The aim of the study was (i) to detect changes of dry matter, NaCl and twenty-two free amino acids contents, pH and levels of selected microorganisms in four layers of cheese (from edge to core) during ripening and storage period and (ii) to describe the changes of the above-mentioned parameters caused by early relocation of cheese from optimum ripening conditions to refrigeration temperatures. The number of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria differed significantly (P < 0.05) during the experiment dependent on the analysed layer and ripening ⁄ storage conditions. The free amino acid content differed significantly in individual analysed layers of cheese and also according to individual ripening ⁄ storage conditions. The highest content of free amino acids was found in samples stored at optimal ripening temperatures. Cheese hardness was also analysed and the lowest one was detected in samples ripened under optimal temperatures for the whole period. Early release of cheeses into storage rooms with lower temperature significantly affected properties of these products.

The development of additive technology has made it possible to produce metamaterials with a regularly recurring structure, the properties of which can be controlled, predicted, and purposefully implemented into the core of components used in various industries. Therefore, knowing the properties and behavior of these structures is a very important aspect in their application in real practice from the aspects of safety and operational reliability. This article deals with the effect of cell size and volume ratio of a body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice structure made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic on mechanical vibration damping and compression properties. The samples were produced in three sizes of a basic cell and three volume ratios by the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique. Vibration damping properties of the tested 3D-printed ABS samples were investigated under harmonic excitation at three employed inertial masses. The metamaterial behavior and response under compressive loading were studied under a uniaxial full range (up to failure) quasi-static compression test. Based on the experimental data, a correlation between the investigated ABS samples’ stiffness evaluated through both compressive stress and mechanical vibration damping can be found.

3D printing technology enables the production of functional components in small quantities which can be used as end-use parts. The mechanical properties of the final product define its quality and determine its success or failure in a given application. One at the various additive manufacturing technologies - Fused Deposition Modelling is very often used due to its relatively low cost and the availability of 3D printers and thermoplastic materials. During the process, there are many factors that can affect the mechanical properties of the final product. The temperature of the extrusion nozzle and the layer thickness are two of the basic process parameters. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of these two processing parameters on the final mechanical properties of the 3D printed samples from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Mechanical testing includes the tensile and flexural strength, as well as tensile and flexural modulus.

In this study, basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) composites with epoxy matrix, 20 layers, and volume fraction of fibers Vf = 53.66%, were prepared by a hand lay-up compression molding combined method. The fabric of the basalt fibers is in twill 2/2 weave. Through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), their viscoelastic behavior at elevated temperatures and in various frequencies was explored, whereas thermomechanical analysis (TMA) took part in terms of creep recovery and stress-relaxation tests. Moreover, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the BFRP composites was determined through the peak of the tanδ curves while the decomposition of the BFRP composites and basalt fibers, in air or nitrogen atmosphere, was explored through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The mechanical behavior of the BFRP composites was investigated by tensile and three-point bending experiments. The results showed that as the frequency is raised, the BFRP composites can achieve slightly higher Tg while, under the same circumstances, the storage modulus curve obtains a less steep decrease in the middle transition region. Moreover, the hand lay-up compression molding hybrid technique can be characterized as efficient for the preparation of polymer matrix composites with a relatively high Vf of over 50%. Remarkably, through the TGA experiments, the excellent thermal resistance of the basalt fibers, in the temperature range 30–900 °C, was revealed.

In this work, the effect of ply stacking sequence of carbon/epoxy laminates subjected to flexural, tensile and impact loading was investigated. Five laminates with different stacking configurations were produced using the hand-laying-up technique. This includes a unidirectional laminate, cross-ply laminates, and quasi-isotropic laminates. Following the autoclave curing process, the responses of the composites to bending, tension and impact force were determined according to ASTM standards, and their corresponding strength, stiffness as well as impact energy were evaluated. Likewise, the flexural failure mode associated with each laminate was characterised using an optical microscope. The unidirectional laminates have higher flexural and tensile strength compared to the cross-ply and quasi-isotropic laminates. Moreover, as a result of material symmetry, the flexural and tensile modulus of symmetric cross-ply laminate improved by 59.5% and 3.97% compared to the unsymmetric counterpart. Furthermore, the quasi-isotropic laminates with absorption energy of 116.2 kJ/m2 and 115.12 kJ/m2, respectively have higher impact resistance compared to other samples.

Styrene–butadiene rubber mixtures with four types of carbon black were studied in this paper. The mechanical properties, including the ability to damp mechanical vibration, were investigated, along with dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA). It has been found that carbon black types N 110 and N 330, having the largest specific surface area and the smallest particle diameter, provide a good stiffening effect. These particles have significant interactions between the rubber, resulting in good reinforcement. On the other hand, the carbon black N 990 type has a lower reinforcing effect and improved vibration damping properties at higher excitation frequencies due to higher dissipation of mechanical energy into heat under dynamic loading. The effect of the number of loading cycles on vibration damping properties of the rubber composites was also investigated in this study. It can be concluded that the abovementioned properties of the investigated rubber composites correspond to physical–mechanical properties of the applied carbon black types.

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