Dynamic diffusion of helium into various types of solids during their deformation and dispersion

Quantitative relations governing the penetration of helium atoms into various types of solids in the course of their plastic deformation in liquid ³He (T = 0.6–1.8 K) and ⁴He (T = 4.2 K) and dispersion in gaseous helium at 300 K were obtained and analyzed. Experiments were carried out on metals with different lattice types, ionic single crystals, amorphous alloys, and barite and titanium dioxide powders dispersed in helium. Curves illustrating helium extraction from deformed specimens under dynamic annealing were obtained. The temperature range of helium extraction was found to correlate with the melting temperature and the initial and deformed structures of a material, which determine the number and character of helium traps present in the material. The dependence of helium penetration intensity on the type of defects forming under plastic deformation for various materials, as well as the formation of chemical bonds of helium atoms to the defected structure of these materials, is discussed.     

Microhardness of armco iron samples with different initial structures after rolling in a helium or nitrogen medium

We have analyzed the dependences of microhardness H on load P for the surface layers of Armco iron samples with different initial structures, i.e., annealed and after equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP). The microhardness was measured in air after rolling of the sample in helium or nitrogen medium. It has been found that these mediums produce different effects on the H(P) dependences for preliminarily annealed samples compared to those subjected to ECAP. This is due to the differences in their initial defects structures and in the types of binding forces of helium atoms and nitrogen molecules with dislocations, which determine the intensity of their penetration into the surface layer of the samples under investigation. We have obtained curves that describe the release of helium from samples rolled in different mediums and have measured the amount of helium.

     

Use of the helium medium for preparation of nano-sized powder materials by the example of industrial cement

Based on the phenomenon of the mechanodynamic diffusion of particles of the external medium in solids, a new in principle method has been proposed for the first time for producing nano-sized powder materials using industrial cement milled in a helium medium as an example. The temperature dependences of the extraction rate and the amount of helium in powders upon their heating in a temperature range of 20–1200°C have been obtained using mass spectrometry. It has been shown that milling of the cement powder of the M-400 brand using an MK-1 laboratory mill in helium leads to a considerable shift of its extraction curve towards lower temperatures compared with the air medium. The particle sizes of the powder milled in helium lie in a range of 5–10 nm, which is smaller than the powder size (～500 nm) after milling in the air medium by a factor of 100. The compression strength of cement samples obtained from the powders milled in helium increased by a factor of 2 compared with the strength of the samples from the initial material. The activation energies of helium extraction from the cement powders milled in helium and in air have been analyzed. The obtained results indicate a high efficiency of the method for producing nano-sized powder materials in the helium medium. The method can be used in the industrial scale based on the existing mill equipment with its minimal modernization.     

Effect of the gaseous medium in the process of rolling on the microhardness of aluminum and iron

The load dependence of the microhardness of polycrystalline aluminum and iron specimens produced by rolling in a nitrogen, helium, or air medium has been investigated. It has been found that nitrogen and helium have different effects on the microhardness of these metals in the low-load range. This difference is associated with the specific features in the intensity of dynamic penetration of nitrogen and helium into the surface layer of aluminum and iron, which depends on the initial defect crystal structure of the metals, as well as on the type of bonding of helium atoms and nitrogen molecules with metal atoms. It has been shown that the effect of the gaseous medium of the rolling on the microhardness manifests itself only in a very thin surface layer of metal specimens, where the microhardness exhibits a size effect, and an increase in the microhardness indentation depth remains unchanged with an increase in the load and does not depend on the gaseous medium of the prerolling of the specimens.     

Effect of Particle Size and Specific Surface Area on the Determination of the Density of Nanocrystalline Silver Sulfide Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript>S Powders

The effect of the particle size and specific surface area of silver sulfide powders on their density measured by the helium pycnometry method has been studied. Powders with different average particle sizes have been synthesized by hydrochemical deposition. The particle size of the silver sulfide powders has been determined by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method according to molecular nitrogen adsorption isotherms and, in the case of fine powders, by X-ray diffraction analysis according to diffraction reflection broadening. It has been shown that the density of the fine powders measured by helium pycnometry is underestimated compared with the true density, owing to the adsorption of helium by the highly developed surface of these powders.     

Influence of various gases on single bubble sonoluminescence

Influence of various gases on the intensity of single bubble sonoluminescence has been studied. The gases used were air, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and helium. Among these oxygen gave the brightest intensity with nitrogen giving the least.     

Formation of ball streamers at a subnanosecond breakdown of gases at a high pressure in a nonuniform electric field

The formation of a diffuse discharge plasma at a subnanosecond breakdown of a “cone–plane” gap filled with air, nitrogen, methane, hydrogen, argon, neon, and helium at various pressures has been studied. Nanosecond negative and positive voltage pulses have been applied to the conical electrode. The experimental data on the dynamics of plasma glow at the stage of formation and propagation of a streamer have been obtained with intensified charge-coupled device and streak cameras. It has been found that the formation of ball streamers is observed in all gases and at both polarities. A supershort avalanche electron beam has been detected behind the flat foil electrode in a wide range of pressures in the case of a negatively charged conical electrode. A mechanism of the formation of streamers at breakdown of various gases at high overvoltages has been discussed.     

Interferometric diagnostics of femtosecond laser microplasma in gases

The laser plasma formed in gaseous media due to their optical breakdown under tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses has been experimentally investigated. Pump-probemicrointerferometry is chosen to perform spatial and temporal diagnostics of the plasma. Time dependences of the laser plasma electron density are obtained. It is shown that in breakdown of different gases (air, nitrogen, argon, and helium) at different pressures (in the range from 1 to 10 atm) the electron concentration continues to increase during ??1 ps when the laser irradiation is over. This effect is related to the impact ionization of the plasma by the hot electrons formed in interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses with matter. The results of theoretical simulation of the post-ionization processes are presented.     

Dependence of the amplifying parameters on buffer gases in copper-vapor lasers

We use a pair of copper-vapor lasers in the oscillator–amplifier configuration for investigating the small-signal gain and the intensity saturation as the amplifying parameters, versus the pressure of various types of buffer gases. We show that the small-signal gain increases and the intensity saturation decreases with increase in the air pressure. Moreover, the values of these parameters are different for various gases used in the amplifier media. We show that both parameters are greater at the atmosphere of neon as a buffer gas than that of a mixture of helium and neon or air.     

Effect of small particle sizes on the measured density of nanocrystalline powders of nonstoichiometric tantalum carbide TaC<Subscript> <Emphasis Type="Italic">y</Emphasis> </Subscript>

Nanocrystalline powders of the nonstoichiometric tantalum carbide TaC_y (0.81 ≤ y ≤ 0.96) with an average particle size in the range from 45 to 20 nm have been prepared using high-energy ball milling of coarse-grained powders. The density of the initial coarse-grained and prepared nanocrystalline powders of TaC_y has been measured by helium pycnometry. The sizes of particles in tantalum carbide powders have been estimated using the X-ray diffraction analysis and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The density of TaC_y nanopowders measured by helium pycnometry is underestimated as compared to the true density due to the adsorption of helium by the highly developed surface of the nanocrystalline powders. It has been shown that the difference between the true and measured densities is proportional to the specific surface area or is inversely proportional to the average particle size of the nanopowders. The large difference between the true and measured pycnometric densities indicates a superhydrophobicity of the tantalum carbide nanopowders.     

Simulation of sintering of low-temperature ceramic products formed by additive technology

Computer simulation methods have been applied to study the processes of low-temperature ceramics synthesis corresponding to technological processes. The simulation is performed for micron- and nanosized powders with different morphology. The synthesized composite medium has the characteristics (microlayer thickness, pore volume fraction, etc.) that reflect imperfections in the initial dispersion. The developed model allows one to examine the governing factors of physical and chemical processes in low-temperature ceramics synthesis.     

Mechanodynamic diffusion of nitrogen molecules into armco-iron under its deformation in liquid nitrogen medium

Data on mechanodynamic penetration of nitrogen molecules are obtained under deformation of armco-iron samples. It is shown that molecular nitrogen diffuses into the surface layer of samples under their deformation in a liquid nitrogen medium, and the nitrogen concentration compares well with the helium concentration in samples deformed in a liquid helium medium and in some cases exceeds the latter.     

Radial characteristics of radiation of high-frequency electrodeless lamps

The radial dependences of the radiative characteristics of high-frequency electrodeless lamps (HFELs) using as a working medium either a mixture of mercury and argon or helium have been investigated in experiments and numerical simulations. The intensities of the mercury line at a wavelength of 546.1 nm and the helium line at 587.6 nm have been measured. The measurements were conducted at different points lying on the central chord of the circular end of a cylindrical lamp. As the power of the pumping generator increases, a decrease in the radiation intensity near the axis of the discharge in a mercury vapor HFEL is observed, while, in the helium lamp, on the contrary, the intensity increases. On the basis of models of HFELs developed earlier, we have calculated the radial dependences of the radiation intensity of the mercury line at 546.1 nm and the helium line at 587.6 nm. A satisfactory agreement with the data of experimental measurements has been attained. A comparative analysis has been carried out, and an explanation has been proposed for the difference in the observed radial intensity profiles of these two lines.     

Investigation of the energy-saving process of cement dispersion in a helium atmosphere

The process of commercial cement grinding in a helium atmosphere has been investigated in comparison with the process in an air atmosphere. Raw material particles have been sorted by sizes. Curves of helium release from the raw material after its grinding in air and in helium in the temperature range T = 20–1200°C have been constructed and analyzed. The influence of the character of water molecule adsorption on raw material cement particles before and after grinding in air and in helium and on the shape of helium release curves has been revealed.     

Influence of mechanochemical activation in various media on structure of porous and non-porous silicas

Influence of mechanochemical activation on porous structure and surface properties of porous and non-porous silicas in air, water and ethanol has been studied. Milled samples have been investigated with help of nitrogen adsorption-desorption, mercury porometry, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR and ESR spectroscopy. It has been revealed that destruction of porous structure of silicagel at dry milling and, on the contrary, formation of porous silica from non-porous powders (aerosils) during treatment in liquid media occurs.     

Localization of Excitations near a Thin Structured Spacer between Linear and Nonlinear Crystals

It has been shown that localized and semi-localized stationary states exist near a thin structured defect layer between a linear medium and a Kerr nonlinear medium. Localized states are described by a monotonically decreasing amplitude of the field on the both sides of the interface between the media. Semilocalized states are characterized by the field that has the form of a standing wave in the linear medium and decreases monotonically in the nonlinear medium. Kerr media with self-focusing and defocusing are considered. The proposed model is described by a system of the linear and nonlinear Schrödinger equations with a specific potential simulating a thin structured defect layer. It has been shown that localized and semi-localized states exist in different energy ranges in the case of contact of the linear medium with the self-focusing medium. In the case of contact of the linear medium with the defocusing medium, two types of localized and semi-localized states differing in energy and field profile can exist in different energy ranges. In particular cases, expressions for energies of states of these types have been obtained and conditions of their applicability have been indicated.     

Acoustic identification of nanocrystalline media

Two-dimensional (2D) models of nanocrystalline media with close proximity (a hexagonal lattice) and with non-dense packing (a square lattice) are considered in this paper. It is supposed that particles have a round shape and possess two translational and one rotational degrees of freedom. The differential equations describing the propagation of acoustic and rotational waves in such media have been derived. Analytical relationships between the macroelasticity constants of the medium and microstructure parameters have been found. These relationships appear to be different for nanocrystalline media with hexagonal and square lattices. It has been shown that identification of macroparameters of a nanocrystalline medium can be obtained by measurement of wave velocities and the form of dispersion dependences of acoustic and rotational waves.     

Modes of particle combustion in iron dust flames

The so-called argon/helium test is proposed to identify the combustion mode of particles in iron dust flames. Iron powders of different particle sizes varying from 3 to 34 μm were dispersed in simulated air compositions where nitrogen was replaced by argon and helium. Due to the independence of the particle burning rate on the oxygen diffusivity in the kinetic mode, the ratio between the flame speeds in helium and argon mixtures is expected to be smaller if the particle burning rate is controlled by reaction kinetics rather than oxygen diffusion. Experiments were performed in a reduced-gravity environment on a parabolic flight aircraft to prevent particle settling and buoyancy-driven disruption of the flame. Uniform suspensions of the iron powders were produced inside glass tubes and a flame was initiated at the open end of the tube. Quenching plate assemblies of various channel widths were installed inside the tube and pass or quench events were used to measure the quenching distance. Flame propagation was recorded by a high-speed digital camera and spectral measurements were used to determine the temperature of the condensed emitters in the flame. The measured flame speeds and quenching distances were in good agreement with previously developed one-dimensional, dust flame model where the particles are assumed to burn in a diffusive mode and heat losses are described on a volumetric basis. However, a significant drop of the ratio of flame speeds in helium and argon mixtures was observed for finer 3 μm particles and was attributed to a transition from the combustion controlled by diffusion for larger particles to kinetically controlled burning of micron-size particles. In helium mixtures, the lower flame temperatures measured in suspensions of fine particles in comparison to larger particles reinforces this assumption.     

Investigation of the concentration gradient and extraction of helium atoms from copper deformed in a liquid-helium medium

A complex investigation of the penetration, accumulation, and extraction of helium atoms in porous copper samples deformed in a liquid-helium medium has been performed. The experiments have been carried out using three mass spectrometric techniques: (1) ionization of helium atoms by an electron impact in an MSCh-6 mass spectrometer, (2) secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and (3) an original high-resolution method with a sensitivity threshold of ∼10^{9 4}He atoms. The results obtained have made it possible to determine important characteristics of mechanodynamic diffusion of helium atoms, such as their penetration depth, the true concentration of helium trapped under deformation, and its gradient with an increase in the distance from the surface, as well as to estimate the binding energy of helium in traps.     

Effect of growth temperature on the ZnO nanowires prepared by thermal heating of Zn powders

ZnO nanowires have been synthesized by heating Zn powders under nitrogen (N₂) gas atmosphere. The influence of the growth temperature on the morphology, structure, and photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnO nanowires has been investigated. At the higher-temperature growth process, thinner nanowires have been obtained. Interestingly, it is observed that the variation of growth temperature has significantly affected the photoluminescence spectra of the ZnO nanowires, showing an enhancement in the relative intensity of the green to UV emission bands with the increase of the growth temperature. In addition, the oxygen sensing properties of the as-synthesized ZnO nanowires were tested.