Polarization characteristics of polydimethylsiloxane-based composites during first-order phase transitions

Crystallization of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) filled with insulating carbon has been studied in an inhomogeneous temperature field. It is shown that the material polarization during the melt-crystal transitions depends on the concentration of the filler. This results in a decrease of the temperature coefficient of polarization with the concentration of dielectric carbon. The temperature dependences of thermodynamic functions are calculated for the crystallization range of the crystals under study.     

Exchange of sodium and silver ions in Na<Subscript>3</Subscript>Sc<Subscript>2</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> single crystals

Sodium-and silver-ion exchange in single crystals of two polymorphous modifications of the Na₃Sc₂(PO₄)₃ compound has been studied. It is established that in the process of ion exchange, the samples undergo phase transitions similar to the well-known temperature transformations observed in these systems. It is shown that the phases with ferroelectric, ionic, and superionic properties may simultaneously coexist in one sample.     

On the coexistence of phases at the α–β transition in quartz

The character of the α–β transition in crystals of natural and synthetic quartz has been studied by measuring the refractive index. The coexistence of two different crystallographic modifications over some temperature range has been established. The α–β phase transition is supposed to be attributed to the near-critical phase transitions. In synthetic quartz with Al and Fe structural impurity the α–β transition consists of two successive transitions. First the transition from the α-phase to an intermediate one takes place, then the intermediate phase is transformed into the β-Phase. Within a certain temperature range there exists only the intermediate phase.     

On two-dimensional ferroelectricity in layered polymer films on substrates

A simple model for describing structural phase transitions in thin ferroelectric copolymer films on solid substrates obtained by the Langmuir-Blodgett method has been suggested. It is shown that the polymer-substrate interaction and surface tension considerably influence these transitions and, in particular, can induce additional low-temperature first-and second-order phase transitions depending on the material parameters and the film thickness. The main dimensionless parameter and its critical value, which control the formation of the additional order in very thin films, are determined.     

Domain structure in CsDSO4 crystals

A complex study of domain structure of CsDSO₄ crystals has been performed over a wide temperature range. The effect of internal and external stresses and the PO₄ impurity on the kinetics of domain growth is considered. The behavior of the domain structure of the CsDSO₄ crystals is compared with martensite phase transformations. A model of crystal-lattice transformations in various phases is suggested, including an intermediate phase with the unknown symmetry of CsDSO₄ crystals.     

Dielectric properties of thallium gallium diselenide layered crystal in the incommensurate phase

The dielectric measurements of the layered crystal were studied in temperature range of successive phase transitions. The measurements revealed that the phase transition occurred in 242 K is an incommensurate phase transition. When the sample is annealed at a stabilized temperature in the incommensurate phase, a remarkable memory effect has been observed on cooling run. The mechanism of the memory effect in the incommensurate phase of the semiconducting ferroelectric TlGaSe₂ can be interpreted in the frame of the theory of defect density waves. This theory claims that the memory effect is the result of pinning of the incommensurate structure by the lattice inhomogeneities. With decreasing the annealing temperature the phase transition temperature shifts to lower temperatures gradually. Moreover, the peak intensities also increase gradually. In addition to these effects, the phase transition temperature shifts to lower temperatures with increasing annealing time. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A Structural Study of Aluminate Sodalite Ca8[Al12O24](CrO4)2(CACr)

The structure of the cubic high temperature phase of Ca₈[Al₁₂O₂₄] (CrO₄)₂, CACr, has been determined at 700 K by Rietveld analysis of neutron powder diffraction data. The structure is discussed with respect of those of its homologues. The phase transitions of the title compound have been investigated by means of synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction and differential thermo analysis. High precision lattice parameters have been determined in the temperature range between 350 and 750 K. Three phase transitions occurring at 610 K, 453 K, and 432 K could be verified. Observed anomalies in the lattice parameters versus temperature might indicate a yet unknown phase transition at about 555 K. This is supported by results of differential thermo analysis.     

Impurity induced structural phase transformations in melt grown single crystals of lead iodide

Lead iodide is a wide‐band gap and highly resistive semiconductor considered to be a promising room temperature nuclear detector. The phenomenon of polytypism is posing interesting problems of phase transformations among its polytypic modifications and formation of polytypic admixture during growth due to native impurities. Transformations have also been observed even when the material is stored for few months that causes deterioration in functioning of the PbI₂ devices. Lead iodide has been purified and single crystals were grown using zone‐refining system. The observed phase transformations during growth and storage have been explained in the light of distortion of [PbI₆]^4‐ octahedron due to impurities present in the material and the known crystal structures of PbI₂. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Phase Transitions in Chlorobenzene-Cis-Decalin Mixtures: A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance,Thermal Analysis and Phase Diagram Study

Using nuclear magnetic resonance and differential scanning calorimetry we have been able to observe the molecular rotation properties of chlorobenzene-cis-decalin mixtures in their glassy, amorphous and crystalline phases. The results indicate: that in “rapidly” cooled samples the behavior of the host dominates the properties of the mixtures; that reorientation of the guest molecule is less restricted in the amorphous phase than in the glassy phase; that when the material crystallizes from the amorphous phase on warming, reorientation again becomes severely restricted. The temperatures at which these phenomena occur agree with the phase diagram that has been determined for these materials. Similar experiments on t butyl chloride-cis-decalin mixtures support the above conclusions. These conclusions are in agreement with the previous dielectric studies.

Our magnetic resonance and thermal analysis experiments support the argument that the behavior of the CD host dominates the behavior of guest polar molecules in rapidly cooled mixtures. At the lowest temperature (110 K) CD forms a glassy phase unaccompanied by any heat of crystallization. On warming this glassy phase transforms near 150 K to an amorphous phase where considerable motion of both host and guest molecules occurs. Above 160 K the material crystallizes and reorientation is once again severely restricted up to the eutectic melting of 210 K. There appears to be no time dependence to these transformations and, as long as one stays below the crystallization temperature, the glassy-amorphous transition is reversible.     

Raman spectra and phase transitions in Rb<Subscript>2</Subscript>KInF<Subscript>6</Subscript> elpasolite

The Raman spectra of Rb₂KInF₆ elpasolite crystal have been studied in a wide temperature range, including two phase transitions: from the cubic phase to the tetragonal phase and then to the monoclinic phase. Several anomalies of internal modes of InF₆ octahedra and low-frequency lattice vibrations, which are related to the structural changes at the transition points, have been found and quantitatively analyzed. The results of a quantitative analysis of the temperature dependences of the parameters of spectral lines are in good agreement with the thermodynamic data on the phase transitions.     

Phase pattern of sodium niobate ceramics with different porosities in the temperature range of 25–700°C

The effect of closed porosity (2 and 10%) on the sequence phase transitions in lead-free ceramics (based on sodium niobate) in the temperature range of 25–700°C has been studied. The phase patterns in relatively dense and highly porous ceramics are found to differ.     

X-Ray Diffraction Studies of Liquid Crystalline Polymers

Thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyesters display an ordered fluid phase at elevated temperatures which permits the development of unusually high orientation at ambient temperatures. The transition which occurs upon cooling the high temperature nematic liquid crystalline phase very rapidly (e.g. fiber spinning) results in a polymeric glass with nematic structural order. Annealing increases structural order from the nematic glass toward ideal three dimensional crystalline order. Precision X-ray diffractometry has been used to directly observe changes in structural correlations which occur with annealing. Structural transitions range in character in these copolyesters from no change upon annealing to a transition from fully two dimensional to fully three dimensional structural order. Increased three dimensional order also results in substantially increased first order character of the high temperature phase transition. The chemical structure of co-monomers determines, in part, the final degree of dimensionality.     

New data on the phase transition in SrAlF<Subscript>5</Subscript>

The thermophysical characteristics of the SrAlF₅ crystal have been investigated on samples differing in quality. The results of studying the thermal expansion and birefringence in heating-cooling cycles in the temperature range of 100–800 K have been analyzed. Specific heat anomalies are found whose position on the temperature scale depends on the sample quality and thermal history. An X-ray diffraction analysis of SrAlF₅ showed the absence of structural phase transitions in the temperature range under study. It is suggested that the specific heat anomalies are related to the peculiarity of transport properties of this crystal.     

Polymorphic single crystal ? single crystal transition in K0.975Rb0.025NO3

Polymorphic transformations in K_0.975Rb_0.025NO₃ single crystals have been investigated by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The equilibrium temperature between modifications II and III has been determined. It is established that the crystal growth at II ↔ III polymorphic transitions is accompanied by the formation and growth of daughter-modification nuclei in the matrix crystal.     

Reversible low-temperature transition in LaMnO<Subscript>3+δ</Subscript>

The evolution with a decrease in temperature of the basic rhombohedral structure of the LaMnO_3+δ compound having a specified constant oxygen concentration is considered. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that a transition from rhombohedral to monoclinic phase begins at a temperature close to 200 K. The important feature of the revealed low-temperature phase transition is its reversibility with heating to room temperature. A deformation mechanism of structural phase transitions based on uniform distortions of a perovskite block with a doubled lattice parameter is proposed. The results of the analysis of the symmetry of atomic positions are in favor of two-step routes of phase transitions through dilatation and twinning.     

Investigation of the structure and properties of quartz in the α-β transition range by neutron diffraction and mechanical spectroscopy

The paper reports on the results of complex investigations into the physical properties of synthetic quartz single crystals and quartz powders in the temperature range of the α-β transition with the use of neutron diffraction and mechanical spectroscopy. The crystal structure of quartz powders with different average sizes of grains is determined in the temperature range up to 620°C and in the α-β transition temperature range. The temperature dependences of the internal friction and the resonant frequency for quartz samples in the vicinity of the phase transition temperature are obtained upon excitation of vibrations in the planes parallel and perpendicular to the Z axis of the quartz crystal. The temperatures at the maxima of the internal friction in the range 560–620°C are determined. The assumptions regarding the possible reasons for the shift of the phase transition temperature are made. It is revealed that the internal friction is characterized by a maximum that is observed in the vicinity of 350°C and is not related to the structural transformations in quartz.     

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.     

Influence of various alkali and divalent metal oxides on phase transformations in NiO-doped glasses of the Li2O–Al2O3–SiO2–TiO2 system

Regularities of phase transformations in glasses of the Li₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–TiO₂ system doped with up to 2.5 mol% of alkali- and divalent metal oxides were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman scattering and optical spectroscopy. Ni(II) ions were used as spectral probes of phase transformations because Ni(II)-ions enter the inhomogeneous regions formed during the phase separation and crystallization, and their absorption spectra change with heat-treatment temperature reflecting formation of aluminotitanate amorphous regions, spinel nanosized crystals and β-quartz solid solutions, consequently.It was demonstrated that the technological additives do not change the sequence of the phases' formation but accelerate the liquid phase separation and crystallization. Addition of MgO and ZnO leads to increasing the temperature range of spinel precipitation. Addition of CaO, BaO and PbO results in increasing the light scattering of prepared glass-ceramics.In selection of the technological additives for decreasing the melting temperature of glass-ceramics for optical and photonic applications the influence of the additives on the structure and optical properties of the prepared material should be considered.     

Structural phase transitions in the LaMnO3+λ system

Structural phase transitions in the LaMnO_3+λ system are studied at various temperatures and with different Mn⁴⁺ ion concentrations. Two structural phase transitions are established. The O′-orthorhombic – O-orthorhombic transition (O′ O transition) is due to removing the cooperative Jahn-Teller distortions and occurs in the Mn⁴⁺ concentration range from 10 to 14% at room temperature. The temperature of this transition varies from 710 K for the stoichiometric LaMnO₃ to room temperature for LaMnO_3.07. The O-orthorhombic – rhombohedral transition (O R transition) is due to the change of the rotation axis of the undistorted MnO₆ octahedra from [100] and [110] to [11 1]. The temperature of this transition varies from 1010 K for LaMnO₃ to 230 K for LaMnO_3.135. The structural phase diagram of temperature vs composition is plotted, indicating the existence of regions of the phase with different structures.     

Investigations on the Optical Properties of Undoped,Fluorine Doped and Antimony Doped Tin Oxide Films

Undoped, fluorine doped and antimony doped tin oxide films are prepared on quartz plates by Spray pyrolysis technique. The films grown at the optimum substrate temperature with different doping levels have been chosen for this study. Optical properties of these films are investigated in the entire UV-Visible -IR region (0.2 - 10 mikrom). The observed absorption edge lies at 3.65 eV for undoped tin oxide and on doping it shifts towards higher energies, which is due to the Moss - Burstein effect. For fluorine doping depending upon the fluorine concentration, the absorption edge lies in the range 3.9 - 4.14 eV and for antimony doping it lies in the range 3.82 - 4.1 eV. In the undoped tin oxide films the direct allowed transition occurs at 4.02 eV and indirect allowed transition occurs at 2.43 eV, whereas for fluorine doped tin oxide and antimony doped tin oxide films, the direct allowed transitions occur in the range 4.18 - 4.28 and 4.13 - 4.22 eV respectively and the indirect allowed transitions occur in the range 2.63 - 2.73 and 2.54 - 2.65 eV respectively. Optical properties near the plasma edge have been analyzed using Drude's theory. The dependence of effective mass on carrier concentration has been explained on the basis of nonparabolicity of the conduction band. The shift in the fermi energy, calculated on the basis of energy dependent effective mass, is consistent with the measured shift in the absorption edge.