The performance of thick piezoelectric transducers as wide-band ultrasonic detectors

A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been used to generate reproducible acoustic displacements in metallic samples. The acoustic waveforms were initially detected by an absolute displacement-sensitive, capacitance transducer. The capacitance transducer was then replaced in turn by two piezoelectric ceramic transducers of different thickness and diameter. Comparison of waveforms from the two types of detector indicate that thick piezoelectric transducers are useful in the detection of fast rise-time displacement waveforms at metal surfaces. Their performance is optimized by making them as thick as possible, with a small area of contact with the surface.     

The syntheses of polycyclic molecules containing b-carboline units by the photochemically induced ring closure of enamides

The syntheses of 5-methyl-5,8,9,14-tetrahydroindolo(2,3-$\text{c}$)indolo (2,3-$\text{g}$) quinolizin-6-one and 15-methyl-7,8,13,15-tetrahydroindolo ( 3,2-$\text{c}$) indolo(2,3-$\text{g}$)quinolizin-5-one from the photochemical cyclisation of i-methylene-2-(N-`methylindole-2'-carbonyl) 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-B-carboline and 1-methylene-2- (N-`methylindole-3' carbonyl) 1,2,3,4,-tetrahydro-B-carboline are described. Attempts to prepare indolo(2,3-$\text{c}$)isoquinolines from the photochemical cyclisation of 2-benzamidoindoles were unsuccessful.     

A nonazide source of cyanonitrene and its interception by tertiary amines

Cyanonitrene is formed from sodium cyanamide and $\text{t}$-butyl hypochlorite in methanol by an α-elimination at or above 0° to +10°, but not at lower temperatures. The nitrene has been trapped by tertiary amines to yield aminimides in fair to good yields. The formation of cyanonitrene has been shown by ESR, dimerization to dicyanodiazene, and reaction with DMSO to yield the sulfoximine.     

Quantitation of estrogens in ground water and swine lagoon samples using solid-phase extraction, pentafluorobenzyl/trimethylsilyl derivatizations and gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A method was developed for the confirmed identification and quantitation of 17beta-estradiol, estrone, 17alpha-ethynylestradiol and 16alpha-hydroxy-17beta-estradiol (estriol) in ground water and swine lagoon samples. Centrifuged and filtered samples were extracted using solid-phase extraction (SPE), and extracts were derivatized using pentafluorobenzy] bromide (PFBBR) and N-trimethylsilylimidazole (TMSI). Analysis was done using negative ion chemical ionization (NICI) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS). Deuterated analogs of each of the estrogens were used as isotope dilution standards (IDS) and were added to the samples before extraction. A limit of quantitation of 1 ng/l in ground water was obtained using 500 ml of ground water sample, 1.0 ml of extract volume and the lowest calibration standard of 0.5 pg/microl. For a 25 ml swine lagoon sample, the limit of quantitation was 40 ng/l. The average recovery of the four estrogens spiked into 500 ml of distilled water and ground water samples (n = 16) at 2 ng/l was 103% (S.D. 14%). For 25 ml of swine lagoon samples spiked at 500, 1000 and 10,000 ng/l, the average recovery for the four estrogens was 103% (S.D. 15%). The method detection limits (MDLs) of the four estrogens spiked at 2 ng/l in a 500 ml of ground water sample ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 ng/l. In swine lagoon samples from three different types of swine operations, estrone was found at levels up to 25,000 ng/l, followed by estriol and estradiol up to levels at 10,000 and 3000 ng/l, respectively. It was found that pretreatment of swine lagoon samples with formaldehyde was necessary to prevent conversion of estradiol to estrone.     

Structural and Electrochromic Properties of Co-Oxide and Co/Al/Si-Oxide Films Prepared by the Sol-Gel Dip Coating Technique

The sol-gel dip-coating technique was used for depositing cubic spinel Co₃O₄ and amorphous Co/Al/Si-oxide thin films. Both types of films exhibit similar electrochrochemical properties which are accompanied by the hydration of the structure. The electrochromic properties of Co/Al/Si-oxide surpass those already known for Co-oxide based electrochromic materials. The change in transmittance for spinel Co₃O₄ is 25%, while for Co/Al/Si-oxide films exceeds 50%. The electrochromic efficiency () for Co₃O₄ and Co/Al/Si-oxide films was 22 cm² C^-1, which is comparable to other electrochromic oxides. Good electrochromic properties of the Co/Al/Si-oxide films make them promising materials for active counter electrode in electrochromic devices.     

Modelling of the radiated field from multi-element capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

This paper presents results from a theoretical model of the ultrasonic fields radiated by a 3x3 assembly of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) sources on the same silicon substrate. These predictions have, for the first time, been compared directly to the fields measured experimentally using a scanned miniature detector. This work indicates that there is minimal cross-coupling between source elements, and demonstrates that it is possible to predict successfully the field characteristics of various geometries of such cMUT elements, with a view to the development of future imaging systems.     

Humidity and aggregate content correction factors for air-coupled ultrasonic evaluation of concrete

This paper describes the use of non-contact ultrasound for the evaluation of concrete. Micromachined capacitance transducers are used to transmit ultrasonic longitudinal chirp signals through concrete samples using air as the coupling medium, and a pulse compression technique is then employed for measurement of time of flight through the sample. The effect on the ultrasonic wave speed of storing concrete samples, made with the same water/cement ratio, at different humidity levels is investigated. It is shown that there is a correlation between humidity and speed of sound, allowing a correction factor for humidity to be derived. A strong positive linear correlation between aggregate content and speed of sound was then observed; there was no obvious correlation between compressive strength and speed of sound. The results from the non-contact system are compared with that from a contact system, and conclusions drawn concerning coupling of energy into the samples.     

Simultaneous reconstruction of flow and temperature cross-sections in gases using acoustic tomography

This paper describes the use of air-coupled ultrasonic tomography for the simultaneous measurement of flow and temperature variations in gases. Air-coupled ultrasonic transducers were used to collect through-transmission data from a heated gas jet. A transducer pair was scanned in two-dimensional sections at an angle to the jet, and travel time and amplitude data recorded along various paths in counter-propagating directions. Parallel-beam tomographic reconstruction techniques allowed images to be formed of variations in either temperature or flow velocity. Results have been obtained using heated jets, where it has been shown that it is possible to separate the two variables successfully.