Study of the effect of swift heavy Ni ion irradiation on ruby single crystal by using the XANES and EXAFS techniques

We have made the XAFS measurements at the Cr–K-edge on natural Indian ruby single crystals (corundum) and its two irradiated samples with fluence 1×10¹² Ni⁶⁺ and 5×10¹² Ni⁶⁺ ions/cm². Irradiated samples show interesting changes in their physical appearance. XANES measurements show progressive decrease in Δ_oct value on increase of Ni fluence in irradiated samples. EXAFS measurements on these samples show decrease in Cr–O distance on increase of Ni fluence. Lowering of Δ_oct value is correlated with the increase of Cr–O distance.     

Radiochemical solvent extraction method for the determination of Cd and Hg using thionalide as a single reagent

A radiochemical solvent extraction method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of submicrogram amounts of Cd and Hg using^115mCd and²⁰³Hg tracers respectively and thionalide as a single complexing reagent. Hg was determined by 0.05% thionalide in ethyl methyl ketone (EMK) at pH 8.5, masking Cd with 0.1M KCN. From the aqueous phase Cd was demasked using formal-dehyde-acetic acid, pH adjusted to 9.5 and extracted into 0.05% thionalide in chloroform. The method is simple, fast and yields accurate results.     

On-line extraction and determination of carbofuran in raw milk by direct HPLC injection on an ISRP column

Summary A method has been developed for extraction and determination of carbofuran in milk. The method involved direct injection of raw milk on to a human serum albumin dimethyloctyl-silica gel (HSA-C₈) column and the use of 80:20 (v/v) 0.01 M phosphate buffer pH 5.5-acetonitrile as mobile phase. UV spectrophotometric detection was performed at 220 nm. Identification was based on retention time. Quantification was performed by automatic peak-area determination and was calibrated by use of an external standard.     

Mössbauer hyperfine interactions in natural wolframites

Powdered samples of Indian Natural Wolframites, (Fe_xMn_1?x) WO₄ with x=0.95 to 0.41, obtained from seven different locations of two quartz-wolframite deposits of Degana and Sirohi in Rajasthan, have been investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy down to 20K and magnetic susceptibility down to 77K. The Mössbauer spectra from 300K to 30K clearly indicate multiple sites which is at variance with the reported work. Below 50K a weak magnetic interaction with H_int～45Koe is observed. The spectra above transition temperature are resolved in three doublets and explained on the basis of reported crystal structure. The values of isomer shift, quadrupole splitting and magnetic hyperfine field have been attributed to high spin ferrous ions with octahedral symmetry. Relatively small value of Q.S. (～1.5 mm/sec. at 300K) indicate a strong contribution of the lattice term to the electric field gradient.     

Search for a precursor crystal-to-crystal phase transition to amorphization in α-GeO2 and α-AlPO4 under pressure

Recent X-ray diffraction studies on α-quartz (SiO₂) by Kingmaet al [1], have shown the occurrence of a reversible, crystalline-to-crystalline, phase transition just prior to amorphization at ≈ 21 GPa. This precursor transition has also been confirmed by our recent molecular dynamics simulation study [2]. In order to investigate the possibility of a similar behaviour in other isostructural compounds, which also undergo pressure induced amorphization, α-GeO₂ and α-AlPO₄ (berlinite form) were studied using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction. In either of these materials, no such phase transition is detected prior to amorphization. The onset of amorphization and its reversal is found to be time dependent in GeO₂.     

Fractional extensions of some boundary value problems in oil strata

In the present paper, we solve three boundary value problems related to the temperature field in oil strata — the fractional extensions of the incomplete lumped formulation and lumped formulation in the linear case and the fractional generalization of the incomplete lumped formulation in the radial case. By using the Caputo differintegral operator and the Laplace transform, the solutions are obtained in integral forms where the integrand is expressed in terms of the convolution of some auxiliary functions of Wright function type. A generalization of the Laplace transform convolution theorem, known as Efros’ theorem is widely used.     

Activity evaluation of carbon paste electrodes loaded with pt nanoparticles prepared in different radiolytic conditions

Three Pt-based catalysts prepared in different radiolytic conditions and supported on graphite powder were packed into a carbon paste electrode configuration. They were compared to each other, to the commercial (Pt) deposited on activated carbon powder (Johnson Matthey) and to pure Vulcan XC-72 for their respective abilities toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Tafel parameters were determined for all these electrodes. From the I–V curves and their quantitative treatment, the following order of activity emerged unambiguously and reads: (PtCO)₂ (fcc structure) > (PtCO)₁ (Chini cluster) > (Pt)_neat > (Pt)_JM (Johnson Matthey) ≫ (Vulcan XC-72). As expected, all the Pt-loaded electrodes were more efficient than Vulcan XC-72. The classification appears to be linked with the mean nanoparticle size, and for comparable sizes, with the surface morphology of the materials. The results and the stability of the electrodes suggest that the small particle sizes and the good dispersity on the carbon support were maintained during the HER.