Ortho-para conversion in hydrogen bubbles in copper

The low-temperature heat release in copper due to ortho-para conversion in hydrogen bubbles is investigated. Deviations from a model of free solid hydrogen are observed: a more intense heat release atT10 K and a rapid (10 h) heat release after cooling to 1.3 K. The experimental results can be explained by the assumption of autocatalytic conversion in the bulk and the catalytic influence of the bubble surface.     

The Ni3Al-Ni3Cr-Ni3Ru section of the Ni-Cr-Al-Ru system

An investigation is reported of the 75 at% nickel section of the Ni-Cr-Al-Ru system at 1523 and 1273 K. Constitutional data obtained by electron probe microanalysis, X-ray diffraction and microscopical examination are presented as partial isothermal sections. At 1523 K, the major part of the section consists of phase, while the aluminium-rich region contains a and+ region; the extent of the solid solution of chromium and ruthenium in totals ~ 4 at%. The ruthenium-rich corner of the section shows a two-phase region consisting of + ruthenium-rich solid solution. At 1273 K the,+ and + ruthenium regions increase in extent. The/ mismatch values in the equilibrated alloys studied lie in the range ~ –0.08 to –0.39%. Constitutional features of as-cast alloys are also reported.     

Effect of Intense Self-Irradiation on the Phase Composition of Metallic Plutonium

The crystal structure of film samples of "high-level" (based on ²³⁸Pu) and low-level (based on ²³⁹Pu) metallic plutonium during their prolonged (up to 343 days) storage (self-irradiation) at room temperature was studied by X-ray diffraction. In the samples of high-level plutonium, the -Pu and -Pu lattices coexist. In the period of 40-60 days, the other known crystal modifications of plutonium (-Pu, -Pu, -Pu, and -Pu) are also present. Low-level plutonium had only the -Pu lattice. A possible origin of this phenomenon is discussed.     

Dual approach to multiple authorship in the study of collaboration/scientific output relationship

This paper presents an empirical study of the relations between scientific output and collaboration performed on two scales: (1) an individual scale, for members of a study model, and (2) a group scale, for three samples varying in the level of productivity. The rank approach was applied in the preparation of the study model resulting in the selection of a set of the most prolific authors. In the course of that process, multiple authorship problem was solved by a dual approach, consisting of normal count and modified straight count procedures. As shown by the analysis of collaborative patterns, either on individual or on group scales, scientific output is highly dependent on the frequency of collaboration among the same authors. Expressed as the collaboration measure, it might serve as an indicator in comparative analyses of scientific productivity in a given field of science.     

Multi-length scale modeling of CVD of diamond Part II A combined atomic-scale/grain-scale analysis

Chemical vapor deposition of polycrystalline diamond films is studied by combining an atomic-scale kinetic Monte Carlo model with two one three-dimensional and one two-dimensional grain-scale models. The atomic-scale model is used to determine the growth rates of 111- and 100-oriented surface facets, the surface morphology of the facets and the extent of incorporation of the crystal defects. Using the atomic-scale modeling predicted growth rates for the 111- and 100-oriented facets, grain-scale modelling is carried out to determine the evolution of grain structure, surface morphology and crystallographic texture in the polycrystalline diamond films. It is found that depending on the relative growth rates of the 111- and 100-oriented facets, which can be controlled by selecting the CVD processing conditions, one can obtain either 110-textured films with a relatively smooth faceted surface or 100-textured films with a highly pronounced deep facets. In both cases, however, the film surface is composed entirely of the 111 facets. This findings are found to be fully consistent with the available experimental results.     

Study of the Temperature Fields in Oil and Gas Strata with Water Injection Based on the Perturbation Method

The problem of the thermal action on oil and gas strata by injection of a heating medium using expansion in a small parameter is reduced to an infinite sequence of boundaryvalue problems that are solved by the method of integral transforms. It is shown that, with an appropriate selection of the small parameter, the zerothorder approximation corresponds to a spaceaveraged (across the stratum thickness) solution of the main problem and leads to a concentratedcapacity scheme that is constructed assuming that the stratum temperature is independent of the vertical coordinate. The first approximation permitted marked refinement of calculations according to the concentratedcapacity scheme and an evaluation of its error. Spacetime temperature distributions are presented that have been calculated using the analytical solutions obtained.     

Fatigue crack growth behaviour of tungsten carbide-cobalt hardmetals

Fatigue crack propagation studies have been carried out on a range of WC-Co hardmetals of varying cobalt content and grain size using a constant-stress intensity factor double torsion test specimen geometry. Results have confirmed the marked influence of mean stress (throughK _max), which is interpreted in terms of static modes of fracture occurring in conjunction with a true fatigue process, the existence of which can be rationalized through the absence of any frequency effect. Dramatic increases in fatigue crack growth rate are found asK _max approaches that value of stress intensity factor ( 0.9K_IC) for which static crack growth under monotonic load (or static fatigue) occurs in these materials. Lower crack growth rates, however, produce fractographic features indistinguishable from those resulting from fast fracture. These observations, and the important effect of increasing mean free path of the cobalt binder in reducing fatigue crack growth rate, can reasonably be explained through a consideration of the mechanism of fatigue crack advance through ligament rupture of the cobalt binder at the tip of a propagating crack.     

Grain refinement of a TiAl alloy by heat treatment through near gamma transformation

Casting of TiAl alloys is receiving more and more research because of its relatively low cost. One problem with this technology is that the coarse microstructure developed during solidification is harmful to material properties. Thus it is essential to seek an approach to refining the cast microstructure and this approach may also be applicable to cast components. In this study, a novel heat treatment route is proposed to obtain a fine fully lamellar structure from a cast TiAl alloy with a grain size of 1000 m. This route consists of three steps, namely pretreatment to have a feathery structure, annealing in the + region to have a fine near gamma structure and solution treatment to develop a fully lamellar structure with a grain size of 30 m.     

Thermal Conductivity of the Accidental Degeneracy and Enlarged Symmetry Group Models for Superconducting UPt3

We present theoretical calculations of the thermal conductivity for the accidental degeneracy and enlarged symmetry group models that have been proposed to explain the phase diagram of UPt ₃ . The order parameters for these models possess point nodes or cross nodes, reflecting the broken symmetries of the ground state. These broken symmetries lead to robust predictions for the ratio of the low-temperature thermal conductivity for heat flow along the axis and in the basal plane. The anisotropy of the heat current response at low temperatures is determined by the phase space for scattering by impurities. The measured anisotropy ratio, _c/ _b, provides a strong constraint on theoretical models for the ground state order parameter. The accidental degeneracy and enlarged symmetry group models based on no spin-orbit coupling do not account for the thermal conductivity of UPt ₃. The models for the order parameter that fit the experimental data for the and directions of the heat current are the 2D E_1g and E _2u models, for which the order parameters possess line nodes in the ab-plane and point nodes along the axis, and the A_1gE _1g model of Zhitomirsky and Ueda. This model spontaneously breaks rotational symmetry in the ab-plane below T_c2 and predicts a large anisotropy for the ab-plane heat current.     

Equipment for checking dielectric losses in silicon matrices with dielectric insulation

Conclusions The industrial apparatus Omega-2 described above employs an indirect method of measuring the leakage current in the pockets of a silicon matrix with dielectric insulation. The basic error of the apparatus does not exceed 5%.By regulating the voltage applied to the pocket, we would be able to select the structure needed for creating devices with high breakdown voltages and low reverse currents.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 1, pp. 61–62, January, 1979.     

The fracture energy of a glass fibre composite

The fracture energy of a glass fibre-polyester composite has been measured by work of fracture ( _f) measurements on bending beams, and by linear elastic fracture mechanics analyses ( _i) of the bending beams and edge-notched tensile plates. It was found that for the bend specimens _i< _f. The work of fracture, _f, displayed a strain rate dependence, but there was no such dependence of _i. It is postulated that _i is determined by a debonding mechanism while _f is the sum of a debonding mechanism plus a pull-out contribution. The edge-notched tensile plate experiments showed that _i obtained from thick plates was less than that obtained from side-grooved plates, and that in each case there was a dependence of _i on crack size.     

Magnetic studies of spin wave excitations in Co/Pt multilayers

The magnetization of Co(t_Co)/Pt(t_Pt) (4 t_Co10 , 7 t_Pt20 ) multilayers has been measured as a function of temperature. For Co/Pt multilayers with fixed cobalt layer thickness of 4 , the magnetization decreases faster with temperature as the platinum layers are made thicker. A simple theoretical model based on an anisotropic ferromagnetic system has been used to explain the temperature dependence of the magnetization and the approximate values for the in-plane exchange interaction J₀ and the interlayer coupling strength J₁ for various Co/Pt multilayers have been obtained.     

Temperature effects on the properties of Ge thin films

The effects of substrate temperature (T_s) on the properties of vacuum evaporated p-type Ge thin films have been investigated for 25s<400°C. Increase in the substrate temperature improves the crystallinity and increases the grain size resulting a gradual change from amorphous to polycrystalline structure which was attained above a substrate temperature of 225°C. Low resistive (1×10^–2 ohm-cm) and high mobility (280 cm²/V·s) films were obtained at T_s=400°C. It has been observed that the conduction mechanism in polycrystalline films was dominated successively by hopping, tunneling and thermionic emission as the sample temperature was increased from 40 to 400 K. In amorphous samples, conduction was described in terms of different hopping mechanisms.     

A novel X-ray technique for inspection of steel pipes

The corrosion-induced material loss in crude oil carrying steel pipelines was originally studied by making use of the backscatter X-ray technique. The steel thickness can be determined by studying the density profile of the backscatter intensity vs. the depth location of a voxel. There are, however, some practical limitations to the above method, and a new method for evaluating steel thickness, namely, the transcatter technique is described. This technique uses the intensity of the beam which is transmitted by the pipe wall and subsequently scattered by the hydrocarbon inside the pipeline. The thickness is evaluated using three techniques, namely, the sequential technique, the dual angle technique, and the reference technique. Of the three techniques, the sequential technique has been studied in detail. The mathematical equations and experimental results related to the transcatter technique show that the thickness can be measured with an accuracy of better than 10% for a nominal steel thickness of 8 mm with a measurement time of several minutes.     

Energy‐Environmental Analysis of Combustion of Fuel Gases in Heating Furnaces of Metallurgical and Engineering Plants

Results of an energyenvironmental analysis of the expediency of purifying artificial fuel gases are given. Experimental investigations have been carried out in industrial furnaces of modern structure where various kinds of high and lowcalorific gaseous fuels are used.     

The development of strength in reaction sintered silicon nitride

The development of strength in reaction sintered silicon nitride has been investigated by determining the elastic moduli, fracture mechanics parameters, strengths and critical defect sizes of silicon compacts reacted to various degrees of conversion using static or flowing nitrogen. The relationship between each property and the nitrided density is shown to be independent of the green silicon compact density but is influenced by the nitriding conditions employed. Young's moduli, rigidity moduli and strengths vary linearly with the nitrided density. After an initial period when increases may occur, the critical defect sizes in both static and flow materials decrease continuously with increasing nitrided density, although at any particular density they are larger in material produced under flow conditions. A model is suggested for the development of the structure of reaction sintered silicon nitride involving the development of a continuous silicon nitride network within the pore space of the original silicon compact. The experimental data are discussed in terms of the proportion of silicon nitride which contributes effectively to the continuous network.     

Kinetic interpretation ofα- andβ-Si3N4 formation from oxide-free high-purity silicon powder

A kinetic analysis of the isothermal nitridation of high-purity oxide-free silicon powder is described. The kinetic analysis suggests that the and polymorphs of Si₃N₄ are formed by separate and parallel reaction paths. This analysis provides for the decoupling and quantitative kinetic interpretation of- and-Si₃N₄ formation reactions. Consistent with existing microstructural and thermodynamic evidence, the-forming reaction is shown to obey a first-order rate law, whereas a phase-boundary controlled rate law describes the-forming reaction. A kinetic model employing these rate laws is developed and is used to predict the/ phase ratio as a function of isothermal reaction temperature and extent of reaction. The/ phase ratios so obtained are shown to be in good agreement with experimental observations made under a variety of reaction conditions.     

Microstructural and dimensional stabilities of a potential γ/γ′-α(Mo) directionally solidified eutectic superalloy under cyclic thermal exposure to 1000° C

A potential heat-resistant ductile eutectic composite,/-, in the Ni-Al-Mo ternary system has been thermally cycled in the temperature range 200 to 1000° C for up to 1000 cycles in an attempt to examine dimensional as well as microstructural stability of the composite under thermal fatigue conditions. The composite examined has two types of initial microstructure; in one, blocky -Ni₃Al encircles individual-Mo fibres (as-grown condition) whereas in the other, is in the form of fine cuboidal particles uniformly distributed in an Ni-rich fcc matrix (heat-treated condition). Dilatometric measurements upon temperature cycling show that the composite is stable against thermal ratchetting irrespective of initial microstructural conditions. However, the cycling induces microstructural change, which is characterized by segmentation of-Mo fibres or formation of a detrimental brittle phase identified as an intermetallic-NiMo that consumes-Mo fibres whether the fibres are encircled by or not. Post-cycling tensile tests at room temperature show that the fibre damage in the former has no fatal effect on tensile strength and ductility. A beneficial effect of the-encircling configuration is discussed on the basis of the recognition of a peritecto-eutectoid reaction:++ that has been disregarded.     

Tilted and Crossing Vortex Chains in Layered Superconductors

No Heading In presence of the Josephson vortex lattice in layered superconductors, small c-axis magnetic field penetrates in the form of vortex chains. In general, structure of a single chain is determined by the ratio of the London [] and Josephson [_J] lengths, = /_J. The chain is composed of tilted vortices at large s (tilted chain) and at small s it consists of crossing array of Josephson vortices and pancake-vortex stacks (crossing chain). We study chain structures at the intermediate s and found two types of phase transitions. For 0.6 the ground state is given by the crossing chain in a wide range of pancake separations a [2–3]_J. However, due to attractive coupling between deformed pancake stacks, the equilibrium separation can not exceed some maximum value depending on the in-plane field and . The first phase transition takes place with decreasing pancake-stack separation a at a = [1 – 2]_J, and rather wide range of the ratio , 0.4 0.65. With decreasing a, the crossing chain goes through intermediate strongly-deformed configurations and smoothly transforms into the tilted chain via the second-order phase transition. Another phase transition occurs at very small densities of pancake vortices, a [20 – 30]_J, and only when exceeds a certain critical value 0.5. In this case small c-axis field penetrates in the form of kinks. However, at very small concentration of kinks, the kinked chains are replaced with strongly deformed crossing chains via the first-order phase transition. This transition is accompanied by a very large jump in the pancake density.PACS numbers: 74.25.Qt, 74.25.Op, 74.20.De     

Low-temperature synthesis,pyrolysis and crystallization of tantalum oxide gels

Tantalum oxide gels in the form of transparent monoliths and powders have been prepared from hydrolysis of tantalum pentaethoxide under controlled conditions using different mole ratios of Ta(OC₂H₅)₅C₂H₅OHH₂OHCl. Alcohol acts as the mutual solvent and HCl as the deflocculating agent. For a fixed alkoxide water HCl ratio, the time of gel formation increased with the alcohol to alkoxide molar ratio. Thermal evolution of the physical and structural changes in the gel has been monitored by differential thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. On heating to 400 °C, the amorphous gel crystallized into the low-temperature orthorhombic phase -Ta₂O₅, which transformed into the high-temperature tetragonal phase -Ta₂O₅ when further heated to 1450 °C. The volume fraction of the crystalline phase increased with the firing temperature. The -Ta₂O₅ converted back into the low-temperature phase, -Ta₂O₅, on slow cooling through the transformation temperature of 1360 °C, indicating a slow but reversible transformation.