Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 37
  • Item
    Gas-discharge plasma-assisted functionalization of titanium implant surfaces
    (Baech : Trans Tech Publications Ltd., 2010) Schröder, Karsten; Finke, Birgit; Polak, Martin; Lüthen, Frank; Nebe, Barbara; Rychly, Joachim; Bader, Rainer; Lukowski, Gerold; Walschus, Uwe; Schlosser, Michael; Ohl, Andreas; Weltmann, Klaus Dieter
    A crucial factor for in-growth of metallic implants in the bone stock is the rapid cellular acceptance whilst prevention of bacterial adhesion on the surface. Such contradictorily adhesion events could be triggered by surface properties. There already exists fundamental knowledge about the influence of physicochemical surface properties like roughness, titanium dioxide modifications, cleanness, and (mainly ceramic) coatings on cell and microbial behavior in vitro and in vivo. The titanium surface can be equipped with antimicrobial properties by plasma-based copper implantation, which allows the release and generation of small concentrations of copper ions during contact with water-based biological liquids. Additionally, the titanium surface was equipped with amino groups by the deposition of an ultrathin plasma polymer. This coating on the one hand does not significantly reduce the generation of copper ions, and on the other hand improves the adhesion and spreading of osteoblast cells. The process development was accompanied by physicochemical surface analyses like XPS, FTIR, contact angle, SEM, and AFM. Very thin modified layers were created, which are resistant to hydrolysis and delamination. These titanium surface functionalizations were found to have either an antimicrobial activity or cell-adhesive properties. Intramuscular implantation of titanium samples coated with the cell-adhesive plasma polymer in rats revealed a reduced inflammation reaction compared to uncoated titanium. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.
  • Item
    Effects of (complementary) polyelectrolytes characteristics on composite calcium carbonate microparticles properties
    (Bucureşti : [Verlag nicht ermittelbar], 2017) Mic, Cristian Barbu; Mihai, Marcela; Varganici, Cristian Dragos; Schwarz, Simona; Scutaru, Dan; Simionescu, Bogdan C.
    This study follows the possibility to tune the thermal stability of some CaCO3/polymer composites by crystal growth from supersaturated solutions controlled by polymer structure or by using nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes (NPECs). As the ratio between the organic and inorganic parts in the composites controls the Ca2+/polymer network crosslinking density, the CaCO3/polymer weight ratio was kept constant at 50/1, varying the initial concentration of the polyanions solutions (0.05 or 0.06 wt.%), the NPECs molar ratio , n+/n- (0.2 or 0.4), or the inorganic precursors concentration (0.25 or 0.3 M). Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid-co-acrylic acid) (PSA) and chondroitin-4-sulfate (CSA) were used as polyanions. Some NPEC dispersions, prepared with the same polyanions and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), were also used for calcium carbonate crystallization. The characteristics of the prepared composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), flow particle image analysis (FPIA), particles charge density (CD), zeta-potential (ZP). The thermal stability of the composite particles was investigated as compared to bare CaCO3 microparticles prepared at the same initial inorganic concentrations.
  • Item
    Solid carbon active screen plasma nitrocarburizing of AISI 316L stainless steel in cold wall reactor: influence of plasma conditions
    (Rio de Janeiro : Elsevier, 2020) Jafarpour, Saeed M.; Puth, Alexander; Dalke, Anke; Böcker, Jan; Pipa, AndreiV.; Röpcke, Jürgen; van Helden, Jean-Pierre H.; Biermann, Horst
    Low temperature plasma nitrocarburizing processes are widely used surface treatment techniques to improve the surface hardness and wear resistance of stainless steels without loss of their excellent corrosion resistance. In the present study, plasma nitrocarburizing based on the active screen technology was applied in an industrial-scale cold wall reactor for the treatment of AISI 316L. Different technological aspects of a cold wall active screen plasma nitrocarburizing (ASPNC) reactor are addressed. The current study compiles recent achievements for the ASPNC treatment using an active screen made of carbon fibre-reinforced carbon under varying plasma conditions. In addition, it is shown that utilizing an active screen made of carbon opens up the possibility to control the structural properties of expanded austenite by the variation of the plasma conditions. It is revealed that for the ASPNC treatment using an active carbon screen, the high reactivity of the generated plasma at the carbon surface suppresses the requirement to apply a bias discharge.
  • Item
    Energy Flux Characterisation of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Spray Torches with Passive Thermal Probes
    (Boston, Mass. : Springer, 2022) Reck, Kristian A.; Hansen, Luka; Stummer, Maximilian; Kewitz, Thorben; Testrich, Holger; Hinterer, Andreas; Foest, Rüdiger; Kersten, Holger
    Passive thermal probes were applied on two different plasma spraying devices to gain a detailed understanding of the energy flux towards the substrate under atmospheric pressure. The challenge of very high thermal load was solved by using an advanced time-resolved measuring and evaluation technique. The combination with a controlled movement of the jets allowed to obtain insightful radial profiles. The energy flux to the substrate changes linearly to the electrical input power. When adding diatomic gases (H2/N2) to the gas mixture the energy flux increases significantly, suggesting a more efficient energy transport. For increasing the axial distance, the energy flux shows a quadratic reduction. The obtained radial profiles are exemplarily utilized to show the inhomogeneous effect of powder injection on the energy flux distribution.
  • Item
    Benzoyl side-chains push the open-circuit voltage of PCDTBT/PCBM solar cells beyond 1 V
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier Science, 2017) Lombeck, Florian; Müllers, Stefan; Komber, Hartmut; Menke, S. Matthew; Pearson, Andrew J.; Conaghan, Patrick J.; McNeill, Christopher R.; Friend, Richard H.; Sommer, Michael
    The synthesis, characterization and solar cell performance of PCDTBT and its highly soluble analogue hexyl-PCDTBT with cross-conjugated benzoyl moieties at the carbazole comonomer are presented. Through the use of both model reactions and time-controlled microwave-assisted Suzuki polycondensation, the base-induced cleavage of the benzoyl group from the polymer backbone has been successfully suppressed. Compared to the commonly used symmetrically branched alkyl motif, the benzoyl substituent lowers the energy levels of PCDTBT as well as the band gap, and consequently increases energy of the charge transfer state in blends with PC71BM. As a result, photovoltaic diodes with high-open circuit voltage of above 1 V are realized.
  • Item
    Short range order and topology of binary Ge-S glasses
    (Lausanne : Elsevier, 2022) Pethes, I.; Jóvári, P.; Michalik, S.; Wagner, T.; Prokop, V.; Kaban, I.; Száraz, D.; Hannon, A.; Krbal, M.
    Short range order and topology of GexS100-x glasses over a broad composition range (20 ≤ x ≤ 42 in at%) was investigated by neutron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and Ge K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements. The experimental data sets were fitted simultaneously in the framework of the reverse Monte Carlo simulation method. It was found that both constituents (Ge and S) satisfy the Mott-rule in all investigated glasses: Ge and S atoms have 4 and 2 neighbours, respectively. The structure of these glasses can be described with the chemically ordered network model: Ge-S bonds are preferred; S-S bonds are present only in S-rich glasses. Dedicated simulations showed that Ge-Ge bonds are necessary in Ge-rich glasses. Connections between Ge atoms (such as edge-sharing GeS4/2 tetrahedra) in stoichiometric and S-rich glasses were analysed. The frequency of primitive rings was also calculated.
  • Item
    Experimental Hall electron mobility of bulk single crystals of transparent semiconducting oxides
    (Cambridge [u.a.] : Cambridge Univ. Press, 2021) Galazka, Zbigniew; Irmscher, Klaus; Pietsch, Mike; Ganschow, Steffen; Schulz, Detlev; Klimm, Detlef; Hanke, Isabelle M.; Schroeder, Thomas; Bickermann, Matthias
    We provide a comparative study of basic electrical properties of bulk single crystals of transparent semiconducting oxides (TSOs) obtained directly from the melt (9 compounds) and from the gas phase (1 compound), including binary (β-Ga2O3, In2O3, ZnO, SnO2), ternary (ZnSnO3, BaSnO3, MgGa2O4, ZnGa2O4), and quaternary (Zn1−xMgxGa2O4, InGaZnO4) systems. Experimental outcome, covering over 200 samples measured at room temperature, revealed n-type conductivity of all TSOs with free electron concentrations (ne) between 5 × 1015 and 5 × 1020 cm−3 and Hall electron mobilities (μH) up to 240 cm2 V−1 s−1. The widest range of ne values was achieved for β-Ga2O3 and In2O3. The most electrically conducting bulk crystals are InGaZnO4 and ZnSnO3 with ne > 1020 cm−3 and μH > 100 cm2 V−1 s−1. The highest μH values > 200 cm2 V−1 s−1 were measured for SnO2, followed by BaSnO3 and In2O3 single crystals. In2O3, ZnO, ZnSnO3, and InGaZnO4 crystals were always conducting, while others could be turned into electrical insulators.
  • Item
    Effect of scanning strategy on microstructure and mechanical properties of a biocompatible Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta alloy processed by laser-powder bed fusion
    (Berlin : Springer, 2022) Batalha, Weverson Capute; Batalha, Rodolfo Lisboa; Kosiba, Konrad; Kiminami, Claudio Shyinti; Gargarella, Piter
    The influence of scanning strategy (SS) on microstructure and mechanical properties of a Ti–35Nb–7Zr–5Ta alloy processed by laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is investigated for the first time. Three SSs are considered: unidirectional-Y; bi-directional with 79° rotation (R79); and chessboard (CHB). The SSs affect the type and distribution of pores. The highest relative densities and more homogeneous distribution of pores are obtained with R79 and CHB scanning strategies, whereas aligned pores are formed in the unidirectional-Y. The SSs show direct influence on the crystallographic texture with unidirectional-Y strategy showing fiber texture. The R79 strategy results in a weak texture and the CHB scanning strategy forms a randomly oriented heterogeneous grain structure. The lowest Young modulus is obtained with the unidirectional-Y strategy, whereas the R79 strategy results in the highest yield strength. It is shown that the SSs may be used for tuning the microstructure of a beta-Ti alloy in L-PBF.
  • Item
    Size, concentration, and origin of human exhaled particles and their dependence on human factors with implications on infection transmission
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2022) Bagheri, Gholamhossein; Schlenczek, Oliver; Turco, Laura; Thiede, Birte; Stieger, Katja; Kosub, Jana M.; Clauberg, Sigrid; Pöhlker, Mira L.; Pöhlker, Christopher; Moláček, Jan; Scheithauer, Simone; Bodenschatz, Eberhard
    Understanding infection transmission between individuals, as well as evaluating the efficacy of protective measures, are key issues in pandemics driven by human respiratory particles. The key is a quantitative understanding of the size and concentration of particles exhaled and their variability across the size range for a representative population of all ages, genders, and different activities. Here we present data from 132 healthy volunteers aged 5 to 80 years, measured over the entire particle size range for each individual. Conventional particle spectrometry was combined with in-line holography under well-controlled conditions for common activities such as breathing, speaking, singing, and shouting. We find age to be the most important parameter for the concentration of small exhale particles <5 µm (PM5), which doubles over a 7-year period in adolescents and over a 30-year period in adults. Gender, body mass index, smoking or exercise habits have no discernible effect. We provide evidence that particles with a diameter of <5 µm originate from the lower respiratory tract, 5–15 µm from the larynx/pharynx, and >15 µm from the oral cavity. PM5 concentration can vary by one order of magnitude within a person, while inter-person variability can span two orders of magnitude, largely explained by difference in age. We found no discernible inter-person variability for particles larger than 5 µm. Our results show that cumulative volume of PM5 is 2–8 times higher in adults than in children. In contrast, number and volume concentration of larger particles, which are produced predominantly in the upper respiratory tract, is largely independent of age. Finally, we examined different types of airborne-transmissible respiratory diseases and provided insights into possible modes of infection transmission with and without several types/fits of face masks.
  • Item
    Influence of isothermal omega precipitation aging on deformation mechanisms and mechanical properties of a β-type Ti-Nb alloy
    (Lausanne : Elsevier, 2022) Pilz, S.; Hariharan, A.; Günther, F.; Zimmermann, M.; Gebert, A.
    In this study, the influence of ωiso precipitates on the active deformation mechanisms and the mechanical properties of the biomedical β-type Ti-40Nb alloy are revealed. Low temperature heat treatments (aging) at 573 K for durations up to 108.0 ks were carried out for a cold-rolled and recrystallized sample state. After an aging time of 3.6 ks the ωiso phase was determined by means of synchrotron XRD and the fraction and the crystallite size of ωiso increased progressively with increasing aging time. Due to the high intrinsic Young's modulus of the ωiso phase, the Young's modulus increased gradually with the aging time from 63 GPa, for the recrystallized reference condition, to values of 70 GPa (3.6 ks), 73 GPa (14.4 ks), 81 GPa (28.8 ks) and 96 GPa (108.0 ks). Depending on the aging time, also a change of the active deformation mechanisms occurred, resulting in significantly altered mechanical properties. For the single β-phase reference microstructure, stress-induced martensite (SIM) formation, {332} <113> twinning and dislocation slip were observed under tensile loading, resulting in a low 0.2% proof stress of around 315 MPa but a high elongation at fracture of 26.2%. With increasing aging time, SIM formation and mechanical twinning are progressively hindered under tensile loading. SIM formation could not be detected for samples aged longer than 3.6 ks. The amount and thickness of deformation twins is clearly reduced with increasing aging time and for samples aged longer than 14.4 ks deformation twinning is completely suppressed. As a result of the changed deformation mechanisms and the increase of the critical stress for slip caused by ωiso, the 0.2% proof stress of the aged samples increased gradually from 410 MPa (3.6 ks) to around 910 MPa (108.0 ks). With regard to application as new bone implant material, a balanced ratio of a low Young's modulus of E = 73 GPa and higher 0.2% proof stress of 640 MPa was achieved after an aging time of 14.4 ks.