Surface stress relaxation and resulting residual stress in glass fibers: A new mechanical strengthening mechanism of glasses

Glass surfaces exhibit faster relaxation than the bulk at a constant temperature in the presence of either a liquid water or water vapor atmosphere. Permanent bending of glass fibers at temperatures lower than their glass transition temperatures in an atmosphere containing water vapor or in liquid water was attributed to and analyzed in terms of surface stress relaxation and the resulting surface residual stress. It was found that the fiber bending kinetics are controlled by water diffusion into the glass surface and that glasses with a faster transition crack velocity from region I (linear relation between logarithm of crack velocity and stress intensity factor) to the fatigue limit exhibited a faster rate of surface stress relaxation. It was suggested that this surface stress relaxation and resulting residual stress is the cause of various strengthening phenomena of glasses such as static fatigue limit and coaxing.     

A preparation of carbon fibers using a block copolymer surfactant template and its application to anode of lithium ion batteries

Hard carbon nanofiber (HCNF) bundles were prepared using reverse hexagonal micelle (H₂) phase formed by a template of an amphiphilic block copolymer surfactant and their anode performance in lithium ion batteries was analyzed. Prepared HCNF showed a higher discharge capacity at voltage region above 0.8 V (vs. Li/Li+) than that of control carbon. Rate capability was also examined in order to demonstrate merit of the fibrous morphology of CNF, with current values corresponding to 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 2 C rate. Prepared HCNF electrode exhibited higher rate capability than control carbon, which was attributed to morphological difference.     

Surface structure and properties of NiZr model metallic glasses: A molecular dynamics simulation

A systematic study of the surface structure and properties of NiZr model metallic glasses is reported using atomistic simulations. It is found that at low temperatures below the glass transition temperatures, the surface retains the amorphous structure and the surface energy γ is significantly lower (∼50%) than that of the corresponding crystalline alloy constituents. The variation of alloy concentration has little effect on γ; but increase in cooling rate and annealing temperature can lead to large decrease in γ. At elevated temperatures, γ increases with temperature and surface melting occurs at a temperature about 30% below T_g. At all temperatures up to T_g, the surface remains atomically smooth.     

The split network analysis for exploring composition-structure correlations in multi-component glasses: II. Multinuclear NMR studies of alumino-borosilicates and glass-wool fibers

The preceding part [M. Edén, J. Non.-Cryst. Solids, 357, (2011) 1595-1602] introduced the “split network” strategy for estimating the network polymerization degree (r_A) and mean number of bridging oxygen (BO) atoms for a network former A, given that these parameters are known for all other network builders in the multi-component oxide glass. However, as the detailed ordering of BO and non-bridging oxygen (NBO) species is often difficult to assess experimentally, we summarize some “rules of thumb” for predicting the coordination number and tendency to accept NBO ions for Al³⁺, B³⁺, Si⁴⁺ and P⁵⁺ cations: they are helpful in scenarios devoid of experimental data. Using the parameters r and , we present expressions for the BO/NBO distributions among tetrahedrally coordinated cations, as predicted from the binary and random models. Multinuclear ¹¹B, ²⁷Al and ²⁹Si solid-state NMR is exploited to derive the split network representations of a set of Na-Ca-(Al)-(B)-Si-O glasses. These results are subsequently used to gain structural insight into two commercial glass-wool fibers that constitute alumino-borosilicate networks modified by Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions.     

Surface morphology,structural and optical properties of polar and non-polar ZnO thin films: A comparative study

The polar and non-polar ZnO thin films were fabricated on cubic MgO (1 1 1) and (0 0 1) substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Based on X-ray diffraction analysis, the ZnO thin films grown on MgO (1 1 1) and (1 0 0) substrates exhibit the polar c-plane and non-polar m-plane orientation, respectively. Comparing with the c-plane ZnO film, the non-polar m-plane ZnO film shows cross-hatched stripes-like morphology, lower surface roughness and slower growth rate. However, low-temperature photoluminescence measurement indicates the m-plane ZnO film has a stronger 3.31 eV emission, which is considered to be related to stacking faults. Meanwhile, stronger band tails absorbance of the m-plane ZnO film is observed in optical absorption spectrum.     

Hydrothermal conversion of ZnO2 to ZnO flowers: A mechanistic investigation and characterization

In this article, we report a novel but simple method for the phase transformation of ZnO₂ to flower‐like ZnO microstructures hydrothermally at 90 °C with and without the assistance of hexadecylamine as surfactant. The generation of zincate ion ZnO$^{2-}_{2}$ as a growth unit from the reaction between ZnO₂ and peroxide ion O$^{2-}_{2}$ in situ plays a key role in the phase transformation of ZnO₂ to ZnO. The morphology, structure, and composition of the products have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX). It has been demonstrated that the as‐fabricated ZnO flowers are composed of self‐assembled brooms and rods in the presence and absence of hexadecylamine respectively. On the basis of experimental results, a possible reaction mechanism and the growth processes involved in the formation of flower‐like ZnO microstructures are discussed.     

Thermal-induced phase transition and assembly of hexagonal metastable In2O3 nanocrystals: A new approach to In2O3 functional materials

This paper reports on the thermal-induced performance of hexagonal metastable In₂O₃ nanocrystals involving in phase transition and assembly, with particular emphasis on the assembly for the preparation of functional materials. For In₂O₃ nanocrystals, the metastable phase was found to be thermally unstable and transform to cubic phase when temperature was higher than 600 °C, accompanied by assembly as well as evolution of optical properties, but the two polymorphs coexisted at the temperature ranging from 600 to 900 °C, during which the content of product phase and crystal size gradually increased upon increasing temperature. The assembly of In₂O₃ nanocrystals can be developed to fabricate In₂O₃ functional materials, such as various ceramic materials, or even desired nano- or micro-structures, by using metastable In₂O₃ nanocrystals as precursors or building blocks. The electrical resistivity of In₂O₃ conductive film fabricated by a hot-pressing route was as low as 3.72×10⁻³ Ω cm, close to that of In₂O₃ single crystal, which is important for In₂O₃ that is always used as conductive materials. The findings should be of importance for both the wide applications of In₂O₃ in optical and electronic devices and theoretical investigations on crystal structures.     

Investigation of Bimetallic Thiocyanates belonging to ABTC Structure Type: ZnCd(SCN)4 and AHg(SCN)4 (A = Zn,Cd, Mn ) as Nonlinear Optical Crystal Materials

Bimetallic thiocyanate complexes crystal materials belonging to ABTC structure type: ZnCd(SCN)₄ and AHg(SCN)₄ (A = Zn, Cd, Mn ) which are potentially useful in second harmonic generation (SHG) have been prepared. Their structural, optical and physicochemical properties are characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray powder diffraction, vis/UV/NIR spectroscopy, SHG measurements and thermal analysis. The states of crystal growth solutions are discussed in this article. The crystals belong to tetragonal system with the space group I‐4 and exhibit SHG efficiencies over one order of magnitude higher than that of Urea. Their transparency cutoffs lie in the UV region, and they possess good physicochemical stabilities.     

Crystal Engineering: A Unique Cyclic Assembly of a 40 Membered Module Composed from Two Alternating Units Each of Benzenehexacarboxylic Acid (Mellitic Acid,MA) and 2,5-Bis-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (4-BPO): Assembly of Modules to Macromolecules by Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding

Abstract  Individually prepared, equivalent amounts of 2,5-bis-(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (4-BPO) and benzenehexacarboxylic acid (mellitic acid, MA) when mixed, deposited long rods, whose X-ray structure showed a unique assembly of 40 membered planar modules composed from two alternating units each of MA and 4-BPO, rather than the anticipated helical profile. Several novel features of complexes of MA with organic molecules are seen here. In almost all cases the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between MA anions is so stable that the MA anions and the complementary cations lie in separate planes. This barrier is overcome in the present case. The basic module associates to form quartets by very simple hydrogen bonding of the carboxylic groups of MA. The quartet assembly is characterized by the rotation of the left hand pair compared to the right hand pair. The mode of the macromolecular assembly is clear, that is, they are layered in alternating planes. Space group: P2₁/c with a = 9.181(1) ?, b = 9.624(1) ?, c = 29.390(2) ?, and β = 94.626(4)°. The modules are embedded in an extensively hydrogen bonded MA network. The assembly profile of MA and 4-BPO is unique and should be a harbinger for the design of novel functional assemblies. The 40-membered module mimics the self-assemblies of peptides and can be important in the design of “Haptens” from simple molecules. Index Abstract  Rod like crystals from water that are formed on mixing MA and 4-BPO are shown to consist of 4-molecule modules (MA–4-BPO–MA–4-BPO–) that contain a 40-membered ring, MA–BPO.