Electrical properties of polymer/metal interface in polymer light-emitting devices: electron injection barrier suppression

The electrical characterization of a high efficient multilayer polymer light emitting diode using poly[(2-methoxy-5-hexyloxy)-p-phenylenevinylene] as the emissive layer and an anionic fluorinated surfactant as the electron transport layer was performed. For the sake of comparison, a conventional single layer device was fabricated. The density current vs. voltage measurements revealed that the conventional device has a higher threshold voltage and lower current compared to the surfactant modified device. The effective barrier height for electron injection was suppressed. The influence of the interfaces and bulk contributions to the dc and high frequencies conductivities of the devices was also discussed. (c) 2006 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

A modified Primal-Dual Logarithmic-Barrier Method for solving the Optimal Power Flow problem with discrete and continuous control variables

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Loss minimization by the predictor-corrector modified barrier approach

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Optimal reactive power flow via the modified barrier Lagrangian function approach

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Surface modification of siloxane containing polyurethane polymer by dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Modification of polyethylene terephthalate by atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in view of improving the polymer wetting properties

Surface treatment of polymers by discharge plasmas has increasingly found industrial applications due to its capability of modifying uniformly the surface without changing the material bulk properties. This work deals with surface modification of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure. The treatments were conducted in air, nitrogen or argon plasma. The polymer surface was characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results show that the plasma treatment introduces oxygen-and nitrogen-related polar groups on the polymer surface and promotes the surface roughening. Both plasma-induced surface modifications contribute to the enhancement of the polymer wettability.

Development of amorphous carbon protective coatings on poly(vinyl)chloride

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of WC-17Co and WC-10Co-4Cr thermal spray coatings by HVOF on the fatigue and corrosion strength of AISI 4340 steel

It is known that chromium electroplating is related to the reduction in the fatigue strength of base metal. However, chromium results in protection against wear and corrosion combined with chemical resistance and good lubricity. Environmental requirements are an important point to be considered in the search for possible alternatives to hard chrome plating. Aircraft landing gear manufactures are considering WC thermal spray coating applied by the high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) process an alternative candidate, which shows performance at least comparable to results, obtained for hard chrome plating. The aim of this study is to compare the influence of WC-17Co and WC-10Co-4Cr coatings applied by HVOF process and hard chromium electroplating on the fatigue strength of AISI 4340 steel, with and without shot peening. S-N curves were obtained in axial fatigue test for base material, chromium plated and tungsten carbide coated specimens. Tungsten carbide thermal spray coating results in higher fatigue strength when compared to hard chromium electroplated. Shot peening prior to thermal spraying showed to be an excellent alternative to increase fatigue strength of AISI 4340 steel. Experimental data showed higher axial fatigue and corrosion resistance in salt fog exposure for samples WC-10Co-4Cr HVOF coated when compared with WC-17Co. Fracture surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated the existence of a uniform coverage of nearly all substrates. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of electroplated zinc-nickel alloy coatings on the fatigue strength of AISI 4340 high-strength steel

Recovered substrates have been extensively used in the aerospace field. Cadmium electroplating has been widely applied to promote protective coatings in aeronautical components, resulting in excellent corrosion protection combined with a good performance in cyclic loading. Ecological considerations allied to the increasing demands for corrosion resistance have resulted in the search for possible alternatives. Zinc-nickel (Zn-Ni) alloys have received considerable interest recently, because these coatings show advantages such as a good resistance to white and red rust, high plating rates, and acceptance in the market. In this study, the effect of electroplated Zn-Ni coatings on AISI 4340 high-strength steel was analyzed for rotating bending fatigue strength, corrosion, and adhesion resistance. The compressive residual stress field was measured by x-ray diffraction prior to fatigue tests. Optical microscopy documented coating thickness, adhesion characteristics, and coverage extent for nearly all substrates. Fractured fatigue specimens were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three different Zn-Ni coating thicknesses were tested, and comparisons with the rotating bending fatigue data from electroplated Cd specimens were performed. Experimental results differentiated the effects of the various coatings on the AISI 4340 steel behaviour when submitted to fatigue testing and the influence of coating thickness on the fatigue strength.

An investigation on sliding wear behavior of PVD coatings

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Surface characteristics analysis of polypropylene treated by dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

Polypropylene (PP) samples were treated by Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) in order to modify their surface characteristics. The XPS analysis reveals that the DBD treatment added oxygen atoms to the PP surface. These polar groups cause increase in the wettability as shown by water contact angle measurements. The formation of low-molecular-weight oxidized materials (LMWOMs) in the form of small nodules on the PP surface was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The presence of oxygen polar groups on the PP surface was also confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). All analysis were performed before and after rinsing the treated samples in water and showed that the LMWOM can be removed from the surface by polar solvents.

Fatigue behavior of PVD coated Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The placenta as a barrier for toxic and essential elements in paired maternal and cord blood samples of South African delivering women

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Scanning electron microscopy evaluation of the hard tissue barrier after pulp capping with calcium hydroxide, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or ProRoot MTA

The aim of this study was to investigate the morphology and localisation of calcium hydroxide- and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA)-induced hard tissue barriers after pulpotomy in dogs' teeth. Pulpotomies were performed on maxillary and mandibular premolars of five dogs. The teeth were assigned into three groups according to the pulp-capping agent used. The pulpal wounds were capped with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2) - control), MTA or ProRoot MTA, and the cavities were restored with amalgam. After a 90-day follow-up period, the dogs were euthanised and the teeth were examined under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An image-processing and analysis software was used to delimit the perimeters of the root canal area and the hard tissue barrier to determine the percentage of root canal obliteration. SEM data were used to assess the morphology, localisation and extension of the reparative hard tissue barriers. ProRoot MTA was statistically different from MTA and Ca(OH)(2) (P < 0.05) regarding tissue barrier morphology. Localisation data showed that ProRoot MTA was significantly different from Ca(OH)(2) (P < 0.05) and similar to MTA (P > 0.01; P > 0.05). No statistically significant difference (P > 0.01; P > 0.05) was observed between MTA and Ca(OH)(2). A larger number of complete (centroperipheral) hard tissue barriers with predominance of dentinal tubules was observed to the ProRoot MTA when compared with the Ca(OH)(2) group.

Theoretical study of omeprazole behavior: Racemization barrier and decomposition reaction

omeprazole is a substituted benzimidazole which suppresses gastric-acid secretion by means of H+, K+-ATPase inhibition. It is an optically active drug with the sulfur of the sulfoxide being the chiral center. This pro-drug can be easily converted into its respective sulfenamide at low pH. In this work, omeprazole has been studied in relation to racemization barrier and decomposition reaction. Quantum chemistry coupled to PCA chemometric method were used to find all minimum energy structures. Conformational analysis and calculation of racemization barriers were carried out by PM3 semiempirical method (Gaussian 98). The average racemization energy barrier for all minimum energy structures (43.56 kcal mol(-1)) can be related to the velocity constant in Eyring's equation. The enormous half-life time at 100 degrees C (9.04 x 10(4) years) indicates that the process cannot be observed in human time scale. on the other hand, the difference of free energy change (Delta(Delta G) = -266.78 kcal mol(-1)) for the decomposition reaction shows that the process is favorable to the sulfenamide formation. The highly negative Delta(Delta G) obtained for the decomposition reaction shows that this process is extremely exothermic. This result explains why omeprazole decomposes and does not racemize. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.