Quality control ultrasonic methods

Brandt [200] has extracted tri(nonylphenyl) phosphite (TNPP) from a styrene-butadiene polymer using iso-octane. Brown [211] has reported US extraction of acrylic acid monomer from polyacrylates. Ultrasonication was also shown to be a fast and efficient extraction method for organophosphate ester flame retardants and plasticisers [212]. Greenpeace [213] has recently reported the concentration of phthalate esters in 72 toys (mostly made in China) using shaking and sonication extraction methods. Extraction and analytical procedures were carefully quality controlled. QC procedures and acceptance criteria were based on USEPA method 606 for the analysis of phthalates in water samples [214]. Extraction efficiency was tested by spiking blank matrix and by standard addition to phthalate-containing samples. For removal of fatty acids from the surface of EVA pellets a lmin ultrasonic bath treatment in isopropanol is sufficient [215]. It has been noticed that the experimental ultrasonic extraction conditions are often ill defined and do not allow independent verification. 

To be able to estimate bond strength by a non-destructive method is extremely attractive, especially for quality control purposes. The possibility of using ultrasonics for this application has been recognised for a long time36 and efforts have been made to standardise a procedure for the inspection of such components as engine mountings. 

Extraction times can vary from as httle as 2-3 hours to 24-48 hours for some Soxhlet extractions. The relatively long extraction times usually prohibit the use of these methods for quality control analysis applications in a plastics manufacturing plant. More recently, developments such as the use of microwave oven heating or ultrasonic bath agitation have significantly shortened the extraction time, down to 20-60 min [2]. 

The most commonly used methods for evaluation of adhesive bonds are mechanical tests such as tensile shear and peel tests that determine the weakest link in a bonded assembly. Although these tests are useful in the development and quality control of adhesives, they are destructive and cannot offer failure prediction for in-service components. Ultrasonic inspection is the most commonly used non-destructive test method and can accurately assess de bonding in single adhesive bonds, providing that the sensor is perpendicular to the defect plane. However, ultrasound has some limitations in... 

Nondestructive Testing. Nondestructive testing (NDT) is far more economical than destructive test methods, and every assembly can be tested if desired. Several nondestructive test methods are used to check the appearance and quality of structures made with adhesives or sealants. The main methods are simple ones such as visual inspection, tap, proof, and more advanced physical monitoring such as ultrasonic or radiographic inspection. The most difficult defects to find are those related to improper curing and surface treatments. Therefore, great care and control must be exercised in surface preparation procedures and shop cleanliness. 

In addition to chemical methods variety of physical methods has been employed for the synthesis of AuNPs. UV irradiation is used to improve the quality of the AuNPs when it is used in synergy with micelles or seeds [32,33], Near-IR laser irradiation provokes an enormous size growth of thiol-stabilized AuNPs [34], The presence of an ultrasonic field (200 kHz) allowed the control of the rate of AuC14" reduction in an aqueous solution containing only a small amount of 2-propanol and the sizes of the formed AuNPs are controlled by varying the parameters such as the temperature of the solution, the intensity of the ultrasound, and the positioning of the reactor [35,36], Sonochemistry was also used for the synthesis of AuNPs within the pores of silica and for the synthesis of Au/Pd bimetallic particles [37,38], Radiolysis has been used to control the size of AuNPs [39], Laser photolysis has been used to form AuNPs in block copolymer micelles. Laser ablation is another technique of AuNP synthesis that has been used under various conditions whereby size control can be induced by the laser [40,41],... 

The colloidal properties of emulsions are responsible for the quality of many foods. Ultrasound is sensitive to most of the properties of interest and can be used as both a research and a process-control tool by food scientists. As a research tool, ultrasonic measurements are particularly powerfid as they can be used to generate information not readily available by other methods - importantly, physical state, particle size, concentration, and flocculation in concentrated and optically opaque emulsions. In a process environment, ultrasonic measurements can be effected noninvasively in process lines and are therefore compatible with the stringent hygiene and cleaning requirements of food production. 

Measurement and control are indispensable to achievement of a robust and safe process (Chapter 12). Since the early 1990s, a tremendous effort has been observed in the development of new in-line analytical techniques, including spectroscopy (UV, IR, Raman, laser, and so on), ultrasonic sensing, chromatography, and diffraction or electrical methods. New control schemes appear where the reaction is performed just below the constraint limits, independently of the reaction kinetics. All these techniques tend to lead to safer and more robust processes while increasing productivity and product quality at the same time. 

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