Jinu Paul

Mechanics of prestressed polydimethylsiloxane-carbon nanotube composite

The influence of the presence of static stress on the dynamic mechanical properties of polydimethylsiloxane-carbon nanotube composite is evaluated. Significant enhancement in the dynamic stiffness is observed, which can be attributed to the combined effect of nanotube nucleated strain induced crystallization, modulation in the waviness of the nanotube entanglements, and the enhanced interfacial adhesion due to the prevailing hydrostatic pressure. The study provides a platform for understanding the behavior of carbon nanotube composites in the stressed state and thereby to consider the prestressing process as an ideal option for enhancing the mechanical properties.

Surface‐Structured Gold‐Nanotube Mats: Fabrication, Characterization, and Application in Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering

The fabrication and characterization of nanostructured fibrous gold mats having high specific surface areas is reported. Freestanding porous films of 6-20-μm thickness and density 0.43 ± 0.02 g cm(3) are prepared using e-beam evaporation of gold on an electrospun nanoporous polymer template and subsequent removal of the template polymer in a suitable solvent. Structural characterization using electron microscopy techniques shows a nanofiber diameter in the range of 300-6000 nm, and the size of the nanochannels on the fiber surface is ≈200-350 nm. Such surface structuring is achieved through fast evaporation of organic solvent and phase separation of polymers during the electrospinning process. The wedge thickness varies from a few nanometers to a few tens of nanometers. The freestanding films possess good mechanical integrity and robustness. The calculated Youngs modulus based on the slope in the elastic region is ≈114 MPa and gives an ultimate breaking strength of 0.7-0.8 MPa at a percentage elongation of 1.5-2.0%. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements demonstrate the formation of polycrystalline gold nanostructures. Electrical characterization performed on these gold nanotubes reveals pure metallic behavior. Raman spectroscopic characterization of the fibrous membrane is performed using crystal violet (CV) adsorbed on it. Well-defined spectral peaks are obtainable at concentrations as low as 10(-7) M of CV, which did not give spectral signals at this low concentration on its own.

Bragg grating temperature sensors: modeling the effect of adhesion of polymeric coatings

Polymeric coatings and packaging are often used to enhance the temperature sensitivity of fiber Bragg grating temperature sensors. The high thermal expansion coefficient of the polymer enhances the thermal sensitivity by improving the wavelength shift due to thermal expansion. The adhesion of the polymeric coatings to the silica based optical fiber plays an important role in the wavelength response characteristics of fiber Bragg gratings with respect to temperature. Experiments are done to qualitatively analyze the influence of adhesion. Three‐dimensional finite element simulations have been carried out. Spring elements are used to interconnect the nodes of the meshed models of optical fiber and coating. The effect of adhesion is studied as a function of spring stiffness.

Friction stir processing of Al6061-SiC-graphite hybrid surface composites

ABSTRACT Friction stir processing (FSP) of Al6061-SiC-Graphite hybrid composites is studied in detail via force analysis, spectroscopic, microstructural and indentation studies. Effect of various tool rotational speeds was assessed, and the axial force variation was monitored. The presence of graphite as a reinforcement influences the axial force fluctuations due to its flaky nature and high thermal conductivity. Variation in microstructure at different tool rotational speed is studied using scanning electron microscope. The tool rotational speed has a significant influence on the area of FSP zone, fragmentation and depth of penetration of particles, dispersion of agglomerates and grain refinement of the matrix material. Spectroscopic characterization of the processed samples was done using Raman analysis and X-Ray diffraction studies. A noticeable change in intensity and shift in the respective Raman peak positions were observed, indicating residual stresses and various disorders in the crystal structure of the reinforced particles. Influence of tool rotational speed and existence of SiC and Graphite particles on the mechanical properties were further evaluated using nano indentation testing. The hybrid composite shows the combination of best and uniform mechanical properties at an optimum set of processing parameters.

Fiber-optic sensor for handgrip-strength monitoring: conception and design

Handgrip strength is an easy measure of skeletal muscle function as well as a powerful predictor of disability, morbidity, and mortality. In order to measure grip strength, a novel fiber-optic approach is proposed and demonstrated. The strain-dependent wavelength response of fiber Bragg gratings has been utilized to obtain the strength of individual fingers. Finite-element analysis is carried out to optimize the pressure transmission from the finger to the fiber Bragg grating. The effect of stiffness of the pressurizing media, its thickness, and the effect of contact fraction are evaluated. It is found that significant enhancement in the pressure sensitivity and wavelength-tuning range is achievable by optimizing these parameters. Also the stress-induced birefringence could be reduced to an insignificant near-zero value. The device is calibrated in terms of load to convert the wavelength shift to the strength of the grip. The time-dependent wavelength fluctuation is also studied and presented.

Improvement of thermal sensitivity of FBG sensors by combined cladding etching and polymer coating

Bragg grating devices are widely used in the field of optical sensing and communication. Thermally tunable devices utilize the effect of temperature on the wavelength response characteristics of the fiber Bragg grating. But the low sensitivity of a Bragg grating device to temperature limits its usage to many applications. The wavelength sensitivity of a bare FBG is only 1.3 nm for a temperature change of 100°C. In order to enhance the temperature sensitivity of a fiber Bragg grating, we propose modification of the cladding of the FBG through etching and put another coating layer outside the cladding. The cladding is etched to a certain depth around the grating and the etched portion is coated with a suitable polymer. Theoretical analysis has been done to find the relationship between the wavelength shifts and the etching depths and coating thickness of the polymer. A finite element model of the cladding etched FBG coated with polymer has also been developed and the wavelength shift due to thermal expansion is analyzed under various etching depths and coating thickness. The high thermal expansion coefficient of the polymer enables to enhance the thermal sensitivity by improving the wavelength shift due to thermal expansion. Also the polymer coating on the etched fiber reduces the susceptibility of fracture and improves the reliability. It is found that that temperature sensitivity increases with increase in etching depth. But there is maximum limit to which the cladding can be etched without affecting the performance. Also it is found that increasing the coating thickness of the polymer increases the wavelength shift due to temperature change.

Novel configuration for lateral pressure tuning of a fiber Bragg grating without peak splitting

Lateral-pressure tuning of a coaxially embedded fiber Bragg grating in a cylindrical polymeric package is demonstrated. The polymeric coating, having very low stiffness and high Poissons ratio, enables effective transfer of the applied radial load to the axial direction. Such a transfer enhances the tuning range and reduces birefringence. A tuning range more than 1 nm, with negligible bandpass broadening and peak splitting, could be demonstrated. A lateral pressure sensitivity of 0.3 nm/(N/mm), which is almost 7 times as high as that of bare FBG, could be obtained.

Theoretical investigation of the thermal stability of the center wavelength of a coated fiber Bragg grating

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are widely used in optical communication and sensing applications. The accuracy and stability of the center wavelength of the FBG is affected by the fluctuations of the ambient conditions, especially the temperature. The center wavelength shift can be reduced either by using a temperature compensating package or by keeping the FBG in an athermal environment. A novel coating design is proposed for achieving passive athermalisation of FBGs. The FBG is coated at different locations with materials having different coefficient of thermal expansion and stiffness. The differential thermal expansion gives rise to an effective strain at the FBG which can compensate the wavelength shift due to temperature change. Theoretical analysis of the proposed model has been carried out and the effect of coating length and thickness is analyzed. It is proved theoretically that almost zero wavelength shifts can be achieved by optimizing the design of the coating.

Simulation of the effect of adhesion and cross-sectional nonuniformity of coatings on the thermal tuning of fiber Bragg gratings

Polymeric coatings are often used to develop various thermally tunable FBG based devices. Coatings on FBGs can be intended for protection, improvement of thermal sensitivities, special spectral shaping etc., and the quality of the coating on the FBG deserves special attention. For example, the adhesion of the polymeric coatings to the silica based optical fiber plays an important role in the wavelength response characteristics of fiber Bragg gratings during thermal tuning. In this paper, we theoretically investigate the effect of adhesion and the non-uniformity of the coating thickness on the thermal tuning process of FBGs. Experiments were done to qualitatively analyze the influence of adhesion. However practically it is very difficult to quantify the percentage adhesion and quality of coatings for experimental verification. Therefore a methodology based on finite element analysis has been utilized for theoretical investigation of the effect of adhesion of polymeric coating on the performance of FBG based thermally tuned devices. Three-dimensional finite element simulations were carried out. Spring elements are used to inter connect the nodes of the meshed models of optical fiber and coating. The effect of adhesion is studied as a function of spring stiffness. The effect of non-uniformity in the coating thickness in the circumferential direction was also studied.

Evaluation of the effect of polymer coating on the lateral pressure tuning of fiber Bragg gratings

We report the analysis of the expected effect of polymeric coating on the lateral pressure tuning of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The dependence of the coating thickness and the stiffness of the polymer on the peak wavelength shift sensitivity and birefringence were evaluated using finite element analysis. A suitable polymeric coating with an optimum value of thickness could reduce the birefringence to an insignificant near-zero value and the peak shift sensitivity could be enhanced to almost ten times as high as that of bare FBGs.