Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) is used in biomedical applications due to its high wear-resistance, ductility, and biocompatibility. A great deal of research in recent decades has focused on further improving its mechanical and tribological performances in order to provide durable implants in patients. Several methods, including irradiation, surface modifications, and reinforcements have been employed to improve the tribological and mechanical performance of UHMWPE. The effect of these modifications on tribological and mechanical performance was discussed in this review.
The optical phase conjugation (OPC) through photonic nanostructures in coherent optics involves the utilization of a nonlinear optical mechanism through real-time processing of electromagnetic fields. Their applications include spectroscopy, optical tomography, wavefront sensing, and imaging. The development of functional and personalized holographic devices in the visible and near-infrared spectrum can be improved by introducing cost-effective, rapid, and high-throughput fabrication techniques and low-cost recording media. Here, we develop flat and thin phase-conjugate nanostructures on low-cost ink coated glass substrates through a facile and flexible single pulsed nanosecond laser based reflection holography and a cornercube retroreflector (CCR). Fabricated one/two-dimensional (1D/2D) nanostructures exhibited far-field phase-conjugated patterns through wavefront reconstruction by means of diffraction. The optical phase conjugation property had correlation with the laser light (energy) and structural parameters (width, height and exposure angle) variation. The phase conjugated diffraction property from the recorded nanostructures was verified through spectral measurements, far-field diffraction experiments, and thermal imaging. Furthermore, a comparison between the conventional and phase-conjugated nanostructures showed two-fold increase in diffracted light intensity under monochromatic light illumination. It is anticipated that low-cost ink based holographic phase-conjugate nanostructures may have applications in flexible and printable displays, polarization-selective flat waveplates, and adaptive diffraction optics.
Microfiltration flat sheet membranes of polyether sulfone (PES) were fabricated by incorporating varying concentrations of polymer and investigated the influence of substituting solvents. The membranes were prepared via immersion precipitation method. Different solvents that included NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone), DMF (dimethylformamide), and THF (tetrahydrofuran) were used to analyse their effect on the performance and morphology of the prepared membranes. Two different coagulation bath temperatures were used to investigate the kinetics of membrane formation and subsequent effect on membrane performance. The maximum water flux of 141 ml/cm2.h was observed using 21% of PES concentration in NMP + THF cosolvent system. The highest tensile strength of 29.15 MPa was observed using membrane prepared with 21% PES concentration in NMP as solvent and coagulation bath temperature of 25°C. The highest hydraulic membrane resistance was reported for membrane prepared with 21% PES concentration in NMP as solvent. Moreover, the lowest contact angle of 67° was observed for membrane prepared with 15% of PES concentration in NMP as solvent with coagulation bath temperature of 28°C. Furthermore, the Hansen solubility parameter was used to study the effect on the thermodynamics of membrane formation and found to be in good correlation with experimental observation and approach in the present work.
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