Palladium-zirconia diffusion bonds: Mechanical properties and interface reactions

High strength and toughness diffusion bonds have been fabricated using palladium foils between TZP zirconia blocks at temperatures above 1000°C in vacuum. Bonds fabricated below 1000°C in vacuum and under all conditions in air showed negligible strength. Strong, vacuum made bonds lost almost all their strength on annealing in air above 1000°C, anneals in vacuum also resulted in a decrease in bond strength but with a much less marked effect. PdZrO₂ interfaces have been characterised by cross-sectional TEM and a thin reaction zone identified. Microanalysis identified the presence of Pd, Zr and O in a ratio of approximately 30:52:18 in the reaction interlayer. This composition has a Pd:Zr ratio close to that of a steep eutectic in the PdZr binary system and evidence for the presence of a liquid phase at the PdZrO₂ interface during bonding is presented. The strength and toughness of the bonds are shown to be strongly dependent on the perfection of the bonded interface with the presence of a small fraction of voids causing a significant reduction in bond strength and toughness. Simple slip-line field methods are used to illustrate the influence of interface voids on the plastic constraint of bonded thin ductile layers.     

Reaction diffusion and associated nonequilibrium effects in the Au-Co system

Inerdiffusion in two-phase Au-Co couples was investigated using metallographic and elec-tron microprobe analyses. Deviations from local equilibrium at the moving α-@#@ α interface were observed. These deviations were significant for short (1 to 2 h duration) anneals and, as the annealing time increased, the interface compositions approached the equilibrium val-ues. The interdiffusion coefficients (~D) and intrinsic diffusivities (D_Au and D_Co) in the α-Au terminal solid solution at 950° and 900°C were determined.     

The effect of interfacial diffusion barriers on the ignition of self-sustained reactions in metal-metal diffusion couples

An analysis of the solid-state diffusion process leading to exothermic, self-sustained reactions in metal-metal diffusion couples has been performed. Numerical values for the ignition temperature were obtained as a function of interfacial barriers, layer thickness, thermal coupling, and heating rate for isochronal heating of Al-Ni diffusion couples. Of particular interest is the effect of interfacial diffusion barriers, such as oxide layers, on the reaction. These are shown to lead to self-sustained reactions when otherwise not possible and to explain the heating-rate dependence of the ignition temperature observed in experiments. This paper is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Reaction Synthesis of Materials” presented during the TMS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 17–21, 1991, under the auspices of the TMS Powder Metallurgy Committee.     

Early changes in volume and non-enhanced volume of acoustic neurinoma after stereotactic gamma-radiosurgery

The effectiveness of stereotactic gamma-radiosurgery for treating acoustic neurinoma was evaluated by measuring the volumes of the tumor, non-enhanced tumor, and cerebellar edema in 13 patients with acoustic neurinoma who were followed up for 9 to 15 months (median 12.7 mos) after treatment. The tumor volume and non-enhanced volume tended to reach a maximum after 6 months, and cerebellar edema volume after 9 months, then decreased gradually thereafter. Hearing loss tended to increase gradually, but involvement of the facial nerve was transient.     

Nerve length and volume in synaptic vs diffusion neurotransmission: a model

Non-synaptic diffusion neurotransmission (NDN) may be an important factor in brain space and energy conservation, especially within cell assemblies and for mass sustained functions. We have illustrated the extreme cases of total synaptic and total ND neurotransmission for the purpose of noting the differences between the two. For these modeling studies, in which we assume assemblies of 1000 to 100 000 cells supplied by at least one fiber and a single synapse from each of the other cells, each cell assembly would have approximately 200 m to 8000 km of nerve fibers more than when innervated by diffusion. For coeruleo-cortical synaptic innervation, linking each to a common origin (the locus coeruelus), the fiber lengths are 38 cm (1000 cells) to 170 m (100,000 cells). It is likely , however, that neuronal arrays include both 'wireless' (NDN) as well as synaptic intercellular communication systems.     

A comparative study of diffusion induced grain boundary migration,recrystallization and volume diffusion during the low temperature diffusion of Al into Cu and Au

By means of X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and electron probe micro-analysis it is shown that in Cu-Al thin film and bulk diffusion couples, when heated in the temperature region 250–500°C, the Cu-rich solid solution forms by diffusion-induced grain boundary migration and diffusion-induced recrystallization, in the absence of lattice diffusion. In contrast, the formation of the Au-rich solid solution in Au-Al thin film and bulk diffusion couples proceeds at the same temperatures by lattice diffusion, which is so rapid that it prevents grain boundaries from migrating. This rapid lattice diffusion of Al into Au is explained by the abnormal low shear modulus of gold and the similarity of Al and Au atomic radii.     

Long-term ovarian and gonadotropin changes in mice exposed to 4-vinylcyclohexene

This study investigated the relationships between 4-vinylcyclohexene-induced follicular destruction, plasma FSH levels, and the development of ovarian preneoplastic changes. Female, 28-day-old, B6C3F1 mice were administered VCH (800 mg/kg/day, ip) or sesame seed oil, ip daily for 30 days. At 30, 60, 120, 240, and 360 days following the beginning of treatment, groups were killed, their ovaries were harvested, and plasma was collected for measurement of FSH. Ovarian weight was less and oocytes contained in preantral follicles were significantly fewer than controls at all time points. Plasma FSH concentrations in VCH-treated animals were increased significantly above controls at 240 d and 360 d. Histologically, there was oocyte loss at all times, whereas at 240 and 360 days, small to medium, irregularly shaped foci of hypertrophic cells were present. In addition, at 360 days 80% of the VCH-treated mice had a 1- to 2-mm, blood-filled cystic structure present in one or both ovaries. These studies indicate that VCH-induced oocyte destruction and follicle loss are associated with increases in plasma FSH, are associated with ovarian failure at 360 days, and are temporally related to ovarian cellular hypertrophy and the formation of blood-filled cystic ovarian structures. These events are possibly related to ovarian neoplasms produced by long-term exposure to VCH.     

Microstructural changes in HSLA-100 steel thermally cycled to simulate the heat-affected zone during welding

The microstructural changes that occur in a commercial HSLA-100 steel thermally cycled to simulate weld heat affected zone (HAZ) behavior were systematically investigated primarily by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Eight different weld thermal cycles, with peak temperatures representative of four HAZ regions (the tempered region, the intercritical region, the fine-grained austenitized region, and the coarse-grained austenitized region) and cooling rates characteristic of high heat input (cooling rate (CR) = 5 °C/s) and low heat input (CR = 60 °C/s) welding were simulated in a heating/quenching dilatometer. The as-received base plate consisted of heavily tempered lath martensite, acicular ferrite, and retained austenite matrix phases with precipitates of copper, niobiumcarbonitride, and cementite. The microstructural changes in both the matrix and precipitate phases due to thermal cycling were examined by TEM and correlated with the results of (1) conventional optical microscopy, (2) prior austenite grain size measurements, (3) microhardness testing, and (4) dilatometric analysis. Many of the thermal cycles resulted in dramatic changes in both the microstructures and the properties due to the synergistic interaction between the simulated position in the HAZ and the heat input. Some of these microstructures deviate substantially from those predicted from published continuous cooling transformation (CCT) curves. The final microstructure was predominantly dependent upon peak temperature(i.e., position within the HAZ), although the cooling rate(i.e., heat input) strongly affected the microstructures of the simulated intercritical and finegrained austenitized regions. A. MATUSZESKI, formerly Summer Student, Physical Metallurgy Branch, Naval Research Laboratory.     

Neurono-glial changes in the cerebral cortex of animals exposed to white noise

The rat acoustic cortex has been studied at light optic and ultrastructural levels under the white noise stimulation. After the noise stimulation for 7 days, micropunctate hemorrhages, proliferation and hypertrophy in cells of microglia and astrocytic glia are noted. After the noise stimulation for 21 days, the neuroglial reaction becomes less pronounced, there are no hemorrhages, a great amount of neurons with peripheral and total chromatolysis appear. In other neurons, as well as in all types of neuroglia the number of primary lysosomes increases, their structure changes. In lysosomes lipofuscin and lipid drops are accumulating, many of lysosomes turning into multivesicular bodies. The destructive changes observed in the neurons and neuroglia underlie prolonged disturbances in the higher neural activity after the noise stimulation is stopped.     

Pressure and volume changes in tracheal tube cuffs during anaesthesia

Recently, it has been observed that, when a patient is breathing a nitrous oxide-oxygen mixture and the cuff of the tracheal tube is filled with air, nitrous oxide may diffuse into the cuff and thereby cause an increase in volume and pressure. In the present investigation, different gas mixtures were used to fill the cuff, and repeated measurements of pressure, and occasionally of volume, were made during anaesthesia. Both large-volume and small-volume cuffs were studied. A considerable increase in volume and pressure took place in both types of cuffs. The changes were directly proportional to time for the first few hours. If the cuff was inflated with nitrous oxide-oxygen, no pressure increase occurred, and this was also true for the air-filled cuff if halothane anaesthesia was given.     

A new model for grain boundary diffusion and nucleation in thin film reactions

We have used non-equilibrium thermodynamics to define the chemical potential, μ_i^I, for each species in the grain and interphase boundaries of a polycrystalline diffusion couple. The equation for μ_i^I thus derived leads to a characteristics decay length, L_i, that describes the spatial variation of μ_i^I. From the values of μ_i^I, a time dependent “free energy curve of the interface”, G^I, was calculated and used to define the effective driving force, δg^eff, for product phase nucleation as a function of time. Using this approach, product nucleation in thin film reactions is seen to be similar to precipitation from a bulk homogeneous solid solution. However, the early values for δg^eff were found to be considerably lower than if the interfaces were at local equilibrium resulting in the possibility of heterogeneous nucleation of even the first phase and a new approach to phase selection.     

Immune response to changes in training intensity and volume in runners

We examined the acute and chronic effects of changes in training volume and intensity on the blood lymphocyte percentages and immunoglobulin levels in runners. Twelve runners participated in four 10-d phases of low volume/low intensity (LV/LI), high volume/low intensity (HV/LI), or high volume/high intensity (HV/HI) running. Subjects were assigned to one of two different training group orders: 1) LV/LI, HV/LI, LV/LI, HV/HI; or 2) LV/LI, HV/HI, LV/LI, HV/LI. Venous blood was drawn at rest on days 1, 4, and 7; and 5 min post-exercise on days 1 and 7 of each 10-d phase. Lymphocyte subsets were determined by flow cytometry for CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and HLA-DR+. IgG, and IgM levels were obtained by ELISA analysis. Immunoglobulin, CD8+ and HLA-DR+ levels, and pre-exercise plasma cortisol concentrations were not significantly affected by alterations in volume or intensity. A transient decrease (P < 0.05) was observed in CD4+ and the CD4/CD8 ratio 5 min post-exercise during the HV/LI and HV/HI phases. Results indicate that the exercise-induced lymphocyte subset reduction is transient and suggest that it is more dependent upon training intensity than volume, and the training order of exposure to the high-intensity stimulus may determine the magnitude of subsequent responses.     

Surface modification of compressor steels using thermally assisted ionic diffusion in the titanium plasma of a vacuum arc discharge

The thermally stimulated ionic diffusion (ionic modification) of titanium ions at the surfaces of EP866 and EI961 compressor steels is considered in the plasma of the high-current vacuum-arc discharge (VAD) in an ion-plasma MAP-3 plant. The dependences of the sample temperature in the sputtering chamber of the ion-plasma MAP-3 plant and the rate of specific change of the sample mass on the bias voltage at a VAD current of 300 A are obtained. The elemental composition of the surface layers of the samples subjected to ion treatment is studied. It is shown that, at a VAD current of 300 A and a bias voltage up to 400 V, the compressor steel sample temperature does not exceed 440°C and the inversion voltage, which determines the transition from coating condensation to ion etching of a substrate, is ~360 V for EP866 steel and ~390 V for EI961 steel. The corrosion resistance of the compressor steels modified at a VAD current of 300 A is investigated.