Biomimetic Use of Food-Waste Sources of Calcium Carbonate and Phosphate for Sustainable Materials-A Review.

Natural and renewable sources of calcium carbonate (CaCO), also referred to as "biogenic" sources, are being increasingly investigated, as they are generated from a number of waste sources, in particular those from the food industry. The first and obvious application of biogenic calcium carbonate is in the production of cement, where CaCO represents the raw material for clinker. Overtime, other more added-value applications have been developed in the filling and modification of the properties of polymer composites, or in the development of biomaterials, where it is possible to transform calcium carbonate into calcium phosphate for the substitution of natural hydroxyapatite.

Using Thermomechanical Properties to Reassess Particles' Dispersion in Nanostructured Polymers: Size vs. Content.

Nanoparticle-filled polymers (i.e., nanocomposites) can exhibit characteristics unattainable by the unfilled polymer, making them attractive to engineer structural composites.

Dealing with the Effect of Air in Fluid Structure Interaction by Coupled SPH-FEM Methods.

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and the finite element method (FEM) are often combined with the scope to model the interaction between structures and the surrounding fluids (FSI). There is the case, for instance, of aircrafts crashing on water or speedboats slamming into waves. Due to the high computational complexity, the influence of air is often neglected, limiting the analysis to the interaction between structure and water.

Dealing with Nap-Core Sandwich Composites: How to Predict the Effect of Symmetry.

The behavior of nap-core sandwiches was investigated with a special focus on the effect of symmetry in nap cores. A nap-core is, in general terms, a 3D-formed hollow structure made of knitted textile impregnated by a thermosetting resin. The molding process determines if the nap-core is double-sided (symmetric) or single-sided.

Structural Design and Manufacturing of a Cruiser Class Solar Vehicle.

Cruisers are multi-occupant solar vehicles that are conceived to compete in long-range (over 3,000 km) solar races based on the best compromise between the energy consumption and the payload. They must comply to the race's rules regarding the overall dimensions, the solar panel size, functionality, and safety and structural requirements, while the shape, the materials, the powertrain, and the mechanics are considered at the discretion of the designer. In this work, the most relevant aspects of the structural design process of a full-carbon fiber-reinforced plastic solar vehicle are detailed.

Mechanical Characterization of Gres Porcelain and Low-Velocity Impact Numerical Modeling.

The current investigation was conducted on gres porcelain stoneware, a robust, impermeable and aesthetically pleasing type of ceramic mainly used for flooring, characterizing its resistance to bending and low-velocity impact, both representative efforts to which flooring tiles are constantly subjected as a consequence of the fall of objects and microsubsidences. The mechanical characterization was made through experimental tests following an adapted low-velocity impact testing routine, and the model was by validated numerical simulation through the explicit code software LS-DYNA based on the Johnson⁻Holmquist constitutive material model. Specimens were tested before and after an annealing cycle industrially used to allow porcelain folding.