VLS Growth of ITO Whiskers Prepared by the Electron Shower Method

Indium tin oxide (ITO) whiskers were grown by VLS (vapour-liquid-solid) mechanism, using the electron shower method. The whiskers were grown above 200 °C, and the deposition rate was above 0.6 nm/s. The electron shower controlled the size of the whiskers, and the size was 30 nm in diameter and 600 nm in length. The whiskers grew along the substrate at t < 300 s, but grew in a direction perpendicular to the substrate at t > 300 s. When the ITO whiskers grown along the substrate were used as NO₂ gas sensor, the sensitivity was 340, and about 300 times higher than those of the whiskers grown in a direction perpendicular to the substrate and plate-like ITO crystallites.     

Study of the thermal degradability of poly(α-methylstyrene) with modified end groups

To induce degradabilities in polymers in response to environmental conditions, endm odification reactions of poly(α-methylstyrene) (PMS) derivatives were carried out. 2-Phenylallyl halide derivatives such as 2-phenylallyl bromide, 2-(p-tolyl)allyl bromide, and α-trifluoromethylstyrene were found to be suitable end-modification agents. For example, the ω-2-phenylallyl-PMS derivative was prepared with almost quantitative functionality by the reaction of the living PMS derivative with 2-phenylallyl bromide. In a similar way, ω-3,3-difluoro-2-phenylallyl- and ω-2-(4-toly)allyl-PMS derivatives were synthesized. Based on thermogravimetric analysis, the onset of the degradation temperature of the endmodified PMS derivatives decreased in the following order: ω-hydrogen- > ω-3,3-difluoro-2-phenylallyl- > ω-2-phenylallyl- > ω-2-(p-tolyl)allyl-PMS. Actually, the onset temperature of ω-2-(p-tolyl)allyl-PMS derivatives was 50°C lower than that of ω-H-PMS derivatives. These results indicate that the active species is produced effectively at the endunsaturated bond, which initiates depolymerization of the polymer at rather low temperatures. Therefore, it is concluded that a 2-phenylallyl substituent at the end of the PMS chain induces effective degradation through a radical mechanism.     

A new application of statistical moment theory to evaluate the swelling behavior of thermo-responsive gels

The loosely cross-linked poly(acryloyl-L -proline methyl ester) gel, which is known as one of the typical thermo-responsive gels, shows a volume transition around approximately 14°C in pure water. This volume transition is shifted to higher temperature by treatment in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The analysis of the swelling-temperature curve (frequency distribution) was performed according to a moment analysis, in which the area under the swelling-temperature curve (AUC), mean swelling transition temperature (MSTT) and variance of swelling transition temperature (VSTT) were calculated. It is shown that the apparent volume transition temperature can be estimated from MSTT and that VSTT can be used to characterize the shape of the corresponding curves.     

Simultaneous detection of ammonia and humidity using transmission surface plasmon resonance technique

Abstract

Gas sensing by using the transmission surface plasmon resonance (T-SPR) technique was demonstrated. Polyacrylic acid (PAA)/5-nm-thick gold/40-nm-thick silver/polycarbonate grating substrate structure (Sensor A) responded to ammonia; however, it exhibited a strong humidity dependence. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/5-nm-thick gold/40-nm-thick silver/polycarbonate grating substrate structure (Sensor B) as the sensing material was also prepared and it mainly responded to humidity. The T-SPR properties of Sensors A and B were observed simultaneously by a stacking arrangement that enabled us to obtain the responses by using a single spectrophotometer. The ammonia concentration under various humidity conditions could be accurately obtained by simultaneous measurement of Sensors A and B.     

Remarks on the breakdown of smooth solutions for the 3-D Euler equations

The authors prove that the maximum norm of the vorticity controls the breakdown of smooth solutions of the 3-D Euler equations. In other words, if a solution of the Euler equations is initially smooth and loses its regularity at some later time, then the maximum vorticity necessarily grows without bound as the critical time approaches; equivalently, if the vorticity remains bounded, a smooth solution persists.Partially supported by O.N.R. Contract No. N00014-76-C-0316 and N.S.F. Grant No. MCS-81-01639Partially supported by N.S.F. Grant No. MCS-82-00171Partially supported by N.S.F. Grant No. MCS-81-02360     

Fatigue Crack Nucleation at Σ3(1 1 2) Boundary in a Ferritic Stainless Steel

The effect of a geometrical relationship between a grain boundary (GB) plane and a tensile axis on intergranular fatigue cracking along 3(1 1 2) twin boundaries has been investigated in Fe-30%Cr alloy crystals. Fatigue experiments were carried out on the three kinds of the specimens containing the 3(1 1 2) twin boundary. It was found that the fatigue cracking behavior was sensitive to the geometry of the GB plane. In a specimen where both the GB plane and a slip vector lying in the GB plane in adjacent grains are inclined to the tensile axis at 45°, the fatigue cracks were nucleated preferentially along the twin boundary at a stress amplitude of 170 MPa. The specimen with the GB plane normal to the tensile axis showed that the fatigue crack was initiated from a slip band formed within a constituent grain at a stress amplitude of 300 MPa. When the GB plane was inclined to the tensile axis but the slip vector lying in the GB plane was normal to the tensile axis, development of additional slips formed perpendicular to the GB plane were observed at a specific site of the GB. Initiation of intergranular fatigue cracks at the site was recognized at a stress amplitude of 250 MPa. It can be suggested that the GB plane normal to the tensile axis provides the highest fatigue performance among them. The difference in the cracking property among these specimens could be understood in terms of the effective Schmid factor derived from elastically incompatible stress.