The stress driven instability in elastic crystals: Mathematical models and physical manifestations

Summary Equilibrium equations and stability conditions for the simple deformable elastic body are derived by means of considering a minimum of the static energy principle. The energy is supposed to be sum of the volume (elastic) and the surface terms. The ability to change relative positions of different material particles is taken into account, and appropriate natural definitions of the first and second variations of the energy are introduced and calculated explicitly. Considering the case of negligible magnitude of the surface tension, we establish that an equilibrium state of a nonhydrostatically stressed simple elastic body (of any physically reasonable elastic energy potential and of any symmetry) possessing any small smooth part of free surface is always unstable with respect to relative transfer of the material particles along the surface. Surface tension suppresses the mentioned instability with respect to sufficiently short disturbances of the boundary surface and thus can probably provide local smoothness of the equilibrium shape of the crystal. We derive explicit formulas for critical wavelength for the simplest models of the internal and surface energies and for the simplest equilibrium configurations. We also formulate the simplest problem of mathematical physics, revealing peculiarities and difficulties of the problem of equilibrium shape of elastic crystals, and discuss possible manifestations of the above-mentioned instability in the problems of crystal growth, materials science, fracture, physical chemistry, and low-temperature physics.     

Influence of thermal and thermo-mechanical treatment

Two lipids with similar melting ranges but of different composition were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The lipids were processed via extrusion or were tempered at different temperatures; they were analyzed directly after extrusion and after storage at 40°C. Precirol ATO 5® showed high sensitivity to storage time and varied temperature exposure. Extrusion showed only marginal influences on the solid state. Melting peaks were narrower and shifted to higher temperatures in comparison to the untreated powder. Dynasan 114® was more robust, changes in the solid state could only be shown for samples treated above the melting range. Thus, Dynasan 114® is more appropriate for solid lipid extrusion of pharmaceutical products.     

Properties of ITO films prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were deposited by mid frequency pulsed dual magnetron sputtering using a metallic alloy target with 10 wt.% tin in an atmosphere of argon and oxygen. The aim of the work was to study the interdependence of structural, electrical and optical properties of ITO films deposited in the reactive and transition target mode, respectively. The deposition rate in the transition mode exceeds the deposition rate in the reactive mode by a factor of six, a maximum value of 100 nm·m min⁻¹ could be achieved. This corresponds to a static deposition rate of 200 nm min⁻¹. The lowest electrical resistivity of 1.1·10⁻³ Ω cm was measured at samples deposited in the high oxygen flow range in the transition mode. The samples show a good transparency in the visible range corresponding to extinction coefficients being below 10⁻². X-ray diffraction was used to characterise crystalline structure as well as film stress. ITO films prepared in the transition mode show a slightly preferred orientation in (211) direction, whereas films deposited in the reactive mode are strongly (222) oriented. Compared to undoped In₂O₃ all samples have an enlarged lattice. The lattice strain perpendicular to the surface is about 0.8% and 2.0% for films grown in the transition and the reactive mode, respectively. Deposition in the transition mode introduces a biaxial film stress in the range of −300 MPa, while stress in reactive mode samples is −1500 MPa.     

Magnetic phase transitions in nanostructures induced by shear stress under high pressure

Magnetic phase transitions of the first and second order were revealed by Mössbauer spectroscopy in nanosystems of - and -ferric oxides and metallic europium subjected to shear stress (240°) under high pressure (20 kbar). For - and -ferric oxide nanoclusters, the Curie (Neel) points decreased to 300 K, whereas for nanostructured europium the Neel point increased from 90 to 100 K. The thermodynamic model of magnetic phase transitions predicting a change in the character of magnetic phase transitions and a decrease (increase) in the critical Neel (Curie) points in nanoclusters was developed. The type of magnetic phase transitions and the change in the critical points were caused by defects in nanoclusters, whose maximum concentration was observed for the clusters with the 20—50 nm size range.     

Synthesis of Donor–Acceptor Alkynylcyclopropanes by Diastereoselective Cyclopropanation of Electron‐Deficient Alkenes with Alkoxyalkynyl Fischer Carbene Complexes

The reaction of electron‐deficient alkenes with alkoxyalkynyl Fischer carbene complexes (FCCs) represents a straightforward route to a new type of captodative (donor–acceptor) alkynylcyclopropanes, which have been prepared in moderate to high yields and in a diastereoselective manner. Some studies regarding the employment of additives to facilitate the recovery of the metal moiety after the reaction are also described. Finally, the first example of a cyclopropanation reaction through employing Fischer carbene complexes under microwave irradiation is presented; this method proved to be an advantageous alternative to the thermal reaction.     

On Aging of Acid-Catalyzed Silica Sols—A Dynamic Light Scattering Study

Dynamic light scattering experiments in acid-catalyzed silica sols are discussed. It is shown that in spite of limited parameter accuracy and limited absolute knowledge of the particle sizes, the scattering data from various experiments are comparable with one another and give information about structural differences. Measurements at various angles indicate changes between non-spherical and nearly spherical particles and allow the estimation of gelling times before gelation.     

聚苯基单醚喹噁啉薄膜的性能与物理老化

研究了物理老化对聚苯基单醚喹啉薄膜的结构与力学性能的影响 .用差示扫描量热计 (DSC)及正电子湮没寿命谱 (PALS)方法表征了两种不同物理老化条件试样的凝聚结构以及自由体积的差别 .结果表明 ,物理老化使聚苯基单醚喹啉薄膜玻璃化转变温度移向高温 ,在其末端出现热焓吸收峰 ,分子链堆砌紧密使自由体积减小 ,分子可动性降低 .用动态力学分析 (DMTA)以及静态拉伸性能测试等方法研究了两类试样的力学性能 ,结果表明 ,物理老化后 ,试样的动态储能模量稍有增加 ,力学损耗降低 .而静态拉伸实验的断裂应变降低 ,屈服应力增加 ,断裂能降低 ,试样在宏观上由韧性断裂变为明显的脆性断裂 .     

聚芳醚酮高温长时间下的断裂行为3．韧性－脆性断裂转变

研究了聚芳醚酮（ＰＥＫ－Ｃ）在２００℃下长时间放置过程中拉伸断裂行为的变化．通过应力－应变实验、断面形貌观察及去老化现象的研究证实，２００℃下长时间放置后的ＰＥＫ－Ｃ的拉伸断裂行为，发生韧性－脆性转变，发生这一转变的时间约在５８９小时左右．伴随１９９℃下的拉伸过程中出现的去老化现象，决定于材料发生剪切屈服形变的能力，与韧性－脆性断裂行为转变有着本质的联系．     

Residual stress and deformation during rapid cooling process in an epoxy plate

Residual stress in the epoxy plate during a rapid cooling process was measured by the layer removal method and calculated by the linear thermoviscoelastic theory considering specific volume relaxation. The relaxations of the tensile modulus and specific volume were measured by an Instron thermomechanical analyzer. When the starting temperature of the cooling process was near the glass transition temperature of the cured epoxy, the residual stress in the epoxy plate was smaller than when the starting temperature was higher than the glass transition temperature. However, the transient stress in the cured epoxy plate was higher when the starting temperature was near the glass transition temperature than when the starting temperature was higher than the glass transition temperature. The quenched epoxy plate was compressed in the direction parallel to the surface and expanded in the thickness direction.