Characterization of AZ91D Granules Covered with a Flux during In‐Situ Melting

Oxidation and melting behaviors of AZ91D granules throughout the in‐situ melting process using flux were investigated. The granules were heated under unprotected environment at four different temperatures between 650 and 800 °C, for the durations of 30 and 60 min. The products of heating process were characterized macroscopically and the oxides formed on the granules were examined using field emission scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis. Thermal analysis was used to reveal the response of the granules to heating during the in‐situ melting. The results showed that the granules experienced severe oxidation even in the presence of the flux, and significant amount of them changed to a powdered state due to oxidation and combustion, especially at 800 °C. It was discovered that the granules melted during heating; however, oxides formed on their surface encapsulated the molten metal and prevented the liquids from merging. The results also revealed that increasing heating temperature and time enhanced mold‐magnesium reaction resulted in the entrance of mold materials into the oxidation residues.     

Li and K NMR relaxation study of a LiKSO4 single crystal

The ⁷Li and ³⁹K NMR relaxations in a LiKSO₄ single crystal grown by the slow evaporation method were investigated by employing a pulse NMR spectrometer. From the experimental data, the quadrupole coupling constant and asymmetry parameter were determined at the temperatures of 180 and 300 K. The relaxation processes of ⁷Li and ³⁹K were studied for the LiKSO₄ crystal, and the relaxation times for the ⁷Li and ³⁹K nuclei exhibit remarkable changes near T_c2 (=190 K). The activation energies for ⁷Li and ³⁹K were determined in phases I and III. The large change in the activation energy at 190 K indicates that the Li and K ions are significantly affected during this transition. The correlation time of the ⁷Li calculated from the spin-lattice relaxation time and quadrupole parameters was larger than that of the ³⁹K calculated using the same method. The reason for this is that the Li ion undergoes molecular motion as in the LiO₄ groups.     

Low-temperature property investigation of the lead indium-niobate-lead nickel-niobate solid solution

The complex perovskite solid solution (1−x) Pb(In_1/2Nb_1/2)O₃-(x) Pb(Ni_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ has been successfully prepared by the Columbite precursor method. The temperature dependencies of the dielectric constant and pyroelectric coefficient were measured between −261 and 200 °C. Relaxor ferroelectric behavior has been noticed in all compositions across the solid solution. The room-temperature electrostrictive coefficient, Q₃₃, was 1.83×10⁻² C²/m⁴ for x=0.10. No room-temperature piezoelectric activity was detected; however, upon cooling to −261 °C the maximum coupling coefficients k_p=29%, k_t=11%, and k₃₃=31% were observed for the composition x=1.00.     

Phase diagram for stripes in YBa2Cu3O6+x superconductors

Neutron scattering has been used to measure the charge and spin structure in the YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x superconductors. Incommensurate static charge ordering is found at low doping levels while only charge fluctuations are found at higher doping. The spin structure is complex with both a commensurate resonance and incommensurate structure observed at low temperatures. The scattering results are used to construct a phase diagram for stripes in the YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x system.     

Vibrationally assisted transitions and phonon spectra in crystalline solids

The vibrationally assisted electronic (vibronic) transitions of localized centers in crystalline solids provide relevant information regarding the phonon spectra of the host materials. We present the vibronic spectra of some compounds with particular attention to the case of the transition metal ions V²⁺ and Cr³⁺ embedded in simple ionic crystals such as MgO or more complex systems such as YAG. The vibronic spectra are interpreted in light of the radiative selection rules and are compared with phonon data obtained with other techniques such as neutron scattering, infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Conclusions regarding the effectiveness of vibronic spectra in uncovering the phonon spectral distributions are presented.     

Enhanced gas-sensing behaviour of Ru-doped SnO2 surface: A periodic density functional approach

A theoretical study on Ru-doped rutile SnO₂(1 1 0) surface has been carried out by means of periodic density functional theory (DFT) at generalized gradient approximation (GGA-RPBE) level with a periodic supercell approach. Electronic structure analysis was performed based on the band structure and partial density of states. The results provide evidence that the electronic structures of SnO₂(1 1 0) surface are modified by the surface Ru dopant, in which Ru 4d orbital are located at the edge of the band gap region. It is demonstrated that molecular oxygen adsorption characteristics on stoichiometric SnO₂(1 1 0) surface are changed from endothermic to exothermic due to the existence of surface Ru dopant. The dissociative adsorption of molecular oxygen on the Ru_5c/SnO₂(1 1 0) surface is exothermic, which indicates that Ru could act as an active site to increase the oxygen atom species on SnO₂(1 1 0) surface. Our present study reveals that the Ru dopant on surface is playing both electronic and chemical role in promoting the SnO₂ gas-sensing property.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of flower-like and leaf-like CuO nanostructures via room-temperature ionic liquids

Flower-like and leaf-like cupric oxide (CuO) single-crystal nanostructures have been successfully synthesized using ionic liquid 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate ([Omim]TA) under the microwave-assisted approach. By controlling the concentration of [Omim]TA and reaction temperature, shape transformation of CuO nanostructures could be achieved in a short period of time. The results indicate that ionic liquid [Omim]TA plays an important role in the formation of different morphologies of CuO crystals. The crystal structure and morphology of products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared spectrum (IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). A possible mechanism for CuO nanostructure was proposed. In addition, UV-vis spectroscopy was employed to estimate the band gap energies of CuO crystals.     

Shape-dependent local internal stress of α-Cr2O3 nanocrystal fabricated by pulsed laser ablation

The α-Cr₂O₃ single-crystal nanocondensates were fabricated by pulsed laser ablation in air and characterized by analytical electron microscopy regarding shape-dependent local internal stress of the anisotropic crystal. The nanocondensates formed predominantly as rhombohedra with well-developed surfaces and occasionally hexagonal plate with thin edges and blunt corners. Such nanocondensates showed Raman shift for the CrO₆ polyhedra, indicating a local compressive stress up to ca. 4 GPa on the average. Careful analysis of the lattice fringes revealed a local compressive stress (0.5% strain) at the thin edge of the hexagonal plates and a local tensile stress (0.3–1.0% strain) near the relaxed , , and (0 0 0 1) surfaces of truncated rhombohedra. The combined effects of nanosize, capillarity force at sharp edge, and specific surface relaxation account for the retention of a local internal compressive stress built up in an anisotropic crystal during a very rapid heating–cooling process.     

Nanoscale formation mechanism of conducting filaments in NiO thin films

We have studied the nanoscale electrical properties of NiO thin films by using conducting atomic force microscopy (CAFM) to understand the mechanism of resistance change of the NiO thin films as we changed the applied voltage. We observed that inhomogeneous conducting filaments were generated by external voltage bias; in addition, some of the inhomogeneous conducting filaments were durable while some of them were not, and they disappeared. We deduced that the resistance change of the NiO thin films was related to inhomogeneous filamentary conducting paths generated by both Ni ions in thermodynamically unstable NiO and the existence of conducting filament segments generated by high voltage bias.