Ceramic crucibles: a new alternative for melting of PbO-BiO1.5-GaO1.5 glasses

PbO-Bi₂O₃-Ga₂O₃ glasses present interesting properties such as good transmission in the mid-infrared region, high magnetic Verdet constant and non-linear properties. The processing of these heavy-metal-oxide (HMO) glasses is limited by the high corrosive nature of the melt, even in relation to noble metal crucibles. In this work, three kinds of ceramic crucibles (alumina, tin oxide and zirconia) were tested for melting HMO glasses. The main physical properties of the prepared glasses, such as the characteristic temperatures, optical transmission were studied in function of the crucible nature, time/temperature melting parameters. The incorporation of crucible material in the glasses was determined by ICP and atomic absorption. The maximum glass contamination from the crucible was 2.9, 1.6 and 3.6 mol% for Al₂O₃, SnO₂ and ZrO₂ crucibles, respectively, when melting was done at 900 °C/240 min, for zirconia crucibles and at 1000 °C/60 min, for the other two crucibles. The evolution of the physical properties was discussed as a function of contamination degree.     

Application of Radioactive Tracers to Some Processes on a Large Scale

Methods of using the radioactive tracers for study of processes running in a big industrial scale, and methods of results interpretation are discussed. Investigations carried out for a wastewater treatment plant, a phosphoric acid production plant, and a steam calciner are presented.     

The Decay of 140La to Levels in 140Ce

The decay of ¹⁴⁰La to levels in ¹⁴⁰Ce has been studied in detail using a GMX-Ge and Hp-Ge coincidence spectrometer. Singles gamma-ray spectra as well as gamma-gamma coincidence were carried out to determine some γ-transitions and to insure others. Energies and relative intensities of 36 γ-transitions in the range from 26 to 3319 keV have been measured. The doubted γ-lines 936.7, 1087.9, 1303.5, 1404.2, 1415.3 and 2533.4 keV were confirmed, while other ones at 798.3, 902.0, 907.0, 1521.8 and 2494.0 keV were not observed. The two γ-lines at 1924 and 2082 keV which were a source of large discrepancies in the previous studies are confirmed in the present work to be sum peaks. Special care was paid in identifying the weak γ-transitions 936.7, 1087.9, 1415.3 and 2533.4 keV.

Es wurde der Zerfall von ¹⁴⁰La in Energienivcaus des ^l40Ce unter Verwendung eines GMX-Ge und Hp-Ge-Koinzidenzspeklrometers untersucht. Es werden einzclne Gammaspektren r und Gamma-Gamma-Koinzidenzen aufgenommen, um einige Gamma-Übergänge zu bestimmen und andere abzusichern. Die Energien und die relativen Intcnsitäten von 36 Gamma-Übergangen im Bereich von 26 … 3319 keV wurden vermessen. Die unsicheren Gamma-Linien 936,7, 1087,9, 1303,5, 1404,2, 1415,3 und 2533,4 keV wurden bestätigt, während die Linien 798,3, 902,0, 907,0, 1521,8 und 2494,0 keV nicht beobachtet werden konnten. Die zwei Gamma-Linien bei 1924 und 2082 keV, die eine Quclle groβer Unstimmigkeiten in früheren Untersuchungen gewesen sind, konnten als Summenpeaks bestätigt werden. Besondere Beachtung wurde der Zuordnung der schwachen Gamma-Übergange bei 936,7, 1087,9, 1415,3 und 2533,4 keV geschenkt.     

Use of Radioactive Tracers for Studies on Fluidized Cracking Catalytic Plants

In this paper are described the experiments carried out with radioactive tracers on Fluidized Cracking Catalytic (F.C.C.) plants. The tracers used are ⁴¹Ar and ⁷⁹Kr for gas and ¹⁴⁰La for the catalyst. Results obtained on different parts of the F.C.C. plant are given.     

Microwave spectrum,centrifugal distortion,internal rotation and excited torsional states of isobutene

The microwave spectrum of isobutene has been recorded from 10 to 35 GHz. From the analysis of the ground and first two excited torsional state splittings, the following internal rotation parameters were calculated: V₃ = 2170 cal mol.^?1, V'₁₂ = ?210 cal. mol.^?1, I_α = 3.18amu Ų and angle (methyl-top to b-axis) 58.21°. Centrifugal distortion parameters were also obtained for the ground state.     

Solid-state NMR study of metastable immiscibility in alkali borosilicate glasses

In several series of lithium, sodium, and potassium borosilicate glasses whose compositions traverse known regions of liquid-liquid phase separation, we have applied triple-quantum magic-angle spinning (3QMAS) ¹¹B and ¹⁷O NMR to obtain high-resolution information about short-range structure and connections among various network structural units, and their variation with composition and thermal history. Oxygen-17 3QMAS spectra reveal changes in connectivities between silicate and BO₃ (^[3]B) and BO₄ (^[4]B) units, by quantifying populations of bridging oxygens such as B-O-B, Si-O-B and Si-O-Si, and of non-bridging oxygens. ^[3]B-O-Si and ^[4]B-O-Si as well as ^[3]B-O-^[3]B and ^[4]B-O-^[3]B linkages can be distinguished. ¹¹B MAS and 3QMAS at a magnetic field of 14.1 T allow proportions of several borate units to be determined, including ^[3]B in boroxol ring and non-ring sites and ^[4]B with 3 versus 4 Si neighbors. By combining the ¹¹B and ¹⁷O NMR results, detailed information on Si/B mixing in sodium borosilicates can be derived, showing, for example, that ^[4]B and non-ring ^[3]B tend to mix with silicate units, while ring ^[3]B is mainly connected to borate groups. In a preliminary study of the effects of varying alkali cation, potassium-containing glasses are similar to those in the sodium borosilicate system, but a lithium borosilicate seems to exhibit considerably greater chemical heterogeneity. In annealing experiments that converted an optically clear to obviously phase-separated glasses, the ratio of ^[3]B to ^[4]B does not change significantly, but part of the non-ring ^[3]B converts to ring ^[3]B as the degree of unmixing increases.     

EXAFS study of mechanical-milling-induced solid-state amorphization of Se

Complete solid-state amorphization has been realized in elemental selenium by means of mechanical milling of crystalline Se powder. Extended X-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements (EXAFS) indicated that the amorphization process of crystalline Se was accompanied with a decrease of the nearest neighboring coordination number and the bond length, and the increase of the Debye-Waller factor. Combined with the previous study, we conclude that the mechanical milling results in the strengthening of intra-chain and weakening of inter-chain interactions of Se during amorphization. Compared to the structure of the as-quenched amorphous Se, the first nearest neighbor coordination number of the as-milled amorphous Se becomes smaller, while the Debye-Waller factor is larger, which is caused by the milling process.     

Observation of a new photoluminescence band at 320 nm under 270 nm excitation in Ge-doped silica glass

We investigate the influence of temperature on photoluminescence (PL) in Ge-doped silica glass. Under 270 nm excitation, we observe only one PL band at 424 nm at room temperature (RT). This band shifts to 436 nm with cooling (4 K), and a new PL band is recorded at 320 nm. We assign these PL bands to triplet-to-singlet and singlet-to-singlet transitions of a same Ge-related defect, whose structure is still unknown. The shift of the PL band (from 424 nm at RT to 436 nm at 4 K) is explained by the decrease of the overlap between PLs from different centers.