STM/AFM studies of the evolution of morphology of electroplated Ni/W alloys

The surface morphology evolution of Ni/W alloys was studied, as a function of the alloy composition. Using the modified plating baths developed in our laboratory recently, electroplated Ni/W alloys with different W content, in the range of 7–67 atom percent (a/o), can be obtained. This was found to lead to different structures, ranging from polycrystalline fcc-Ni type structure to amorphous, followed by orthorhombic with increasing W content in the alloy. Powder XRD was studied to determine the crystal structures. Ex situ STM, AFM and SEM were used to study in detail the surface morphologies of the different alloys, and their evolution with increasing W content.

The important findings are that a mixture of two crystalline forms can give rise to an amorphous structure. Hillocks that are usually a characteristic of epitaxial growth can also exist in the amorphous alloys. Oriented scratches caused by stress can also be formed.

Up to 20 a/o of W is deposited in the alloys in crystalline form, with the fcc-Ni type structure. Between 20 and about 40 a/o an amorphous structure is observed, and above that an orthorhombic crystal structure is seen, which is characteristic of the NiW binary alloy. Careful choice of the composition of the plating bath allowed us to deposit an alloy containing 67 a/o W, which corresponds to the composition NiW₂.     

High-throughput concept for tailoring switchable mirrors

The optical properties, the switching kinetics and the lifetime of hydrogen switchable mirrors based on Mg-Ni alloys are determined with particular regard to the composition of the optically active metal-hydride layer in combination with the thickness of the catalytic capping layer. For this, a high-throughput experiment is introduced. The switching kinetics and the reversibility of switchable mirrors are strongly thickness dependent, though the details hinge on the fine structure of the clustered capping layer. Therefore, the kinetics is correlated with the surface structures of Pd on Mg_yNi_1−y as investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. The results are explained by the so-called strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) state, characterized by a complete encapsulation of the capping layer clusters by oxidized species originating from the support. The SMSI-effect is less important with increasing Pd-layer thickness, and is suppressed by a good wetting of the Pd-clusters on the optically active film. This explains the critical thickness for the catalyzed hydrogen uptake observed in many switchable mirror systems. Moreover, the degradation of the kinetics during cycling is found to depend on the Pd-layer thickness and on the gas environment. Only films, covered with at least 15 nm Pd, show small degradation caused by the SMSI-effect. The SMSI-effect is partly reversible: after changing the gas environment from hydrogen to oxygen, the oxide on the Pd-clusters can be partly removed.     

Alloy formation in mechanically activated mixtures

The physical mixtures of hydroxocarbonates of Cu and Ni with aluminium were activated using a laboratory planetary mill. The chemical reactions and alloy formations as the effects of grinding were followed by the phase analysis of solid products based on the thermogravimetry and X-ray diffractometry. Experimental evidence indicates that the nature of reactions and products of mechanical activation was dependent on the amount of aluminium and time of grinding. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Manganese(II) complexes with diethylamine in aqueous solutions

Interaction between MnCl₂ and diethylamine (DEA) in aqueous solutions has been studied by UV, IR, and EPR spectroscopy as part of the design and research program on models of natural photosystems. The composition of the precipitate for comparable concentrations of reagents and solute oxygen has been investigated. Mn(II) was found to be oxidized with oxygen to give MnO₂·H₂O as a precipitate. In the solution over the precipitate, Mn(III) complexes with DEA are formed; the complex molecule has four and six amine molecules in the coordination sphere.     

一维应变压缩下TC4钛合金绝热剪切研究

 利用内径为57 mm的压缩气炮，在撞击速度为0.2~1.2 km/s（相应的靶中压力为3~15 GPa）范围内进行对称碰撞实验，以研究TC4（Ti-Al6-V4）钛合金在一维应变冲击压缩条件下的绝热剪切现象。对回收得到的受冲击样品，在扫描电镜（SEM）下进行细观金相分析。结果指出，一维应变冲击压缩条件下，TC4钛合金中绝热剪切带产生的对称碰撞速度阈值为500 m/s（相当于样品中的压力为5.87 GPa）；主剪切带与冲击方向约为45°角，带上有圆形和椭圆形两种孔洞且随碰撞速度的增大而增多和长大，这是典型的韧性损伤特征。随碰撞速度增大，产生与主剪切带成15°角的支剪切带。这些与理论预言相符。X射线能谱分析结果指出，剪切带内材料发生了(α+β)→β相的转变，是典型的相变带。剪切带的温度估算与实验提供的信息吻合。     

Effect of carbon content on the microstructure and the cracking susceptibility of Fe-based laser-clad layer

The laser cladding of Fe-based alloys on a medium carbon steel substrate was performed using a CO₂ laser and Ar shielding gas that was blown into a molten pool. The microstructure and cracking susceptibility of the laser-clad layers were studied in terms of carbon additions. Results show that the small change of the carbon content in the alloy powders can obviously change the microstructure and properties of the layers. When the carbon content is in the range of 0.3–0.4 wt.%, the decrease of the carbon content in alloy powders will increase the hardness and toughness of the layers simultaneously under the same process parameters. As a result, crack-free coatings with high hardness can be obtained. As the carbon content increases from 0.2 wt.% to 0.4 wt.%, the segregation ratio of chromium increases, while the segregation ratios of nickel, manganese, and silicon first decrease and then increase. At the same time, a new designing principle concerning the composition and microstructure has been put forward, and the principal mechanisms of strengthening and toughening of the layers are fine-grain strengthening and low carbon martensitic phase transformation strengthening.     

微分脉冲溶出伏安法同时测定食品中的锌铁锰

在1％乙二胺-0．1mol／L酒石酸钠-pH11．82 Britton—Robinson缓冲溶液体系中用微分脉冲溶出伏安法同时测定锌、铁、锰三种微量元素。它们的峰电位分别为-1184，-1392和-1456mV(vs．Ag/AgCl)；线性范围分别为：0.001—0.015，0．005—0．05和0．04—0．7μg／mL，最低检出浓度分别为0．0007，0．0014和0．0193μg／mL。本法操作简便、准确、灵敏度较高，用于食品中这三种元素的分析，结果令人满意。     

60keV质子辐照对TiNi记忆合金薄膜马氏体相变的影响

 利用磁控溅射的方法在氧化后的单晶Si基片上制备了TiNi形状记忆合金薄膜，利用示差扫描量热法和原位X射线衍射研究了薄膜的马氏体相变特征。通过60keV质子注入（辐照）薄膜样品研究了H+离子对合金薄膜马氏体相变特征的影响，结果表明氢离子注入后引起了马氏体相变开始Ms和结束点Mf以及逆马氏体相变开始As和结束温度Af的下降，而对R相变开始Rs和结束温度Rf影响不大。掠入射X射线衍射表明H+离子注入后有氢化物形成。H⁺离子注入形成的氢化物是引起相变点的变化的主要因素。     

四羧基锰酞菁作为超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化物酶模拟酶的研究

用核黄素 蛋氨酸光照法和黄嘌呤氧化酶 细胞色素C还原法证实,在1.0×10-6～1.0×10-5mol/L范围内四羧基锰酞菁(TcPcMn)表现出良好的清除超氧阴离子自由基(O—·2)的活性;用黄嘌呤氧化酶 NBT还原法测算出的TcPcMn清除O—·2的二级反应速率常数为7.77×105mol-1·L·s-1,表明TcPcMn作为超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)模拟酶能很好的抑制O—·2的还原性.TcPcMn既能催化H2O2与4 氨基安替比林和酚的显色反应,也能催化邻苯二胺的聚合,表明TcPcMn具有过氧化物酶(POD)活性.用邻苯三酚自氧法得出,TcPcMn将O—·2的氧化性转化成了POD和H2O2的氧化性.因此只要牺牲一定的POD底物,TcPcMn就可以清除掉因歧化O—·2而产生的H2O2,继而能避免因发生Fenton反应而产生氧化性高于O—·2的羟自由基,从而彻底消除O—·2的氧化性,与SOD相比,这是TcPcMn的一个优势.