Martensitic phase transformation in single crystal Co<Subscript>5</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The magnetic, thermal, and transport properties of martensitic phase transformation in single crystal Co₅Ni₂Ga₃ have been investigated. The single crystal Co₅Ni₂Ga₃ shows martensitic transformation at 251 K on cooling and 254 K on warming. Large jumps in the temperature-dependent resistance curve, temperature-dependent magnetization curve, and temperature-dependent thermal conductivity curve are observed at martensitic transformation temperature (T _M). Negative magnetoresistance due to spin disorder scattering was observed in Co₅Ni₂Ga₃ single crystal at all temperature range. The temperature-dependent negative magnetoresistance shows a peak at T _M, which indicates that the spin disorder increases in the process of phase transition. Co₅Ni₂Ga₃ sample exhibits a temperature dependence of thermal conductivity κ(T) (dκ/dT > 0) due to electrons being above temperature 100 K.     

Structural and electric properties of (Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Bi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>)<Subscript>0.88</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>0.12</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Lead-free (Na_0.5Bi_0.5)_0.88Ba_0.12TiO₃ ceramics have been prepared and studied by X-ray diffraction and by the complex dielectric response as a function of temperature, frequency and a.c. field intensity. Relaxor-like dielectric behaviour were induced by barium Ba dopping to Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃. It was shown, that relaxor-like characteristics can be enhanced by the increase of the a.c. field intensity. A sharp increase in the electric permittivity and dielectric loss on heating near 230 °C has been observed. This sharp increase in dielectric responses indicates a transformation between classical and relaxor ferroelectric phases. The X-ray diffraction study shows that this transformation corresponds to the first order phase transition from tetragonal to cubic. The use of (Na_0.5Bi_0.5)_0.88Ba_0.12TiO₃ ceramics for device applications has been indicated.     

Microstructure and phase transformations in a Ni<Subscript>50</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>29</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>16</Subscript>Gd<Subscript>5</Subscript> alloy with a high transformation temperature

A Heusler Ni₅₀Mn₂₉Ga₁₆Gd₅ alloy with a high transformation temperature has been obtained by substituting 5 at% Gd for Ga in a ternary Ni₅₀Mn₂₉Ga₂₁ ferromagnetic shape memory alloy. The microstructure and phase transformations in the Ni₅₀Mn₂₉Ga₁₆Gd₅ alloy have been investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. It is shown that the microstructure of the Ni₅₀Mn₂₉Ga₁₆Gd₅ alloy consists of matrix and hexagonal Gd (Ni,Mn)₄Ga phase, which indicates a eutectic structure composed of these two phases. One-step thermoelastic martensitic transformation occurs in this quaternary alloy. Ni₅₀Mn₂₉Ga₁₆Gd₅ alloy exhibits a martensite transformation start temperature up to 524 K, approximately 200 K higher than that of Ni₅₀Mn₂₉Ga₂₁ alloy. At room temperature, non-modulated martensite with twin substructure is observed in Ni₅₀Mn₂₉Ga₁₆Gd₅ alloy.     

Solid solutions in the Ag<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se-PbSe-Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se<Subscript>3</Subscript> system

The phase equilibria in the pseudoternary system Ag₂Se-PbSe-Bi₂Se₃ have been studied using differential thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and microhardness measurements. The results have been used to construct the T-x phase diagram along the AgBiSe₂-PbSe join and the 900-K section of the ternary phase diagram. The AgBiSe₂-PbSe system contains a continuous series of cubic solid solutions with the NaCl structure. Their lattice parameter is an almost linear function of composition (a = 5.822–6.125 Å). The formation of the solid solutions stabilizes the high-temperature phase of AgBiSe₂: PbSe dissolution in this compound markedly reduces its polymorphic transformation temperature (590 K), down to room temperature at ? 10 mol % PbSe. In the Ag₂Se-PbSe-Bi₂Se₃ system, the γ-phase exists in a broad region around the AgBiSe₂-PbSe pseudobinary join.     

Nanocrystalline TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> preparation by microwave route and nature of anatase–rutile phase transition in nano TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Nanopowders of TiO₂ has been prepared using a microwave irradiation-assisted route, starting from a metalorganic precursor, bis(ethyl-3-oxo-butanoato)oxotitanium (IV), [TiO(etob)₂]₂. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as a capping agent. The as-prepared amorphous powders crystallize into anatase phase, when calcined. At higher calcination temperature, the rutile phase is observed to form in increasing quantities as the calcination temperature is raised. The structural and physicochemical properties were measured using XRD, FT–IR, SEM, TEM and thermal analyses. The mechanisms of formation of nano-TiO₂ from the metal–organic precursor and the irreversible phase transformation of nano TiO₂ from anatase to rutile structure at higher temperatures have been discussed. It is suggested that a unique step of initiation of transformation takes place in Ti_1/2O layers in anatase which propagates. This mechanism rationalizes several key observations associated with the anatase–rutile transformation.     

Martensitic transition and structural modulations in Ni<Subscript>51</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>24</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>25</Subscript> ferromagnetic shape-memory alloy

The structure of near-stoichiometric Ni₅₁Fe₂₄Ga₂₅ Heusler alloy synthesized by a melt-spinning technique has been studied using transmission electron microscopy. The main phase possessed a local, well-defined L2₁ high-atomic order structure, and some fcc structural γ phase and lamellar twin structures were also present. At room temperature, a rich variety of micro-modulated domains in the parent phase was observed. The domain structures were aligned along the 〈110〉, 〈100〉, 〈211〉, and ~14° off 〈110〉 directions, resulting in a complex tweed contrast. These are possibly the precursors of martensitic transformation (MT). Below the MT temperature, Ms, the cubic parent phase transformed into modulated martensitic variants, which were composed of lamellar structures with predominantly 10 and 14 M modulated structures along the 〈110〉 directions.     

Electron Spin Resonance Study of Polycrystalline La<Subscript>0.4</Subscript>Bi<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

We have inspected the magnetic properties of polycrystalline La_0.4Bi_0.1Ca_0.5MnO₃ using electron spin resonance (ESR) in the temperature range 150–280 K. The temperature dependence of magnetization indicates that the Curie temperature is T _C= 225 K. ESR spectra revealed that the sample is not completely paramagnetic above its Curie temperature through the presence of ferromagnetic interactions in the temperature range 225–270 K which can be attributed to the presence of Griffiths phase in this temperature range. The sample becomes completely paramagnetic above 270 K. The presence of Griffiths phase can be attributed to the disorder induced by the 6 s ² lone pair electrons of Bi³⁺ ions.     

Low-temperature magnetoresistance of biaxially strained 24-nm-thick La<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> films

The lateral unit cell parameter in nanodimensional La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃ (LCMO) films grown on (001)-oriented LaAlO₃ substrates is significantly (approximately 4%) smaller than the value measured along the normal to the substrate plane. At T < 140 K, the temperature dependence of the resistivity ρ of LCMO films follows the relation ρ − ρ (T = 4.2 K) ≈ρ₂(H)T ^4.5, where ρ₂ is independent of the temperature but decreases with increasing magnetic field H. It is shown that this decrease is related both to a decay of the spin waves in ferromagnetic domains and to the transformation of antiferromagnetic phase inclusions into ferromagnetic ones.     

Microstructure and mechanical property of Zr<Subscript>65</Subscript>Al<Subscript>7.5</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>10</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>12.5</Subscript>Ag<Subscript>5</Subscript> bulk metallic glass subjected to rolling

The as-cast and the pre-annealed Zr₆₅Al_7.5Ni₁₀Cu_12.5Ag₅ bulk metallic glasses were rolled at room temperature to different deformation degrees, and the microstructure and microhardness were examined. It is revealed that no phase transformation occurs in the as-cast/rolled specimen except for localized shear bands, indicating that the material has a good structural stability against plastic deformation. When the glass is pre-annealed in the supercooled liquid region for a short time, however, the stability deteriorates significantly. In this case, rolling deformation results in nanocrystallization in the specimen. The pre-annealed glass has less free volume than the as-cast glass, but it does not exhibit a quicker increase in free volume content during the rolling, suggesting that free volume is prone to annihilate at the crystal/glass interfaces. With nanocrystallization occurred, the microhardness of the pre-annealed specimen decreases at a slower rate than that of the as-cast one during rolling deformation.     

Fabrication and dielectric properties of textured Na<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Bi<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript>-BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics by RTGG method

Grain-oriented Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃-BaTiO₃ (NBTBT) ceramics were fabricated by reactive-templated grain growth using plate-like Bi_2.5Na_3.5Nb₅O₁₈ (BNN) as templates. The specimens are composed of NBTBT perovskite phase and BNN lay-structured phase. Textured ceramics have a brick-wall microstructure with strip-like grains aligning in the direction parallel to the casting plane and exhibit an {h00} preferred orientation. The texture fraction increases initially, and then decreases with increasing sintering temperature. The optimal sintering temperature is 1,185 °C where the texture fraction has a maximum value of 0.58 and d₃₃ is 98 pC/N. The textured NBTBT ceramics show evidence of relaxor ferroelectrics with diffuse phase transition and frequency dispersion because of composite biphasic structure.     

Neutron Powder Diffraction Study in La<Subscript>0.85</Subscript>Ag<Subscript>0.15</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

La_0.85Ag_0.15MnO₃, the colossal magnetoresistance compound was prepared and the neutron powder diffraction patterns at different temperatures down to 19 K were recorded to study their crystal structure and magnetic properties. These patterns were analyzed by the Rietveld refinement technique and are found to be free from any impurity phase. The compound is found to crystallize in a mixture of R[`3]cR\overline{3}c and Pnma space group and the phase fraction is found to vary with temperature. A cross-over from R[`3]cR\overline{3}c dominated high temperature phase to Pnma dominated low temperature phase at around 130 K was observed. At low temperatures, especially below 285 K, the diffraction patterns could be refined by including the magnetic reflections corresponding to ferromagnetic structure. The refined magnetic moment of Mn ions is found to be along b axis of the unit cell with a maximum moment of 3.74 μ_B at 19 K and this value is comparable to the saturation magnetization observed at 20 K from magnetization measurement.     

Impedance analysis of Pb<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sb<Subscript>3</Subscript>LaTi<Subscript>5</Subscript>O<Subscript>18</Subscript> ceramic

Polycrystalline sample of Pb₂Sb₃LaTi₅O₁₈, a member of tungsten- bronze (TB family, was prepared using a high temperature solid- state reaction technique. XRD analysis indicated the formation of a single-phase orthorhombic structure. The dielectric studies revealed the diffuse phase transition and the transition temperature was found to be at 52° C. Impedance plots were used as tools to analyse the sample behaviour as a function of frequency. Cole-Cole plots showed Debye relaxation. The activation energy was estimated to be 0·634 eV from the temperature variation of d.c. conductivity. The nature of variation of d.c. conductivity with temperature suggested NTCR behaviour.     

Piezoelectric and magnetic properties of PZT-(Ni<Subscript>0.284</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>0.549</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>0.183</Subscript>)Fe<Subscript>1.984</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> composites

The piezoelectric/piezomagnetic composite, PZT/Ni_0.284Zn_0.549Cu_0.183Fe_1.984O₄, was fabricated by the mixed oxide method. The phase assemblage, piezoelectric strain constant and saturation magnetization were investigated. The results indicate that the PZT phase is compatible with Ni_0.284Zn_0.549Cu_0.183Fe_1.984O₄ phase, and dense diphasic ceramic composites were obtained. It is found that piezoelectric strain constant decreases exponentially as the amount of doped piezomagnetic materials in the composite increases. Correspondingly, saturation magnetization of the composite also decreases with the increasing weight fraction of piezoelectric materials. Three reasons cause the results. First, the grain growth of piezomagnetic phase at the co-sintering temperature reduces grain size and continuity of the piezoelectric phase. Second, the pore size and porosity in composite increase dramatically with increasing amount of piezomagnetic phase. Third, the low resistivity of the composite prevents the poling process and reduces the piezoelectric strain constant. The tailoring of microstructure to achieve a high performance piezoelectric/piezomagnetic composite is proposed based on the analysis.     

Electroluminescence of (Pb<Subscript>0.91</Subscript>La<Subscript>0.09</Subscript>)(Zr<Subscript>0.65</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>0.35</Subscript>)O<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics with nanopolar structure

Lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) relaxor ceramics with (Pb_0.91La_0.09)(Zr_0.65Ti_0.35)O₃ composition exhibits a repolarization-induced electroluminescence (EL) with a pronounced discrete character of emission. It is established that this behavior is related to the reorientation of nanodimensional polar regions in a strong pulsed electric field in the vicinity of a smeared phase transition. The temporal and temperature dependences of the EL intensity have been studied.     

Effect of potassium on the structure and catalytic properties of K<Subscript>1.2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>0.4</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>

We have studied the structural properties of the phase K_1.2Cu_0.4Fe₂O₄ and the effect of potassium on its catalytic activity for oxidation of carbon. The results demonstrate that the potassium-doped phase differs from the undoped ferrite CuFe₂O₄ in linear dimensions of its unit cell, high density of structural defects, and low-temperature activity and activation energy for the catalytic process. Contact interaction between K_1.2Cu_0.4Fe₂O₄ and carbon in the temperature range 240–420°C leads to the reduction of Cu²⁺ to Cu⁺ and the formation of Cu₂O, CuFeO₂, and K₂Fe₄O₇. Testing results for the phases identified indicate that the catalytic processes in the presence of K₂Fe₄O₇ and K_1.2Cu_0.4Fe₂O₄ are identical.     

Unique hyper-kagome atomic order in the noncentrosymmetric structure of Na<Subscript>3</Subscript>Ir<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>8</Subscript>

The formation of a unique hyper-kagome atomic order in the structure of the ordered spinel phase Na₃Ir₃O₈ has been analyzed in terms of the Landau theory of phase transitions. We have identified a critical six-component order parameter generating a phase transformation of the spinel parent phase to ordered P4₁32 (P4₃32) spinel-like enantiomorphs and examined the structural mechanism behind the development of hyper-kagome order and the detailed crystal chemistry of Na₃Ir₃O₈.     

Low-temperature synthesis of Sr<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> ultrafine powder and its characteristics

Ultrafine strontium barium niobate (Sr_0.3Ba_0.7Nb₂O₆, SBN30) powders were prepared by urea method starting from a precursor solution constituting of Sr (NO₃)₂, Ba (NO₃)₂, NbF₅, urea and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as surfactant. Their structural behavior and morphology were examined by means of X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the SBN30 powders crystallized to a pure tetragonal phase at annealing temperatures as low as 750 °C. The average particle size of SBN powders subjected to 750 °C was of the order of 150–300 nm. With increasing calcination temperature,however, the average particle size of the calcined powders increased. The SBN30 ceramic prepared from urea method can be sintered at temperature as low as 1,225 °C. The transition temperature from the ferroelectric phase to the paraelectric phase and the relative dielectric permittivity of the SBN30 powder were less than the corresponding values of the bulk ceramic. The permittivity and loss tangent (tan δ) at room temperature (1 kHz) was found to be 930 and below 0.025.     

Conductivity of the nanostructured ceramic material Zr<Subscript>0.88</Subscript>Sc<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>Ce<Subscript>0.01</Subscript>Y<Subscript>0.01</Subscript>O<Subscript>1.955</Subscript> prepared from mechanically activated powders

The structure of the Zr_0.88 Sc_0.1Ce_0.01Y_0.01O_1.955 solid solution, a candidate for the use as a solid electrolyte in fuel cells with a low temperature, has been investigated using x-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Single-phase ceramic materials have been produced from powders prepared by the mechanochemical synthesis from ZrO₂ nanoprecursors purified of the impurities introduced during grinding of commercial zirconia. The solid solution has a rhombohedral structure at room temperature owing to the partial ordering of oxygen vacancies. The electrical conductivity of the ceramic materials sintered at temperatures below 1570 K exhibits a hysteresis due to the delay of the martensitic transition from the cubic phase to the rhombohedral phase upon cooling of the sample. The nanostructured ceramic materials are characterized by a high mechanical strength and unusually close values of the activation energies for bulk and grain-boundary electrical conduction.     

Electrical and thermodynamic properties of Cs<Subscript>0.97</Subscript> Rb<Subscript>0.03</Subscript>H<Subscript>2</Subscript>PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The transport properties of Cs_0.97Rb_0.03H₂PO₄ have been studied using polycrystalline samples and single crystals. The mixed salt is isostructural with cesium dihydrogen phosphate and has slightly smaller unitcell parameters. The cation substitution increases the low-temperature ionic conductivity of the material by about two orders of magnitude but has an insignificant effect on the conductivity of the high-temperature phase. The low-temperature conductivity of single-crystal samples exhibits significant anisotropy, with σ _a < σ _b±c . The conductivity of the polycrystalline material is close to σ _b±c . The substitution reduces the temperature of the superionic phase transition by 20°C and enhances the thermal stability of the high-temperature phase at low humidity (1 mol % H₂O).     

Properties of Na<Subscript>0.875</Subscript>Li<Subscript>0.125</Subscript>NbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> ceramics

The structural, dielectric, and thermal properties of the Na_0.875Li_0.125NbO₃ solid solution doped with strontium and other elements have been studied in wide temperature and frequency ranges. The material has been shown to undergo a sequence of phase transitions accompanied by anomalies in its structural, dielectric, and thermal properties. The observed low-frequency dispersion of its dielectric permittivity is attributed to the effect of electrical conductivity.