Plasticized microporous poly(vinylidene fluoride) separators for lithium‐ion batteries. II. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) dense membrane swelling behavior in a liquid electrolyte—characterization of the swelling kinetics

Some microporous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF) separators for lithium‐ion batteries, used in liquid organic electrolytes based on a mixture of carbonate solvents and lithium salt LiPF₆, were characterized by the study of the swelling phenomena on dense PVdF membranes. Various aspects of the kinetics of the carbonate solvents and the solvent mixture sorption in dense PVdF slabs were studied at different temperatures. Non‐Fickian behavior, characterized by S‐shaped sorption curves, was highlighted, and a salt effect, which resulted in two‐stage sorption, was studied. Diffusion coefficients and activation energies were calculated for the Fickian portions of the sorption curves, that is, at short times and low swelling ratios. A strong influence of the different interaction parameters was shown for the swelling kinetics. This study proved that the swelling of microporous PVdF membranes could be considered instantaneous. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 544–552, 2004     

Rheooptical investigation of the crystallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) under tensile strain

The crystallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) under uniaxial tensile strain at different extension rates was investigated with optical polarimetry in a temperature range between the glass-transition temperature and the quiescent crystallization temperature. The evolution of the optical properties of the polymer, including the turbidity, birefringence, and dichroism, were monitored simultaneously with the mechanical parameters. To complete the semicrystalline microstructure characterization of the polymer under strain, an online wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) technique was used in separate experiments, which were performed under the same thermomechanical conditions. For real-time measurements, a high-energy synchrotron radiation source was used. The optical properties provided information about both the crystalline and amorphous phases, whereas the WAXD patterns essentially gave information about the crystalline phase. The two experimental techniques were then used in a complementary way to characterize the semicrystalline microstructure. Significant deviations from the stress-optical rule were found. This was attributed to both transient effects and the appearance of crystallites, which consisted of highly oriented molecular segments that could contribute to the optical anisotropy but not necessarily to the stress. The behavior of the optical dichroism was found to be qualitatively different from that of the birefringence. The latter monotonically increased with the strain, whereas the former first increased with the strain, passed through a maximum, and then decreased to a steady-state value. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1915–1927, 2004     

Plasticized microporous poly(vinylidene fluoride) separators for lithium-ion batteries. III. Gel properties and irreversible modifications of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes under swelling in liquid electrolytes

Microporous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF) separators for lithium-ion batteries, used in liquid organic electrolytes, have been characterized with respect to the swelling phenomena on dense PVdF membranes (obtained through hot pressing). In the first and second parts of this study, we have described the swelling equilibria and swelling kinetics of dense PVdF. Here the thermal properties of PVdF gels and their irreversible modifications induced by swelling are characterized. Particular attention is paid to crystallinity modifications, polymer plasticization, and membrane degradation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2308–2317, 2004     

Polynomial Quantization on Rank One Para-Hermitian Symmetric Spaces

We construct the polynomial quantization on the space G/H where G=SL(n,R),H=GL(n–1,R). It is a variant of quantization in the spirit of Berezin. In our case covariant and contravariant symbols are polynomials on G/H. We introduce a multiplication of covariant symbols, establish the correspondence principle, study transformations of symbols (the Berezin transform) and of operators. We write a full asymptotic decomposition of the Berezin transform.     

The Convergence and Stability of Splitting Finite-Difference Schemes for Nonlinear Evolutionary Equations

We consider a splitting finite-difference scheme for an initial-boundary value problem for a two-dimensional nonlinear evolutionary equation. The problem is split into nonlinear and linear parts. The linear part is also split into locally one-dimensional equations. We prove the convergence and stability of the scheme in L ₂ and C norms. Printed in Lietuvos Matematikos Rinkinys, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp. 413–434, July–September, 2005.     

Optical corrosion meter

In a previous study, a mathematical model relating surface and bulk behaviours of metals in aqueous solution has been developed. The model was established based on principles of holographic interferometry for measuring microsurface dissolution, i.e. mass loss, and on those of electrochemistry for measuring the bulk electronic current, i.e. corrosion current. In the present work, an optical corrosion meter was built based on the above model. The corrosion meter consists of an electrochemical cell in which the sample is immersed in aqueous solution. Furthermore, the corrosion meter has a holographic camera with a thermoplastic film for in situ processing of holograms in order to obtain real-time holographic interferoms of the sample in the electrochemical cell. Results of the present work indicate that optical holography is a very useful technique for measuring the corrosion current density of different alloys in aqueous solutions. As a result, the corrosion current density of aluminium, stainless steel, and low-carbon steel in 1 M KCl, 1 M NaCl, and 1 M NaOH solutions were obtained. A comparison between the corrosion data of samples showed that the corrosion current density of the stainless steel in 1 M NaCl is nearly three-folds higher than that of the aluminium in 1 M KCl and the low-carbon steel in 1 M NaOH.     

New Classes of Toda Soliton Solutions

We provide a detailed investigation of limits of N–soliton solutions of the Toda lattice as N tends to infinity. Our principal results yield new classes of Toda solutions including, in particular, new kinds of soliton–like (i.e., reflectionless) solutions. As a byproduct we solve an inverse spectral problem for one–dimensional Jacobi operators and explicitly construct tri–diagonal matrices that yield a purely absolutely continuous spectrum in (-1,1) and give rise to an eigenvalue spectrum that includes any prescribed countable and bounded subset of . Received: 16 October 1995/Accepted: 23 July 1996     

Luminescence properties of anodic aluminum oxide films with organic luminophores embedded into pores

Luminescence properties of porous anodic aluminum oxide films formed in a 0.6 M solution of citric acid and luminescence of paraterphenyl, perylene, coumarin 7, and rhodamine 6G dyes adsorbed by the films are investigated. The nature of emitting centers in anodic aluminum oxide is revealed. Intense photoluminescence of all tested dyes embedded into pores of anodic aluminum oxide has been found. A redshift of fluorescence spectra of dyes adsorbed by the matrix and emergence of an additional longwave band have been detected. Data obtained can be used in developing new thin-film luminescent coatings for future applications in optoelectronics and molecular electronics. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 64, No 4, pp. 483–488, July–August, 1997.     

The gas dynamics of current-limiting devices during immobility time

The aim of this paper is to extend our knowledge about the gas-dynamic processes in arcs during immobility time. For this purpose, the conservation equations in a magnetohydrodynamic approximation were coupled with the thermochemical and Maxwell equations. Special features arc the introduction of dissociation and ionization of nitrogen and oxygen, and the simultaneous calculation of the distributions of current density and magnetic induction in the arc. Numerical calculations were performed with a reduced two-dimensional (2-D) time-dependent model. Results of the calculations were compared with measurements. The development in time of the measured and calculated are voltage and arc chamber pressure show very good agreement. The pumping effect of the double vortex in the arc region was confirmed by optical measurements. It is concluded that the three-layer model is a good representation for the main physical features during the immobility time, and that the presence of highly conducting gas in the downstream region of the arc is essential for its downstream movement