S. Fashu^{1 *}, M.Tozvireva¹, L.Mudzingwa¹, R.Khan², A. Mukuya¹

FDMP-Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing, Vol.12, No.4, pp. 173-192, 2016, DOI:10.3970/fdmp.2016.012.173

Abstract This paper outlines the findings in the comparison of the influence of mechanical and electromagnetic stirring on ingot long term purity and uniformity during Ohno Continuous Casting. The magnitude of the average optimum velocity flow field and stirring parameters required to effectively purify aluminum ingots using mechanical stirring of the melt was determined and analyzed. Basing on the determined optimum mechanical flow field, electromagnetic parameters producing almost the same flow field near the interface were obtained through careful adjustments of parameters. Optimum parameters of the mechanical and electromagnetic stirring were obtained by numerically solving the… More >

Tim A. Ludwig^1,*, Philip Reiss^1,*, Marco Wieland², Andreas Becker¹, Margit Fisch¹, Felix K. Chun¹, Roland Dahlem¹

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.22, No.6, pp. 8100-8104, 2015

Abstract Introduction: The aim was to perform a feasibility study of the new artificial sphincter device ARTUS in human cadavers. ARTUS is a new electro-mechanical device, which may prevent urethral damage due to a new working principle which is to perform only sequential pressure on successive parts of the urethra.
Material and methods: The implantation of the ARTUS device was performed in six cadavers (3 males, 3 females) with different body mass indices. Subsequently the basic operation data (operation time, cuff size, length of wires, complication) were assessed.
Results: The implantation of the ARTUS device is performed easily by… More >

Sławomir Michałowski, Aleksander Prociak^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 14-18, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634131

Abstract This article describes the effects of the modifi cation of polyurethane system with rapeseed oil-based polyol on the cell structure and physical-mechanical properties of conventional fl exible polyurethane foams. The foams were prepared by substituting a part of the petrochemical polyether-polyols mixture with the bio-polyol based on rapeseed oil. Selected physical-mechanical properties of these foams were examined and compared to the properties of reference foam. The properties such as apparent density, resilience, comfort factor and stress-strain characteristics were analyzed in compression tests. It was found that the modifi cation of polyurethane formulation with rapeseed oil-based More >

Tamara Calvo-Correas¹, Mirna A. Mosiewicki², M. Angeles Corcuera¹, Arantxa Eceiza¹, Mirta I. Aranguren^2,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.1, pp. 3-13, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634132

Abstract Rigid polyurethane foams were synthesized by using a vegetable oil-based polyol and 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate prepolymer as the majority of reactives,. The polyol was produced by hydroxylation of crude linseed oil with performic acid generated in situ by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and formic acid. The characterization by FTIR, H1 NMR, iodine and hydroxyl values of the polyol and its comparison with the original linseed oil supports the success of the reaction. The reference foam was subsequently modifi ed by substituting part of the linseed oil polyol with glycerol, diethylene glycol, and a polyethylene glycol More >

X. Li¹, A. Pizzi^1,2,*, X. Zhou^3,*, V. Fierro⁴, A. Celzard⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.2, pp. 142-150, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634117

Abstract Tannin/furanic foams, typically 95% composed of materials of natural origin such as prorobinetinidin/ profi setinidin tannins and furfuryl alcohol, are potential alternatives to oil-based synthetic foams such as phenol-formaldehyde, and polyurethane foams. This article describes the development of second generation tannin/furanic foams, which are not only formaldehyde free, but also use nonvolatile, nontoxic aldehydes. Both glyoxal and glutaraldehyde were tried to substitute formaldehyde in tannin/furanic foams. The physical properties of these new foams are described and discussed. It was found that glutaraldehyde can totally substitute formaldehyde during tannin/furanic foam preparation, but that glyoxal cannot. The More >

Nassibeh Hosseini¹, Samad Javid¹, Ali Amiri¹, Chad Ulven^1,*, Dean C. Webster², Ghodrat Karami¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 205-215, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634112

Abstract In this study, a novel, bio-based polyol was used in the formulation of a polyurethane (PU) matrix for a composite material where fl ax fi ber was used as the reinforcement. The viscoelastic properties of the matrix and fl ax fi ber were determined by a linear viscoelastic model through experimentation and the results were used as input for the material properties in the computational model. A fi nite element micromechanical model of a representative volume element (RVE) in terms of repeating unit cells (RUC) was developed to predict the mechanical properties of composites. Six… More >

D.N. Dorr, S.D. Frazier, K.M. Hess, L.S. Traeger, W.V. Srubar III^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 195-204, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634108

Abstract A study of the potential for gelatin-based derivatives to serve as biorenewable, biodegradable adhesives for wood and engineered wood products is presented in this article. The effect of gelatin-to-water weight percent on the mechanical, specifically ultimate breaking (bond) strength, and thermal properties was investigated using tensile testing and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The breaking strengths of the gelatin-based adhesives were characterized and compared to four commercially available wood adhesives. The effect of 1–5% tannin addition on the mechanical, thermal, and moisture absorption behavior of the gelatin-based adhesives was also investigated. Results show that the gelatin-based More >

K. M. Hess, W. V. Srubar III^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.3, pp. 175-182, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2015.634106

Abstract This article concerns the development and characterization of a protein-based alternative to traditional fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) composites used in construction. In this work, gelatin-based resins were prepared at various gelatin-to-water (g/w) ratios. The effects of g/w ratio and curing time on resin mechanical properties were investigated. Using gelatin resins with a 30% g/w ratio, (i) gelatin-flax and (ii) gelatin-fiberglass composites were fabricated, and their mechanical properties were characterized and compared to both (iii) epoxy-flax and (iv) epoxy-fiberglass composites. Fracture surface morphologies were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that gelatin-flax composites exhibit similar mechanical More >

William Eberts, Matthew T. Siniawski^*, Timothy Burdiak, Nick Polito

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.3, No.4, pp. 259-267, 2015, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2014.634137

Abstract Single-ply biocomposite laminates were fabricated with two different woven fabrics and a bio-based resin using a wet layup technique at room temperature. A highly elastic, stockinette weave bamboo fiber fabric and a thicker, inelastic plain weave bamboo fabric were both investigated. The elastic fabric was pre-strained at 25% intervals, ranging from 0–100% of its original length. Samples made with E-Glass and S-Glass, two common glass fiber reinforcements, were also fabricated using the bioresin as benchmarks. The ultimate strength and modulus of elasticity characteristics of the composites were determined using the ASTM D3039/ D3039M-08 standard test… More >

Kröpfl AI¹, VA Deregibus², GA Cecchi³

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.84, No.2, pp. 390-396, 2015, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2015.84.390

Abstract We developed a functional model for a shrub steppe vegetation of the eastern Monte Phytogeographical Province in Río Negro (Argentina) with six stable states and 12 transitions, based on the woody encroachment degree, characteristics of the herbaceous layer and the soil surface, and biological crust cover. Information was obtained from letters of naturalists and travelers along the region since the late eighteenth century, reports of old settlers, and our own research work. On the Monte, different functional groups can be distinguished. Our work focused on the three most conspicuous to analyze the dynamics of the… More >