The effectiveness of various insulating materials for limiting radon entry into houses has been investigated under laboratory conditions. Results for the radon diffusion coefficient measurements in more than 80 insulating materials are summarized. We have discovered that great differences exist in diffusion properties, because the diffusion coefficient varies within four orders from 10(-13) m2/...

The onset of Marangoni convection for evaporating liquids Brendan D. MacDonald Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto 2012 The stability of evaporating liquids is examined. The geometries investigated are semiinfinite liquid sheets, bounded liquid sheets, sessile droplets, and funnels. Stability parameters are generated to charact...

Composite materials have been used extensively in various applications, such as mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, and aviation thanks to their interesting mechanical properties. However, a substantial drawback in the use of such composite materials is that they absorb a significant amount of moisture when exposed to severe hygrothermal conditions. This factor dramatically affects t...

Progression in the field of insulating materials for power transformers and other high voltage devices is visible regardless type insulation: solid, liquid, or gas [...]

A model is presented that successfully predicts electro-optical properties of Lanthanide materials, irrespective whether these materials are inorganic or organic, diluted or concentrated, metallic, semi-conducting or insulating. The model is firmly based on recent experimental data revealing that the variation in 4f and 5d energies relative to the valence band over the Ln series (La, Ce, Pr,.. ...

Several practical issues must be considered when solid electrical insulation is used in a low pressure environment. While the low pressure environment or partial vacuum (in this context, a region which is almost devoid of any gaseous media) can exhibit good electrical insulating properties, the materials contained within the partial vacuum will effect the insulation integrity over time. Degrada...

The properties of mineralogical and covalent inorganic polymers are brieffy described in the introductory part. Glass is an important polymer made up of rings and chains of silicate units which contain negatively charged oxygen atoms neutralized by positive metal ions. Glass and few other mineralogical types of inorganic polymers, like aluminum oxyde, could be fabricated into fibers and used as...