Oxygen potentials,stoichiometry, superconducting,and magnetic properties in the Y?Ba?Cu?O system

The relationship between stoichiometry in YBa₂Cu₃O_x and oxygen potential was investigated by barometry and compared with in-situ X-ray diffraction experiments between 300 and 1000 °C (6 < x < 7). The physical properties are influenced even by small deviations in x. Y₂BaCuO₅ was included in the investigations and found to be antiferromagnetic with T_N ≈ 30 K.     

Effect of vibration frequency and sample composition on acoustic properties of Y?Ba?Cu?O high-Tc superconductors

Temperature dependences of absorption and velocity of longitudinal ultrasound in high-T_c ceramics Y Ba Cu O with different Y and Ba content at frequencies 100 kHz and 7.5 MHz are studied in the temperature range 6 to 300 K. For 100 kHz three peaks at 60, 140, and 230 K are observed in the temperature dependences of decrement. Temperature dependences of sound velocity show a broad hysteresis for thermocycling. The temperature boundaries of hysteresis and peak locations are almost independent of sample composition. Sizes of hysteresis and peak heights are very different in samples of various composition. For 7.5 MHz, a peak was found at 210 K in the temperature dependences of ultrasound absorption increment. It is shown that the acoustic anomalies are due to a structural phase transition of martensitic type. Thermoactivation parameters of the main microscopic mechanism responsible for the phase transition are estimated.     

The influence of small deviations from stoichiometry on the properties of Y?Ba?Cu?O superconductor ceramics

According to a central composite design samples with deviations from stoichiometry YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x of ±2.5 wt% in the ingredients were prepared. The influence of these deviations on phase content, superconducting properties and microstructure of the ceramics was studied.     

Influence of annealing conditions on structural properties of Y?Ba?Cu oxide superconductors

The chemical composition, the topography, and the defect structure of high-temperature superconducting Y Ba Cu oxide samples have been studied in dependence on the annealing conditions by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Rutherford backscattering, nuclear reaction analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The topography is characterized by smooth and rough grains. The chemical composition of samples varies in dependence on the annealing time and temperature. The microstructure of the superconducting material is dominated by a lamellar twin structure.     

Thermal Expansion and Superconductivity in Alkali Metal- and Silver-doped Bi?Sr?Ca?Cu?O System

Samples with the nominal composition Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_y with na doped at the Ca site and K doped at the Sr site are prepared by solid state reaction method. From the X-ray diffraction data it is found that all the the samples have exhibited a single phase 2212. The D.C. electrical resistivity data show that for Na-doped samples the T_c (zero) varies from 80 K to 85 K and for K-doped samples it is from 79 K to 82 K. The loss of oxygen from these samples around 400°C was confirmed by high temperature dilatometry. The variation of the thermal expansion coefficient (“α”) with temperature for different alkali dopings are discussed. Also the samples with the nominal composition Bi₄Sr₃Ca₃Cu_4−xAg_xO_y (with x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) were studied.     

Effect of Particle Size on the Ice Nucleating Ability of AgI?AgBr?CuI System

The effect of particle size on the ice nucleating behaviour of AgI-AgBr-CuI system has been studied for the first time. Six samples of different molar ratios and five sizes in each sample are considered in the present study. It is found that the nucleation temperature is the highest for particle size in the range of 60 ± 5um.     

Resistance and Current Density Studies on Plasma Sprayed Coatings of Bi(Pb)?Ca?Sr?Cu?O Superconducting Materials

Plasma spraying is a potential technique for forming flexible tapes from brittle high T_c oxides. It is possible to obtain superconducting Bi(Pb) Ca Sr Cu O coating by suitable heat treatment schedule after spraying. In an effort to get maximum transport current densities (J_c) of the coating, the content of lead and sintering time have been optimised. A J_c value of 200 Amp/cm² is obtained in Bi_1.4Pb_0.6 · Ca₂Sr_1.9Cu₃O_y specimen coated on silver sprayed Fe[(Ag)/Fe] substrate. Remarkable improvement in J_c values up to 694 Amp/cm² is obtained in the same specimen coated on Ca₂Sr_1.9Cu₃O_y sprayed Fe[Ca₂Sr_1.9Cu₃O_y)/Fe] substrate. The observed decrease in J_c(B) curves with increase in magnetic field shows the presence of weak coupling between the grains.     

The influence of the Mg content and the quenching conditions on the decomposition kinetics of Al?Zn?Mg alloys

By means of resistivity measurements, TEM and microhardness measurements the decomposition kinetics of A1-3 at.% Zn-1.5 at.% Mg and A1-4.5 at.% Zn-x at.% Mg (x = 0.2; 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.25; 3.0) were investigated. For T_a < T_{a, crit} < T_h (T_h: temperature of the rapid homogenous nucleation) in A1-3 at.% Zn-1.5 at.% Mg and A1-4.5 at.% Zn-x at.% Mg (x = 1.0; 1.5; 2.25; 3.0) an inversion of the decomposition kinetics for T_q > T_inv: (T_inv: inversion temperature) was established. This result can be explained with reference to the binding of excess vacancies in dislocation loops. Proceeding from the discrepancy between the experimentally estimated concentrations of vacancies bound in dislocation loops and the concentrations of free vacancies at T_q, calculated by means of the Lomer equation, a model is proposed, which explains the high vacancy concentration of the loops. In terms of this model the values of the migration energy, obtained for A1-3 at.% Zn — 1.5 at.% Mg in the T_a-range 23 °C ≦ T_a ≦ 100 °C, and the shift of the inversion temperatures T_inv towards higher values with increasing T_a are interpreted. The same applies to the influence of the Mg content on the decomposition kinetics in A1-4.5 at.% Zn-x at.% Mg alloys.     

Hydrogen in Cu?Ti and Ni?Ti Metallic Glasses

The hydrogen solubility and its effect on the crystallization of Cu Ti and Ni Ti glasses were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and X-ray diffraction. Dependence of the crystallization products of the hydrogenated Ti-based alloys on the hydrogen content was found. Whereas in Cu-Ti alloys hydrogenation leads to drastic decreasing in the thermal stability due to phase separation in the amorphous state and to formation of microcrystalline structure during crystallization, in Ni Ti system hydrogen produces hydrides with Ni as well with Ti, which after heat treatment decompose, and finally the same crystalline phases as in unhydrogenated alloy are formed. The isothermal crystallization kinetics of the maximum hydrogenated Cu₅₀Ti₅₀ amorphous alloy was also investigated to obtain additional information about this transformation leading to nano-crystalline material.     

Peculiarities in the X-ray Spectral Microanalysis of the Sn?Te?I System

This is an examination of the methodological specificities of the roentgenospectral microanalysis of the Sn Te I system, involving the application of a graphoanalytical method used in the analysis of ternary systems according to data calculated for the binary ones. The calculations were made on an ES 1060 computer in FORTRAN-4. The calculations are for different selection angles of the microanalyzer, and for a broad interval of values of the accelerating voltage. In this manner the method offered is applicable to any type of microanalyzer, and not only to the Cameca MS-46 used by us.     

Study of the reversible martensitic transformation in Cu?Zn?Al alloy by positron annihilation

The positron lifetime measurement to investigate phase transformations: martensitic phase (MP) ⇔︁ parent phase (PP) in Cu Zn Al alloy has been used. We have observed the generation of new defects by MP → PP transformation; these defects are liquidated by martensitic transformation. This effect is only observed in case of high concentration vacancies in alloy. In order to explain the nature of these defects we take into consideration the supervacancies idea.     

Investigations on the Quasi-binary System V2O5?Ta2O5

By chemical transport reactions, in the system V₂O₅ Ta₂O₅ another two compounds already described in literature were successfully isolated besides the two boundary phases. These are VTa₉O₂₅ and the compound VTaO₅ occurring in two modifications. The transition point of the irreversible change of modification α-VTaO₅ → β-VTaO₅ was determined as 1153 ± 5 K in a quite good agreement with values cited in the literature.     

Effect of structural transformations on the texture of Ni?Fe base alloys

1. Processes of texture formation were studied in three Ni Fe system alloys containing Mo and Ti (alloy No. 1), Cr, Ti and Al (alloy No. 2) and Co, Ti and Al (alloy No. 3). The deformation texture is identical in all alloys which agrees with the proximity of stacking fault energies as estimated from X-ray data. 2. Annealing leads to a pronounced diffusion and alteration of the texture in alloy No. 1, but does not alter the texture type and intensity in alloy No. 2, whereas in alloy No. 3 the typical strain texture components are intensified. 3. Structure processes governing texture formation were identified as recrystallization in alloy No. 1, and oriented γ–γ′ transformation in alloys No. 2 and 3 where the intergranular boundaries were blocked by heterogenous precipitation of phases not possessing fcc structure.     

A microstructural examination of Zn?Al?Cu alloys

A microstructural examination of a Zn-11 wt% Al-1 wt% Cu alloy in dependence on the applied heat treatment was carried out by means of scanning electron, transmission electron and optical microscopy as well as X-ray investigations.     

Liquid Phase Epitaxy of SiC in the System Si?Tb?SiC by Temperature Gradient Zone Melting (I). Investigation of Solubilities in the System Si?Tb?SiC

In the paper which is divided into three parts the liquid phase epitaxy of SiC by temperature gradient zone melting with the solvent Si Tb is discussed. In the first part the solubility of SiC at different initial compositions of the Si Tb solvent is studied in the temperature range 2000–2500 K.     

The structure of Cu?Cd alloys obtained electrolytically on monocrystal copper cathodes

Tests were made on the structure of Cu Cd alloys obtained on single crystal copper cathodes with surfaces parallel to the (111), (110) and (100) planes. X-ray phase identification indicated the presence of α-phase in the form of a solid solution of cadmium in copper. In the low cathode potentials range alloy crystallite orientation is governed by twinning on the {111} planes of crystallites of epitaxial orientation relative to cathode surface. The surface morphology of alloys obtained up to potential −490 mV depend on cathode type. Above this potential value alloy surface morphology is determined by potential at which it is obtained.     

A decomposition study of a eutectoid Cu?Al alloy

A study of the eutectoid decomposition of a Cu-11.8wt.%Al alloy was carried out by means of differential scanning calorimeter and an electron microscope. The activation energies of eutectoid and peritectoid reactions were determined.