A method to produce and pattern magnetic microstructure in a soft-polymer matrix is demonstrated. An externally applied magnetic field is used to influence the dynamics of magnetophoretic transport and dipolar self-assembly of magnetic nanoparticle clusters in the liquid precursor of poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Magnetic nanoparticles agglomerate by an interplay of van der Waals forces and dip...

A novel numerical method at the microscale for studying the mechanical behavior of an aluminum-particle-reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (Al/PTFE) composite is proposed and validated experimentally in this paper. Two types of 2D representative volume elements (RVEs), real microstructure-based and simulated microstructures, are established by following a series of image processing procedures a...

Hot closed die forging is a regular process applied to manufacture metallic components used in supporting and fixing cable conductors in electric power transmission lines. In this forming process, the final microstructure of the workpiece depends on the control of several processing parameters. In this study, simulation of the industrial forging process of a ball hook component was performed us...

The objective of this investigation is to analyze the influence of trabecular microstructure modeling on the biomechanical distribution of the implant-bone interface. Two three-dimensional finite element mandible models, one with trabecular microstructure (a refined model) and one with macrostructure (a simplified model), were built. The values of equivalent stress at the implant-bone interface...

The microstructure plays a crucial role for steel semi-solid forming process, and particularly for the steel thixoforging process, since it determines the thixotropic flow behavior of materials in the semi-solid state. Therefore, it is necessary to well understand the microstructure evolution during high speed heating and forming. Classically, it is investigated on a solid material quenched fro...

Microstructure in graphite nodules plays a fundamental role in mechanical properties in cast iron. Traditional measures used to study spheroid graphite are nodules density, nodularity, volume fraction and mean size. However, sometimes these parameters do not permit a good characterization of the microstructure since they do not allow the discrimination of different regions. In fact, other measu...

A simple and e€ective numerical method is proposed for simulating the temporal di€usive mass transport process through a microstructure with arbitrary complexity described by a phase-®eld approach. The mass di€usion through a given microstructure is modeled by a di€usion equation with a variable di€usion coecient, which is solved by an ecient and accurate semi-implicit spectral method. It is ...

In this paper, the effect of microstructure on the thermal conductivity of plasma-sprayed Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is investigated. Nine freestanding samples deposited on aluminum-base superalloy are studied. Cross-section morphology such as pores, cracks, m-phase content, grain boundary density of the coated samples are examined by scanning electron microscopy...

Mechanical properties of rocks with inclusions, which may correspond to porous rocks under limiting conditions, are influenced by their shape, distributions, and intrinsic properties. Many different averaging methods such as homogenization, micro-mechanics and microstructure methods are proposed to estimate average thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of rocks. In this paper, the authors evaluate...

In this paper, an electrospraying technique was applied to prepare polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer particles with a different microstructure. The PCL particles can be controlled to have a porous microstructure by tailoring the evaporation of solvents during the electrospraying process. The effect of various concentrations on the morphology and microstructure of PCL particles was investigated. Th...