This book describes the design, fabrication and evaluation of a polymer-based neural interface for a cochlear electrode array, reviewed in terms of fabrication process, functionality, and reliability. Polymer-based devices have attracted attention in the neural prosthetic field due to their flexibility and compatibility with micro-fabrication process. A liquid crystal polymer (LCP) is an inert, highly water-resistant polymer suitable for the encapsulation of electronic components and as a substrate material for fabricating neural interfaces. The author has designed, fabricated, and evaluated an LCP-based cochlear electrode array for an improved polymer-based cochlear implant. The thesis deals with 3 key topics: atraumatic deep insertion, tripolar stimulation, and long-term reliability. Atraumatic insertion of the intracochlear electrode and resulting preservation of residual hearing have become essential in state-of-the-art cochlear implantation. A novel tapered design of an LCP-based cochlear electrode array is presented to meet such goals. For high-density and pitch-recognizable cochlear implant, channel interaction should be avoided. Local tripolar stimulation using multi-layered electrode sites are shown to achieve highly focused electrical stimulation. This thesis addresses another vital issue in the polymer-based neural implants: the long-term reliability issue. After suggesting a new method of forming mechanical interlocking to improve polymer-metal adhesion, the author performs accelerating aging tests to verify the method's efficacy. The aforementioned three topics have been thoroughly examined through various in vitro and in vivo studies. Verification foresees the development of LCP-based cochlear electrode array for an atraumatic deep insertion, advanced stimulation, and long-term clinical implant.

Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine in Ophthalmology, Second Edition, focuses on an aging population and the increasing instances of eye diseases. Biomaterials continue to be used for numerous medical devices for the restoration of eyesight, improving many patients' quality of life. Consequently, biomaterials and regenerative medicine are becoming increasingly important to the advances of ophthalmology and optometry. This book provides readers with an updated and expanded look at the present status and future direction of biomaterials and regenerative medicine in this important field.

For courses in architecture and civil engineering. Reinforced Concrete: Mechanics and Design uses the theory of reinforced concrete design to teach students the basic scientific and artistic principles of civil engineering. The text takes a topic often introduced at the advanced level and makes it accessible to all audiences by building a foundation with core engineering concepts. The 7th Edition is up-to-date with the latest Building Code for Structural Concrete, giving students access to accurate information that can be applied outside of the classroom. Students are able to apply complicated engineering concepts to real world scenarios with in-text examples and practice problems in each chapter. With explanatory features throughout, the 7th Edition makes the reinforced concrete design a theory all engineers can learn from.

With this volume, Ezequiel P. M. Leiva and co-authors fill a gap in the available literature, by providing a much-needed, comprehensive review of the relevant literature for electrochemists, materials scientists and energy researchers. For the first time, they present applications of underpotential deposition (UPD) on the nanoscale, such as nanoparticles and nanocavities, as well as for electrocatalysis. They also discuss real surface determinations and layer-by-layer growth of ultrathin films, as well as the very latest modeling approaches to UPD based on nanothermodynamics, statistical mechanics, molecular dynamics and Monte-Carlo simulations.

This book is devoted to describing theories for porous media where such pores have an inbuilt macro structure and a micro structure. For example, a double porosity material has pores on a macro scale, but additionally there are cracks or fissures in the solid skeleton. The actual body is allowed to deform and thus the underlying theory is one of elasticity. Various different descriptions are reviewed. Chapter 1 introduces the classical linear theory of elastodynamics together with uniqueness and continuous dependence results. Chapters 2 and 3 review developments of theories for double and triple porosity using a pressure-displacement structure and also using voids-displacement. Chapter 4 compares various aspects of the pressure-displacement and voids-displacement theories via uniqueness studies and wave motion analysis. Mathematical analyses of double and triple porosity materials are included concentrating on uniqueness and stability studies in chapters 5 to 7. In chapters 8 and 9 the emphasis is on wave motion in double porosity materials with special attention paid to nonlinear waves. The final chapter embraces a novel area where an elastic body with a double porosity structure is analyzed, but the thermodynamics allows for heat to travel as a wave rather than simply by diffusion. This book will be of value to mathematicians, theoretical engineers and other practitioners who are interested in double or triple porosity elasticity and its relevance to many diverse applications.

The huge consumption of earth's natural resources and the reliance on industrial manufactured products have produced significant impacts on the environment. As such, new strategies must be adopted in order to support the protection and continued development of numerous natural resources. Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymers: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a critical scholarly resource that examines green energy sources and material enhancements that will help to solve ecological problems. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as harvesting techniques, origins of natural fibers, and modeling for textile composites, this book is geared towards engineers, researchers, scholars, and graduate students in the fields of materials science and engineering.

This book reports on the successful implementation of an innovative, miniaturized galvanic cell that offers unprecedented control over and access to ionic transport. It represents a milestone in fundamental studies on the diffusive transport of lithium ions between two atomically thin layers of carbon (graphene), a highly relevant aspect in electrodes for energy and mass storage in the context of batteries. Further, it is a beautiful example of how interdisciplinary work that combines expertise from two very distinct fields can significantly advance science. Machinery and tools common in the study of low-dimensional systems in condensed matter physics are combined with methods routinely employed in electrochemistry to enable truly unique and powerful experiments. The method developed here can easily be generalized and extended to other layered materials as well as other ionic species. Not only the method but also the outcome of its application to Li diffusion and intercalation in bilayer graphene is remarkable. A record chemical diffusion coefficient is demonstrated, exceeding even the diffusion of sodium chloride in water and surpassing any reported value of ion diffusion in single-phase mixed conducting materials. This finding may be indicative of the exceptional properties yet to be discovered in nanoscale derivatives of bulk insertion compounds.

Contents - PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION - PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION - INTRODUCTION - ABBREVIATIONS - 1. NATURAL WAXES - Mineral Waxes: Paraffin Wax; Microcrystalline Waxes; Petrolatum Wax; Ozokerite; Ceresin; Utah Wax; Montan Wax - Vegetable Waxes: Botanical Origin of Waxes - Solubility of Vegetable Waxes - Carnauba Wax - Flower Wax - First Wax - Medium Wax - Sandy Wax - Fat Wax - Candelilla Wax - Japan Wax - Ucuhuba Wax - 2. MANUFACTURED AND SYNTHETIC WAXES - Fatty Alcohols: Cetyl Alcohol; Lanette Wax; Technical Stearyl Alcohol - Fatty Acids: Stearic Acid; Palmitic Acid; Myristic Acid; Distilled Fatty Acids; Solubility of Fatty Acids - Polyglycols: Carbowaxes - Polyhydric Alcohol Fatty Acid Esters: Glyceryl Stearates - Glycol Fatty-Acid Esters - Sorbitol Stearates - Pentawaxes - Hydrogenated Oils: Opalwax - Chlorinated Naphthalenes: Halowax; Seekay Wax - Acrawaxes: Acrawax B; Acrawax C. - I. G. Waxes - Miscellaneous Synthetic Waxes - COMMERCIAL WAXES - Albacer - Diolin- Flexo Wax - C-Glyco Waxes- Stroba Wax - Ketones, Amines, Amides, and Nitriles- 16-Hentriacontanone - Octadecyl-Hexadecyl Amine - Octadecylamine- Armids- Octadecanamide-Hexadecanamide - Octadecane Nitrile-Octadecane-Hexadecane Nitrile - Santowaxes - Santowax R - Alcowaxes - Alcowax-M - Alcowax-G - 3. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF WAXES AND WAX COMPOSITIONS - Increasing the Viscosity of Molten Waxes - Penetration - Surface Tension of Waxes - Adhesiveness - Increasing Compatibility - Raising the Melting Point of Waxes: Raising the Melting Point of Petrolatum - Effects of a Wax Sizing on the Moisture Absorption of Insulating Board - Pliolite-Paraffin Wax Compositions - Specific Heat of Petroleum Waxes - Melting Points of Binary Wax Mixtures - Solubility of Waxes: Solubility of Waxes in Different Solvents - Compatibility of Paraffin Waxes with Other Substances - Compatibility of Mixed Fatty Acids - Compounded Waxes - 4. WAX TECHNOLOGY - Adulteration - Quality Variations Simple Tests: Melting Point - Specific Gravity - Moisture and Insoluble Matter - Accurate Determination of Specific Gravity: Preparation of Sample - Determination of Specific Gravity at 25/25 C - Identification of Mixed Waxes: Schematic Outline for Identification - Separation and Comparison of the Properties of the Wax Components - Spermaceti - Beeswax - Carnauba Wax - Candelilla Wax - Montan Wax - Paraffin Wax - Ozokerite - 5. WAXES IN INDUSTRY - Dental Waxes: Method of Producing Base-Plate Wax - Lipsticks - Pharmaceutical Preparations - Embalming Preparations - Pyrotechnics - Candles: Wicks- Winding- Candle Sizes - Machinery - Wax Candles - Paraffin Candles - Temperature Control-Colors, Sizes, and Shapes - Standard Candle - Melting Point of Wax Mixtures - Congealing Point of Candles - Leather Finishes - Paper Finishes - Waterproofing Kraft Papers - Evaluation of Waxes for Paper Board: Stain and Flow Test at 130 F - Softening and Melting Point - Flexibility and Strength - Viscosity - Surface Tension - Permeability - Degree of Impregnation - Effect of Wax on the Strength of Board - Electrolyte Penetration Test - 6. GLOSSARY - SPECIAL TABLES AND SUBSTITUTES 7. WAX FORMULARY - Adhesives and Cements - Agricultural and Garden Specialties - Building Materials- Carbon Paper, Inks, and Crayons - Cosmetics and Medicinal Preparations - Dental Preparations - Emulsions - Full TOC available on Website

Composite materials are a major growth area within advanced materials and the range of applications for such products continues to grow and increase in diversity with every new development. Composite products are highly in demand and reached sales of $21.2 billion globally in 2014. The top three market segments in 2014 were transportation, construction, pipes, and tanks. Other segments include energy, automotive, and aerospace. This state-of-the-art book has been written by high-profile authors who have extensive experience and knowledge in the field of composite materials. The chapters in this collection would be useful for a wide range of audience: undergraduate and post-graduate students students, industrial professionals, materials scientists and researchers, and composite manufacturers. This book provides the reader with a wide range of information in the interdisciplinary subject area of composite materials. The book consists of thirteen chapters. It deals with two types of nanocomposites: graphene and carbon nanotube reinforced nanocomposites, their manufacturing, properties and applications. It also presents fibre reinforced composites and a comprehensive review of bio-composites. Furthurmore, it has a focus on thermal, mechanical and electrical properties of advanced composite materials.

The geochemistry of the earth 's surface is controlled by chemical equilibrium, and the kinetics of the approach toward equilibrium. Many low temperature processes, such as weathering, do not reach equilibrium except over geologically long time periods. The approach to equilibrium can be described by kinetic theory and the application of kinetic theory to geochemical systems has made vast advances in the last several decades. Geochemical kinetics as a topic is now of importance to a wide range of geochemists in academia, industry, and government, and all geochemists need a rudimentary knowledge of the field. This book will summarize the fundamentals of geochemical kinetics with examples drawn especially from mineral dissolution and precipitation, but will also encompass discussion of high temperature processes and global geochemical cycle modeling. Analysis of textures of rocks, sediments, and mineral surfaces will be incorporated throughout and will be a subtheme of the book.

This comprehensive contributed volume presents an account of current research and applications of chemical processes occurring at the interfaces of water with naturally occurring solids. Interactions of solutes with the solid surfaces are looked at from a mechanistic and dynamic point of view rather than a descriptive one. Processes discussed and concepts presented are applicable to all natural waters (oceans and fresh waters as well as soil and sediment water systems) and to the surfaces of natural solids such as minerals, soils, sediments, biota, and humus. Chapters progress from theoretical models and laboratory studies to applications in natural water, soil, and geochemical systems, emphasizing those processes that regulate the distribution and concentration of elements and compounds. Topics covered include adsorption mechanisms in aquatic surface chemistry, the electric double layer at the solid-solution interface, aspects of molecular structure in surface complexes: spectroscopic investigations, interpretation of metal complexation by heterogeneous complexants, the role of colloids in the partitioning of solutes in natural waters, and from molecules to planetary environments and understanding global change.

This book discusses the problems and feasible remediation of fluoride contamination in groundwater. The book investigates applications of various carbons derived from bio-mass and bio-polymers. It also inquires into surface modified carbons that use inorganic ions to help remove excess fluoride ions in drinking water and wastewater effluents. The compliance of kinetic and isotherm models with fluoride sorption is covered, and the suggested mechanisms of defluoridation by surface modified carbon materials is described.

Chemical structure and bonding. The scope of the series spans the entire Periodic Table and addresses structure and bonding issues associated with all of the elements. It also focuses attention on new and developing areas of modern structural and theoretical chemistry such as nanostructures, molecular electronics, designed molecular solids, surfaces, metal clusters and supramolecular structures. Physical and spectroscopic techniques used to determine, examine and model structures fall within the purview of Structure and Bonding to the extent that the focus is on the scientific results obtained and not on specialist information concerning the techniques themselves. Issues associated with the development of bonding models and generalizations that illuminate the reactivity pathways and rates of chemical processes are also relevant. The individual volumes in the series are thematic. The goal of each volume is to give the reader, whether at a university or in industry, a comprehensive overview of an area where new insights are emerging that are of interest to a larger scientific audience. Thus each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years should be presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. A description of the physical basis of the experimental techniques that have been used to provide the primary data may also be appropriate, if it has not been covered in detail elsewhere. The coverage need not be exhaustive in data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the new principles being developed that will allow the reader, who is not a specialist in the area covered, to understand the data presented. Discussion of possible future research directions in the area is welcomed. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors

The continued greening of the energy sector, with inroads being made through numerous sources of materials that can produce energy, is the main focus of this, Green Chemical Processing, Volume 8. It includes contributions from area experts in widely different fields, all involved in energy production, and makes connections to the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry.

Covering the physical and numerical modeling of materials processing, this book includes contributions across the range of metals and minerals. This collection offers a unique opportunity to present models and results for key processes involved in extraction, joining, separation, and casting of materials. The corresponding fundamentals of mass and heat transport as well as physical and thermodynamics properties are addressed, allowing for a cross-disciplinary vision of the field.

Materials, transformed from natural resources into the buildings, equipment, vehicles and goods that underpin our remarkable lifestyle, are made with amazing efficiency. But our growing demand is not sustainable. This optimistic and richly-informed book evaluates all the options and explains how we can greatly reduce the amount of material demanded and used in manufacturing, while still meeting everyone's needs. "Instead of the usual ya-boo about sustainability, this is a pragmatic guide to getting more value from less stuff. Researched with long-term co-operation from industry, it emphasizes facts and evidence but is aimed at a popular readership." - BBC News Magazine "A valuable, impartial expert source in an important debate." - Boing Boing

This book will guide Photovoltaics researchers in a new way of thinking about harvesting light energy from all wavelengths of the solar spectrum. It closes the gap between general solar cells books and photovoltaics journal articles, by focusing on the latest developments in our understanding of solid-state device physics. The material presented is experimental and based on II-VI thin-film materials, mainly CdTe-based solar cells. The authors describe the use of new device design, based on multilayer graded bandgap configuration, using CdTe-based solar cells. The authors also explain how the photo-generated currents can be enhanced using multi-step charge carrier production. The possibility of fabricating these devices using low-cost and scalable electroplating is demonstrated. The value of electroplating for large area electronic devices such as PV solar panels, display devices and nano-technology devices are also demonstrated. By enabling new understanding of the engineering of electroplated semiconductor materials and providing an overview of the semiconductor physics and technology, this practical book is ideal to guide researchers, engineers, and manufacturers on future solar cell device designs and fabrications. Discusses in detail the processes of growths, treatments, solar cell device fabrication and solid state physics, improving readers' understanding of fundamental solid state physics; Enables future improvements in CdTe-based device efficiency; Explains the significance of defects in deposited semiconductor materials and interfaces that affect the material properties and resulting device performance.