Disturbance-free high-speed sinusoidal phase-modulating laser diode interferometer

A surface profiler that incorporates a feedback controller to eliminate external disturbances is proposed and demonstrated. Its overall performance is dependent on the frequency response of the feedback loop. The frequency of the modulating signal strongly influences the response of the feedback controller. When we used the integrating-bucket method, the CCD camera had to be operated at a low-frequency video rate. Our technique uses a CCD camera equipped with an electronic shutter. The shutter function enables us to apply high-speed sinusoidal phase modulation to the conventional integrating-bucket method under the standard video rate.     

The effect of polar groups on the dielectric loss of polyethylene

The dielectric loss tangent for polyethylene with low dielectric loss was approximated by tan δ = C_f Σ(nμ²), where n and μ are the number and dipole moment of polar groups, respectively, and C_f is a parameter. The type and number of polar groups in the polyethylenes were mainly determined from infrared spectra obtained with a Fourier transform spectrometer. It was found that the contribution of hydroxyl and carbonyl groups to tan δ was significantly large, but the contribution of double bond groups was less significant. The tan δ was observed to decrease with a decrease of methyl group density although the overall contribution of methyl groups to tan δ was small. This suggests that tan δ is closely related to the secondary structure of polyethylenes, thus indicating the methyl groups seem to play an important role in the secondary structure.     

Synthesis of functional nanocrystallites through reactive thermal plasma processing

A method of synthesizing functional nanostructured powders through reactive thermal plasma processing has been developed. The synthesis of nanosized titanium oxide powders was performed by the oxidation of solid and liquid precursors. Quench gases, either injected from the shoulder of the reactor or injected counter to the plasma plume from the bottom of the reactor, were used to vary the quench rate, and therefore the particle size, of the resultant powders. The experimental results are well supported by numerical analysis on the effects of the quench gas on the flow pattern and temperature field of the thermal plasma as well as on the trajectory and temperature history of the particles. The plasma-synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles showed phase preferences different from those synthesized by conventional wet-chemical processes. Nanosized particles of high crystallinity and nonequilibrium chemical composition were formed in one step via reactive thermal plasma processing.     

Two-wavelength laser diode interferometer with time-sharing sinusoidal phase modulation

We describe an interferometer system that uses two separate wavelengths to measure step height. The overlapping interference images detected by a CCD camera are easily separated by an ordinary integrating-bucket method and time-sharing sinusoidal phase modulation, in which two laser diodes are alternately modulated with a sinusoidal signal. A phase map is obtained only for the laser diode into which the modulation signal is injected. In this instance, a 1-microm step height was accurately detected.     

Synthesis of thermosensitive copolymer beads containing pyridinium groups and their antibacterial activity

Thermosensitive 4VP‐NIPAAm‐4G copolymer beads containing pyridyl groups were first prepared by suspension copolymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine (4VP), N‐isopropylacrylamide(NIPAAm), and tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate (4G; crosslinking reagent) in a saturated Na₂SO₄ aqueous solution in the presence of surfactant and MgCO₃ as dispersants. Then the copolymer beads containing pyridinium groups were obtained by the quaternization of the copolymer beads with various alkyl iodides (CH₃I, C₄H₉I, C₈H₁₇I) in N,N‐dimethylformamide. The 4VP‐NIPAAm‐4G (15 : 97 : 3) copolymer bead and the 4VP‐NIPAAm‐4G copolymer beads quaternized with butyl iodide exhibited high thermosensitivity in water, although the 4VP‐NIPAAm‐4G copolymer beads quaternized with methyl iodide or octyl iodide hardly exhibited thermosensitivity. All the quaternized copolymer beads exhibited antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli), although the 4VP‐NIPAAm‐4G copolymer bead did not. In particular, the copolymer bead quaternized with butyl iodide exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli at 30°C. It was also found that the antibacterial activity of the quaternized 4VP‐NIPAAm‐4G copolymer beads was greatly affected by not only chain length of alkyl groups in alkyl iodides, with which the 4VP‐NIPAAm‐4G copolymer beads were quaternized, but also by temperature of the solutions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

In-Flight Nitridation of Molybdenum Disilicide Powders by an Induction Plasma

The in-flight nitridation of MoSi₂ powder particles was attempted in an argon-nitrogen induction plasma, with and without tail gas quenching. The inductive power level, reactor pressure, plasma-gas composition, and quantity of quench gas, as well as the species of quench gas, were investigated to obtain substantial nitridation of the MoSi₂ powder particles. Under investigated conditions, ∼2.8 wt% of nitrogen was incorporated into the MoSi₂ powder particles.     

Control of Oxidation State of Eu Ions in Na2O–Al2O3–SiO2 Glasses

Glasses doped with well‐controlled Eu³⁺ and Eu²⁺ ions have attracted considerable interest due to the possibility of tuning the wavelength range of the emitted light from violet to red by using their ⁵D₀→⁷F_j and 5d–4f electron transitions. Glasses were prepared to dope Eu³⁺ ions in a Na₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ system, and the changes in the valence state of Eu³⁺ ions and the glass structure surrounding the Eu atoms during heating under H₂ atmosphere were investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy, X‐ray absorption fine‐structure spectroscopy, and ²⁷Al magic‐angle spinning solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The reduction behavior of Eu³⁺ ions was dependent on the Al/Na molar ratio of the glass. For Al/Na < 1, the Al³⁺ ions formed the AlO₄ network structure accompanied by the Na⁺ ions as charge compensators; the Eu³⁺ ions occupied the interstitial positions in the SiO₄ network structure and were not reduced even under heating in H₂ gas. On the other hand, in the glasses containing Al₂O₃ with the Al/Na ratio exceeding unity, the Eu³⁺ ions commenced to be coordinated by the AlO₄ units in addition to the SiO₄ network structure. When heated in H₂ gas, H₂ gas molecules reacted with the AlO₄ units surrounding Eu³⁺ ions to form AlO₆ units terminated with OH bonds, and reduced Eu³⁺ ions to Eu²⁺ via the extracted electrons.     

Preparation of resins having various phosphonium groups and their adsorption and elution behavior for anionic surfactants

Resins containing phosphonium groups were prepared by reaction of chlorohydroxylated glycidylmethacrylate–divinylbenzene macroreticular resins with three trialkylphosphines. Triethylphosphine, tributylphosphine, and trioctylphosphine were used as trialkylphosphines. Adsorption and elution behavior of sodium benzenesulfonate (SBS) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) on the resins were studied. Adsorption of SBS and SDBS increased with increasing the alkyl chain length of phosphonium groups in the resins. The adsorption of SBS decreased with increasing ionic strength of the solution, while the adsorption of SDBS increased with increasing ionic strength of the solution. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 371–378, 1999     

Oxygen Diffusion in Single- and Poly-Crystalline Zinc Oxides

¹⁸O diffusion coefficients were measured in zinc oxide ceramics using a secondary ion mass spectrometer. The results are interpreted as indicating extrinsic behavior. The values of the lattice diffusion coefficients with higher valence dopants compared with zinc ions are greater than lower valence dopant such as lithium ions. Using the data at deeper depth, the grain boundary diffusivity of oxide ions was also evaluated. Although the lattice diffusion coefficients varied by two orders of magnitude, the products of grain boundary width and grain boundary diffusion coefficient were less sensitive to the type of dopants.     

Reaction and Formation of Crystalline Silicon Oxynitride in Si–O–N Systems under Solid High Pressure

Oxidized amorphous Si₃N₄ and SiO₂ powders were pressed alone or as a mixture under high pressure (1.0–5.0 GPa) at high temperatures (800–1700°C). Formation of crystalline silicon oxynitride (Si₂ON₂) was observed from amorphous silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) powders containing 5.8 wt% oxygen at 1.0 GPa and 1400°C. The Si₂ON₂ coexisted with β-Si₃N₄ with a weight fraction of 40 wt%, suggesting that all oxygen in the powders participated in the reaction to form Si₂ON₂. Pressing a mixture of amorphous Si₃N₄ of lower oxygen (1.5 wt%) and SiO₂ under 1.0–5.0 GPa between 1000° and 1350°C did not give Si₂ON₂ phase, but yielded a mixture of α,β-Si₃N₄, quartz, and coesite (a high-pressure form of SiO₂). The formation of Si₂ON₂ from oxidized amorphous Si₃N₄ seemed to be assisted by formation of a Si–O–N melt in the system that was enhanced under the high pressure.