Influence of initial solid–liquid interface morphology on further microstructure evolution during directional solidification

Preparation of the initial solid–liquid interface on which growth is started is a very critical step in directional solidification experiments. Dedicated experiments concerning preparation of the initial solid–liquid interface morphology and its influence on further directionally solidified microstructure were performed on Cu-20 wt% Sn peritectic alloy in a Bridgman-type furnace. To verify the morphology of the initial solid–liquid interface, steady-state directional dendritic growth was interrupted by thermal stabilization ranging from 0 to 1 h prior to quenching. With thermal stabilization duration increase, the solid–liquid interface morphology degenerated from dendritic to cellular and finally to planar. To verify the influence of the initial state on further solidification microstructure, directional solidification experiments were performed at a low pulling rate of 1 μm/s with different initial solid–liquid interface morphologies. The initial state affects solute redistribution and formation of peritectic coupled growth structure in the subsequent directional solidification process.     

Influences of travelling magnetic field on the dendritic structures of Sn–1.8Cd peritectic alloy during directional solidification

The effects of melt flow driven by a travelling magnetic field (TMF) on solidification structures of Sn–1.8 wt.% Cd peritectic alloy have been investigated numerically and experimentally. Numerical results indicate that the flow velocity at the solid–liquid interface under a downward TMF is smaller than that under an upward TMF. The experimental results show that the growth directions of dendrites are chaotic, and several crotches among the dendrites are observed at the solid–liquid interface in the case of no field. It is concluded from TMF results that the ordered growth of dendrites at two different directions occurs, and only one crotch among the dendrites appears at the solid–liquid interface. The location of the crotch gradually approaches the interface center with increasing magnetic field intensity (B≤10.3 mT). Moreover, the growth of high-order branches occurs at the crotch under a downward TMF. A simple model is established for explanation and it well corresponds to the experimental results.     

Response properties at the dynamic water/dichloroethane liquid–liquid interface

ABSTRACT

We present a novel approach for calculating the static dielectric permittivity profile of a liquid–liquid interface (LLI) from molecular dynamics simulations. To obtain well-defined features, comparable to those observed at solid–liquid interfaces, we find it essential to reference to the instantaneous liquid–liquid interface rather than the more commonly used average Gibbs interface. We provide a coarse-grained approach for the practical definition of the instantaneous interface and present numerical results for the prototypical water/1,2-dichloroethane system. These results show that the parallel components of the dielectric permittivity tensor can be accurately extracted. In contrast, the perpendicular component does not converge to the correct bulk value at large distances from the LLI, highlighting a flaw in the regularly applied coarse-graining procedure.     

Two‐phase flow electrosynthesis: Comparing N‐octyl‐2‐pyrrolidone–aqueous and acetonitrile–aqueous three‐phase boundary reactions

A microfluidic double channel device is employed to study reactions at flowing liquid–liquid junctions in contact with a boron‐doped diamond (BDD) working electrode. The rectangular flow cell is calibrated for both single‐phase liquid flow and biphasic liquid–liquid flow for the case of (i) the immiscible N‐octyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NOP)–aqueous electrolyte system and (ii) the immiscible acetonitrile–aqueous electrolyte system. The influence of flow speed and liquid viscosity on the position of the phase boundary and mass transport‐controlled limiting currents are examined. In contrast to the NOP–aqueous electrolyte case, the acetonitrile–aqueous electrolyte system is shown to behave close to ideal without ‘undercutting’ of the organic phase under the aqueous phase. The limiting current for three‐phase boundary reactions is only weakly dependent on flow rate but directly proportional to the concentration and the diffusion coefficient in the organic phase. Acetonitrile as a commonly employed synthetic solvent is shown here to allow effective three‐phase boundary processes to occur due to a lower viscosity enabling faster diffusion. N‐butylferrocene is shown to be oxidised at the acetonitrile–aqueous electrolyte interface about 12 times faster when compared with the same process at the NOP–aqueous electrolyte interface. Conditions suitable for clean two‐phase electrosynthetic processes without intentionally added supporting electrolyte in the organic phase are proposed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field extraction of ions from liquid solutions with the use of polymer track membranes

The general principles of the electric field assisted ion evaporation in the membrane ion source are considered. In the ion source, the liquid sample under investigation is placed in narrow channels of a polymer track membrane, which separates the liquid sample at atmospheric pressure from the vacuum chamber. Stability of the liquid at strong electric fields is provided by a choice of the diameters of channels and the liquid–polymer contact angle. The electric charge on the vacuum–polymer interface is of great importance for creation of the strong electric field near the liquid–vacuum interface. Such a conclusion is made from the computations of the electric field in the framework of the model developed. The mechanism of the electric field assisted evaporation of ions is discussed to explain the observed mass spectra for the ions extracted from liquid.     

Anisotropy of the interface energy of IA and IB metals at a boundary with organic liquids

A statistical electron technique for calculating the interface energy at a boundary with nonpolar organic liquids is proposed in the context of the Frenkel–Gambosh–Zadumkin theory. The anisotropy of the interface energy is determined. The general dependences of the interface energies of alkali metals, copper, silver, and gold on temperature, the atomic numbers of metals, and the dielectric permeability of the organic liquid are found.     

Interaction behaviors at the interface between liquid Al–Si and solid Ti–6Al–4V in ultrasonic-assisted brazing in air

Power ultrasonic vibration (20 kHz, 6 μm) was applied to assist the interaction between a liquid Al–Si alloy and solid Ti–6Al–4V substrate in air. The interaction behaviors, including breakage of the oxide film on the Ti–6Al–4V surface, chemical dissolution of solid Ti–6Al–4V, and interfacial chemical reactions, were investigated. Experimental results showed that numerous 2–20 μm diameter-sized pits formed on the Ti–6Al–4V surface. Propagation of ultrasonic waves in the liquid Al–Si alloy resulted in ultrasonic cavitation. When this cavitation occurred at or near the liquid/solid interface, many complex effects were generated at the small zones during the bubble implosion, including micro-jets, hot spots, and acoustic streaming. The breakage behavior of oxide films on the solid Ti–6Al–4V substrate, excessive chemical dissolution of solid Ti–6Al–4V into liquid Al–Si, abnormal interfacial chemical reactions at the interface, and phase transformation between the intermetallic compounds could be wholly ascribed to these ultrasonic effects. An effective bond between Al–Si and Ti–6Al–4V can be produced by ultrasonic-assisted brazing in air.     

X-Ray Study of Thermotropic Mesophases of an Adsorbed <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-Triacontanol Film at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-Hexadecane–Water Interface

Using synchrotron radiation with a photon energy of 15 keV, the molecular structure of an adsorbed n-triacontanol layer at the n-hexadecane–water interface in its different phase states has been studied by the diffuse X-ray scattering method. The analysis of the experimental data shows that a transition to the multilayer adsorption occurs at a temperature below the two-dimensional vapor–liquid transition at the interface. This transition has been attributed to a feature in the temperature dependence of the concentration of micelles in a surface layer 100–200 Å thick.     

On the Structure of the Mixing Zone at an Unstable Contact Boundary

The interface between two media of different densities (contact boundary) moving with an acceleration directed from the less dense medium to the more dense one is unstable (Rayleigh–Taylor instability) [1, 2]. The initial perturbations of the interface grow indefinitely and, as a result, a medium mixing zone growing with time is formed at the interface. The structure of such a mixing zone at gas–gas and gas–liquid interfaces is discussed on the basis of laboratory experiments on shock tubes of various types. It is concluded that the regions of turbulent and laminar flows are combined in the mixing zone.     

Phase transition detection by surface photo charge effect in liquid crystals

The surface photo charge effect (SPCE) was applied for the first time at structure and phase transitions study of hydrogen bonded in dimer liquid crystals (HBDLCs). Due to the high sensitivity of this method, besides first-order phase transitions, characteristic for the p,n-octyloxibenzoic acids (8OBA), an order transition was definitely detected within the nematic range. We state that the SPCE, arising at the solid–HBDLCs interface due to the double electrical layer, is invariably concomitant with solid surface–liquid interfaces, and indicates that the changes of the characteristics of this layer, under incident optical irradiation, induce surface charge rearrangement and alternating potential difference. A mechanism of induction of the SPCE at the interface of solid surface–anisotropic liquids is proposed. We also indicate that this mechanism can be adapted for solid surface–isotropic liquid interface, including colloids (milk) and fog (aerosols)–condensed medium.     

Wettability and surface energy of parylene F deposited on PDMS

For the first time, the wettability and surface energy of parylene F were investigated. The results showed that parylene F had a hydrophobic surface with an eigen water contact angle of 104.7 ± 0.6°. We found that 3.5 μl probe liquid was an optimal value for the contact angle measurement of parylene F. Moreover, we found that the Lifshitz–van der Waals/acid–base approach was unsuitable for determining the surface energy of parylene F, whereas the Owens–Wendt–Kaelble approach and the limitless liquid–solid interface wetting system were compatible. The surface energy of parylene F was estimated to be 27.06 mJ/m² (Owens–Wendt–Kaelble) and 40.41 mJ/m² (Limitless liquid-solid interface wetting system). Furthermore, this investigation also provided a reference for the applications of empirical and physics-based semi-empirical approaches for the estimation of surface energy.     

Sonochemical decay of C.I. Acid Orange 8: Effects of CCl4 and t-butyl alcohol

Sonochemical degradation of aryl-azo-naphthol dyes represented by C.I. Acid Orange 8 was investigated at 300 kHz to assess the operational parameters and the impacts of rate enhancers (CCl₄) and rate inhibitors (t-butyl alcohol). It was found that the degradation of the dye was accelerated with increased concentrations of CCl₄ via the accumulation of reactive chlorine species and the hindrance of OH radical combination reactions with atomic hydrogen. The addition of t-butyl alcohol at all test concentrations inhibited the degradation of the dye regardless of the quantity of OH radicals (or H₂O₂) in solution. The inhibition was explained by the competition of the dye and t-butyl alcohol at the gas–liquid interface. Finally, the rate of dye degradation in the presence of both reagents at their effective concentrations was found to be considerably slower than that with CCl₄, showing that the formation of reactive chlorine species was remarkably suppressed by the rapid reaction of t-butyl alcohol at the gas–liquid interface.     

Modelling of the influence of dihedral angle,volume fractions,particle size and coordination on the driving forces for sintering of dual phase systems

The equilibrium shape of solid particles in an aggregate immersed in a liquid or in a gas results from the minimization of interface energy. A model is developed for expressing the dependence of the solid–solid and solid–second phase interface areas on the system parameters: phase volume fractions, dihedral angle, particle size and coordination. The model aims at allowing quantitative assessment of the role of these parameters on the driving force for sintering. The representative volume element is a cone of which the apex angle accounts for the average particle coordination. In order to comply with the uniformity of interface curvature, the solid–second phase interfaces are described using the mathematics of the Delaunay surfaces. The results are compared with the solutions obtained by approximating the interface shape by the revolution of an arc of circle around the cone axis. This approximation does not involve a significant loss of precision.     

Laser vaporisation of absorbing liquid under transparent cover

Vaporization of absorbing liquid (water) under a transparent solid cover upon exposure to nanosecond pulses of a holmium laser (λ = 2920 nm) is studied using acoustic and optical diagnostics. The features of the optical signal reflected from the liquid–cover interface suggest that a vapor cavity appears at a submicrometer distance from this interface and exists for about one hundred microseconds. An additional acoustic signal appearing after returning the light signal to the initial level is caused by known cavitation effects accompanying vapor cavity fracture and collapse in liquid.     

Structure of liquid Al and Al67Mg33 alloy: comparison between experiment and simulation

We report data on the structure of liquid Al and an Al₆₇Mg₃₃ alloy obtained from state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction experiments and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. To facilitate a direct comparison between these data, we develop a method to elongate the AIMD pair correlation function in order to obtain reliable AIMD structure factors. The comparison reveals an appreciable level of discrepancy between experimental and AIMD liquid structures, with the latter being consistently more ordered than the former at the same temperature. The discrepancy noted in this study is estimated to have significant implications for simulation-based calculations of liquid transport properties and solid–liquid interface kinetic properties.     

Comparative assessment of the ELBA coarse-grained model for water

The ELBA force field for water consists of a single spherical site embedded with a point dipole. This coarse-grained model is assessed here through the calculation of fundamental properties of bulk liquid water and the water–vapour interface. Accuracy and efficiency are evaluated and compared against simulations of standard three- and four-site atomistic models. For bulk liquid systems, ELBA reproduces accurately most of the investigated properties. However, the radial distribution function deviates from atomistic and experimental data, indicating a loss of local structure. The water–vapour interface, simulated over a range of temperatures from 300 to 600 K, is captured realistically in terms of its density distribution, and the accuracy in reproducing the experimental surface tension is as high as that of the best atomistic model. The critical temperature of ELBA is also found to be in excellent agreement with experiment. However, the interfacial electric field and surface potential are missing. The computational speed-up of ELBA compared to traditional atomistic models is estimated to be between one and two orders of magnitude.     

Dynamic simulation on the temperature field of laser micro-patterning metal in the liquid

To further understand the mechanism of laser electrochemical etching metal, it is necessary to describe the temperature field induced by laser heating metal at the liquid–solid interfaces. For solving the complex problem of laser heating a metal immersed in a liquid, the thermal phenomena adjacent to the metal–liquid interface, which was induced by means of irradiating a stainless steel sample immersed in a liquid with an 808 nm semiconductor laser beam, were numerically investigated. Based on a simplified method to solve the transient explosive boiling when a continuous wave (CW) laser heating a material in a liquid, a commercial finite element analysis (FEA) code (ABAQUS) was used to directly solve and model the transient temperature fields of laser micro-patterning metal in a liquid. As known from simulation results, the simulation of laser scanning indicates that it realizes the effect of pulse laser heating owing to laser moving and liquid cooling. Moreover, laser scanning achieves the pattern at a high resolution. At the same time, the experiment phenomena also proved that the simulation results were reasonable.     

Generation of microbubbles from hollow cylindrical ultrasonic horn

In this study, we found that microbubbles with diameters of less than 100 μm can be easily generated by using a hollow cylindrical ultrasonic horn. Consecutive images of bubbles obtained by using high-speed and high-resolution cameras reveal that a capillary wave is formed on the gas–liquid interface under weak ultrasonic irradiation and that the wave head is detached in the form of bubbles by the fragmentation of the interface as the power of ultrasonic irradiation increases. Moreover, consecutive images of the bubble interface obtained by an ultra-high-speed camera indicate that the breakup of bubbles oscillating harmonically with the ultrasonic irradiation generates many microbubbles that are less than 100 μm in diameter. With regard to the orifice diameter of the horn end, we found that its optimum value varies with the ultrasonic power input. When the orifice diameter is small, the capillary wave generated from the horn end easily propagates all over the gas–liquid interface, thereby starting the generation of microbubbles at a lower ultrasonic power input. When the orifice diameter is large, the capillary wave is attenuated because of viscosity and surface tension. Hence, in this case, microbubble generation from the horn requires a higher ultrasonic power input. Furthermore, the maximum yield of microbubbles via primary and secondary bubble generation can be increased by increasing the gas flow rate.     

Small-angle light scattering symmetry breaking in polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films with inhomogeneous electrically controlled interface anchoring

We have described the method of analyzing and reporting on the results of calculation of the small-angle structure of radiation scattered by a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film with electrically controlled interfacial anchoring. The method is based on the interference approximation of the wave scattering theory and the hard disk model. Scattering from an individual liquid crystal droplet has been described using the anomalous diffraction approximation extended to the case of droplets with uniform and nonuniform interface anchoring at the droplet–polymer boundary. The director field structure in an individual droplet is determined from the solution of the problem of minimizing the volume density of the free energy. The electrooptical effect of symmetry breaking in the angular distribution of scattered radiation has been analyzed. This effect means that the intensities of radiation scattered within angles +θ _s and–θ _s relative to the direction of illumination in the scattering plane can be different. The effect is of the interference origin and is associated with asymmetry of the phase shift of the wavefront of an incident wave from individual parts of the droplet, which appears due to asymmetry of the director field structure in the droplet, caused by nonuniform anchoring of liquid crystal molecules with the polymer on its surface. This effect is analyzed in the case of normal illumination of the film depending on the interfacial anchoring at the liquid crystal–polymer interface, the orientation of the optical axes of droplets, their concentration, sizes, anisometry, and polydispersity.