A model of solidification under microgravity conditions

The influence of the microgravity environment on solidification processes is discussed. A simple model of the solidification of a binary-alloy is presented with the chemical diffusion influenced by the gravitational field. Using the results of Mullins and Sekerka, we employ the linear theory of hydrodynamic stability to investigate the interfacial instability driving the pattern-forming processes in solidification. As a result, we estimate the characteristic size of the elements of the emerging pattern. We show that, in spite of good agreement of our result with the size of cellulae observed in experiments, the model cannot explain the changes in the patterns occurring in space environment. In conclusion we shortly discuss the possibility of adding realism to our simple model by including the effect of convection.     

Volumetric determination of Pt(IV) in the presence of Ir,Pd, and Rh with ferrous ammonium sulfate in alkaline mannitol medium

A potentiometric reductimetric method for the determination of platinum (Pt(IV)Pt(II)) with a standard Fe(II) solution in an alkaline medium of mannitol is described. The method, the error of which does not exceed 2%, can be used in the presence of palladium, iridium, and rhodium.     

Ein weiterer Beitrag zum Scandiumdicarbidproblem

Zusammenfassung Die bei 1850, 2000 bzw. 2300°C durch die Reduktion von Scandiumoxid mittels Kohlenstoff in dem der Scandiumdicarbidbildung entsprechenden Molverhältnis hergestellten Produkte wurden mit Wasser zersetzt und mit Hilfe der gleichzeitigen gaschromatographischen und massenspektrometrischen Analyse untersucht. Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, daß bei der Scandiumdicarbidbildung gleichzeitig ein weiteres Scandiumcarbid, höchstwahrscheinlich ein Sesquicarbid, entsteht.

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Scandium(III) dicarbide problem. Further experimental results

Products obtained by the reduction of Sc₂O₃ with carbon at 1850, 2000 and 2300°C, resp., in the molar ratio corresponding to the scandium dicarbide were hydrolysed with water. Gaseous reaction products were analysed using gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Results show, that during dicarbide formation another scandium carbide, probably sesquicarbide, is also formed.

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Herrn Prof. Dr.H. Nowotny gewidmet.

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7. Mitt.: Coll. Czech. Chem. Commun., im Druck.     

1,5-bis(dicarboxymethylaminomethyl)-2,6- dihydroxynaphthalene as a selective spectrofluorimetric reagent for calcium

1,5-Bis(dicarboxymethylaminomethyl)-2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene (BDDN) forms fluorescent complexes with aluminium, barium, beryllium, calcium, magnesium and strontium. All the complexes have 2:1 metal :ligand ratios. Barium, calcium, magnesium and strontium exhibit maximal fluorescence at pH 11.7, with excitation and emission maxima at 385 and 445 nm respectively. Aluminium and beryllium show maximal fluorescence at pH 5.8 and 5.2 respectively, the excitation and emission maxima being at 370 and 405 nm. The formation of the calcium complex provides a highly sensitive and selective determination of calcium in the range 10/2-500 ng. The fluorescence measurement of calcium should be made within 5 min of mixing the solutions because of the instability of the reagent at the given pH. Potassium cyanide may be used as a masking agent and ter- or quadrivalent cations should be removed by preliminary extraction with 8-hydroxyquinoline in chloroform at pH 6.0. In such conditions, of 33 cations studied, only magnesium (>20 ng), strontium (>70 ng) and barium (>150 ng) caused interference in the determination of 300 ng of calcium. Among 16 anions examined, only EDTA interfered seriously.