Rot fungi Fomitopsis pinicola and Sterum hirsutum were employed in preparing decayed birch wood samples. The degree of decay was determined as weight loss. The samples were analysed by analytical pyrolysis (PY) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and correlated to weight loss by means of multivariate calibration.The above techniques provided both quantitative assessments and qualitative interpretations. The PY technique can distinguish between the fungi at all degrees of decay while FTIR failed at low weight losses. This may be due to fungal biomass, the amount of which is difficult to determine in the decayed sample. Both analytical techniques can be calibrated to predict weight losses from 0 to 45 %. Different fungal degradation patterns could also be identified, especially when pyrolysis was used. F. pinicola degraded lignin to a lesser extent at the same weight loss than did S. hirsutum. General degradation mechanisms could be confirmed for the fungi studied. KeywordsFomitopsis pinicola Sterum hirsutum Decayed birch wood FTIR Analytical pyrolysis Multivariate data analysis Brought to you by | University of Arizona Authenticated Download Date | 6/3/15 4:21 PM

No abstract

No abstract

A novel scanning technique for the contactless laser actuation of shape memory alloy spring is presented in this paper. The influence of laser power on the actuation behavior is studied in detail for the power ranges from 5 to 50 W with bias loads of 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 N. The scanning of the laser beam over the spring increases the temperature of the spring in proportion to the number of scans performed on the spring. With the increase in power, the scanning required for complete actuation decreases. A maximum of 8 passes was required to attain complete actuation for a bias load of 3.5 N at 15 W, whereas only 1 pass is required for actuation against the same bias load above 35 W. A maximum displacement of 28.9 mm was attained for a bias load of 3.5 N at 50 W. The heat generated during the laser interaction and its distribution in the coils of the spring is studied in detail using COMSOL Multiphysics.

Shape memory alloy coating on an optical fiber plays an important role in developing novel active thermal sensors in the field of microelectromechanical systems. In this article, a detailed analysis of NiTi alloy deposited over plastic optical fiber was discussed. A detailed investigation of the morphological, structural, and thermal properties of the NiTi-coated optic fiber was conducted. The uniformity, crystallinity, transformation temperatures, and thermal stability of the coatings were measured using differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Also, an electrical actuation setup thermo-mechanical test was conducted through Joule heating in which different voltages at varying loads have been used. The sensor characteristic–based parameters (time response and sensitivity) were also calculated. The article presents a complete analysis of experimental results showing the properties and performances of the plastic optical fiber after coating with shape memory alloy.