Microwave absorption properties of rod-shaped Co-Ni-P shells prepared by metallizing Bacillus

The rod-shaped Co-Ni-P shells were prepared by metalling Bacillus. The microstructures and composition of the shells were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive analysis (EDS). The electromagnetic parameters were measured by the coaxial line method in the frequency of 2-18 GHz. It was found that the Bacillus were successfully coated with Co-Ni-P, and the inner structure of the shells are hollow in structure. The shells exhibit excellent microwave absorption properties in 5-17 GHz frequency. The microwave reflection loss is above −10 dB in 5.38-16.6 GHz frequency. The maximum microwave reflection loss reaches −35.83 dB at 9.12 GHz for samples thickness 2.4 mm, and the widest bandwidth for microwave reflection loss above −10 dB is about ∼5.32 GHz for samples thickness 2.0 mm. These results confirm the feasibility of applying Bacillus as biotemplates for fabrication of the metallic shells as lightweight microwave absorption materials are very promising for applications.     

Modelling of squeal noise attenuation of ring damped wheels

The called vibratory instability squeal that appears in narrow curve or in end of braking is today uncontrolled and produced a high pitched noise very intense and unbearable. Many systems have been developed to limit acoustic emissions and particularly the metallic ring damping solution. Attenuation can reach 20 dB depending on the wheel type (Corail, safety wheel, etc.). However, the question is why this system has a various efficiency even on similar wheels and if this solution may be optimized. The aim of this paper is to understand the attenuation mechanisms of the ring dampers. Wheel modes susceptible to squeal are highlighted and numerical models are developed in order to simulate how the acoustic attenuation occur.     

Analysis of the sensitivity to the electrochemical potential of the width of a metallic nanoconstriction

In relation to a metallic nanowire in the presence of an electrochemical potential, the sensitivity to this potential of the nanowire width is evaluated by defining and calculating a suitable parameter that can be regarded as a normalized gradient, this gradient being the derivative of the above-mentioned width with respect to the electrochemical potential.     

Surface tension-driven shape-recovery of micro/nanometer-scale surface features in a Pt57.5Ni5.3Cu14.7P22.5 metallic glass in the supercooled liquid region: A numerical modeling capability

Recent experiments in the literature show that micro/nano-scale features imprinted in a Pt-based metallic glass, Pt_57.5Ni_5.3Cu_14.7P_22.5, using thermoplastic forming at a temperature above its glass transition temperature, may be erased by subsequent annealing at a slightly higher temperature in the supercooled liquid region (Kumar and Schroers, 2008). The mechanism of shape-recovery is believed to be surface tension-driven viscous flow of the metallic glass. We have developed an elastic-viscoplastic constitutive theory for metallic glasses in the supercooled liquid temperature range at low strain rates, and we have used existing experimental data in the literature for Pt_57.5Ni_5.3Cu_14.7P_22.5 (Harmon et al., 2007) to estimate the material parameters appearing in our constitutive equations. We have implemented our constitutive model for the bulk response of the glass in a finite element program, and we have also developed a numerical scheme for calculating surface curvatures and incorporating surface tension effects in finite element simulations. By carrying out full three-dimensional finite-element simulations of the shape-recovery experiments of Kumar and Schroers (2008), and using the independently determined material parameters for the bulk glass, we estimate the surface tension of Pt_57.5Ni_5.3Cu_14.7P_22.5 at the temperature at which the shape-recovery experiments were conducted. Finally, with the material parameters for the underlying elastic-viscoplastic bulk response as well as a value for the surface tension of the Pt-based metallic glass fixed, we validate our simulation capability by comparing predictions from our numerical simulations of shape-recovery experiments of Berkovich nanoindents, against corresponding recent experimental results of Packard et al. (2009) who reported shape-recovery data of nanoindents on the same Pt-based metallic glass.     

Structures of CoAl(1 1 1) surface: A first principles study

The structures of the CoAl(1 1 1) surface are studied by first principles calculations. Our calculations show that the surface layer is always occupied by pure Al for all concentrations studied here, which indicates the dominant role of the Al segregation tendency. This is different from the CoAl(0 0 1) surface, where a number of Co anti-sites are found on the top most layer. The calculated surface phase diagram of ground states shows that there are three stable structures. The diffusion barriers of the metastable structure evolving to the stable structure are also calculated. The high diffusion barrier can explain the appearance of metastable structures at low temperature in experiment.     

Gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric sensor for studying the interactions of β-amyloid peptide with metallic ions

In this paper, a kind of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ1-16) conjugated gold nanoparticles (Aβ1-16@GNPs) are prepared and employed as colorimetric indicator for studying the interaction of β-amyloid peptide with metallic ions (e.g. Zn²⁺ and Ca²⁺). In the presence of Zn²⁺, mono-dispersing Aβ1-16@GNPs enable to form aggregates or attach on the SHG-44 (human glioma cell) cellular surface which results in significant color change of the solution. The experimental results indicate that Zn²⁺ can interact with Aβ1-16 and form Zn²⁺-β-amyloid peptide complexes. In particular, in the presence of Zn²⁺, a time-dependent interaction of cells with Aβ1-16@GNPs has been observed that may suggest different expression levels of β-amyloid peptide related proteins in various cell cycles. In addition, the aggregating/binding process can be easily reversed by adding EDTA, a good chelated ligand of Zn²⁺, which gives further proof of the interaction mechanism.     

Correlation of soft magnetic properties with free volume and medium range ordering in metallic glasses probed by fluctuation microscopy and positron annihilation technique

Amorphous ribbons of different thicknesses of Co_64.5Fe_3.5Si₁₆B₁₄Ni₂ alloy were synthesized using the melt spinning technique by varying wheel speed. The effect of cooling rate on the ribbon thickness and their soft magnetic properties have been studied. The amorphous structure has been characterized in terms of structural free volume and medium range order (MRO) by positron annihilation spectroscopy and fluctuation electron microscopy techniques. Positron lifetime spectra of amorphous samples showed two lifetime components. The first component was found to be correlated with MRO whereas, the second lifetime component was found to be associated with nanovoid type of defects, and the second component was strongly dependent on processing conditions. It could be established that the coercivity of the amorphous samples produced by the rapid solidification technique mainly depends on the defects formed during processing rather than change induced in MRO.     

Hund’s Rule and Metallic Ferromagnetism

We study tight-binding models of itinerant electrons in two different bands, with effective on-site interactions expressing Coulomb repulsion and Hunds rule. We prove that, for sufficiently large on-site exchange anisotropy, all ground states show metallic ferromagnetism: They exhibit a macroscopic magnetization, a macroscopic fraction of the electrons is spatially delocalized, and there is no energy gap for kinetic excitations.     

Many-body effect in the M45–N23N45–N45N45N45 coincidence spectroscopy spectra of metallic elements around Cd

The quasi-particle approximation for the 4p4d state of the metallic elements around Cd breaks down because of very rapid 4p4d–4d³ super Coster–Kroning (sCK) decay of the 4p hole in the presence of the spectator 4d hole. Here the underbar is a hole. As a result, the 4p4d multiplet coupling breaks down. We can examine the presence or absence of the 4p4d multiplet by Auger-electron sCK-electron coincidence spectroscopy measurement of the 3d–4p4d–4d³ Auger-preceded sCK transitions. We collect the sCK-electrons in coincidence with the Auger-electrons of a selected kinetic energy (KE) and vice versa. If the multiplet coupling breaks down and does not exist, the coincidence sCK-electron (or Auger-electron) lines shift as much as the Auger-electron (or sCK-electron) analyzer's selected KE is varied. We can determine not only the three 4d-hole sCK final-state energy but also the presence or absence of the 4p4d multiplet by Auger-electron sCK-electron coincidence spectroscopy. The unique capability of the coincidence measurement by which one can determine the correlation between an Auger-electron and a sCK electron generated, respectively, by creation and annihilation of the same Auger two-hole final state is very useful, even when the quasi-particle approximation of the two-hole state breaks down.     

Creep strain recovery of Fe-Ni-B amorphous metallic ribbon

Creep strain recovery and structural relaxation of the amorphous metallic glass Fe₄₀Ni₄₁B₁₉ after longtime loading at different annealing temperatures below the glass transition temperature have been studied using anisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dilatometry (TMA). It has been demonstrated that structural relaxation effects depend on the stress-annealing temperature of the amorphous ribbon. The structural relaxation states of the amorphous ribbon annealed at different temperatures under and without applied stress have been compared. The activation energy spectra were calculated from the anisothermal dilatometric measurements using the modern method based on the Fourier transformation technique. The influence of the annealing temperature on the shape of creep strain recovery spectra has been analyzed.