The shear-induced molecular orientation of a nematic liquid crystal, 5CB (4-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl) was studied in a newly-developed apparatus in which the liquid crystal was confined between optical windows at a film thickness that is continuously variable. The molecular orientation was measured in situ during shear in the presence and absence of DC electrical bias between the two surfaces. I...

This paper reports a novel actuating design that uses the shear deformation of a piezoelectric actuator to deflect a bulge-diaphragm for driving an array microdroplet ejector. In essence, we employed a circular-shaped actuator poled radial direction with remnant polarization normal to the actuating electric field for inducing the piezoelectric shear effect. The array microdroplet ejector consis...

The floor beams of steel buildings, cold-formed steel floor joists in particular, often require large web openings, which may affect their shear capacities. A cost effective way to mitigate the detrimental effects of such openings is to weld/fasten reinforcements. A difficulty associated with an experimental investigation to establish suitable reinforcement schemes for openings in shear zone is...

This paper reports a novel actuating design that uses the shear deformation of a piezoelectric actuator to deflect a bulge-diaphragm for driving an array microdroplet ejector. In essence, we employed a circular-shaped actuator poled radial direction with remnant polarization normal to the actuating electric field for inducing the piezoelectric shear effect. The array microdroplet ejector consis...

Semi-dilute nano-rod dispersions interact nonlocally and nonlinearly through excluded-volume and distortional elasticity potentials. When driven by steady shear with confinement boundary conditions, remarkable behavior of the rod orientational distribution ensues: strong anisotropy; steady and unsteady responses; and gradient structure on (thus far) unpredictable lengthscales. Extreme variabili...

Abstract Understanding the generation of mechanical stress in drying, particle-laden films is important for a wide range industrial processes. One way to study these stresses through cantilever experiment, whereby thin film deposited onto surface plate that clamped at one end wall. The are generated during drying transmitted and drive bending. Mathematical modelling enables be inferred from mea...

2.02.4.1 Finite-strain Effects in Bulky or Massive Bodies 71 2.02.4.2 Nonlinear Finite-strain Effects in Columns, Plates and Shells Soft in Shear 72 2.02.4.3 Discrepancy between Engesser’s and Haringx’s Formulas: New Paradox and its Resolution 73 2.02.4.4 Shear Stiffness Associated with Second-order Strain 74 2.02.4.5 Differential Equations of Equilibrium Associated with Different Finite-strain...

In the traditional buckling analysis of rectangular plates the classical thin plate theory is generally applied, so neglecting the plating shear deformation. It seems quite clear that this method is not totally appropriate for the analysis of thick plates, so that in the following the two variable refined plate theory proposed by Shimpi (2006), that permits to take into account the transverse s...

To fabricate high-strength diatomite-based ceramics for dental applications, the layer-by-layer technique was used to coat diatomite particles with cationic [poly(allylamine hydrochloride)] and anionic [poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)] polymers to improve the dispersion and adsorption of positively charged nano-ZrO(2) (zirconia) as a reinforcing agent. The modified diatomite particles had reduc...

The purpose of this paper is to connect two critical aspects of nano-composite materials engineering. The nano-elements considered here derive from the class of high aspect ratio nematic polymers, either rod-like or platelet spheroids. First, the overall electrical properties of polymer nano-composites are well approximated by the effective electrical conductivity tensor in the low volume fract...