In Situ Contact Analysis of Polyetheretherketone under Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication.

The influence of the complex material behavior of thermoplastic polymers in lubricated contacts is poorly understood. It affects the optimal design of power-transmitting thermoplastic machine elements and the exploitation of its potential, e.g.

Effect of Transversely Isotropic Elasticity on Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication of Point Contacts.

Fiber-reinforced materials or 3D printed parts feature transversely isotropic elasticity. Although its influence on pressures, shapes, and sizes has been studied extensively for dry contacts, the transferability to lubricated contacts is fragmented. This numerical study investigates how the content and orientation of short fibers in fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) affect elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) of point contacts.

Micro-combinatorial sampling of the optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous [Formula: see text] for the entire range of compositions towards a database for optoelectronics.

The optical parameters of hydrogenated amorphous a-[Formula: see text]:H layers were measured with focused beam mapping ellipsometry for photon energies from 0.7 to 6.5 eV.

The value of long-term environmental monitoring programs: an Ohio River case study.

As a subset of environmental monitoring, fish sampling programs have been an important part of assessing the potential impacts of water withdrawals and effluent discharges on fish populations for many years. New environmental regulations often require that adverse environmental impacts to fish populations be minimized. Without long-term field data, population evaluations may incorrectly indicate adverse impacts where none exist or no impact where one is likely to occur.

Interfacial properties of hydrophilized poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) layers with various thicknesses.

Biodegradable polyesters such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) copolymers (PLGA) are preferred materials for drug carrier systems although their surface hydrophobicity greatly limits their use in controlled drug delivery. PLGA thin films on a solid support blended with PEG-containing compound (Pluronic) were used as model systems to study the interfacial interactions with aqueous media. Degree of surface hydrophilization was assessed by wettability, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements.