Development of a Thin-Film Sensor for In Situ Measurement of the Temperature Rise in Rolling Contacts with Fluid Film and Mixed Lubrication

The following study presents an in situ sensor system which can measure the temperature change of rolling contacts for heavy duty during fluid as well as mixed friction. This thin-film sensor was optimized with regard to its size, spatial resolution, and wear resistance. Extensive tests were carried out with a two-disk test rig and the data of the temperature change were presented. The results show the complex processes within a rolling contact and the strongly interaction of pressure, friction, and temperature development within the contact zone. Due to the detailed sensor and disk characterization, the data are suitable for comparing calculation methods.

Magnetoimpedance Thin Film Sensor for Detecting of Stray Fields of Magnetic Particles in Blood Vessel

Multilayered [FeNi (100 nm)/Cu (3 nm)]5/Cu (500 nm)/[Cu (3 nm)/[FeNi (100 nm)]5 structures were used as sensitive elements of the magnetoimpedance (MI) sensor prototype for model experiments of the detection of magnetic particles in blood vessel. Non-ferromagnetic cylindrical polymer rod with a small magnetic inclusion was used as a sample mimicking thrombus in a blood vessel. The polymer rod was made of epoxy resin with an inclusion of an epoxy composite containing 30% weight fraction of commercial magnetite microparticles. The position of the magnetic inclusion mimicking thrombus in the blood vessel was detected by the measurements of the stray magnetic fields of microparticles using MI element. Changes of the MI ratio in the presence of composite can be characterized by the shift and the decrease of the maximum value of the MI. We were able to detect the position of the magnetic composite sample mimicking thrombus in blood vessels. Comsol modeling was successfully used for the analysis of the obtained experimental results and the understanding of the origin the MI sensitivity in proposed configuration. We describe possible applications of studied configuration of MI detection for biomedical applications in the field of thrombus state evaluation and therapy.

Thin-film based sensor for the selective detection of mercury (Hg2+) ions at the picomolar range

Purpose The purpose of this paper is a new thin-film based sensor proposed for sensitive and selective detection of mercury (Hg2+) ions in water. The thin-film platform is easy to use and quick for heavy metal ions (HMIs) detection in the picomolar range. Ion-selective self-assembled monolayer's (SAM) of thiol used for the detection of HMIs above the Au/Ti top surface. Design/methodology/approach A thin-film based platform is suitable for the on-field experiments and testing of water samples. HMIs (antigen) and thiol-based SAM (antibody) interaction results change in surface morphology and topography. In this study, the authors have used different characterization techniques to check the selectivity of the proposed method. This change in the morphology and topography of thin-film sensor checked with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray analysis used for high-resolution images. Findings This thin-film based platform is straightforward to use and suitable for real-time detection of HMIs at the picomolar range. This thin-film based sensor platform capable of achieving a lower limit of detection (LOD) 27.42 ng/mL (136.56 pM) using SAM of Homocysteine-Pyridinedicarboxylic acid to detect Hg2+ ions. Research limitations/implications A thin-film based technology is perfect for real-time testing and removal of HMIs, but the LOD is higher as compared to microcantilever-based devices. Originality/value The excessive use and commercialization of nanoparticle (NPs) are quickly expanding their toxic impact on health and the environment. The proposed method used the combination of thin-film and NPs, to overcome the limitation of NPs-based technique and have picomolar (136.56 pM) range of HMIs detection. The proposed thin-film-based sensor shows excellent repeatability and the method is highly reliable for toxic Hg2+ ions detection. The main advantage of the proposed thin-film sensor is its ability to selectively remove the Hg2+ ions from water samples just like a filter and a sensor for detection at picomolar range makes this method best among the other current-state of the art techniques.