Temperature effect on the formation of a relief of diamond-like carbon coatings and its modification by ion bombardment

Diamond-like coatings (DLCs) have been obtained on a UVNIIPA-001 unit employing the method of pulse arc sputtering of a graphite target. DLCs of about 1.5 μm thick were applied onto substrates of the R6M5 steel. The relief of the coatings that were deposited using different temperature regimes has been studied. It has been established that a temperature rise of the surface of a growing DLC (condensation at a high frequency of arc pulses f) leads to the growth of films with numerous protrusions on their surface. The deposition of films at a low frequency f is more preferable to form smooth and hard DLCs under the conditions of unfiltered beam of carbon ions. The modification of the surface of diamond-like carbon coatings after their application has been investigated upon bombardment with accelerated ions of inert gas (argon) or chemically active oxygen. It has been established that the argon-ion bombardment is more preferable to smooth out the DLC relief. It has been shown that the relief of DLCs must be taken into account when measuring their microhardness, whereas the transformation of interatomic bonds in the near-surface layers after ion irradiation should be taken into consideration when analyzing the coatings by the methods whose informative depth is several monolayers.     

Formation of glass synthesized by sol-gel technology

The process of glass synthesis by the sol-gel method is studied using analysis of EPR spectra. The gelation process and formation of xerogels are considered depending on the temperature-time parameters and the type of initial components. It is established that the glass phase starts to be formed at 800°C. __________ Translated from Steklo i Keramika, No. 8, pp. 9–13, August, 2006.     

Procedure for Measuring Low Concentrations of H2 and H2S Above a Water Surface

A simple measuring procedure for low concentrations of H₂ and H₂S (at the level of ppm fractions) above the surface of water by using sensitive gas analyzers is suggested. The procedure is easily accomplished in conditions outside the laboratory (under field conditions).     

Metrological Support and Standards in the Design,Production, and Use of High-Load Weighing Machines in Russia

An analysis is presented on development, production, and use of high-capacity weighing machines in Russia in the last ten years. Aspects arising in type approval testing are considered for high-capacity weighing machines working over wide temperature ranges.     

Simulation of cup-cone fracture using the cohesive model

The cohesive model is used for the prediction of the crack path during stable crack extension in ductile materials. The problem of crack-path deviation is investigated by means of simulation of crack propagation in a round tensile bar. The respective phenomenon is known as cup-cone fracture. It is shown that the model is able to predict the failure mechanism, which consists of normal fracture in the center and combined normal/shear fracture in the so-called “shear lips” at the specimen’s rim. The damage evolution and crack path predicted by the model are presented. The effect of the normal and shear failure parameters on the crack-deflection point and several aspects of the finite element mesh are discussed.     

The hydration phase and pore structure formation in the blends of sulfoaluminate-belite cement with Portland cement

Sulfoaluminate-belite (SAB) cements are an attractive class of low-energy cements from the viewpoint of saving energy and releasing less CO₂ into the atmosphere during their production. Their hydraulic activity, however, does not match that of the ordinary Portland cement (PC) and needs improvement before they can be used on their own. However, SAB cements when blended with PC have the potential to be used effectively in traditional applications as shown by this study. Mortars made with blends of SAB cements and PC, and a cement-to-sand ratio of 1:3 by weight and a water-to-cement ratio of 0.5, indicate a superior protection against corrosion of steel to those made with blends of PC and blast-furnace slag (BFSPC). The prepared mortars were stored at 20 °C for 90 days under either a 60% relative humidity (RH)-dry air, or 100% RH-wet air conditions. With further improvement in the SAB cement quality through better understanding of their characteristics, a genuine competition between SAB/PC and BFSPC can be expected in practice.     

Effect of irradiation with low-energy Ar ions on the characteristics of the working and rear sides of single-crystal GaAs substrate

Contactless methods were used to study the characteristics of the front and rear sides of single-crystal GaAs wafers whose rear side was irradiated with low-energy Ar ions. Variations in the optical and photoelectric properties of irradiated and unirradiated sides were detected. A solitonic mechanism for the penetration of defects into the crystal bulk is suggested.     

Increasing the corrosion resistance of equipment due to the use of film-forming amines

Results of a study of tube specimens cut from hot-water boilers show that film-forming octadecyl amine (ODA) used in the process of preservation removes deposition from the surface of the metal. An ODA film is preserved on the surface after repeated washing of the latter with hot water. The concentration of chlorides at the surface of the metal after treatment with ODA is lower than before the treatment. __________ Translated from élektricheskie Stantsii, No. 11, November 2005, pp. 15–18.     

Conditions for the Acceptance of Deontic Conditionals.

Recent psychological research has investigated how people assess the probability of an indicative conditional. Most people give the conditional probability of q given p as the probability of if p then q. Asking about the probability of an indicative conditional, one is in effect asking about its acceptability. But on what basis are deontic conditionals judged to be acceptable or unacceptable? Using a decision theoretic analysis, we argue that a deontic conditional, of the form if p then must q or if p then may q, will be judged acceptable to the extent that the p & q possibility is preferred to the p & not-q possibility. Two experiments are reported in which this prediction was upheld. There was also evidence that the pragmatic suitability of permission rules is partly determined by evaluations of the not-p & q possibility. Implications of these results for theories of deontic reasoning are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Erosion resistance of 40Kh steel after mechanical-pulse treatment

The mechanical-pulse treatment of 40Kh steel by means of frictional contact of the working surface with a special tool in different technological media enhances the resistance of steel to cavitation- erosion fracture. Mechanical-pulse treatment in a technological medium based on aqueous solutions of calcium and magnesium mineral salts enhances the resistance of 40Kh steel to cavitation- erosion fracture over the entire range of cavitation intensities under study.Translated from Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 120–124, March–April, 2004.