ABSTRACT
We present a 3-dimensional fully natural sonic crystal composed of spherical aggregates of fibers (called Aegagropilae) resulting from the decomposition of Posidonia Oceanica. The fiber network is first acoustically characterized, providing insights on this natural fiber entanglement due to turbulent flow. The Aegagropilae are then arranged on a principal cubic lattice. The band diagram and topology of this structure are analyzed, notably via Argand representation of its scattering elements. This fully natural sonic crystal exhibits excellent sound absorbing properties and thus represents a sustainable alternative that could outperform conventional acoustic materials.
ABSTRACT
An ultrasonic method is proposed to characterize the morphological (geometrical) aspects of powders through the elastic modulus dependence of their packing on the factors of polydispersity, coordination number and particle shape. During the mechanical alloying process, the variation in geometrical characteristics of powders provides critical information. Ultrasonic parameters are shown to be sensitive not only to the average contact number per bead (i.e. the coordination number) but also to characteristics of the bead size distribution, when given the same sample preparation and confining pressure. These parameters, in turn, are sensitive to both the granular medium polydispersity and particle shapes. A non-monotonic behavior of the ultrasonic velocity (and of the derived compressional wave modulus) is observed throughout the alloying process, which thus offers possibilities for powder structure monitoring.
