DSC analysis of strengthening precipitates in ultrafine Al–Mg–Si alloys

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was carried out on solution annealed samples of Al–Mg–Si–Zr and Al–Mg–Si–Zr–Sc alloys to achieve a substantial grain refinement of the materials. Post ECAP aging was then investigated on the ultrafine grained alloys by DSC and TEM analyses. DSC scans were carried out with heating rates ranging from 5 to 30°C min^–1. Peak identification was performed by the support of literature information and TEM analyses. Precipitation kinetics revealed to be similar for both alloys but the Sc-free alloy showed a recrystallization peak at temperatures ranging from 310 to 340°C, depending on the strain accumulated during ECAP. On the contrary, the Sc-containing alloy showed a greater grain stability. Analyses of peak positions and of activation energies as a function of ECAP passes experienced by the samples revealed large modifications of precipitation kinetics in the ultrafine-grained alloys with respect to the coarse-grained materials.     

Imino Diels–Alder adducts. XII. Two pyrano[3,2‐c]quinolines

The crystal structures of pyrano­quinolines 9‐fluoro‐5‐phenyl‐3,4,4a,5,6,10b‐hexa­hydro‐2H‐pyrano[3,2‐c]quinoline, C₁₈H₁₈FNO, and 9‐methyl‐5‐phenyl‐3,4,4a,5,6,10b‐hexa­hydro‐2H‐pyrano­[3,2‐c]quinoline, C₁₉H₂₁NO, are isomorphous. In both structures, the pyran ring is exo to the six‐membered N‐heterocyclic ring formed in the cyclo­addition step. The torsion angles across the phenyl linkage for the two structures are −91.2 (1) and −88.3 (2)°. The striking feature in both crystal packings is that they do not contain the expected conventional hydrogen bonds, in spite of the presence of good hydrogen‐bonding functionalities. Possible C—H⋯π inter­actions are, however, observed.     

Cluster approach in first-principle calculations for ferroelectrics

It is shown that, proceeding from the first principles, it is possible to separate the contributions from short-and long-range interactions to the lattice dynamics and dielectric properties of crystalline dielectrics. The cluster calculations of local force constants and potentials for the matrix and impurity atoms in ferroelectrics with the perovskite structure were made by the Hartree-Fock MOLCAO-SCF method. The parameters of the Devonshire-Slater-Barrett single-ion model are calculated for barium titanate and potassium niobate. The influence of the quantum statistics on the Curie temperature in these ferroelectrics and the isotope effect in barium titanate are also considered.     

Kinetic C<Subscript>(2)-H</Subscript> exchange study of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cis</Emphasis>-[(en)<Subscript>2</Subscript>Co(HIm)(enH)]Br<Subscript>4</Subscript> by NMR spectroscopy: Evidence for the acidity of C<Subscript>(2)-H</Subscript> proton

C_(2)-H exchange incis-[(en)₂Co(HIm)(enH)]Br₄ (Im, imidazole; en, ethylenediamine) was studied over a pD range of 9.4 to 10.2 at 60°C where thecis-[(en)₂Co(Him)(enH)]⁴⁺ andcis-[(en)₂Co(HIm)(en)]³⁺ are the species present in significant concentrations.Cis-[(en)₂Co(HIm)(enH)]⁴⁺ has pK_a1 7.86 and pK_a2 9.82 with pK_a1 corresponding to coordinated enH ionization and pK_a2 to ImH ionization. The kinetic data may be interpreted in terms of an intramolecular H-D exchange mechanism, where the “dangling”-ND₂CH₂CH₂ND₂ group acts as a base to remove the imidazole C_(2)-H proton from the coordinated DIm moiety.     

Degradative chain transfer in vinyl acetate polymerizations using toluene as solvent

In this work, we propose that retardation in vinyl acetate polymerization rate in the presence of toluene is due to degradative chain transfer. The transfer constant to toluene (C_trs) determined using the Mayo method is equal to 3.8 × 10^?3, which is remarkably similar to the value calculated from the rate data, assuming degradative chain transfer (2.7 × 10^?3). Simulations, including chain‐length‐dependent termination, were carried out to compare our degradative chain transfer model with experimental results. The conversion–time profiles showed excellent agreement between experiment and simulation. Good agreement was found for the M_n data as a function of conversion. The experimental and simulation data strongly support the postulate that degradative chain transfer is the dominant kinetic mechanism. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3620–3625, 2007     

Amorphous chalcogenide AgSbS2 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

The pulsed laser deposition technique has been applied to prepare amorphous ternary AgSbS films. The films were prepared from AgSbS₂ bulk glass using a KrF excimer laser. The composition of prepared films according to the results of the energy dispersive X-ray analysis and the Rutherford backscattering was close to bulk one. Optical transmission and spectral dependence of the refractive index proved the good optical quality of the films. The Ar⁺ ion laser dot exposures of the films show a potential applicability of the films as a new type of optical recording material. PACS 78.66.Jg; 81.15.Fg; 81.40.Wx     

Polarization locking and nonparaxial spatial solitons in media with electronic Kerr nonlinearity

The polarization structure of nonparaxial spatial solitons in a transparent medium with the electronic mechanism of Kerr nonlinearity is studied theoretically. It is demonstrated analytically in the weak nonparaxiality approximation that the regime of polarization locking, in which all the field components have the same propagation constant, is the only stable regime. Estimates of the rate of transition of the initial metastable regime of rotation of the polarization ellipse to the regime of polarization locking are presented. Based on a numerical solution of the nonlinear Maxwell equations, the presence of the nonparaxial regime of polarization locking is confirmed and the main characteristics of the corresponding spatial solitons are obtained.     

Comparative analysis of heterogeneous solid and soft materials by adsorption, NMR and thermally stimulated depolarisation current methods

Structural characterisation of such bio-objects as fibrinogen solution, yeast cells, wheat seeds and bone tissues has been done using two versions of cryoporometry based on the integral Gibbs-Thomson (IGT) equation for freezing point depression of pore liquids and the measurements by ¹H NMR spectroscopy (180-200 < T < 273 K) and the thermally stimulated depolarisation current (TSDC) method (90 < T < 273 K) of structured water. The IGT equation was solved using a self-consisting regularization procedure including the maximum entropy principle applied to the distribution function of pore size (PSD). Both methods give clear pictures of changes in the structural characteristics caused, e.g., by hydration and swelling of wheat seeds and yeast cells, coagulation and interaction of fibrinogen with solid nanoparticles in the aqueous media, and the human bone tissue disease.     

Creating, detecting and locating ultracold molecules in a surface trap

Ultracold molecules have been produced by photoassociation of Cs atoms trapped in a mirror magneto-optical trap. The molecules were detected by resonantly enhanced multi-photon ionization followed by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. The time-of-flight ofatomic and molecular ions was investigated in the presence of a dc bias voltageapplied to the conducting mirror. This technique provides a new tool for determining the distance between the cold molecules and the mirror surface. This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Finite element modal solutions of planar photonic crystal fibers with rectangular air-holes

Modal solutions of planar photonic crystal waveguides with rectangular air-holes are presented by using a rigorous full-vectorial finite element-based approach. The effective indices, mode field profiles, spot-sizes, power confinements, modal hybridness, beat lengths and group velocity dispersions are shown for the fundamental and higher order modes of the quasi-TE and TM polarizations.