Denise Bellisario

Shape Memory Foams of Microbial Polyester for Biomedical Applications

Foams of polycaprolactone (PCL) and microbial polyester (poly-hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate, PHBV with 10% mol PHV) were produced by particulate leaching in an urea preform and subsequent preform dissolution in distilled water. Films were also cast to compare mechanical and shape memory performances. SEM observations of foam sections showed that a homogenous microstructure was obtained with good replication of urea particles. Cylindrical PHBV samples (porosity about 90%) were used for shape memory tests in compression mode and a good behavior was observed. After training, 100% shape recovery can be achieved if a maximum 30% compression is applied.

Mechanical qualification of collagen membranes used in dentistry

AIM The aim of this work is the qualification of commercially available collagen membranes in a comparative manner. The natural origin of collagen makes standardization difficult. Nevertheless, through dimensional and mechanical measures it is possible to mechanically qualify collagen membranes, and compare them. METHODS Three commercially available collagen membranes used in Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) and in Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR) techniques, namely Bio-Gide, Collprotect and Jason, were chosen for the comparison. Quasi-static (tensile tests) and time-dependent (stress relaxation test) mechanical tests together with a functional test (tear test) were done to determine the responses of collagen membranes under different loading conditions. RESULTS The tested membranes exhibited different behaviours, different deformability values and thickness, Jason being the thinnest and Bio-Gide the thickest. Similar differences were also observed in terms of surface density. DISCUSSION Even though clinical observations were not within the aim of this study, our findings indicate that a better understanding of the correlation between mechanical properties and thickness could lead to a more rational design and use of these membranes in the face of specific clinical cases.

Auxetic epoxy foams produced by solid state foaming

Auxetic epoxy resin foams were produced by solid-state foaming thanks to the use of properly shaped precursors. In fact, a re-entrant hexagonal shape of the precursors is preserved during foaming and results in a foam with a complex structure: a thin macro-structure with the re-entrant geometry filled with foam. The auxetic behavior was observed by using tensile tests at different temperatures (room temperature, 80℃, and 100℃). Indentation tests were also carried out to evaluate the gradient properties across the lines of the thin re-entrant macro-structure. In order to show that the auxetic behavior depended on the internal macro-structure, tests were also performed on foam panels obtained by cylindrical tablets and, therefore, with a standard-hexagonal macro-structure. In conclusion, the auxetic behavior was observed only for the foam panels with re-entrant hexagonal structure at 80℃. In this case, a negative Poisson’s ratio is immediately achieved at small strains and tends to a zero plateau value for longitudinal strains up to 1%.

Direct Moulding of Rubber Granules and Powders from Tyre Recycling

SMART project (Sustainable Moulding of Articles from Recycled Tyres) is a research project financed by the European Commission with the aim of developing a new moulding process of granules and powders from tyre recycling without any addition of virgin rubber or linking agent. The so called “direct moulding” is a compression moulding process which is directly applied to rubber particles from tyre grinding. After one year of activities, the new moulding process has been deeply investigated and some results are reported in the current work for the first time. Rubber granules and powders were produced by GumiImpex (partner of the European project) thanks to different technologies: particles from tyre grinding and buffings from tyre machining. Different size distributions of rubber particles and buffings were used to produce rubber sheets with the size of 200x200x5 mm3 at the temperature of 160°C and the pressure of 3 MPa by using aluminium moulds. Tensile specimens were extracted from the sheets and tensile tests were performed and related to sample density and particle properties. Rubber densities over 1 g/cm3 have been reached for all the samples with ultimate tensile strength and maximum elongation up to 1 MPa and 80%, respectively. These mechanical data are very promising in comparison with properties of polyurethane bound rubber composites. Increasing moulding pressure and temperature would lead to higher mechanical properties, if necessary.

Numerical Simulation of Laser Bending of Aluminum Foams

Laser forming of open-cell aluminum foams has been modeled by means of a 3D finite element model which is able to take into account the real foam geometry as well as the main process variables. A parametric procedure has been defined for the geometry construction and meshing, and the simulation run. In order to calibrate and validate numerical modeling, compression and flexure tests were performed on a closed-cell aluminum foam. The simulation of mechanical tests allowed a correct modeling of the aluminum alloy behavior under plastic deformation. The same material behavior was implemented in a complex thermo-mechanical model for laser bending simulation. The final model is able to predict the shape evolution during forming and the correlation between process variables and final bent angles.

Compression Moulding of Thermoplastic Nanocomposites Filled with MWCNT

Multi-walled carbon-nanotubes (MWCNTs) were melt-mixed with three different thermoplastic matrices (polypropylene, PP, polycarbonate, PC, and thermoplastic polyurethane, TPU) to produce nanocomposites with three different filler contents (1, 3, and 5 wt.%). Initial nanocomposite blends (in the shape of pellets) were tested under differential scanning calorimetry to evaluate the effect of the melt mixing stage. Nanocomposite samples were produced by compression moulding in a laboratory-scale system, and were tested with quasi-static (bending, indentation), and dynamic mechanical tests as well as with friction tests. The results showed the effect of the filler content on the mechanical and functional properties of the nanocomposites. Compression moulding appeared to be a valuable solution to manufacture thermoplastic nanocomposites when injection moulding leads to loss of performance. MWCNT-filled thermoplastics could be used also for structural and functional uses despite, the present predominance of electrical applications.

Multilayered Composite Plates with Shape Memory Properties

In this study, multilayered composite plates with shape memory properties were produced: carbon fibers prepreg are alternated with layers of shape memory epoxy powder obtaining composite with different number of layers. The differences in the load exerted during shape recovery, and percentage and time of recovery of the composites as a function of layers number have been evaluated. In particular, the actuation load and the shape recovery percentage were measured after a V-shape memorizing step of the composites. The experimental results are very promising, showing that such multilayers can successfully recover the original shape without noticeable damages and an increasing of actuation load per layer has been found at the increase of the layers number.

Shape recovery of PET foams after cold compression

In this study, the recovery properties of thermoplastic foam are discussed. The feasibility of using this foam as core for the production of a shape memory sandwich with self-repairing properties is evaluated. PET foams have been extracted from a panel of PET foam in order to test the foam in the three space directions. Small cubic samples were then subjected to memory-recovery cycle. This cycle consisted of a cold compression to reduce the foam sample thickness up to 50%, and a subsequent recovery of the shape by heating the samples in a muffle. This way, it was possible to evaluate the effect of anisotropy on strength, stiffness and shape recovery of the PET foam. Afterwards, compression tests have been repeated to evaluate residual properties of PET foam after cold compression and hot recovery. Results confirm the ability of this class of materials to easily change and recovery their shape.

Numerical Simulation of Laser Forming of Aluminum Sponges: Effect of Temperature and Heat Treatments

Laser forming ofopen-cell aluminum foams can be modeled by means of 3D thermo-mechanical models but the correct evaluation of the alloy material properties is a key-factor for obtaining good predictions. In order to increase the model predictability from a quantitative point of view, further information about the material behavior under laser exposure is necessary. In this study the effect of the temperature on the mechanical properties of a commercial aluminum sponge has been evaluated in terms of yielding stress and tangent modulus. Experimental tests have been performed by compression and used to infer mechanical properties by means of a 3D FE model. The same approach has been used also to evaluate the effect of a heat treatment of the sponge on the material behavior during forming. In conclusion numerical simulation of laser heating has been used to show the effect of the laser-material interaction on the final homogeneity of processed foams.

Indentation Recovery of Shape Memory Foams Produced by Solid State Foaming

In this study, solid state foaming was used to produce epoxy foam samples with shape memory properties. Foams were indented at room and high temperature by using flat pins with diameter from 1 to 5 mm. Micro-indentations were performed as well only at room temperature. The indentation marks were measured before and after thermal recovery to evaluate the ability of the material to reach the initial shape. For a better understanding of the overall process, a study was made also to predict the initial precursor density as a function of the compaction parameters. This way, it was also evaluated that the effect of the compaction process is covered by the effect of the foaming step.