In an effort to stem the flow of potentially defective accelerator pedal parts at the source, Toyota announced earlier this week that replacement pedal components had begun shipping directly to its factories. While the announcement was a welcome step in the right direction towards a long-term resolution, Toyota retail dealers – face-to-face with millions of concerned customers seeking a fix – were understandably angered that the automaker had apparently left them out of the loop.
That changed late Friday, when Toyota announced that gas pedal parts had started shipping directly to the dealers too. Brian Lyons, Toyota company spokesman, said the parts "are on their way to the dealers in preparation for the recall launch." The so-called "recall launch" will be more clearly defined next week when the automaker officially announces how it intends to solve the problems potentially affecting 4.2 million of its vehicles worldwide.
Right now, Toyota's "solution" (reportedly involving shims) is being reviewed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Toyota presented it to NHTSA on Thursday – which must approve it before the automaker moves forward. Even then, Toyota will need to train dealers and mechanics on how to make the repairs and educate vehicle owners on the process.
Nex Continental Holdings, nos reunimos con la Empresa para que nos dieran respuesta a varias peticiones que le habiamos hecho, algunas de ellas ya antiguas, como el paso de contratos de relevos a indefinidos y otras nuevas como la regularizacion en un 4% de los conceptos salariales fuera de Convenio, como ya os dijimos en una entrada anterior.
Lamentablemente y como esperabamos la respuesta a todas nuestras peticiones ha sido negativa. Como en la ultima Asamblea nos propusimos como meta que pasado el Mes de Diciembre iniciariamos acciones si no llegabamos a ningun acuerdo, ha llegado el momento de tomar una determinación contundente.
En esta Asamblea se van a proponer dos consultas. La primera la denuncia de las Horas Extraordinarias, dado la importancia que tiene este tema, creemos que es fundamental UNA PARTICIPACIÓN MASIVA DE LOS TRABAJADORES,pues debemos de tener en cuenta que un posible resultado afirmativo a esta denuncia puede cambiar de una forma muy importante NUESTRA VIDA, ya que evidentemente esto tiene una repercusión economica importante
La segunda consulta consiste en la Convocatoria de PAROS PARA SEMANA SANTA,no siendo esta determinación tan importante como la anterior, creemos también que es decisivo que todos la apoyemos masivamente.
Hemos querido llevar la negociación hasta el maximo. Algunos pensareis que se ha tardado demasiado en tomar estas medidas, como asi alguno nos recuerda de vez en cuando en este blog,pero está claro que este Comite no se caracteriza por tomar decisiones irresponsables o en caliente, pero ha llegado el momento de ejercer una medida de presión puesto que la Empresa no se ha movido un apice en sus posturas
Queremos volver a recalcar la importancia de esta Asamblea puesto que como os deciamos puede cambiar muy significativamente nuestra forma de vivir y el futuro de nuestra relacion con la Empresa, por lo tanto esta decisión no la queremos tomar el Comite ni unos pocos trabajadores, asi que os PEDIMOS QUE HAGAIS EL MAXIMO ESFUERZO POR ACUDIR A LA ASAMBLEA,para que luego no nos llevemos las manos a la cabeza por las decisiones que en ella se puedan tomar.
Os esperamos el dia 5 a las 23.00 hrs en el Taller de Torrejón
FOTOS
Las fotos de hoy nos las envia , la primera Pablo Valverde y el resto un compañero del Taller de la grua que todos llamamos Furia.
Aqui os dejamos las cartas de contestación, en el sentido de haber recibido nuestra queja referente a lo ALQUILADOS,de los dos estamentos afectados.El Ministerio de Fomento y la Consejeria de Transportes de la Comunidad de Madrid.
Esto es una muestra más, de que el trabajo se va haciendo al ritmo que marcan los acontecimientos.
Como veis en las cartas, estos escritos-denuncia,estan efectuados por UGT a petición de este Comite, el pasado 8 de Enero y no os hemos dicho nada hasta ahora, para esperar a este momento de la certificación de haberlas recibidos por los estamentos afectados.
Mientras algunos solo se preocupan, de en el bar quejarse de las adjudicaciones de Largo Recorrido por antiguedad y otros de a base de comidas y comidas intentar hacer mella a este Comite y algun dirigente sindical a escribir anonimos en este blog;otros nos dedicamos a preocuparnos por lo verdaderamente importante para TODOS nosotros...la calidad en el trabajo y esto de los ALQUILADOS,mientras unos en el Bar,otros en el Restaurante de gañote y otros tras el teclado parece no importarles,afecta y mucho a nuestra calidad en el Empleo y en un futuro no muy lejano a nuestro Empleo.
Los que ya sabeis,seguid así,que empezais vuestras aspiraciones sindicales,muy bien, que nosotros seguiremos nuestro camino en la defensa de todos nosotros y todos nuestros derechos.
UNAS FOTOS
La primera y la segunda, nos las envia Alvaro, del NOGE CYTOUR que es el Primero y hasta el momento único autobus urbano de Noge. El Noge Cittour se vende en varias longitudes y actualmente se carroza tanto en gasoil como en gas natural, teniendo una trasera diferenciada las unidades de gas natural.
La 3ª tambien nos la envia Alvaro y corresponde al NOGE TRADICIONAL. El Noge Touring actual podría catalogarse como uno de los modelos más depurados del mercado y es que ya va por su tercera generación. De el derivan el Noge "midi touring" o el Touring Intercity. Carrozable en infinidad de medidas, incluso se han llegado a ver Touring Intercity de 18 metros, a cuenta gotas eso si.
Esta foto, nos la envia Paco Moreno en donde aparece el Comite en Pleno acompañados de Valentin.
Esta última nos la envia Carlos Rozada correspondiente a la última nevada en Rascafria el pasado dia 7 de Enero
Mazda reveals the new facelifted Atenza/Mazda6 for Japanese Market and the European version arriving in Geneva soon.
Mazda has just unveiled the newest facelifted mid-size sedan, the Atenza, as it is well known in Japan, or the popular Mazda6, that is known everywhere else in the world. The new restyle closely follows the Zoom-Zoom philosophy, and borrows from models like the current Mazda3.
The changes aren’t more noticeable, but car fanatics will definitely observe the new five-point grille, giving the car a sportier feel, and will also be able to check out the revamped rear spoiler, and choose from 17 or 18-inch wheels. Two new colors were also added: Clear Water Blue Metallic and Midnight Bronze Mica. While the inside, piano black trim will now be available for the center console, gearshift knob, and doors, giving the Mazda6 a classier look....
Physicists have long wondered whether hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, could be transformed into a metal and possibly even a superconductor—the elusive state in which electrons can flow without resistance. They have speculated that under certain pressure and temperature conditions hydrogen could be squeezed into a metal and possibly even a superconductor, but proving it experimentally has been difficult.
High-pressure researchers, including Carnegie Institution 's Ho-kwang (Dave) Mao, have now modeled three hydrogen-dense metal alloys and found there are pressure and temperature trends associated with the superconducting state—a huge boost in the understanding of how this abundant material could be harnessed. The study is published in the January 25, 2010, early, on-line edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
All known materials have to be cooled below a very low, so-called, transition temperature to become superconducting, making them impractical for widespread application. Scientists have found that in addition to chemical manipulation to raise the transition temperature, superconductivity can also be induced by high pressure.
Theoretical modeling is very helpful in defining the characteristics and pressures that can lead to high transition temperatures. In this study, the scientists modeled basic properties from first principles—the study of behavior at the atomic level—of three metal hydrides under specific temperature, pressure, and composition scenarios. Metal hydrides are compounds in which metals bind to an abundance of hydrogen in a lattice structure. The compounds were scandium trihydride (ScH3), yttrium trihydride (YH3) and lanthanum trihydride (LaH3).
"We found that superconductivity set in at pressures between roughly 100,000 to 200,000 times atmospheric pressure at sea level (10 to 20 GPa), which is an order of magnitude lower than the pressures for related compounds that bind with four hydrogens instead of three," remarked Mao, of Carnegie's Geophysical Laboratory. Lanthanum trihydride stabilized at about 100,000 atmospheres and a transition temperature of – 423°F (20 Kelvin), while the other two stabilized at about 200,000 atmospheres and temperatures of -427 °F (18 K) and -387 °F (40 K) for ScH3 and YH3 respectively.
The researchers also found that two of the compounds, LaH3 and YH3, had more similar distributions of vibrational energy to each other than to ScH3 at the superconducting threshold and that the transition temperature was highest at the point when a structural transformation occurred in all three.
This result suggests that the superconducting state comes from the interaction of electrons with vibrational energy through the lattice. At pressures higher than 350,000 atmospheres (35 GPa) superconductivity disappeared and all three compounds became normal metals. In yttrium trihydride, the superconductivity state reappeared at about 500,000 atmospheres, but not in the others. The scientists attributed that effect to its different mass.
"The fact that the models predicted distinctive trends in the behavior for these three related compounds at similar temperatures and pressures is very exciting for the field," commented Mao.
"Previous to this study, the focus has been on compounds with four hydrogens. The fact that superconductivity is induced at lower pressures in the trihydrides makes them potentially more promising materials with which to work. The temperature and pressures ranges are easily attainable in the lab and we hope to see a flurry of experiments to bear out these results." The team at Carnegie has embarked on their own experiments on this class of trihydrides to test these models.
Authors on the paper were Duck Young Kim, Ralph H. Scheicher, Ho-kwang Mao, Tae E. Kang, and Rajeev Ahuja. The work is supported by EFree, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U. S. Department of Energy.
The Carnegie Institution for Science (www.CIW.edu) has been a pioneering force in basic scientific research since 1902. It is a private, nonprofit organization with six research departments throughout the U.S. Carnegie scientists are leaders in plant biology, developmental biology, astronomy, materials science, global ecology, and Earth and planetary science.
X-rays can do a lot of useful things -- detect broken bones, tumors and dental cavities, analyze atoms in diverse materials and screen luggage at airports – and now they can be used to form crystals.
A team of Northwestern University researchers has discovered that X-rays can trigger the formation of a new type of crystal: charged cylindrical filaments ordered like a bundle of pencils experiencing repulsive forces, which is unknown in crystals. Similar phenomena may occur naturally in biology, such as in the cytoskeleton filaments of cells, which control cell division and migration in cancer metastasis and many other processes.
The results, which will be published this week in the Jan. 29 issue of the journal Science, expand scientific knowledge of crystals, whether from nature, technological devices or the lab, and also open the door to using X-rays to control the structure of materials or to develop novel biomedical therapies.
Crystal formation is usually based on attractive forces between atoms or molecules, making the Northwestern discovery completely unexpected.
"This is a very intriguing and astonishing result," said Samuel I. Stupp, the paper's senior author and Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and Medicine. "The filaments are charged so one would expect them to repel each other, not to organize into a crystal. Even though they are repelling each other, we believe the hundreds of thousands of filaments in the bundles are trapped within a network and form a crystal to become more stable."
The discovery of the new crystals was serendipitous. Very early one morning at Argonne National Laboratory, the members of Stupp's research team applied synchrotron X-ray radiation to a solution of peptide nanofibers they were studying. (The peptides are small synthetic molecules that can be used to create new materials.) The researchers saw the solution go from clear to opaque.
"There was a dramatic change in the way filaments scattered the radiation," said first author Honggang Cui, a postdoctoral fellow in Stupp's lab. "The X-rays turned a disordered structure into something ordered -- a crystal."
The X-rays increase the charge of the filaments, and thus a repulsive electrostatic force drives the crystallization -- a hexagonal stacking of filaments. Trapped in a three-dimensional network, the charged bundled filaments are unable to escape from each other. The crystals disappear when the X-rays are turned off, and the material is not significantly damaged by the radiation.
As a result of repulsive forces, the filaments are positioned far apart from each other, with as much as 320 angstroms separating the filaments. This striking feature is not found in ordinary crystals where molecules are less than five angstroms apart.
"There are oceans of water inside the crystal," Stupp said. "More than 99 percent of the structure is water." The researchers also observed that when the concentration of the charged filaments in solution was higher, the same crystals formed spontaneously without the need to expose them to X-rays.
The Science paper is titled "Spontaneous and X-Ray Triggered Crystallization at Long Range in Self-Assembling Filament Networks." In addition to Stupp and Cui, other authors of the paper are E. Thomas Pashuck, Yuri S. Velichko, Steven
Wave heights are increasing off the Pacific Northwest, according to a new study at Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR) and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries.
A major increase in maximum ocean wave heights off the Pacific Northwest in recent decades has forced scientists to re-evaluate how high a “100-year event” might be, and the new findings raise special concerns for flooding, coastal erosion and structural damage.
The new assessment concludes that the highest waves may be as much as 46 feet, up from estimates of only 33 feet that were made as recently as 1996, and a 40 percent increase. December and January are the months such waves are most likely to occur, although summer waves are also significantly higher.
In a study just published online in the journal Coastal Engineering, scientists from Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries report that the cause of these dramatically higher waves is not completely certain, but “likely due to Earth’s changing climate.”
Using more sophisticated techniques that account for the “non-stationarity” in the wave height record, researchers say the 100-year wave height could actually exceed 55 feet, with impacts that would dwarf those expected from sea level rise in coming decades. Increased coastal erosion, flooding, damage to ocean or coastal structures and changing shorelines are all possible, scientists say.
“The rates of erosion and frequency of coastal flooding have increased over the last couple of decades and will almost certainly increase in the future,” said Peter Ruggiero, an assistant professor in the OSU Department of Geosciences. “The Pacific Northwest has one of the strongest wave climates in the world, and the data clearly show that it’s getting even bigger.
“Possible causes might be changes in storm tracks, higher winds, more intense winter storms, or other factors,” Ruggiero said. “These probably are related to global warming, but could also be involved with periodic climate fluctuations such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and our wave records are sufficiently short that we can’t be certain yet. But what is clear is the waves are getting larger.”
In the early 1990s, Ruggiero said, a fairly typical winter might have an offshore wave maximum of a little more than 25 feet. It was believed then – based primarily on data from two offshore buoys – that 10 meters, or 33 feet, would be about as large as waves would ever get, even in a massive “100-year” storm.
But then a major El Nino – which tends to bring larger waves, higher water levels and increased erosion – happened in 1997-98 and led to a string of “100-year” wave events of around and above 33 feet. Researchers went back to the drawing board, continued to study data and storm events, and now believe that the maximum waves the region may face could approach or even exceed 50 feet.
Increasing wave heights, they said, have had double or triple the impact in terms of erosion, flooding and damage as sea level rise over the last few decades. If wave heights continue to increase, they may continue to dominate over the acceleration in sea level that’s anticipated over the next couple of decades. The prior concern about what sea level rise could do, in other words, is already a reality. If sea levels do increase significantly in future decades and centuries, that will only add to the damage already being done by higher waves.
Exactly what impacts this will have in terms of beach erosion and shifting shorelines is difficult to predict, scientists say, because currents and sand move in complex ways, creating both “winners and losers” in terms of beach stability. But some effects are already visible, Ruggiero said.
“Neskowin is already having problems with high water levels and coastal erosion,” Ruggiero said. “Some commercial structures there occasionally lose the use of their lower levels.
“Going to the future, communities are going to have to plan for heavier wave impacts and erosion, and decide what amounts of risk they are willing to take, how coastal growth should be managed and what criteria to use for structures,” he said.
Hampering the research effort is the fact that two of the major buoys used for these studies, which are some distance off the Pacific Northwest coast and measure waves in deep water, were only installed in the 1970s. Even at that they provide two of the longest high-quality wave height records in the world. OSU researchers are studying historical records through climate data, old newspaper records and other information to try to recreate what wave heights and storm events were like going further back in time.
The largest wave height increases, scientists say, have occurred off the Washington coast and northern Oregon, with less increase in southern Oregon and nothing of significance south of central California. The study also noted that similar increases in wave heights have occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as the seasonal total power generated by hurricanes.
These issues do not consider the potential drop in land level that is expected to occur in this region with a subduction zone earthquake at some point in the future. Ruggiero noted that he did some research in Sumatra following the huge 2004 earthquake there – an area with geology very similar to that of the Pacific Northwest – and some of the shoreline had dropped from 1.5 to five feet. If and when that occurs, the impacts on shorelines could be enormous.
This research was supported by the Sectoral Application Research Program, a part of the Climate Program Office at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
About the OSU College of Science: As one of the largest academic units at OSU, the College of Science has 14 departments and programs, 13 pre-professional programs, and provides the basic science courses essential to the education of every OSU student. Its faculty are international leaders in scientific research.
University of Central Florida (UCF) Research Foundation, Inc. (Orlando, FL) earned U.S. Patent 7,651,766 for carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposite material and a process for manufacturing the composite.
FIG. 2 is a scanned SEM image of an electrochemically co-deposited copper/SWNT nanocomposite SWNTs can be seen to be covered uniformly by copper that forms the continuous phase. The SWNTs can be seen to be somewhat aligned in the Cu matrix. The uniformity in coverage with stiff and conductive copper better utilizes the properties of the SWNTs, as compared to conventional carbon nanotube polymer composites.
Carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposites provide thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity which are generally significantly higher than the pure metal continuous phase material, mechanical strength is 2 to 3 times greater than that of the pure metal, and a tailorable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is obtainable through changing the percentage of nanotubes in the nanocomposite. The material can be designed to match the CTE for a variety of materials of interest, including most semiconductors and electrically insulating (dielectric) substrates.
The composite includes a continuous metal phase, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed in the continuous metal phase, according to inventor UCF Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering Professor Quanfang Chen. The metal phase material is preferably copper.
The metal phase extends throughout substantially an entire thickness of the nanocomposite material. The nanotubes are preferably single wall nanotubes (SWNTs). The carbon nanotubes are preferentially aligned in the continuous metal phase, such as generally along a given direction. The nanocomposite is generally exclusive of any material other than the metal or metal alloy and the nanotubes.
The carbon nanotube reinforced metal nanocomposites are preferably formed using an electrochemical co-deposition process in which both the nanotubes and the metal ions to be electrodeposited are in an electrolyte comprising solution. This process advantageously can be performed at or near room temperature, such as less than or equal to about 50.degree. C., and is thus compatible with a wide variety of processes and associated materials. The process is capable of being scaled for large area substrates and deposition on multiple substrates simultaneously.
Electro co-deposition of the carbon nanotube can be integrated with many integrated circuit fabrication processes including damascene processes used in state-of-the-art IC fabrication processes to form electrically conductive interconnects and other electrically conductive layers (e.g. contacts and/or metal gates). Another advantage of the electrochemical co-deposition process is that carbon nanotubes are not measurably degraded by the inventive co-deposition process and better interfacial bonding is obtained, due to the low temperature and better wetting characteristics.
FIG. 1, a schematic representation of an exemplary electrochemical co-deposition apparatus for producing the carbon nanotube nanocomposites. Carbon nanotube reinforced copper nanocomposites were formed using the electro co-deposition process
FIG. 3(A) is a sketch of SWNTs preferentially aligned in a particular direction in a Cu comprising electrolyte solution while FIG. 3(B) is a scanned SEM photograph which shows a nanocomposite in which SWNTs are preferentially aligned in a particular direction in a Cu comprising continuous phase (matrix), thus demonstrating that carbon nanotubes can be aligned within a metal matrix
Magnesium and titanium have positive heats of mixing. As a result they have not been found to form intermetallic compounds and they have very little mutual solubility. GM materials engineers have overcome previous limitations to produce hard corrosion resistant magnesium-titanium alloy films.
GM Global Technology Operations, Inc. (Detroit, MI) detail the process to make films of magnesium mixed with titanium in U.S. Patent 7,651,732. The films are produced by non-equilibrium alloying processes such as electron beam evaporation of magnesium and titanium ingots in a very low pressure chamber.
Such magnesium-titanium films form as single phase solid solutions. Titanium is inherently resistant to corrosion and its admixture with magnesium in solid solution provides a new composition that is less subject to intra-film galvanic corrosion. The magnesium-titanium films also provide relatively hard and strong coatings, say inventors Yang T. Cheng, Mark W. Verbrugge, Michael P. Michael Lukitsch Balogh, and Daniel E. Rodak. The films also offer high elastic modulus and hardness and have high corrosion resistance.
To prepare intermetallics compounds, target anodes of magnesium and titanium, situated in a vacuum chamber, are bombarded with separate electron beams to produce a vapor of magnesium and titanium atoms for co-deposition as a solid film on a substrate. The substrate may be at about room temperature and may be suitably cleaned or otherwise prepared to receive an adherent coating of the elements as they are deposited from the vapor mixture. By controlling the relative evaporation rates of the metals, magnesium-based films with desired titanium content may be formed. Film thicknesses of several nanometers up to a millimeter or more may be obtained depending on the requirements of the non-equilibrium, solid solution magnesium-titanium coating.
Magnesium-titanium solid solution films may be used, for example, as coatings on substrates of commercial magnesium alloys or on other metal or non-metal substrates. Nanometer scale indentation tests on magnesium-titanium solid solution films deposited on silicon yield hardness and Young's modulus values for the films. These test results indicate the elastic modulus and yield strength (based on hardness values) is significantly higher than corresponding properties of conventional magnesium alloys. Moreover, the single phase solid solution microstructure of the film is not expected to form corrosive galvanic couples within the film.
The Research Foundation of State University of New York ((SUNY) Albany, NY) received U.S. Patent 7,652,084 for methods for modifying carbon nanotubes with organic compounds. The modified carbon nanotubes have enhanced compatibility with polyolefins.
Nanocomposites of the organo-modified carbon nanotubes and polyolefins can be used to produce both fibers and films with enhanced mechanical and electrical properties, especially the elongation-to-break ratio and the toughness of the fibers and/or films is improved, according to inventors Benjamin Chu and Benjamin S. Hsiao. Modified carbon nanofiber (MCF) can be blended with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to form an ultra-tough polymer product.
The two scientists developed unique synthetic techniques for the modification of carbon nanotubes where aliphatic linkers of tailored length are covalently bonded to the carbon nanotube surface. The surface modification process and consequent compounding can be implemented using standard melt mixing or solution mixing equipment and results in modified carbon nanotubes with enhanced compatibility with polyolefins. Nanocomposites of these modified carbon nanotubes and a polyolefin matrix can be formed and utilized in the design, development and creation of new fibers and films.
The nanocomposite of may contain from about 0.01 wt % to about 30 wt % modified carbon nanofiber (MCNF), typically from about 0.05 wt % to about 15 wt % of MCNF, more typically from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % MCNF.
The nanocomposite may be used to form fibers or films using commercially available equipment and techniques. They can be either melt-spun or gel-spun into fibrous form, or melt-cast or gel-cast into film form, with or without uni-axial/bi-axial stretching for alignment of the modified carbon nanofibers. This minimizes stress to the modified carbon nanofibers and results in improved mechanical and electrical properties as well as improved fire retardant properties.
In summary, the surface modification of carbon nanofiber with octadecylamide groups (short hydrocarbon chains with n=18) significantly facilitated the dispersion of MCNF in (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) during melt processing. The nanocomposite film with only a small amount of MCNF (e.g. 0.2 wt %) showed a significant improvement on the elongation-to-break ratio and thus the toughness.
The MCNF/UHMWPE represents a new type of nanocomposite with super-tough performance. The use of unmodified CNF did not show the significant improvement on the toughness. The super-tough performance of the MCNF/UHMWPE nanocomposite film was due to the plastic flow, induced by the interfacial flow of the UHMWPE chain probably in a gel-like form (the attached octadecylamide groups act as solvent molecules to UHMWPE) that can overcome the typical entanglement problem (thus the brittleness) of solid UHMWPE near the vicinity of MCNF.
FIG. 1 is a scanning electron microscope image of the cross-section of a nanocomposite fiber produced by State University of New York Scientists
FIG. 3 is a typical SEM image of an untreated CNF sample by State University of New York Scientists
FIG. 4 is a typical SEM image of cross-sectioned MCNF/UHMWPE nanocomposite film containing 5 wt % MCNF made by State University of New York Scientists
In-situ synchrotron WAXD showed that although the increase in MCNF content induced a higher degree of plastic flow, but the increase in filler interactions decreased the elongation-to-break ratio. The optimal toughness improvement occurred at a very low fraction of MCNF incorporation in UHMWPE.
Koenig & Bauer AG (Wurzburg, DE) abhesive layer and to a method for producing an abhesive coating from cross-linked inorganic nanosols. An abhesive object or substance is slippery such as Teflon and is the opposite of adhesive. The abhesive layer has a strongly repelling effect with respect to adhesive materials, a good scratch resistance as a result of the inorganic network and good resistance to organic solvents. The non-stick nanoparticle coatings garnered U.S. Patent 7,651,560.
Inventors Gunter Risse and Michael Koch developed an abhesive layer, which not only has a strong abhesive effect especially with respect to adhesive liquids or pastes, such as printing inks and, while adhering well to the coated materials, but also has an improved, wear resistance. This objective is accomplished by an abhesive layer or abhesive coating of cross-linked inorganic nanosols with additions of polyorganosiloxanes, which form a three-dimensional network in the layer.
The inventive abhesive layer or abhesive coating is produced from inorganic nanosols by means of the sol-gel method. To begin with, inorganic particles in the nanometer range (nano particles) are obtained from an alkoxysilane by hydrolysis and partial condensation with the addition of additives. A nanosol is produced by colloidally dispersing the inorganic nanoparticles in an alcohol. The nanosol is modified by the addition of polyorganosiloxanes with multiple bonds and of further additives, which promote cross-linking.
In order to increase the wear resistance, the nanosol may be modified additionally with particles of a hard material, after which it is applied on the surface of a carrier material. During a subsequent heat treatment, the solvent is removed and the layer gels and shrinks. At the same time, the inorganic nanoparticles are cross-linked and, parallel to this, the polyorganosiloxanes also form a network, in that, to begin with, chains are formed in the gel and are connected during the further shrinkage of the gel into spatial networks. Organic solvents, alkanols such as butanol are preferred dispersants for the nanosol.
The inventive abhesive layers or coatings have a strongly abhesive effect with respect to water and water-based detergents, highly viscous liquids and pastes, such as printing inks or lacquers, as well as with respect to adhesive tapes. Because of very good adhesion and high wear resistance, they are also very suitable for uses, in which they are subjected to mechanical stresses, such as in printing presses for guiding printing stock.
The inventive abhesive coating or layer is also suitable for greatly reducing the adhesion of layers of water or ice on surfaces exposed to the elements, so that these deposits can be removed very easily. The abhesive coating can be used, for example, for keeping glass panes of vehicles, aircraft or ships free of water drops, deposits or ice and for greatly reducing the expense of removing ice and contamination from surfaces. Likewise, the adhesion of water or sewage to sanitary facilities of fittings is reduced so that lime deposits, for example, can at least be reduced.
For coating surfaces, which are to be protected, the nanosol is applied on the surface to be protected by brushing or spraying and, depending on the thickness of layer that is to be achieved, may be subjected to an intermediate drying. To achieve transparency of the abhesive coating, the layer is polished. As a result of the cross-linking reactions taking place with the evaporation of the solvent, the coating develops pronounced abhesive properties already without any additional heat treatment.
Acushnet Company (Fairhaven, MA) has developed golf balls with modified density gradients among the inner layers to produce a desired high or low moment of inertia and controlled spin rate. The golf ball has three or more inner layers in addition to a cover, and the density of the inner layers is selected such that the layers inside the cover have a density progression from the core to the cover or from the cover to the core.
Reallocating the density or specific gravity of the various layers or mantles in the ball is an important means of controlling the spin rate of golf balls. In some instances, weight from the outer portions of the ball is redistributed to the center of the ball to decrease the moment of inertia thereby increasing the spin rate, according to inventors Derek A Ladd, Michael J. Sullivan, Antonio U. DeSimas and Edmund A. Hebert. The methods of making golf balls in which the spin rates can be increased or decreased according to the specific gravity of the ball are detailed in U.S. Patent 7,651,415, issued on Janaury 26th.
The core and/or core layers (or other intermediate layers) are adjusted to a target specific gravity to enable the ball to be balanced. For a 1.68-inch diameter golf ball having a ball weight of about 1.61 oz, the target specific gravity is about 1.125. The target specific gravity will vary based upon the size and weight of the golf ball. The specific gravity is adjusted to the desired target through the use of inorganic fillers. Preferred fillers used for compounding the inner layer to the desired specific gravity include: in particular nano or hybrid materials of tungsten, zinc oxide, barium sulfate and titanium dioxide.
The spin rate of golf balls is the end result of many variables, one of which is the distribution of the density or specific gravity within the ball. Spin rate is an important characteristic of golf balls for both skilled and recreational golfers. High spin rate allows the more skilled players, such as PGA professionals and low handicapped players, to maximize control of the golf ball. A high spin rate golf ball is advantageous for an approach shot to the green. The ability to produce and control back spin to stop the ball on the green and side spin to draw or fade the ball substantially improves the player's control over the ball. Hence, the more skilled players generally prefer a golf ball that exhibits high spin rate.
On the other hand, recreational players who cannot intentionally control the spin of the ball generally do not prefer a high spin rate golf ball. For these players, slicing and hooking are the more immediate obstacles. When a club head strikes a ball, an unintentional side spin is often imparted to the ball, which sends the ball off its intended course. The side spin reduces the player's control over the ball, as well as the distance the ball will travel. A golf ball that spins less tends not to drift off-line erratically if the shot is not hit squarely off the club face. The low spin ball will not cure the hook or the slice, but will reduce side spin and its adverse effects on play. Hence, recreational players prefer a golf ball that exhibits low spin rate.
Acushnet Company, comprised of the Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra golf brands, is committed to providing both serious and recreational golfers alike with products and services of superior performance and quality. A nearly $1.4 billion operating company of Fortune Brands (NYSE: FO), Acushnet is a leading manufacturer and marketer of golf balls, golf clubs, golf shoes and golf gloves
Los Alamos National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM) scientists have created nanophosphor compositions that can be used for wide area radiation detection as well as an inexpensive nanofabrication method for the nanophosphors.
FIG. 1a shows a photographic image of two pieces of the cerium doped transparent nanocomposite scintillator Ce:LaF3(oleic acid). FIG. 1b shows a transmission electron microscope (TEM) image of the nanocomposite of FIG. 1a.
Phosphors are currently used in many important devices such as fluorescent lamps, RGB (red, green, blue) screens, lasers, and crystal scintillators for radiation detectors, radiographic imaging, tagging and other security applications, lighting applications, and nuclear spectroscopy. Perhaps the most important property of any phosphor is its brightness, i.e. its efficiency, which is the ratio of the number of optical photons emitted by the phosphor to the energy absorbed.
Other important properties include the spectral region of maximum emission (which should match commonly-used photodetectors), optical absorption (minimum self-absorption is desired), decay time of the emission (for some applications fast is desired), and the density. In general, superior scintillators exhibit high quantum efficiency, good linearity of the spectral emission with respect to incident energy, high density, fast decay time, minimal self-absorption, and high effective Z-number. Specific scintillator applications determine the choice of phosphor. Scintillators used for active and passive radiation detection, for example, require high density, and brightness, whereas scintillators used for radiographic imaging also require fast decay time.
The compositions are nanophosphor particles capped with a ligand. The nanophosphor particles have a size of about 20 nanometers. The composition has at least one lanthanide and at least one halide. The weight percent of the lanthanide phosphor is about 5 percent. The light transmission of the composition is about 50 percent, according to inventors Anthony K. Burrell, Kevin C. Ott, John C. Gordon, Rico E. Del Sesto and Mark McCleskey. The method for manufacturing the nanophosphors is detailed in U.S. Patent 7,651,633, granted on January 26th, 2010.
The Los Alamos nanophosphors are fast, bright, dense scintillators. Large area detectors (e.g. detectors useful for medical imaging or monitoring large objects such as shipping containers, boats, planes, etc.) may be prepared more easily using these fast, bright, dense nanophosphors than using single crystal scintillators. The brightness provides a detector with optimal light output, and the high density provides the detector with stopping power for the x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, or the like. Also, the new nanophosphors are inexpensive compared to more conventional spectroscopic detector materials.
Nanophosphors include monodisperse, or nearly monodisperse, doped or undoped lanthanide halides (halide=fluoride, chloride, bromide or iodide). Nanophosphors also include lanthanide chalcogens (chalcogen=oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium).
In one embodiment, nearly monodisperse nanophosphors were prepared from lanthanide triflate precursors. Lanthanide triflate was subjected to certain reaction conditions in the presence of a capping ligand and a source of acidic halide. The source of acidic halide participates in the removal of triflate from the lanthanide triflate precursor, and also with transfer of halide(s) to the lanthanide. A typical capping ligand is a relatively high boiling material that can chemically coordinate to the lanthanide and aid in controlling the nucleation and growth of the nanophosphor. The capping agent may also electrostatically interact with surfaces of the nanoparticles.
Control over the nucleation and growth (and hence particle size), an appropriate surface capping with either ligands or additional inert lanthanum halide is used to optimize the light output of the phosphor. This lanthanide halide is suitable for pressing into a compact form, or dispersing in a plastic or glass composite having suitable properties for light transmission to prepare a large area scintillator body.
Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS) is made up of four top U.S. organizations that have extensive experience in nuclear defense programs, large-scale facilities management, applying science and technology to homeland security challenges, and safety and security—Bechtel National, University of California, The Babcock and Wilcox Company, and the Washington Division of URS.
FIG. 5b shows a TEM image of Ce doped LaBr3 nanocomposite scintillator made by Los Alamos National Laboratory Scientists
