Susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking of NiTi laser weldment in Hanks’ solution

In this study, the susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of laser-welded NiTi wires in Hanks’ solution at 37.5 °C was studied by the slow strain-rate test (SSRT) at open-circuit potential and at different applied anodic potentials. The weldment shows high susceptibility to SCC when the applied potential is near to the pitting potential of the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The pits formed in the HAZ become sites of crack initiation when stress is applied, and cracks propagate in an intergranular mode under the combined effect of corrosion and stress. In contrast, the base-metal is immune to SCC under similar conditions. The increase in susceptibility to SCC in the weldment could be attributed to the poor corrosion resistance in the coarse-grained HAZ.

Effect of post-weld heat-treatment on the oxide film and corrosion behaviour of laser-welded shape memory NiTi wires

Post-weld heat-treatment (PWHT) was applied to NiTi weldments to improve the corrosion behaviour by modifying the microstructure and surface composition. The surface oxide film on the weldments is principally TiO2, together with some Ti, TiO, and Ti2O3. The surface Ti/Ni ratio of the weldments after PWHT is increased. The oxide film formed in Hanks’ solution is thicker on the weldments after PWHT. The pitting resistance of the weldments is increased by PWHT. The galvanic effect in the weldments is very small. The weldment with PWHT at 350 °C shows the best corrosion resistance among other heat-treated weldments in this study.

Nilotinib 300mg BID as frontline treatment of CML:Prospective analysis of the Xpert BCR-ABL Monitor system and significance of 3-month molecular response

Sixty patients with early chronic phase CML (ECPCML) received Nilotinib on a phase II study which included a comparison of the Xpert BCR-ABL Monitor™ PCR system with standardized (IS) BCR-ABL1 real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). 88% patients achieved MMR with 45% achieving MR4.5. At 3 months BCR-ABL1/ABL1 IS >1% and

Fluorescence based fibre optic pH sensor for the pH 10–13 range suitable for corrosion monitoring in concrete structures

The design, development and evaluation of an optical fibre pH sensor for monitoring pH in the alkaline region are discussed in detail in this paper. The design of this specific pH sensor is based on the pH induced change in fluorescence intensity of a coumarin imidazole dye which is covalently attached to a polymer network and then fixed to the distal end of an optical fibre. The sensor provides a response over a pH range of 10.0–13.2 with an acceptable response rate of around 50 min, having shown a very good stability over a period of longer than 20 months thus far. The sensor has also demonstrated little cross-sensitivity to ionic strength (IS) and also excellent photostability through a series of laboratory tests. These features make this type of sensor potentially well suited for in situ long term monitoring of pH in concrete structures, to enhance structural monitoring in the civil engineering sector