On the electrochemical behaviour of undercooled melts and glasses

The electrochemical behaviour of undercooled melts and glasses is considered in detail. First the thermodynamic properties of the corresponding phases are calculated and then the temperature course of the emf and of other thermodynamic functions of a galvanic cell in which the net reaction is: undercooled melt (glass)→crystal, are determined. Some additional problems concerning the electrochemistry of amorphous electrodes are analyzed, e.g. hydrogen overvoltage upon hydrogen evolution on crystalline or amorphous electrodes of a given metal. Several variants are discussed for the possible experimental realization of a galvanic cell in which the emf is determined by the difference in the chemical potentials of the undercooled melt (or the glass) and the crystal, i.e. of a galvanic cell with a vitreous and a crystalline electrode made of one and the same electronic conductor or of a bipolar cell with an amorphous and a crystalline electrolyte, etc. An attempt is made to estimate the interal electric (Galvani) potential at the melt/crystal interface by using data for the difference of the Peltier coefficient between the respective phases.The analysis of the electrochemical behaviour of vitreous, liquid and crystalline electrodes is performed on the basis of formal thermodynamics and in terms of classical model approaches. It is shown how to determine by electrochemical measurements the main thermodynamic parameters of glasses which are considered as frozen-in non-equilibrium systems.     

Crystallization behaviour of Al-based metallic glasses below and above the glass-transition temperature

The present paper aims to report an effect of a supercooled liquid region on crystallization behaviour of the Al₈₅Y_8−xNd_xNi₅Co₂ metallic glasses produced by rapid solidification of the melt. The paper describes the crystallization process at different regimes of heat treatment. It is found that crystallization behaviour of the above-mentioned Al-based metallic glasses above the glass-transition temperature and below it follows different transformation mechanisms. Formation of the primary nanoscale α-Al particles was observed during continuous heating or after isothermal annealing above the glass-transition temperature. During isothermal annealing below the glass-transition temperature an unknown metastable phase is formed conjointly with α-Al. The metastable phase formed in the Nd-free alloy varies from that in the Nd-bearing alloys. Al₈₅Nd₈Ni₅Co₂ amorphous alloy exhibiting no glass transition crystallizes equally during isothermal calorimetry at different temperatures and during continuous heating.     

Microscopic lateral overgrowth by physical vapour transport of GaN on self‐organized diamond‐like carbon masks

Techniques to reduce dislocation densities in GaN grown on foreign substrates are an interesting alternative to bulk growth as long as efficient bulk crystals growth techniques are not available. In this paper a new approach for epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of GaN through an in‐situ grown self‐organized amorphous (diamond‐like) carbon mask is demonstrated. The ELO was done for the first time by physical vapour transport of Ga, using NH₃ as a nitrogen source. The overgrowth results in a decrease of the threading dislocation density by at least one order of magnitude compared to that of the MOCVD GaN/sapphire templates. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A geometric and analytic approach to the process of vitrification. II. Kinetic treatment

The processes of evolution of the frozen non-equilibrium structure of a glass to the equilibrium state of an undercooled liquid are considered in terms of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. An improved rate equation is derived which accounts for the non-symmetric course of the thermodynamic driving force of the stabilization process as well as for possible memory effects. An atomistic model of a simple single-component vitrifying liquid is employed in order to establish a realistic temperature dependence of the structural parameter, ξ, and of the time of molecular relaxation, τ(T). By using simple analytic considerations and geometric concepts, memory effects in the kinetics of vitrification are demonstrated and expressions for the kinetic stability of superheated and supercooled glasses are derived. An extended definition of the vitreous state, including supercooled and superheated glasses, is given.     

Kinetics of crystallization of titanium based binary and ternary amorphous alloys

Metallic glasses are kinetically metastable materials. These amorphous materials can be transformed into a crystalline state by both isothermal and isochronal methods. The study of this transformation, and hence the thermal stability of metallic glasses, are important from an application view-point. In the present work, the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of two titanium-based amorphous alloys namely, Cu₅₀Ti₅₀ and Ti₅₀Ni₃₀Cu₂₀, are reported. The activation energies for crystallization, E_c for both the systems have been evaluated using different non-isothermal methods viz. derived through Kissinger, Augis and Bennet and Ozawa. The values of E_c obtained using these methods are consistent for both the metallic glasses and it is found that E_c for the ternary metallic glass is considerably higher than the binary metallic glass. The increase in the activation energy on the substitution of Ni in the Cu–Ti metallic glass suggests the increase in the thermal stability.     

铁基触媒中金刚石单晶的生长对初生渗碳体的消耗

利用扫描电子显微镜观察了不同合成时间的金刚石合成效果以及相应触媒的组织结构,结果表明:随着压力、温度的升高,铁基触媒全部熔化为液态后约20秒内,熔体对碳的溶解度可达到极大的过饱和程度,生成数量极大的初生渗碳体,同时,金刚石单晶在这种环境中生成。随着时间的延长,金刚石单晶长大、数量增多,熔体对碳的过饱和程度逐渐降低。触媒组织中的初生渗碳体量逐渐减少。分析表明:石墨碳与触媒首先发生冶金反应生成初生渗碳体,在高温高压作用下,初生渗碳体分解,碳原子脱溶,然后堆积到金刚石上。金刚石的生长通过对初生渗碳体的消耗得以进行。     

Electron paramagnetic resonance and raman spectroscopy characterization of diamond films fabricated by HF CVD method

Thin polycrystalline diamond films were synthesized on silicon substrate by Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition (HF CVD) technique from a mixture of hydrogen and different content of methyl alcohol. A comparative study on the Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), Raman spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were performed. It was shown that EPR signal, Raman spectra and morphology, studied by SEM, strongly depend on the ratio of CH₃OH/H₂ in the HF CVD reactor. The peak‐to‐peak line‐width in EPR signal varies from 0.09 to 0.8 mT depending on diamond quality. The Raman spectra of our diamond film showed, except well defined diamond Raman lines positioned at 1332 cm^‐1 with different Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), a broad band having maximum at around 1530 cm^‐1 which is characteristic for amorphous carbon phase. The obtained results show that EPR, SEM and Raman spectroscopy yield complementary results about the defects present in CVD diamond films. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

硅基底上生长金刚石层细晶粒的研究

金刚石/硅声表面波基片的金刚石层晶粒的细化有利于传播损耗的降低,本文采用热丝化学气相沉积法进行了硅基体上沉积细晶粒金刚石工艺的初步探索.探讨了基体温度、气压、氩气和甲烷浓度等因素对金刚石细晶粒生长的影响.对相应样品进行了扫描电镜和拉曼散射谱分析.结果表明:在低气压范围,相同氩气浓度,随着气压的降低,甲烷浓度也要相应降低,能保证金刚石结晶质量.同时,降低气压达到一定值后,金刚石晶粒尺寸变小,经测试可达到纳米级.     

Role of additive (Zn) incorporation on the glass/crystal thermodynamics and stability of Se80 − xTe20Znx (x = 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) glassy alloys

Different thermodynamic parameters (quantities) of Se_80 − xTe₂₀Zn_x (x = 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) glasses have been obtained from the phase transformation studies using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) under non-isothermal condition at five different heating rates (10-50 K/min). Specific heat measurements have been made to see the effect of Zn additive in Se-Te-Zn glasses which have further been utilized to evaluate various thermodynamic quantities such as entropy difference (ΔS), enthalpy difference (ΔH) and Gibbs free energy difference (ΔG) between the undercooled melt and the corresponding equilibrium solid phases as a function of temperature. The data obtained from different thermodynamic quantities have been used to determine the stability of these glasses. It has been found that the stability of the samples increases with the increase of Zinc (Zn) content in the investigated series of the glassy alloys.     

Evaluation of nucleation rate by in‐situ focused beam reflectance measurement in an unseeded batch cooling crystallization

Nucleation kinetics in the cooling crystallization of hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX) from γ‐butyrolactone was studied by converting total counts/s measured by in situ focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) into number of crystals. The classical nucleation rate model, which is derived exclusively from the thermodynamic state for the nucleation and molecular collision frequency, was found to be inadequate to describe the experimentally measured nucleation rates. However, the nucleation rates predicted by the modified classical nucleation rate model, inclusive of an additional temperature term, were found to be in good agreement with those measured in the present work. Furthermore, the metastable zone widths are also found to be more accurately predicted by the modified classical nucleation rate model than the classical approach, which assumes that the mass‐based nucleation rate is an exponential function of supersaturation and is equal to the supersaturation rate.     

硼协同掺杂金刚石单晶的高温高压合成

金刚石是一种具有优异性能的极限性超硬多功能材料。人工合成的金刚石可通过掺杂的方式使其具有各种独特的性质。掺硼金刚石兼具p型半导体的导电特性和金刚石自身优良的物理和化学性能,在国防、医疗、勘探、科研等领域具有极高的应用价值。本文基于本课题组高温高压(HPHT)法合成的系列掺硼金刚石以及硼协同掺杂金刚石单晶,进行了硼掺杂金刚石、硼氢协同掺杂金刚石以及硼氮协同掺杂金刚石的合成和性能特征等方面的研究。通过表征合成样品在光学、电学方面的性能,探讨了不同掺杂添加剂对合成金刚石性能的影响,为合成高性能的半导体金刚石提供了思路。     

Effect of the addition of alcoholic miscible co‐solvents on the properties of ascorbic acid in its supersaturated aqueous solution

In the current study results are presented on the influence of the solvent composition on the properties of ascorbic acid in its supersaturated aqueous solutions. In examining the role of addition of 20 wt.% ethanol or 1‐propanol to the ascorbic acid water system, it was emphasized that the solubility is reduced significantly due to the addition of alcoholic co‐solvents. Using UNIFAC simulation, tt was found that the addition of alcoholic co‐solvents to the aqueous ascorbic acid solution and in the state of equilibrium reduces significantly the activity coefficient of ascorbic acid. In the supersaturated ascorbic acid solutions, the calculated activity ratio (γ/γ_eqm) by means of UNIFAC simulations as a function of supersaturation ratio (x/x_eqm) point out that the addition of alcoholic co solvents lead to an increase in the thermodynamic driving force. The measured metastable zone widths in the presence of alcoholic co‐solvents displays that alcoholic co‐solvents acts on increasing the width of the metastable zone. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

添加剂Si对NiMnCo触媒合成金刚石的影响

本文研究了添加剂Si对NiMnCo粉末触媒合成金刚石生长特性的影响.实验中将不同比例的无定形Si粉直接添加到Ni-Mn-Co-C体系中并均匀混合,在国产六面顶压机上进行了金刚石单晶的合成实验.结果表明,由于掺Si量的不同,合成金刚石的最低生长压力有所不同,"V"形区发生了移动;通过考察Ni-Mn-Co-C和Ni-Mn-Co-Si-C两种体系中合成金刚石的情况并借助于光学显微镜,发现两种体系所合成的晶体颜色变化并不大,但随着Si含量的增加,晶体的完整性变差,包裹体增多;通过XPS检测发现,在Ni-Mn-Co-Si-C体系所合成的金刚石当中存在SiC.     

Thermodynamic properties of amorphous solids: The electrochemical approach

In the present contribution are critically analyzed and reexamined the possibilities to determine the thermodynamic properties of amorphous solids, of defect crystals and of glasses by means of electrochemical methods. After detailed theoretical considerations performed in the framework of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes it is demonstrated how the most significant thermodynamic parameters of amorphous systems with frozen-in structure—their configurational enthalpy and entropy ΔH_g and ΔS_g—can be electrochemically measured, when the systems under investigation are first order (electron) conductors, capable of forming the electrodes in a glass → crystal Galvanic cell. We refer here to existing classical experimental results with two such systems: vitreous Sb (so-called explosive antimony) and glassy carbon resins both used to demonstrate the applicability of the theoretical considerations developed. Results with several Metglass alloy systems (Ni/P, Fe, Ni/P, B, Co/B and Cu/Ti), obtained via corrosion potentio-dynamic electrochemical measurements are also summarized and used to estimate the thermodynamic properties of variously treated glass-forming systems. The electrochemical evidence analyzed clearly demonstrates in its integrity the particular, frozen-in nature of the basic thermodynamic parameters in the considered glass systems (ΔHg ≈ const > 0, ΔSg ≈ const > 0) as this is expected to be both from classical theory and from known calorimetric measurements. The contribution of direct glass/crystal Voltaic contacts to the thermodynamic properties of electrochemical cells with glassy or vitro-crystalline electrodes is also considered in details. Possible technical applications of Galvanic and Voltaic potentials, determined by glassy or vitro-crystalline electrode materials, including existing conventional battery systems and other horizons, opened to discussion by the present theoretical approach are also outlined.     

Properties and structure of AsTe glasses (II). Local order parameters and structural model

Diffraction measurements on bulk and thin films AsTe glasses are reported, throughout the whole range of stability. FNP distances and areas, average valence angles and compactness are determined from the Fourier transform. For As-rich glasses important differences are found between short-range order in both vitreous and crystalline states. An interpretation at the molecular scale is proposed. It takes account of the particular topological properties of the AsTe molecules, which are evidenced by hand-made models. The proposed structure consists of a network of AsTe_3/2 units which are interconnected through “AsAs locks”. It is shown that these “locks” play a crucial role in the stability of the As-rich glasses in favoring strongly the covalent bonds. On the other hand, in Te-rich glasses there is no similar locking mechanism. The presence of threefold-coordinated tellurium sites enhances the metallic character, and weakens the difference between crystalline and vitreous states. The structural models which are proposed enable us to explain the anomalies and the discontinuities of most thermodynamic properties which are described in paper I.     

Inelastic neutron scattering studies of amorphous network solids

The inelastic neutron scattering technique provides information on the vibrational spectra of amorphous network glasses which extends that available from optical and resonance spectroscopy. A range of instrumentation is available to cover energies corresponding to relaxation phenomena (< 1 μeV) up to hydrogen stretching frequencies (500 meV). The resolution attainable is now sufficient to give data, the line width of which is dominated by the natural broadening caused by the structural variations in the networks. Additional information on atomic motions within a vibrational mode is given by the dependence of the scattered intensity on the magnitude of the scattering vector, Q, as revealed by the dynamical structure factor, S(Q, E). Low energy excitations (<10 meV) characteristic of the amorphous state have been related to anomalous low temperature thermal properties and also contain information on the range of topological order within the network. Experimental investigations using a variety of neutron inelastic scattering instrumentation to study vitreous silica, vitreous opal, vitreous boron trioxide, the amorphous germanium-selenium system and amorphous silicon containing hydrogen or deuterium are described. The results are used to discuss the possibilities and limitations of the method for testing structural models of network glasses.     

Effects of the rate of supersaturation generation on polymorphic crystallization of m-hydroxybenzoic acid and o-aminobenzoic acid

Effects of the rate of supersaturation generation on polymorphic crystallization have been investigated through evaporation and cooling crystallization experiments of m-hydroxybenzoic acid (m-HBA) in methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate, and o-aminobenzoic acid (o-ABA) in ethanol. The rate of supersaturation generation has been altered by systematically changing either the cooling rate or the evaporation rate of solvent using a jacketed crystallizer and a microfluidic evaporation device, respectively. The results have revealed that the rate of supersaturation generation and the tendency of the formation of the less stable polymorph are positively correlated. Kinetic effects are dominant when the rate of supersaturation generation is high, thereby producing the metastable polymorphs (orthorhombic m-HBA; Form II of o-ABA); on the contrary, more stable polymorphs (monoclinic m-HBA; Forms III and I of o-ABA) are formed when the rate of supersaturation generation is low and the thermodynamic effects are prevailing.     

Thermodynamic and lamella models relationship for the eutectic system benzoic acid – cinnamic acid

The present investigation reveals the relationship between excess thermodynamic functions and the growth habits of the eutectic phases from the melt by continuous melt‐growth technique. Excess thermodynamic functions computed for different compositions of the benzoic acid – cinnamic acid eutectic system have been found consistent with the criteria of spontaneity and Planck formulation, and their reliability has been ascertained by the application of Guggenheim lattice theory. The results on the kinetics of anisotropic growth of the eutectic phases from the melt, evidentially evince the dislocation mechanism. Evidences have been obtained for a parabolic variation of mechanical strength with growth velocity of the eutectic material grown anisotropically from the melt at different intervals, which offer supporting complement to the dislocation mechanism governing the dependence of growth velocity on supercooling ΔT in the solidus – liquidus interface in a form : V = k(ΔT)². A moderate anisotropic growth region has been explored by unique results of strength properties and microscopic results as well, to growing a layer of lamellae in a unidirectional lamina. An anisotropic eutectic composite lamellae lamina developed by moderate growth velocity (7.3 × 10^‐8m³s^‐1), is of greater interest offering optimum hardness, approximately varying between three‐and eight fold average increase in different modes of the mechanical strength in comparison to its isotropic growth carried out in an ice‐bath (∼273K), and manifold superior to its constituent phases irrespective of the growth mode. The directional lamina of uniform microstructural parameter lamellae, indicates that there is a perfect lamella‐ matrix equilibrium for which excess thermodynamic functions do vanish. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

新型功能碳材料的高压截获

高性能功能材料在诸多领域具有广泛的应用前景,是人们一直关注的研究热点。高压可以有效地改变物质的原子间距和成键方式,是获得新型功能材料的重要途径。在碳材料的高压研究中,许多有趣的功能碳材料,如光学透明碳、高强度弹性碳和超硬非晶碳等,已经通过不同的碳前驱体合成。本文简要介绍了作者近年来在低维碳基纳米复合材料高压研究中取得的进展,基于设计的不同低维碳前驱体,高压下截获了具有超硬特性、新型压致共价聚合及发光增强的碳材料。     

高功率MPCVD金刚石膜透波窗口材料制备研究

使用自行研制的椭球谐振腔式MPCVD装置,以H2-CH4为气源,在沉积功率8 kW条件下,对大面积金刚石膜透波窗口材料进行了制备研究.分别使用扫描电镜、Raman、分光光谱仪、热导率测试仪和空腔谐振法对金刚石膜的表面形貌、品质、光透过率、热导率和微波复介电常数等进行了表征及测试.实验结果表明,使用自行研制的椭球谐振腔式MPCVD装置,能够满足较高功率下高品质金刚石膜的快速沉积;抛光后的自支撑金刚石膜具有高的光学透过率和热导率,在23 ～ 36 GHz频率范围内微波介电损耗小于1×10-4,有着良好的微波介电性能,是较为理想的透波窗口材料.