstructure of the fibre. The use of intra-fibre excitation has several advantages that combine to enable highly sensitive measurements of fluorescence spectra and lifetimes: long path-lengths are achieved by the efficient guidance of the fundamental mode; sample volumes contained within the micron-scale structure are very small, only a few nanolitres per cm of path; collection and guidance of the emitted fluorescence is efficient and the fluorescence lifetime is unperturbed. Fluorophores in bulk solution can be studied in hollow core PCF, whereas the use of PCF with a suspended, solid core enables selective excitation of molecules in close proximity to the silica surface, through interaction with the evanescent field. We demonstrate the measurement of fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetimes in each of these excitation regimes and report the detection of attomole quantities of fluorescein. (paper)

  6. Mechanical and biotechnical fractionating of field biomasses into different fibre fractions; Peltobiomassojen mekaaninen ja biotekninen fraktiointi eri kuitujakeisiin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vilppunen, P.; Aaltonen, H.; Sohlo, J. [Oulu Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Process Engineering

    1997-12-01

    Separation processes for energy and fibre fractions, predominantly those for seed flax, using traditional pulp classifiers and the new pressure classifier process were studied in the wet-separation part of the project. A combined plant fibre further-refining process, based on mechanical and biotechnical separation, operating on the basis of fibre length, was developed on the basis of dry and wet fraction tests. (orig.)

  7. THE USE OF SISAL FIBRE AS REINFORCEMENT IN CEMENT BASED COMPOSITES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romildo Dias Tolêdo Filho

    1999-08-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The inclusion of fibre reinforcement in concrete, mortar and cement paste can enhance many of the engineering properties of the basic materials, such as fracture toughness, flexural strength and resistance to fatigue, impact, thermal shock and spalling. In recent years, a great deal of interest has been created worldwide on the potential applications of natural fibre reinforced, cement based composites. Investigations have been carried out in many countries on various mechanical properties, physical performance and durability of cement based matrices reinforced with naturally occurring fibres including sisal, coconut, jute, bamboo and wood fibres. These fibres have always been considered promising as reinforcement of cement based matrices because of their availability, low cost and low consumption of energy. In this review, the general properties of the composites are described in relation to fibre content, length, strength and stiffness. A chronological development of sisal fibre reinforced, cement based matrices is reported and experimental data are provided to illustrate the performance of sisal fibre reinforced cement composites. A brief description on the use of these composite materials as building products has been included. The influence of sisal fibres on the development of plastic shrinkage in the pre-hardened state, on tensile, compressive and bending strength in the hardened state of mortar mixes is discussed. Creep and drying shrinkage of the composites and the durability of natural fibres in cement based matrices are of particular interest and are also highlighted. The results show that the composites reinforced with sisal fibres are reliable materials to be used in practice for the production of structural elements to be used in rural and civil construction. This material could be a substitute asbestos-cement composite, which is a serious hazard to human and animal health and is prohibited in industrialized countries. The

  8. Optical fibres in the radiation environment of CERN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillermain, E.

    2017-11-01

    CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (in Geneva, Switzerland), is home to a complex scientific instrument: the 27-kilometre Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collides beams of high-energy particles at close to the speed of light. Optical fibres are widely used at CERN, both in surface areas (e.g. for inter-building IT networks) and in the accelerator complex underground (e.g. for cryogenics, vacuum, safety systems). Optical fibres in the accelerator are exposed to mixed radiation fields (mainly composed of protons, pions, neutrons and other hadrons, gamma rays and electrons), with dose rates depending on the particular installation zone, and with radiation levels often significantly higher than those encountered in space. In the LHC and its injector chain radiation levels range from relatively low annual doses of a few Gy up to hundreds of kGy. Optical fibres suffer from Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA, expressed in dB per unit length) that affect light transmission and which depends on the irradiation conditions (e.g. dose rate, total dose, temperature). In the CERN accelerator complex, the failure of an optical link can affect the proper functionality of control or monitoring systems and induce the interruption of the accelerator operation. The qualification of optical fibres for installation in critical radiation areas is therefore crucial. Thus, all optical fibre types installed in radiation areas at CERN are subject to laboratory irradiation tests, in order to evaluate their RIA at different total dose and dose rates. This allows the selection of the appropriate optical fibre type (conventional or radiation resistant) compliant with the requirements of each installation. Irradiation tests are performed in collaboration with Fraunhofer INT (irradiation facilities and expert team in Euskirchen, Germany). Conventional off-the-shelf optical fibres can be installed for optical links exposed to low radiation levels (i.e. annual dose typically below few

  9. Numerical analysis of the optimal length and profile of a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating for dispersion compensation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibault, S; Lauzon, J; Cliche, J F; Martin, J; Duguay, M A; Têtu, M

    1995-03-15

    We propose a theoretical investigation of the length and coupling profile of a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating for maximum dispersion compensation in a repeaterless optical communication system. The system consists of 100 km of standard optical fiber in which a 1550-nm signal, directly modulated at 2.5 Gbits/s, is launched. We discuss the results obtained with 6-, 4.33-, and 1-cm-long linearly chirped fiber Bragg gratings having Gaussian and uniform coupling profiles. We numerically show that a 4.33-cm-long chirped fiber Bragg grating having a uniform coupling profile is capable of compensating efficiently for the dispersion of our optical communication system.

  10. Power output of skinned skeletal muscle fibres from the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, T.G.; Toepfer, Christopher N.; Woledge, Roger C.; Curtin, N.A.; Rowlerson, Anthea; Kalakoutis, Michaeljohn; Hudson, Penny; Wilson, Alan M.

    2015-01-01

    SUMMARY Muscle samples were taken from the gluteus, semitendinosus and longissimus muscles of a captive cheetah immediately after euthanasia. Fibres were “skinned” to remove all membranes leaving the contractile filament array intact and functional. Segments of skinned fibres from these cheetah muscles and from rabbit psoas muscle were activated at 20°C by a temperature jump protocol. Step and ramp length changes were imposed after active stress had developed. The stiffness of the non-contractile ends of the fibres (series elastic component) was measured at two different stress values in each fibre; stiffness was strongly dependent on stress. Using these stiffness values, the speed of shortening of the contractile component was evaluated, and hence the power it was producing. Fibres were analysed for myosin heavy chain content using gel electrophoresis, and identified as either slow (Type I) or fast (Type II). The power output of cheetah Type II fibre segments was 92.5 ± 4.3 W kg−1 (mean ±s.e., 14 fibres) during shortening at relative stress 0.15 (=stress during shortening/isometric stress). For rabbit psoas fibre segments (presumably Type IIX) the corresponding value was significantly higher (Pcheetah was less than that of rabbit when maximally activated at 20°C, and does not account for the superior locomotor performance of the cheetah. PMID:23580727

  11. Power output of skinned skeletal muscle fibres from the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Timothy G; Toepfer, Christopher N; Woledge, Roger C; Curtin, Nancy A; Rowlerson, Anthea; Kalakoutis, Michaeljohn; Hudson, Penny; Wilson, Alan M

    2013-08-01

    Muscle samples were taken from the gluteus, semitendinosus and longissimus muscles of a captive cheetah immediately after euthanasia. Fibres were 'skinned' to remove all membranes, leaving the contractile filament array intact and functional. Segments of skinned fibres from these cheetah muscles and from rabbit psoas muscle were activated at 20°C by a temperature-jump protocol. Step and ramp length changes were imposed after active stress had developed. The stiffness of the non-contractile ends of the fibres (series elastic component) was measured at two different stress values in each fibre; stiffness was strongly dependent on stress. Using these stiffness values, the speed of shortening of the contractile component was evaluated, and hence the power it was producing. Fibres were analysed for myosin heavy chain content using gel electrophoresis, and identified as either slow (type I) or fast (type II). The power output of cheetah type II fibre segments was 92.5±4.3 W kg(-1) (mean ± s.e., 14 fibres) during shortening at relative stress 0.15 (the stress during shortening/isometric stress). For rabbit psoas fibre segments (presumably type IIX) the corresponding value was significantly higher (Pcheetah was less than that of rabbit when maximally activated at 20°C, and does not account for the superior locomotor performance of the cheetah.

  12. Shrinkage Behaviour of Fibre Reinforced Concrete with Recycled Tyre Polymer Fibres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marijana Serdar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Different types of fibres are often used in concrete to prevent microcracking due to shrinkage, and polypropylene fibres are among the most often used ones. If not prevented, microcracks can lead to the development of larger cracks as drying shrinkage occurs, enabling penetration of aggressive substances from the environment and reducing durability of concrete structures. The hypothesis of the present research is that polypropylene fibres, used in concrete for controlling formation of microcracks due to shrinkage, can be replaced with recycled polymer fibres obtained from end-of-life tyres. To test the hypothesis, concrete mixtures containing polypropylene fibres and recycled tyre polymer fibres were prepared and tested. Experimental programme focused on autogenous, free, and restrained shrinkage. It was shown that PP fibres can be substituted with higher amount of recycled tyre polymer fibres obtaining concrete with similar shrinkage behaviour. The results indicate promising possibilities of using recycled tyre polymer fibres in concrete products. At the same time, such applications would contribute to solving the problem of waste tyre disposal.

  13. Stress concentrations in an impregnated fibre bundle with random fibre packing

    OpenAIRE

    Swolfs, Y.; Gorbatikh, L.; Romanov, V.; Orlova, S.; Lomov, S. V.; Verpoest, I.

    2013-01-01

    The stress redistribution after a single fibre break is a fundamental issue in longitudinal strength models for unidirectional composites. Current models assume hexagonal or square fibre packings. In the present work, random fibre packings were modelled using 3D finite element analysis and compared to ordered fibre packings. Significant differences in the stress redistribution are found. Compared to square and hexagonal packings, random fibre packings result in smaller stress concentration fa...

  14. Blast Resistance of Slurry Infiltrated Fibre Concrete with Waste Steel Fibres from Tires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Drdlová Martina

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The utilization of waste steel fibres (coming from the recycling process of the old tires in production of blast resistant cement based panels was assessed. Waste fibres were incorporated in slurry infiltrated fibre concrete (SIFCON, which is a special type of ultra-highperformance fibre reinforced concrete with high fibre content. The technological feasibility (i.e. suitability of the waste fibres for SIFCON technology was assessed using homogeneity test. Test specimens were prepared with three volume fractions (5; 7.5 and 10 % by vol. of waste unclassified fibres. SIFCON with industrial steel fibres (10% by vol. and ultra-highperformance fibre concrete with industrial fibres were also cast and tested for comparison purposes. Quasi-static mechanical properties were determined. Real blast tests were performed on the slab specimens (500x500x40 mm according to the modified methodology M-T0-VTU0 10/09. Damage of the slab, the change of the ultrasound wave velocity propagation in the slab specimen before and after the blast load in certain measurement points, the weight of fragments and their damage potential were evaluated and compared. Realized tests confirmed the possibility of using the waste fibres for SIFCON technology. The obtained results indicate, that the usage of waste fibres does not significantly reduce the values of SIFCON flexural and compressive strength at quasi-static load - the values were comparable to the specimens with industrially produced fibres. With increasing fibre content, the mechanical parameters are increasing as well. Using of the waste fibres reduces fragmentation of SIFCON at blast load due to the fibre size parameters. Using of low diameter fibres means more fibres in the matrix and thus better homogeneity of the whole composite with less unreinforced areas. Regarding the blast tests, the specimen with waste steel fibres showed the best resistance and outperformed also the specimen with commercial fibres. Using of

  15. Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Napper, Imogen E; Thompson, Richard C

    2016-11-15

    Washing clothes made from synthetic materials has been identified as a potentially important source of microscopic fibres to the environment. This study examined the release of fibres from polyester, polyester-cotton blend and acrylic fabrics. These fabrics were laundered under various conditions of temperature, detergent and conditioner. Fibres from waste effluent were examined and the mass, abundance and fibre size compared between treatments. Average fibre size ranged between 11.9 and 17.7μm in diameter, and 5.0 and 7.8mm in length. Polyester-cotton fabric consistently shed significantly fewer fibres than either polyester or acrylic. However, fibre release varied according to wash treatment with various complex interactions. We estimate over 700,000 fibres could be released from an average 6kg wash load of acrylic fabric. As fibres have been reported in effluent from sewage treatment plants, our data indicates fibres released by washing of clothing could be an important source of microplastics to aquatic habitats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Fibre qualities of bolls developed under different day and night temperatures in various Pakistani cotton varieties and mutant strains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bandesha, A.A.; Aslam, M.; Ishaque, W.; Haq, M.A.

    2004-01-01

    Four commercial cotton varieties NIAB-78, B-557, SLH-41, MNH-93 and four advanced mutants strains N-82, L-21, L-25 and M-626 were used to study the effect of temperature on fibre quality during boll developing stage. The results showed that varieties differed significantly in all fibre quality parameters. There was significant increase in fibre length under medium temperature range while significant increase in fibre strength and highly significant increase in Micronaire values and maturity index under high temperature conditions. The medium temperature range (24.5 to 30.6 C) seemed to be ideal for cotton fibre development. (author)

  17. The effects of ramp stretches on active contractions in intact mammalian fast and slow muscle fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mutungi, G; Ranatunga, K W

    2001-01-01

    The effects of a ramp stretch (amplitude muscle fibre length (L0), speed twitch tension and twitch tension re-development were examined in intact mammalian (rat) fast and slow muscle fibre bundles. The experiments were done in vitro at 20 degrees C and at an initial sarcomere length of 2.68 microm. In both fibre types, a stretch applied during the rising phase of the twitch response (including the time of stimulation) increased the re-developed twitch tension (15-35%). A stretch applied before the stimulus had little or no effect on the twitch myogram in fast muscle fibres, but it increased the twitch tension (approximately 5%) in slow muscle fibres. A similar stretch had little or no effect on tetanic tension in either muscle fibre type. In general, the results indicate that the contractile-activation mechanism may be stretch sensitive and this is particularly pronounced in slow muscle fibres. Recorded at a high sampling rate and examined at an appropriate time scale, the transitory tension response to a stretch rose in at least two phases; an initial rapid tension rise to a break (break point tension, P1a) followed by a slower tension rise (apparent P2a) to a peak reached at the end of the stretch. Plotted against stretch velocity, P1a tension increased in direct proportion to stretch velocity (viscous-like) whereas, P2a tension (calculated as peak tension minus P1a tension) increased with stretch velocity to a plateau (visco-elastic). Examined at the peak of a twitch, P1a tension had a slope (viscosity coefficient) of 1.8 kN m(-2) per L0 s(-1) in fast fibres and 4.7 kN m(-2) per L0 s(-1) in slow muscle fibres. In the same preparations, P2a tension had a relaxation time of 8 ms in the fast muscle fibres and 25 ms in the slow muscle fibres. The amplitudes of both tension components scaled with the instantaneous twitch tension in qualitatively the same way as the instantaneous fibre stiffness. These fast/slow fibre type differences probably reflect differences in

  18. Detection of leaks in steam lines by distributed fibre-optic temperature sensing (DTS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Craik, N G [Maritime Nuclear, Fredericton, N.B. (Canada)

    1997-12-31

    This paper describes an instrumentation system concept which should be capable of early detection of a leak-before-break in main steam lines. Distributed fibre-optic Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems have been used in commercial application for a few years now, but in other industries and applications. DTS uses very long fibre optical cable both as a temperature sensor and as a means of bringing the information back from the sensor to the terminal equipment. The entire length of the fibre is sensitive to temperature and each resolvable section of fibre is equivalent to a point sensor. This commercially available DTS system could be adapted to indicate leaks in steam lines. The fibre-optic cable could either be run either just underneath the aluminium sheathing covering the installation over a steam line, or between the two layers of insulation. This would detect an increase in the temperature of the insulation due to a steam leak. 1 ref., 4 figs.

  19. Detection of leaks in steam lines by distributed fibre-optic temperature sensing (DTS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Craik, N.G.

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes an instrumentation system concept which should be capable of early detection of a leak-before-break in main steam lines. Distributed fibre-optic Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems have been used in commercial application for a few years now, but in other industries and applications. DTS uses very long fibre optical cable both as a temperature sensor and as a means of bringing the information back from the sensor to the terminal equipment. The entire length of the fibre is sensitive to temperature and each resolvable section of fibre is equivalent to a point sensor. This commercially available DTS system could be adapted to indicate leaks in steam lines. The fibre-optic cable could either be run either just underneath the aluminium sheathing covering the installation over a steam line, or between the two layers of insulation. This would detect an increase in the temperature of the insulation due to a steam leak. 1 ref., 4 figs

  20. Infra-red laser source using Tm:Ho optical fibre for potential sensor applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, S Y; Yeo, T L; Leighton, J; Sun, T; Grattan, K T V; Lade, R; Powell, B; Foster-Turner, G; Osborne, M

    2007-01-01

    In this work, a 1600nm Er fibre laser, which demonstrates a high pumping efficiency, has been used to pump an efficient all-fibre Tm:Ho laser system using a 0.3 m length of optical fibre. A low threshold of 33 mW and a slope efficiency of 0.6% have been achieved with operation at a wavelength of ∼1870 nm. A cross-comparison has been made with the output of a device pumped by a 785 nm laser diode. The focus of the work is better and more compact sources for gas sensing in the near infra red region of the spectrum

  1. Fibre-concrete container

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    In this leaflet the fibre-concrete container for radioactive wastes is described. The fibre container is made of fibre-concrete that contains cement, aggregate, sand, filter, flame-silica, super-plastificator, water and scattered metal fibres. The fibre-concrete container has a dice shape with outer dimension 1.7 x 1.7 x 1.7 m. It is mounted of a container body, a container cover and two caps. Total weight of container is 4,240 kg, maximum weight of loaded container do not must exceed 15,000 kg. The physical and mechanical properties of the fibre-concrete container are described in detail. The fibre-concrete container manufactured for storing of low and intermediate radioactive wastes. A fibre-concrete container utilization to store of radioactive wastes solves these problems: increase of stability of stored packages of radioactive waste; watertightness within 300 years at least; static stability of bearing space; better utilization of bearing spaces; insulation of radioactive waste in a case of seismic and geological event; increase of fire resistance; and transport of radioactive waste

  2. Addressing the needs of the telecoms industry for optical fibre communication in Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leitch, Andrew W. R.; Conibear, Ann B.

    2005-10-01

    We report on a successful partnership between the Department of Physics at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and Telkom, South Africa's national telecommunications company, to train physics students in the important fields related to optical fibre technology. The partnership, which began in 2001 and forms part of Telkom's Centre of Excellence program in South Africa, is currently being extended to other countries in Africa. The training being conducted in the Physics Department has as one of its main goals an increased understanding of polarisation mode dispersion (PMD), an effect that will ultimately limit the transmission speeds through optical fibre.

  3. Investigation of Structure and Property of Indian Cocos nucifera L. Fibre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Gautam; Mishra, Leena; Samanta, Ashis Kumar

    2017-12-01

    Structure and physico-mechanical properties of Cocos nucifera L. fibre from a specific agro-climatic region of India, was thoroughly studied. Fine structure of the fibre was examined by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy, Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), component analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and optical microscope. SEM shows prominent longitudinal cracks and micro-pores on the surface. XRD shows a low degree of crystallinity (45%), bigger crystallite size, and even the presence of appreciable amount of non-cellulose matter. FTIR reveals presence of large quantities of hydroxyl, phenolic and aldehyde groups. Component and thermal analyses indicates presence of cellulose and lignin as major components. Physical parameters reveal that, fibres are highly variable in length (range 44-305 mm), and diameter (range 100-795 µm). Mechanical properties of the fibre viz. breaking tenacity, breaking extensibility, specific work of rupture, and coefficient of friction were measured. Microbial decomposition test under soil reveals excellent durability of coconut fibre which makes it appropriate for the application in geotextiles. Mass specific electrical resistance of 4 Ω-kg/m2 indicates its enhanced insulation as compared to the jute.

  4. New radiation-induced effects in optical fibres feasible for dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomashuk, A.L.; Golant, K.M.; Dianov, E.M.; Nikolin, I.V.; Zakharkin, I.I.; Stepanov, V.A.

    1999-01-01

    Three new radiation-induced effects in silica optical fibres suitable for dosimetry are proposed: 1) in fibres with a high-OH cladding and a low-OH core, ionizing radiation disrupts the O-H bonds to let hydrogen diffuse into the core. This results in an increase in the OH-group absorption band amplitude, 2) the polymers used to coat optical fibres consist of hydrogen to the extent of about 50 %. Energetic neutrons produce recoil protons in the fibre coating, which can ''stick'' in the core, turn into hydrogen, and enter the glass network in the form of OH-group, and 3) in N-doped silica fibres irradiated with thermal neutrons, the following reaction 7 N 14 ( 0 n 1 , 1 p 1 ) 6 C 14 occurs and produces protons with energy 620 keV. With this energy, propagation length of protons in silica is 7 μm which means that the escape of protons from a 50 μm core is very weak. In fact all 3 effects lead to the irreversible increase in the OH-group absorption bands, which is proportional to the absorbed dose. With the help of these effects, temperature and dose-rate independent measurements of high doses become possible

  5. Efficient high-power narrow-linewidth all-fibred linearly polarized ytterbium laser source

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertrand, Anthony; Liégeois, Flavien; Hernandez, Yves; Giannone, Domenico

    2012-06-01

    We report on experimental results on a high power, all-fibred, linearly polarized, mode-locked laser at 1.03 μm. The laser generates pulses of 40 ps wide at a repetition rate of 52 MHz, exhibiting 12 kW peak power. Dispersion in optical fibres is controlled to obtain both high power and narrow spectral linewidth. The average output power reached is 25 W with a spectral linewidth of 380 pm and a near diffraction limit beam (M2 < 1.2). This laser is an ideal candidate for applications like IR spectroscopy, where high peak power and narrow linewidth are required for subsequent wavelength conversion.

  6. Biocompatible antimicrobial cotton fibres for healthcare industries: a biogenic approach for synthesis of bio-organic-coated silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashid, Sahebrao B; Lakkakula, Jaya R; Chauhan, Deepak S; Srivastava, Rohit; Raut, Rajesh W

    2017-12-01

    Cotton fibres coated with biogenically fabricated silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are most sought material because of their enhanced activity and biocompatibility. After successful synthesis of SNPs on cotton fibres using leaf extract of Vitex negundo Linn, the fibres were studied using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, energy dispersive X-ray, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The characterisation revealed uniformly distributed spherical agglomerates of SNPs having individual particle size around 50 nm with the deposition load of 423 μg of silver per gram of cotton. Antimicrobial assay of cotton-SNPs fibres showed effective performance against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The method is biogenic, environmentally benign, rapid, and cost-effective, producing highly biocompatible antimicrobial coating required for the healthcare industry.

  7. Fibre illumination system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2012-01-01

    Source: EP2426402A The invention relates to a fibre illumination module and system for the collection and delivery of daylight for illumination purposes. The fibre illumination module comprises a plurality of collector elements, each collector element comprising an input fibre having a first end......-directional arrangement. The fibre illumination system comprises a fibre illumination module of the above-mentioned type. By the invention, daylight may be exploited for the illumination of remote interior spaces of buildings in order to save energy, and improve the well-being of users in both housing and working...

  8. Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation to 12.5μm in large NA chalcogenide step-index fibres pumped at 4.5μm

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kubat, Irnis; Agger, Christian; Møller, Uffe Visbech

    2014-01-01

    We present numerical modeling of mid-infrared (MIR) supercontinuum generation (SCG) in dispersion-optimized chalcogenide (CHALC) step-index fibres (SIFs) with exceptionally high numerical aperture (NA) around one, pumped with mode-locked praseodymium-doped (Pr3+) chalcogenide fibre lasers. The 4...... for the highest NA considered but required pumping at 4.7kW as well as up to 3m of fibre to compensate for the lower nonlinearities. The amount of power converted into the 8-10 μm band was 7.5 and 8.8mW for the 8 and 10μm fibres, respectively. For the 20μm core fibres up to 46mW was converted....

  9. Influence of Cellulosic Fibres on the Physical Properties of Fibre Cement Composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hospodarova, V.; Stevulova, N.; Vaclavik, V.; Dvorsky, T.

    2017-10-01

    Nowadays, there are new approaches directing to processing of non-conventional fibre-cement composites for application in the housing construction. Vegetable cellulosic fibres coming from natural resources used as reinforcement in cost-effective and environmental friendly building products are in the spotlight. The applying of natural fibres in cement based composites is narrowly linked to the ecological building sector, where a choice of materials is based on components including recyclable, renewable raw materials and low-resource manufacture techniques. In this paper, two types of cellulosic fibres coming from wood pulp and recycled waste paper with 0.2%; 0.3% and 0.5% of fibre addition into cement mixtures were used. Differences in the physical characteristics (flowability, density, coefficient of thermal conductivity and water absorbability) of 28 days hardened fibre-cement composites are investigated. Addition of cellulosic fibres to cement mixture caused worsening the workability of fresh mixture as well as absorbability of hardened composites due to hydrophilic nature of biomaterial, whereas density and thermal conductivity of manufactured cement based fibre plaster are enhanced. The physical properties of cement plasters based on cellulosic fibres depend on structural, physical characteristics of cellulosic fibres, their nature and processing.

  10. Influence of fibre treatments on mechanical properties of short Sansevieria cylindrica/polyester composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sreenivasan, V.S.; Ravindran, D.; Manikandan, V.; Narayanasamy, R.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Fibre treatments were performed to improve interfacial bond between SCF and matrix. ► Mechanical properties of treated SCFP composites are greater than USCFP composites. ► PSCFP composites show maximum mechanical properties among treated SCFP composites. ► SEM analysis revealed that the wetting of PSCFs by the polyester resin was good. ► KMnO 4 treatment is ideal treatment for SCFs to get optimum mechanical properties. -- Abstract: In the present study, to improve the interfacial bond between Sansevieria cylindrica fibres (SCFs) and polyester matrix, chemical surface treatments have been performed on the fibres. Treatments including alkali, benzoyl peroxide, potassium permanganate and stearic acid were carried out to modify the fibre surface. Raw and each type of treated SCF samples were utilised separately for fabricating the composites. The mechanical properties of composites prepared from the chemically treated SCFs are found to be much better than those of the untreated ones. Potassium-permanganate-treated S. cylindrica fibre/polyester (PSCFP) composites showed optimum mechanical properties among the treated S. cylindrica fibre/polyester (SCFP) composites. The surface morphologies of fracture surfaces of composites were recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM micrographs reveal that interfacial bonding between potassium-permanganate-treated SCF (PSCF) and polyester matrix has significantly improved, suggesting that better dispersion of PSCF into the matrix has occurred upon potassium permanganate treatment of SCF.

  11. Photonic Crystal Fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjarklev, Anders Overgaard; Broeng, Jes; Sanchez Bjarklev, Araceli

    Photonic crystal fibres represent one of the most active research areas today in the field of optics. The diversity of applications that may be addressed by these fibres and their fundamental appeal, by opening up the possibility of guiding light in a radically new way compared to conventional...... optical fibres, have spun an interest from almost all areas of optics and photonics. The aim of this book is to provide an understanding of the different types of photonic crystal fibres and to outline some of the many new and exciting applications that these fibres offer. The book is intended for both...

  12. Determination of cable parameters in skeletal muscle fibres during repetitive firing of action potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riisager, Anders; Duehmke, Rudy; Nielsen, Ole Bækgaard; Huang, Christopher L; Pedersen, Thomas Holm

    2014-01-01

    Recent studies in rat muscle fibres show that repetitive firing of action potentials causes changes in fibre resting membrane conductance (Gm) that reflect regulation of ClC-1 Cl− and KATP K+ ion channels. Methodologically, these findings were obtained by inserting two microelectrodes at close proximity in the same fibres enabling measurements of fibre input resistance (Rin) in between action potential trains. Since the fibre length constant (λ) could not be determined, however, the calculation of Gm relied on the assumptions that the specific cytosolic resistivity (Ri) and muscle fibre volume remained constant during the repeated action potential firing. Here we present a three-microelectrode technique that enables determinations of multiple cable parameters in action potential-firing fibres including Rin and λ as well as waveform and conduction velocities of fully propagating action potentials. It is shown that in both rat and mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) fibres, action potential firing leads to substantial changes in both muscle fibre volume and Ri. The analysis also showed, however, that regardless of these changes, rat and mouse EDL fibres both exhibited initial decreases in Gm that were eventually followed by a ∼3-fold, fully reversible increase in Gm after the firing of 1450–1800 action potentials. Using this three-electrode method we further show that the latter rise in Gm was closely associated with excitation failures and loss of action potential signal above −20 mV. PMID:25128573

  13. Biogenic silica fibre promotes carcinogenesis in mouse skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatt, T; Coombs, M; O'Neill, C

    1984-10-15

    Silica fibres derived from plants are common contaminants of human diet in certain regions of the world where oesophageal cancer reaches extremely high incidences. We show here that one of these types of fibre (derived from Phalaris canariensis L) promotes the occurrence of tumours in the skin of mice initiated with a polycyclic carcinogen. Three experiments are described. In the first, the grain which bears these fibres was added to the diet. This did not result in any abnormality in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but there was a significant induction of tumours in the skin around the mouth and nose; these were the areas of the body surface which most frequently came into contact with the grain. In the second experiment, the mice were separated from the grain by an intervening wire gauze barrier; a similar number of tumours appeared on initiated mice treated in this way. In this case, contact now occurred most frequently on the dorsal surface, which was rubbed against the gauze barrier, and it was on this surface that the tumours appeared. No tumours appeared if the grain was removed. In the third experiment, pure fibres were isolated from the surface of the grain and boiled in strong nitric acid so as to remove any organic material. When these acid-cleaned fibres were applied to the initiated skin with light pressure, they promoted carcinogenesis in the same way as croton oil. In each experiment the majority of tumours produced were benign neoplasms, together with at least one squamous carcinoma. It seems possible that the size and shape of these fibres are the critical properties determining their promoting activity. Their mean diameter is 15 microns, their modal length close to 200 microns, and they are sharply pointed with a tip diameter of 0.5 micron.

  14. OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Polarisation reflectometry of anisotropic optical fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konstantinov, Yurii A.; Kryukov, Igor'I.; Pervadchuk, Vladimir P.; Toroshin, Andrei Yu

    2009-11-01

    Anisotropic, polarisation-maintaining fibres have been studied using a reflectometer and integrated optic polariser. Linearly polarised pulses were launched into the fibre under test at different angles between their plane of polarisation and the main optical axis of the fibre. A special procedure for the correlation analysis of these reflectograms is developed to enhance the reliability of the information about the longitudinal optical uniformity ofanisotropic fibres.

  15. Abaca fibre reinforced PP composites and comparison with jute and flax fibre PP composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Abaca fibre reinforced PP composites were fabricated with different fibre loadings (20, 30, 40, 50wt% and in some cases 35 and 45 wt%. Flax and jute fibre reinforced PP composites were also fabricated with 30 wt% fibre loading. The mechanical properties, odour emission and structure properties were investigated for those composites. Tensile, flexural and Charpy impact strengths were found to increase for fibre loadings up to 40 wt% and then decreased. Falling weight impact tests were also carried out and the same tendency was observed. Owing to the addition of coupling agent (maleated polypropylene -MAH-PP, the tensile, flexural and falling weight impact properties were found to increase in between 30 to 80% for different fibre loadings. When comparing jute and flax fibre composites with abaca fibre composites, jute fibre composites provided best tensile properties but abaca fibre polypropylene composites were shown to provide best notch Charpy and falling weight impact properties. Odours released by flax fibre composites were smaller than jute and abaca fibre composites.

  16. Caractérisation microstructurale et mécanique d’un composite cimentaire renforcé par des fibres de lin Characterizations mechanical and microstructural of flax fibre cement composite reinforced

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boutouil M.

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Dans la perspective de valorisation des fibres de lin dans les matériaux de construction, la présente étude s’intéresse à la caractérisation microstructurale et mécanique d’un composite cimentaire renforcé par des fibres de lin. Les analyses microstructurales au MEB ont été menées pour évaluer l’homogénéité de la distribution des fibres, la qualité de l’interaction fibre/matrice et l’influence de leur présence sur les défauts microstructuraux. Le comportement mécanique en flexion du mortier renforcé par les fibres de lin est étudié en fonction de la longueur et la teneur en fibres. Les résultats indiquent une bonne adhésion entre les fibres et la matrice à l’état frais. Mais les fibres étant hydrophiles, elles gonflent pendant la prise du ciment et le retrait lors du séchage engendre alors des déchaussements. Les résultats de caractérisation mécanique sont encourageants. Tout d’abord, la fissuration du mortier due au retrait au jeune âge est fortement réduite du fait de la présence des fibres. Ensuite, la rupture brutale de la matrice en monolithe laisse place à un comportement quasi-ductile quand la teneur ou la longueur de fibre augmente. Ce changement de comportement, analysé en termes d’indice de ténacité, illustre la capacité remarquable des fibres de lin à renforcer les matrices cimentaires du fait de leurs bonnes propriétés mécaniques. With the purpose of the flax fibre valuing in construction materials, this study focuses on the characterizations mechanical and microstructural of flax fibre cement composite reinforced. The mechanical strength was studied as the function of fibre volume ratio and length. Meanwhile, the microstructural analysis investigated the homogeneity of fibre scattering, the interaction fibre/cement matrix and the influence of flax fibres on the defects microstructures. The results show the interesting mechanical properties of flax fibre in comparison with

  17. Morphological changes in textile fibres exposed to environmental stresses: atomic force microscopic examination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canetta, Elisabetta; Montiel, Kimberley; Adya, Ashok K

    2009-10-30

    The ability of the atomic force microscope (AFM) to investigate the nanoscopic morphological changes in the surfaces of fabrics was examined for the first time. This study focussed on two natural (cotton and wool), and a regenerated cellulose (viscose) textile fibres exposed to various environmental stresses for different lengths of times. Analyses of the AFM images allowed us to measure quantitatively the surface texture parameters of the environmentally stressed fabrics as a function of the exposure time. It was also possible to visualise at the nanoscale the finest details of the surfaces of three weathered fabrics and clearly distinguish between the detrimental effects of the imposed environmental conditions. This study confirmed that the AFM could become a very powerful tool in forensic examination of textile fibres to provide significant fibre evidence due to its capability of distinguishing between different environmental exposures or forced damages to fibres.

  18. Soliton-based ultrafast multi-wavelength nonlinear switching in dual-core photonic crystal fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stajanca, P; Pysz, D; Michalka, M; Bugar, I; Andriukaitis, G; Balciunas, T; Fan, G; Baltuska, A

    2014-01-01

    Systematic experimental study of ultrafast multi-wavelength all-optical switching performance in a dual-core photonic crystal fibre is presented. The focus is on nonlinearly induced switching between the two output ports at non-excitation wavelengths, which are generated during nonlinear propagation of femtosecond pulses in the anomalous dispersion region of a dual-core photonic crystal fibre made of multicomponent glass. Spatial and spectral characteristics of the fibre output radiation were measured separately for both fibre cores under various polarization and intensity conditions upon selective, individual excitation of each fibre core. Polarization-controlled nonlinear switching performance at multiple non-excitation wavelengths was demonstrated in the long-wavelength optical communication bands and beyond. Depending on the input pulse polarization, narrowband switching operation at 1560 nm and 1730 nm takes place with double core extinction ratio contrasts of 9 dB and 14.5 dB, respectively. Moreover, our approach allows switching with simultaneous wavelength shift from 1650 to 1775 nm with extinction ratio contrast larger than 18 dB. In addition, non-reciprocal behaviour of the soliton fission process under different fibre core excitations was observed and its effect on the multi-wavelength nonlinear switching performance was explained, taking into account the slight dual-core structure asymmetry. The obtained results represent ultrafast all-optical switching with an extended dimension of wavelength shift, controllable with both the input radiation intensity and the polarization by simple propagation along a 14 mm long fibre. (paper)

  19. Statistical properties of intensity of partially polarised semiconductor laser light backscattered by a single-mode optical fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alekseev, A E; Potapov, V T; Gorshkov, B G

    2015-01-01

    We report the results of studying statistical properties of the intensity of partially polarised coherent light backscattered by a single mode optical fibre. An expression is derived for the deviation of the backscattered light intensity depending on the scattering region length, the degree of the light source coherence and the degree of scattered light polarisation. It is shown that the backscattered light in a fibre scattered-light interferometer is partially polarised with the polarisation degree P = 1/3 in the case of external perturbations of the interferometer fibre. (scattering of light)

  20. Creep properties of discontinuous fibre composites with partly creeping fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bilde-Soerensen, J.B.; Lilholt, H.

    1977-05-01

    In a previous report (RISO-M-1810) the creep properties of discontinuous fibre composites with non-creeping fibres were analyzed. In the present report this analysis is extended to include the case of discontinuous composites with partly creeping fibres. It is shown that the creep properties of the composite at a given strain rate, epsilonsub(c), depend on the creep properties of the matrix at a strain rate higher than epsilonsub(c), and on the creep properties of the fibres at epsilonsub(c). The composite creep law is presented in a form which permits a graphical determination of the composite creep curve. This can be constructed on the basis of the matrix and the fibre creep curves by vector operations in a log epsilon vs. log sigma diagram. The matrix contribution to the creep strength can be evaluated by a simple method. (author)

  1. Aligned flax fibre/polylactate composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Bo; Lilholt, Hans; Thygesen, Anders

    2008-01-01

    The potential of biocomposites in engineering applications is demonstrated by using aligned flax fibre/polylactate composites as a materials model system. The failure stress of flax fibres is measured by tensile testing of single fibres and fibre bundles. For both fibre configurations, it is found...... that failure stress is decreased by increasing the tested fibre volume. Based on two types of flax fibre preforms: carded sliver and unidirectional non-crimp fabric, aligned flax fibre/polylactate composites were fabricated with variable fibre content. The volumetric composition and tensile properties...... of the composite were measured. For composites with a fibre content of 37 % by volume, stiffness is about 20 GPa and failure stress is about 180 MPa. The tensile properties of the composites are analysed with a modified rule of mixtures model, which includes the effect of porosity. The experimental results...

  2. Development of a New Class of Scintillating Fibres with Very Short Decay Time and High Light Yield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borshchev, O.; Ponomarenko, S.; Surin, N.; Cavalcante, A.B.R.; Gavardi, L.; Gruber, L.; Joram, C.; Shinji, O.

    2017-01-01

    We present first studies of a new class of scintillating fibres which are characterised by very short decay times and high light yield. The fibres are based on a novel type of luminophores admixed to a polystyrene core matrix. These so-called Nanostructured Organosilicon Luminophores (NOL) have high photoluminescense quantum yield and decay times just above 1 ns. A blue and a green emitting prototype fibre with 250 μm diameter were produced and characterised in terms of attenuation length, ionisation light yield, decay time and tolerance to x-ray irradiation. The well-established Kuraray SCSF-78 and SCSF-3HF fibres were taken as references. Even though the two prototype fibres mark just an intermediate step in an ongoing development, their performance is already on a competitive level. In particular, their decay time constants are about a factor of two shorter than the fastest known fibres, which makes them promising candidates for time critical applications.

  3. New generation of optical fibres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dianov, E M; Semjonov, S L; Bufetov, I A [Fiber Optics Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2016-01-31

    The growing need for information in contemporary society is the motivating force behind the development of fibre optics in general and optical fibre communications in particular. Intensive research effort has been concentrated on designing new types of optical fibres and extending their application field. This paper reviews results of research on new types of optical fibres: bismuthdoped active fibres, multicore fibres and hollow-core fibres, which can be used as key components of systems that ensure further increase in optical information transfer rate. (invited paper)

  4. Mechanical Property Analysis on Sandwich Structured Hybrid Composite Made from Natural Fibre, Glass Fibre and Ceramic Fibre Wool Reinforced with Epoxy Resin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharat, K. R.; Abhishek, S.; Palanikumar, K.

    2017-06-01

    Natural fibre composites find wide range of applications and usage in the automobile and manufacturing industries. They find lack in desired properties, which are required for present applications. In current scenario, many developments in composite materials involve the synthesis of Hybrid composite materials to overcome some of the lacking properties. In this present investigation, two sandwich structured hybrid composite materials have been made by reinforcing Aloe Vera-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and Sisal fibre-Ceramic Fibre Wool-Glass fibre with Epoxy resin matrix and its mechanical properties such as Tensile, Flexural and Impact are tested and analyzed. The test results from the two samples are compared and the results show that sisal fibre reinforced hybrid composite has better mechanical properties than aloe vera reinforced hybrid composite.

  5. Use of micro-tomography for validation of method to identify interfacial shear strength from tensile tests of short regenerated cellulose fibre composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hajlane, A.; Miettinen, A.; Madsen, Bo

    2016-01-01

    The interfacial shear strength of short regenerated cellulose fibre/polylactide composites was characterized by means of an industry-friendly adhesion test method. The interfacial shear strength was back-calculated from the experimental tensile stress-strain curves of composites by using a micro......-mechanical model. The parameters characterizing the microstructure of the composites, e.g. fibre length and orientation distributions, used as input in the model were obtained by micro-tomography. The investigation was carried out on composites with untreated and surface treated fibres with various fibre weight...

  6. Dual-model automatic detection of nerve-fibres in corneal confocal microscopy images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dabbah, M A; Graham, J; Petropoulos, I; Tavakoli, M; Malik, R A

    2010-01-01

    Corneal Confocal Microscopy (CCM) imaging is a non-invasive surrogate of detecting, quantifying and monitoring diabetic peripheral neuropathy. This paper presents an automated method for detecting nerve-fibres from CCM images using a dual-model detection algorithm and compares the performance to well-established texture and feature detection methods. The algorithm comprises two separate models, one for the background and another for the foreground (nerve-fibres), which work interactively. Our evaluation shows significant improvement (p approximately 0) in both error rate and signal-to-noise ratio of this model over the competitor methods. The automatic method is also evaluated in comparison with manual ground truth analysis in assessing diabetic neuropathy on the basis of nerve-fibre length, and shows a strong correlation (r = 0.92). Both analyses significantly separate diabetic patients from control subjects (p approximately 0).

  7. Modelling non-uniform strain distributions in aerospace composites using fibre Bragg gratings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rajabzadehdizaji, Aydin; Groves, R.M.; Hendriks, R.C.; Heusdens, R.; Chung, Y.; Jin, W.; Lee, B.; Canning, J.; Nakamura, K.; Yuan, L.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper the behaviour of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors under non-uniform strain distributions was analysed. Using the fundamental matrix approach, the length of the FBG sensor was discretised, with each segment undergoing different strain values. FBG sensors that are embedded inside

  8. Fibre-Related Dietary Patterns: Socioeconomic Barriers to Adequate Fibre Intake in Polish Adolescents. A Short Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krusinska, Beata; Kowalkowska, Joanna; Wadolowska, Lidia; Wuenstel, Justyna Weronika; Slowinska, Malgorzata Anna; Niedzwiedzka, Ewa

    2017-06-10

    There is no complete explanation for the association between socioeconomic status (SES), fibre, and whole diet described by dietary patterns. The aim of this short report was to increase the understanding of adolescent dietary patterns related to fibre in their social context. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1176 adolescents aged 13-18 years from central and north-eastern Poland. The overall SES was composed of five single factors: place of residence, self-declared economic situation of family, self-declared economic situation of household, paternal and maternal education. The consumption frequency of nine dietary fibre sources was collected using Block's questionnaire and was expressed in points. Fibre dietary patterns (DPs) were drawn by cluster analysis and odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, sex, and BMI were calculated. Three fibre-related DPs were identified: "High-fibre" (mean frequency of total fibre intake 22.7 points; range: 0-36), "Average-fibre" (17.7 points), "Low-fibre" (14.6 points). The "High-fibre" DP was characterized by a relatively higher frequency consumption of white bread, fruit, fruit or vegetable juices, potatoes, green salad and prepared vegetables, and a moderate frequency consumption of high-fibre or bran cereals and wholegrain bread compared to the "Low-fibre" DP. The "Average-fibre" DP was characterized by a relatively higher frequency consumption of wholegrain bread and high-fibre or bran cereals and a moderate frequency consumption of fruit, fruit or vegetable juices, green salad and prepared vegetables compared to the "Low-fibre" DP. Less likely to adhere to the "High-fibre" DP were adolescents with low SES (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.39-0.77) or average SES (0.58, 95% CI: 0.41-0.81) in comparison with high SES (reference) as a result of elementary or secondary paternal or maternal education, rural residence, and lower household economic situation. Similar associations were found for the "Average-fibre" DP. Low and average

  9. Polymorphism of myofibrillar proteins of rabbit skeletal-muscle fibres. An electrophoretic study of single fibres.

    OpenAIRE

    Salviati, G; Betto, R; Danieli Betto, D

    1982-01-01

    Rabbit predominantly fast-twitch-fibre and predominantly slow-twitch-fibre skeletal muscles of the hind limbs, the psoas, the diaphragm and the masseter muscles were fibre-typed by one-dimensional polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of the myofibrillar proteins of chemically skinned single fibres. Investigation of the distribution of fast-twitch-fibre and slow-twitch-fibre isoforms of myosin light chains and the type of myosin heavy chains, based on peptide 'maps' published in Cleveland. Fisch...

  10. Temperature-dependent changes in the viscoelasticity of intact resting mammalian (rat) fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mutungi, G; Ranatunga, K W

    1998-04-01

    1. The tension and sarcomere length responses induced by ramp stretches (at amplitudes of 1-3 % fibre length (Lo) and speeds of 0.01-12 Lo s-1) were examined at different temperatures (range, 10-35 degrees C) in resting intact muscle fibre bundles isolated from the soleus (a slow-twitch muscle) and extensor digitorum longus (a fast-twitch muscle) of the rat. Some observations are also presented on the effects of chemical skinning on passive viscoelasticity at 10 degrees C. 2. As previously reported, the tension response to a ramp stretch, in different preparations and under various conditions, could be resolved into a viscous (P1), a viscoelastic (P2) and an elastic (P3) component and showed characteristic differences between slow and fast muscle fibres. 3. Chemical skinning of the muscle fibres led to a decrease in the amplitude of all three tension components. However, the fast-slow fibre differences remained after skinning. For example, the viscosity coefficient derived from P1 tension data decreased from 0.84 +/- 0.06 before skinning to 0.44 +/- 0.06 kN s m-2 after skinning in fast fibres; the corresponding values in slow fibres were 2.1 +/- 0.08 and 0.87 +/- 0.09 kN s m-2, respectively. 4. Increasing the experimental temperature from 10 to 35 degrees C led to a decrease in all the tension components in both fast and slow muscle fibre bundles. The decrease of P1 (viscous) tension was such that the viscosity coefficient calculated using P1 data was reduced from 0.84 +/- 0.1 to 0.43 +/- 0.05 kN s m-2 in fast fibres and from 2.0 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.1 kN s m-2 in slow fibres (Q10 of approximately 1.3 in both). 5. In both fast and slow muscle fibre preparations, the plateau tension of the viscoelastic component (P2) decreased by 60-80 % as the temperature was increased from 10 to 35 degrees C giving P2 tension a Q10 of approximately 1.4 in slow fibres and approximately 1.7 in the fast fibres. Additionally, the relaxation time of the viscoelasticity decreased from

  11. The Behaviour of Palm Oil Fibre Block Masonry Prism under Eccentric Compressive Loading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhtar, Mardiha; Kolop, Roslan; Baizura Hamid, Nor; Kaamin, Masiri; Farhan Rosdi, Mohd; Ngadiman, Norhayati; Sahat, Suhaila

    2017-08-01

    Dry-stacked masonry offers great benefits in constructing masonry buildings. Several examples from previous research show that dry masonry is reasonable alternative to the traditional building system. By addition of fibre, the ductility and the propagation of cracking will be improved. This study investigates the dry stack oil palm fibre block prisms which were subjected to eccentricity compression loads. These concrete blocks were cast using a single mould with suitable fibre-cement composition namely 1:4 (cement: sand) and 0.40 water to the cement ratio based on cement weight. Prisms test using 400 (length) × 150 (width) × 510 (height) mm specimen was carried under eccentric load. There were forty eight (48) prisms built with different configurations based on their volume of fibre. In this study, one types of grout were used namely the fine grout of mix 1:3:2 (cement: sand: aggregate (5mm maximum). Based on the test performed, the failure mechanism and influencing parameters were discussed. From compressive strength test result, it shows that the strength of concrete block decreased with the increase of fibre used. Although the control sample has the higher strength compared to concrete with EFB, it can be seen from mode failure of masonry prism that fibre could extend the cracking time. These results show that the oil palm fibre blocks can improve the failure behaviour and suitable to be used as load bearing wall construction in Malaysia.

  12. Influence of fibre orientation on the performance of steel fibre-reinforced concrete

    OpenAIRE

    Grünewald, Steffen; Laranjeira de Oliveira, Filipe; Walraven, Joost; Aguado de Cea, Antonio; Molins i Borrell, Climent

    2012-01-01

    The performance of fibre-reinforced materials in the hardened state depends on the material behaviour, the production method and influences related to the structure. The position and the orientation of fibres in a structure can differ from the homogenous distribution and the random orientation in a mixer. Due to the flow of the concrete, fibres are able to orient which makes the prediction of the structural behaviour of fibre-reinforced concrete more complex, but it also offers the potential ...

  13. WORKSHOP: Scintillating fibre detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1989-01-01

    Scintillating fibre detector development and technology for the proposed US Superconducting Supercollider, SSC, was the subject of a recent workshop at Fermilab, with participation from the high energy physics community and from industry. Sessions covered the current status of fibre technology and fibre detectors, new detector applications, fluorescent materials and scintillation compositions, radiation damage effects, amplification and imaging structures, and scintillation fibre fabrication techniques

  14. An enhanced method to determine the Young’s modulus of technical single fibres by means of high resolution digital image correlation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huether, Jonas; Rupp, Peter; Kohlschreiber, Ina; André Weidenmann, Kay

    2018-04-01

    To obtain mechanical tensile properties of materials it is customary to equip the specimen directly with a device to measure strain and Young’s modulus correctly and only within the measuring length defined by the standards. Whereas a variety of tools such as extensometers, strain gauges and optical systems are available for specimens on coupon level, no market-ready tools to measure strains of single fibres during single fibre tensile tests are available. Although there is a standard for single fibre testing, the procedures described there are only capable of measuring strains of the whole testing setup rather than the strain of the fibre. Without a direct strain measurement on the specimen, the compliance of the test rig itself influences the determination of the Young’s modulus. This work aims to fill this gap by establishing an enhanced method to measure strains directly on the tested fibre and thus provide accurate values for Young’s modulus. It is demonstrated that by applying and then optically tracking fluorescing polymeric beads on single glass fibres, Young’s modulus is determined directly and with high repeatability, without a need to measure at different measuring lengths or compensating for the system compliance. Employing this method to glass fibres, a Young’s modulus of approximately 82.5 GPa was determined, which is in the range of values obtained by applying a conventional procedure. This enhanced measuring technology achieves high accuracy and repeatability while reducing scatter of the data. It was demonstrated that the fluorescing beads do not affect the fibre properties.

  15. Hemp fibres: Enzymatic effect of microbial processing on fibre bundle structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thygesen, Anders; Liu, Ming; Meyer, Anne S.

    2013-01-01

    The effects of microbial pretreatment on hemp fibres were evaluated after microbial retting using the white rot fungi Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and Phlebia radiata Cel 26 and water retting. Based on chemical composition, P. radiata Cel 26 showed the highest selectivity for pectin and lignin...... degradation and lowest cellulose loss (14%) resulting in the highest cellulose content (78.4%) for the treated hemp fibres. The pectin and lignin removal after treatment with P. radiata Cel 26 were of the order 82% and 50%, respectively. Aligned epoxy-matrix composites were made from hemp fibres defibrated...... with the microbial retting to evaluate the effects on their ultrastructure. SEM microscopy of the composites showed low porosity on the fibre surfaces after defibration with P. radiata Cel 26 and C. subvermispora indicating good epoxy polymer impregnation. In contrast, fibres treated by water retting and the raw...

  16. EFFECTS OF GEOMETRIC RATIOS AND FIBRE ORIENTATION ON THE NATURAL FREQUENCIES OF LAMINATED COMPOSITE PLATES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Attaf

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The present investigation aims to examine the influence of geometric ratios and fibre orientation on the natural frequencies of fibre-reinforced laminated composite plates using finite element method based on Yang’s theory and his collaborators. The transverse shear and rotatory inertia effects were taken into consideration in the developed Fortran computer program. It has been shown that the use of first-order displacement field provides the same accuracy as higher-order displacement field when the number of elements representing the plate structure is increased (refined mesh. However, poor precision may appear for plates with high thickness-to-side ratio h/a (thickness/side length. This discrepancy limits the application of the developed theory to thick plates (h/a<0.5. The various curves show the evolution of the dimensionless frequency (w* versus fibre orientation angle (q and illustrate the apparition of a “triple-point” phenomenon engendered by the increase of the plate aspect ratio a/b (length/width for a specific value of h/a. This point defines the maximum natural frequency and the associated fibre orientation. Also, results show that for high and/or low aspect ratios, the triple-point phenomenon does not occur. This latter is rapidly reached for thick plates than thin plates when the plate aspect ratio a/b is progressively increased.

  17. Production and in vitro evaluation of macroporous, cell-encapsulating alginate fibres for nerve repair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Sharon Chien-Yu, E-mail: sharonlin114@gmail.com [The University of Queensland, Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Brisbane QLD 4102 (Australia); Wang, Yiwei, E-mail: yiweiwang@anzac.edu.au [The University of Queensland, Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Brisbane QLD 4102 (Australia); Wertheim, David F., E-mail: d.wertheim@kingston.ac.uk [Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE (United Kingdom); Coombes, Allan G.A., E-mail: allancoombes@pharmacy.psu.ac.th [Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand)

    2017-04-01

    The prospects for successful peripheral nerve repair using fibre guides are considered to be enhanced by the use of a scaffold material, which promotes attachment and proliferation of glial cells and axonal regeneration. Macroporous alginate fibres were produced by extraction of gelatin particle porogens from wet spun fibres produced using a suspension of gelatin particles in 1.5% w/v alginate solution. Gelatin loading of the starting suspension of 40.0, 57.0, and 62.5% w/w resulted in gelatin loading of the dried alginate fibres of 16, 21, and 24% w/w respectively. Between 45 and 60% of the gelatin content of hydrated fibres was released in 1 h in distilled water at 37 °C, leading to rapid formation of a macroporous structure. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and image processing provided qualitative and quantitative analysis of mean equivalent macropore diameter (48–69 μm), pore size distribution, estimates of maximum porosity (14.6%) and pore connectivity. CLSM also revealed that gelatin residues lined the macropore cavities and infiltrated into the body of the alginate scaffolds, thus, providing cell adhesion molecules, which are potentially advantageous for promoting growth of glial cells and axonal extension. Macroporous alginate fibres encapsulating nerve cells [primary rat dorsal root ganglia (DRGs)] were produced by wet spinning alginate solution containing dispersed gelatin particles and DRGs. Marked outgrowth was evident over a distance of 150 μm at day 11 in cell culture, indicating that pores and channels created within the alginate hydrogel were providing a favourable environment for neurite development. These findings indicate that macroporous alginate fibres encapsulating nerve cells may provide the basis of a useful strategy for nerve repair. - Highlights: • Nerve cells were encapsulated in macroporous alginate fibres for use in nerve repair. • Fibres were produced from alginate solution containing gelatin porogens and cells.

  18. Vibrated and self-compacting fibre reinforced concrete: experimental investigation on the fibre orientation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conforti, A.; Plizzari, G. A.; Zerbino, R.

    2017-09-01

    In addition to the fibre type and content, the residual properties of fibre reinforced concrete are influenced by fibre orientation. Consequently, the performance fibre reinforced concrete can be affected by its fresh properties (workability, flowing capacity) and by casting and compaction processes adopted. This paper focuses on the study of the orientation of steel or macro-synthetic fibres in two materials characterized by very different fresh properties: vibrated and self-compacting concrete. Four rectangular slabs 1800 mm long, 925 mm wide and 100 mm high were produced changing concrete and fibre type. From each slab, eighteen small prisms (550 mm long) were firstly cut either orthogonal or parallel to casting direction and, secondly, notched and tested in bending according to EN 14651. Experimental results showed that the toughness properties of a thin slab significantly varies both in vibrated and self-compacting concrete, even if in case of self-compacting concrete this variation resulted higher. Steel fibres led to greater variability of results compared to polymer one, underlining a different fibre orientation. A discussion on the relative residual capacity measured on the prisms sawn from the slabs and the parameters obtained from standard specimens is performed.

  19. Degradation of basalt fibre and glass fibre/epoxy resin composites in seawater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei Bin; Cao Hailin; Song Shenhua

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → BFRP degradation process in seawater environment was first investigated. → The mass gain change includes two effects: absorption and extraction. → The interfacial adhesion of BFRP is bigger than GFRP. → After treated, the bending strength of BFRP is lower than GFRP. → Reducing the Fe 2+ in the basalt fibre could lead to a higher stability of BFRP. - Abstract: Epoxy resins reinforced, respectively, by basalt fibres and glass fibres were treated with a seawater solution for different periods of time. Both the mass gain ratio and the strength maintenance ratio of the composites were examined after the treatment. The fracture surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The tensile and bending strengths of the seawater treated samples showed a decreasing trend with treating time. In general, the anti-seawater corrosion property of the basalt fibre reinforced composites was almost the same as that of the glass fibre reinforced ones. Based on the experimental results, possible corrosion mechanisms were explored, indicating that an effective lowering of the Fe 2+ content in the basalt fibre could lead to a higher stability for the basalt fibre reinforced composites in a seawater environment.

  20. Optical Fibre Temperature Sensor Based On A Blackbody Radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hypszer, Ryszard; Plucinski, Jerzy; Wierzba, Henryk J.

    1990-01-01

    The principle of operation of the fibre optical temperature sensor based on a blackbody radiation and its construction model is given in the paper. A quartz rod of 0.6 mm diameter and 20 cm length with a blackbody cavity at the one end was used to construct the sensor. The cavity was made by vacuum evaporation of a chromium layer and a silicone monooxide layer was used as a protection. Infrared radiation is transmitted by the fibre optic to the detection circuit. This sensor enables temperature measurement from 400 to 1200°C. The range of measurement is determined by the detection sensitivity and by rod softening. The resolution is of the order of 10-2°C. The sensor calibration was done by using PtRh1O-Pt thermocouple.

  1. Assessment of nerve ultrastructure by fibre-optic confocal microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cushway, T R; Lanzetta, M; Cox, G; Trickett, R; Owen, E R

    1996-01-01

    Fibre-optic technology combined with confocality produces a microscope capable of optical thin sectioning. In this original study, tibial nerves have been stained in a rat model with a vital dye, 4-(4-diethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide, and analysed by fibre-optic confocal microscopy to produce detailed images of nerve ultrastructure. Schwann cells, nodes of Ranvier and longitudinal myelinated sheaths enclosing axons were clearly visible. Single axons appeared as brightly staining longitudinal structures. This allowed easy tracing of multiple signal axons within the nerve tissue. An accurate measurement of internodal lengths was easily accomplished. This technique is comparable to current histological techniques, but does not require biopsy, thin sectioning or tissue fixing. This study offers a standard for further in vivo microscopy, including the possibility of monitoring the progression of nerve regeneration following microsurgical neurorraphy.

  2. The Chemical Composition of Grape Fibre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jolana Karovičová

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Dietary fibres from cereals are much more used than dietary fibres from fruits; however, dietary fibres from fruits have better quality. In recent years, for economic and environmental reasons, there has been a growing pressure to recover and exploit food wastes. Grape fibre is used to fortify baked goods, because the fibre can lower blood sugar, cut cholesterol and may even prevent colon cancer. Grape pomace is a functional ingredient in bakery goods to increase total phenolic content and dietary fibre in nourishment. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of commercial fibres, obtained from different Grape sources concerning their chemical properties such as moisture, ash, fat, protein, total dietary fibre. The chemical composition of Grape fibre is known to vary depending on the Grape cultivar, growth climates, and processing conditions. The obliged characteristics of the fibre product are: total dietary fibre content above 50%, moisture lower than 9%, low content of lipids, a low energy value and neutral flavour and taste. Grape pomace represents a rich source of various high-value products such as ethanol, tartrates and malates, citric acid, Grape seed oil, hydrocolloids and dietary fibre. Used commercial Grape fibres have as a main characteristic, the high content of total dietary fibre. Amount of total dietary fibre depends on the variety of Grapes. Total dietary fibre content (TDF in our samples of Grape fibre varied from 56.8% to 83.6%. There were also determined low contents of moisture (below 9%. In the samples of Grape fibre were determined higher amount of protein (8.6 - 10.8%, mineral (1.3 - 3.8% and fat (2.8 - 8.6%. This fact opens the possibility of using both initial by-products as ingredients in the food industry, due to the effects associated with the high total dietary fibre content.

  3. Microgel polymer composite fibres

    OpenAIRE

    Kehren, Dominic

    2014-01-01

    In this thesis some novel ideas and advancements in the field of polymer composite fibres, specifically microgel-based polymer composite fibres have been achieved. The main task was to investigate and understand the electrospinning process of microgels and polymers and the interplay of parameter influences, in order to fabricate reproducible and continuously homogenous composite fibres. The main aim was to fabricate a composite material which combines the special properties of polymer fibres ...

  4. Ultrafast Readout of Scintillating Fibres Using Upgraded Position-Sensitive Photomultipliers

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    % RD-17 \\\\ \\\\To design a high rate topological trigger device for the future DIRAC Experiment at CERN an extensive work is in progress on a scintillating-fibre detector using a position-sensitive photomultiplier. Several detector prototypes with different lengths ($<$~50~cm) of sensitive area have been tested at T7S~PS beam. \\\\ \\\\With 0.5~mm diameter fibres a spatial resolution of $\\sim$125~$\\mu$m was obtained with a detection efficiency higher than 95\\%. The time resolution is $\\sim$600~ps, and the track position is properly digitized in real time (about 10~ns) by multi-channel peak sensing circuit. Based on experimental data simulations were also performed a comparison of different types of front-end electronics for multi-channel readout.

  5. Optimisation of the imaging and dosimetric characteristics of an electronic portal imaging device employing plastic scintillating fibres using Monte Carlo simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, S J; McNamara, A L; Vial, P; Holloway, L; Kuncic, Z

    2014-11-21

    A Monte Carlo model of a novel electronic portal imaging device (EPID) has been developed using Geant4 and its performance for imaging and dosimetry applications in radiotherapy has been characterised. The EPID geometry is based on a physical prototype under ongoing investigation and comprises an array of plastic scintillating fibres in place of the metal plate/phosphor screen in standard EPIDs. Geometrical and optical transport parameters were varied to investigate their impact on imaging and dosimetry performance. Detection efficiency was most sensitive to variations in fibre length, achieving a peak value of 36% at 50 mm using 400 keV x-rays for the lengths considered. Increases in efficiency for longer fibres were partially offset by reductions in sensitivity. Removing the extra-mural absorber surrounding individual fibres severely decreased the modulation transfer function (MTF), highlighting its importance in maximising spatial resolution. Field size response and relative dose profile simulations demonstrated a water-equivalent dose response and thus the prototype's suitability for dosimetry applications. Element-to-element mismatch between scintillating fibres and underlying photodiode pixels resulted in a reduced MTF for high spatial frequencies and quasi-periodic variations in dose profile response. This effect is eliminated when fibres are precisely matched to underlying pixels. Simulations strongly suggest that with further optimisation, this prototype EPID may be capable of simultaneous imaging and dosimetry in radiotherapy.

  6. Optimisation of the imaging and dosimetric characteristics of an electronic portal imaging device employing plastic scintillating fibres using Monte Carlo simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, S. J.; McNamara, A. L.; Vial, P.; Holloway, L.; Kuncic, Z.

    2014-11-01

    A Monte Carlo model of a novel electronic portal imaging device (EPID) has been developed using Geant4 and its performance for imaging and dosimetry applications in radiotherapy has been characterised. The EPID geometry is based on a physical prototype under ongoing investigation and comprises an array of plastic scintillating fibres in place of the metal plate/phosphor screen in standard EPIDs. Geometrical and optical transport parameters were varied to investigate their impact on imaging and dosimetry performance. Detection efficiency was most sensitive to variations in fibre length, achieving a peak value of 36% at 50 mm using 400 keV x-rays for the lengths considered. Increases in efficiency for longer fibres were partially offset by reductions in sensitivity. Removing the extra-mural absorber surrounding individual fibres severely decreased the modulation transfer function (MTF), highlighting its importance in maximising spatial resolution. Field size response and relative dose profile simulations demonstrated a water-equivalent dose response and thus the prototype’s suitability for dosimetry applications. Element-to-element mismatch between scintillating fibres and underlying photodiode pixels resulted in a reduced MTF for high spatial frequencies and quasi-periodic variations in dose profile response. This effect is eliminated when fibres are precisely matched to underlying pixels. Simulations strongly suggest that with further optimisation, this prototype EPID may be capable of simultaneous imaging and dosimetry in radiotherapy.

  7. Opto-mechanical design of a buckling cavity in a novel high-performance outside-plant robust field installable single-mode fibre connector

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebraert, Evert; Van Erps, Jürgen; Beri, Stefano; Watté, Jan; Thienpont, Hugo

    2014-05-01

    Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks provide an ideal means to reach the goal the European Union has set to provide 50 % of the households with a broadband connection faster than 100 Mb/s. Deployment of FTTH networks, which is still costly today, could be significantly boosted by novel ferrule-less connectors which don't require highly skilled personnel and allow installation in the field. We propose a ferrule-less connector in which two single-mode fibres (SMFs) are aligned and maintain physical contact by ensuring that at least one fibre is in a buckled state. To this end, we design a cavity in which a fibre can buckle in a controlled way. Using finite element analysis simulations to investigate the shape of the formed buckle for various buckling cavity lengths, we show that it can be accurately approximated by a cosine function. In addition, the optical performance of a buckled SMF is investigated by bending loss calculations and simulations. We show a good agreement between the analytical and the simulated bending loss results for a G.652 fibre at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Buckling cavity lengths smaller than 20 mm should be avoided to keep the optical bending loss due to buckling below 0.1 dB. In this case the cavity height should at least be 2 mm to avoid mechanical confinement of the fibre.

  8. Performance of mechanical behavior of kenaf fibre reinforced foamed composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahzabin, Mst. Sadia; Hock, Lim Jee; Kang, Lim Siong; Jarghouyeh, Ehsan Nikbakht

    2017-10-01

    This paper investigates the mechanical properties of lightweight foamed composite (LFC) with the inclusion of kenaf fibres and superplasticizer. NaOH treated kenaf fibre contents of 0.4%, 0.45% and 0.5% (by weight of cement) with 5cm length were used in composite. The density of 1000kg/m3 to 2000kg/m3 foamed concrete was used for all the tested specimens. The ratio of cement, sand and water used was 1:1.5:0.45. All the experiments were set up in accordance with International standard methods of testing. In reference to the results and discussion, the different percentages of fibre used were proven to have a lesser contribution towards compressive strength or might even have reduced the result. The results also showed that water absorption and density of the composite mortar increased as the volume of fiber increased from 0.4% to 0.5% However, a higher percentage of fiber inclusions had been recorded to have a positive contribution towards flexural and tensile splitting properties of composites.

  9. Surface analysis of glass fibres using XPS and AFM: case study of glass fibres recovered from the glass fibre reinforced polymer using chemical recycling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nzioka, A. M.; Kim, Y. J.

    2018-01-01

    In this study, we present the results of an experimental study of the use of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterise the coatings of the recovered E - glass fibres. The recovered E - glass fibres were obtained using chemical recycling process coupled with ultrasound cavitation. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of chemical recycling and the ultrasound cavitation process on the sizing properties of the recovered fibres. We obtained the recovered fibres and sized using 1 wt% 3 - aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS). Part of the sized fibres was washed with acetone and analysed all the sample fibres using AFM and XPS. Results showed the different composition of sizing after extraction using acetone. We compared the results of this study with that of virgin clean glass fibres.

  10. Direct method for the periodic amplification of a soliton in an optical fibre link with loss

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Lu; Xue Wenrui; Xu Zhiyong; Li Zhonghao; Zhou Guosheng

    2003-01-01

    A direct approach is applied to the periodic amplification of a soliton in an optical fibre link with loss. In a single soliton case, the adiabatic solution and first-order correction are given for the system. The apparent advantage of this direct approach is that it not only presents the slow evolution of soliton parameters, but also the perturbation-induced radiation, and can be easily used to investigate the system of dispersion management with periodically varying dispersion and other fields

  11. Biological durability and oxidative potential of man-made vitreous fibres as compared to crocidolite asbestos fibres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hippeli, S.; Dornisch, K.; Elstner, E.F. [Lehrstuhl fuer Phytopathologie, Technische Univ. Muenchen-Weihenstephan, Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany); Wiethege, T.; Mueller, K.M. [Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken Bergmannsheil, Universitaetsklinik, Inst. fuer Pathologie, Bochum (Germany); Gillissen, A. [Medizinische Universitaetsklinik und Poliklinik II, Kardiologie, Pneumologie, Bonn (Germany)

    2001-08-01

    In this study we investigated relationships between redox properties and biodurability of crocidolite asbestos fibres and three different man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF): traditional stone wool fibres (MMVF 21), glass fibres (MMVF 11) and refractory ceramic fibres (RCF). Each fibre type was incubated up to 22 weeks in four different incubation media: gamble solution (GS) pH 5.0 and pH 7.4, representing blood plasma without proteins, and surfactant-like solution (SLS) pH 5.0 and pH 7.4. During incubation time aliquots of incubation mixtures were removed and analysed in a biochemical model reaction, mimicking activated phagocytes. In addition, changes of fibre morphology and chemical composition were examined using SEM- and EDX-technology. In the presence of crocidolite asbestos fibres and MMVF 21 the formation of OH-radicals according to the Haber-Weiss sequence could be demonstrated, whereas MMVF 11 and RCF showed no reactivity. Crocidolite asbestos fibres exhibited a significant higher activity compared with the stone wool fibres at the onset of incubation. The oxidative capacities of these fibre types were shown to depend on both specific surface area and iron content. The oxidative potentials of crocidolite asbestos fibres as well as MMVF 21 were not constant during incubation over several weeks in each incubation medium. The reactivities showed sinoidal curves including reactivities much higher than those at the onset of incubation time. These irregular changes of oxidative capacity may be explained by changes of the redox state of fibre surface-complexed iron. Furthermore our results showed clear differences between incubation of fibres in GS and SLS, respectively, indicating that phospholipids play an important part in fibre dissolution behaviour and oxidative reactivity. (orig.)

  12. Pure chiral optical fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poladian, L; Straton, M; Docherty, A; Argyros, A

    2011-01-17

    We investigate the properties of optical fibres made from chiral materials, in which a contrast in optical activity forms the waveguide, rather than a contrast in the refractive index; we refer to such structures as pure chiral fibres. We present a mathematical formulation for solving the modes of circularly symmetric examples of such fibres and examine the guidance and polarisation properties of pure chiral step-index, Bragg and photonic crystal fibre designs. Their behaviour is shown to differ for left- and right-hand circular polarisation, allowing circular polarisations to be isolated and/or guided by different mechanisms, as well as differing from equivalent non-chiral fibres. The strength of optical activity required in each case is quantified.

  13. DETECTORS: scintillating fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1994-01-01

    In the continual search for improved detection techniques, new materials are continually proving profitable. A good example is scintillating plastic fibres - tiny transparent threads sometimes finer than a human hair which transmit light. The narrowness and flexibility of these fibres was a major breakthrough for endoscopy - non-invasive techniques for viewing the otherwise inaccessible in surgery or machine inspection. In a more sophisticated form, these fibres find ready application in communications technology, where the goal is to transmit information rather than electrical power, replacing conventional and unwieldy current-carrying wire conductors. In particle physics, fibres have long been used to take the tiny scintillations produced when high energy particles hit fluorescent materials and 'conduct' them to photosensitive detectors some distance away

  14. Special fibres and components

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bunge, C.-A.; Woyessa, Getinet; Bremer, K.

    2017-01-01

    In this chapter we present more specific fibre types for particular applications. Starting with the multi-core fibre, which can be used as a substitution for ordinary SI-POF transmission fibres, but with better bending losses, over the ever increasing range of micro-structured POF for diverse sen...

  15. Opto-mechanical lab-on-fibre seismic sensors detected the Norcia earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisco, Marco; Bruno, Francesco Antonio; Galluzzo, Danilo; Nardone, Lucia; Gruca, Grzegorz; Rijnveld, Niek; Bianco, Francesca; Cutolo, Antonello; Cusano, Andrea

    2018-04-27

    We have designed and developed lab-on-fibre seismic sensors containing a micro-opto-mechanical cavity on the fibre tip. The mechanical cavity is designed as a double cantilever suspended on the fibre end facet and connected to a proof mass to tune its response. Ground acceleration leads to displacement of the cavity length, which in turn can be remotely detected using an interferometric interrogation technique. After the sensors characterization, an experimental validation was conducted at the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), which is responsible for seismic surveillance over the Italian country. The fabricated sensors have been continuously used for long periods to demonstrate their effectiveness as seismic accelerometer sensors. During the tests, fibre optic seismic accelerometers clearly detected the seismic sequence that culminated in the severe Mw6.5 Norcia earthquake that struck central Italy on October 30, 2016. The seismic data provided by the optical sensors were analysed by specialists at the INGV. The wave traces were compared with state-of-the-art traditional sensors typically incorporated into the INGV seismic networks. The comparison verifies the high fidelity of the optical sensors in seismic wave detection, indicating their suitability for a novel class of seismic sensors to be employed in practical scenarios.

  16. Mechanical processing of bast fibres: The occurrence of damage and its effect on fibre structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hänninen, Tuomas; Thygesen, Anders; Mehmood, Shahid

    2012-01-01

    Currently, separation processes used for natural fibres for composite reinforcing textiles cause a significant amount of damage to the fibres. Microscopic analysis showed that industrially processed flax (Linum usitassimium L.) fibres contained significantly more defects than green or retted ones...... to heterogeneous reactivity. Analogous findings were observed in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fibre damaged in the laboratory under controlled conditions, emphasising the need to develop extraction and separation processes that minimise mechanical damage to the fibres....

  17. Fundamentals of fibre-reinforced soil engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Shukla, Sanjay Kumar

    2017-01-01

    This book is intended to serve as a one-stop reference on fibre-reinforced soils. Over the past 30-35 years, the engineering behaviour of randomly distributed/oriented fibre-reinforced soil, also called simply fibre-reinforced soil, has been investigated in detail by researchers and engineers worldwide. Waste fibres (plastic waste fibres, old tyre fibres, etc.) create disposal and environmental problems. Utilization of such fibres in construction can help resolve these concerns. Research studies and some field applications have shown that the fibres can be utilized in large quantities in geotechnical and civil engineering applications in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. This book covers a complete description of fibres, their effects when included within a soil or other similar materials such as the fly ash, and their field applications. It gives a detailed view of fibre-reinforced soil engineering. The book will be useful to students, professional, and researchers alike, and can also ser...

  18. Fun with Optical Fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alti, Kamlesh

    2017-01-01

    Optical fibres play a very crucial role in today's technologies. Academic courses in optical fibres start at the undergraduate level. Nevertheless, student's curiosity towards optical fibres starts from the school level. In this paper, some fun experiments have been designed for both school and college students, which have some concrete…

  19. Targeted introgression of cotton fibre quality quantitative trait loci using molecular markers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacape, J.M.; Trung-Bieu Nguyen; Hau, B.; Giband, M.

    2007-01-01

    Within the framework of a cotton breeding programme, molecular markers are used to improve the efficiency of the introgression of fibre quality traits of Gossypium barbadense into G. hirsutum. A saturated genetic map was developed based on genotyping data obtained from the BC 1 (75 plants) and BC 2 (200 plants) generations. Phenotypic measurements conducted over three generations (BC 1 , BC 2 and BC 2 S 1 ) allowed 80 quantitative trait loci (QTL) to be detected for fibre length, uniformity, strength, elongation, fineness and colour. Positive QTL, i.e. those for which favourable alleles came from the G. barbadense parent, were harboured by 19 QTL-rich regions on 15 'carrier' chromosomes. In subsequent generations (BC 3 and BC 4 ), markers framing the QTL-rich regions were used to select about 10 percent of over 400 plants analysed in each generation. Although BC plants selected through the marker-assisted selection (MAS) process show promising fibre quality, only their full field evaluation will allow validation of the procedure. (author)

  20. Radiation-resistance assessment of IR fibres for ITER thermography diagnostic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brichard, B.; Ierschot, S. van; Ooms, H.; Berghmans, F.; Reichle, R.; Pocheau, C.; Decreton, M.

    2006-01-01

    to 25 kGy. Still at this total dose, we did not observe significant change in the optical transmission due to radiation. From the point of view of radiation hardness, this fibre appears to be promising for thermography applications but several intrinsic shortcomings, mainly its high intrinsic absorption (∼ 1 dB/m ) and strong optical sensitivity regarding the bending radius, limit the applicability of this technology. Further irradiation tests are currently in progress to evaluate the radiation resistance of sapphire and chalcogenide fibres. At the time of the conference, we will compare the radiation resistance of all these IR fibres. For the time being, we conclude that zirconium fibres could be used in the 3-4 μm region if the radiation flux does not exceed 1 Gy/s and if the fibre is simultaneously heated around 100 o C. For wavelength above 3 μm, hollow fibres appears to be a good candidate but for short fibre length only. (author)

  1. Magnesium Coated Bioresorbable Phosphate Glass Fibres: Investigation of the Interface between Fibre and Polyester Matrices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoling Liu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Bioresorbable phosphate glass fibre reinforced polyester composites have been investigated as replacement for some traditional metallic orthopaedic implants, such as bone fracture fixation plates. However, composites tested revealed loss of the interfacial integrity after immersion within aqueous media which resulted in rapid loss of mechanical properties. Physical modification of fibres to change fibre surface morphology has been shown to be an effective method to improve fibre and matrix adhesion in composites. In this study, biodegradable magnesium which would gradually degrade to Mg2+ in the human body was deposited via magnetron sputtering onto bioresorbable phosphate glass fibres to obtain roughened fibre surfaces. Fibre surface morphology after coating was observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM. The roughness profile and crystalline texture of the coatings were determined via atomic force microscope (AFM and X-ray diffraction (XRD analysis, respectively. The roughness of the coatings was seen to increase from 40±1 nm to 80±1 nm. The mechanical properties (tensile strength and modulus of fibre with coatings decreased with increased magnesium coating thickness.

  2. Determination of some elements along the length of pine needles by means of the scanning energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Viksna, A.; Katkevics, J.; Nulle, S.

    1998-01-01

    The scanning energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXDF) is used to measure the distribution of trace elements along the length of single pine needles. The current set up allows simultaneous determination up to 15 trace elements. The pilot experiments showed that the distribution of some elements varied along length of the pine needle. Concentration variations of trace elements with the needle age and needle position within the foliage crown were also observed. This could be one way of studying the annual physiological cycle of needles. The scanning EDXRF method was compared with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). (authors)

  3. Power output and force-velocity relationship of red and white muscle fibres from the Pacific blue marlin (Makaira nigricans).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, I A; Salamonski, J

    1984-07-01

    Single white fibres and small bundles (two to three) of red fibres were isolated from the trunk muscle of Pacific Blue Marlin (50-121 kg body weight). Fibres were chemically skinned with 1% Brij. Maximum Ca2+-activated force production (Po) was 57 kN m-2 for red fibres and 176 kN m-2 for white fibres at 25 degrees C. The force-velocity (P-V) characteristics of these fibres were determined at 15 and 25 degrees C. Points below 0.6 Po on the P-V curve could be fitted to a linear form of Hill's equation. The degree of curvature of the P-V curve was similar at 15 and 25 degrees C (Hill's constant a/Po = 0.24 and 0.12 for red and white fibres respectively). Extrapolated maximum contraction velocities (Vmax) were 2.5 muscle lengths s-1 (Lo S-1) (red fibres) and 5.3 Lo S-1 (white fibres) at 25 degrees C. Q10(15-25 degrees C) values for Vmax were 1.4 and 1.3 for red and white fibres respectively. Maximum power output had a similar low temperature dependence and amounted to 13 W kg-1 for red and 57 W kg-1 for white muscle at 25 degrees C. The results are briefly discussed in relation to the locomotion and ecology of marlin.

  4. Fibre Bragg grating and no-core fibre sensors

    CERN Document Server

    Daud, Suzairi

    2018-01-01

    This book focuses on the development and set-up of fibre Bragg grating (FBG) and no-core fibre (NCF) sensors. It discusses the properties of the sensors and modelling of the resulting devices, which include electronic, optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and spintronic devices. In addition to providing detailed explanations of the properties of FBG and NCF sensors, it features a wealth of instructive illustrations and tables, helping to visualize the respective devices’ functions.

  5. A wrinkle in flight: the role of elastin fibres in the mechanical behaviour of bat wing membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheney, Jorn A; Konow, Nicolai; Bearnot, Andrew; Swartz, Sharon M

    2015-05-06

    Bats fly using a thin wing membrane composed of compliant, anisotropic skin. Wing membrane skin deforms dramatically as bats fly, and its three-dimensional configurations depend, in large part, on the mechanical behaviour of the tissue. Large, macroscopic elastin fibres are an unusual mechanical element found in the skin of bat wings. We characterize the fibre orientation and demonstrate that elastin fibres are responsible for the distinctive wrinkles in the surrounding membrane matrix. Uniaxial mechanical testing of the wing membrane, both parallel and perpendicular to elastin fibres, is used to distinguish the contribution of elastin and the surrounding matrix to the overall membrane mechanical behaviour. We find that the matrix is isotropic within the plane of the membrane and responsible for bearing load at high stress; elastin fibres are responsible for membrane anisotropy and only contribute substantially to load bearing at very low stress. The architecture of elastin fibres provides the extreme extensibility and self-folding/self-packing of the wing membrane skin. We relate these findings to flight with membrane wings and discuss the aeromechanical significance of elastin fibre pre-stress, membrane excess length, and how these parameters may aid bats in resisting gusts and preventing membrane flutter. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  6. Hybrid UWB and WiMAX radio-over-multi-mode fibre for in-building optical networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez, J; Llorente, R

    2014-01-01

    In this paper the use of hybrid WiMedia-defined ultra-wideband (UWB) and IEEE 802.16d WiMAX radio-over-fibre is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for multi-mode based in-building optical networks with the advantage of great immunity to optical transmission impairments. In the proposed approach, spectral coexistence of both signals must be achieved with negligible mutual interference. The experimental study performed addressed an indoor configuration with 50 μm multi-mode fibres (MMF) and 850 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) transmitters. The results indicate that the impact of the wireless convergence in radio-over-multi-mode fibre (RoMMF) is significant for UWB transmissions, mainly due to MMF dispersion and electrooptical (EO) devices with limited bandwidth. On the other hand, WiMAX transmission is feasible for a 300 m MMF and 30 m wireless link in the presence of UWB, with −31 dBm WiMAX EVM. (paper)

  7. Sputter etching of polymer fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carter, G.; Hill, A.E.; Nobes, M.J.; Jeffries, R.; Simmens, S.C.

    1979-01-01

    Fibres of polyamide, polyester and an aromatic polyamide (Kevlar) have been subjected to Ar + ion bombardment erosion in an ion accelerator or an rf discharge system. In the case of the former two polymers, cones are observed to develop upon the fibre surface and these are associated with etch protection resulting from the presence of particles of titanium dioxide pigment. This effect is absent in the third, unpigmented, fibre. In all cases ripple structures with a habit transverse to the fibre axes and of wavelength of approximately 1000 Angstrom are gradually developed during ion bombardment. It is suggested that this morphology results from an underlying periodicity of the fibre structure either inherent in the fibre structure or induced by the irradiation. (author)

  8. Controlling X-ray beam trajectory with a flexible hollow glass fibre

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, Yoshihito, E-mail: yotanaka@riken.jp [RIKEN, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Hyogo 679-5148 (Japan); Kwansei Gakuin University, Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan); Nakatani, Takashi; Onitsuka, Rena [Kwansei Gakuin University, Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan); Sawada, Kei [RIKEN, 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Hyogo 679-5148 (Japan); Takahashi, Isao [Kwansei Gakuin University, Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1337 (Japan)

    2014-01-01

    X-ray beam trajectory control has been performed by using a 1.5 m-long flexible hollow glass fibre. A two-dimensional scan of a synchrotron radiation beam was demonstrated for X-ray absorption mapping. A metre-length flexible hollow glass fibre with 20 µm-bore and 1.5 mm-cladding diameters for transporting a synchrotron X-ray beam and controlling the trajectory has been examined. The large cladding diameter maintains a moderate curvature to satisfy the shallow glancing angle of total reflection. The observed transmission efficiency was more than 20% at 12.4 keV. As a demonstration, a wide-area scan of a synchrotron radiation beam was performed to identify the elements for a fixed metal film through its absorption spectra.

  9. Single-mode optical fibres

    CERN Document Server

    Cancellieri, G

    1991-01-01

    This book describes signal propagation in single-mode optical fibres for telecommunication applications. Such description is based on the analysis of field propagation, considering waveguide properties and also some of the particular characteristics of the material fibre. The book covers such recent advances as, coherent transmissions; optical amplification; MIR fibres; polarization maintaining; polarization diversity and photon counting.

  10. Fibre Bragg Grating and Long Period Grating Sensors in Polymer Optical Fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bundalo, Ivan-Lazar

    mechanisms in polymer fibres using a CO2 laser. One is etching and the other one is perturbation of the microstructured region. After inscription of LPGs, the concept of a biocompatible distributed medical endoscope is presented, where an all-plastic LPG based device is produced. A transducer pod is made...... of applications and pushing the limits. The first part of the work focuses on the fabrication of FBGs in polymer optical fibres. FBGs are a periodic perturbation of the refractive index of the optical fibre core which act as a wavelength specific reflector. The fibres used are made of Polymethyl methacrylate....... In this system a high power CO2 laser is used for the inscription. An LPG is also a periodic perturbation of the guided core mode in fibre, but unlike FBG which reflects the core mode, the LPG couples the core mode to a cladding mode outside the core. We have shown that the LPG grating can be formed through two...

  11. Fibre Concrete 2017

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    9th international conference on fibre reinforced concretes (FRC), textile reinforced concretes (TRC) and ultra-high performance concretes (UHPC) Preface The Fibre Concrete Conference series is held biennially to provide a platform to share knowledge on fibre reinforced concretes, textile concretes and ultra-high performance concretes regarding material properties and behaviour, technology procedures, topics of long-term behaviour, creep, durability; sustainable aspects of concrete including utilisation of waste materials in concrete production and recycling of concrete. The tradition of Fibre Concrete Conferences started in eighties of the last century. Nowadays the conference is organized by the Department of Concrete and Masonry Structures of the Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering. The 9th International Conference Fibre Concrete 2017 had 109 participants from 27 countries all over the world. 55 papers were presented including keynote lectures of Professor Bažant, Professor Bartoš and Dr. Broukalová. The conference program covered wide range of topics from scientific research to practical applications. The presented contributions related to performance and behaviour of cement based composites, their long-term behaviour and durability, sustainable aspects, advanced analyses of structures from these composites and successful applications. This conference was organized also to honour Professor Zděnek P. Bažant on the occasion of his jubilee and to appreciate his merits and discoveries in the field of fibre reinforced composites, structural mechanics and engineering.

  12. Characterisation of Flax Fibres and Flax Fibre Composites. Being cellulose based sources of materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aslan, Mustafa

    -melting temperature polyethylene terephthalate (LPET) filaments were aligned in assemblies of different fibre weight fractions in the range 0.24 to 0.83 to manufacture unidirectional composites using two different consolidation pressures of 1.67 and 4.10 MPa. The maximum attainable fibre volume fraction is found...... to be 47% for the low pressure composites, whereas it is found to be 60% for the high pressure composites. The stiffness of the flax fibre/LPET composites is measured to be in the range 16 to 33 GPa depending on the volumetric composition of the composites. The high pressure composites are found to have...... a similar microstructure at low fibre weight fractions. However, when the fibre content is increased, a difference in porosity content can be observed from the composite cross sections. The nominal tensile strength of the unidirectional flax fibre/LPET composites is measured in the range 180 to 340 MPa...

  13. Flexural behaviour and punching shear of selfcompacting concrete ribbed slab reinforced with steel fibres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Hazrina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates the effects of steel fibres as a replacement to the conventional reinforcement under flexural behaviour and punching shear in self-compacting (SCC ribbed slab reinforced with steel fibres. Four ribbed slabs with similar dimensions of 2.8 m length × 1.2 m width and 0.2m thickness were constructed. Two of the samples were considered as control samples (conventionally reinforced with reinforcement bars and welded mesh while another two samples were fully reinforced with 1% (80 kg/m3 volume of steel fibres incorporated to the SCC mix. For the flexural behaviour study, the ribbed slab samples were subjected to two line loads under four point bending. Meanwhile, for the punching shear analysis, the ribbed slab samples were subjected to a point load to simulate loading from the column. The analysis of the experimental results displayed that steel fibres incorporation had been found to effectively delay the first crack occurrence under both flexural and punching shear. The steel fibre replacement has been proven to be able to sustain up to 80% and 73% of the ultimate load resistance for flexural and punching shear, respectively, in comparison to conventionally reinforced ribbed slab structure. The visual observation carried out during the experiment exhibited similar failure mode for both steel fibre reinforced and control samples. This was observed for both flexural and punching shear samples. Overall, it can be concluded that the steel fibres had displayed a promising potential to effectively replace the conventional reinforcements.

  14. Analysis of glass fibre sizing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Helga Nørgaard; Kusano, Yukihiro; Brøndsted, Povl

    2014-01-01

    Glass fibre reinforced polymer composites are widely used for industrial and engineering applications which include construction, aerospace, automotive and wind energy industry. During the manufacturing glass fibres, they are surface-treated with an aqueous solution. This process and the treated...... surfaces are called sizing. The sizing influences the properties of the interface between fibres and a matrix, and subsequently affects mechanical properties of composites. In this work the sizing of commercially available glass fibres was analysed so as to study the composition and chemical structures....... Soxhlet extraction was used to extract components of the sizing from the glass fibres. The glass fibres, their extracts and coated glass plates were analysed by Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis combined with a mass spectrometer (TGA-MS), and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR...

  15. Muscle fibre capillarization is a critical factor in muscle fibre hypertrophy during resistance exercise training in older men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snijders, Tim; Nederveen, Joshua P; Joanisse, Sophie; Leenders, Marika; Verdijk, Lex B; van Loon, Luc J C; Parise, Gianni

    2017-04-01

    Adequate muscle fibre perfusion is critical for the maintenance of muscle mass; it is essential in the rapid delivery of oxygen, nutrients and growth factors to the muscle, stimulating muscle fibre growth. Muscle fibre capillarization is known to decrease substantially with advancing age. However, whether (relative) low muscle fibre capillarization negatively impacts the muscle hypertrophic response following resistance exercise training in older adults is unknown. Twenty-two healthy older men (71 ± 1 years) performed 24 weeks of progressive resistance type exercise training. To assess the change in muscle fibre characteristics, percutaneous biopsies from the vastus lateralis muscle were taken before and following 12 and 24 weeks of the intervention programme. A comparison was made between participants who had a relatively low type II muscle fibre capillary-to-fibre perimeter exchange index (CFPE; LOW group) and high type II muscle fibre CFPE (HIGH group) at baseline. Type I and type II muscle fibre size, satellite cell, capillary content and distance between satellite cells to the nearest capillary were determined by immunohistochemistry. Overall, type II muscle fibre size (from 5150 ± 234 to 6719 ± 446 µm 2 , P muscle fibre, P muscle fibre capillarization, whereas muscle fibre size (from 5170 ± 390 to 7133 ± 314 µm 2 , P muscle fibre, P muscle fibre capillarization were observed in response to 12 and 24 weeks of resistance exercise training in both the LOW and HIGH group. Type II muscle fibre capillarization at baseline may be a critical factor for allowing muscle fibre hypertrophy to occur during prolonged resistance exercise training in older men. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.

  16. ELASTICITY of SHORT FIBRE REINFORCED POLYAMIDE: MORPHOLOGICAL AND NUMERICAl ANALYSIS OF FIBRE ORIENTATION EFFECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca Cosmi

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available The fatigue behaviour of injection moulded short fibre reinforced polymers depends upon fibre orientation, as shown in experiments conducted with notched specimens injected through different injection gates. The different fatigue behaviour is mainly related to the different local elastic properties, as determined by the different fibre orientation patterns, resulting into different strain distributions. In order to quantify the relationship between fibre orientation and elastic constants, the Cell Method was applied to volumes extracted from the specimens, reconstructed by micro-tomography.

  17. Deformation Measurement of a Driven Pile Using Distributed Fibre-optic Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monsberger, Christoph; Woschitz, Helmut; Hayden, Martin

    2016-03-01

    New developments in distributed fibre-optic sensing allow the measurement of strain with a very high precision of about 1 µm / m and a spatial resolution of 10 millimetres or even better. Thus, novel applications in several scientific fields may be realised, e. g. in structural monitoring or soil and rock mechanics. Especially due to the embedding capability of fibre-optic sensors, fibre-optic systems provide a valuable extension to classical geodetic measurement methods, which are limited to the surface in most cases. In this paper, we report about the application of an optical backscatter reflectometer for deformation measurements along a driven pile. In general, pile systems are used in civil engineering as an efficient and economic foundation of buildings and other structures. Especially the length of the piles is crucial for the final loading capacity. For optimization purposes, the interaction between the driven pile and the subsurface material is investigated using pile testing methods. In a field trial, we used a distributed fibre-optic sensing system for measuring the strain below the surface of an excavation pit in order to derive completely new information. Prior to the field trial, the fibre-optic sensor was investigated in the laboratory. In addition to the results of these lab studies, we briefly describe the critical process of field installation and show the most significant results from the field trial, where the pile was artificially loaded up to 800 kN. As far as we know, this is the first time that the strain is monitored along a driven pile with such a high spatial resolution.

  18. QTc interval length and QT dispersion as predictors of mortality in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, P K; Gall, M A; Major-Pedersen, A

    2000-01-01

    Patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) are at independent risk of cardiovascular death. The reason is only partially understood. The aim of our study was therefore to evaluate the impact of corrected QT interval length (QTc) and QT dispersion (QT-disp) on mortality in a cohort of 32....... Our study showed a high prevalence of QTc and QT-disp abnormalities and indicated that QTc-max but not QT-disp is an independent predictor of all cause and cardiovascular mortality in NIDDM patients.......-seven percent of the patients with PQTc died compared with 17% with normal QTc interval (pcause mortality; QTc-max (p....01), retinopathy (pcreatinine (p

  19. In-situ polymerisation of fully bioresorbable polycaprolactone/phosphate glass fibre composites: In vitro degradation and mechanical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Menghao; Parsons, Andrew J; Felfel, Reda M; Rudd, Christopher D; Irvine, Derek J; Ahmed, Ifty

    2016-06-01

    Fully bioresorbable composites have been investigated in order to replace metal implant plates used for hard tissue repair. Retention of the composite mechanical properties within a physiological environment has been shown to be significantly affected due to loss of the integrity of the fibre/matrix interface. This study investigated phosphate based glass fibre (PGF) reinforced polycaprolactone (PCL) composites with 20%, 35% and 50% fibre volume fractions (Vf) manufactured via an in-situ polymerisation (ISP) process and a conventional laminate stacking (LS) followed by compression moulding. Reinforcing efficiency between the LS and ISP manufacturing process was compared, and the ISP composites revealed significant improvements in mechanical properties when compared to LS composites. The degradation profiles and mechanical properties were monitored in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37°C for 28 days. ISP composites revealed significantly less media uptake and mass loss (pproperties of ISP composites were substantially higher (p<0.0001) than those of the LS composites, which showed that the ISP manufacturing process provided a significantly enhanced reinforcement effect than the LS process. During the degradation study, statistically higher flexural property retention profiles were also seen for the ISP composites compared to LS composites. SEM micrographs of fracture surfaces for the LS composites revealed dry fibre bundles and poor fibre dispersion with polymer rich zones, which indicated poor interfacial bonding, distribution and adhesion. In contrast, evenly distributed fibres without dry fibre bundles or polymer rich zones, were clearly observed for the ISP composite samples, which showed that a superior fibre/matrix interface was achieved with highly improved adhesion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Growth and characterization of fluoride monocrystalline fibres of the type LiY1-x RExF4 (RE=rare-earths)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Espirito Santo, Ana Maria do

    2005-01-01

    In this work we present the growth and characterization of LiF pure and rare-earth doped (Er and Nd) yttrium-lithium tetra-fluoride (LiYF 4 or YLF) by the micropulling- down technique (muPD). The use of this technique is original for the present purpose. A mu-PD prototype in the resistive mode was firstly built to understand the most important operational parameters. A commercial equipment was later installed and specifically modified to grow fluoride fibres. Regular and transparent single-crystalline fibres of LiF (diameter of 0.6 mm and length up to 150 mm) were obtained. LiF crystalline fibres as a potential laser media presented the same spectroscopic properties of bulk crystals. The influence of capillary and crucible shapes, growth atmosphere and start composition stoichiometry on the growth process of YLF fibers were also investigated. In general, the fluorides are very sensitive to moisture contamination. The growth atmosphere plays an important role on the stoichiometry deviation. Since this fluoride melts incongruently, any compositional changes influences the solidification behavior of the material. Additionally, a limited pulling rate is required to the YLF phase formation and to the compositional homogeneity along the fiber. Homogeneous and regular section YLF fibres, with diameters between 0.5 to 0.8 mm and up to 60 mm in length, were obtained in a suitable and reproducible growth process. Er-doped (with nominal concentration of 10 and 40 mol%) and Nd-doped (with nominal concentration of 1.7 mol%) fibres were also successfully grown. Er-doped fibres were crack-free and the dopant concentration was practically uniform along the YLF phase. However, Nd-doped fibres presented a short initial transient in its concentration. The Nd distribution coefficient was evaluated as 0.58 for the YLF fibre. This value is greater than those estimated for YLF bulk crystals grown by normal freezing processes. The optical properties of the YLF:Nd fibres were similar to

  1. Concrete workability and fibre content

    OpenAIRE

    Vikan, Hedda

    2007-01-01

    Research report Parameters influencing the workability of fibre concrete and maximum fibre content are given in this state of the art report along with the range of fibre types available on today’s market. The study reveales that new placing techniques and production methods are crucial in order to increase fibre content and concrete strength. Achieving the same mechanical properties as traditionally reinforced concrete will probably also demand changes of the matrix. Finally, reco...

  2. Insulation Characteristics of Sisal Fibre/Epoxy Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Shalwan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Using natural fibres in civil engineering is the aim of many industrial and academics sectors to overcome the impact of synthetic fibres on environments. One of the potential applications of natural fibres composites is to be implemented in insulation components. Thermal behaviour of polymer composites based on natural fibres is recent ongoing research. In this article, thermal characteristics of sisal fibre reinforced epoxy composites are evaluated for treated and untreated fibres considering different volume fractions of 0–30%. The results revealed that the increase in the fibre volume fraction increased the insulation performance of the composites for both treated and untreated fibres. More than 200% insulation rate was achieved at the volume fraction of 20% of treated sisal fibres. Untreated fibres showed about 400% insulation rate; however, it is not recommended to use untreated fibres from mechanical point of view. The results indicated that there is potential of using the developed composites for insulation purposes.

  3. Luminescent Solar Concentrators with Fibre Geometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Edelenbosch, O.Y.; Fisher, M.; Patrignani, L.; Sark, W.G.J.H.M. van; Chatten, A.J.

    2013-01-01

    The potential of a fibre luminescent solar concentrator has been explored by means of both analytical and ray-tracing techniques. Coated fibres have been found to be more efficient than homogeneously doped fibres, at low absorption. For practical fibres concentration is predicted to be linear

  4. Measurements and radiation tests on scintillating fibres for the LHCb SciFi project

    CERN Document Server

    Joram, Christian; Shatalov, Pavel

    2014-01-01

    This note describes a number of measurements and a radiation test performed on the baseline fibre of the LHCb SciFi upgrade project. These include measurements of the optical attenuation length - globally and wavelength resolved -, measurements of the photoelectric yield, and finally the assessment of the impact of proton irradiation on these quantities. The fibres were irradiated at the CERN PS with 24 GeV/c protons up to a fluence of 7•10$^{13}$ p/cm$^2$ equivalent to an ionizing dose of about 22 kGy. Measurements on the fibres, in particular in view of possible recovery effects, are still ongoing and the report is expected to be updated in the coming months. This report is meant as backup document for the LHCb internal SciFi review in February 2013. It had to be produced in a short available time. Missing information will be added and style as well as formatting will be improved in the forthcoming version.

  5. Distributed plastic optical fibre measurement of pH using a photon counting OTDR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saunders, C; Scully, P J

    2005-01-01

    Distributed measurement of pH was demonstrated at a sensitised region 4m from the distal end of a 20m length of plastic optical fibre. The cladding was removed from the fibre over 150mm and the bare core was exposed to an aqueous solution of methyl red at three values of pH, between 2.89 and 9.70. The optical fibre was interrogated at 648nm using a Luciol photon counting optical time domain reflectometer, and demonstrated that the sensing region was attenuated as a function of pH. The attenuation varied from 16.3 dB at pH 2.89 to 8.6 dB at pH 9.70; this range equated to -1.13 ± 0.04 dB/pH. It is thus possible to determine both the position to ± 12mm and pH to an estimated ± 0.5pH at the sensing region

  6. A high-resolution detector based on liquid-core scintillating fibres with readout via an electron-bombarded charge-coupled device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cianfarani, C.; Duane, A.; Fabre, J.P.; Frenkel, A.; Golovkin, S.V.; Gorin, A.M.; Harrison, K.; Kozarenko, E.N.; Kushnirenko, A.E.; Ladygin, E.A.; Martellotti, G.; Medvedkov, A.M.; Nass, P.A.; Obudovski, V.P.; Penso, G.; Petukhov, Yu.P.; Siegmund, W.P.; Tyukov, V.E.; Vasilchenko, V.G.

    1994-01-01

    This paper is a presentation of results from tests in a 5 GeV/c hadron beam of detectors based on liquid-core scintillating fibres, each fibre consisting of a glass capillary filled with organic liquid scintillator. Fibre readout was performed via an Electron-Bombarded Charge-Coupled Device (EBCCD) image tube, a novel instrument that combines the functions of a high-gain, gated image intensifier and a Charge-Coupled Device. Using 1-methylnaphthalene doped with 3 g/l of R45 as liquid scintillator, the attenuation lengths obtained for light propagation over distances greater than 16 cm were 1.5 m in fibres of 20 μm core and 1.0 m in fibres of 16 μm core. For particles that crossed the fibres of 20 μm core at distances of ∼1.8 cm and ∼95 cm from the fibres' readout ends, the recorded hit densities were 5.3 mm -1 and 2.5 mm -1 respectively. Using 1-methylnaphthalene doped with 3.6 g/l of R39 as liquid scintillator and fibres of 75 μm core, the hit density obtained for particles that crossed the fibres at a distance of ∼1.8 cm from their readout ends was 8.5 mm -1 . With a specially designed bundle of tapered fibres, having core diameters that smoothly increase from 16 μm to 75 μm, a spatial precision of 6 μm was measured. (orig.)

  7. HIPPI and Fibre Channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tolmie, D.E.

    1992-01-01

    The High-Performance Parallel Interface (HIPPI) and Fibre Channel are near-gigabit per second data communications interfaces being developed in ANSI standards Task Group X3T9.3. HIPPI is the current interface of choice in the high-end and supercomputer arena, and Fibre Channel is a follow-on effort. HIPPI came from a local area network background, and Fibre Channel came from a mainframe to peripheral interface background

  8. Kenaf-and hemp-reinforced natural fibre composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharifah Hanisah Aziz

    2003-01-01

    The main aim of this research is to combine hemp and kenaf fibres with thermosetting resin matrices to produce sustainable composites and to investigate their mechanical properties. The matirces used in this work are based on either unsaturated polyester resins or cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). The latter can be polymerised to form a phenolic-based natural resin. Four types of differently formulated polyester resins provided by Scott Bader Ltd, a UK-based resin company, were used to assess the effect of resin formulation on the properties of natural fibre composites. CSNL resins were used because CNSL is a sustainable resource and these resins are compatible with natural fibres. Kenaf, which is extensively grown in the Far East including Malaysia, has been identified as a bast (stem) fibre with significant market potential. Hemp is a United Kingdom-grown bast fibre with strong potential as a natural fibre reinforcement. In order to improve matrix to fibre adhesion, the fibres were treated with 6 % NaOH solution before being made into composites. The composites were fabricated using unidirectional and randomly oriented fibres to assess the effect of fibre alignment on the properties of the composites. The effect of moulding pressure on the fibre volume fraction and mechanical properties was also investigated. Kenaf and hemp fibre composites were successfully hot-pressed with polyester and CNSL resin matrices. Kenaf-CNSL (treated long fibre) composites possess the highest flexural modulus (MOE) at 16.7 GPa and flexural strength (MOR) at 165.4 MPa indicating good matrix to fibre adhesion. Generally, the treated fibre composites gave higher MOE and MOR values compared to the untreated composites. However, the work of fracture values were generally higher for the untreated fibre composites. among the four types of polyester used, the molecular structure of polyester B, modified to make it more polar in nature, resulted in the best performance with treated long kenaf

  9. Synthesis and surface characterization of alumina-silica-zirconia nanocomposite ceramic fibres on aluminium at room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mubarak Ali, M., E-mail: masterscience2003@yahoo.co.in [Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Periyar University, Omalur Main Road, Salem 636 011, Tamil Nadu (India); Raj, V., E-mail: alaguraj2@rediffmail.com [Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Periyar University, Omalur Main Road, Salem 636 011, Tamil Nadu (India)

    2010-04-01

    Alumina-silica-zirconia nanocomposite (ASZNC) ceramic fibres were synthesized by conventional anodization route. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force microscopy (AFM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDAX) were used to characterize the morphology and crystalloid structure of ASZNC fibres. Current density (DC) is one of the important parameters to get the alumina-silica-zirconia nanocomposite (ASZNC) ceramic fibres by this route. Annealing of the films exhibited a drastic change in the properties due to improved crystallinity. The root mean square roughness of the sample observed from atomic force microscopic analysis is about 71.5 nm which is comparable to the average grain size of the coatings which is about 72 nm obtained from X-Ray diffraction. The results indicate that, the ASZNC fibres are arranged well in the nanostructure. The thickness of the coating increased with the anodizing time, but the coatings turned rougher and more porous. At the initial stage the growth of ceramic coating increases inwards to the metal substrate and outwards to the coating surface simultaneously. Subsequently, it mainly grows towards the metal substrate and the density of the ceramic coating increases gradually, which results in the decrease of the total thickness as anodizing time increases. This new approach of preparing ASZNC ceramic fibres may be important in applications ranging from gas sensors to various engineering materials.

  10. Optical fibre laser velocimetry: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charrett, Thomas O H; James, Stephen W; Tatam, Ralph P

    2012-01-01

    The applications of optical fibre technology to laser velocimetry are diverse and often critical to their successful implementation, particularly in harsh environments. Applications range from the use of optical fibres for beam delivery and scattered light collection, aiding the miniaturization of instrument probes, to the use of imaging fibre bundles for imaging the flow field in planar velocimetry systems. Optical fibre techniques have also been used in signal processing, for example fibre frequency shifters, and optical fibre devices such as amplifiers and lasers have been exploited. This paper will review the use of optical fibres in point-wise laser velocimetry techniques such as laser Doppler velocimetry and laser transit anemometry, as well as in planar measurement techniques such as particle imaging velocimetry and planar Doppler velocimetry. (topical review)

  11. Fatigue processes in thermoplastic fibres; Les mecanismes de fatigue dans les fibres thermoplastiques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herrera Ramirez, J.M.

    2004-09-15

    The present study examines and compares the behaviour of the two types of PA66 fibres and two types of PET fibres under fatigue loading up to failure, and the correlation between the fibres (nano)structures and their structural heterogeneities, with fatigue lifetimes. Several techniques have been used to analyze the materials, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microanalysis (EDS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. A meticulous analysis by scanning electron microscopy of the fracture morphology of fibres broken in tension and in fatigue, as well as a study of the fatigue life, were undertaken. The fatigue process occurs when the cyclic load amplitude is sufficiently large, however a condition for fatigue failure is that the minimum load each cycle must be lower than a threshold stress level. Failure under fatigue conditions leads to distinctive fracture morphologies which are very different from those seen after tensile or creep failure and this allows easy identification of the fatigue process. The fibres have been analyzed in the as received state and after fatigue failure in order to observe the microstructural changes resulting from the fatigue loading. The results will be compared with those obtained for fibres loaded under conditions where the fatigue process was hindered. The role of the microstructure of the fibres in determining fatigue will be discussed in this work and the possibility of improving their resistance to fatigue or eliminating the fatigue process will be discussed. (author)

  12. Application of WST-method fore fracture testing of fibre-reinforced concrete

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Löfgren, Ingemar; Olesen, John Forbes; Flansbjer, Mathias

    be drawn from this study are that: § the wedge-splitting test method is a suitable test method for assessment of fracture properties of steel fibre-reinforced concrete; § the test method is easy to handle and relatively fast to execute § the test can be run with CMOD-control or without, in a machine...... more than three times the fibre length; § using inverse analysis, the tensile fracture properties can be interpreted from the test result as a bi-linear stress-crack opening relationship.......To evaluate the reproducibility of the wedge-splitting test method and to provide guidelines, a round robin study was conducted in which three labs participated. The participating labs were: § DTU – the Technical University of Denmark, Department of Civil Engineering; § CTH – Chalmers University...

  13. Erbium-doped twin-core fibre narrow-band filter for fibre lasers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Peterka, Pavel; Kaňka, Jiří

    2001-01-01

    Roč. 33, 4/5 (2001), s. 571-581 ISSN 0306-8919. [Optical Waveguide Theory and Numerical Modelling /8./. Prague, 26.05.2000-27.05.2000] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA102/99/M057; GA ČR GA102/99/0393; GA AV ČR IAC2067902 Grant - others:EU COST(XE) OC 265.10 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2067918 Keywords : optical fibre lasers * optical fibre filters * optical fibre couplers Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering Impact factor: 0.706, year: 2001 http://www.ufe.cz/~peterka/opera/OQE_Peterka01_fulltext.pdf

  14. Plasma treatment of carbon fibres and glass-fibre-reinforced polyesters at atmospheric pressure for adhesion improvement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kusano, Yukihiro; Løgstrup Andersen, Tom; Toftegaard, Helmuth Langmaack

    2014-01-01

    Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment is useful for adhesion improvement, because cleaning, roughening and addition of polar functional groups can be expected at the surfaces. Its possible applications in the wind energy industry include plasma treatment of fibres and fibre-reinforced polymer...... composites before assembling them to build wind turbine blades. In the present work, unsized carbon fibres are continuously treated using a dielectric barrier discharge plasma in helium at atmospheric pressure, and carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composite plates are manufactured for the mechanical test....... The plasma treatment improved fracture toughness, indicating that adhesion between the fibres and the epoxy was enhanced by the treatment. In addition, glass-fibre-reinforced polyester plates are treated using a gliding arc and an ultrasound enhanced dielectric barrier discharge, improving the wettability...

  15. Random distributed feedback fibre lasers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turitsyn, Sergei K., E-mail: s.k.turitsyn@aston.ac.uk [Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET (United Kingdom); Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova str., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Babin, Sergey A. [Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova str., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Institute of Automation and Electrometry SB RAS, 1 Ac. Koptug. ave., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Churkin, Dmitry V. [Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET (United Kingdom); Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova str., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Institute of Automation and Electrometry SB RAS, 1 Ac. Koptug. ave., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Vatnik, Ilya D.; Nikulin, Maxim [Institute of Automation and Electrometry SB RAS, 1 Ac. Koptug. ave., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Podivilov, Evgenii V. [Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova str., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation); Institute of Automation and Electrometry SB RAS, 1 Ac. Koptug. ave., 630090, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

    2014-09-10

    The concept of random lasers exploiting multiple scattering of photons in an amplifying disordered medium in order to generate coherent light without a traditional laser resonator has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. This research area lies at the interface of the fundamental theory of disordered systems and laser science. The idea was originally proposed in the context of astrophysics in the 1960s by V.S. Letokhov, who studied scattering with “negative absorption” of the interstellar molecular clouds. Research on random lasers has since developed into a mature experimental and theoretical field. A simple design of such lasers would be promising for potential applications. However, in traditional random lasers the properties of the output radiation are typically characterized by complex features in the spatial, spectral and time domains, making them less attractive than standard laser systems in terms of practical applications. Recently, an interesting and novel type of one-dimensional random laser that operates in a conventional telecommunication fibre without any pre-designed resonator mirrors–random distributed feedback fibre laser–was demonstrated. The positive feedback required for laser generation in random fibre lasers is provided by the Rayleigh scattering from the inhomogeneities of the refractive index that are naturally present in silica glass. In the proposed laser concept, the randomly backscattered light is amplified through the Raman effect, providing distributed gain over distances up to 100 km. Although an effective reflection due to the Rayleigh scattering is extremely small (∼0.1%), the lasing threshold may be exceeded when a sufficiently large distributed Raman gain is provided. Such a random distributed feedback fibre laser has a number of interesting and attractive features. The fibre waveguide geometry provides transverse confinement, and effectively one-dimensional random distributed feedback leads to the

  16. Random distributed feedback fibre lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turitsyn, Sergei K.; Babin, Sergey A.; Churkin, Dmitry V.; Vatnik, Ilya D.; Nikulin, Maxim; Podivilov, Evgenii V.

    2014-01-01

    The concept of random lasers exploiting multiple scattering of photons in an amplifying disordered medium in order to generate coherent light without a traditional laser resonator has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. This research area lies at the interface of the fundamental theory of disordered systems and laser science. The idea was originally proposed in the context of astrophysics in the 1960s by V.S. Letokhov, who studied scattering with “negative absorption” of the interstellar molecular clouds. Research on random lasers has since developed into a mature experimental and theoretical field. A simple design of such lasers would be promising for potential applications. However, in traditional random lasers the properties of the output radiation are typically characterized by complex features in the spatial, spectral and time domains, making them less attractive than standard laser systems in terms of practical applications. Recently, an interesting and novel type of one-dimensional random laser that operates in a conventional telecommunication fibre without any pre-designed resonator mirrors–random distributed feedback fibre laser–was demonstrated. The positive feedback required for laser generation in random fibre lasers is provided by the Rayleigh scattering from the inhomogeneities of the refractive index that are naturally present in silica glass. In the proposed laser concept, the randomly backscattered light is amplified through the Raman effect, providing distributed gain over distances up to 100 km. Although an effective reflection due to the Rayleigh scattering is extremely small (∼0.1%), the lasing threshold may be exceeded when a sufficiently large distributed Raman gain is provided. Such a random distributed feedback fibre laser has a number of interesting and attractive features. The fibre waveguide geometry provides transverse confinement, and effectively one-dimensional random distributed feedback leads to the

  17. The Chemical Composition of Grape Fibre

    OpenAIRE

    Jolana Karovičová; Zlatica Kohajdová; Lucia Minarovičová; Veronika Kuchtová

    2015-01-01

    Dietary fibres from cereals are much more used than dietary fibres from fruits; however, dietary fibres from fruits have better quality. In recent years, for economic and environmental reasons, there has been a growing pressure to recover and exploit food wastes. Grape fibre is used to fortify baked goods, because the fibre can lower blood sugar, cut cholesterol and may even prevent colon cancer. Grape pomace is a functional ingredient in bakery goods to increase total phenolic content and di...

  18. High Extinction Ratio In-Fibre Polarisers by Exploiting Tilted Fibre Bragg Grating Structures for Single-Polarisation High-Power Fibre Lasers and Amplifiers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-11-01

    maintaining (PM) fibre, utilising polarisation hole-burning ( PHB ) effect to reduce homogeneous linewidth of the EDFL. In our work, we demonstrate a stable...loss filter which will induce some loss to the cavity around its paired attenuation band region, thus imposing PHB effect to the gain medium. The...polarisation-hole-burning ( PHB ) effect to realise multi-wavelength switchable function in proposed fibre ring laser system. In the proposed fibre ring laser

  19. Fibre optic microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walt, David R

    2010-01-01

    This tutorial review describes how fibre optic microarrays can be used to create a variety of sensing and measurement systems. This review covers the basics of optical fibres and arrays, the different microarray architectures, and describes a multitude of applications. Such arrays enable multiplexed sensing for a variety of analytes including nucleic acids, vapours, and biomolecules. Polymer-coated fibre arrays can be used for measuring microscopic chemical phenomena, such as corrosion and localized release of biochemicals from cells. In addition, these microarrays can serve as a substrate for fundamental studies of single molecules and single cells. The review covers topics of interest to chemists, biologists, materials scientists, and engineers.

  20. Individual fibre segmentation from 3D X-ray computed tomography for characterising the fibre orientation in unidirectional composite materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Emerson, Monica Jane; Jespersen, Kristine Munk; Dahl, Anders Bjorholm

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to characterise the fibre orientation in unidirectional fibre reinforced polymers, namely glass and carbon fibre composites. The compression strength of the composite is related to the orientation of the fibres. Thus the orientation is essential when designing materials...... of composites with high fibre volume fraction. From the individual fibre orientations, it is possible to obtain results which are independent of the scanning quality. The compression strength for both composites is estimated from the average fibre orientations and is found to be of the same order of magnitude...

  1. INCLUSION RATIO BASED ESTIMATOR FOR THE MEAN LENGTH OF THE BOOLEAN LINE SEGMENT MODEL WITH AN APPLICATION TO NANOCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikko Niilo-Rämä

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available A novel estimator for estimating the mean length of fibres is proposed for censored data observed in square shaped windows. Instead of observing the fibre lengths, we observe the ratio between the intensity estimates of minus-sampling and plus-sampling. It is well-known that both intensity estimators are biased. In the current work, we derive the ratio of these biases as a function of the mean length assuming a Boolean line segment model with exponentially distributed lengths and uniformly distributed directions. Having the observed ratio of the intensity estimators, the inverse of the derived function is suggested as a new estimator for the mean length. For this estimator, an approximation of its variance is derived. The accuracies of the approximations are evaluated by means of simulation experiments. The novel method is compared to other methods and applied to real-world industrial data from nanocellulose crystalline.

  2. Glass ceramic fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blaschek, O.; Paulitsch, P.

    1983-01-01

    As the correlation between mineralogical phase and chemical composition influences the type of application at different high temperatures, we studied the mineralogical phases of nine crystal glass fibres of the temperature ranges 1 150 degrees Celsius (Type 1), 1 400 degrees Celsius (Type 2) and 1 500 degrees Celsius (Type 3) at various high temperatures. The methods used in the study were microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and differential thermal analysis. The investigations showed that mullite forms in glassy fibres of the system Al 2 O 3 . SiO 2 from 850 degrees Celsius to 990 degrees Celsius as 2/1 mullite; 3/2 mullite appeared above 990 degrees Celsius besides the crystallization of cristobalite. Fibres with 95 per cent Al 2 O 3 include the phases delta-Al 2 O 3 and alpha- Al 2 O 3 and mullite. Delta- Al 2 O 3 is stable up to 1 100 degrees Celsius. Alpha-Al 2 O 3 and mullite are only stable phases at 1 400 degrees Celsius. These different crystal phases influence the quality of the technical fibre according to the stability field of glass and crystals. This study has determined that it is possible to identify different fibres from different productions by their mineralogical compositions and to relate them to the high temperature application

  3. Method for covering a spme fibre with carbon nanotubes and resulting spme fibre

    OpenAIRE

    Bertrán, Enric; Jover Comas, Eric; García Céspedes, Jordi; Bayona Termens, Josep María

    2010-01-01

    [EN] The invention relates to a method for covering solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibres with carbon nanotubes (CNT), comprising the following operations: (i) depositing a layer of a metal material on the SPME fibre; (ii) applying a heat treatment in order to form catalytic metal nanoparticles in a reducing atmosphere; and (iii) applying carbon using chemical deposition techniques, thereby forming CNT on top ofthe metal nanoparticles. The invention also relates to a fibre obtain...

  4. FIBER OPTICS: Fibre optics: Forty years later

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dianov, Evgenii M.

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a brief overview of the state of the art in fibre optics and its main applications: optical fibre communications, fibre lasers and fibre sensors for various physical property measurements. The future of fibre optics and the status of this important area of the modern technology in Russia are discussed.

  5. MODELING TIME DISPERSION DUE TO OPTICAL PATH LENGTH DIFFERENCES IN SCINTILLATION DETECTORS*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moses, W.W.; Choong, W.-S.; Derenzo, S.E.

    2015-01-01

    We characterize the nature of the time dispersion in scintillation detectors caused by path length differences of the scintillation photons as they travel from their generation point to the photodetector. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we find that the initial portion of the distribution (which is the only portion that affects the timing resolution) can usually be modeled by an exponential decay. The peak amplitude and decay time depend both on the geometry of the crystal, the position within the crystal that the scintillation light originates from, and the surface finish. In a rectangular parallelpiped LSO crystal with 3 mm × 3 mm cross section and polished surfaces, the decay time ranges from 10 ps (for interactions 1 mm from the photodetector) up to 80 ps (for interactions 50 mm from the photodetector). Over that same range of distances, the peak amplitude ranges from 100% (defined as the peak amplitude for interactions 1 mm from the photodetector) down to 4% for interactions 50 mm from the photodetector. Higher values for the decay time are obtained for rough surfaces, but the exact value depends on the simulation details. Estimates for the decay time and peak amplitude can be made for different cross section sizes via simple scaling arguments. PMID:25729464

  6. Myonuclear domain size and myosin isoform expression in muscle fibres from mammals representing a 100,000-fold difference in body size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jing-Xia; Höglund, Anna-Stina; Karlsson, Patrick; Lindblad, Joakim; Qaisar, Rizwan; Aare, Sudhakar; Bengtsson, Ewert; Larsson, Lars

    2009-01-01

    This comparative study of myonuclear domain (MND) size in mammalian species representing a 100,000-fold difference in body mass, ranging from 25 g to 2500 kg, was undertaken to improve our understanding of myonuclear organization in skeletal muscle fibres. Myonuclear domain size was calculated from three-dimensional reconstructions in a total of 235 single muscle fibre segments at a fixed sarcomere length. Irrespective of species, the largest MND size was observed in muscle fibres expressing fast myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms, but in the two smallest mammalian species studied (mouse and rat), MND size was not larger in the fast-twitch fibres expressing the IIA MyHC isofom than in the slow-twitch type I fibres. In the larger mammals, the type I fibres always had the smallest average MND size, but contrary to mouse and rat muscles, type IIA fibres had lower mitochondrial enzyme activities than type I fibres. Myonuclear domain size was highly dependent on body mass in the two muscle fibre types expressed in all species, i.e. types I and IIA. Myonuclear domain size increased in muscle fibres expressing both the beta/slow (type I; r = 0.84, P fast IIA MyHC isoform (r = 0.90; P muscle fibre type, independent of species. However, myosin isoform expression is not the sole protein determining MND size, and other protein systems, such as mitochondrial proteins, may be equally or more important determinants of MND size.

  7. Effects of Polarization–Maintaining Fibre Degrading on Precision of Fibre Optic Gyroscopes in Radiation Environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen, Xiao; De-Wen, Liu; Yang, Liu; Xiao-Su, Yi; Lin, Cong

    2008-01-01

    In the space environment, the precision of fibre optic gyroscopes (FOGs) degrades because of space radiation. Photonic components of FOGs are affected by radiation, especially the polarization-maintaining (PM) fibre coil. In relation to the space radiation environment characteristic, we have carried out a series of radiation experiments on a PM fibre coil with 60 Co radiation source at different dose rates. Based on the experimental results, the formula between the PM-fibre loss and radiation dose rate is built, and the relation between the precision of FOG and radiation dose is obtained accordingly. The results strongly show that the precision of our FOG degrades owing to the attenuation of the polarization-maintaining fibre, which provides theoretical foundation for the radiation-resistant design of the FOG

  8. Radio frequency shielding behaviour of silane treated Fe2O3/E-glass fibre reinforced epoxy hybrid composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arun prakash, V. R.; Rajadurai, A.

    2016-10-01

    In this work, radio frequency shielding behaviour of polymer (epoxy) matrixes composed of E-glass fibres and Fe2O3 fillers have been studied. The principal aim of this project is to prepare suitable shielding material for RFID application. When RFID unit is pasted on a metal plate without shielding material, the sensing distance is reduced, resulting in a less than useful RFID system. To improve RF shielding of epoxy, fibres and fillers were utilized. Magnetic behaviour of epoxy polymer composites was measured by hysteresis graphs (B-H) followed by radio frequency identifier setup. Fe2O3 particles of sizes 800, 200 and 100 nm and E-glass fibre woven mat of 600 g/m2 were used to make composites. Particle sizes of 800 nm and 200 nm were prepared by high-energy ball milling, whereas particles of 100 nm were prepared by sol-gel method. To enhance better dispersion of particles within the epoxy matrix, a surface modification process was carried out on fillers by an amino functional coupling agent called 3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS). Crystalline and functional groups of siliconized Fe2O3 particles were characterized by XRD and FTIR spectroscopy analysis. Variable quantity of E-glass fibre (25, 35, and 45 vol%) was laid down along with 0.5 and 1.0 vol% of 800, 200, and 100 nm size Fe2O3 particles into the matrix, to fabricate the hybrid composites. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images reveal the shape and size of Fe2O3 particles for different milling times and particle dispersion in the epoxy matrix. The maximum improved sensing distance of 45.2, 39.4 and 43.5 % was observed for low-, high-, and ultra-high radio frequency identifier setup along with shielding composite consist of epoxy, 1 vol% 200 nm Fe2O3 particles and 45 vol% of E-glass fibre.

  9. Surface treated polypropylene (PP) fibres for reinforced concrete

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    López-Buendía, Angel M., E-mail: buendia@uv.es [AIDICO Technological Institute of Construction, Benjamin Franklin 17, 46380 Paterna, Valencia (Spain); Romero-Sánchez, María Dolores [AIDICO Technological Institute of Construction, Marble Technical Unit, Camí de Castella 4, 03660 Novelda. Alicante (Spain); Climent, Verónica [Lafarge Cementos, Polígono Sepes, Isaac Newton s/n, 46500 Sagunto, Valencia (Spain); Guillem, Celia [AIDICO Technological Institute of Construction, Marble Technical Unit, Camí de Castella 4, 03660 Novelda. Alicante (Spain)

    2013-12-15

    Surface treatments on a polypropylene (PP) fibre have contributed to the improvement of fibre/concrete adhesion in fibre-reinforced concrete. The treatments to the PP fibre were characterized by contact angle measurements, ATR-IR and XPS to analyse chemical alterations. The surface topography and fibre/concrete interaction were analysed by several microscopic techniques, namely optical petrographic, and scanning electron microscopy. Treatment modified the surface chemistry and topography of the fibre by introducing sodium moieties and created additional fibre surface roughness. Modifications in the fibre surface led to an increase in the adhesion properties between the treated fibres and concrete and an improvement in the mechanical properties of the fibre-reinforced concrete composite as compared to the concrete containing untreated PP fibres. Compatibility with the concrete and increased roughness and mineral surface was also improved by nucleated portlandite and ettringite mineral association anchored on the alkaline PP fibre surface, which is induced during treatment.

  10. Three-dimensional holographic optical manipulation through a high-numerical-aperture soft-glass multimode fibre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leite, Ivo T.; Turtaev, Sergey; Jiang, Xin; Šiler, Martin; Cuschieri, Alfred; Russell, Philip St. J.; Čižmár, Tomáš

    2018-01-01

    Holographic optical tweezers (HOT) hold great promise for many applications in biophotonics, allowing the creation and measurement of minuscule forces on biomolecules, molecular motors and cells. Geometries used in HOT currently rely on bulk optics, and their exploitation in vivo is compromised by the optically turbid nature of tissues. We present an alternative HOT approach in which multiple three-dimensional (3D) traps are introduced through a high-numerical-aperture multimode optical fibre, thus enabling an equally versatile means of manipulation through channels having cross-section comparable to the size of a single cell. Our work demonstrates real-time manipulation of 3D arrangements of micro-objects, as well as manipulation inside otherwise inaccessible cavities. We show that the traps can be formed over fibre lengths exceeding 100 mm and positioned with nanometric resolution. The results provide the basis for holographic manipulation and other high-numerical-aperture techniques, including advanced microscopy, through single-core-fibre endoscopes deep inside living tissues and other complex environments.

  11. Fibre recruitment and shape changes of knee ligaments during motion: as revealed by a computer graphics-based model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, T W; O'Connor, J J

    1996-01-01

    A computer graphics-based model of the knee ligaments in the sagittal plane was developed for the simulation and visualization of the shape changes and fibre recruitment process of the ligaments during motion under unloaded and loaded conditions. The cruciate and collateral ligaments were modelled as ordered arrays of fibres which link attachment areas on the tibia and femur. Fibres slacken and tighten as the ligament attachment areas on the bones rotate and translate relative to each other. A four-bar linkage, composed of the femur, tibia and selected isometric fibres of the two cruciates, was used to determine the motion of the femur relative to the tibia during passive (unloaded) movement. Fibres were assumed to slacken in a Euler buckling mode when the distances between their attachments are less than chosen reference lengths. The ligament shape changes and buckling patterns are demonstrated with computer graphics. When the tibia is translated anteriorly or posteriorly relative to the femur by muscle forces and external loads, some ligament fibres tighten and are recruited progressively to transmit increasing shear forces. The shape changes and fibre recruitment patterns predicted by the model compare well qualitatively with experimental results reported in the literature. The computer graphics approach provides insight into the micro behaviour of the knee ligaments. It may help to explain ligament injury mechanisms and provide useful information to guide the design of ligament replacements.

  12. Experimental Performance Comparison of 60 GHz DCM OFDM and Impulse BPSK Ultra-Wideband with Combined Optical Fibre and Wireless Transmission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beltrán, Marta; Jensen, Jesper Bevensee; Yu, Xianbin

    2010-01-01

    We present an experimental performance comparison of 1.44Gbps dual-carrier modulation OFDM and BPSK impulse-radio ultra-wideband in the 60GHz band with combined fibre, up to 40km, and 5m wireless transmission. Impulse-radio exhibits better dispersion tolerance requiring lower optical power....

  13. Practical Hydrogen Loading of Air Silica Fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Henrik Rokkjær; Jensen, Jesper Bevensee; Jensen, Jesper Bo Damm

    2005-01-01

    A method for hydrogen-loading air-silica optical fibres has been developed allowing out-diffusion times comparable to standard step-index fibres. Examples of the first grating written in Ge-doped air-silica fibres using a 266nm UV-laser are shown.......A method for hydrogen-loading air-silica optical fibres has been developed allowing out-diffusion times comparable to standard step-index fibres. Examples of the first grating written in Ge-doped air-silica fibres using a 266nm UV-laser are shown....

  14. Mixed resin and carbon fibres surface treatment for preparation of carbon fibres composites with good interfacial bonding strength

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Hongwei; Wang, Jianlong; Li, Kaixi; Wang, Jian; Gu, Jianyu

    2010-01-01

    The objective of this work is to improve the interlaminar shear strength of composites by mixing epoxy resin and modifying carbon fibres. The effect of mixed resin matrix's structure on carbon fibres composites was studied. Anodic oxidation treatment was used to modify the surface of carbon fibres. The tensile strength of multifilament and interlaminar shear strength of composites were investigated respectively. The morphologies of untreated and treated carbon fibres were characterized by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Surface analysis indicates that the amount of carbon fibres chemisorbed oxygen-containing groups, active carbon atom, the surface roughness, and wetting ability increases after treatment. The tensile strength of carbon fibres decreased little after treatment by anodic oxidation. The results show that the treated carbon fibres composites could possess excellent interfacial properties with mixed resins, and interlaminar shear strength of the composites is up to 85.41 MPa. The mechanism of mixed resins and treated carbon fibres to improve the interfacial property of composites is obtained.

  15. Static and dynamic pile testing of reinforced concrete piles with structure integrated fibre optic strain sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schilder, Constanze; Kohlhoff, Harald; Hofmann, Detlef; Basedau, Frank; Habel, Wolfgang R.; Baeßler, Matthias; Niederleithinger, Ernst; Georgi, Steven; Herten, Markus

    2013-05-01

    Static and dynamic pile tests are carried out to determine the load bearing capacity and the quality of reinforced concrete piles. As part of a round robin test to evaluate dynamic load tests, structure integrated fibre optic strain sensors were used to receive more detailed information about the strains along the pile length compared to conventional measurements at the pile head. This paper shows the instrumentation of the pile with extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometers sensors and fibre Bragg gratings sensors together with the results of the conducted static load test as well as the dynamic load tests and pile integrity tests.

  16. Environmental exposure to asbestos and other inorganic fibres using animal lung model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fornero, Elisa [Dipartimento di Scienze dell' Ambiente e della Vita, Universita del Piemonte Orientale ' A. Avogadro' , Via Bellini 25/g, 15100 Alessandria (Italy); Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Studio degli Amianti e di altri Particolati Nocivi ' Giovanni Scansetti' , Universita degli Studi di Torino, Torino (Italy)], E-mail: elisa.fornero@mfn.unipmn.it; Belluso, Elena [Dipartimento di Scienze Mineralogiche e Petrologiche, Universita degli Studi di Torino, Via V. Caluso 35, 10125 Torino (Italy); Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, CNR-Unita di Torino, Via V. Caluso 35, 10125 Torino (Italy); Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Studio degli Amianti e di altri Particolati Nocivi ' Giovanni Scansetti' , Universita degli Studi di Torino, Torino (Italy); Capella, Silvana [Dipartimento di Scienze Mineralogiche e Petrologiche, Universita degli Studi di Torino, Via V. Caluso 35, 10125 Torino (Italy); Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Studio degli Amianti e di altri Particolati Nocivi ' Giovanni Scansetti' , Universita degli Studi di Torino, Torino (Italy); Bellis, Donata [Servizio di Anatomia, Istologia Patologica e Citodiagnostica, Azienda Ospedaliera San Giovanni Bosco, ASLTO2 Piazza Donatori del Sangue 3, 10154 Torino (Italy); Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Studio degli Amianti e di altri Particolati Nocivi ' Giovanni Scansetti' , Universita degli Studi di Torino, Torino (Italy)

    2009-01-15

    Professional exposure to asbestos fibres is widely recognized as very dangerous to human health and for this reason many countries have banned their commercial uses. People, nevertheless, continue to be exposed to low dose of asbestos from natural and anthropogenic sources still in loco, for which the potential hazard is unknown. The aim of this research is to assess environmental exposure in an area with outcropping serpentinite rocks, which bear asbestos mineralizations, using sentinel animals which are a non-experimental animal model. We studied the burden of inorganic fibres in cattle lungs which come from two areas in Italy's Western Alps bearing serpentinitic outcrops: Susa Valley with a heavy anthropization and Lanzo Valleys, with a minor human impact. The identification and quantification of inorganic fibres were performed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS). In comparison to humans, studies of animals have some advantages, such as no occupational exposure or history of smoking and, in the case of cattle, a sedentary life restricted to one region. Results spotlight that over than 35% of inorganic fibres found both in Susa and Lanzo valleys, belong to asbestos mineralogical species (asbestos tremolite/actinolite, chrysotile s.s., asbestos grunerite, crocidolite). We also observed a higher concentration of artificial fibrous products in Susa samples showing a correlation with the level of anthropization. These results confirm that sentinel animals are an excellent model to assess breathable environmental background because it is possible to eliminate some variables, such as unknown occupational exposure.

  17. Environmental exposure to asbestos and other inorganic fibres using animal lung model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fornero, Elisa; Belluso, Elena; Capella, Silvana; Bellis, Donata

    2009-01-01

    Professional exposure to asbestos fibres is widely recognized as very dangerous to human health and for this reason many countries have banned their commercial uses. People, nevertheless, continue to be exposed to low dose of asbestos from natural and anthropogenic sources still in loco, for which the potential hazard is unknown. The aim of this research is to assess environmental exposure in an area with outcropping serpentinite rocks, which bear asbestos mineralizations, using sentinel animals which are a non-experimental animal model. We studied the burden of inorganic fibres in cattle lungs which come from two areas in Italy's Western Alps bearing serpentinitic outcrops: Susa Valley with a heavy anthropization and Lanzo Valleys, with a minor human impact. The identification and quantification of inorganic fibres were performed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS). In comparison to humans, studies of animals have some advantages, such as no occupational exposure or history of smoking and, in the case of cattle, a sedentary life restricted to one region. Results spotlight that over than 35% of inorganic fibres found both in Susa and Lanzo valleys, belong to asbestos mineralogical species (asbestos tremolite/actinolite, chrysotile s.s., asbestos grunerite, crocidolite). We also observed a higher concentration of artificial fibrous products in Susa samples showing a correlation with the level of anthropization. These results confirm that sentinel animals are an excellent model to assess breathable environmental background because it is possible to eliminate some variables, such as unknown occupational exposure

  18. Characterization of Fibre-Direction Dependent Damping of Glass-Fibre Composites at Low Temperatures and Low Frequencies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kliem, Mathias; Høgsberg, Jan Becker; Dannemann, Martin

    2016-01-01

    This paper deals with the characterization of the fibre-direction dependent damping capability of glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) to be used in electrical power transmission pylons. A fibre-direction dependent damping analysis of unidirectional (UD) GFRP samples was carried out using...... a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) for five different fibre orientations (0˚ | 30˚ | 45˚ | 60˚ and 90˚) and two different matrix systems (epoxy and a vinyl ester resin). Based on the dynamic characteristics the damping performance of the various composite materials was studied at three temperatures (-10˚C......, 0˚C and 10˚C) and three vibration frequencies (1 Hz, 10 Hz and 30 Hz). It was observed that the loss factor of Glass Fibre Reinforced Vinyl-Ester (GF-VE) was in general slightly higher compared to the Glass Fibre Reinforced Epoxy (GF-EP). The loss factor increased slightly with temperature, while...

  19. Pion nucleus scattering lengths

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, W.T.; Levinson, C.A.; Banerjee, M.K.

    1971-09-01

    Soft pion theory and the Fubini-Furlan mass dispersion relations have been used to analyze the pion nucleon scattering lengths and obtain a value for the sigma commutator term. With this value and using the same principles, scattering lengths have been predicted for nuclei with mass number ranging from 6 to 23. Agreement with experiment is very good. For those who believe in the Gell-Mann-Levy sigma model, the evaluation of the commutator yields the value 0.26(m/sub σ//m/sub π/) 2 for the sigma nucleon coupling constant. The large dispersive corrections for the isosymmetric case implies that the basic idea behind many of the soft pion calculations, namely, slow variation of matrix elements from the soft pion limit to the physical pion mass, is not correct. 11 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs

  20. Methodology for characterisation of glass fibre composite architecture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jens Zangenberg; Larsen, J.B.; Østergaard, R.C.

    2012-01-01

    of the fibres. The information is used for different analyses to investigate and characterise the fibre architecture. As an example, the methodology is applied to glass fibre reinforced composites with varying fibre contents. The different fibre volume fractions (FVFs) affect the number of contact points per......The present study outlines a methodology for microstructural characterisation of fibre reinforced composites containing circular fibres. Digital micrographs of polished cross-sections are used as input to a numerical image processing tool that determines spatial mapping and radii detection...... fibre, the communal fibre distance and the local FVF. The fibre diameter distribution and packing pattern remain somewhat similar for the considered materials. The methodology is a step towards a better understanding of the composite microstructure and can be used to evaluate the interconnection between...

  1. Biological durability and oxidative potential of a stonewool mineral fibre compared to crocidolite asbestos fibres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hippeli, S. [Lehrstuhl fuer Phytopathologie, Labor fuer Biochemische Toxikologie, Technische Universitaet Muenchen-Weihenstephan, D-85350 Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany); Dornisch, K. [Lehrstuhl fuer Phytopathologie, Labor fuer Biochemische Toxikologie, Technische Universitaet Muenchen-Weihenstephan, D-85350 Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany); Kaiser, S. [Lehrstuhl fuer Phytopathologie, Labor fuer Biochemische Toxikologie, Technische Universitaet Muenchen-Weihenstephan, D-85350 Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany); Draeger, U. [Deutsche Rockwool Mineralwoll GmbH, Karl-Schneider-Strasse 14-18, D-45966 Gladbeck (Germany); Elstner, E.F. [Lehrstuhl fuer Phytopathologie, Labor fuer Biochemische Toxikologie, Technische Universitaet Muenchen-Weihenstephan, D-85350 Freising-Weihenstephan (Germany)

    1997-07-01

    Experiments are described concerning the differences in redox properties and biodurability of natural asbestos fibres and an experimental stonewool fibre incubated in Gamble solution and reconstructed surfactant fluid. Crocidolite exhibits a significantly higher oxidative potential compared to the tested stonewool fibres. The oxidative acitivity of both types of fibres is not constant during incubation over several weeks, but rather shows a sinoidal curve including reactivities much higher than those at the beginning of the incubation. A continuous loss of mass is concluded not to be definitively connected with a continuous loss of toxicity. (orig.). With 1 fig.

  2. Review article: dietary fibre-microbiota interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpson, H L; Campbell, B J

    2015-07-01

    Application of modern rapid DNA sequencing technology has transformed our understanding of the gut microbiota. Diet, in particular plant-based fibre, appears critical in influencing the composition and metabolic activity of the microbiome, determining levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) important for intestinal health. To assess current epidemiological, experimental and clinical evidence of how long-term and short-term alterations in dietary fibre intake impact on the microbiome and metabolome. A Medline search including items 'intestinal microbiota', 'nutrition', 'diet', 'dietary fibre', 'SCFAs' and 'prebiotic effect' was performed. Studies found evidence of fibre-influenced differences in the microbiome and metabolome as a consequence of habitual diet, and of long-term or short-term intervention (in both animals and humans). Agrarian diets high in fruit/legume fibre are associated with greater microbial diversity and a predominance of Prevotella over Bacteroides. 'Western'-style diets, high in fat/sugar, low in fibre, decrease beneficial Firmicutes that metabolise dietary plant-derived polysaccharides to SCFAs and increase mucosa-associated Proteobacteria (including enteric pathogens). Short-term diets can also have major effects, particularly those exclusively animal-based, and those high-protein, low-fermentable carbohydrate/fibre 'weight-loss' diets, increasing the abundance of Bacteroides and lowering Firmicutes, with long-term adherence to such diets likely increasing risk of colonic disease. Interventions to prevent intestinal inflammation may be achieved with fermentable prebiotic fibres that enhance beneficial Bifidobacteria or with soluble fibres that block bacterial-epithelial adherence (contrabiotics). These mechanisms may explain many of the differences in microbiota associated with long-term ingestion of a diet rich in fruit and vegetable fibre. © 2015 The Authors. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Dietary fibre in foods: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhingra, Devinder; Michael, Mona; Rajput, Hradesh; Patil, R T

    2012-06-01

    Dietary fibre is that part of plant material in the diet which is resistant to enzymatic digestion which includes cellulose, noncellulosic polysaccharides such as hemicellulose, pectic substances, gums, mucilages and a non-carbohydrate component lignin. The diets rich in fibre such as cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on health since their consumption has been related to decreased incidence of several diseases. Dietary fibre can be used in various functional foods like bakery, drinks, beverages and meat products. Influence of different processing treatments (like extrusion-cooking, canning, grinding, boiling, frying) alters the physico- chemical properties of dietary fibre and improves their functionality. Dietary fibre can be determined by different methods, mainly by: enzymic gravimetric and enzymic-chemical methods. This paper presents the recent developments in the extraction, applications and functions of dietary fibre in different food products.

  4. A simple pendulum borehole tiltmeter based on a triaxial optical-fibre displacement sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chawah, P.; Chéry, J.; Boudin, F.; Cattoen, M.; Seat, H. C.; Plantier, G.; Lizion, F.; Sourice, A.; Bernard, P.; Brunet, C.; Boyer, D.; Gaffet, S.

    2015-11-01

    Sensitive instruments like strainmeters and tiltmeters are necessary for measuring slowly varying low amplitude Earth deformations. Nonetheless, laser and fibre interferometers are particularly suitable for interrogating such instruments due to their extreme precision and accuracy. In this paper, a practical design of a simple pendulum borehole tiltmeter based on laser fibre interferometric displacement sensors is presented. A prototype instrument has been constructed using welded borosilicate with a pendulum length of 0.85 m resulting in a main resonance frequency of 0.6 Hz. By implementing three coplanar extrinsic fibre Fabry-Perot interferometric probes and appropriate signal filtering, our instrument provides tilt measurements that are insensitive to parasitic deformations caused by temperature and pressure variations. This prototype has been installed in an underground facility (Rustrel, France) where results show accurate measurements of Earth strains derived from Earth and ocean tides, local hydrologic effects, as well as local and remote earthquakes. The large dynamic range and the high sensitivity of this tiltmeter render it an invaluable tool for numerous geophysical applications such as transient fault motion, volcanic strain and reservoir monitoring.

  5. Laser–fibre vibrometry at 1550 nm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waz, A T; Kaczmarek, P R; Abramski, K M

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents new solutions for laser vibrometry, which are based on fibre vibrometry in the third telecommunication window. The scattered laser beam from a vibrating object is guided by a fibre collimator and coherently detected through heterodyning it with an acousto-optical frequency-shifted reference beam. The concept of measuring vibration parameters from many points of the vibrating object has been inspired by wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) in fibre telecommunications. The N-independent WDM separated 15XX nm fibre-coupled laser diodes (used for optical fibre telecommunications) form a system of sources for multipoint vibration measurement according to the rule 'one wavelength–one point'

  6. Microanalytical investigation of fibre-reinforced ceramic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meier, B.; Grathwohl, G.

    1989-01-01

    Microanalytical investigations have been made on samples of ceramic fibres (SiC fibres, (Nicalon) C fibre coated with TiN) and fibre-reinforced ceramics (SiC-and glass-matrices). High resolution Auger electron spectroscopy (HRAES), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and scanning electron microscopy were employed for these examinations. Analysis was best performed with HRAES on account of its lateral and depth resolution. Some of the problems involved in this technique are discussed e.g. electron beam effects. AES depth profiles of ceramic fibres are reported and compared with the surface analysis of fibres in the composites after being broken in situ. (orig.)

  7. Morphology and contact angle studies of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile modified epoxy resin blends and their glass fibre reinforced composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the surface characteristics of blends and composites of epoxy resin were investigated. Poly(styrene-co-acylonitrile (SAN was used to modify diglycedyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA type epoxy resin cured with diamino diphenyl sulfone (DDS and the modified epoxy resin was used as the matrix for fibre reinforced composites (FRP’s. E-glass fibre was used as the fibre reinforcement. The scanning electron micrographs of the fractured surfaces of the blends and composites were analyzed. Morphological analysis revealed different morphologies such as dispersed, cocontinuous and phase-inverted structures for the blends. Contact angle studies were carried out using water and methylene iodide at room temperature. The solid surface energy was calculated using harmonic mean equations. Blending of epoxy resin increases its contact angle. The surface free energy, work of adhesion, interfacial free energy, spreading coefficient and Girifalco-Good’s interaction parameter were changed significantly in the case of blends and composites. The incorporation of thermoplastic and glass fibre reduces the wetting and hydrophilicity of epoxy resin.

  8. Phosphate glass fibre scaffolds: Tailoring of the properties and enhancement of the bioactivity through mesoporous glass particles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novajra, G; Boetti, N G; Lousteau, J; Fiorilli, S; Milanese, D; Vitale-Brovarone, C

    2016-10-01

    Novel bone glass fibre scaffolds were developed by thermally bonding phosphate glass fibres belonging to the P2O5-CaO-Na2O-SiO2-MgO-K2O-TiO2 system (TiPS2.5 glass). Scaffolds with fibres of 85 or 110μm diameter were fabricated, showing compressive strength in the range of 2-3.5MPa, comparable to that of the trabecular bone. The effect of different thermal treatments and fibre diameters and length on the final scaffold structure was investigated by means of micro-CT analysis. The change of the sintering time from 30 to 60min led to a decrease in the scaffold overall porosity from 58 to 21vol.% for the 85μm fibre scaffold and from 50 to 40vol.% when increasing the sintering temperature from 490 to 500°C for the 110μm fibre scaffold. The 85μm fibres resulted in an increase of the scaffold overall porosity, increased pore size and lower trabecular thickness; the use of different fibre diameters allowed the fabrication of a scaffold showing a porosity gradient. In order to impart bioactive properties to the scaffold, for the first time in the literature the introduction in these fibre scaffolds of a bioactive phase, a melt-derived bioactive glass (CEL2) powder or spray-dried mesoporous bioactive glass particles (SD-MBG) was investigated. The scaffold bioactivity was assessed through soaking in simulated body fluid. CEL2/glass fibre scaffold did not show promising results due to particle detachment from the fibres during soaking in simulated body fluid. Instead the use of mesoporous bioactive powders showed to be an effective way to impart bioactivity to the scaffold and could be further exploited in the future through the ability of mesoporous particles to act as systems for the controlled release of drugs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. A viscoelastic-viscoplastic model for short-fibre reinforced polymers with complex fibre orientations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nciri M.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an innovative approach for the modelling of viscous behaviour of short-fibre reinforced composites (SFRC with complex distributions of fibre orientations and for a wide range of strain rates. As an alternative to more complex homogenisation methods, the model is based on an additive decomposition of the state potential for the computation of composite’s macroscopic behaviour. Thus, the composite material is seen as the assembly of a matrix medium and several linear elastic fibre media. The division of short fibres into several families means that complex distributions of orientation or random orientation can be easily modelled. The matrix behaviour is strain-rate sensitive, i.e. viscoelastic and/or viscoplastic. Viscoelastic constitutive laws are based on a generalised linear Maxwell model and the modelling of the viscoplasticity is based on an overstress approach. The model is tested for the case of a polypropylene reinforced with short-glass fibres with distributed orientations and subjected to uniaxial tensile tests, in different loading directions and under different strain rates. Results demonstrate the efficiency of the model over a wide range of strain rates.

  10. POLARISATION PRESERVING OPTICAL FIBRE

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2000-01-01

    . This cladding structure provides polarisation preserving properties to the optical fibre. Optical fibres using this technology may have claddings with elements placed non-periodically as well as in a two-dimensional periodic lattice - such as cladding providing Photonic Band Gap (PBG) effects....

  11. Angiogenic effect induced by mineral fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carbonari, Damiano; Campopiano, Antonella; Ramires, Deborah; Strafella, Elisabetta; Staffolani, Sara; Tomasetti, Marco; Curini, Roberta; Valentino, Matteo; Santarelli, Lory; Amati, Monica

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → In this study we described the angiogenetic effect of some mineral fibres. → Wollastonite fibres induce blood vessel formation. → The size and shape of the fibres were important factors for the cell signalling. → Wollastonite induce ROS-NFκB activation and EGFR signalling. → Involvement of wollastonite exposure in the development of pathological conditions. -- Abstract: Due to the toxic effect of asbestos, other materials with similar chemical-physical characteristics have been introduced to substitute it. We evaluate the angiogenic effect of certain asbestos substitute fibres such as glass fibres (GFs), ceramic fibres (CFs) and wollastonite fibres (WFs) and then compare angiogenic responses to those induced by crocidolite asbestos fibres (AFs). An in vitro model using human endothelial cells in small islands within a culture matrix of fibroblasts (Angio-Kit) was used to evaluate vessel formation. The release of IL-6, sIL-R6, IL-8, VEGF-A and their soluble receptors, sVEGFR-1, sVEGFR-2, was determined in the conditioning medium of Angio-Kit system after fibre treatment. ROS formation and cell viability were evaluated in cultured endothelial cells (HUVEC). To evaluate the involvement of intracellular mechanisms, EGFR signalling, ROS formation and nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) pathway were then inhibited by incubating HUVEC cells with AG1478, NAC and PDTC respectively, and the cytokine and growth factor release was analyzed in the culture medium after 7 days of fibre incubation. Among the mineral fibres tested, WFs markedly induced blood vessel formation which was associated with release of IL-6 and IL-8, VEGF-A and their soluble receptors. ROS production was observed in HUVEC after WFs treatment which was associated with cell cytotoxicity. The EGFR-induced ERK phosphorylation and ROS-mediated NFκB activation were involved in the cytokine and angiogenic factor release. However, only the EGFR activation was able to induce angiogenesis. The WFs

  12. CONFERENCE NOTE: CETO—Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Opticas, Trends in Optical Fibre Metrology and Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-01-01

    Summer School, 27 June to 8 July 1994, Viana do Castelo, Hotel do Parque, Portugal Optical fibres, with their extremely low transmission loss, untapped bandwidth and controllable dispersion, dominate a broad range of technologies in which applications must respond to the increasing constraints of today's specifications as well as envisage future requirements. Optical fibres dominate communications systems. In the area of sensors, fibre optics will be fully exploited for their immunity to EMI, their high sensitivity and their large dynamic range. The maturity of single mode optical technology has led to intensive R&D of a range of components based on the advantages of transmission characteristics and signal processing. Specifications and intercompatibility requests for the new generation of both analogue and digital fibre optical components and systems has created a demand for sophisticated measuring techniques based on unique and complex instruments. In recent years there has been a signification evolution in response to the explosion of applications and the tightening of specifications. These developments justify a concerted effort to focus on trends in optical fibre metrology and standards. Objective The objective of this school is to provide a progressive and comprehensive presentation of current issues concerning passive and active optical fibre characterization and measurement techniques. Passive fibre components support a variety of developments in optical fibre systems and will be discussed in terms of relevance and standards. Particular attention will be paid to devices for metrological purposes such as reference fibres and calibration artefacts. The characterization and testing of optical fibre amplifiers, which have great potential in telecommunications, data distribution networks and as a system part in instrumentation, will be covered. Methods of measurement and means of calibration with traceability will be discussed, together with the characterization

  13. Interfacial fracture of the fibre-metal laminates based on fibre reinforced thermoplastics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdullah, M.R.; Prawoto, Y.; Cantwell, W.J.

    2015-01-01

    As the adhesion quality plays an important role in determining the mechanical performance and environmental stability of most types of fibre-metal laminates (FMLs), investigating the interfacial fracture properties becomes one of the key factors for the improvement. Adhesion of a self-reinforced polypropylene (SRPP) and glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (GFPP) based FML is evaluated experimentally. Single Cantilever Beam (SCB) tests were performed to access interfacial fracture energy (G c ) of the bi-material laminates and their associated interlayer materials. Simulations mimicking the experiments were also performed. The energy needed to fracture was obtained experimentally and also via stress intensity factor from the simulations. The test results show that good adhesion between the aluminium and fibre reinforced thermoplastics can be achieved using a sulphuric acid anodising surface pre-treatment. Further examination has shown that the edges of the test samples highlighted the presence of significant fibre bridging in the SRPP and plastics deformation in the GFPP. - Highlights: • Adhesion of a self-reinforced polypropylene and glass fibre reinforced polypropylene is evaluated. • Single Cantilever Beam tests were performed to access interfacial fracture energy. • The energy needed to fracture was obtained experimentally and also via stress intensity factor from the simulations. • The test results show that best adhesion is achieved using a sulphuric acid anodizing surface pre-treatment

  14. Laser self-mixing interference fibre sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Jun; Zhao Yan; Jin Guofan

    2008-01-01

    Fibre sensors exhibit a number of advantages over other sensors such as high sensitivity, electric insulation, corrosion resistance, interference rejection and so on. And laser self-mixing interference can accurately detect the phase difference of feedback light. In this paper, a novel laser self-mixing interference fibre sensor that combines the advantages of fibre sensors with those of laser self-mixing interference is presented. Experimental configurations are set up to study the relationship between laser power output and phase of laser feedback light when the fibre trembles or when the fibre is stretched or pressed. The theoretical analysis of pressure sensors based on laser self-mixing interference is indicated to accord with the experimental results. (classical areas of phenomenology)

  15. Synthesis of ultra-fine porous tin oxide fibres and its process characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yu; Ramos, Idalia; Santiago-Aviles, Jorge J

    2007-01-01

    Porous rutile-structured SnO 2 fibres, with their length of several millimetres, diameter from 100 nm to 40 μm and potentials for sensor applications, were synthesized from a precursor solution of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), chloroform (CHCl 3 ) and dimethyldineodecanoate tin (C 22 H 44 O 4 Sn) using electrospinning and metal-organic decomposition techniques. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis and x-ray diffraction were used to characterize the synthesized fibres so as to reveal the series of physical and chemical changes occurring from the starting chemicals to the final product of ultra-fine SnO 2 fibres: the solvent CHCl 3 evaporates during the electrospinning; the organic groups in PEO and C 22 H 44 O 4 Sn decompose, with Sn-C bond in C 22 H 44 O 4 Sn replaced by Sn-O between 220 and 300 deg. C, and the atomic arrangement transforms into the genesis of a rutile-type lattice between 300 and 380 deg. C; the incipient lattice finally develops into the rutile structure during heat treatment at higher temperatures up to 600 deg. C

  16. Calcium binding by dietary fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James, W.P.T.; Branch, W.J.; Southgate, D.A.T.

    1978-01-01

    Dietary fibre from plants low in phytate bound calcium in proportion to its uronic-acid content. This binding by the non-cellulosic fraction of fibre reduces the availability of calcium for small-intestinal absorption, but the colonic microbial digestion of uronic acids liberates the calcium. Thus the ability to maintain calcium balance on high-fibre diets may depend on the adaptive capacity on the colon for calcium. (author)

  17. Development of Ultra-High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) : towards an efficient utilization of binders and fibres

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yu, R.; Spiesz, P.R.; Brouwers, H.J.H.

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a method to develop Ultra-High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC). Towards an efficient utilization of binders and fibres in UHPFRC, the modified Andreasen & Andersen particle packing model and the hybridization design of fibres are utilized. Particularly, the UHPFRC

  18. Plant fibre composites - porosity and volumetric interaction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Bo; Thygesen, Anders; Lilholt, Hans

    2007-01-01

    the combination of a high fibre volume fraction, a low porosity and a high composite density is optimal. Experimental data from the literature on volumetric composition and density of four types of plant fibre composites are used to validate the model. It is demonstrated that the model provides a concept......Plant fibre composites contain typically a relative large amount of porosity, which considerably influences properties and performance of the composites. The large porosity must be integrated in the conversion of weight fractions into volume fractions of the fibre and matrix parts. A model...... is presented to predict the porosity as a function of the fibre weight fractions, and to calculate the related fibre and matrix volume fractions, as well as the density of the composite. The model predicts two cases of composite volumetric interaction separated by a transition fibre weight fraction, at which...

  19. Fibre optic power meter calibration uncertainties

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Nel, M

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available the patch cord, alternatively feeding into the standard or UUT is labelled ‘reference patch cord’. It is preferred to use a patch cord with a ceramic fibre tip (not metal fibre tip) to reduce reflections between the fibre tip and the detector... tightening effect To empirically quantify the effect of connector tightening, two readings are taken at each measurement, which for briefness are labelled "tight" and "un-tight". A "tight" connection is when the fibre connector is tightened...

  20. Impact of chemical treatments on the mechanical and water absorption properties of coconut fibre (Cocos nucifera reinforced polypropylene composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isiaka O. OLADELE

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available In this work, chemically treated coconut fibres were used to reinforce Homopolymer Polypropylene in order to ascertain the effect of the treatments on the mechanical and water absorption properties of the composites produced. Coconut fibre was first extracted from its husk by soaking it in water and was dried before it was cut into 10 mm lengths. It was then chemically treated in alkali solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH and potassium hydroxide (KOH in a shaker water bath. The treated coconut fibres were used as reinforcements in polypropylene matrix to produce composites of varied fibre weight contents; 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 wt.%. Tensile and flexural properties were investigated using universal testing machine while water absorption test was carried out on the samples for 7 days. It was observed from the results that, NaOH treated samples gave the best tensile properties while KOH treated samples gave the best flexural and water repellent properties.

  1. Controllable behaviours of rogue wave triplets in the nonautonomous nonlinear and dispersive system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai Chaoqing; Tian Qing; Zhu Shiqun

    2012-01-01

    A similarity transformation connecting the variable coefficient nonlinear Schrödinger equation with the standard nonlinear Schrödinger equation is constructed. The self-similar rogue wave triplet solutions (rational solutions) are analytically obtained for the nonautonomous nonlinear and dispersive system. The controllable behaviours of rogue wave triplets in two typical soliton management systems are discussed. In the exponential dispersion decreasing fibre, three kinds of rogue wave triplets with controllable behaviours are analysed. In the periodic distributed system, the rogue wave triplets recur periodically in the form of a cluster. (paper)

  2. Disperse reinforced concrete used in obtaining prefabricated elements for roads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogdan MEZEI

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Concrete is the most used material in construction. By improving the performance of materials and of technologies, concretes with outstanding performances were also developed, in the past two decades. Concrete with dispersed reinforcement represents a new generation of reinforced concrete that combines a good behavior of concrete compressive strength with an increased tensile strength of steel fibers. Using this material, monolithic and prefabricated concrete elements with high mechanical strengths and high durability can be obtained. Technological processes for preparation of concrete with dispersed reinforcement are similar to the conventional methods and do not involve using additional equipment for dosing the dispersed reinforcement. The study aimed the development of road plates made with optimized disperse- reinforced concrete. The first tests were done on plates from the gutter roadway, having a classic reinforcement, using different percentages of fibre reinforcement in the concrete composition, leading to the development of a new optimized economical solution. The results prove the enhanced characteristics of the disperse-reinforced concrete versus conventional concrete, and hence of the developed concrete plates.

  3. Rare-Earth Doped Photonic Crystal Fibre Lasers and Amplifiers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hougaard, Kristian G.

    2005-01-01

    In this thesis, a theoretical and numerical study of the use of rare-earthdoped photonic crystal fibres as optical amplifiers and lasers, has been performed. Photonic crystal fibres or microstructured optical fibres is a new kind of optical fibre in which the cladding region typically consist....... Their novel properties allow for design of optical fibre amplifiers and fibre lasers with superior performance, compared to solutions based on conventional fibres. The primary applications considered are high efficiency fibre amplifiers based on index guiding photonic crystal fibres, and cladding pumped....... The thesis also presents the basic properties of optical amplification, and describes the numerical model developed to model the behaviour of lasers and amplifiers based on photonic crystal fibres. The developed numerical tools are then used to investigate specific applications of photonic crystal fibres...

  4. PEPSI-feed: linking PEPSI to the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope using a 450m long fibre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sablowski, D. P.; Weber, M.; Woche, M.; Ilyin, I.; Järvinen, A.; Strassmeier, K. G.; Gabor, P.

    2016-07-01

    Limited observing time at large telescopes equipped with the most powerful spectrographs makes it almost impossible to gain long and well-sampled time-series observations. Ditto, high-time-resolution observations of bright targets with high signal-to-noise are rare. By pulling an optical fibre of 450m length from the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) to the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) to connect the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) to the VATT, allows for ultra-high resolution time-series measurements of bright targets. This article presents the fibre-link in detail from the technical point-of-view, demonstrates its performance from first observations, and sketches current applications.

  5. Fibre optic cable in the nuclear industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roberts, Berwyn

    1987-01-01

    The uses of optical fibre cables to transmit light signals include medical applications and telecommunications. In the nuclear industry the applications include process control and monitoring, conventional datacoms, security fencing and sensors. Time division multiplexing is described and currently available fibre optic multipexers are listed and explained. Single and multimode fibres are mentioned. Fibre optics are also used in cryogenics, to monitor the integrity of the storage vessels for cryogenic liquids. The uses of fibre optics at Hartlepool, Heysham I and Torness are mentioned in particular. (UK)

  6. Fibre failure assessment in carbon fibre reinforced polymers under fatigue loading by synchrotron X-ray computed tomography

    OpenAIRE

    Garcea, Serafina; Sinclair, Ian; Spearing, Simon

    2016-01-01

    In situ fatigue experiments using synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SRCT) are used to assess the underpinning micromechanisms of fibre failure in double notch carbon/epoxy coupons. Observations showed fibre breaks along the 0º ply splits, associated with the presence and failure of bridging fibres, as well as fibres failed in the bulk composite within the 0º plies. A tendency for cluster formation, with multiple adjacent breaks in the bulk composite was observed when higher peak loads we...

  7. Definition of global dispersion coefficients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naff, R.L.

    1983-10-01

    For estimation of a global longitudinal dispersivity at the Gorleben site, data available primarily consist of suites of geophysical logs from wells penetrating the Quaternary aquifer. A length scale for the principle aquifer at Gorleben is to be found. Samples are to be taken separately to estimate the variance in hydraulic conductivity (Taylor Analysis, Fickian dispersion process). (DG)

  8. The Relationship between the Monomer Chain Length and the Electro-Optical Properties of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu J.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Five polymers dispersed liquid crystalline (LC films were fabricated using photo-polymerizable monomers with different lengths of carbon chains. These LC films have shown different electro-optical (EO properties. Through their SEM pictures, the relationship between the linear electro-optical effect and the mesh size of the polymer network was explored. With the increase of number of photo-polymerizable monomers, the mesh size of the polymer network would become larger. So the liquid crystal molecules would be easily oriented in the electric field and therefore, the threshold voltage and saturation voltage would decrease. The open state response times were also reduced and the off state response times would be extended. The DFT simulations have shown principal role of the ground state dipole moments in the observed electro-optical efficiency.

  9. GLUT4 expression at the plasma membrane is related to fibre volume in human skeletal muscle fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaster, M; Vach, W; Beck-Nielsen, H

    2002-01-01

    In this study we examined the relationship between GLUT4 expression at the plasma membrane and muscle fibre size in fibre-typed human muscle fibres by immunocytochemistry and morphometry in order to gain further insight into the regulation of GLUT4 expression. At the site of the plasma membrane...

  10. Toughening of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites with rubber nanoparticles for advanced industrial applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. G. Ozdemir

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the effects of nano carboxylic acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (CNBR-NP and nano acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR-NP on the interlaminar shear strength and fracture toughness of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites (CFRP with dicyandiamide-cured epoxy matrix. The results show that nano-size dispersion of rubber significantly improved the Mode I delamination fracture toughness (GIC of the CFRP by 250% and its Mode II delamination fracture toughness (GIIC by 80% with the addition of 20 phr of CNBR-NP. For the NBR-NP system, the GIC and GIIC delamination fracture toughness of the CFRP were increased by 200 and 80% respectively with the addition of 20 phr (parts per hundred rubber of nano rubber to the matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM images of the fracture surface revealed that the toughening was mainly achieved by debonding of the nano rubber, crack path deflection and fibre bridging.

  11. Optimizing optical pre-dispersion using transmit DSP for mitigation of Kerr nonlinearities in dispersion managed cables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, James; Gaudette, Jamie; Mehta, Priyanth

    2013-10-01

    With the advent of digital signal processing (DSP) in optical transmitters and receivers, the ability to finely tune the ratio of pre and post dispersion compensation can be exploited to best mitigate the nonlinear penalties caused by the Kerr effect. A portion of the nonlinear penalty in optical communication channels has been explained by an increase in peak to average power ratio (PAPR) inherent in highly dispersed signals. The standard approach for minimizing these impairments applies 50% pre dispersion compensation and 50% post dispersion compensation, thereby decreasing average PAPR along the length of the cable, as compared with either 100% pre or post dispersion compensation. In this paper we demonstrate that simply considering the net accumulated dispersion, and applying 50/50 pre/post dispersion is not necessarily the best way to minimize PAPR and subsequent Kerr nonlinearities. Instead, we consider the cumulative dispersion along the entire length of the cable, and, taking into account this additional information, derive an analytic formula for the minimization of PAPR. Alignment with simulation and experimental measurements is presented using a commercially available 100Gb/s dual-polarization binary phase-shift-keying (DP-BPSK) coherent modem, with transmitter and receiver DSP. Measurements are provided from two different 5000km dispersion managed Submarine test-beds, as well as a 3800km terrestrial test-bed with a mixture of SMF-28 and TWRS optical fiber. This method is shown to deviate significantly from the conventional 50/50 method described above, in dispersion managed communications systems, and more closely aligns with results obtained from simulation and data collected from laboratory test-beds.

  12. Static and cyclic performance of cementitious composites reinforced with glass-fibres; Rendimiento estático y cíclico de compuestos cementantes reforzados con fibras de vidrio

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arabi, N.

    2018-04-01

    This paper concerns an experimental study of the influence of short glass-fibres randomly oriented of a reinforced cement-based composite on the mechanical behaviour. The matrix material parameters used are: cement/sand ratio and water/cement ratio fixed at 0.5; the glass-fibre content (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2% and 2.5%) and fibre lengths (3, 6 and 12 mm). Composites mechanical characterisation under static behaviour at flexural and compression tests, shows that the reinforcement effect is beneficial only in flexural case. A synergy (matrix-reinforcement) was observed when fibre length of 12 mm is used with application rate of 2% in flexural. The fatigue behaviour determined by Wöhler plots (stress-number of cycles to rupture), derived from experimental results; showed a large results dispersion which is attributed to many causes initiating this damage. The cyclic tests illustrate brittle character of these materials; even with low-amplitude cycles of loading no adaptation of these materials can be reported. [Spanish] Este trabajo aborda el estudio experimental de la influencia de fibras de vidrio cortas orientadas al azar sobre el comportamiento mecánico de un composite reforzado de base cemento. Los parámetros de la matriz utilizados son: relación cemento/arena y relación agua/cemento fijada en 0,5; el contenido de fibra de vidrio (0%, 0,5%, 1,0%,1,5%, 2% y 2,5%) y longitudes de fibra (3, 6 y 12 mm). Los resultados mecánicos de estos compuestos bajo comportamiento estático (flexión y compresión), muestran que el efecto de refuerzo es beneficioso unicamente a flexión. Se observó una sinergia (refuerzo de la matriz) cuando se usó la fibra de 12 mm con una tasa de aplicación del 2% en flexión. El comportamiento a fatiga determinado por las curvas de Wöhler (número de ciclos hasta la rotura), derivado de los resultados experimentales; mostró una gran dispersión de resultados que se atribuye a las muchas causas que pueden iniciar este daño. Las

  13. Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fibre Comprising a Fibre Grating in the Cladding and its Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2010-01-01

    An optical fibre is provided having a fibre cladding around a longitudinally extending optical propagation core. The cladding has a reflection region of a varying refractive index in the longitudinal direction....

  14. Strength and Fractography of Glass Wool Fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Majbritt Deichgræber; Yue, Yuanzheng

      Glass wool fibres (GWFs) are produced using the cascade spinning process. The lengths of the fibers range from 1 to 4 cm, whereas the diameters range from 4 and 10 mm. GWFs are widely used as insulation material due to their excellent heat and sound isolation effect, chemical durability, and high...... between fracture strength (sf) and mirror radius (r), i.e., sf = A*r, is confirmed for all the GWFs studied. The materials constant, A, (mirror constant) is found to be 2.4 ~ 2.7 MPam½ for basaltic wool and 2.0 MPam½ for E-glass wool, which is similar to the value reported in the literature for different...

  15. Evidence for Dietary Fibre Modification in the Recovery and Prevention of Reoccurrence of Acute, Uncomplicated Diverticulitis: A Systematic Literature Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahl, Camilla; Crichton, Megan; Jenkins, Julie; Nucera, Romina; Mahoney, Sophie; Marx, Wolfgang

    2018-01-01

    In practice, nutrition recommendations vary widely for inpatient and discharge management of acute, uncomplicated diverticulitis. This systematic review aims to review the evidence and develop recommendations for dietary fibre modifications, either alone or alongside probiotics or antibiotics, versus any comparator in adults in any setting with or recently recovered from acute, uncomplicated diverticulitis. Intervention and observational studies in any language were located using four databases until March 2017. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and GRADE were used to evaluate the overall quality of the evidence and to develop recommendations. Eight studies were included. There was “very low” quality evidence for comparing a liberalised and restricted fibre diet for inpatient management to improve hospital length of stay, recovery, gastrointestinal symptoms and reoccurrence. There was “very low” quality of evidence for using a high dietary fibre diet as opposed to a standard or low dietary fibre diet following resolution of an acute episode, to improve reoccurrence and gastrointestinal symptoms. The results of this systematic review and GRADE assessment conditionally recommend the use of liberalised diets as opposed to dietary restrictions for adults with acute, uncomplicated diverticulitis. It also strongly recommends a high dietary fibre diet aligning with dietary guidelines, with or without dietary fibre supplementation, after the acute episode has resolved. PMID:29382074

  16. Investigation of the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Copper-Graphite Composites Reinforced with Single-Crystal α-Al₂O₃ Fibres by Hot Isostatic Pressing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guihang; Jiang, Xiaosong; Qiao, ChangJun; Shao, Zhenyi; Zhu, Degui; Zhu, Minhao; Valcarcel, Victor

    2018-06-11

    Single-crystal α-Al₂O₃ fibres can be utilized as a novel reinforcement in high-temperature composites owing to their high elastic modulus, chemical and thermal stability. Unlike non-oxide fibres and polycrystalline alumina fibres, high-temperature oxidation and polycrystalline particles boundary growth will not occur for single-crystal α-Al₂O₃ fibres. In this work, single-crystal α-Al₂O₃ whiskers and Al₂O₃ particles synergistic reinforced copper-graphite composites were fabricated by mechanical alloying and hot isostatic pressing techniques. The phase compositions, microstructures, and fracture morphologies of the composites were investigated using X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope equipped with an X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), an electron probe microscopic analysis equipped with wavelength-dispersive spectrometer, and a transmission electron microscope equipped with EDS. The mechanical properties have been measured by a micro-hardness tester and electronic universal testing machine. The results show that the reinforcements were unevenly distributed in the matrix with the increase of their content and there were some micro-cracks located at the interface between the reinforcement and the matrix. With the increase of the Al₂O₃ whisker content, the compressive strength of the composites first increased and then decreased, while the hardness decreased. The fracture and strengthening mechanisms of the composite materials were explored on the basis of the structure and composition of the composites through the formation and function of the interface. The main strengthening mechanism in the composites was fine grain strengthening and solid solution strengthening. The fracture type of the composites was brittle fracture.

  17. Fibre optic networks for safeguards applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, B.G.R.; Chare, P.; Barrier, A.

    1991-01-01

    The Euratom Safeguards Directorate has recently installed a fibre optic network in a new large scale nuclear facility in the European Communities. The selection, installation and commissioning of the fibre optic network is discussed from the viewpoint of network topology, physical testing, trouble shooting and authentication. The future use of fibre optic networks for safeguards applications is discussed

  18. Mineral fibres and health

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoskins, J.A.

    2001-01-01

    The use of inorganic fibrous materials is a comparatively new phenomenon and was uncommon before the Industrial Revolution. Humans evolved in a comparatively fibre-free environment and consequently never fully developed the defence mechanisms needed to deal with the consequences of inhaling fibres. However, the urban environment now has an airborne fibre concentration of around 1 f.l -1 , which is a tenfold increase on the natural background. Any sample of ambient air collected indoors or outdoors will probably contain some mineral fibres, but there is little evidence that these pose any risk to human health. They come from asbestos used in brakes, glass and mineral wools used as insulation and fire proofing of buildings, gypsum from plaster and a variety of types from many sources. Few of these have the potential to do any harm. Asbestos is the only fibre of note but urban levels are insignificant compared to occupational exposures. When the health of cohorts occupationally exposed to the several types of asbestos is studied the problem can be put into perspective. Studies of workers in the chrysotile industry exposed to much higher dust levels than in a factory today show no excess lung cancer or mesothelioma. By comparison those living near crocidolite mines, let alone working in them, may develop asbestos-related disease. As always, dose is the critical factor. Chrysotile is cleared from the lungs very efficiently, only the amphiboles are well retained. The only real health problem comes from the earlier use of asbestos products that may now be old, friable and damaged and made from amphibole or mixed fibre. If though, these are still in good condition, they do not pose a health problem. Asbestos-related diseases are very rare in those not occupationally exposed. Where they exist exposure has nearly always been to crocidolite. (author)

  19. Photonic crystal fibres and effective index approaches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riishede, Jesper; Libori, Stig E. Barkou; Bjarklev, Anders Overgaard

    2001-01-01

    Photonic crystal fibres are investigated with an effective index approach. The effective index of both core and cladding is found to be wavelength dependent. Accurate modelling must respect the rich topology of these fibres.......Photonic crystal fibres are investigated with an effective index approach. The effective index of both core and cladding is found to be wavelength dependent. Accurate modelling must respect the rich topology of these fibres....

  20. New Insights into Muscle Fibre Types in Casertana Pig

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvatore Velotto

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Little is known about the Casertana pig. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sex on histochemical and morphometrical characteristics of muscle fibres (myocytes in this pure breed and to verify the presence of giant fibres as well as vascularity of the muscle. Finally, maximum shortening velocity and isometric tension were measured in single muscle fibres. Sixteen Casertana pigs (8 males, 8 females from a farm in Campania (Italy were slaughtered at one year of age. Muscle tissues were obtained from psoas minor, rhomboideus and longissimus dorsi. Myofibres were stained for myosin adenosine triphosphatase, succinic dehydrogenase, and α-amylase-periodic acid schiff. For all fibre types, the area and perimeter were measured. Slowtwitch oxidative fibres, fast-twitch glycolytic fibres and fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic fibres were histochemically differentiated; an image-analyzing system was used. The results showed significant differences between the sexes in the size of all three fibre types. The psoas minor muscle had a high percentage of slow-twitch oxidative fibres and contained more capillaries per fibre and per mm2 than rhomboideus and longissimus dorsi, in which fast-twitch glycolytic fibres dominated. The cross-sectional area of all fibre types was larger in longissimus dorsi than in rhomboideus and psoas minor muscles; the giant fibres were present in the longissimus dorsi muscle only. Besides, isometric tension values were higher in fast-twitch glycolytic fibres than in the other ones. Variations in fibre type composition may contribute to meat quality.

  1. Winding of fibre composites; Vikling af fiberkompositter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lystrup, Aage

    2006-01-01

    Within the project 'Storage of hydrogen in advanced high pressure vessels' under the PSO-R AND D 2005 program one of the tasks is to describe the technology, which is used for manufacturing of fibre reinforced pressure vessels. Fibre reinforced pressure vessels for high pressures are manufactured by winding structural load bearing fibres around a mandrel or an internal liner. There are two different types of cylindrical pressure vessels: 1) Cylinders with thick metal liner, where only the cylindrical part is over wrapped with hoop windings, and 2) cylinders with a thin metal or polymer liner, where both the cylindrical part and the end domes are over wrapped with more layers with different fibre orientations (helical and hoop windings). This report describes the fundamental principles for filament winding of fibre reinforced polymer composites. After a short introduction to the advanced fibre composites, their properties and semi-raw materials used for fibre composites, the focus is on the process parameters, which have influence on the material quality of filament wound components. The report is both covering winding of fibre reinforced thermo-setting polymers as well as thermoplastic polymers, and there are references to vendors of filament winding machines, accessory equipment and computer software for design and manufacturing of filament wound components. (au)

  2. Fatigue Damage Evolution in Fibre Composites for Wind Turbine Blades

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jespersen, Kristine Munk

    on the micro-scale in the non-crimp fabric based composites used for wind turbine blades. The results show that fibre fractures in the unidirectional (UD) load carrying fibre bundles initiate from off-axis cracks in the thin supporting backing fibre bundles. With an increasing number of fatigue load cycles......, the UD fibre fractures progress gradually into the thickness direction of the UD fibre bundles, which eventually results in final fracture of the fibre composite. It is also found that the UD fibre fracture regions generally grow larger and initiate earlier at cross-over regions of the backing fibre...... bundles than at single backing fibre bundle regions. Furthermore, UD Fibre fractures are only observed to initiate at locations where the backing fibre bundles are ‘in contact’ with a UD fibre bundle. By observing the damage progression in 3D, it is also clear that the UD fibre fractures initiated...

  3. Fibre-optic temperature sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jie; Liu Zhenyuan.

    1993-04-01

    This experiment is a kind of nonfunction fibre-optic temperature sensor. It utilizes high-sensitive bimetallic strip for element of measuring temperature. The changing of bimetallic strip alterates intensity of light through fibre-optic. This equipment is simple in structure, subtle in design, extensive in application, and so on. (author). 4 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

  4. Polarisation effects in fibre lasers

    OpenAIRE

    Lin, J.T.; Morkel, P.R.; Reekie, L.; Payne, D.N.

    1987-01-01

    Two orthogonal polarisation eigenmodes have been observed in a single-mode fibre laser. Experimental investigation shows good agreement with theoretical analysis. Both Nd3+ and Er3+-doped single-polarisation single-mode fibre lasers have been demonstrated

  5. Myosin heavy-chain isoform distribution, fibre-type composition and fibre size in skeletal muscle of patients on haemodialysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Molsted, Stig; Eidemak, Inge; Sorensen, Helle Tauby

    2007-01-01

    of age-, gender- and BMI-matched untrained control subjects. The aerobic work capacity of the patients was also determined. Results. The MHC composition for I, IIA and IIX isoforms was found to be 35.3%±18.2%, 35.9%±7.1% and 28.9%±15.6%, respectively, findings supported by the ATPase histochemically...... determined fibre-type composition of the vastus lateralis muscle. The mean fibre area of type 1 and 2 fibres was 3283±873 and 3594±1483 µm2, respectively. The MHC composition and the size of the type 1 fibres of the patients on HD were significantly different from those of the control subjects. Conclusions....... The data demonstrate relatively fewer type 1 and consequently more type 2x fibres, with a corresponding change in MHC isoforms (MHC I and MHC IIX) in the skeletal muscle of patiens on HD. Several patients on HD were found to have type 1 (or relative percentage of MHC I) fibres. Such a low percentage...

  6. QbD based synthesis and characterization of polyacrylamide grafted corn fibre gum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Akashdeep; Mangla, Bhumika; Sethi, Sheshank; Kamboj, Sunil; Sharma, Radhika; Rana, Vikas

    2017-01-20

    The aim of present investigation was to utilize quality by design approach for the synthesis of polyacrylamide corn fibre gum (PAAm-g-CFG) from corn fibre gum (CFG) by varying concentration of acrylamide and initiator. The spectral analysis (ATR-FTIR, 1 H NMR, DSC, X-ray and Mass spectroscopy) was conducted to assure grafting copolymerization of CFG with acrylamide. The powder flow properties confirm the porous nature of PAAm-g-CFG. The grafted copolymer dispersion showed shear thinning behaviour that follows Herschel Bulkley model. The viscoelastic analysis suggested viscous liquid like nature of PAAm-g-CFG and its viscosity increases with increase in concentration of PAAm-g-CFG. The mucoadhesive strength of synthesized PAAm-g-CFG was found to be higher than moringa oleifera gum, karaya gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, chitosan and gelatin. Further, the results pointed toward enhanced thermal stability of PAAm-g-CFG. Thus, PAAm-g-CFG has a great potential to be used in food and pharmaceutical industry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. All-fibre Q-switching YDFL operation with bismuth-doped fibre as saturable absorber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhammad, A. R.; Haris, H.; Arof, H.; Tan, S. J.; Ahmad, M. T.; Harun, S. W.

    2018-05-01

    We demonstrate the generation of a passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fibre laser (YDFL) using a bismuth-doped fibre (BDF) as a solid-state fibre saturable absorber (FSA) in a ring cavity. The BDF used has a wide and low absorption band of 5 dB/m at the 1.0 μm region due to the ion transition of ? that occurs around the region. When introduced into a YDFL laser cavity, a stable Q-switched pulse operation was observed and the pulse repetition rate was proportional to the input pump power. It was limited to 72.99 kHz by the maximum power that the laser diode could supply. Meanwhile, the pulse width decreased from 12.22 to 4.85 μs as the pump power was increased from 215.6 to 475.6 mW. The finding suggests that BDF could be used as a potential SA for the development of robust, compact, efficient and low cost Q-switched fibre lasers operating at 1 micron region.

  8. A target fibre study on seats in public houses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, E; Griffin, R M

    1998-01-01

    A target fibre survey was conducted to assess the random occurrence of a blue wool fibre on seats in public houses throughout the United Kingdom. Fibre tape lifts were taken from 80 seats. Four seats yielded matching fibres and five of these were found on one seat. A total of 292 fibres were identified; nine fibres proved indistinguishable from the target after comparison microscopy, microspectro-photometry and attempts at thin layer chromatography, and two of these fibres were still apparently indistinguishable after TLC analysis although only one dye component was visible.

  9. The fracture of boron fibre-reinforced 6061 aluminium alloy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, M. A.; Welch, D.; Jollay, J.

    1979-01-01

    The fracture of 6061 aluminium alloy reinforced with unidirectional and cross-plied 0/90 deg, 0/90/+ or - 45 deg boron fibres has been investigated. The results have been described in terms of a critical stress intensity, K(Q). Critical stress intensity factors were obtained by substituting the failure stress and the initial crack length into the appropriate expression for K(Q). Values were obtained that depended on the dimensions of the specimens. It was therefore concluded that, for the size of specimen tested, the values of K(Q) did not reflect any basic materials property.

  10. Compact fibre-laser-pumped Ho:YLF oscillator–amplifier system

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Koen, W

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available of the amplifier crystal L and the pump spot radius wp ( Ω = 2pi · (1 − cosβ), with β = tan−1(wpL )). Calculating the local population in (3) and iterating (6) and (11) along the length of the amplifier crystal, we obtain the extracted photon densities...-pumped tunable Tm: silica- fibre laser. Appl. Phys. B 79, 559 (2004) 6. E. Lippert, S. Nicolas, G. Arisholm, K. Stenersen, G. Rustad, Mid- infrared laser source with high power and beam quality. Appl. Opt. 45, 3839 (2006) 7. S.A. Payne, L.L. Chase, L...

  11. The hygroscopic behavior of plant fibres: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amandine eCélino

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Environmental concern has resulted in a renewed interest in bio-based materials. Among them, plant fibres are perceived as an environmentally friendly substitute to glass fibres for the reinforcement of composites, particularly in automotive engineering. Due to their wide availability, low cost, low density, high-specific mechanical properties and eco-friendly image, they are increasingly being employed as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. Indeed, their complex microstructure as a composite material makes plant fibre a really interesting and challenging subject to study. Research subjects about such fibres are abundant because there are always some issues to prevent their use at large scale (poor adhesion, variability, low thermal resistance, hydrophilic behavior. The choice of natural fibres rather than glass fibres as filler yields a change of the final properties of the composite. One of the most relevant differences between the two kinds of fibre is their response to humidity. Actually, glass fibres are considered as hydrophobic whereas plant fibres have a pronounced hydrophilic behavior. Composite materials are often submitted to variable climatic conditions during their lifetime, including unsteady hygroscopic conditions. However, in humid conditions, strong hydrophilic behaviour of such reinforcing fibres leads to high level of moisture absorption in wet environments. This results in the structural modification of the fibres and an evolution of their mechanical properties together with the composites in which they are fitted in. Thereby, the understanding of these moisture absorption mechanisms as well as the influence of water on the final properties of these fibres and their composites is of great interest to get a better control of such new biomaterials. This is the topic of this review paper.

  12. The hygroscopic behavior of plant fibres: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Célino, Amandine; Freour, Sylvain; Jacquemin, Frederic; Casari, Pascal

    2013-12-01

    Environmental concern has resulted in a renewed interest in bio-based materials. Among them, plant fibres are perceived as an environmentally friendly substitute to glass fibres for the reinforcement of composites, particularly in automotive engineering. Due to their wide availability, low cost, low density, high-specific mechanical properties and eco-friendly image, they are increasingly being employed as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. Indeed, their complex microstructure as a composite material makes plant fibre a really interesting and challenging subject to study. Research subjects about such fibres are abundant because there are always some issues to prevent their use at large scale (poor adhesion, variability, low thermal resistance, hydrophilic behavior). The choice of natural fibres rather than glass fibres as filler yields a change of the final properties of the composite. One of the most relevant differences between the two kinds of fibre is their response to humidity. Actually, glass fibres are considered as hydrophobic whereas plant fibres have a pronounced hydrophilic behavior. Composite materials are often submitted to variable climatic conditions during their lifetime, including unsteady hygroscopic conditions. However, in humid conditions, strong hydrophilic behaviour of such reinforcing fibres leads to high level of moisture absorption in wet environments. This results in the structural modification of the fibres and an evolution of their mechanical properties together with the composites in which they are fitted in. Thereby, the understanding of these moisture absorption mechanisms as well as the influence of water on the final properties of these fibres and their composites is of great interest to get a better control of such new biomaterials. This is the topic of this review paper.

  13. Comparison the physicochemical properties of bunch press fibre cellulose and cyclone fibre cellulose of waste from industry Crude Palm Oil (CPO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irfan Gustian

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Study on comparison the physicochemical properties of bunch press fibre cellulose (Bpfc and cyclone fibre cellulose (Cfc wastes from industry Crude Palm oil (CPO have been performed. The physicochemical properties both of celluloses have been done such as the average degree of polymerization (DP, solubility properties, functional group analysis, thermal properties and X-ray diffraction patterns. The average degrees of polymerization (DP have been obtained 2195 and 567 for Bpfc and Cfc. Bunch press fibre cellulose and cyclone fibre cellulose were soluble in cupriethylenediamine (CED. FT-IR analysis showed the same pattern of spectrum but different intensities. Thermal stability of bunch press fibre cellulose and cyclone fibre cellulose remains stable up to a temperature of 250 °C. Glass transition bunch press fibre cellulose greater than the glass transition cyclone fibre cellulose and X-ray diffraction pattern shows the same pattern and intensity varies.

  14. Natural Pineapple Leaf Fibre Extraction On Josapine And Morris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mazalan Muhammad Firdaus

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The pineapple’s leaf plant contains approximately 2.5% to 3.5% of strong white silky fibres. These fibres are useful and can be extracted from the leaves. There are a few ways to extract the fibre such as hand scrapping and by extraction machine. The objective of this research is to study the quality of fibre extraction by using different age of pineapple leaf. Next, the study aims to compare the quality of Josapine and Morris pineapple leaf with tensile test. Fibre yield percentage are calculated to determine which type of pineapple leaf produce high production of dry fibre. The mechanical properties of the fibres are analysed by Tensile Test under American Standard Testing Methods (ASTM C1577-03 and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM. The result of the fibre yield percentage show the Josapine type on 12 month ages are the highest value fibre yield percentage which is 7.89%. Based on fibre yield percentages, it showed the Josapine type produce better dry fibre production compare to Morris type. Based on mechanical test, it showed Josapine type on 12 months ages are the strongest fibre compare to Morris type since it can withstand on 67.6 N of load.

  15. Thermal Conductivity of Structural Glass/Fibre Epoxy Composite as a Function of Fibre Orientation

    CERN Document Server

    Cugnet, D; Kuijper, A; Parma, Vittorio; Vandoni, Giovanna

    2002-01-01

    The LHC, the new superconducting particle accelerator presently under construction at CERN, makes use of some 1200 dipole magnets for orbit bending and 500 quadrupole magnets for focusing/defocusing of the circulating high-energy proton beams. Two or three column-type support posts sustain each cryomagnet. The choice of a convenient material for these supports is critical, because of the required high positioning accuracy of the magnets in their cryostats and stringent thermal budget requirements imposed by the LHC cryogenic system. A glass-fibre/epoxy resin composite has been chosen for its good combination of high stiffness and low thermal conductivity over the 2-293 K temperature range. Plies of long glass-fibres are stacked optimally yielding the best mechanical behaviour. However, heat leaks from the supports are influenced by the thermal characteristics of the composite, which in turn depend on the orientation of the fibres. To study the dependence of the thermal conductivity on fibre's orientation, we ...

  16. Macroscopic assembled, ultrastrong and H2SO4-resistant fibres of polymer-grafted graphene oxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xiaoli; Xu, Zhen; Zheng, Bingna; Gao, Chao

    2013-11-01

    Nacre realizes strength and toughness through hierarchical designs with primary ``brick and mortar'' structures of alternative arrangement of nanoplatelets and biomacromolecules, and these have inspired the fabrication of nanocomposites for decades. However, to simultaneously solve the three critical problems of phase separation, low interfacial strength and random orientation of nanofillers for nanocomposites is a great challenge yet. Here we demonstrate that polymer-grafted graphene oxide sheets are exceptional building blocks for nanocomposites. Their liquid crystalline dispersions can be wet-spun into continuous fibres. Because of well-ordering and efficient load transfer, the composites show remarkable tensile strength (500 MPa), three to four times higher than nacre. The uniform layered microstructures and strong interlayer interactions also endow the fibres good resistance to chemicals including 98% sulfuric acid. We studied the enhancing effect of nanofillers with fraction in a whole range (0-100%), and proposed an equation to depict the relationship.

  17. Two functionally different muscle fibre types in some salps?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Q. Bone

    1998-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the structure and operation of the fibres in the locomotor muscle bands of several salp species. In many species, for example Thalia democratica or Pegea confoederata, all the muscle fibres of the locomotor muscle bands are similar in width and structure. In others, for example Salpa fusiformis and S. maxima, although fibre structure is similar, the marginal fibres edging the bands may be some 3-4 times the width of those in the centre of the band. In Ihlea punctata, not only is there a more striking difference in width between the marginal and central fibres of the bands, but also the two differ in structure. The marginal fibres are up to 10 times the width of the central fibres and the two differ in myofibrillar and mitochondrial content. Intracellular recordings from the fibres show that the normally compound spike potentials do not overshoot resting potentials (up to -70 mV, and are decremental. The two types of fibre may be separately activated. It is suggested that in Ihlea punctata, the wide marginal fibres may be involved in slow swimming, the central narrow fibres in `escape´ swimming.

  18. The effect of fibre layering pattern in resisting bending loads of natural fibre-based hybrid composite materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jusoh Muhamad Shahirul Mat

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The effect of fibre layering pattern and hybridization on the flexural properties of composite hybrid laminates between natural fibres of basalt, jute and flax with synthetic fibre of E-glass reinforced epoxy have been investigated experimentally. Results showed that the effect fibre layering pattern was highly significant on the flexural strength and modulus, which were strongly dependent on the hybrid configuration between sandwich-like (SL and intercalation (IC sequence of fibre layers. In addition, specific modulus based on the variation densities of the hybrid laminates was used to discover the best combination either basalt, jute or flax with E-glass exhibits superior properties concerning on the strength to weight-ratio. Generally, SL sequence of glass/basalt exhibited superior strength and stiffness compared with glass/jute and glass/flax in resisting bending loads. In terms of hybridization effect, glass/jute was found to be the best combination with E-glass compared to the rest of natural fibres investigated in the present study. Hence, the proper stacking sequences and material selection are among predominant factors that influence on mechanical properties and very crucial in designing composite hybrid system to meet the desired requirements.

  19. Geometrical Characterisation of Individual Fibres From X-Ray Tomograms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Emerson, Monica Jane; Dahl, Vedrana Andersen; Mikkelsen, Lars Pilgaard

    2017-01-01

    We have developed an image analysis pipeline1 that can extract individual fibre tracksfrom low contrast X-ray tomograms of unidirectional composites with high fibre volumefraction. Measuring individual fibre tracks opens up the possibility of modelling thisempirical data in a statistical manner....... Thus, allowing to analyse the spatial distributionsof the parameters characterising the orientation and curvature of these individual fibres,which can also provide insights on the interactions amongst the individual fibres.Finite element models (FEMs) can be built from the extracted geometry...... to simulatethe performance of the scanned fibre structure under realistic conditions. Moreover, as-pects of the fibre architecture that inuence the macroscopic behaviour of the compositecan be quantified. Examples are 2D FEMs to predict the transverse stifiness or the quantification of fibre orientations...

  20. Modelling of polypropylene fibre-matrix composites using finite element analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Polypropylene (PP fibre-matrix composites previously prepared and studied experimentally were modelled using finite element analysis (FEA in this work. FEA confirmed that fibre content and composition controlled stress distribution in all-PP composites. The stress concentration at the fibre-matrix interface became greater with less fibre content. Variations in fibre composition were more significant in higher stress regions of the composites. When fibre modulus increased, the stress concentration at the fibres decreased and the shear stress at the fibre-matrix interface became more intense. The ratio between matrix modulus and fibre modulus was important, as was the interfacial stress in reducing premature interfacial failure and increasing mechanical properties. The model demonstrated that with low fibre concentration, there were insufficient fibres to distribute the applied stress. Under these conditions the matrix yielded when the applied stress reached the matrix yield stress, resulting in increased fibre axial stress. When the fibre content was high, there was matrix depletion and stress transfer was inefficient. The predictions of the FEA model were consistent with experimental and published data.

  1. Pollutant Dispersion in Boundary Layers Exposed to Rural-to-Urban Transitions: Varying the Spanwise Length Scale of the Roughness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomas, J. M.; Eisma, H. E.; Pourquie, M. J. B. M.; Elsinga, G. E.; Jonker, H. J. J.; Westerweel, J.

    2017-05-01

    Both large-eddy simulations (LES) and water-tunnel experiments, using simultaneous stereoscopic particle image velocimetry and laser-induced fluorescence, have been used to investigate pollutant dispersion mechanisms in regions where the surface changes from rural to urban roughness. The urban roughness was characterized by an array of rectangular obstacles in an in-line arrangement. The streamwise length scale of the roughness was kept constant, while the spanwise length scale was varied by varying the obstacle aspect ratio l / h between 1 and 8, where l is the spanwise dimension of the obstacles and h is the height of the obstacles. Additionally, the case of two-dimensional roughness (riblets) was considered in LES. A smooth-wall turbulent boundary layer of depth 10 h was used as the approaching flow, and a line source of passive tracer was placed 2 h upstream of the urban canopy. The experimental and numerical results show good agreement, while minor discrepancies are readily explained. It is found that for l/h=2 the drag induced by the urban canopy is largest of all considered cases, and is caused by a large-scale secondary flow. In addition, due to the roughness transition the vertical advective pollutant flux is the main ventilation mechanism in the first three streets. Furthermore, by means of linear stochastic estimation the mean flow structure is identified that is responsible for street-canyon ventilation for the sixth street and onwards. Moreover, it is shown that the vertical length scale of this structure increases with increasing aspect ratio of the obstacles in the canopy, while the streamwise length scale does not show a similar trend.

  2. Current status of natural fibres

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Anandjiwala, RD

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Fiber Selection Conference, 17-19 May 1999, Greenville, SC, USA. 16. Sankari, H.S. 2000. Comparison of bast fibre yield and mechanical fibre properties of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) cultivars. Industrial Crops and Products (11) 1: 73-84. 17. W...

  3. Hybrid RSOA and fibre raman amplified long reach feeder link for WiMAX-on-fibre

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amaya Fernández, Ferney Orlando; Martinez, Javier; Yu, Xianbin

    2009-01-01

    A distributed fibre Raman amplified long reach optical access feeder link using a reflective semiconductor optical amplifier in the remote base station is experimentally demonstrated for supporting WiMAXover- fibre transmission. The measured values for the error vector magnitude for quadrature...

  4. Continuous jute fibre reinforced laminated paper composite

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Jute fibre; laminated paper composite; plastic bag pollution. Abstract. Plastic bags create a serious environmental problem. The proposed jute fibre reinforced laminated paper composite and reinforcement-fibre free paper laminate may help to combat the war against this pollutant to certain extent. The paper laminate ...

  5. Multicore fibre photonic lanterns for precision radial velocity Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gris-Sánchez, Itandehui; Haynes, Dionne M.; Ehrlich, Katjana; Haynes, Roger; Birks, Tim A.

    2018-04-01

    Incomplete fibre scrambling and fibre modal noise can degrade high-precision spectroscopic applications (typically high spectral resolution and high signal to noise). For example, it can be the dominating error source for exoplanet finding spectrographs, limiting the maximum measurement precision possible with such facilities. This limitation is exacerbated in the next generation of infra-red based systems, as the number of modes supported by the fibre scales inversely with the wavelength squared and more modes typically equates to better scrambling. Substantial effort has been made by major research groups in this area to improve the fibre link performance by employing non-circular fibres, double scramblers, fibre shakers, and fibre stretchers. We present an original design of a multicore fibre (MCF) terminated with multimode photonic lantern ports. It is designed to act as a relay fibre with the coupling efficiency of a multimode fibre (MMF), modal stability similar to a single-mode fibre and low loss in a wide range of wavelengths (380 nm to 860 nm). It provides phase and amplitude scrambling to achieve a stable near field and far-field output illumination pattern despite input coupling variations, and low modal noise for increased stability for high signal-to-noise applications such as precision radial velocity (PRV) science. Preliminary results are presented for a 511-core MCF and compared with current state of the art octagonal fibre.

  6. Reinforcing of Cement Composites by Estabragh Fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merati, A. A.

    2014-04-01

    The influence of Estabragh fibres has been studied to improve the performance characteristics of the reinforced cement composites. The concrete shrinkage was evaluated by counting the number of cracks and measuring the width of cracks on the surface of concrete specimens. Although, the Estabragh fibres lose their strength in an alkali environment of cement composites, but, the ability of Estabragh fibres to bridge on the micro cracks in the concrete matrix causes to decrease the width of the cracks on the surface of the concrete samples in comparison with the plain concrete. However, considering the mechanical properties of specimens such as bending strength and impact resistance, the specimens with 0.25 % of Estabragh fibre performed better in all respects compared to the physical and mechanical properties of reinforced cement composite of concrete. Consequently, by adding 0.25 % of Estabragh fibres to the cement composite of concrete, a remarkable improvement in physical and mechanical properties of fibre-containing cement composite is achieved.

  7. Dietary fibre: new frontiers for food and health

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kamp, J. W. van der

    2010-01-01

    ... papers of the Dietary fibre analysis workshop and the HEALTHGRAIN Symposium Cereal grain fibre and health , both held in conjunction with DF09. This book is titled Dietary fibre- new frontiers for food and health . With the adoption - after decades of debate - of almost identical definitions of dietary fibre by Codex Alimentarius and the European Un...

  8. Process monitoring of fibre reinforced composites using optical fibre sensors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernando, G.F.; Degamber, B.

    2006-04-15

    The deployment of optical fibre based sensor systems for process monitoring of advanced fibre reinforced organic matrix composites is reviewed. The focus is on thermosetting resins and the various optical and spectroscopy-based techniques that can be used to monitor the processing of these materials. Following brief consideration of the manufacturing methods commonly used in the production of thermoset based composites, a discussion is presented on sensor systems that can be used to facilitate real-time chemical process monitoring. Although the focus is on thermosets, the techniques described can be adapted for chemical monitoring of organic species in general. (author)

  9. Extraction of fibre network architecture by X-ray tomography and prediction of elastic properties using an affine analytical model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsarouchas, D.; Markaki, A.E.

    2011-01-01

    This paper proposes a method for extracting reliable architectural characteristics from complex porous structures using micro-computed tomography (μCT) images. The work focuses on a highly porous material composed of a network of fibres bonded together. The segmentation process, allowing separation of the fibres from the remainder of the image, is the most critical step in constructing an accurate representation of the network architecture. Segmentation methods, based on local and global thresholding, were investigated and evaluated by a quantitative comparison of the architectural parameters they yielded, such as the fibre orientation and segment length (sections between joints) distributions and the number of inter-fibre crossings. To improve segmentation accuracy, a deconvolution algorithm was proposed to restore the original images. The efficacy of the proposed method was verified by comparing μCT network architectural characteristics with those obtained using high resolution CT scans (nanoCT). The results indicate that this approach resolves the architecture of these complex networks and produces results approaching the quality of nanoCT scans. The extracted architectural parameters were used in conjunction with an affine analytical model to predict the axial and transverse stiffnesses of the fibre network. Transverse stiffness predictions were compared with experimentally measured values obtained by vibration testing.

  10. The Characteristics of Fibres within Coppiced and Non-Coppiced Rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. and their Aptness for Wood - and Paper - Based Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frederick ANTHONIO

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus is highly priced for furniture, flooring and cabinetry for its rich hue and durability. Its coppiced wood augments the timber for regular supply and sustainable utilization. Fibre morphology from macerated slivers within its coppiced and non-coppiced stems and their utilization potential were assessed. Derived ratios for the fibres were also calculated. The axial positions (butt, middle, crown affected the fibre dimensions. Fibre length was greater for coppiced trees [i.e., 1663±11, 1488±5, 1511±10µm (for sapwood and 1498±10, 1486±9, 1394±4µm (for heartwood] than the non-coppiced [i.e., 1240±7, 1013±5, 1137±5µm (sapwood and 1094±8, 1002±2, 1041±9µm (heartwood]. In all, those for sapwoods were greater than heartwoods’. Significant differences (P˂0.05 existed between fibre lengths from the coppiced (1394±4-1663±11µm and non-coppiced trees (1002±2-1240±7µm. Fibre diameters for coppiced sapwood and heartwood were 23±1, 20±1, 22±0.8µm and 21.5±0.3, 20.7±0.5, 21.3±2µm and noncoppiced recorded 21±0.6, 20.7±0.3, 20.6±0.1µm and 21±0, 21±0.4, 21±0.8µm respectively. Their respective double wall thicknesses were 8.4±0.2, 7.2±0.2, 9.4±1µm and 8.2±0.2, 9±0.3, 9.1±0.4µm for coppiced wood, and 9.1±1, 7.8±0.1, 8.1±0.3µm and 8.5±0.3, 8±0.4, 8±1 for non-coppiced. Thus, radial stem position also influenced fibre morphology. The fibre indices [i.e., Runkel Ratio, Slenderness Ratio and Flexibility Coefficient for coppiced wood (0.6±0.06-0.85±0.06, 68±4-77±6, 56±4-64±2 respectively and non-coppiced (0.64±0.12-0.8±0, 49±1-58±4, 57±3-62±2 respectively] indicate the timber’s aptness for pulp and paper. Besides, the Wood Industry could exploit the fibre characteristics of coppiced wood also for engineering of fibre-based products and structural applications.

  11. OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Fibreoptic distributed temperature sensor with spectral filtration by directional fibre couplers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuznetsov, A. G.; Babin, Sergei A.; Shelemba, Ivan S.

    2009-11-01

    We demonstrate a Raman-based all-fibre temperature sensor utilising a pulsed erbium fibre laser. The sensor is made of a standard single-mode telecom fibre, SMF-28, and includes a number of directional couplers as band-pass filters. The temperature profile along a 7-km fibreoptic line is measured with an accuracy of 2oC and a spatial resolution of 10 m. In data processing, we take into account the difference in attenuation between the spectral components of the backscatter signal.

  12. Differential modal delay measurements in a graded-index multimode fibre waveguide, using a single-mode fibre pro mode selection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sunak, H.R.D.; Soares, S.M.

    1981-01-01

    Differential model delay (DMD) measurements in graded-index multimode optical fibre waveguides, which are very promising for many types of communication system were carried out. These DMD measurements give a direct indication of the deviation of the refractive index profile, from the optimum value, at a given wavelength. For the first time, by using a single-mode fibre, a few guided modes in the graded-index fibre were selected, in two different ways: launching a few modes at the input end or selecting a few modes at the output end. By doing so important features of propagation in the fibre were revealed, especially the intermodal coupling that may exist. The importance of this determination of intermodal coupling or mode mixing, particularly when many fibres are joined together in a link, and the merits of DMD measurements in general and their importance for the production of high bandwidth graded-index fibres are discussed. (Author) [pt

  13. Evaluation of optical fibres as gamma radiation dosimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohra, Dinesh; Chaudhary, H.S.; Panwar, Lalit; Vaijapurkar, S.G.; Bhatnagar, P.K.; Dasgupta, K.

    2005-01-01

    Semiconductor base gamma and neutron sensors are the fastest and popular dosimeters and are in competition with Thermoluminescence (TL) and Radio photoluminescence (RPL) dosimeters. All over the world armed forces require a dosimeter which records cumulative doses of ionizing radiations from mcGy to 10 Gy and is readable repeatedly without loss of dose information. TL dosimeters do not meet the criteria and RPL dosimeter meet the expectations and are in use by armed forces. Technologists have used laser as an excitation source to stimulate the glass and have achieved success in recording gamma doses of occupational/accidental span (mcGy to 10 Gy). However synthesizing RPL glass batches with exactly same characteristics predoses is a difficult task. Silicon base phosphorous doped step index multimode optical fibre can be made in a significant quantity and large number of dosimeters from it can be achieved with uniform predose. The radiation induced transmission loss gives a measure of gamma dose which is cumulative, readable repeatedly without loss of information. Assorted composition, core dia optical fibres have been synthesized and evaluated for dose linearity, dose rate independence, fading, length optimization. Here in is described some results of recent experiments and sensitivities achieved. (author)

  14. Dietary fibre in foods: a review

    OpenAIRE

    Dhingra, Devinder; Michael, Mona; Rajput, Hradesh; Patil, R. T.

    2011-01-01

    Dietary fibre is that part of plant material in the diet which is resistant to enzymatic digestion which includes cellulose, noncellulosic polysaccharides such as hemicellulose, pectic substances, gums, mucilages and a non-carbohydrate component lignin. The diets rich in fibre such as cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on health since their consumption has been related to decreased incidence of several diseases. Dietary fibre can be used in various functional foods li...

  15. Fibre Bragg Grating Sensor Signal Post-processing Algorithm: Crack Growth Monitoring in Fibre Reinforced Plastic Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pereira, Gilmar Ferreira; Mikkelsen, Lars Pilgaard; McGugan, Malcolm

    2016-01-01

    A novel method to assess a crack growing/damage event in fibre reinforced plastic, using conventional single mode Fibre Bragg Grating sensors embedded in the host material is presented in this article. Three different damage mechanisms that can change the sensor output, longitudinal strain εxx......, transversal stress σyy;zz, and non-uniform strain εxx(xx), were identified. These damage mechanisms were identified during the experimental testing and linked with the sensor output using a digital image correlation technique. A dedicated algorithm to extract information from the reflected spectrum...... that enables crack detection was developed. Double Cantilever Beams specimens made with glass fibre and bonded with structural adhesive, were instrumented with a Fibre Bragg Grating array embedded in the host material, and tested using an experimental fracture procedure. This method was successfully validated...

  16. Fabrication and oxidation resistance of titanium carbide-coated carbon fibres by reacting titanium hydride with carbon fibres in molten salts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Z.J.; Li, X.K.; Yuan, G.M.; Cong, Y.; Li, N.; Jiang, Z.Y.; Hu, Z.J.

    2009-01-01

    Using carbon fibres and titanium hydride as a reactive carbon source and a metal source, respectively, a protective titanium carbide (TiC) coating was formed on carbon fibres in molten salts, composed of LiCl-KCl-KF, at 750-950 o C. The structure and morphology of the TiC coatings were characterised by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The oxidation resistance of the TiC-coated carbon fibres was measured by thermogravimetric analysis. The results reveal that control of the coating thickness is very important for improvement of the oxidation resistance of TiC-coated carbon fibres. The oxidative weight loss initiation temperature for the TiC-coated carbon fibres increases significantly when an appropriate coating thickness is used. However, thicker coatings lead to a decrease of the carbon fibres' weight loss initiation temperature due to the formation of cracks in the coating. The TiC coating thickness on carbon fibres can be controlled by adjusting the reaction temperature and time of the molten salt synthesis.

  17. Fibre inflation and α-attractors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kallosh, Renata; Linde, Andrei [Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States). Stanford Inst. for Theoretical Physics and Dept. of Physics; Leiden Univ. (Netherlands). Lorentz Inst. for Theoretical Physics; Roest, Diederik [Groningen Univ. (Netherlands). Van Swinderen Inst. for Particle Physics and Gravity; Westphal, Alexander [DESY, Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group; Yamada, Yusuke [Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States). Stanford Inst. for Theoretical Physics and Dept. of Physics

    2017-07-15

    Fibre inflation is a specific string theory construction based on the Large Volume Scenario that produces an inflationary plateau. We outline its relation to α-attractor models for inflation, with the cosmological sector originating from certain string theory corrections leading to α=2 and α=1/2. Above a certain field range, the steepening effect of higher-order corrections leads first to the breakdown of single-field slow-roll and after that to the onset of 2-field dynamics: the overall volume of the extra dimensions starts to participate in the effective dynamics. Finally, we propose effective supergravity models of fibre inflation based on an D3 uplift term with a nilpotent superfield. Specific moduli dependent D3 induced geometries lead to cosmological fibre models but have in addition a de Sitter minimum exit. These supergravity models motivated by fibre inflation are relatively simple, stabilize the axions and disentangle the Hubble parameter from supersymmetry breaking.

  18. Fibre inflation and α-attractors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kallosh, Renata; Linde, Andrei; Roest, Diederik; Westphal, Alexander; Yamada, Yusuke

    2018-02-01

    Fibre inflation is a specific string theory construction based on the Large Volume Scenario that produces an inflationary plateau. We outline its relation to α-attractor models for inflation, with the cosmological sector originating from certain string theory corrections leading to α = 2 and α = 1/2. Above a certain field range, the steepening effect of higher-order corrections leads first to the breakdown of single-field slow-roll and after that to the onset of 2-field dynamics: the overall volume of the extra dimensions starts to participate in the effective dynamics. Finally, we propose effective supergravity models of fibre inflation based on an \\overline{D3} uplift term with a nilpotent superfield. Specific moduli dependent \\overline{D3} induced geometries lead to cosmological fibre models but have in addition a de Sitter minimum exit. These supergravity models motivated by fibre inflation are relatively simple, stabilize the axions and disentangle the Hubble parameter from supersymmetry breaking.

  19. Failure phenomena in fibre-reinforced composites. Part 6: a finite element study of stress concentrations in unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composites

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Heuvel, P.W.J.; Goutianos, S.; Young, R.J.; Peijs, A.A.J.M.

    2004-01-01

    A three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) analysis of the stress situation around a fibre break in a unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composite has been performed. Two cases were considered: (i) good fibre/matrix adhesion and (ii) fibre/matrix debonding. In the case of good adhesion,

  20. Analysing the nanoporous structure of aramid fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pauw, Brian Richard; Vigild, Martin Etchells; Mortensen, Kell

    2010-01-01

    After consideration of the applicability of classical methods, a novel analysis method for the characterization of fibre void structures is presented, capable of fitting the entire anisotropic two-dimensional scattering pattern to a model of perfectly aligned, polydisperse ellipsoids. It is tested...... for validity against the computed scattering pattern for a simulated nanostructure, after which it is used to fit the scattering from the void structure of commercially available heat-treated poly(p-phenylene terephtalamide) fibre and its as-spun precursor fibre. The application shows a reasonable fit...... scattering on the scattering pattern. The fit to the scattering pattern of as-spun aramid fibre is improved by the introduction of the large scatterers, while the fit to the scattering pattern obtained from the heat-treated fibre improves when an orientation distribution is taken into account...

  1. Use of the novel contact heat evoked potential stimulator (CHEPS for the assessment of small fibre neuropathy: correlations with skin flare responses and intra-epidermal nerve fibre counts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chizh Boris A

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Contact Heat Evoked Potential Stimulator (CHEPS rapidly stimulates cutaneous small nerve fibres, and resulting evoked potentials can be recorded from the scalp. We have studied patients with symptoms of sensory neuropathy and controls using CHEPS, and validated the findings using other objective measures of small nerve fibres i.e. the histamine-induced skin flare response and intra-epidermal fibres (IEF, and also quantitative sensory testing (QST, a subjective measure. Methods In patients with symptoms of sensory neuropathy (n = 41 and healthy controls (n = 9 we performed clinical examination, QST (monofilament, vibration and thermal perception thresholds, nerve conduction studies, histamine-induced skin flares and CHEPS. Skin punch biopsies were immunostained using standard ABC immunoperoxidase for the nerve marker PGP 9.5 or the heat and capsaicin receptor TRPV1. Immunoreactive IEF were counted per length of tissue section and epidermal thickness recorded. Results Amplitudes of Aδ evoked potentials (μV following face, arm or leg stimulation were reduced in patients (e.g. for the leg: mean ± SEM – controls 11.7 ± 1.95, patients 3.63 ± 0.85, p = 0.0032. Patients showed reduced leg skin flare responses, which correlated with Aδ amplitudes (rs = 0.40, p = 0.010. In patient leg skin biopsies, PGP 9.5- and TRPV1-immunoreactive IEF were reduced and correlated with Aδ amplitudes (PGP 9.5, rs = 0.51, p = 0.0006; TRPV1, rs = 0.48, p = 0.0012. Conclusion CHEPS appears a sensitive measure, with abnormalities observed in some symptomatic patients who did not have significant IEF loss and/or QST abnormalities. Some of the latter patients may have early small fibre dysfunction or ion channelopathy. CHEPS provides a clinically practical, non-invasive and objective measure, and can be a useful additional tool for the assessment of sensory small fibre neuropathy. Although further evaluation is required, the technique shows

  2. In vitro adsorption study of fluoxetine in activated carbons and activated carbon fibres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nabais, J.M. Valente; Mouquinho, A.; Galacho, C.; Carrott, P.J.M.; Ribeiro Carrott, M.M.L. [Centro de Quimica de Evora e Departamento de Quimica da Universidade de Evora, Rua Romao Ramalho no. 59, 7000-671 Evora (Portugal)

    2008-05-15

    We study the in vitro adsorption of fluoxetine hydrochloride by different adsorbents in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid, pH 1.2 and 7.5, respectively. The tested materials were two commercial activated carbons, carbomix and maxsorb MSC30, one activated carbon fibre produced in our laboratory and also three MCM-41 samples, also produced by us. Selected samples were modified by liquid phase oxidation and thermal treatment in order to change the surface chemistry without significant modifications to the porous characteristics. The fluoxetine adsorption follows the Langmuir model. The calculated Q{sub 0} values range from 54 to 1112 mg/g. A different adsorption mechanism was found for the adsorption of fluoxetine in activated carbon fibres and activated carbons. In the first case the most relevant factors are the molecular sieving effect and the dispersive interactions whereas in the activated carbons the mechanism seams to be based on the electrostatic interactions between the fluoxetine molecules and the charged carbon surface. Despite the different behaviours most of the materials tested have potential for treating potential fluoxetine intoxications. (author)

  3. The renaissance and bright future of fibre lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuennermann, A; Schreiber, T; Roeser, F; Liem, A; Hoefer, S; Zellmer, H; Nolte, S; Limpert, J

    2005-01-01

    The first rare-earth-doped fibre lasers were operated in the early 1960s and produced a few milliwatts at a wavelength around 1 μm. For the next several decades, fibre lasers were little more than a low-power laboratory curiosity. Recently, however, fibre lasers have entered the realm of kilowatt powers with diffraction-limited beam quality. In this paper we review the reasons for this power evolution. Beyond this, we will discuss how the next generation of fibres, so-called photonic crystal fibres, enable upward power scaling and therefore open up the avenue to new performance levels of solid-state lasers

  4. Fatigue mechanisms in unidirectional glass-fibre-reinforced polypropylene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gamstedt, E.K.; Berglund, L.A.; Peijs, T.

    1999-01-01

    Polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene modified with maleic anhydride (MA-PP) reinforced by continuous longitudinal glass fibres have been investigated. The most prominent effect of the modification with maleic anhydride in the composite is a stronger fibre/matrix interface. The effects of interfac......Polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene modified with maleic anhydride (MA-PP) reinforced by continuous longitudinal glass fibres have been investigated. The most prominent effect of the modification with maleic anhydride in the composite is a stronger fibre/matrix interface. The effects...... of interfacial strength on fatigue performance and on the underlying micromechanisms have been studied for these composite systems. Tension-tension fatigue tests (R = 0.1) were carried out on 0 degrees glass-fibre/PP and glass-fibre/ MA-PP coupons. The macroscopic fatigue behaviour was characterized in terms...

  5. Mode conversion in magneto photonic crystal fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otmani, Hamza; Bouchemat, Mohamed; Hocini, Abdesselam; Boumaza, Touraya; Benmerkhi, Ahlem

    2017-01-01

    The first concept of an integrated isolator was based on nonreciprocal TE–TM mode conversion, the nonreciprocal coupling between these modes is caused by the Faraday rotation if the magnetization is aligned along the z–axis, parallel to mode propagation. We propose to study this magneto-optical phenomenon, by the simulation of magneto photonic crystal fibre (MPCF), it consists of a periodic triangular lattice of air-holes filled with magnetic fluid which consists of magnetic nanoparticles into a BIG (Bismuth Iron Garnet) fibre. We simulated the influence of gyrotropy and the wavelength, and calculated Faraday rotation and modal birefringence. In this fibre the light is guided by internal total reflection, like classical fibres. However it was shown that they could function on a mode conversion much stronger than conventional fibres. - Highlights: • We propose to study mode conversion TE–TM, by the simulation of magneto photonic crystal fibre (MPCF). • We simulated the influence of gyrotropy. • We simulated the wavelength. • We calculated Faraday rotation. • We calculated modal birefringence.

  6. Mechanical characterisation of hybrid composite laminates based on basalt fibres in combination with flax, hemp and glass fibres manufactured by vacuum infusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrucci, R.; Santulli, C.; Puglia, D.; Sarasini, F.; Torre, L.; Kenny, J.M.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► For the first time, hybrid laminates with three different fibres were produced. ► Concerns are confirmed on the brittleness of hybrid laminates with basalt fibre core. ► An optimal configuration (FHB) for flexural properties was singled out. ► Differences between tensile and flexural properties of hybrids were identified. ► In general, the specific mechanical properties of the hybrids are quite high. - Abstract: This work concerns the production by vacuum infusion and the comparison of the properties of different hybrid composite laminates, based on basalt fibre composites as the inner core, and using also glass, flax and hemp fibre laminates to produce symmetrical configurations, all of them with a 21–23% fibre volume, in an epoxy resin. The laminates have been subjected to tensile, three-point flexural and interlaminar shear strength tests and their fracture surfaces have been characterised by scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical performance of all the hybrid laminates appears superior to pure hemp and flax fibre reinforced laminates and inferior to basalt fibre laminates. Among the hybrids, the best properties are offered by those obtained by adding glass and flax to basalt fibre reinforced laminates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation of hybrid laminates showed the diffuse presence of fibre pull-out in hemp and flax fibre reinforced layers and a general trend of brittle failure

  7. Online interferometric study of viscoelastic rupture and necking deformation of as-spun (iPP) fibres due to creep process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokkar, Taha; El-Farahaty, Kermal; Azzam, Amira

    2015-01-01

    Creep deformation under constant load leads to rupture when the polymer chains can no longer separate and accommodate the load. This fracture phenomenon is investigated interferometrically. The creep behaviour of as-spun isotactic Polypropylene (iPP) fibres is studied at different stresses, different initial lengths and different radii. The creep rate, which defines the velocity of the creep deformation and the dimensional stability of the material, is studied. The failure time and stress of iPP due to creep process is determined. The necking deformation was in situ detected during creep process. The mean refractive indices (n(P) andn⊥) profiles of iPP fibres were determined at different positions along the fibre axis before and after necking. The relation between the creep behaviour and different optical and structural parameters is investigated. Microinterferograms are given for illustration. © 2015 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2015 Royal Microscopical Society.

  8. Glass fibre sensors for medical applications - fibre-optical dosimeter system. Cooperation project 1991-1994. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    The final report summarizes the results of a cooperation project on the applications of fibre-optical sensors in medical technology. The FADOS dosimeter system is presented which comprises an implantable glass fibre dosimeter. It can be applied in radiotherapy for online dose metering directly at the tumour or in the surrounding healthy tissue. The dosimeter is placed in a tissue-compatible flexible catheter tube and remains inside the body during the radiotherapy treatiment. The measuring principle is based on the effect of radiation-induced damping inside a glass fibre. (DG) [de

  9. Human skeletal muscle: transition between fast and slow fibre types.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neunhäuserer, Daniel; Zebedin, Michaela; Obermoser, Magdalena; Moser, Gerhard; Tauber, Mark; Niebauer, Josef; Resch, Herbert; Galler, Stefan

    2011-05-01

    Human skeletal muscles consist of different fibre types: slow fibres (slow twitch or type I) containing the myosin heavy chain isoform (MHC)-I and fast fibres (fast twitch or type II) containing MHC-IIa (type IIA) or MHC-IId (type IID). The following order of decreasing kinetics is known: type IID > type IIA > type I. This order is especially based on the kinetics of stretch activation, which is the most discriminative property among fibre types. In this study we tested if hybrid fibres containing both MHC-IIa and MHC-I (type C fibres) provide a transition in kinetics between fast (type IIA) and slow fibres (type I). Our data of stretch activation kinetics suggest that type C fibres, with different ratios of MHC-IIa and MHC-I, do not provide a continuous transition. Instead, a specialized group of slow fibres, which we called "transition fibres", seems to provide a transition. Apart of their kinetics of stretch activation, which is most close to that of type IIA, the transition fibres are characterized by large cross-sectional areas and low maximal tensions. The molecular cause for the mechanical properties of the transition fibres is unknown. It is possible that the transition fibres contain an unknown slow MHC isoform, which cannot be separated by biochemical methods. Alternatively, or in addition, isoforms of myofibrillar proteins, other than MHC, and posttranslational modifications of myofibrillar proteins could play a role regarding the characteristics of the transition fibres.

  10. THERMOMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF JUTE/BAGASSE HYBRID FIBRE REINFORCED EPOXY THERMOSET COMPOSITES

    OpenAIRE

    Sudhir Kumar Saw; Chandan Datta

    2009-01-01

    Natural fibres are partly replacing currently used synthetic fibres as reinforcement for polymer composites. Jute fibre bundles were high-cellulose-content modified by alkali treatment, while the bagasse fibre bundles were modified by creating quinones in the lignin portions of fibre surfaces and reacting them with furfuryl alcohol (FA) to increase their adhesiveness. The effects of different fibre bundle loading and modification of bagasse fibre surfaces in hybrid fibre reinforced epoxy comp...

  11. Panel Board From Coconut Fibre And Pet Bottle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngadiman, Norhayati; Kaamin, Masiri; Abd. Kadir, Aslila; Sahat, Suhaila; Zaini, Aziza; Raihana Nor Zentan, Siti; Ain Ahmad, Nur; Amran, Wan Haizatul Aisyhah Wan

    2018-03-01

    The rate of global deforestation and its impact on the environment has led particle board manufacture to search for alternative feedstock, especially in countries where wood is less available compared to other cellulosic natural product. Based on the properties of coconut fibre and PET bottle, these two materials can be recycle as raw material for manufacture of panel board. As for this study, the coconut fibre were used as the filler and PET bottle as outer lining of the panel board. Two types of coconut fibre were used which are grinding and un-grinding coconut fibre. At first, the coconut fibre are undergoes softening, grinding, drying and sieving process, while PET bottle was cleaning, shredding, sieving before compacted using hydraulic hot press machine. There are four types of testing that been carried out which are swelling, water absorption, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) and Modulus of Rupture (MOR). The result show the conventional board has the highest value for MOE test, so it's indicate that the conventional board is less strength from the coconut fibre board. As for water absorption test, the average water absorption of coconut fibre based panel board is less than conventional board. Overall, the coconut fibre board is better than conventional panel board because coconut fibre board are less swelling, has low water absorption, high modulus of rupture and low modulus of elasticity. Based on the finding, this coconut fibre panel board has potential as a stronger and long-lasting panel board than the conventional board in the market. Other than that, the panel also have their own aesthetic value since the recycled plastic bottle used as outer lining is colourful and giving aesthetic value.

  12. Effects of Basalt Fibres on Mechanical Properties of Concrete

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    El-Gelani A. M.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the results of an experimental program carried out to investigate the effects of Basalt Fibre Reinforced Polymers (BFRP on some fundamental mechanical properties of concrete. Basalt fibres are formed by heating crushed basalt rocks and funnelling the molten basalt through a spinneret to form basalt filaments. This type of fibres have not been widely used till recently. Two commercially available chopped basalt fibres products with different aspect ratios were investigated, which are dry basalt (GeoTech Fibre and basalt pre-soaked in an epoxy resin (GeoTech Matrix .The experimental work included compression tests on 96 cylinders made of multiple batches of concrete with varying amounts of basalt fibre additives of the two mentioned types, along with control batches containing no fibres. Furthermore, flexural tests on 24 prisms were carries out to measure the modulus of rupture, in addition to 30 prisms for average residual strength test. Results of the research indicated that use of basalt fibres has insignificant effects on compressive strength of plain concrete, where the increase in strength did not exceed about 5%. On the other hand, results suggest that the use of basalt fibres may increase the compressive strength of concrete containing fly as up top 40%. The rupture strength was increased also by 8% to 28% depending on mix and fibre types and contents. Finally, there was no clear correlation between the average residual strength and ratios of basalt fibres mixed with the different concrete batches.

  13. Plant fibre composites - porosity and stiffness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Bo; Thygesen, Anders; Lilholt, Hans

    2009-01-01

    Plant fibre composites contain typically a relatively large amount of porosity which influences their performance. A model, based on a modified rule of mixtures, is presented to include the influence of porosity on the composite stiffness. The model integrates the volumetric composition...... of the composites with their mechanical properties. The fibre weight fraction is used as an independent parameter to calculate the complete volumetric composition. A maximum obtainable stiffness of the composites is calculated at a certain transition fibre weight fraction, which is characterised by a best possible...... combination of high fibre volume fraction and low porosity. The model is validated with experimental data from the literature on several types of composites. A stiffness diagram is presented to demonstrate that the calculations can be used for tailoring and design of composites with a given profile...

  14. Effects of chemical treatments on hemp fibre structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kabir, M.M., E-mail: kabirm@usq.edu.au [Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composite (CEEFC), Faculty of Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350 (Australia); Wang, H. [Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composite (CEEFC), Faculty of Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350 (Australia); Lau, K.T. [Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composite (CEEFC), Faculty of Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350 (Australia); Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong); Cardona, F. [Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composite (CEEFC), Faculty of Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350 (Australia)

    2013-07-01

    In this study, hemp fibres were treated with alkali, acetyl and silane chemicals. Fibre constituents such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin constituents were separated from treated fibres. The chemical and thermal influences of these constituents on the treated fibres were examined by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Experimental results revealed that, hemicellulose was degraded faster than that of cellulose and lignin. Cellulose exhibited better thermal stability and lignin was degraded in a wide range of temperatures. The hydrophilic nature of the fibres was predominantly caused by the presence of hemicellulose and then lignin constituents. Hemicellulose and lignin were mostly removed by the alkalisation with higher concentrations of NaOH, followed by acetylation. Silane treatment could not remove the hemicellulose and lignin, rather this treatment facilitated coupling with the fibre constituents.

  15. Effects of chemical treatments on hemp fibre structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabir, M.M.; Wang, H.; Lau, K.T.; Cardona, F.

    2013-01-01

    In this study, hemp fibres were treated with alkali, acetyl and silane chemicals. Fibre constituents such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin constituents were separated from treated fibres. The chemical and thermal influences of these constituents on the treated fibres were examined by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Experimental results revealed that, hemicellulose was degraded faster than that of cellulose and lignin. Cellulose exhibited better thermal stability and lignin was degraded in a wide range of temperatures. The hydrophilic nature of the fibres was predominantly caused by the presence of hemicellulose and then lignin constituents. Hemicellulose and lignin were mostly removed by the alkalisation with higher concentrations of NaOH, followed by acetylation. Silane treatment could not remove the hemicellulose and lignin, rather this treatment facilitated coupling with the fibre constituents.

  16. Factors That Improve the Impact Responses of Ukam Plant Fibre ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Natural fibres around us have mechanical properties capable of making them compete effectively with synthetic fibres in the development of fibre reinforced composites. Synthetic fibres (such as glass fibres) and resins (such as polyester resin) have long been used in the development of structural components for car bodies, ...

  17. Toughness enhancement of tungsten reinforced with short tungsten fibres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jiang, Y. [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); Zhang, L.H. [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Fang, Q.F., E-mail: qffang@issp.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China); University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Zhang, T.; Wang, X.P.; Hao, T.; Liu, C.S. [Key Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

    2017-04-06

    The feasibility and toughening efficiency of the short tungsten fibre reinforcement on tungsten were investigated in W{sub f}/W composites fabricated by powder metallurgy method of spark plasma sintering. Fibres in the composites presented a Z-free laminar structure. Partial recrystallization of fibre grains occurred but fibre crack or damage was not detected. Fracture energy of W{sub f}/W composites was estimated in tensile tests, and the results indicated great toughness improvement over pure tungsten in virtue of frictional pullout and plastic deformation of fibres, and matrix-fibres interfacial debonding since 873 K. The specimen with mass fraction of 10% and fibre diameter of 100 µm exhibits the largest elongation of 9±1.1% and the highest ultimate strength of 482±13 MPa at 873 K.

  18. The SME gauge sector with minimum length

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belich, H.; Louzada, H. L. C.

    2017-12-01

    We study the gauge sector of the Standard Model Extension (SME) with the Lorentz covariant deformed Heisenberg algebra associated to the minimum length. In order to find and estimate corrections, we clarify whether the violation of Lorentz symmetry and the existence of a minimum length are independent phenomena or are, in some way, related. With this goal, we analyze the dispersion relations of this theory.

  19. The SME gauge sector with minimum length

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belich, H.; Louzada, H.L.C. [Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Departamento de Fisica e Quimica, Vitoria, ES (Brazil)

    2017-12-15

    We study the gauge sector of the Standard Model Extension (SME) with the Lorentz covariant deformed Heisenberg algebra associated to the minimum length. In order to find and estimate corrections, we clarify whether the violation of Lorentz symmetry and the existence of a minimum length are independent phenomena or are, in some way, related. With this goal, we analyze the dispersion relations of this theory. (orig.)

  20. UV resistibility of a nano-ZnO/glass fibre reinforced epoxy composite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, Tsz-ting; Lau, Kin-tak; Tam, Wai-yin; Leng, Jinsong; Etches, Julie A.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A GFRE composite with UV resistibility is introduced. • The bonding behaviour and UV resistibility of the composite were studied upon the addition of nano-ZnO particles. • The solvent effect in the dispersion of nano-ZnO particles was also studied. • The nano-ZnO/GFRE composite shows effective UV absorption with enhanced bonding behaviour. - Abstract: The harmfulness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR) to human health and polymer degradation has been the focus recently in all engineering industries. A polymer-based composite filled with nano-ZnO particles can enhance its UV resistibility. It has been found that the use of appropriate amount of nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol solvent to prepare a UV resistant nano-ZnO/glass fibre reinforced epoxy (ZGFRE) composite can effectively block the UV transmission with negligible influence on the crystal structure of its resin system. This paper aims at investigating the interfacial bonding behaviour and UV resistibility of a ZGFRE composite. The solvent effect in relation to the dispersion properties of ZnO in the composite is also discussed. XRD results indicated that 20 wt% Isopropyl alcohol was an effective solvent for filling nano-ZnO particles into an epoxy. SEM examination also showed that the bonding behaviour between glass fibre and matrix was enhanced after filling 20 wt% nano-ZnO particles with 20 wt% Isopropyl alcohol into the composite. Samples filled with 20 wt% nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol and 40 wt% nano-ZnO/Isopropyl alcohol has full absorption of UVA (315–400 nm), UVB (280–315 nm) and a part of UVC (190–280 nm)

  1. Design of dual-mode optical fibres for the FTTH applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ming-Yang; Li, Yu-Rong; Zhang, Yin; Zhu, Yuan-Feng; Zhang, Yong-Kang; Zhou, Jun

    2011-01-01

    We present in this article a proposal and design for dual-mode optical fibres for fibre-to-the-home applications. High-order modes in the fibre can be effectively suppressed by the connection of the fibre with standard single-mode optical fibres at the two ends of the fibre. The alignment tolerance at the splicing process is presented. In particular, a low bending loss operation with low splice loss is demonstrated using the proposed technique.

  2. Design of dual-mode optical fibres for the FTTH applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Ming-Yang; Li, Yu-Rong; Zhang, Yin; Zhu, Yuan-Feng; Zhang, Yong-Kang; Zhou, Jun

    2011-01-01

    We present in this article a proposal and design for dual-mode optical fibres for fibre-to-the-home applications. High-order modes in the fibre can be effectively suppressed by the connection of the fibre with standard single-mode optical fibres at the two ends of the fibre. The alignment tolerance at the splicing process is presented. In particular, a low bending loss operation with low splice loss is demonstrated using the proposed technique

  3. Life cycle strain monitoring in glass fibre reinforced polymer laminates using embedded fibre Bragg grating sensors from manufacturing to failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Michael Wenani; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup; Høgh, Jacob Herold

    2013-01-01

    A holistic approach to strain monitoring in fibre-reinforced polymer composites is presented using embedded fibre Bragg grating sensors. Internal strains are monitored in unidirectional E-glass/epoxy laminate beams during vacuum infusion, curing, post-curing and subsequent loading in flexure until...... of the different cure temperatures and tool/part interfaces used. Substantial internal process-induced strains develop in the transverse fibre direction, which should be taken into consideration when designing fibre-reinforced polymer laminates. Flexure tests indicate no significant difference in the mechanical...

  4. Soybean Protein Fibres Part 2: Soybean Fibres Properties and Application Areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatma Filiz Yıldırım

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Soybean protein fibres (SPF, which is a protein based botanic fibre, has various beneficialproperties such as softness, brightness, smoothness, drape, UV and bacterial resistance. These fibers areused in production of various yarn blends, woven, knit and nonwoven fabrics to manufature apperal andhome textiles such as t-shirts, bedding, sweater and baby dress due to these superior properties. This review,about SPF, is divided into two sections. In the first part; structure and production stages of SPF and itsenviromental effects had been described. In the second part of this review, properties and application areasof SPF have been described.

  5. Cool application for Optical Fibres

    CERN Multimedia

    2001-01-01

    In a new first for CERN, optical fibres have been put on test to measure very low temperatures. If these tests prove successful, this new technology could lead to important cost-saving changes in the way the temperatures of superconducting magnets are measured. There was excitement in the air last March when the team led by Walter Scandale and Luc Thévenaz tested very low temperature measurement using optical fibres. This spring in CERN's Cryogenics lab an idea was put to the test as a new kind of low-temperature thermometry using optical fibres was tested down to 2 Kelvin (around 300 degrees below room temperature), and the first results are looking good. Optical fibres are well known for their ability to carry large amounts of data around the world, but it is less well known that they can be used for measuring temperatures. The intuition that they might be able to measure very low temperatures - such as those of the LHC magnets - came to the attention of CERN's Walter Scandale at the Optical Fi...

  6. Zeonex Microstructured Polymer Optical Fibre Bragg Grating Sensor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Woyessa, Getinet; Fasano, Andrea; Markos, Christos

    2016-01-01

    We fabricated an endlessly single mode and humidity insensitive Zeonex microstructured polymer optical fibre (mPOF) for fibre Bragg grating (FBG) temperature and strain sensors. We inscribed and characterise FBGs in Zeonex mPOF for the first time.......We fabricated an endlessly single mode and humidity insensitive Zeonex microstructured polymer optical fibre (mPOF) for fibre Bragg grating (FBG) temperature and strain sensors. We inscribed and characterise FBGs in Zeonex mPOF for the first time....

  7. FTIR characterization ans chemo-mechanical distinction of reted kenaf fibres

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emannuel Omenna

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Inadequate information on the binding characteristics of kenaf biomass at the molecular level has adversely affected the modifications of its cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin structure. This study was undertaken to assess the characteristic features and chemo-mechanical properties of kenaf fibres retted under three different media namely: tank, stream and ribbon. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR spectra analysis as well as the ASTM standard for tensile tests were applied. The results showed that the broad bands occurred at the range of 3312- 3420 cm−1 for all the retted fibres were due to the presence of hydroxyl (–OH group while the peaks were obtained at 1635.76, 1635.34, and 1730.69 cm−1 for stream, tank and ribbon retted fibres respectively. However, tank retted fibres had the most broad band intensity at 3419.78cm-1 while ribbon fibres had the highest absorption peak of 1730.69cm-1 corresponding to C=O stretching of the acetyl group in hemi-cellulose. Stream retted Kenaf fibres had the highest tensile strength followed by the tank retted fibres while ribbon fibres had the least. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between stream and tank retted Kenaf fibres in terms of tensile modulus and this was significantly higher than that of ribbon fibre. The α-cellulose content of stream retted fibres was slightly higher than that of ribbon fibres while tank retted fibres had the least. From the results, tank retted Kenaf fibre was ranked as ‘the best fibre’ with the most intensive broad bands and least in lignin and hemi-cellulose content which were regarded as the impurities, gummy and waxy materials, responsible for an easy deformation of the fibre cellular networks.

  8. Panel Board From Coconut Fibre And Pet Bottle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ngadiman Norhayati

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The rate of global deforestation and its impact on the environment has led particle board manufacture to search for alternative feedstock, especially in countries where wood is less available compared to other cellulosic natural product. Based on the properties of coconut fibre and PET bottle, these two materials can be recycle as raw material for manufacture of panel board. As for this study, the coconut fibre were used as the filler and PET bottle as outer lining of the panel board. Two types of coconut fibre were used which are grinding and un-grinding coconut fibre. At first, the coconut fibre are undergoes softening, grinding, drying and sieving process, while PET bottle was cleaning, shredding, sieving before compacted using hydraulic hot press machine. There are four types of testing that been carried out which are swelling, water absorption, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE and Modulus of Rupture (MOR. The result show the conventional board has the highest value for MOE test, so it’s indicate that the conventional board is less strength from the coconut fibre board. As for water absorption test, the average water absorption of coconut fibre based panel board is less than conventional board. Overall, the coconut fibre board is better than conventional panel board because coconut fibre board are less swelling, has low water absorption, high modulus of rupture and low modulus of elasticity. Based on the finding, this coconut fibre panel board has potential as a stronger and long-lasting panel board than the conventional board in the market. Other than that, the panel also have their own aesthetic value since the recycled plastic bottle used as outer lining is colourful and giving aesthetic value.

  9. Multibeam Fibre Laser Cutting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Flemming Ove

    The appearance of the high power high brilliance fibre laser has opened for new possibilities in laser materials processing. In laser cutting this laser has demonstrated high cutting performance compared to the dominating cutting laser, the CO2-laser. However, quality problems in fibre......-laser cutting have until now limited its application in metal cutting. In this paper the first results of proof-of-principle studies applying a new approach (patent pending) for laser cutting with high brightness short wavelength lasers will be presented. In the approach, multi beam patterns are applied...... to control the melt flow out of the cut kerf resulting in improved cut quality in metal cutting. The beam patterns in this study are created by splitting up beams from 2 single mode fibre lasers and combining these beams into a pattern in the cut kerf. The results are obtained with a total of 550 W of single...

  10. Comparison of PIXE and XRF analysis of airborne particulate matter samples collected on Teflon and quartz fibre filters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiari, M.; Yubero, E.; Calzolai, G.; Lucarelli, F.; Crespo, J.; Galindo, N.; Nicolás, J. F.; Giannoni, M.; Nava, S.

    2018-02-01

    Within the framework of research projects focusing on the sampling and analysis of airborne particulate matter, Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) techniques are routinely used in many laboratories throughout the world to determine the elemental concentration of the particulate matter samples. In this work an inter-laboratory comparison of the results obtained from analysing several samples (collected on both Teflon and quartz fibre filters) using both techniques is presented. The samples were analysed by PIXE (in Florence, at the 3 MV Tandetron accelerator of INFN-LABEC laboratory) and by XRF (in Elche, using the ARL Quant'X EDXRF spectrometer with specific conditions optimized for specific groups of elements). The results from the two sets of measurements are in good agreement for all the analysed samples, thus validating the use of the ARL Quant'X EDXRF spectrometer and the selected measurement protocol for the analysis of aerosol samples. Moreover, thanks to the comparison of PIXE and XRF results on Teflon and quartz fibre filters, possible self-absorption effects due to the penetration of the aerosol particles inside the quartz fibre-filters were quantified.

  11. Application of Raman spectroscopy to forensic fibre cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lepot, L; De Wael, K; Gason, F; Gilbert, B

    2008-09-01

    Five forensic fibre cases in which Raman spectroscopy proved to be a good complementary method for microspectrophotometry (MSP) are described. Absorption spectra in the visible range are indeed sometimes characteristic ofa certain dye but this one can be subsequently identified unambiguously by Raman spectroscopy using a spectral library. In other cases the comparison of Raman spectra of reference fibres and suspect fibres led to an improvement of the discrimination power. The Raman measurements have been performed directly on mounted fibres and the spectra showed only little interference from the mounting resin and glass. Raman spectroscopy is therefore a powerful method that can be applied in routine fibre analysis following optical microscopy and MSP measurements.

  12. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON LIGHT TRANSMITTING CONCRETE BY USING OPTICAL FIBRE

    OpenAIRE

    S. Suganya; S. Minu Gopika

    2017-01-01

    Light transmitting concrete is one of the fibre reinforced concrete which is mainly used for aesthetic application by incorporating the optical fibres in concrete. Optical fibres help to transmit the light through the fibres and the end-light type of fibre is used to increase the aesthetic appearance of the concrete which is like a transparent concrete. Fibres are arranged in different layers, to increase the load carrying capacity and also the pattern can be created to make the concrete deco...

  13. Natural Pineapple Leaf Fibre Extraction On Josapine And Morris

    OpenAIRE

    Mazalan Muhammad Firdaus; Yusof Yusri

    2017-01-01

    The pineapple’s leaf plant contains approximately 2.5% to 3.5% of strong white silky fibres. These fibres are useful and can be extracted from the leaves. There are a few ways to extract the fibre such as hand scrapping and by extraction machine. The objective of this research is to study the quality of fibre extraction by using different age of pineapple leaf. Next, the study aims to compare the quality of Josapine and Morris pineapple leaf with tensile test. Fibre yield percentage are calcu...

  14. A tuneable, power efficient and narrow single longitudinal mode fibre ring laser using an inline dual-taper fibre Mach–Zehnder filter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, H; Dernaika, M; Alimadad, M; Ibrahim, M F; Lim, K S; Harun, S W; Kharraz, O M

    2014-01-01

    A tuneable single longitudinal mode fibre ring laser with dual-taper fibre filter is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper. The single longitudinal mode operation, and power limitations for a Mach–Zehnder interferometer filter generated from a single mode fibre, are verified for the first time. Incorporating an in-line taper fibre Mach–Zehnder interferometer filter inside the laser ring cavity causes a spatial mode beating interference, resulting in a passive narrow band filter with the ability to generate stable single longitudinal modes. The single longitudinal mode achieves a side mode suppression ratio of more than 60 dB using low pump power. The tuneability of the fibre laser ranges from 1525 to 1562 nm using a passive band pass filter. A study of the stability and limitation of the single longitudinal mode in the Mach–Zehnder tapered fibre is also presented. (paper)

  15. Cellulose fibres, nanofibrils and microfibrils: The morphological sequence of MFC components from a plant physiology and fibre technology point of view

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chinga-Carrasco Gary

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract During the last decade, major efforts have been made to develop adequate and commercially viable processes for disintegrating cellulose fibres into their structural components. Homogenisation of cellulose fibres has been one of the principal applied procedures. Homogenisation has produced materials which may be inhomogeneous, containing fibres, fibres fragments, fibrillar fines and nanofibrils. The material has been denominated microfibrillated cellulose (MFC. In addition, terms relating to the nano-scale have been given to the MFC material. Several modern and high-tech nano-applications have been envisaged for MFC. However, is MFC a nano-structure? It is concluded that MFC materials may be composed of (1 nanofibrils, (2 fibrillar fines, (3 fibre fragments and (4 fibres. This implies that MFC is not necessarily synonymous with nanofibrils, microfibrils or any other cellulose nano-structure. However, properly produced MFC materials contain nano-structures as a main component, i.e. nanofibrils.

  16. Cellulose fibres, nanofibrils and microfibrils: The morphological sequence of MFC components from a plant physiology and fibre technology point of view.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chinga-Carrasco, Gary

    2011-06-13

    During the last decade, major efforts have been made to develop adequate and commercially viable processes for disintegrating cellulose fibres into their structural components. Homogenisation of cellulose fibres has been one of the principal applied procedures. Homogenisation has produced materials which may be inhomogeneous, containing fibres, fibres fragments, fibrillar fines and nanofibrils. The material has been denominated microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). In addition, terms relating to the nano-scale have been given to the MFC material. Several modern and high-tech nano-applications have been envisaged for MFC. However, is MFC a nano-structure? It is concluded that MFC materials may be composed of (1) nanofibrils, (2) fibrillar fines, (3) fibre fragments and (4) fibres. This implies that MFC is not necessarily synonymous with nanofibrils, microfibrils or any other cellulose nano-structure. However, properly produced MFC materials contain nano-structures as a main component, i.e. nanofibrils.

  17. A study of Acoustics Performance on Natural Fibre Composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nizam Yahya, Musli; Sambu, Mathan; Latif, Hanif Abdul; Junaid, Thuwaibah Mohd

    2017-08-01

    Natural fibres are fibre that can be directly obtained from an animal, mineral, or vegetable sources. Recently natural materials are becoming good alternatives for synthetic material as they provide good health to greener environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the acoustic characteristics of natural fibres; Kenaf fibre, Ijuk fibre, coconut coir and palm Oil frond. During the processing stage, each fibre is reinforced with 60:40 weight ratio of natural rubber (NR) separately. The fibres are then compressed after the natural rubber (NR) treatment into circular samples, of 28 mm and 100 mm diameters respectively. The thickness of each sample is fixed at 50mm. The acoustical performances were evaluated by using an impedance tube instrument. The frequency peak value of Kenaf is obtained in a range of 700 Hz - 800 Hz, while for coconut coir is at 1000 Hz - 1075 Hz frequency range. Palm oil frond gives high frequency at 850 Hz - 1200 Hz. However, Only Ijuk has obtained the highest frequency range of 3200 Hz - 3400 Hz. The results demonstrate that these fibres are a promising light and environment-friendly sound absorption material as they are ready to replace the common synthetic fibre.

  18. Mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites reinforced with Entada Mannii fibre

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oluwayomi BALOGUN

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms of thermoplastic composites reinforced with Entada mannii fibres was investigated. Polypropylene reinforced with 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt% KOH treated and untreated Entada mannii fibres were processed using a compression moulding machine. The tensile properties, impact strength, and flexural properties of the composites were evaluated while the tensile fracture surface morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy. The results show that reinforcing polypropylene with Entada mannii fibres resulted in improvement of the tensile strength and elastic modulus. This improvement is remarkable for 5 wt% KOH treated Entada mannii fibre reinforced composites by 28 % increase as compared with the unreinforced polypropylene. The composites reinforced with Entada mannii fibres also had impact strength values of 70 % higher than the unreinforced polypropylene. However, the polypropylene reinforced with 5 and 7wt% KOH treated fibres exhibited significantly higher flexural strength and Young’s modulus by 53% and 52% increase as compared with the unreinforced polypropylene. The fracture surface of the polypropylene composites reinforced with untreated Entada mannii fibres were characterized by fibre debonding, fibre pull-out and matrix yielding while less voids and fibre pull-outs are observed in the composites reinforced with KOH treated Entada mannii fibres. v

  19. Dispersion-Flattened Composite Highly Nonlinear Fibre Optimised for Broadband Pulsed Four-Wave Mixing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lillieholm, Mads; Galili, Michael; Oxenløwe, Leif Katsuo

    2016-01-01

    We present a segmented composite HNLF optimised for mitigation of dispersion-fluctuation impairments for broadband pulsed four-wave mixing. The HNLF-segmentation allows for pulsed FWMprocessing of a 13-nm wide input WDM-signal with -4.6-dB conversion efficiency...

  20. Simplifying the design of microstructured optical fibre pressure sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osório, Jonas H; Chesini, Giancarlo; Serrão, Valdir A; Franco, Marcos A R; Cordeiro, Cristiano M B

    2017-06-07

    In this paper, we propose a way to simplify the design of microstructured optical fibres with high sensitivity to applied pressure. The use of a capillary fibre with an embedded core allows the exploration of the pressure-induced material birefringence due to the capillary wall displacements and the photoelastic effect. An analytical description of pressure-induced material birefringence is provided, and fibre modal characteristics are explored through numerical simulations. Moreover, a capillary fibre with an embedded core is fabricated and used to probe pressure variations. Even though the embedded-core fibre has a non-optimized structure, measurements showed a pressure sensitivity of (1.04 ± 0.01) nm/bar, which compares well with more complex, specially designed fibre geometries reported in the literature. These results demonstrate that this geometry enables a novel route towards the simplification of microstructured fibre-based pressure sensors.

  1. Self-centring technique for fibre optic microlens mounting using a concave cone-etched fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demagh, Nacer-Eddine; Guessoum, Assia; Zegari, Rabah; Gharbi, Tijani

    2011-01-01

    Several techniques of centring a microlens onto the fibre optic end face are studied. In most of them, microsphere lenses are centred with the aid of high-accuracy micro-positioners. This process is complicated with regard to the difficulty in manipulating microsphere lenses. In this paper, a simple and accurate self-centring method for mounting microsphere lenses using a concave cone etched fibre (Demagh et al 2006 Meas. Sci. Technol. 17 119–22) is described. This technique allows the centring of a wide variety of microlens radii, typically 7 µm to over 24 µm. The proposed process, however, is not affected by any spatial positioning control of microspheres. In over 85% of the attempts, the microsphere lenses were centred on the fibre axis to within 0.12 µm

  2. ETUDE DE L' ARRACHEMENT DES FIBRES METALLIQUES ET CARACTERISATION DE LA LIAISON FIBRE MATRICE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F Z MIMOUNE

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available Cette étude compare trois modes de caractérisation mécanique des propriétés de la liaison fibre matrice dans un composite d’argile ciment fibre d’acier. Des essais ont été effectués avec différents diamètres de fibres afin de mesurer une contrainte d’adhérence. Les différents résultats montrent la nature complexe de la liaison avec chacune des trois méthodes. Une explication du mécanisme et de la divergence des résultats est proposée, qui conduit à préférer l’un des trois tests vis-à-vis de son utilisation pour prévoir les qualités du composite.

  3. Natural Composites: Cellulose Fibres and the related Performance of Composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lilholt, Hans; Madsen, Bo

    2014-01-01

    Biobased materials are becoming of increasing interest as potential structural materials for the future. A useful concept in this context is the fibre reinforcement of materials by stiff and strong fibres. The biobased resources can contribute with cellulose fibres and biopolymers. This offers th...... in stiffness, on the packing ability of cellulose fibres and the related maximum fibre volume fraction in composites, on the moisture sorption of cellulose fibres and the related mass increase and (large) hygral strains induced, and on the mechanical performance of composites....

  4. The Einstein-Hilbert gravitation with minimum length

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louzada, H. L. C.

    2018-05-01

    We study the Einstein-Hilbert gravitation with the deformed Heisenberg algebra leading to the minimum length, with the intention to find and estimate the corrections in this theory, clarifying whether or not it is possible to obtain, by means of the minimum length, a theory, in D=4, which is causal, unitary and provides a massive graviton. Therefore, we will calculate and analyze the dispersion relationships of the considered theory.

  5. Tensile properties of compressed moulded Napier/glass fibre reinforced epoxy composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatinah, T. S.; Majid, M. S. Abdul; Ridzuan, M. J. M.; Hong, T. W.; Amin, N. A. M.; Afendi, M.

    2017-10-01

    This paper describes the experimental investigation of the tensile properties of compressed moulded Napier grass fibres reinforced epoxy composites. The effect of treatment 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentrated solution and hybridization of Napier with CSM E-glass fibres on tensile properties was also studied. The untreated and treated Napier fibres with 25% fibre loading were fabricated with epoxy resin by a cold press process. 7% fibre loading of CSM glass fibre was hybrid as the skin layer for 18% fibre loading of untreated Napier grass fibre. The tensile tests were conducted using Universal Testing Machine in accordance with ASTM D638. The tensile properties of the untreated Napier/epoxy composites were compared with treated Napier/epoxy and untreated Napier/CSM/epoxy composites. The results demonstrated that the tensile performance of untreated Napier fibre composites was significantly improved by both of the modification; alkali treatment and glass fibre hybridization. Napier grass fibres showed promising potentials to be used as reinforcement in the polymer based composites.

  6. The magnetic properties of aligned M hexa-ferrite fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pullar, R.C.; Bhattacharya, A.K.

    2006-01-01

    Aligned and random fibres of strontium hexa ferrite (SrM, SrFe 12 O 19 ) and barium hexaferrite (BaM, BaFe 12 O 19 ) were manufactured by blow spinning from an aqueous inorganic sol-gel precursor, which was then fired to give the hexagonal ferrite fibre. Their magnetic properties were studied by VSM, investigating the evolution of these properties with firing and measurement temperature, and in particular the effects of fibre alignment. It has been predicted that aligned ferrite fibres will demonstrate an enhanced magnetisation along the axis of alignment with respect to perpendicular to the axis, and this has been demonstrated here for the first time. The optimum firing temperature was 1000 deg. C, at which point they still had submicron grains. In BaM random fibres M s =63.8 emu g -1 and H c =428.1 kA m -1 , and in SrM random fibres M s =63.3 emu g -1 and H c =452.8 kA m -1 , high values for polycrystalline materials. Fibres aligned parallel to the applied field had saturation magnetisation (M s ) values equal to those of the random fibres, whilst fibres aligned perpendicular to the field had M s values 62% and 75% lower, for BaM and SrM, respectively. There was no change in coercivity (H c ) between random or aligned fibres of any orientation, and fibres aligned 45 deg. and parallel to H appeared identical. Therefore, properties along the axis of alignment were superior when compared to measurements perpendicular to the axis of alignment, giving a directionality to the magnetisation in an otherwise randomly oriented ferrite material

  7. Optical Fibre NO2 Sensor Based on Lutetium Bisphthalocyanine in a Mesoporous Silica Matrix

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc Debliquy

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we describe a NO2 sensor consisting of a coating based on lutetium bisphthalocyanine (LuPc2 in mesoporous silica. The sensor exploits the absorption spectrum change of this material which strongly and reversibly decreases in contact with NO2. NO2 is measured by following the amplitude change in the reflected spectrum of the coating deposited on the tip of a silica fibre. As diffusion of NO2 in LuPc2 is slow, the response time could be slow. To reduce it, the active molecules are dispersed in a mesoporous silica matrix deposited by a sol-gel process (Evaporation Induced Self Assembly avoiding the formation of large crystals. Doing so, the response is fairly fast. As the recovery is slow at room temperature, the recovery time is reduced by exposure to UV light at 365 nm. This UV light is directly introduced in the fibre yielding a practical sensor sensitive to NO2 in the ppm range suitable for pollution monitoring.

  8. Length-dependent optical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naumov, Anton V.; Tsyboulski, Dmitri A.; Bachilo, Sergei M.; Weisman, R. Bruce

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Length-independent absorption per atom in single-walled carbon nanotubes. ► Reduced fluorescence quantum yield for short nanotubes. ► Exciton quenching at nanotube ends, sidewall defects probably limits quantum yield. - Abstract: Contradictory findings have been reported on the length dependence of optical absorption cross sections and fluorescence quantum yields in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). To clarify these points, studies have been made on bulk SWCNT dispersions subjected to length fractionation by electrophoretic separation or by ultrasonication-induced scission. Fractions ranged from ca. 120 to 760 nm in mean length. Samples prepared by shear-assisted dispersion were subsequently shortened by ultrasonic processing. After accounting for processing-induced changes in the surfactant absorption background, SWCNT absorption was found constant within ±11% as average nanotube length changed by a factor of 3.8. This indicates that the absorption cross-section per carbon atom is not length dependent. By contrast, in length fractions prepared by both methods, the bulk fluorescence efficiency or average quantum yield increased with SWCNT average length and approached an apparent asymptotic limit near 1 μm. This result is interpreted as reflecting the combined contributions of exciton quenching by sidewall defects and by the ends of shorter nanotubes

  9. Crack Growth Monitoring by Embedded Optical Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors: Fibre Reinforced Plastic Crack Growing Detection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pereira, Gilmar Ferreira; Mikkelsen, Lars Pilgaard; McGugan, Malcolm

    2015-01-01

    This article presents a novel method to asses a crack growing/damage event in fibre reinforced plastic, or adhesive using Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors embedded in a host material. Different features of the crack mechanism that induce a change in the FBG response were identified. Double Canti...

  10. Recent advances in poled optical fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pruneri, V.; Margulis, W.; Myrén, N.

    2005-01-01

    A second-order nonlinearity can be induced in optical fibres through poling. We describe accomplishments of the EU project GLAMOROUS in making low-cost high performance electrooptic and nonlinear optical fibre- and waveguide-based components. In particular a comparison with more traditional...

  11. Magnetism and rotation effect on surface waves in fibre-reinforced anisotropic general viscoelastic media of higher order

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abo-Dahab, S. M. [Taif University, Taif (Saudi Arabia); Abd-Alla, A. M. [SVU, Qena (Egypt); Khan, Aftab [Sohag University, Sohag (Egypt)

    2015-08-15

    The aim of this paper is to study the propagation of surface waves in a rotating fibre-reinforced viscoelastic media of higher order under the influence of magnetic field. The general surface wave speeds derived to study the effects of rotation and magnetic field on surface waves. Particular cases for Stoneley, Love and Rayleigh waves are also discussed and dispersion relation for the waves has been deduced. The results obtained in this investigation are more general in the sense that some earlier published results are obtained from our result as special cases. For order zero our results are well agreement to fibre-reinforced materials. Also by neglecting the reinforced elastic parameters, the results reduce to well known isotropic medium. It is observed that in a rotating medium the surface waves are dispersive. Also magnetic effects play a significant roll. It is observed that Love wave remain unaffected in a rotating medium but remain under the influence of magnetic field. Rayleigh waves are affected by rotation and magnetic field whereas Stoneley waves are independent of Maxwell stresses. It is also observed that, surface waves cannot propagate in a fast rotating medium or in the presence of magnetic field of high intensity. Numerical results for particular materials are given and illustrated graphically. The results indicate that the effect of rotation and magnetic field are very pronounced.

  12. Magnetism and rotation effect on surface waves in fibre-reinforced anisotropic general viscoelastic media of higher order

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abo-Dahab, S. M.; Abd-Alla, A. M.; Khan, Aftab

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to study the propagation of surface waves in a rotating fibre-reinforced viscoelastic media of higher order under the influence of magnetic field. The general surface wave speeds derived to study the effects of rotation and magnetic field on surface waves. Particular cases for Stoneley, Love and Rayleigh waves are also discussed and dispersion relation for the waves has been deduced. The results obtained in this investigation are more general in the sense that some earlier published results are obtained from our result as special cases. For order zero our results are well agreement to fibre-reinforced materials. Also by neglecting the reinforced elastic parameters, the results reduce to well known isotropic medium. It is observed that in a rotating medium the surface waves are dispersive. Also magnetic effects play a significant roll. It is observed that Love wave remain unaffected in a rotating medium but remain under the influence of magnetic field. Rayleigh waves are affected by rotation and magnetic field whereas Stoneley waves are independent of Maxwell stresses. It is also observed that, surface waves cannot propagate in a fast rotating medium or in the presence of magnetic field of high intensity. Numerical results for particular materials are given and illustrated graphically. The results indicate that the effect of rotation and magnetic field are very pronounced.

  13. Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sven Poeggel

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas.

  14. Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poeggel, Sven; Tosi, Daniele; Duraibabu, DineshBabu; Leen, Gabriel; McGrath, Deirdre; Lewis, Elfed

    2015-07-15

    This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas.

  15. Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poeggel, Sven; Tosi, Daniele; Duraibabu, DineshBabu; Leen, Gabriel; McGrath, Deirdre; Lewis, Elfed

    2015-01-01

    This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas. PMID:26184228

  16. A Grey Fuzzy Logic Approach for Cotton Fibre Selection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Shankar; Das, Partha Protim; Kumar, Vidyapati

    2017-06-01

    It is a well known fact that the quality of ring spun yarn predominantly depends on various physical properties of cotton fibre. Any variation in these fibre properties may affect the strength and unevenness of the final yarn. Thus, so as to achieve the desired yarn quality and characteristics, it becomes imperative for the spinning industry personnel to identify the most suitable cotton fibre from a set of feasible alternatives in presence of several conflicting properties/attributes. This cotton fibre selection process can be modelled as a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problem. In this paper, a grey fuzzy logic-based approach is proposed for selection of the most apposite cotton fibre from 17 alternatives evaluated based on six important fibre properties. It is observed that the preference order of the top-ranked cotton fibres derived using the grey fuzzy logic approach closely matches with that attained by the past researchers which proves the application potentiality of this method in solving varying MCDM problems in textile industries.

  17. Environmental impact assessment of man-made cellulose fibres

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Shen, L.; Worrell, E.; Patel, M.K.

    2010-01-01

    Man-made cellulose fibres have played an important role in the production of textile products for more than 70 years. The purpose of this study is to assess the environmental impact of man-made cellulose fibres. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for three types of fibres (i.e. Viscose, Modal

  18. Development of tailor-made silica fibres for TL dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bradley, D.A.; Abdul Sani, Siti F.; Alalawi, Amani I.; Jafari, S.M.; Noor, Noramaliza M.; Hairul Azhar, A.R.; Mahdiraji, Ghafour Amouzad; Tamchek, Nizam; Ghosh, S.; Paul, M.C.; Alzimami, Khalid S.; Nisbet, A.; Maah, M.J.

    2014-01-01

    The Ge dopant in commercially available silica optical fibres gives rise to appreciable thermoluminscence (TL), weight-for-weight offering sensitivity to MV X-rays several times that of the LiF dosimeter TLD100. The response of these fibres to UV radiation, X-rays, electrons, protons, neutrons and alpha particles, with doses from a fraction of 1 Gy up to 10 kGy, have stimulated further investigation of the magnitude of the TL signal for intrinsic and doped SiO 2 fibres. We represent a consortium effort between Malaysian partners and the University of Surrey, aimed at production of silica fibres with specific TL dosimetry applications, utilizing modified chemical vapour deposition (MCVD) doped silica–glass production and fibre-pulling facilities. The work is informed by defect and dopant concentration and various production dependences including pulling parameters such as temperature, speed and tension; the fibres also provide for spatial resolutions down to <10 µm, confronting many limitations faced in use of conventional (TL) dosimetry. Early results are shown for high spatial resolution (∼0.1 mm) single-core Ge-doped TL sensors, suited to radiotherapy applications. Preliminary results are also shown for undoped flat optical fibres of mm dimensions and Ge-B doped flat optical fibres of sub-mm dimensions, with potential for measurement of doses in medical diagnostic applications. - Highlights: • Optical fibres tailor-made for TL dosimetry. • Sensitive to diagnostic as well as therapy doses in medicine. • Preform and fibre pulling facilities. • Relative TL and EPR measurements

  19. Fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of flax fibre composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Bo; Asian, Mustafa; Lilholt, Hans

    2016-01-01

    Natural fibre composites possess a number of special microstructural characteristics, which need to be documented to aid in the further development of these materials. Using field emission scanning electron microscopy, fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of aligned f...... novel observations, measurements and interpretations to be used in the further analysis and understanding of the properties of natural fibre composites. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.......Natural fibre composites possess a number of special microstructural characteristics, which need to be documented to aid in the further development of these materials. Using field emission scanning electron microscopy, fractographic observations of the microstructural characteristics of aligned...... flax fibre/thermoplastic composites are presented. The findings are presented in relation to the three operational parts in composites: fibres, matrix and fibre/matrix interface. For the flax fibres, the striated structure on the fibre surface is shown to consist of cellulose macrofibrils oriented...

  20. On the behaviour of gelled fibre suspensions in steady shear

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wolf, Bettina [Unilever Corporate Research, Bedford (United Kingdom); University of Nottingham, Division of Food Sciences, Loughborough (United Kingdom); White, Duncan; Melrose, John R.; Frith, William J. [Unilever Corporate Research, Bedford (United Kingdom)

    2007-03-15

    The shear rheological properties of suspensions of gelled agar fibres in a low viscosity Newtonian matrix fluid were investigated. Two classes of fibres, low aspect ratio fibres and high aspect ratio fibres with an aspect ratio of the order of 10 and 100 respectively were included in the investigations. For all fibre phase volumes investigated, from as low as 0.01 upwards, the flow curves are characterised by an apparent yield stress followed by shear-thinning which was independent of the fibre aspect ratio. Based on our analysis of the flow curves, we conclude that the high aspect ratio fibres behave like flexible threads in contrast to the low aspect ratio fibres whose high shear relative viscosity is successfully described by a relation for long rigid rods. These findings are supported by flow visualisation using an optical shearing stage coupled to a light microscope. (orig.)

  1. Processing with kW fibre lasers: advantages and limits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kratky, A.; Schuöcker, D.; Liedl, G.

    2008-10-01

    Up-to-date fibre lasers produce multi-kw radiation with an excellent beam quality. Compared to CO2-lasers, fibre lasers have relatively low operational costs and offer a very high flexibility in production due to the beam delivery with process fibres. As a consequence, fibre lasers have attracted more and more attention. On the other hand, their use in industrial applications especially in the automotive industry is still limited to a certain extent and fibre lasers haven't replaced all other laser sources till now as it could be expected. In laser cutting, the small kerf width produced by fibre lasers should be advantageous since the heated volume is smaller compared to CO2-lasers. In fact, cutting velocities are usually much higher which is also caused by the higher absorption coefficient of most metals at the wavelength emitted by fibre lasers. Nevertheless, cutting with fibre lasers of some metals - e.g. stainless steels - is restricted to a small thicknesses of approx. 5mm. The reason for this is that the surface roughness of the edges increases dramatically with the thickness of the work piece. Applications of fibre lasers include e.g. remote welding or even remote cutting of a large variety of materials with usually excellent results. Due to the excellent beam quality the aspect ratio of the weld seam in relation to the penetration depth is quite good. In the case of thin sheet metal welding such a small beam waist is beneficial - but with thicker sheet metals it is very often disadvantageous since the preparation of samples is more complicated, costs increase and requirements on clamping devices rise. In this paper, advantages and disadvantages of fibre lasers are discussed briefly. Applications of a 1.5 kW fibre laser are presented and compared to classical laser systems.

  2. Nanoporous ultrahigh specific surface polyacrylonitrile fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Lifeng; Hsieh, Y-L

    2006-01-01

    The concept of phase separation was coupled with electrospinning to generate polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) bicomponent fibres that, upon removal of the phase-separated PEO domains, became nanoporous. Electrospinning of PAN (150 kDa) with 15-50% w/w PEO (10 kDa) at a 8% w/w total concentration in N,N-dimethylformamide produced fibres with decreasing averaged diameters from 390 to 130 nm. Evidence of phase separation between PAN and PEO in the bicomponent fibres was indicated by the characteristic PAN and PEO peaks by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging, and confirmed by the co-existence of PAN cyclization and PEO melting by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the presence of PEO crystalline diffraction by wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS). Removal of PEO by dissolution in water was confirmed by the matched mass loss to PEO fraction and the absence of PEO by FTIR and DSC. The water-treated bicomponent fibres appeared slightly larger in diameter and contained internal pores of nanometre scale. The nanoporous fibres generated from 50/50 PAN/PEO bicomponent precursor contained internal pores of a few nanometres to tens of nanometres in size and had 50% higher pore volume and 2.5-fold higher specific surface

  3. Fatigue damage propagation in unidirectional glass fibre reinforced composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jens Zangenberg; Alzamora Guzman, Vladimir Joel; Østergaard, R.C.

    2012-01-01

    bundles. The underlying mechanisms are examined using digital microscopy, and it is postulated that fatigue damage initiates due to stress concentrations between the backing (transverse) layer and the unidirectional layer, followed by a cyclic fretting and axial fibre debonding. This fretting mechanism......Damage progression in unidirectional glass fibre reinforced composites exposed to tension fatigue is investigated, and a quantitative explanation is given for the observed stiffness loss. The stiffness degradation during fatigue is directly related to fibre breaks in the load-carrying axial fibre...... needs further attention and understanding in order to improve the fatigue life-time of glass fibre reinforced composites....

  4. The mechanism of pleural inflammation by long carbon nanotubes: interaction of long fibres with macrophages stimulates them to amplify pro-inflammatory responses in mesothelial cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murphy Fiona A

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNT are high aspect ratio nanoparticles with diameters in the nanometre range but lengths extending up to hundreds of microns. The structural similarities between CNT and asbestos have raised concern that they may pose a similar inhalation hazard. Recently CNT have been shown to elicit a length-dependent, asbestos-like inflammatory response in the pleural cavity of mice, where long fibres caused inflammation but short fibres did not. However the cellular mechanisms governing this response have yet to be elucidated. This study examined the in vitro effects of a range of CNT for their ability to stimulate the release of the acute phase cytokines; IL-1β, TNFα, IL-6 and the chemokine, IL-8 from both Met5a mesothelial cells and THP-1 macrophages. Results showed that direct exposure to CNT resulted in significant cytokine release from the macrophages but not mesothelial cells. This pro-inflammatory response was length dependent but modest and was shown to be a result of frustrated phagocytosis. Furthermore the indirect actions of the CNT were examined by treating the mesothelial cells with conditioned media from CNT-treated macrophages. This resulted in a dramatic amplification of the cytokine release from the mesothelial cells, a response which could be attenuated by inhibition of phagocytosis during the initial macrophage CNT treatments. We therefore hypothesise that long fibres elicit an inflammatory response in the pleural cavity via frustrated phagocytosis in pleural macrophages. The activated macrophages then stimulate an amplified pro-inflammatory cytokine response from the adjacent pleural mesothelial cells. This mechanism for producing a pro-inflammatory environment in the pleural space exposed to long CNT has implications for the general understanding of fibre-related pleural disease and design of safe nanofibres.

  5. Thermal recycling and re-manufacturing of glass fibre thermosetting composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fraisse, Anthony; Beauson, Justine; Brøndsted, Povl

    2016-01-01

    The impact of using thermally recycled glass fibre in re-manufactured composites was investigated. A unidirectional glass fibre thermosetting composite laminate was manufactured. The matrix in one part of the laminate was burnt off to recover the glass fibres. These recycled glass fibres were used...

  6. Development of Diamond-like Carbon Fibre Wheel

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    魏源迁; 山口勝美; 洞口巌; 竹内雅之

    2004-01-01

    A unique diamond-like carbon (DLC) grinding wheel was developed, in which the DLC fibres were made by rolling Al sheets coated with DLC films and aligned normally to the grinding wheel surface by laminating Al sheets together with DLC fibres. In this paper, the formation process of DLC fibres and the fabrication process of a DLC fibre wheel were investigated. Many grinding experiments were also carried out on a precision NC plane milling machine using a newly developed DLC wheel. Grinding of specimens of silicon wafers, optical glasses, quartz, granites and hardened die steel SKD11 demonstrated the capabilities of nanometer surface finish. A smooth surface with a roughness value of Ra2.5nm (Ry26nm) was achieved.

  7. Self Healing Fibre-reinforced Polymer Composites: an Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bond, Ian P.; Trask, Richard S.; Williams, Hugo R.; Williams, Gareth J.

    Lightweight, high-strength, high-stiffness fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials are leading contenders as component materials to improve the efficiency and sustainability of many forms of transport. For example, their widespread use is critical to the success of advanced engineering applications, such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380. Such materials typically comprise complex architectures of fine fibrous reinforcement e.g. carbon or glass, dispersed within a bulk polymer matrix, e.g. epoxy. This can provide exceptionally strong, stiff, and lightweight materials which are inherently anisotropic, as the fibres are usually arranged at a multitude of predetermined angles within discrete stacked 2D layers. The direction orthogonal to the 2D layers is usually without reinforcement to avoid compromising in-plane performance, which results in a vulnerability to damage in the polymer matrix caused by out-of-plane loading, i.e. impact. Their inability to plastically deform leaves only energy absorption via damage creation. This damage often manifests itself internally within the material as intra-ply matrix cracks and inter-ply delaminations, and can thus be difficult to detect visually. Since relatively minor damage can lead to a significant reduction in strength, stiffness and stability, there has been some reticence by designers for their use in safety critical applications, and the adoption of a `no growth' approach (i.e. damage propagation from a defect constitutes failure) is now the mindset of the composites industry. This has led to excessively heavy components, shackling of innovative design, and a need for frequent inspection during service (Richardson 1996; Abrate 1998).

  8. Comparison of two novel approaches to model fibre reinforced concrete

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Radtke, F.K.F.; Simone, A.; Sluys, L.J.

    2009-01-01

    We present two approaches to model fibre reinforced concrete. In both approaches, discrete fibre distributions and the behaviour of the fibre-matrix interface are explicitly considered. One approach employs the reaction forces from fibre to matrix while the other is based on the partition of unity

  9. Durability of fibre reinforced concrete structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Ernst Jan De Place; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

    1996-01-01

    The planned research will indicate, whether fibre reinforced concrete has better or worse durability than normal concrete. Durability specimens will be measured on cracked as well as uncracked specimens. Also the pore structure in the concrete will be characterized.Keywords: Fibre reinforced...... concrete, durability, pore structure, mechanical load...

  10. Selective filling of Photonic Crystal Fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kristian; Noordegraaf, Danny; Sørensen, Thorkild

    2005-01-01

    A model for calculating the time necessary for filling one or more specific holes in a photonic crystal fibre is made. This model is verified for water, and its enabling potential is illustrated by a polymer application. Selective filling of the core in an air-guide photonic crystal fibre...

  11. History-dependence of muscle slack length following contraction and stretch in the human vastus lateralis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stubbs, Peter W; Walsh, Lee D; D'Souza, Arkiev; Héroux, Martin E; Bolsterlee, Bart; Gandevia, Simon C; Herbert, Robert D

    2018-06-01

    In reduced muscle preparations, the slack length and passive stiffness of muscle fibres have been shown to be influenced by previous muscle contraction or stretch. In human muscles, such behaviours have been inferred from measures of muscle force, joint stiffness and reflex magnitudes and latencies. Using ultrasound imaging, we directly observed that isometric contraction of the vastus lateralis muscle at short lengths reduces the slack lengths of the muscle-tendon unit and muscle fascicles. The effect is apparent 60 s after the contraction. These observations imply that muscle contraction at short lengths causes the formation of bonds which reduce the effective length of structures that generate passive tension in muscles. In reduced muscle preparations, stretch and muscle contraction change the properties of relaxed muscle fibres. In humans, effects of stretch and contraction on properties of relaxed muscles have been inferred from measurements of time taken to develop force, joint stiffness and reflex latencies. The current study used ultrasound imaging to directly observe the effects of stretch and contraction on muscle-tendon slack length and fascicle slack length of the human vastus lateralis muscle in vivo. The muscle was conditioned by (a) strong isometric contractions at long muscle-tendon lengths, (b) strong isometric contractions at short muscle-tendon lengths, (c) weak isometric contractions at long muscle-tendon lengths and (d) slow stretches. One minute after conditioning, ultrasound images were acquired from the relaxed muscle as it was slowly lengthened through its physiological range. The ultrasound image sequences were used to identify muscle-tendon slack angles and fascicle slack lengths. Contraction at short muscle-tendon lengths caused a mean 13.5 degree (95% CI 11.8-15.0 degree) shift in the muscle-tendon slack angle towards shorter muscle-tendon lengths, and a mean 5 mm (95% CI 2-8 mm) reduction in fascicle slack length, compared to the

  12. A Review on Pineapple Leaves Fibre and Its Composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Asim

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Natural fibre based composites are under intensive study due to their ecofriendly nature and peculiar properties. The advantage of natural fibres is their continuous supply, easy and safe handling, and biodegradable nature. Although natural fibres exhibit admirable physical and mechanical properties, it varies with the plant source, species, geography, and so forth. Pineapple leave fibre (PALF is one of the abundantly available wastes materials of Malaysia and has not been studied yet as it is required. A detailed study of chemical, physical, and mechanical properties will bring out logical and reasonable utilization of PALF for various applications. From the socioeconomic prospective, PALF can be a new source of raw material to the industries and can be potential replacement of the expensive and nonrenewable synthetic fibre. However, few studies on PALF have been done describing the interfacial adhesion between fibres and reinforcement compatibility of fibre but a detailed study on PALF properties is not available. In this review, author covered the basic information of PALF and compared the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties with other natural fibres. Furthermore, it summarizes the recent work reported on physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of PALF reinforced polymer composites with its potential applications.

  13. Scanners for the quality contol of scintillating plastic fibres

    CERN Document Server

    Rodigues, Ana Barbara; Garnier, Francois; Giudici, Pierre-Ange; Greim, Roman; Hebler, Philip; Joram, Christian; Kirn, Thomas; Pierschel, Gerhard; Schateikis, Tobias; Stevens, Holger; Bachlechner, Andreas; Deckenhoff, Mirco; Karpinski, Waclaw; Kruse, Florian; Schultz Von Dratzig, Arndt; Schwering, Georg; Swientek, Krzysztof Piotr; Wlochal, Michael

    2015-01-01

    The use of scintillating plastic fibres in the SciFi tracker requires rigorous quality control. The fibre diameter and in particular local variations in form of bumps and necks have an impact on the regularity of the winding pattern and hence the spatial resolution. Defects in the fibre cladding lead to light losses and inter-fibre cross talk. Machines have been developed which allow scanning at high throughput of the fibre diameter and the integrity of the cladding. We describe the design principles and implementations of these machines and illustrate their performance. While these machines allow to identify and quantify performance issues of the prototype fibres, they will also play a major role during the series production of the SciFi tracker. If needed, the capacity of the machines allows scanning of the full production volume.

  14. Dynamic population gratings in rare-earth-doped optical fibres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stepanov, Serguei [Optics Department, CICESE, km.107 carr. Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada, 22860, BC (Mexico)], E-mail: steps@cicese.mx

    2008-11-21

    Dynamic Bragg gratings can be recorded in rare-earth (e.g. Er, Yb) doped optical fibres by two counter-propagating mutually coherent laser waves via local saturation of the fibre optical absorption or gain (in optically pumped fibres). Typical recording cw light power needed for efficient grating formation is of sub-mW-mW scale which results in characteristic recording/erasure times of 10-0.1 ms. This review paper discusses fundamental aspects of the population grating formation, their basic properties, relating wave-mixing processes and also considers different applications of these dynamic gratings in single-frequency fibre lasers, tunable filters, optical fibre sensors and adaptive interferometry.

  15. Dynamic population gratings in rare-earth-doped optical fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stepanov, Serguei

    2008-01-01

    Dynamic Bragg gratings can be recorded in rare-earth (e.g. Er, Yb) doped optical fibres by two counter-propagating mutually coherent laser waves via local saturation of the fibre optical absorption or gain (in optically pumped fibres). Typical recording cw light power needed for efficient grating formation is of sub-mW-mW scale which results in characteristic recording/erasure times of 10-0.1 ms. This review paper discusses fundamental aspects of the population grating formation, their basic properties, relating wave-mixing processes and also considers different applications of these dynamic gratings in single-frequency fibre lasers, tunable filters, optical fibre sensors and adaptive interferometry.

  16. Investigation on effect of fibre hybridization and orientation on ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2017-07-25

    Jul 25, 2017 ... for fibres to assess their efficiency. The first ... alternative to flax spun yarns. Bledzki et al ... Natural fibre composite are renewable, light in weight with ..... absorbs more energy due to hybridization of abaca and neem fibres.

  17. Steel fibre corrosion in cracks:durability of sprayed concrete

    OpenAIRE

    Nordström, Erik

    2000-01-01

    Steel fibre reinforced sprayed concrete is common practice for permanent linings in underground construction. Today there is a demand on "expected technical service life" of 120 years. Thin steel fibres could be expected to discontinue carrying load fast with a decrease of fibre diameter caused by corrosion, especially in cracks. The thesis contains results from inspections on existing sprayed concrete structures and a literature review on corrosion of steel fibres in cracked concrete. To stu...

  18. Advanced materials and techniques for fibre-optic sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Philip J.

    2014-06-01

    Fibre-optic monitoring systems came of age in about 1999 upon the emergence of the world's first significant commercialising company - a spin-out from the UK's collaborative MAST project. By using embedded fibre-optic technology, the MAST project successfully measured transient strain within high-performance composite yacht masts. Since then, applications have extended from smart composites into civil engineering, energy, military, aerospace, medicine and other sectors. Fibre-optic sensors come in various forms, and may be subject to embedment, retrofitting, and remote interrogation. The unique challenges presented by each implementation require careful scrutiny before widespread adoption can take place. Accordingly, various aspects of design and reliability are discussed spanning a range of representative technologies that include resonant microsilicon structures, MEMS, Bragg gratings, advanced forms of spectroscopy, and modern trends in nanotechnology. Keywords: Fibre-optic sensors, fibre Bragg gratings, MEMS, MOEMS, nanotechnology, plasmon.

  19. Insertion of optic fibre for CMS

    CERN Multimedia

    Maximilien Brice

    2003-01-01

    The MicroJET system uses high pressure to carefully put the optical fibres into their protective tubes. These fibres are vital for rapid data transfer, but are also very delicate and, if damanged, may not work at the required efficiency. Similiar methods are used to install cables for the telecommunications industry.

  20. Endovenous laser ablation of the great saphenous vein using a bare fibre versus a tulip fibre: a randomised clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vuylsteke, M E; Thomis, S; Mahieu, P; Mordon, S; Fourneau, I

    2012-12-01

    This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the clinical results of the use of a tulip fibre versus the use of a bare fibre for endovenous laser ablation. In a multicentre prospective randomised trial 174 patients were randomised for the treatment of great saphenous vein reflux. A duplex scan was scheduled 1 month, 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Ecchymosis was measured on the 5th postoperative day. In addition, pain, analgesics requirement, postoperative quality of life (CIVIQ 2) and patient satisfaction rate were noted. Patients treated with a tulip fibre had significantly less postoperative ecchymosis (0.04 vs. 0.21; p tulip fibre for EVLA of the great saphenous vein results, when compared with the use of a bare fibre, in equal occlusion rates at 1 year but causes less postoperative ecchymosis and pain and in a better postoperative quality of life. Copyright © 2012 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Influence of accompanying substances of hemp fibres on their electric resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pejić Biljana

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Hemp fibres belong to the group of natural, cellulose bast fibres. These fibres have exceptional properties such as: antimicrobial effect, absence of allergy effect, extraordinary sorption properties, good electro-physical properties (small static electricity in regard to other cellulose fibres as well as high values of breaking strength (the natural fibre with the highest strength. However, hemp fibres have some defects: heterogeneous chemical composition, large quantity of accompanying substances (lignin pectins, waxes and unsatisfactory fineness and eveness. It is possible to a great extent to eliminate or reduce, the defects of hemp fibres by of appropriate modification treatments. In order to determine the appropriate modification treatment of hemp fibres, the dependences between the chemical composition, fineness and electric resistance of hemp fibres were presented in this paper. In the experimental part of the paper, by the application of a procedure for the determination of the chemical composition, the accompanying supstances of hemp fibres were gradually removed. After each phase some fibrous substrates were separated. After that the fineness and electric resistance were determined. This experiment was conducted in order to define the influence of each component of hemp fibres on the fineness and electric resistance. In this paper, hemp fibres were modified by an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, under different conditions of modification. The influence of modification conditions on the fineness and electric resistance were studied.

  2. Predictive modelling-based design and experiments for synthesis and spinning of bioinspired silk fibres

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gronau, Greta; Jacobsen, Matthew M.; Huang, Wenwen; Rizzo, Daniel J.; Li, David; Staii, Cristian; Pugno, Nicola M.; Wong, Joyce Y.; Kaplan, David L.; Buehler, Markus J.

    2016-01-01

    Scalable computational modelling tools are required to guide the rational design of complex hierarchical materials with predictable functions. Here, we utilize mesoscopic modelling, integrated with genetic block copolymer synthesis and bioinspired spinning process, to demonstrate de novo materials design that incorporates chemistry, processing and material characterization. We find that intermediate hydrophobic/hydrophilic block ratios observed in natural spider silks and longer chain lengths lead to outstanding silk fibre formation. This design by nature is based on the optimal combination of protein solubility, self-assembled aggregate size and polymer network topology. The original homogeneous network structure becomes heterogeneous after spinning, enhancing the anisotropic network connectivity along the shear flow direction. Extending beyond the classical polymer theory, with insights from the percolation network model, we illustrate the direct proportionality between network conductance and fibre Young's modulus. This integrated approach provides a general path towards de novo functional network materials with enhanced mechanical properties and beyond (optical, electrical or thermal) as we have experimentally verified. PMID:26017575

  3. Predictive modelling-based design and experiments for synthesis and spinning of bioinspired silk fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shangchao; Ryu, Seunghwa; Tokareva, Olena; Gronau, Greta; Jacobsen, Matthew M; Huang, Wenwen; Rizzo, Daniel J; Li, David; Staii, Cristian; Pugno, Nicola M; Wong, Joyce Y; Kaplan, David L; Buehler, Markus J

    2015-05-28

    Scalable computational modelling tools are required to guide the rational design of complex hierarchical materials with predictable functions. Here, we utilize mesoscopic modelling, integrated with genetic block copolymer synthesis and bioinspired spinning process, to demonstrate de novo materials design that incorporates chemistry, processing and material characterization. We find that intermediate hydrophobic/hydrophilic block ratios observed in natural spider silks and longer chain lengths lead to outstanding silk fibre formation. This design by nature is based on the optimal combination of protein solubility, self-assembled aggregate size and polymer network topology. The original homogeneous network structure becomes heterogeneous after spinning, enhancing the anisotropic network connectivity along the shear flow direction. Extending beyond the classical polymer theory, with insights from the percolation network model, we illustrate the direct proportionality between network conductance and fibre Young's modulus. This integrated approach provides a general path towards de novo functional network materials with enhanced mechanical properties and beyond (optical, electrical or thermal) as we have experimentally verified.

  4. Ion irradiation effects on tensile properties of carbon fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurumada, A.; Ishihara, M.; Baba, S.; Aihara, J.

    2004-01-01

    Carbon/carbon composite materials have high thermal conductivity and excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures. They have been used as structural materials at high temperatures in fission and experimental fusion reactors. The changes in the microstructures and the mechanical properties due to irradiation damage must be measured for the safety design and the life assessment of the materials. The purpose of this study is to obtain a basic knowledge of the development of new carbon composite materials having high thermal conductivity and excellent resistance to irradiation damage. Five kinds of carbon fibres were selected, including a vapour growth carbon fibre (VGCF; K1100X), a polyacrylonitrile-based fibre (PAN; M55JB by Toray Corp.), two meso-phase pitch-based fibres (YS-15-60S and YS-70-60S by Nippon Graphite Fiber Corp.) and a pitch-based fibre (K13C2U by Mitsubishi Chemical Co.). They were irradiated by high-energy carbon, nickel and argon ions. Irradiation damages in the carbon fibres are expected to be uniform across the cross-section, as the diameters of the carbon fibres are about 20 μm and are sufficiently smaller than the ranges of ions. The cross-sectional areas increased due to ion irradiation, with the exception of the K1100X of VGCF. One of the reasons for the increases is the swelling of carbon basal planes due to lattice defects in the graphite interlayer. The tensile strengths and the Young's moduli decreased due to ion irradiation except for the K1100X of VGCF and the YS-15-60S of meso-phase pitch-based fibres. One of the reasons for the decreases is thought to be that the microstructures of carbon fibres are damaged in the axial direction, as ions were irradiated vertically with respect to the longitudinal direction of carbon fibres. The results of this study indicate that the VGCF and the meso-phase pitch-based carbon fibres could be useful as reinforcement fibres of new carbon composite materials having high thermal conductivity and

  5. Liquid filling of photonic crystal fibres for grating writing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Henrik Rokkjær; Canning, John; Lægsgaard, Jesper

    2007-01-01

    liquid filling of photonic crystal fibres reduces the scattering from air–glass interfaces during Bragg grating writing in many layered photonic crystal fibres. Within experimental uncertainty, the grating index modulation of a grating written in germanium-doped photonic crystal fibre with 10 rings...

  6. SFN-SIQ, SFNSL and skin biopsy of 55 cases with small fibre involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Bo; Li, Yifan; Liu, Lizhi; Chen, Zhaohui; Ling, Li; Yang, Fei; Liu, Jiexiao; Liu, Hong; Huang, Xusheng

    2018-05-01

    Purpose/aim of the study: To date, there are no validated screening scales for small fibre neuropathy. This study investigated the small-fibre neuropathy and the symptom inventory questionnaire as well as the small fibre neuropathy screening list for small fibre neuropathy diagnosis. Fifty-five patients were divided into small fibre neuropathy and mixed fibre damage groups. Relevant scales, nerve conduction studies and skin biopsies were performed. Relationships between the intraepidermal nerve fibre density and different scales as well as the diagnostic and cut-off values (score at which Youden's index is largest) were determined. Compared with healthy Chinese participants, 20 patients were diagnosed with small fibre neuropathy. Intraepidermal nerve fibre density was moderately and highly correlated with the small fibre neuropathy-symptom inventory questionnaire and small fibre neuropathy screening list, respectively. The diagnostic values were moderate and high for the small fibre neuropathy-symptom inventory questionnaire (cut-off value = 5, sensitivity = 80%, specificity = 81.8%) and small fibre neuropathy screening list (cut-off value = 8, sensitivity = 94.1%, specificity = 90.9%), respectively. There were no significant differences in the visual analogue scale between the small fibre neuropathy group, mixed small and large fibre neuropathy group, pure large fibre neuropathy group and the normal group. Small fibre neuropathy-symptom inventory questionnaire and small fibre neuropathy screening list represent potential small fibre neuropathy screening tools. Abbreviations EMG electromyography ENA anti-extractable nuclear antigens ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate IENFD intraepidermal nerve fibre density IGT impaired glucose tolerance NCS nerve conduction studies NDS neuropathy disability score OGTT oral glucose tolerance test PGP protein gene product PN peripheral neuropathy ROC receiver operating characteristic curve ROC-AUC area under the ROC curve SFN small

  7. Behaviour of glued fibre composite sandwich structure in flexure: Experiment and Fibre Model Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manalo, Allan; Aravinthan, Thiru

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Fibre Model Analysis is used to examine the flexural behaviour of sandwich beams. ► Theoretical prediction using FMA is in good agreement with the experiment. ► Using the constituent materials in FMA predicted accurately the beam’s behaviour. ► FMA can be used for analysing sandwich beams with high-strength core in flexure. -- Abstract: The behaviour of glued composite sandwich beams in flexure was investigated with a view of using this material for structural and civil engineering applications. The building block of this glue-laminated beam is a new generation composite sandwich structure made up of glass fibre reinforced polymer skins and a high strength phenolic core material. A simplified Fibre Model Analysis (FMA) usually used to analyse a concrete beam section is adopted to theoretically describe the flexural behaviour of the innovative sandwich beam structure. The analysis included the flexural behaviour of the glued sandwich beams in the flatwise and the edgewise positions. The FMA accounted for the non-linear behaviour of the phenolic core in compression, the cracking of the core in tension and the linear elastic behaviour of the fibre composite skin. The results of the FMA showed a good agreement with the experimental data showing the efficiency and practical applications of the simplified FMA in analysing and designing sandwich structures with high strength core material.

  8. Fibre digestion in the hyra;r

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    dried samples by calorimeter combustion. The fibre con- tent was determined by the method of Van Soest (1964) us- ing a Fibretec 1020 hot extraction apparatus. Two-way analysis of variance was used to test for differences between the two most important fibre digesting gut regions, the sac- culation and caeca. Results.

  9. Strength variability of single flax fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aslan, Mustafa; Chinga-Carrasco, G.; Sørensen, Bent F.

    2011-01-01

    (linear and nonlinear) of the fibres are found to be correlated with the amount of defects. The linear stress–strain curves tend to show a higher tensile strength, a higher Young’s modulus, and a lower strain to failure than the nonlinear curves. Finally, the fibres are found to fracture by a complex...

  10. The tensile properties of single sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) fibre

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachtiar, D.; Sapuan, S. M.; Zainudin, E. S.; Khalina, A.; Dahlan, K. Z. M.

    2010-05-01

    This paper presents a brief description and characterization of the sugar palm fibres, still rare in the scientific community, compared to other natural fibres employed in polymeric composites. Sugar palm fibres are cellulose-based fibres extracted from the Arenga pinnata plant. The characterization consists of tensile test and the morphological examination. The average tensile properties results of fibres such as Young's modulus is equal to 3.69 GPa, tensile strength is equal to 190.29 MPa, and strain at failure is equal to 19.6%.

  11. The tensile properties of single sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) fibre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bachtiar, D; Sapuan, S M; Zainudin, E S; Khalina, A; Dahlan, K Z M

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a brief description and characterization of the sugar palm fibres, still rare in the scientific community, compared to other natural fibres employed in polymeric composites. Sugar palm fibres are cellulose-based fibres extracted from the Arenga pinnata plant. The characterization consists of tensile test and the morphological examination. The average tensile properties results of fibres such as Young's modulus is equal to 3.69 GPa, tensile strength is equal to 190.29 MPa, and strain at failure is equal to 19.6%.

  12. Investigation of digital light processing using fibre-reinforced polymers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hofstätter, Thomas; Pedersen, David Bue; Nielsen, Jakob Skov

    2016-01-01

    Literature research shows multiple applications of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) respectively in fused deposition modelling and gypsum printing influencing the quality of the products in terms of stress and strain resistance as well as flexibility. So far, applications of fibre-reinforced polym......Literature research shows multiple applications of fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP) respectively in fused deposition modelling and gypsum printing influencing the quality of the products in terms of stress and strain resistance as well as flexibility. So far, applications of fibre...... of miniaturized objects with relatively high surface quality compared to other additive manufacturing technologies. This paper aim to move fibre reinforced resin parts one step closer towards mechanically strong production-quality components....

  13. Natural fibre selection for composite eco-design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Corona, Andrea; Madsen, Bo; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky

    2016-01-01

    Natural fibre composites (NFC) are gaining interest in manufacturing because they address some of the environmental problems of traditional composites: use of non-renewable resources, and large impacts related to their production and disposal. Since natural fibres are not yet optimized...... for composite production, it is crucial to identify the most appropriate applications, and determine the optimal fibre/matrix ratio. A methodology is proposed for early-stage decisions support on selection of bio-composite materials. Results help identify the application with the largest reduction...

  14. Advanced materials and techniques for fibre-optic sensing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henderson, Philip J

    2014-01-01

    Fibre-optic monitoring systems came of age in about 1999 upon the emergence of the world's first significant commercialising company – a spin-out from the UK's collaborative MAST project. By using embedded fibre-optic technology, the MAST project successfully measured transient strain within high-performance composite yacht masts. Since then, applications have extended from smart composites into civil engineering, energy, military, aerospace, medicine and other sectors. Fibre-optic sensors come in various forms, and may be subject to embedment, retrofitting, and remote interrogation. The unique challenges presented by each implementation require careful scrutiny before widespread adoption can take place. Accordingly, various aspects of design and reliability are discussed spanning a range of representative technologies that include resonant microsilicon structures, MEMS, Bragg gratings, advanced forms of spectroscopy, and modern trends in nanotechnology. Keywords: Fibre-optic sensors, fibre Bragg gratings, MEMS, MOEMS, nanotechnology, plasmon

  15. Regenerating human muscle fibres express GLUT3 protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaster, M; Beck-Nielsen, H; Schrøder, H D

    2002-01-01

    The presence of the GLUT3 glucose transporter protein in human muscle cells is a matter of debate. The present study was designed to establish whether GLUT3 is expressed in mature human skeletal muscle fibres and, if so, whether its expression changes under different conditions, such as metabolic...... muscle fibres, nor did metabolic stress, training or de- and re-innervation induce GLUT3 expression, while a few GLUT3 expressing fibres were seen in some cases of polymyositis. In contrast, GLUT4 was expressed in all investigated muscle fibres. GLUT3 immunoreactivity was found in perineural...... and endoneural cells, indicating that GLUT3 is important for glucose transport into nerves through the perineurium. Taken together, these data suggest that GLUT3 expression is restricted to regenerating muscle fibres and nerves in adult human muscle. Although the significance of GLUT3 in adult human muscle...

  16. Enhanced sensitivity fibre Bragg grating (FBG) load sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correia, Ricardo; Chehura, Edmon; Li, Jin; James, Stephen W; Tatam, Ralph P

    2010-01-01

    The characterization of a load sensor based on the transverse loading of a subsection of a fibre Bragg grating (FBG) embedded within a cube of epoxy resin is presented. When the epoxy resin cube is loaded transverse to the axis of the fibre, its deformation transduces the load to a strain along the axis of the optical fibre, which changes the period of the embedded section of the FBG. This creates a spectral dropout within the bandwidth of the FBG, with an absolute wavelength that is linearly dependent on the applied load. This technique enhances the sensitivity of the FBG to transverse loading by a factor of 15, to 2.9 × 10 −2 ± 0.01 nm N −1 , when compared to the direct transverse loading of a bare fibre, and also protects the fibre from mechanical damage at the loading point

  17. A microring multimode laser using hollow polymer optical fibre

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Dye-doped optical fibre; fibre laser; microcavity; whispering gallery mode. ... Cylindrical microcavities with diameters 155, 340 and 615 m were fabricated from a dye-doped hollow polymer optical fibre preform. ... International School of Photonics, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi 682 022, India ...

  18. Mechanical behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete using soft - drink can

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilya, J.; Cheow Chea, C.

    2017-11-01

    This research was carried out to study the behaviour of concrete, specifically compressive and flexural strength, by incorporating recycled soft drink aluminium can as fibre reinforcement in the concrete. Another aim of the research is to determine the maximum proportion of fibres to be added in the concrete. By following standard mix design, Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete was made to have a target mean strength of 30 N/mm2 with not more than 30 mm of slump. Having the same workability, OPC concrete with 0%, 1% and 2% of soft drink can aluminium fibre was prepared based on weight of cement. The specimens were tested for compressive strength and flexural strength. Laboratory test results based on short term investigation reveals that the compressive strength and flexural strength of concrete containing fibre are higher than of normal OPC concrete. Among two volume fractions, concrete with 1% of soft drink can fibre have performed better result in compressive strength and flexural strength compared with 2% amount of soft drink can fibre. The optimum proportion of aluminium fibre to be added in the concrete as fibre reinforcement is 1% fibre content by weight of cement which gave all the positive response from all the tests conducted.

  19. Modeling of photonic Crystal Fibres

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjarklev, Anders Overgaard; Broeng, Jes; Barkou, Stig Eigil

    1999-01-01

    Diferent theoretical models for analysis of photonic crystal fibres are reviewed and compaired. The methods span from simple scalar approaches to full-vectorial models using different mode-field decompositions. The specific advantages of the methods are evaluated.......Diferent theoretical models for analysis of photonic crystal fibres are reviewed and compaired. The methods span from simple scalar approaches to full-vectorial models using different mode-field decompositions. The specific advantages of the methods are evaluated....

  20. Manufacturing test of large scale hollow capsule and long length cladding in the large scale oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) martensitic steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narita, Takeshi; Ukai, Shigeharu; Kaito, Takeji; Ohtsuka, Satoshi; Fujiwara, Masayuki

    2004-04-01

    Mass production capability of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) martensitic steel cladding (9Cr) has being evaluated in the Phase II of the Feasibility Studies on Commercialized Fast Reactor Cycle System. The cost for manufacturing mother tube (raw materials powder production, mechanical alloying (MA) by ball mill, canning, hot extrusion, and machining) is a dominant factor in the total cost for manufacturing ODS ferritic steel cladding. In this study, the large-sale 9Cr-ODS martensitic steel mother tube which is made with a large-scale hollow capsule, and long length claddings were manufactured, and the applicability of these processes was evaluated. Following results were obtained in this study. (1) Manufacturing the large scale mother tube in the dimension of 32 mm OD, 21 mm ID, and 2 m length has been successfully carried out using large scale hollow capsule. This mother tube has a high degree of accuracy in size. (2) The chemical composition and the micro structure of the manufactured mother tube are similar to the existing mother tube manufactured by a small scale can. And the remarkable difference between the bottom and top sides in the manufactured mother tube has not been observed. (3) The long length cladding has been successfully manufactured from the large scale mother tube which was made using a large scale hollow capsule. (4) For reducing the manufacturing cost of the ODS steel claddings, manufacturing process of the mother tubes using a large scale hollow capsules is promising. (author)

  1. Investigation of Fibres Migration in Cotton/Polypropylene Blended Yarn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dzmitry RYKLIN

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This study is devoted to theoretical and experimental research of fibres migration in blended yarns. A hypothesis states that due to fibres migration their tension in yarn becomes equal. On the basis of that hypothesis, we identified the factors that affect the migration. The main factors influencing are differences in Young's modulus and density of fibres. Simulating the fibres migration we obtained the formulae for determining the proportion of fibres in the external and inner layers of blended yarn. These formulae were proved by analysis of cross-section of cotton/polypropylene yarn. Results of blended yarn processing in knitting showed that migration of polypropylene fibres in direction to the yarn surface leads to significant increase of yarn breakages due to growth of its friction coefficient. Reduction of the input yarn tension by 10 % – 15 % helped to stabilize the process of knitting. It was found that the usage of theoretical information about fibres migration allows to draw conclusions about the necessity of adjustments to settings of subsequent processing of blended yarns. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.20.3.4610

  2. Dietary fibres in the regulation of appetite and food intake

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Mette; Jensen, Morten Møller Georg

    2011-01-01

    of satiety. Particularly the ability of some dietary fibres to increase viscosity of intestinal contents offers numerous opportunities to affect appetite regulation. This may be linked to increased chyme viscosity, as linseed dietary fibre has water holding capacity and intrinsic viscosity which...... it is essential to have an understanding of individual dietary fibre viscosity characteristics. The goal of this paper is to provide a brief overview on the role of dietary fibres in appetite regulation highlighting the importance of viscosity and also include new findings on the role of linseed dietary fibre...... on appetite regulation....

  3. The H1 lead/scintillating-fibre calorimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Appuhn, R.D.; Arndt, C.; Barrelet, E.

    1996-08-01

    The backward region of the H1 detector has been upgraded in order to provide improved measurement of the scattered electron in deep inelastic scattering events. The centerpiece of the upgrade is a high-resolution lead/scintillating-fibre calorimeter. The main design goals of the calorimeter are: good coverage of the region close to the beam pipe, high angular resolution and energy resolution of better than 2% for 30 GeV electrons. The calorimeter should be capable of providing coarse hadronic energy measurement and precise time information to suppress out-of-time background events at the first trigger level. It must be compact due to space restrictions. These requirements were fulfilled by constructing two separate calorimeter sections. The inner electromagnetic section is made of 0.5 mm scintillating plastic fibres embedded in a lead matrix. Its lead-to-fibre ratio is 2.3:1 by volume. The outer hadronic section consists of 1.0 mm diameter fibres with a lead-to-fibre ratio of 3.4:1. The mechanical construction of the new calorimeter and its assembly in the H1 detector are described. (orig.)

  4. The H1 lead/scintillating-fibre calorimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Appuhn, R.-D.; Arndt, C.; Barrelet, E.

    1997-01-01

    The backward region of the H1 detector has been upgraded in order to provide improved measurement of the scattered electron in deep inelastic scattering events. The centerpiece of the upgrade is a high-resolution lead/scintillating-fibre calorimeter. The main design goals of the calorimeter are: good coverage of the region close to the beam pipe, high angular resolution and energy resolution of better than 2% for 30 GeV electrons. The calorimeter should be capable of providing coarse hadronic energy measurement and precise time information to suppress out-of-time background events at the first trigger level. It must be compact due to space restrictions. These requirements were fulfilled by constructing two separate calorimeter sections. The inner electromagnetic section is made of 0.5 mm scintillating plastic fibres embedded in a lead matrix. Its lead-to-fibre ratio is 2.3:1 by volume. The outer hadronic section consists of 1.0 mm diameter fibres with a lead-to-fibre ratio of 3.4:1. The mechanical construction of the new calorimeter and its assembly in the H1 detector are described. (orig.)

  5. Flat Ge-doped optical fibres for food irradiation dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Noor, N. Mohd; Jusoh, M. A. [Department of Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Razis, A. F. Abdull [Food Safety Research Centre, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Laboratory of UPM-MAKNA Cancer Research, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Alawiah, A. [Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Multimedia University, 75450 Malacca (Malaysia); Bradley, D. A. [Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2015-04-24

    Exposing food to radiation can improve hygiene quality, germination control, retard sprouting, and enhance physical attributes of the food product. To provide for food safety, radiation dosimetry in irradiated food is required. Herein, fabricated germanium doped (Ge-doped) optical fibres have been used. The fibres have been irradiated using a gamma source irradiator, doses in the range 1 kGy to 10 kGy being delivered. Using Ge-doped optical fibres of variable size, type and dopant concentration, study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The thermoluminescence (TL) yield of the fibres were obtained and compared. The fibres exhibit a linear dose response over the investigated range of doses, with mean reproducibility to within 2.69 % to 8.77 %, exceeding the dose range of all commercial dosimeters used in evaluating high doses for the food irradiation industry. TL fading of the Ge-doped flat fibres has been found to be < 13%.

  6. Flat Ge-doped optical fibres for food irradiation dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noor, N. Mohd; Jusoh, M. A.; Razis, A. F. Abdull; Alawiah, A.; Bradley, D. A.

    2015-01-01

    Exposing food to radiation can improve hygiene quality, germination control, retard sprouting, and enhance physical attributes of the food product. To provide for food safety, radiation dosimetry in irradiated food is required. Herein, fabricated germanium doped (Ge-doped) optical fibres have been used. The fibres have been irradiated using a gamma source irradiator, doses in the range 1 kGy to 10 kGy being delivered. Using Ge-doped optical fibres of variable size, type and dopant concentration, study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The thermoluminescence (TL) yield of the fibres were obtained and compared. The fibres exhibit a linear dose response over the investigated range of doses, with mean reproducibility to within 2.69 % to 8.77 %, exceeding the dose range of all commercial dosimeters used in evaluating high doses for the food irradiation industry. TL fading of the Ge-doped flat fibres has been found to be < 13%

  7. Optical fibre angle sensor used in MEMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Golebiowski, J; Milcarz, Sz; Rybak, M

    2014-01-01

    There is a need for displacement and angle measurements in many movable MEMS structures. The use of fibre optical sensors helps to measure micrometre displacements and small rotation angles. Advantages of this type of transducers are their simple design, high precision of processing, low costs and ability of a non-contact measurement. The study shows an analysis of a fibre-optic intensity sensor used for MEMS movable structure rotation angle measurement. An intensity of the light in the photodetector is basically dependent on a distance between a reflecting surface and a head surface of the fibre transmitting arm, and the deflection angle. Experimental tests were made for PMMA 980/1000 plastic fibres, Θ NA =33°. The study shows both analytical and practical results. It proves that calculated and experimental characteristics for the analysed transducers are similar.

  8. Preparation of ultrafine poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) fibres via ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The ultrafine poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (NaPSS) fibres have been prepared for the first time by electrospinning. The spinning solutions (NaPSS aqueous solutions) in varied concentrations were studied for electrospinning into ultrafine fibres. The results indicated that the smooth fibre could be formed when the ...

  9. Study on durability of natural fibre concrete composites using ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    was done using glass and palm tree fibres on high strength concrete. Mechanical strength properties such as compres- ... are comparable with glass fibres. A finite element analysis was also done using ANSYS ... internal friction were determined for three different mix ratios and four different aspect ratios and fibre contents.

  10. Investigation on effect of fibre hybridization and orientation on ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    This paper aimsto find the effect of fibre hybridization and orientation on mechanical behaviour of composite fabricated with neem, abacafibres and epoxy resin. Here, three varieties of composites are fabricated namely, composite 1 which consists of abaca fibreand glass fibre, composite 2, which consists of neem fibre and ...

  11. VARIATION IN THE FIBRE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WOOD OF ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    cani

    The study investigated the fibre characteristics and chemical composition of Vitex doniana towards determining its potentials for pulp and paper. Fibre dimensions are of great importance because of the strong correlation between it and the strength properties of wood and paper. Axial and radial examinations of fibre ...

  12. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Aligned Natural Fibre Composites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rask, Morten

    properties (stiffness-to-density ratio). The perspective of using natural fibres is to have a sustainable, biodegradable, CO2-neutral alternative to glass fibres. However, so far, it has not been possible to take full advantage of the natural fibre properties when using them for composite applications....... Several challenges have to be addressed and solved, many of which pertain to the fact that the fibres are sourced from a natural resource: 1) Inconsistent properties, depending on plant species, growth and harvest conditions, and fibre extraction techniques. 2) Strength values of composites are lower than...... microscopy during tensile tests of small composite specimens. With this technique, 3D images can be obtained with spatial resolution mechanisms have been identified: (i) Interface...

  13. ATLAS ALFA—measuring absolute luminosity with scintillating fibres

    CERN Document Server

    Franz, S

    2009-01-01

    ALFA is a high-precision scintillating fibre tracking detector under construction for the absolute determination of the LHC luminosity at the ATLAS interaction point. This detector, mounted in so-called Roman Pots, will track protons elastically scattered under μrad angles at IP1.In total there are four pairs of vertically arranged detector modules which approach the LHC beam axis to mm distance. Each detector module consists of ten layers of two times 64 scintillating fibres each (U and V planes). The fibres are coupled to 64 channels Multi-Anodes PhotoMultipliers Tubes read out by compact front-end electronics. Each detector module is complemented by so-called overlap detectors: Three layers of two times 30 scintillating fibres which will be used to measure the relative positioning of two vertically arranged main detectors. The total number of channels is about 15000. Conventional plastic scintillator tiles are mounted in front of the fibre detectors and will serve as trigger counter. The extremely restric...

  14. Amplification of Frequency-Modulated Similariton Pulses in Length-Inhomogeneous Active Fibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. O. Zolotovskii

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The possibility of an effective gain of the self-similar frequency-modulated (FM wave packets is studied in the length-inhomogeneous active fibers. The dynamics of parabolic pulses with the constant chirp has been considered. The optimal profile for the change of the group-velocity dispersion corresponding to the optimal similariton pulse amplification has been obtained. It is shown that the use of FM pulses in the active (gain and length-inhomogeneous optical fibers with the normal group-velocity dispersion can provide subpicosecond optical pulse amplification up to the energies higher than 1 nJ.

  15. EFFECTS OF POLYTHENE FIBRES ON SELECTED PROPERTIES ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    eobe

    ABSTRACT. The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of using polythene fibres to increase the strength of sandcrete ... Polythene fibres were got from shredded sachet water bags. .... degradable waste is more of a problem than the bio-.

  16. The determination of bulk (apparent) density of plant fibres by density method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharifah Hanisah Syed Abd Aziz; Raja Jamal Raja hedar; Zahid Abdullah

    2004-01-01

    The absolute density of plant fibres excludes all pores and lumen and therefore is a measure of the solid matter of the fibres. On the other hand the bulk density, which is being discussed here, includes all the solid matter and the pores of the fibres. In this work, the apparent density of the fibre was measured by using the Archimedes principle, which involves the immersion of a known weight of fibre into a solvent of lower density than the fibre. Toluene with a density of about 860 kg/m3 was chosen as a solvent. A tuft of fibre was weighed and recorded as W fa . The fibre was then immersed in toluene, which wetted the fibre, and made to rest on the weighing pan submerged in the solvent and the weight of the immersed fibre was recorded as W fs . The apparent density was then calculated using the equation. All the measurements were taken at room temperature. The fibre samples were not oven dried prior to measurement. (Author)

  17. Laser Cutting of CFRP with a Fibre Guided High Power Nanosecond Laser Source - Influence of the Optical Fibre Diameter on Quality and Efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bluemel, S.; Bastick, S.; Staehr, R.; Jaeschke, P.; Suttmann, O.; Overmeyer, L.

    For the development of a robot based laser cutting process of automotive 3D parts consisting of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP), investigations with a newly developed fibre guided nanosecond pulsed laser with an average power of PL = 1.5 kW were conducted. In order to investigate the best combination of quality and process time 2 different optical fibres were used, with diameters of df = 400 μm and df = 600 μm. The main differences between the two setups are the resulting focal diameter and the maximum available pulse energy up to EP = 80 mJ. In a first instance, a comparable investigation was performed with both fibres for a constant pulse overlap. For each fibre the minimum required line energy was investigated and cuts were performed, distributed over the complete parameter range of the laser source. The influences of the fibre diameter on the quality and efficiency of the cutting process are summarized and discussed.

  18. Carbon fibre material for tomorrow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kartini Noorsal; Mohd Ariff Baharom

    2010-01-01

    As science and technology continue to cross boundaries of known practices, materials and manufacturing techniques and into the frontiers of new materials, environment and applications, the opportunities for research in materials in general will inevitably increase. The unique properties of carbon fibre which combines low weight and high stiffness, makes it in ever greater demand as substitutes for traditional materials. This is due to the rising costs of raw materials and energy and the necessity to reduce carbon dioxide emission. The carbon fibres produced are particularly of high standard in terms of quality and processing characteristics especially when it is designed in structural components in the aerospace and defence industries. This results in a well structured organisation in producing the fibre starting from its raw material to the final composite products. In achieving this effort, research and communication of the progress takes a fundamental role. (author)

  19. LHCb Upgrade: Scintillating Fibre Tracker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tobin, Mark

    2016-01-01

    The LHCb detector will be upgraded during the Long Shutdown 2 (LS2) of the LHC in order to cope with higher instantaneous luminosities and to read out the data at 40 MHz using a trigger-less read-out system. All front-end electronics will be replaced and several sub-detectors must be redesigned to cope with higher occupancy. The current tracking detectors downstream of the LHCb dipole magnet will be replaced by the Scintillating Fibre (SciFi) Tracker. The SciFi Tracker will use scintillating fibres read out by Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). State-of-the-art multi-channel SiPM arrays are being developed to read out the fibres and a custom ASIC will be used to digitise the signals from the SiPMs. The evolution of the design since the Technical Design Report in 2014 and the latest R & D results are presented.

  20. Atomic force microscopy characterization of the surface wettability of natural fibres

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pietak, Alexis; Korte, Sandra; Tan, Emelyn; Downard, Alison; Staiger, Mark P.

    2007-01-01

    Natural fibres represent a readily available source of ecologically friendly and inexpensive reinforcement in composites with degradable thermoplastics, however chemical treatments of fibres are required to prepare feasible composites. It is desirable to characterize the surface wettability of fibres after chemical treatment as the polarity of cellulose-based fibres influences compatibility with a polymer matrix. Assessment of the surface wettability of natural fibres using conventional methods presents a challenge as the surfaces are morphologically and chemically heterogeneous, rough, and can be strongly wicking. In this work it is shown that under atmospheric conditions the adhesion force between an atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip and the fibre surface can estimate the water contact angle and surface wettability of the fibre. AFM adhesion force measurements are suitable for the more difficult surfaces of natural fibres and in addition allow for correlations between microstructural features and surface wettability characteristics