Prognostication of aging of polymeric composite materials

Experimental data demonstrate that a study of accelerated aging can enable prognostication of the working capacity and storage life of polymeric formulations used in aircraft components on the basis of changes in thermogravimetric constants of these polymeric formulations.     

Fundamental aspects of initiated oxidation of tridecane and polyethylene in solutions

Specific features of the initiated oxidation of polyethylene and its low-molecular-weight analogue tridecane, associated with the occurrence of the process in the short-chain mode, were studied.     

Thermodynamic properties of ternary systems: Calculation of standard enthalpies of solvation of triols, diols, and a series of their ethers in water-methanol mixed solvent

An equation for the standard enthalpy of solvation of a compound in a binary solvent is derived. The enthalpies of solvation in water-methanol mixtures are estimated for 1,3-propane-and 1,6-hexanediols, 1,2,4-butane-and 1,3,5-pentanetriols, 2-methoxy-and 2-propoxyethanols, and diethylene glycol. The enthalpy of solvation of 1,2-dimethoxyethane in the water-methanol mixed solvent is determined experimentally.     

Coagulation in lipid- and protein-containing systems

The behavior of real disperse systems with organic impurities was examined under conditions of destabilization by inorganic coagulants. A number of physicochemical methods of analysis and a simulation method were used to identify the character and type of the complexes formed and to calculate their stability constants.     

Strain-induced modification of magnetic structure and new magnetic phases in rare-earth epitaxial films

Rare earths exhibit complex magnetic phase diagrams resulting from the competition between various contributions to the magnetic energy: exchange, anisotropy and magnetostriction. The epitaxy of a rare-earth film on a substrate induces (i) a clamping to the substrate and (ii) pseudomorphic strains. Both these effects are shown to lead to modifications of the magnetic properties in (0 0 1)Dy, (0 0 1)Tb and (1 1 0)Eu films. In Dy and Tb films, spectacular variations of the Curie temperature have been evidenced. Additionally, Tb films exhibit a new large wavelength magnetic modulation. In Eu films, one of the helical magnetic domains disappears at low temperature whereas the propagation vectors of the other helices are tilted. The link between structural and magnetic properties is underlined via magnetoelastic models. Moreover, molecular beam epitaxy permits the growth of Sm in a metastable dhcp phase. The magnetic structure of dhcp Sm has been elucidated for the first time. In this review, neutron scattering is shown to be a powerful technique to reveal the magnetic structures of rare-earth films.     

Electro-optic pulse response of ferroelectric liquid crystals

The electro-optic response of ferroelectric smectic C* liquid crystals has been studied. Anomalous switching behaviour of such materials which possess a negative dielectric anisotropy has been reported. These materials show a minimum in response time at a sufficiently high field. We present results showing the dependency of this minimum upon spontaneous polarisation and the effect of AC bias. Calculations based upon the equation of motion of the director around the cone are presented which describe this effect and its dependence on the relative magnitudes of the spontaneous polarization and dielectric anisotropy of the material. Good agreement with the experimental results is found.