Solid State Phenomena Vol. 372

Abstract: In this article, the in-plane dynamic elastic properties of an E-glass randomly oriented fiber-reinforced SR GreenPoxy 56 composite were obtained based on the procedure specified in the ASTM E1876-21 standard. The experimental frequencies and the ones predicted by the simulation of the experimental procedure using a finite element analysis developed in the Patran/Nastran 2021 package were used in an iterative algorithm using sensitivity analysis to improve the first approaches of the dynamic elastic properties obtained by the impulse excitation technique. These experimental results are compared with the ones obtained by the 2D Short Fiber Composite model of the E-glass randomly oriented fiber-reinforced SR GreenPoxy 56 composite, developed in the Patran/Nastran 2021 software.

Abstract: O₂ plasma treatment induces a transformation in the structure of WO₃ thin films, converting them into a crystalline structure. Amorphous WO₃ thin films were deposited on silicon produced by pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The as-deposited films were treated with oxygen plasma powered by an RF generator. During the plasma treatment, the pressures were set at 1 x 10^-1 to 1x 10^-2 mbar, while the RF supplied powers at 100 W and 200 W. The effects of plasma treatment induced modifications of structure and physical properties of WO₃ thin films. Several techniques were used to characterize microstructure, phase composition and surface morphology of the films including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). An RF generator powered the O₂ plasma treatment on the as-deposited films. During the plasma treatment, the pressures were set at 1.0x10^-1and 1.0x10^-2 while the RF powers was supplied at 100 and 200 watt, respectively. The film's crystal structure changed at 200W plasma power and 1 x 10^-2 mbar operating pressure. The O₂ plasma treatment significantly changed the thickness of the films, probably as a result of changes in the packing density and surface etching. The experimental results suggest that the plasma treatment excitation process after crystallization can transform the films' amorphous structure into a crystalline structure.

Abstract: Controlling nanomaterials' morphology and molecular structures offers many advantages, such as tunable material properties, lightweight, and high surface-to-volume ratio. Studies have focused on electrospinning as one of the most effective methods in fabricating nanofibrous materials and have closely considered various post-fabrication techniques to improve mechanical properties. This work investigates the effect of constrained heating at 100°C, 110°C and 120°C on the morphology, the static and dynamic mechanical properties, and crystallization properties of electrospun Poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) nanofibrous membranes. Constrained heating of PVA nanofibrous membranes at 120°C has the best overall improvement. As compared to unheated samples, the Young’s modulus is multiplied by more than 3, the tensile strength increases more than 75%. At the same time, the fiber diameter decreases from 282.4 nm to 222.2 nm, and the degree of crystallinity and crystallite size increases by more than 10% and about 75%, respectively. This change in molecular structure and the increase in mechanical properties suggest that constrained heating should be further explored to diversify load bearing applications.