3D printing of biocompatible supramolecular polymers and their composites

A series of polymers capable of self-assembling into infinite networks via supramolecular interactions have been designed, synthesized, and characterized for use in 3D printing applications. The biocompatible polymers and their composites with silica nanoparticles were successfully utilized to deposit both simple cubic structures, as well as a more complex twisted pyramidal feature. The polymers were found to be not toxic to a chondrogenic cell line, according to ISO 10993-5 and 10993-12 standard tests and the cells attached to the supramolecular polymers as demonstrated by confocal microscopy. Silica nanoparticles were then dispersed within the polymer matrix, yielding a composite material which was optimized for inkjet printing. The hybrid material showed promise in preliminary tests to facilitate the 3D deposition of a more complex structure.

Analysis of experimental interlocking blocks of concrete with addition of residues of process the tires retreading production

Analysis of experimental interlocking blocks of concrete with addition of residues of process the tires retreading production. With the population growth in recent years, industry in general has adjusted itself to resulting demand. the industry of tire retreading generates residues that have been discarded without any control. this adds to environmental pollution and promotes the proliferation of vectors harmful to health, aiming to find an application for this type of residues, this study presents experimental results to interlocking concrete block pavements, with addition of residues tires, interlocking blocks were built up and we determined, through laboratory tests, the need to set the mark that provide greater return regarding analyzed characteristics, there are four types of dosage of concrete with residues tires. We accomplished tests of compression strength, water absorption and resistance to impact. Through the preliminary results, we verified that are satisfactory, confirming the possibility of applying this type of interlocking block in environments with low demand, which would bring the economy of natural sources of aggregates, beyond ecological benefits through the reuse of residues from retreading of tires.

The concept of quasi-integrability: a concrete example

We use the deformed sine-Gordon models recently presented by Bazeia et al [1] to take the first steps towards defining the concept of quasi-integrability. We consider one such definition and use it to calculate an infinite number of quasi-conserved quantities through a modification of the usual techniques of integrable field theories. Performing an expansion around the sine-Gordon theory we are able to evaluate the charges and the anomalies of their conservation laws in a perturbative power series in a small parameter which describes the ""closeness"" to the integrable sine-Gordon model. We show that in the case of the two-soliton scattering the charges, up to first order of perturbation, are conserved asymptotically, i.e. their values are the same in the distant past and future, when the solitons are well separated. We indicate that this property may hold or not to higher orders depending on the behavior of the two-soliton solution under a special parity transformation. For closely bound systems, such as breather-like field configurations, the situation however is more complex and perhaps the anomalies have a different structure implying that the concept of quasi-integrability does not apply in the same way as in the scattering of solitons. We back up our results with the data of many numerical simulations which also demonstrate the existence of long lived breather-like and wobble-like states in these models.

Understanding Wax Printing: A Simple Micropatterning Process for Paper-Based Microfluidics

This technical note describes a detailed study on wax printing, a simple and inexpensive method for fabricating microfluidic devices in paper using a commercially available printer and hot plate. The printer prints patterns of solid wax on the surface of the paper, and the hot plate melts the wax so that it penetrates the full thickness of the paper. This process creates complete hydrophobic barriers in paper that define hydrophilic channels, fluid reservoirs, and reaction zones. The design of each device was based on a simple equation that accounts for the spreading of molten wax in paper.

Paper dimensional stability in sheet-fed offset printing : Papperets dimensionsstabilitet i en arkoffsetpress

In offset printing, dampening solution is used to create a good balance in the process. If too much water is transferred to the paper, the sheet can change its size between the printing units, due to water absorption, and cause a problem with the colour register. This phenomenon is usually referred to as fanout. In this degree project, an investigation was made to see if the paper dimensions changed through its way in the sheet-fed printing process. The instrument Luchs Register Measuring Systems (Lynx) was used, and a method for measuring if the paper changed its dimensions with this instrument, was developed. Paper qualities with three different grammages were used, 90, 130 and 250 gsm. This investigation showed that all paper qualities changed their size with widening in the gripper edge in the range of 10 - 70 µm and in the trailing edge the increase was 10 - 130 µm. The elongations of the papers were in the range of 10- 300 µm. The papers with lowest grammage changed more than the heavier. To see if the print had been affected of the widening and elongation, print quality parameters like relative contrast, dot gain and mottle were correlated with the Lynx data from the sheets. The group of papers that gave correlations were in 130 gsm. The sheets had visual doubling and the combined standard deviation from the Lynx marks K3, K5 and K21 correlated with dot gain. When the variations increased so did the dot gain and this indicates that the doubling was due to the widening. There was also a correlation between the standard deviation from K3 and Mottle. The sheets widened with an average of 30 µm in the gripper edge and since there probably were doubling due to widening it also affected the Mottle values. What the widening depends on is hard to tell. Since widening was so small, it could be due to water absorption, papers being ironed out or maybe the sheets have been flattened out. It probably needs a more detailed investigation to find out what causes the widening. Further investigations about how print quality is affected by the register accuracy of a printing machine should include a print form with measuring areas close to the Lynx marks. The measuring areas should contain fine hairlines, negative text printed with at least two colours and some pictures to evaluate together with standard measuring should give a good knowledge about the subject.

Ink-Jet Printing of Color Optical Filters for LCD Applications

At the age of multi-media, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistant and handheld gaming systems have increased the demand for high performance displays with low cost production. Inkjet printing color optical filters (COF) for LCD applications seem to be an interesting alternative to decrease the production costs. The advantage of inkjet printing technology is to be fast, accurate, easy to run and cheaper than other technologies. In this master thesis work, we used various disciplines such as optical microscopy, rheology, inkjet printing, profilometering and colorimetry. The specific aim of the thesis was to investigate the feasibility of using company-A pigment formulation in inkjet production of COF for active matrix LCD applications. Ideal viscosity parameters were determined from 10 to 20mPa·s for easy inkjet printing at room temperature. The red pigments used are fully dispersed into the solvent and present an excellent homogenous repartition after printing. Thickness investigations revealed that the printed COF were equal or slightly thicker than typically manufactured ones. The colorimetry investigations demonstrated color coordinates very close to the NTSC red standard. LED backlighting seems to be a valuable solution to combine with the printed COF regarding to the spectrum and color analysis. The results on this thesis will increase the understanding of inkjet printing company-A pigments to produce COF for LCD applications.

The value of a saved tree : The lifecycle of CO2-emissions associated with the combination of printing paper and electricity production of wood in the U.S. and Sweden

The pulp- and paper production is a very energy intensive industry sector. Both Sweden and the U.S. are major pulpandpaper producers. This report examines the energy and the CO2-emission connected with the pulp- and paperindustry for the two countries from a lifecycle perspective.New technologies make it possible to increase the electricity production in the integrated pulp- andpaper mill through black liquor gasification and a combined cycle (BLGCC). That way, the mill canproduce excess electricity, which can be sold and replace electricity produced in power plants. In thisprocess the by-products that are formed at the pulp-making process is used as fuel to produce electricity.In pulp- and paper mills today the technology for generating energy from the by-product in aTomlinson boiler is not as efficient as it could be compared to the BLGCC technology. Scenarios havebeen designed to investigate the results from using the BLGCC technique using a life cycle analysis.Two scenarios are being represented by a 1994 mill in the U.S. and a 1994 mill in Sweden.The scenariosare based on the average energy intensity of pulp- and paper mills as operating in 1994 in the U.S.and Sweden respectively. The two other scenarios are constituted by a »reference mill« in the U.S. andSweden using state-of-the-art technology. We investigate the impact of varying recycling rates and totalenergy use and CO2-emissions from the production of printing and writing paper. To economize withthe wood and that way save trees, we can use the trees that are replaced by recycling in a biomassgasification combined cycle (BIGCC) to produce electricity in a power station. This produces extra electricitywith a lower CO2 intensity than electricity generated by, for example, coal-fired power plants.The lifecycle analysis in this thesis also includes the use of waste treatment in the paper lifecycle. Both Sweden and theU.S. are countries that recycle paper. Still there is a lot of paper waste, this paper is a part of the countries municipalsolid waste (MSW). A lot of the MSW is landfilled, but parts of it are incinerated to extract electricity. The thesis hasdesigned special scenarios for the use of MSW in the lifecycle analysis.This report is studying and comparing two different countries and two different efficiencies on theBLGCC in four different scenarios. This gives a wide survey and points to essential parameters to specificallyreflect on, when making assumptions in a lifecycle analysis. The report shows that there arethree key parameters that have to be carefully considered when making a lifecycle analysis of wood inan energy and CO2-emission perspective in the pulp- and paper mill in the U.S. and in Sweden. First,there is the energy efficiency in the pulp- and paper mill, then the efficiency of the BLGCC and last theCO2 intensity of the electricity displaced by BIGCC or BLGCC generatedelectricity. It also show that with the current technology that we havetoday, it is possible to produce CO2 free paper with a waste paper amountup to 30%. The thesis discusses the system boundaries and the assumptions.Further and more detailed research, including amongst others thesystem boundaries and forestry, is recommended for more specificanswers.

Printing colour hard proofs using EFI Colorproof XF v. 3.1 and Photoshop CS3, and production substrates.

EFI Colorproof XF was found to be more convenient from a user’s aspect, and had features which are covered in the ISO 12647-7 standard (e.g. the ability to simulate screening and print margin information), which Photoshop CS3 lacked. None of the proofing systems distinguished itself in a clear way from the other; sometimes, on certain substrates, Photoshop CS3 produced most accurate colours, sometimes EFI Colorproof XF did. Further investigations need to be carried out to tell more exactly which system produce most accurate colours. Only 6 out of 34 simulation-combinations had colours within the tolerances in the standard. The result also shows that the production substrates should not be used as proofing substrates. Instead the proofing papers especially made for ink jet should be used to obtain more colour-accurate prints.

Thermal inkjet printing of polyaniline on paper

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

The strut-and-tie models in reinforced concrete structures analysed by a numerical technique

Os modelos de bielas e tirantes são procedimentos de análise apropriados para projetar elementos de concreto armado em casos de regiões onde há alterações geométricas ou concentrações de tensões, denominadas regiões D. Trata-se de bons modelos de representação da estrutura para avaliar melhor o seu comportamento estrutural e seu mecanismo resistente. O presente artigo aplica a técnica da otimização topológica para identificar o fluxo de tensões nas estruturas, definindo a configuração dos membros de bielas e tirantes, e quantifica seus valores para dimensionamento. Utilizam-se o método ESO, e uma variante desse, o SESO (Smoothing ESO) com o método dos elementos finitos em elasticidade plana. A filosofia do SESO baseia-se na observação de que se o elemento não for necessário à estrutura, sua contribuição de rigidez vai diminuindo progressivamente. Isto é, sua remoção é atenuada nos valores da matriz constitutiva, como se este estivesse em processo de danificação. Para validar a presente formulação, apresentam-se alguns exemplos numéricos onde se comparam suas respostas com as advindas de trabalhos científicos pioneiros sobre o assunto.

Two-dimensional modeling of material failure in reinforced concrete by means of a continuum strong discontinuity approach

The paper presents a new methodology to model material failure, in two-dimensional reinforced concrete members, using the Continuum Strong Discontinuity Approach (CSDA). The mixture theory is used as the methodological approach to model reinforced concrete as a composite material, constituted by a plain concrete matrix reinforced with two embedded orthogonal long fiber bundles (rebars). Matrix failure is modeled on the basis of a continuum damage model, equipped with strain softening, whereas the rebars effects are modeled by means of phenomenological constitutive models devised to reproduce the axial non-linear behavior, as well as the bondslip and dowel effects. The proposed methodology extends the fundamental ingredients of the standard Strong Discontinuity Approach, and the embedded discontinuity finite element formulations, in homogeneous materials, to matrix/fiber composite materials, as reinforced concrete. The specific aspects of the material failure modeling for those composites are also addressed. A number of available experimental tests are reproduced in order to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A mixture theory based method for three-dimensional modeling of reinforce concrete members with embedded crack finite elements

The paper presents a methodology to model three-dimensional reinforced concrete members by means of embedded discontinuity elements based on the Continuum Strong Discontinuous Approach (CSDA). Mixture theory concepts are used to model reinforced concrete as a 31) composite material constituted of concrete with long fibers (rebars) bundles oriented in different directions embedded in it. The effects of the rebars are modeled by phenomenological constitutive models devised to reproduce the axial non-linear behavior, as well as the bond-slip and dowel action. The paper presents the constitutive models assumed for the components and the compatibility conditions chosen to constitute the composite. Numerical analyses of existing experimental reinforced concrete members are presented, illustrating the applicability of the proposed methodology.