When a voltage is applied to a layer of a dielectric elastomer, the layer reduces in thickness and expands in area. A recent experiment has shown that the homogeneous deformation of the layer can be unstable, giving way to an inhomogeneous deformation, such that regions of two kinds coexist in the layer, one being flat and the other wrinkled. To analyze this instability, we construct for a clas...

In this study, a maxillofacial silicone elastomer was stained with cigarette smoke. The stain was then removed by solvent extraction using 1,1,1-trichloroethane. The cigarette smoke produced large color changes in the elastomer as measured from spectrophotometric reflectance curves. The solvent was totally effective in removing the cigarette stain without changing the color of the silicone base.

We report a piezoelectric effect in cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomer gels. When we apply a shear stress to a cholesteric elastomer gel in the direction perpendicular to its helical axis, a polarization can be induced in the direction perpendicular to both the stress and the helix. This experimental observation agrees with the theory proposed by Pelcovits and Meyer ͓J.

A simple but efficient method for highly sensitive Raman detection, covering a thin polydimethylsiloxane elastomer, pre-coated with a layer of Au or Ag nanoparticles, onto the detected substrate, is proposed. Moreover, this nanoparticle-coated PDMS elastomer can be used for chemical imaging with high sensitivity.

A persistent Staphylococcus epidermidis infection in mice around a subcutaneous polyvinylpyrrolidone-grafted silicon elastomer catheter (SEpvp) but not around a conventional silicon elastomer catheter was observed. With SEpvp pericatheter tissue, protracted and exaggerated interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) production was found. Apparently, sustained levels of IL-1beta are associated with enhanced su...

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Maxillofacial prostheses are serviceable for approximately 6 months, after which they need to be refabricated because of the deterioration of color and physical properties. PURPOSE This third article in a 3-part series evaluated the color stability of commonly used colorant-elastomer combinations as a result of exposure to weathering. METHODS AND MATERIAL Fifteen specim...

The fabrication of robots and their embedded systems is challenging due to the complexity interacting components. integration additive manufacturing (AM) robotics has made advancements in through sophisticated state-of-the-art AM technologies materials. With emergence 3D printing, printing materials are also being considered engineered for specific applications. This study reviews different rob...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the activities of two newer triazoles and two echinocandins combined with human phagocytes against Candida parapsilosis biofilms. METHODS An in vitro model of C. parapsilosis biofilms was used. Biofilms were grown on silicone elastomer discs in 96-well plates at 37°C for 72 h. Biofilms or planktonic cells were incubated with voriconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin or...

Currently, a range of sectors are implementing three-dimensional (3D) printing, which is part additive manufacturing (AM) technology via the fused deposition modelling (FDM) approach. As now, various filament materials available in market and have their limitations. Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) blend as material 3D printing should be implemented to overcome weakness filaments. TPE stands out d...