Using laser micro mass spectrometry with the LAMMA-1000 instrument for monitoring relative elemental concentrations in vitrinite

The variation in relative elemental concentrations among a series of coal macerals belonging to the vitrinite maceral group was determined using laser micro mass spectrometry (LAMMS). Variations in Ba, Cr, Ga, Sr, Ti, and V concentrations among the coals were determined using the LAMM A-1000 instrument. LAMMS analysis is not limited to these elements; their selection illustrates the application of the technique. Ba, Cr, Ga, Sr, Ti, and V have minimal site-to-site variance in the vitrinite macerals of the studied coals as measured by LAMMS. The LAMMS data were compared with bulk elemental data obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and D. C. arc optical emission spectroscopy (DCAS) in order to determine the reliability of the LAMMS data. The complex nature of the ionization phenomena in LAMMS and the lack of standards characterized on a microscale makes obtaining quantitative elemental data within the ionization microvolume difficult; however, we demonstrate that the relative variation of an element among vitrinites from different coal beds in the eastern United States can be observed using LAMMS in a bulk mode by accumulating signal intensities over several microareas of each vitrinite. Our studies indicate gross changes (greater than a factor of 2 to 5 depending on the element) can be monitored when the elemental concentration is significantly above the detection limit.Bulk mode analysis was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of future elemental LAMMS microanalyses. The primary advantage of LAMMS is the inherent spatial resolution, ~ 20m for coal. Two different vitrite bands in the Lower Bakerstown coal bed (CLB-1) were analyzed. The analysis did not establish any certain concentration differences in Ba, Cr, Ga, Sr, Ti, and V between the two bands.     

The Logic of Organizational Markets: Thinking Through Resource Partitioning Theory

Resource partitioning theory claims that Increasing concentration enhances the life chances of specialist organizations. We systematically think through this theory, specify implicit background assumptions, sharpen concepts, and rigorously check the theory's logic. As a result, we increase the theory's explanatory power, and claim—contrary to received opinion'that under certain general conditions, resource partitioning and the proliferation of specialists can take place independently of organizational mass and relative size effects, size localized competition, diversifying consumer tastes, increasing number of dimensions of the resource space, and changing niche widths. Our analysis makes furthermore clear that specialist and generalist strategies are asymmetric, and shows that not concentration enhances the life chances of specialists but economies of scale instead. Under the conditions explicated, we argue that if scale economies come to dominate, the number of organizations in the population increases, regardless of the incumbents' sizes.     

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance of Percolation Soot Clusters in Polyethylene

The paramagnetism and the ac electrical conductivity of samples of a soot–polyethylene composite have been investigated. It has been established that the EPR line with the gfactor 2.0025 is asymmetric on the metal side of the insulator–metal concentration transition of the composite. It is shown that the asymmetry of the line reflects the appearance of a percolation soot cluster in the samples of the composite.     

Role of Activator and Vacancy Centers in the Decay of the Gamma Scintillators of CsI–Na Crystals

The influence of the concentration of an activator (C _NaI) and of plastic deformation on a change in the contribution of a slow component to the decay of the -scintillations of CsI–Na crystals was investigated, as well as the influence of C _NaI on a change in the shape of the luminescence excitation spectrum in the region of absorption of activator centers (AC) and of vacancy-related centers (VRC) and also on a change in the intercenter time of deexcitation of the centers indicated. It is shown that AC and VRC participate in the photoluminescence and -scintillations of CsI–Na crystals. In the -scintillations, AC are responsible for the component ₁ = 370 nsec, whereas the components ₁ = 460 nsec and ₂ 2 sec are associated with VRC. The reduction of ₁ from 770 to 560 nsec with an increase in C _NaI from 2·10^–3 to 3·10^–2 mole% and from 570 to 470 nsec after plastic deformation of the crystals ( = 5%) along the 111 axis is caused by a decrease in the number of VRC. The mechanisms underlying the -scintillations of the CaI–Na crystals containing AC and VRC and also the decrease in the number of VRC are discussed.     

Modeling of Structures in the Mechanics of Composites

One possible general statement of a quasi-static problem in the mechanics of composites is considered. It is assumed that a composite is characterized not only by the heterogeneity of a regular structure, but also by the presence of imperfections, impurities, cracks, and the roughness of surfaces, which are partly taken into account by introducing appropriate couple stresses. Two statements, in displacements and in stresses, are considered together with the statement of the same problems in the case where the constitutive relations are linear integral operators. The boundary-value problem remains nonlinear due to the nonlinearity of a scattering function which enters into the heat equation. The theory of effective moduli for a nonpolar medium is discussed in more detail. The equilibrium equations for a homogeneous medium with reduced characteristics and the equation of heat inflow, introduced in nonlinear (in an explicit form) and linear variants, are examined. For a simple laminated composite, all effective mechanical and thermophysical characteristics are found in an explicit form. The effective material functions for a transversely isotropic medium are constructed on the basis of a unique dimensionless relaxation kernel with the use of several Il'ushin kernels. Based on the known solution of the boundary-value problem for the reduced medium, the stress and strain concentration tensors, at any point of a simple laminated composite, are also constructed in an explicit form. In this case, the changes in the structure are taken into account.     

Recoverable creep deformation and transient local stress concentration due to heterogeneous grain-boundary diffusion and sliding in polycrystalline solids

Numerical simulations are used to investigate the influence of heterogeneity in grain-boundary diffusivity and sliding resistance on the creep response of a polycrystal. We model a polycrystal as a two-dimensional assembly of elastic grains, separated by sharp grain boundaries. The crystal deforms plastically by stress driven mass transport along the grain boundaries, together with grain-boundary sliding. Heterogeneity is idealized by assigning each grain boundary one of two possible values of diffusivity and sliding viscosity. We compute steady state and transient creep rates as functions of the diffusivity mismatch and relative fractions of grain boundaries with fast and slow diffusion. In addition, our results show that under transient conditions, flux divergences develop at the intersection between grain boundaries with fast and slow diffusivity, which generate high local stress concentrations. The stress concentrations develop at a rate determined by the fast diffusion coefficient, and subsequently relax at a rate determined by the slow diffusion coefficient. The influence of the mismatch in diffusion coefficient, loading conditions, and material properties on the magnitude of this stress concentration is investigated in detail using a simple model problem with a planar grain boundary. The strain energy associated with these stress concentrations also makes a small fraction of the plastic strain due to diffusion and sliding recoverable on unloading. We discuss the implications of these results for conventional polycrystalline solids at high temperatures and for nanostructured materials where grain-boundary diffusion becomes one of the primary inelastic deformation mechanisms even at room temperature.     

I-II复合型裂缝断裂角的分层剪滞模型与分析

采用修正的剪滞理论建立了岩石、混凝土等准脆性材料的I-II复合型裂缝在单向拉伸荷载作用下的计算模型,得到了与实验相吻合且优于传统S判据的断裂角。通过对远场应力、斜裂缝区应力以及子层位移的合理简化,得到了求解剪滞分析模型的边界条件,进而得到了含斜裂缝的各子层位移分布函数。引入最大应力集中因子,对I-II复合型裂缝前缘应力场进行简化;基于斜裂缝沿最大应力集中因子方向扩展,得到裂缝的断裂角。根据斜裂缝的应力分布,设置不同的子层分区,得到了更为细化的位移分布模式。通过对计算数据的分析,针对单向拉伸荷载作用下的I-II复合型裂缝,建立了按应力场分区设置子层的分层剪滞模型,得到更为精确的斜裂缝断裂角。     

Interaction of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and poly(2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) in aqueous solutions determined by excimer fluorescence

 The binding interaction of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and anionic poly(2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) in dilute aqueous solutions was studied using the excimer fluorescent emission of the cationic probe 1-pyrenemethylamine hydrochloride (PyMeA·HCl). In the absence of CTAB, the saturation binding of PyMeAH⁺ on PAMPS is about 2.4 AMPS repeat units for one probe cation as determined by the relative emission intensity, I _E/I _M, of the excimer to monomer. With increasing CTAB concentration, I _E/I _M firstly increases, reaches a maximum, then decreases to zero. The I _E/I _M maximum indicates a critical aggregation concentration (cac) of 10⁻⁵ mol/l for CTAB in PAMPS solutions. The CTAB concentration at which I _E/I _M is zero is exactly equal to the PAMPS concentration, indicating that the probe cation is thoroughly excluded from the binding site of PAMPS by the CTAB cation and the equivalent stoichiometric aggregation is formed between CTAB and PAMPS. The blueshift of the excimer emission and the excitation spectra shows that the decrease of I _E/I _M with increasing CTAB concentration above the cac is caused mainly by the decrease of the static excimer. Received: 26 July 2000 Accepted: 23 November 2000     

层内混杂复合材料应力集中问题的研究

提出了一种合理、简便、精确的修正的剪滞模型.基于此模型,分析了受拉伸的层内混杂复合材料中某些纤维断裂后的应力重分布.结果表明,求得的应力集中因子与Fukuda和Chou的结果相当接近,从而证实了本文模型和方法的合理性和正确性.