A comparison of natural and experimental long-term corrosion of uranium-colored glass

The alteration features of historical U-colored glasses exposed to natural weathering for over 150 years were compared with the experimental alteration of similar glass with ～0.3 wt% of uranium using a long-term (up to 426 days) kinetic laboratory batch leaching test in deionized water. Two types of natural corrosion crusts were identified by a combination of SEM/EDS, HRTEM/SAED, EPMA and XRD: (i) formation of a leached layer (up to ～600 μm thick) depleted in alkalis and enriched in Si with stable concentration of U and Al and (ii) formation of lamellae depleted in alkalis, Si and U and enriched in Al. The presence of newly formed gibbsite (Al(OH)₃) and kaolinite (Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄) were confirmed in the second type of corrosion crust by HRTEM. Dissolution of the glass components including uranium was determined during the laboratory leaching test. Several μm thick alkali-depleted alteration zones with stable U content relatively enriched in Si and Al were formed on the glass surface. The PHREEQC-2 modeling also predicted the precipitation of secondary gibbsite and kaolinite in the late stages of the leaching. These phases may form especially when sufficient amounts of Al are available from the environment (e.g., soil). Furthermore, they provide surfaces for sorption and may, in some cases, affect the mobility of U ions released from the glass in dependence on pH and U speciation.     

The minimum independence number for designs

Fort=2,3 andk2t–1 we prove the existence oft–(n,k,) designs with independence numberC _,k n ^{(k–t)/(k–1)} (ln n) ^1/(k–1) . This is, up to the constant factor, the best possible.Some other related results are considered.Supported by NSF Grant DMS-9011850     

Graphs of small dimensions

LetG=(V, E) be a graph withn vertices. The direct product dimension pdim (G) (c.f. [10], [12]) is the minimum numbert such thatG can be embedded into a product oft copies of complete graphsK _n.In [10], Lovász, Neetil and Pultr determined the direct product dimension of matchings and paths and gave sharp bounds for the product dimension of cycles, all logarithmic in the number of vertices.     

Mixed ligand palladium(II) complexes of oxalate and malonate with vitamin-B6 molecules: synthesis,crystal structure and kinetics

The synthesis of six mononuclear palladium complexes of general formula [Pd(ox)/(mal)L₂] and [Pd(ox)/(mal)L] (ox = oxalate, mal = malonate, both L and L are vitamin-B₆ molecules (I), L = pyridoxine, pyridoxal and L = pyridoxamine) has been achieved. The structures of these compounds were established by elemental analysis, i.r. and ¹³C-n.m.r. [Pd(oxalate)(pyridoxine)₂] was analyzed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. It exhibits square planar coordination with bond lengths 2.015 (2) Å for Pd—N and 2.010 (2) Å for Pd—O. The interaction of [Pd(ox)₂]^2– and [Pd(mal)₂]^2– with L has been followed kinetically in order to look into the nature of products and the mechanism of formation under the conditions [Pd^II-chelate] [L] and [L].     

Combinatorial partitions of finite posets and lattices —Ramsey lattices

It is proved that for every finite latticeL there exists a finite latticeL such that for every partition of the points ofL into two classes there exists a lattice embeddingf:LL such that the points off(L) are in one of the classes.This property is called point-Ramsey property of the class of all finite lattices. In fact a stronger theorem is proved which implies the following: for everyn there exists a finite latticeL such that the Hasse-diagram (=covering relation) has chromatic number >n. We discuss the validity of Ramseytype theorems in the classes of finite posets (where a full discussion is given) and finite distributive lattices. Finally we prove theorems which deal with partitions of lattices into an unbounded number of classes.Presented by G. Grätzer.     

Hypergraphs do not jump

The number α, 0≦α≦1, is a jump forr if for any positive ε and any integerm,m≧r, anyr-uniform hypergraph withn>n _o (ε,m) vertices and at least (α+ε) \(\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} n \\ r \\ \end{array} } \right)\) edges contains a subgraph withm vertices and at least (α+c) \(\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} m \\ r \\ \end{array} } \right)\) edges, wherec=c(α) does not depend on ε andm. It follows from a theorem of Erdös, Stone and Simonovits that forr=2 every α is a jump. Erdös asked whether the same is true forr≧3. He offered $ 1000 for answering this question. In this paper we give a negative answer by showing that \(1 - \frac{1}{{l^{r - 1} }}\) is not a jump ifr≧3,l>2r.     

Study of nonadiabatic effects in the Li-Li 2 + system. Location of nonadiabatic regions

Nonadiabatic coupling between the lowest two singlet potential energy surfaces of the Li-Li ₂ ⁺ system is calculated using the diatomics-in-molecules method. Location of nonadiabatic regions in the configuration space of Li-Li ₂ ⁺ and their analysis is used to estimate those inner and translational states of the reactants which can lead to nonadiabatic behavior.     

Slow magnetic relaxation in a mixed-valence Mn(II/III) Complex: [MnII2(bispicen)2(mu 3-Cl)2Mn(III)(Cl4Cat)2Mn(III)(Cl4Cat)2(H2O)2] infinity

A layered mixed-valence manganese complex, [Mn(II)(2)(bispicen)(2)(mu(3)-Cl)(2)Mn(III)(Cl(4)Cat)(2)Mn(III)(Cl(4)Cat)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](infinity), is synthesized and characterized structurally. It displays a slow magnetic relaxation and hysteresis effect.