Fine silicon carbide fibers synthesized from polycarbosilane-polyvinylsilane polymer blend using electron beam curing

A fine SiC fiber is synthesized from a polymer blend of polycarbosilane (PCS) and polyvinylsilane (PVS) with electron beam curing under vacuum. The obtained SiC fiber from the PCS-PVS blend polymer has smaller average diameter of 8.5 m than that of 11.8 m from PCS, and shows higher average tensile strength of 3.2 GPa than that of 2.8 GPa from PCS after heat treatment at 1673 K in Ar gas atmosphere. However, the SiC fiber from the polymer blend decreases in tensile strength after heat treatment above 1773 K due to -SiC crystal growth near the fiber surface, because of a small amount of oxygen incorporated in the fiber.     

Raman study of SiC fibres made from polycarbosilane

We have examined the evolution of Raman spectra of SiC fibres through structural and compositional transformations caused by heat treatment. The SiC fibre was made from polycarbosilane. Raman spectra of the SiC fibre indicate that it consists of (i) amorphous or microcrystalline SiC, (ii) carbon microcrystals, and (iii) silicon oxide. The amount of microcrystalline carbon in the fibre increases with heat treatment temperature up to 1400° C, and it decreases abruptly in those fibres heat treated above 1500° C. The tensile strength of the fibre drops virtually to zero after the heat treatment at 1500° C. Carbon microcrystals are precipitated from the Si-C random network with excess carbon, and they are distributed uniformly in the fibre. These carbon particles suppress the growth of SiC crystals. It is shown that the carbon microcrystals play an important role in maintaining the high mechanical strength of the SiC fibre.     

Optical waveguide directional coupler measurements using amicrocomputer-assisted TV camera system

Characterization of optical waveguide directional couplers using a microcomputer-assisted TV camera system is reported. A fluorescent technique is employed to visualize wave propagation in the optical waveguides, which exhibit small scattering. The method is simple and reproducible, and can be used to estimate waveguide losses and evaluate various optical devices such as waveguide lenses and waveguide interferometers on substrates. As an example of its application, parallel and nonparallel dual-chamber directional couplers and parallel triple-channel directional couplers are measured. Power transfer between the coupled channel waveguides is observed clearly, and coupling coefficients of the couplers are obtained nondestructively. The measured performance of the couplers is in good agreement with that predicted by coupled-mode analysis     

Cold storage characteristics of mobile HTS magnet

A cold storage system specialized in mobile high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets (e.g. for magnetically levitated (maglev) vehicles) has been proposed. In this system, a cooling source is detachable and a HTS coil is capable of maintaining superconducting state with its heat capacity. This system allows a considerably lightweight HTS magnet.An apparatus was constructed to evaluate the possibility of using cold storage systems in maglev vehicles. The thermal characteristic of this apparatus was based on a magnet for previous maglev test vehicles [1]. The operational temperature range of the magnet was assumed from 20 K to 50 K. Some experiments indicated that heat conduction by residual gas was not negligible. Especially over 30 K, gas conduction took a large part of heat input. This phenomenon is attributable to reduction of cryopumping effect. However, activated carbon in the apparatus compensates cryopumping effect. A unique heat capacitor was also used to enhance the cold storage effect. Water ice was chosen as a heat capacitor because water ice has a higher heat capacity than metallic materials at cryogenic temperatures. A small amount of water ice also prolonged cryogenic temperature condition. These results indicate 1 day of cold storage is probable in a magnet for maglev vehicles.     

An efficient treatment technique for TMAH wastewater by catalyticoxidation

Developers used in photolithography contain toxic tetramethylammoniumhydroxide (TMAH) and this creates a problem of how to properly treat developer wastewater. We have developed a TMAH wastewater treatment technique that consists of a combination of two novel decomposition processes: pyrolyzing TMAH to TMA and decomposing TMA to N ₂, H₂O, and CO₂ by means of a selective oxidation catalyst for nitrogenous compounds. We have tested a system using this technique in long-term treatment of the actual wastewater and have found it to be sufficiently practical. The running cost of a treatment system using our technique would be about one-ninth that of disposing of the wastewater as industrial waste but about 2.3 times that of biological treatment. Compared with biological treatment, however, our system is tolerant to many treatment conditions and operation management is much easier. Furthermore, it occupies only about one-sixth the area of a biological treatment system     

High-temperature stability of low-oxygen silicon carbide fiber heat-treated under different atmosphere

The effects of heat-treating atmosphere on the thermal stability of low-oxygen silicon carbide fiber were investigated. Heat-treatment of EB-cured PCS fiber were conducted at 1573 K in argon, nitrogen or vacuum of 10^–6 atm. Subsequently the fibers were exposed to 1873 K in argon. The strength of fibers were strongly influenced by the heat-treating atmosphere. When heat-treated in nitrogen, the fibers absorbed nitrogen. High-temperature exposure caused severe degradation of strength owing to the decomposition of silicon oxycarbonitride phase. When heat-treated in vacuum, the fiber surface was smooth and pore-free, minimizing the degradation of strength at high temperature.     

Performance improvement of a two-stage GM cryocooler by use of Er(Ni0.075Co0.925)2 magnetic regenerator material

A newly developed magnetic regenerator material Er(Ni_0.075Co_0.925)₂, having high specific heat at temperatures from 10 to 20 K, has been tested inside the second regenerator of a two-stage GM cryocooler. Different working conditions have been examined: four Er(Ni_0.075Co_0.925)₂/Pb material ratios, three displacer reciprocating speeds, and two cryocooler stroke lengths. In the best working conditions, the experimental results show a cooling power improvement up to 15% over the whole temperature range from 10 to 20 K compared to that of the same GM cryocooler employing only lead.     

Planar‐Chiral Cyclopentadienyl‐Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Regio‐ and Enantioselective Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation of Silyl Enolates under Unusually Mild Conditions

We report the asymmetric allylic alkylation of allylic chlorides with silyl enolates as a carbon nucleophile using a planar‐chiral cyclopentadienyl‐ruthenium (Cp′Ru) catalyst. The reaction proceeds under unusually mild conditions to give the desired branched products with complete regioselectivity and high enantioselectivity, and reactive functional groups, such as aldehyde, can be tolerated. In this reaction system, Cp′Ru plays an important role in activating both silyl enolate and allylic chloride.