Layer by Layer Growth of Solid 4He on Graphite down to 0.1 K

The growth of solid ⁴He on graphite from the superfluid phase is known to occur at pressures well below the bulk solidification point. The number of adsorbed layers increases with pressure and the solid growth undergoes non-continuous layer-by-layer growth at low temperature. We have studied this growth using the torsional oscillator method for isotherms down to 0.1?K. In contrast with simple layer-by-layer growth scenarios, our evidence suggests that the growth of adsorbed solid ⁴He is more complex and less solid is present on the graphite substrate at low temperature.     

Error analysis of drill point geometry inspection using radial-view silhouette images

The conical ground drill point geometry can be described by five parameters, which are measured with the simple inspection method using radial-view silhouette images. This paper deals with error analysis of the inspection method. Different types of errors may occur while taking radial-view silhouette images of the drill point geometry. All possible setup errors have been considered and deviations from the true values of the geometrical parameters have been calculated. The sensitivities of the geometrical parameters and common angular parameters of the drill with the errors have been analyzed to develop a practical apparatus of the inspection system.     

Effect of the composition profile and density of LPPS sprayed functionally graded coating on the thermal shock resistance

Low Pressure Plasma Spraying (LPPS) is a promising coating method for Functionally Graded Material (FGM) expected to beable to reduce the thermal stress in high temperature environments such as a gas turbine. In this paper, we report the effect of the composition profile and coating density of LPPS sprayed FGM, consisting of ZrO₂–8 wt%Y₂O₃ (YSZ) top coating, YSZ–Ni–20 wt%Cr (NiCr) FGM coating, NiCr under coating and copper substrate, on the thermal shock resistance evaluated by a modified temperature difference test. The density of YSZ and NiCr coating was successfully controlled by the chamber pressure and initial particle size in the range from 5.43 to 5.79 g/cm³ and from 7.89 to 8.09 g/cm³, respectively. For an YSZ composition profile from NiCr under coating to YSZ top coating (in FGM), the highest thermal shock resistance was obtained when the fraction of YSZ increased with gentleslope just over NiCr coating and acute slope just under YSZ coating. Also, the higher density coatings tended to perform the higher thermal shock resistance. Initial cracks formed in the YSZ top coating propagated into YSZ parts in FGM coating through the grain boundary of YSZ and/or the interface between flattened NiCr and YSZ particles. After the cracks connected, the coupled cracks caused the coating spallation.

©2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Synthesis of xylooligosaccharides of daidzein and their anti-oxidant and anti-allergic activities

The biocatalytic synthesis of xylooligosaccharides of daidzein was investigated using cultured cells of Catharanthus roseus and Aspergillus sp. β-xylosidase. The cultured cells of C. roseus converted daidzein into its 4'-O-β-glucoside, 7-O-β-glucoside, and 7-O-β-primeveroside, which was a new compound. The 7-O-β-primeveroside of daidzein was further xylosylated by Aspergillus sp. β-xylosidase to daidzein trisaccharide, i.e., 7-O-[6-O-(4-O-(β-d-xylopyranosyl))-β-d-xylopyranosyl]-β-d-glucopyranoside, which was a new compound. The 4'-O-β-glucoside, 7-O-β-glucoside, and 7-O-β-primeveroside of daidzein exerted DPPH free-radical scavenging and superoxide radical scavenging activity. On the other hand, 7-O-β-glucoside and 7-O-β-primeveroside of daidzein showed inhibitory effects on IgE antibody production.     

Remaining life prediction of the core shroud due to stress corrosion cracking failure in BWRs using numerical simulations

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the welded joints in a reactor core shroud is the primary result of the residual stresses caused by welding, corrosion and neutron irradiation in a boiling water reactor (BWR). Therefore, the evaluation of SCC propagation is important for the safe maintenance of the core shroud. This paper attempts to predict the remaining life of the core shroud due to SCC failures in BWR conditions via SCC propagation time calculations. First, a two-dimensional finite element method model containing H6a girth weld in the core shroud was constructed, and the weld processing was simulated to determine the weld's residual stress distribution. Second, using a basic weld residual stress field, the SCC propagation was simulated using a node release option and the stress redistribution was calculated. Combined with the J-integral method, the stress intensity factors were calculated at depths of 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 16, 19, 22, 25 and 30 mm in the crack setting inside the core shroud; then, the SCC propagation rates were determined using the relation between the SCC propagation rate and the stress intensity factor. The calculations show that the core shroud could safely remain in service after 9.29 years even when a 1-mm-deep SCC has been detected.     

Current Issues of Intercalation and Superconductivity in Solid State Fullerenes

Abstract

Co-intercalation of alkali metals and neutral molecules into C₆₀ have been investigated. Successful synthesis of this class of materials provides us a new insight into superconductivity and other physical properties; such as criterion for the occurrence of superconductivity and metal-insulator transitions. Based on the recently synthesized ammoniated fullerides, we discuss on the relation between the structure, and electronic properties.     

Application of stochastic differential equations to seismic reliability analysis of hysteretic structures

An analytical method of stochastic seismic response and reliability analysis of hysteretic structures based on the theory of Markov vector process is presented, especially from the methodological aspect. To formulate the above analysis in the form of stochastic differential equations, the differential formulations of general constitutive laws for a class of hysteretic characteristics are derived. The differential forms of the seismic safety measures such as the maximum ductility ratio, cumulative plastic deformation, low-cycle fatigue damage are also derived. The state equation governing the whole nonlinear dynamical system which is composed of the shaping filter generating seismic excitations, hysteretic structural system and safety measures is determined as the Itô stochastic differential equations. By introducing an appropriate non-Gaussian joint probability density function, the statistics and joint probability density function of the state variables can be evaluated numerically under nonstationary state. The merit of the proposed method is in systematically unifying the conventional response and reliability analyses into an analysis which requires knowledge of only first order (single-time) statistics or probability distributions.     

The numerical analysis of particle-size distribution of clusters in shear flow at one-dimensional closed system and three-dimensional open system

Aimed at optimizing the resin-molding process, a method for numerically analyzing aggregation and dispersion behavior of the filler in resin composite was proposed. The flow of a resin composite during molding was calculated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and particle-size distribution (PSD) of the cluster in each computational domain of the CFD model was estimated by solving the population balance equation (PBE). The proposed numerical-analysis method is based on the thixotropy model of Usui et al. In the thixotropy model, PSD is calculated by taking into account the aggregation and dispersion rate of the cluster by Brownian coagulation, shear coagulation, and shear breakage. Shear-breakage rate of the cluster is evaluated by solving the energy balance of bonding energy of the primary particles cut at the breakage and the drag applied to the cluster by the flow of the fluid. The composite viscosity was calculated using Krieger and Dougherty’s model based on apparent-solid-volume fraction estimated from the calculated PSD. To solve the PBE at low calculation cost, it was discretized using the fixed-pivot technique of Kumar and Ramkrishna. The proposed method was incorporated into the general-purpose CFD software FLOW-3D®, and its accuracy was proved.     

X-ray photoemission spectroscopy analysis of N-containing carbon-based cathode catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

We report on the electronic structure of three different types of N-containing carbon-based cathode catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells observed by hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Prepared samples are derived from: (1) melamine and poly(furfuryl alcohol), (2) nitrogen-doped carbon black and (3) cobalt phthalocyanine and phenolic resin. C 1s spectra show the importance of sp² carbon network formation for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. N 1s spectra of the carbon-based cathode catalysts are decomposed into four components identified as pyridine-like, pyrrole- or cyanide-like, graphite-like, and oxide nitrogen. Samples having high oxygen reduction reaction activity in terms of oxygen reduction potential contain high concentration of graphite-like nitrogen. O 1s spectra are similar among carbon-based cathode catalysts of different oxygen reduction reaction activity. There is no correlation between the ORR activity and oxygen content. Based on a quantitative analysis of our results, the oxygen reduction reaction activity of the carbon-based cathode catalysts will be improved by increasing concentration of graphite-like nitrogen in a developed sp² carbon network.