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Search results for: SURGICAL MESH ELONGATION
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Pose-Configurable Generic Tracking of Elongated Objects
PublicationElongated objects have various shapes and can shift, rotate, change scale, and be rigid or deform by flexing, articulating, and vibrating, with examples as varied as a glass bottle, a robotic arm, a surgical suture, a finger pair, a tram, and a guitar string. This generally makes tracking of poses of elongated objects very challenging. We describe a unified, configurable framework for tracking the pose of elongated objects, which...
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Classification of submandibular salivary stones based on ultrastructural studies
PublicationIntroduction: Sialolithiasis remains a clinical problem with unclear etiopathogenesis, lack of prevention methods, and only surgical treatment. Materials and methods: An ultrastructure examination of submandibular sialoliths obtained from patients with chronic sialolithiasis was conducted using a scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron...
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Analysis of nonlinear eigenvalue problems for guides and resonators in microwave and terahertz technology
PublicationThis dissertation presents developed numerical tools for investigating waveguides and resonators' properties for microwave and terahertz technology. The electromagnetics analysis requires solving complex eigenvalue problems, representing various parameters such as resonant frequency or propagation coefficient. Solving equations with eigenvalue boils down to finding the roots of the determinant of the matrix. At the beginning, one...
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Reliable routing and resource allocation scheme for hybrid RF/FSO networks
PublicationSignificant success of wireless networks in the last decade has changed the paradigms of communication networks design. In particular, the growing interest in wireless mesh networks (WMNs) is observed. WMNs offer an attractive alternative to conventional cable infrastructures, especially in urban areas, where the cost of new installations is almost prohibitive. Unfortunately, the performance of WMNs is often limited by the cluttered...
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Size effect in concrete beams under bending – influence of the boundary layer and the numerical description of cracks
PublicationIn the paper the size effect phenomenon in concrete is analysed. The results of numerical simulations of using FEM on geometrically similar un-notched and notched concrete beams under bending are presented. Concrete beams of four different sizes and five different notch heights under three-point bending test were simulated. In total 18 beams were analysed. Two approaches were used to describe cracks in concrete. First, eXtended...
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Cross-layer integration of network mechanisms for increasing efficiency of multimedia session support in IEEE 802.11s environment
PublicationWith an IEEE 802.11 wireless networks operating in Point-to-Multipoint mode being the most popular WLAN access technology employed today, it can be expected that a Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) based on the technology can provide significant advantages for such network systems. The IEEE 802.11s standard amendment provides the comprehensive set of mechanisms required to implement and deploy a WMN utilizing this widely popular technology....
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Evaluating the influence of radiative heat flux on convective heat transfer from a vertical plate in air using an improved heating plate
PublicationThis article examines the influence of radiative heat flux on the accuracy of the results of free convective heat transfer in air. In order to carry out these tests, based on the experience gained during the operation of a plate heated on one side, compensated by a reverse heat loss flux counter-heater, a unique double-sided heating sandwich plate was designed and built, consisting of three thin epoxy resin plates reinforced with...
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Evaluation of the glycerolysis process and valorisation of recovered polyol in polyurethane synthesis
PublicationIn this study, the glycerolysis of polyurethane (PU) foam and the applicability of obtained glycerolysate (GLY) for cast PUs were investigated. It was found that crude glycerine with purity grade of 84% might be successfully used for the glycerolysis. The optimal conditions were determined as follows: reaction time of 60 min at 220 °C using dibutyltin dilaurate catalyst (0.5%). Moreover, the purification of GLY by means of liquid-liquid...
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Microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of activated tungsten inert gas welded joint between P91 steel and Incoloy 800HT
PublicationThis study examines the welded joint between P91 steel and Incoloy 800HT using the Activated Tungsten Inert Gas (A-TIG) welding process. The focus is on analyzing the microstructure and evaluating the mechanical properties of joints made with different compositions of activating flux. Owing to the reversal of the Marangoni effect in which the conventional direction of molten metal flow in the weld pool is reversed due to the application...
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The influence of feed rate and shear forces on the devulcanization process of ground tire rubber (GTR) conducted in a co-rotating twin screw extruder
PublicationThe search for new ways to recycling of rubber waste has been the aim of many studies conducted by research centers and companiesworldwide. The results of our investigations on the process of continuous thermomechanical devulcanization of ground tire rubber using a twin screw extruder are presented.We used a co-rotating twin screw extruder with a special configuration of plasticizing unit, enabling generation of considerable shear...
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Implication of the disulfide bridge in trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 in its interaction with serine proteinases
PublicationFourteen monocyclic analogues of trypsin inhibitor SFTI-1 isolated from sunflower seeds were synthesized by the solid-phase method. The purpose of this work was to establish the role of a disulfide bridge present in inhibitor's side chains of Cys3 and Cys11 in association with serine proteinases. This cyclic fragment was replaced by the disulfide bridges formed by L-pencillamine (Pen), homo-L-cysteine (Hcy), N-sulfanylethylglycine...
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Synthesis and characterisation of polyurethane elastomers with semi-products obtained from polyurethane recycling
PublicationIn this work polyurethane elastomers were synthesised by using different mixtures of a petrochemical and glycerolysate polyols and 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). Glycerolysate polyol was produced from polyurethane foam decomposition using crude glycerine as a decomposition agent. The structure and thermal properties of obtained semi-product were similar to the polyol used in the synthesis of original foam. Glycerolysate...
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Use of response surface methodology in characterization of properties of recycled high density polyethylene/ground tire rubber compositions
PublicationSearching for newways to utilize rubber and polymerwaste has been the focus of many studies conducted by research centers and companies worldwide. In this study, the influence of extrusion conditions on the properties of thermoplastic compositions containing post-production recycled high density polyethylene (PE-HD) and ground tire rubber (GTR) at 50:50 mass ratiowas examined. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to determine...
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The influence of screw configuration and screw speed of co-rotating twin screw extruder on the properties of products obtained by thermomechanical reclaiming of ground tire rubber
PublicationThe results of our investigations on the process of continuous thermomechanical reclaiming of ground tire rubber (GTR) carried out using a twin screw extruder are presented.We used a co-rotating twin screw extruder with a special configuration of plasticizing unit, enabling generation of considerable shear forces. The influence of screw configuration and screw speed on breaking of chemical crosslink bonds contained in ground tire...
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Stress–strain model of lower corroded steel plates of normal strength for fitness-for-purpose analyses
PublicationThis study investigates the mechanical properties of specimens made of normal strength steel subjected to lower marine immersed corrosion degradation levels (below 25 %). The specimens were corroded in laboratory conditions, and only natural factors were controlled to raise the corrosion rate (reaching the level of 1 mm/year). Three different thicknesses of plates made of normal strength of shipbuilding steel are investigated (between...
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Mechanical and physical assessment of epoxy, mineral, solvent-based, and water-soluble coating materials
PublicationThis paper assesses the behavior of mineral, epoxy (EP), solvent, and water-soluble coatings when exposed to salt and regular water for 28 days. Also, it evaluates the pull-off adhesion strength of the same coating materials applied to concrete slabs saturated with oil and water and dried with two different processes: air-dried for 28 days and air-dried for 14 days plus 14 days in the oven at 70 °C. Properties such as carbonation,...
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Green TPUs from Prepolymer Mixtures Designed by Controlling the Chemical Structure of Flexible Segments
PublicationThis study concerns green thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) obtained by controlling the chemical structure of flexible segments. Two types of bio-based polyether polyols—poly(trimethylene glycol)s—with average molecular weights ca. 1000 and 2700 Da were used (PO3G1000 and PO3G2700, respectively). TPUs were prepared via a two-step method. Hard segments consisted of 4,4?- diphenylmethane diisocyanates and the bio-based 1,4-butanodiol...
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The Taste of Waste: The Edge of Eggshell Over Calcium Carbonate in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber
PublicationRubber technology experiences a new age by the use of biowaste or natural fillers. In this regard, taking properties of reinforcing agents from biowaste fillers remains as the challenging matter. Chicken eggshell (ES) biowaste has recently been introduced to substitute calcium carbonate (CaCO3) duo to its superior properties and low price. In this work, composites based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) reinforced with ES...
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Cyclic Behavior of Masonry Shear Walls Retrofitted with Engineered Cementitious Composite and Pseudoelastic Shape Memory Alloy
PublicationThe behavior of masonry shear walls reinforced with pseudoelastic Ni–Ti shape memory alloy (SMA) strips and engineered cementitious composite (ECC) sheets is the main focus of this paper. The walls were subjected to quasi-static cyclic in-plane loads and evaluated by using Abaqus. Eight cases of strengthening of masonry walls were investigated. Three masonry walls were strengthened with different thicknesses of ECC sheets using...
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Full scale CFD seakeeping simulations for case study ship redesigned from V-shaped bulbous bow to X-bow hull form
PublicationIncreasing propulsion efficiency, safety, comfort and operability are of the great importance, especially for small ships operating on windy sites like the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Seakeeping performance of ships and offshore structures can be analysed by different methods and the one that is becoming increasingly important is CFD RANS. The recent development of simulation techniques together with rising HPC accessibility...
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On some problems in determining tensile parameters of concrete model from size effect tests
PublicationThe paper presents results of numerical simulations of size effect phenomenon in concrete specimens. The behaviour of in-plane geometrically similar notched and unnotched beams under three-point bending is investigated. In total 18 beams are analysed. Concrete beams of four different sizes and five different notch to depth ratios are simulated. Two methods are applied to describe cracks. First, an elasto-plastic constitutive law...
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Optimizing FSO networks resilient to adverse weather conditions by means of enhanced uncertainty sets
PublicationThis work deals with dimensioning of wireless mesh networks (WMN) composed of FSO (free space optics) links. Although FSO links realize broadband transmission at low cost, their drawback is sensitivity to adverse weather conditions causing transmission degradation on multiple links. Hence, designing such FSO networks requires an optimization model to find the cheapest configuration of link capacities that will be able to carry...
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A coupled constitutive model for fracture in plain concrete based on continuum theory with non-local softening and eXtended Finite Element Method
PublicationThe paper presents a constitutive model for concrete which combines a continuous and discontinuous fracture description. In a continuum regime, two different constitutive laws were used. First, a plasticity model with a Rankine failure criterion and an associated fl ow rule was used. Second, a constitutive law based on isotropic damage mechanics was formulated. In order to capture the width of a localized zone and to obtain mesh-independent...
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A random field-based simulational identification of possible levels of material imperfections of adhesive-bonded joints
PublicationRecently, structural adhesives have become significant in the shaping of structural elements, especially in thin-walled structures, where they replace or supplement traditional connection methods. However, adhesive-bonded joints are highly susceptible to internal structural imperfections due to their application technique and the nature of the adhesive. These material inconsistencies impact the strength parameters and the mechanical...
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Comparative Analysis of the Coffee and Cocoa Industry By-Products on the Performance of Polyethylene-Based Composites
PublicationThe application of plant-based by-products from the food industry as minimally processed functional fillers for polymeric composites is an increasingly popular trend among researchers and manufacturers. While minimizing the preprocessing of lignocellulosic fillers leads to an increase in the sustainability of the overall composite and a decrease of the carbon footprint, filler modification is usually indispensable to obtaining...
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Structure, morphology and mechanical behaviour of novel bio-based polyurethane composites with microcrystalline cellulose
PublicationThe aim of this work was to obtain bio-based polyurethane composites using biocomponents such as, bio-glycol, modified natural oil-based polyol, and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). The prepolymer method was used to prepare the bio-based polyurethane matrix. Prepolymer synthesised from 4,4’-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and a polyol mixture containing 75% wt. commercial polyether and 25% wt. hydroxylated soybean oils (H3)...
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Interfacially modified LDPE/GTR composites with non-polar elastomers: From microstructure to macro-behavior
PublicationThis paper provides some new insights into the mechanism of interaction and modifications in thermoplastic composites based on low density polyethylene (LDPE), ground tire rubber (GTR) and non-polar elastomer. The composites were prepared using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder at variable LDPE/GTR ratio and constant elastomer content. Two types of commercial elastomer were applied: styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymers (Kraton®)...
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Influence of artificial thermal ageing on polyester-reinforced and polyvinyl chloride coated AF9032 technical fabric
PublicationThe presented work deals with the thermal ageing evaluation for polyester-reinforced and polyvinyl chloride coated fabrics. The architectural fabric AF9032 was exposed to artificial thermal ageing by subjecting the material samples to temperature levels of 80℃ and 90℃ for up to 12 weeks. The mechanical properties of the aged fabric have been separately described by the identified linear piecewise model (with assumption of the elastic...
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Comparative Analysis of the Cofee and Cocoa Industry By‑Products on the Performance of Polyethylene‑Based Composites
PublicationThe application of plant-based by-products from the food industry as minimally processed functional fillers for polymeric composites is an increasingly popular trend among researchers and manufacturers. While minimizing the preprocessing of lignocellulosic fillers leads to an increase in the sustainability of the overall composite and a decrease of the carbon footprint, filler modification is usually indispensable to obtaining...
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Cross-Linking, Morphology, and Physico-Mechanical Properties of GTR/SBS Blends: Dicumyl Peroxide vs. Sulfur System
PublicationIn this work, ground tire rubber and styrene–butadiene block copolymer (GTR/SBS) blends at the ratio of 50/50 wt%, with the application of four different SBS copolymer grades (linear and radial) and two types of cross-linking agent (a sulfur-based system and dicumyl peroxide), were prepared by melt compounding. The rheological and cross-linking behavior, physico-mechanical parameters (i.e., tensile properties, abrasion resistance,...
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Proximal fibular osteotomy as a treatment for degenerative meniscal extrusion
PublicationMeniscal extrusion treatment is a key focus area for research and clinical study of degenerative knee pathology. The contact forces between the meniscus and the bones cause external displacements of the meniscus that are resisted by the circumferential fibres. The main risk factors for the excessive deformation of the meniscus are meniscal root tears, disruption of the circumferential fibres, knee malalignment and high body mass...
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Anterior subcutaneous transposition and simple decompression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow – the postoperative improvement in DASH score, VAS score and sonographic findings
PublicationIntroduction. Although a lot of studies have described long- term outcomes after surgical treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome, and the usefulness of sonography in diagnosing of this disorder, few studies have evaluated patients self-reporting outcomes or sonographic findings after surgery. Aim. We assessed patients self-reporting instruments and sonographic findings in patients with the cubital tunnel syndrome before and after...
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Debonding of coin-shaped osseointegrated implants: Coupling of experimental and numerical approaches
PublicationWhile cementless implants are now widely used clinically, implant debonding still occur and is difficult to anticipate. Assessing the biomechanical strength of the bone–implant interface can help improving the understanding of osseointegration phenomena and thus preventing surgical failures. A dedicated and standardized implant model was considered. The samples were tested using a mode III cleavage device to assess the mechanical...
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Insights into Stoichiometry Adjustments Governing the Performance of Flexible Foamed Polyurethane/Ground Tire Rubber Composites
PublicationPolyurethanes (PU) are widely applied in the industry due to their tunable performance adjusted by changes in the isocyanate index—stoichiometric balance between isocyanate and hydroxyl groups. This balance is affected by the incorporation of modifiers of fillers into the PU matrix and is especially crucial for PU foams due to the additional role of isocyanates—foaming of the material. Despite the awareness of the issue underlined...
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Thermodynamic interpretation and prediction of CO2 solubility in imidazolium ionic liquids based on regular solution theory
PublicationRegular solution theory (RST) is the most popular model for the interpretation of the interaction between CO2 and ionic liquids. In the present work, the parameters of this model were determined for the CO2 absorption in eleven imidazolium ionic liquids. The y-intercept (A) of the RST model for the investigated imidazolium liquids increases with increasing temperature whereas the slope (B) remains constant. The values of RST parameters...
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Structure-property relationships in peroxide-assisted blends of poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)
PublicationPoly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PCL/PHB) blends in two weight ratios (75/25 and 50/50) were reactively compatibilized in the presence of di-(2-tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)-benzene and dicumyl peroxide as free radical initiators. Rheological, mechanical, thermal properties and morphological features, as well as the chemical structure of PCL/PHB blends were investigated. It was found that regardless of PCL/PHB blend...
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Preparation and characterization of biodegradable and compostable PLA/TPS/ESO compositions
PublicationIn this study, biodegradable and compostable compositions, derived from totally natural feedstock/raw materials, namely polylactide (PLA), potato thermoplastic starch (TPS) and plant glycerin have been made by melt extrusion with epoxydized soybean oil (ESO) as reactive modifier in order to improve PLAs ductility and reduce the products cost without compromising biodegradation. The obtained PLA/mTPS(0,5ESO)[75/25] and PLA/ mTPS(2ESO)[75/25]...
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Effect of kenaf fibre modification on morphology and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane materials
PublicationThe presented study examined the morphology and mechanical properties of biocomposites obtained from kenaf natural fibre and thermoplastic polyurethane. Kenaf was modified using various methods, namely: acetylation, blocked isocyanate, maleic anhydride and permanganate treatment. Those methods and ways of carrying out of surface modifications were not studied before on kenaf/thermoplastic polyurethane composites. Different fibre...
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The estimation of total volatile organic compounds emissions generated from peroxide cured natural rubber/polycaprolactone blends
PublicationNatural rubber (NR)/polycaprolactone (PCL) blends at the ratio of 90/10% wt. (NR/PCL90/10) and 70/30% wt. (NR/PCL70/30), with a constant amount of dicumyl peroxide, were prepared by compounding in an internal mixer. Obtained NR/PCL bio-based blends were cured at three different temperatures (150 °C, 160 °C and 170 °C). The total content of volatile organic compounds (TVOC) as a function of the NR/PCL blends ratio, and their curing...
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The changes of crosslink density of polyurethanes synthesised with using recycled component. Chemical structure and mechanical properties investigations.
PublicationThis paper aims at the utilisation of glycerolysate (Gly) obtained in polyurethane recycling process by means of crude glycerine, which has in its structure hydroxyl end groups that allow for further processing. Polyurethanes (PUs) were synthesised using prepolymer method with the mixture of neat polyol and glycerolysate, in different ratios, with 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). The prepolymer was subsequently extended...
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A facile approach to fabricate load-bearing porous polymer scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
PublicationBiodegradable porous scaffolds with oriented interconnected pores and high mechanical are load-bearing biomaterials for bone tissue engineering. Herein, we report a simple, non-toxic, and cost-effective method to fabricate high-strength porous biodegradable scaffolds, composed of a polymer matrix of polycaprolactone (PCL) and water-soluble poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a sacrificial material by integrating annealing treatment,...
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GTR/Thermoplastics Blends: How Do Interfacial Interactions Govern Processing and Physico-Mechanical Properties?
PublicationIn this work, GTR/thermoplastics blends (in ratio 50/50 and 75/25 wt.%) were prepared by melt-compounding in an internal mixer. During research, trans-polyoctenamer rubber (TOR), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), ethylene-octene copolymer (EOC), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), were used in their thermoplastic phase. Microstructure and processing-performance property interrelationships of the studied materials...
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The Effectiveness of Rubber Bumpers in Reducing the Effects of Earthquake-Induced Pounding between Base-Isolated Buildings
PublicationTh e methods for preventing earthquake-induced structural pounding between two adjacent buildings include ensuring a sufficient separation distance between them or decreasing their relative displacement during seismic excitation. Some equations or even specific values of such gap sizes between two buildings have been introduced so as to avoid collisions. Increasing the stiffness of buildings, using tuned mass dampers, applying...
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Effect of wet Hydrogen Sulfide on Carbon Steels Degradation in Refinery Based on Case Study
PublicationMaterial degradation caused by wet hydrogen sulfide (Wet H2S) is one of the major issues in refineries. Carbon steel is the main construction material used in refineries and is subjected not only to thickness loss but the hydrogen is the major concern. H2S leads to high atomic hydrogen penetration in steel which causes degradation in the form of blistering and/or cracking (HIC/SOHIC) and stress cracking in the area of welds and...
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Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Combined GTAW and SMAW Dissimilar Welded Joints between Inconel 718 and 304L Austenitic Stainless Steel
PublicationA dissimilar welded joint of Inconel 718 and 304L austenitic stainless steel was prepared using a combined procedure with the gas tungsten arc welding and shielded metal arc welding processes by employing the Ni-based fillers: ERNiCr-3 and ENiCrFe-3. The welded joints were investigated for metallographic testing and mechanical properties, and a relationship was established between the microstructure and the resultant mechanical...
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Studies of the separation performance of silanized silica gel for simulated distillation
PublicationWe present the results of investigations of the chromatographic (sorptive) properties of silanized silica gel as a stationary phase for gas chromatography used for simulated distillation. Commercially available silanized sorbent (particle diameter range 63–200 m, average pore size 60 Å) was sieved to obtain the 80–100 mesh fraction (180–150 m). The obtained results revealed that silanized silica gel allows the complete separation...
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New hybrid quadrature schemes for weakly singular kernels applied to isogeometric boundary elements for 3D Stokes flow
PublicationThis work proposes four novel hybrid quadrature schemes for the efficient and accurate evaluation of weakly singular boundary integrals (1/r kernel) on arbitrary smooth surfaces. Such integrals appear in boundary element analysis for several partial differential equations including the Stokes equation for viscous flow and the Helmholtz equation for acoustics. The proposed quadrature schemes apply a Duffy transform-based quadrature...
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Expedited Globalized Antenna Optimization by Principal Components and Variable-Fidelity EM Simulations: Application to Microstrip Antenna Design
PublicationParameter optimization, also referred to as design closure, is imperative in the development of modern antennas. Theoretical considerations along with rough dimension adjustment through supervised parameter sweeping can only yield initial designs that need to be further tuned to boost the antenna performance. The major challenges include handling of multi-dimensional parameter spaces while accounting for several objectives and...
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Processing of point cloud data retrieved from terrestrial laser scanning for structural modeling by Finite Element Method
PublicationFinite Element Method is one most popular contemporary method of strength analysis. The method is an advanced method for solving differential equations, based on discretization, which means that area is divided into finite elements. Each finite element has a solution of the equation approximated by specific functions and performing the actual calculations only for nodes of this division. Finite Element Method is widely used in...
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Uniqueness or uniformity - studies of media architecture
PublicationA development of media architecture is presented in light of to such phenomena as aesthetization, consumerism and digitization. This article deals with media architecture in commercial spaces. Media solutions impact on the architectural skin, making it into visible and dynamic points of the image of a post-modern city. This article presents the specificity of media solutions, depending on the function of commercial activity buildings...