Oxidation of mixed copper-iron sulfide

. A rectangular plate of mixed copper-iron sulfide composed of bornite (Cu₅FeS₄) and troilite (FeS) was oxidized in an O₂-Ar mixed gas stream at 1023 to 1123 K. At the start of the oxidation, iron was preferentially oxidized with the rapid formation of a dense Fe₃O₄ layer of about 10 μm thickness on the sample surface, without the evolution of SO₂ gas. Following this reaction, layers of both Fe₃O₄ and Fe₂O₃ grew on the sulfide surface in accordance with the parabolic rate law. The diffusion of iron through the oxide layers was assumed to control the oxidation rate during this stage. The effect of oxygen partial pressure on the parabolic rate constants was minor and an apparent activation energy of 126 kJ/mol was obtained. During the later stages of the reaction, when the sulfur activity in the inner sulfide core increased, the oxidation proceeded irregularly to the interior of the remaining sulfide with the formation of a porous oxide and the evolution of gaseous SO2. The remaining sulfide core was found to be a mixture of bornite (Cu₅FeS₄) and djurleite (Cu_1.96S). H. TSUKADA, former Graduate Student at Kyoto University     

Evaluation of color matching performances for SPEM and other models

We performed subjective experiments to evaluate color matching performance of the Spectral Properties Estimation Model (SPEM) and six other models (von Kries, CIELAB, LLAB, RLAB, Nayatani, and CIECAM97s) between two CRT monitors whose whites were quite different. Moreover, we evaluated color matching of these models between a CRT monitor and a printed image set in a dark room. The SPEM we developed is a new chromatic adaptation model based on hypothetical spectral properties estimation. This article describes the subjective experiments and the results obtained. The SPEM produced good color matching performance in the experiments. The detailed algorithm of the SPEM is given in the Appendix. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 28, 445–453, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.10197     

Creep rupture properties of heavy section, type 304 stainless steel forging for LMFBR application

Creep rupture properties of heavy section, Type 304 stainless steel forging were investigated at 550°C. The results were compared with those on the 70 mm thick plate which was made from the same heat and has comparable grain size. The heavy section forging showed significantly higher creep rupture strength than that of the 70 mm thick plate. The reason was attributed to two different phenomena. One is the effect of thermal strain which was generated at the surface region of the heavy section forging during water cooling after solution heat treatment. Another is the effect of grain boundary carbides which were precipitated at the interior of the forging during slow cooling after solution heat treatment. It was also indicated that grain boundary carbides improve creep rupture ductility as well as rupture strength, while thermal strain results in decrease in creep rupture ductility.Effect of grain size was also investigated using the 70 mm thick plates with grain size of No. 0.7 and 2.4. The results showed that, in the range of grain size to be considered for large-sized Type 304 stainless steel forgings, grain refining improves both creep rupture strength and ductility.     

The development of a multi-turn absolute encoder—a new concept in accordance with a design insensitive to accuracy

A new design concept of a multi-turn absolute rotary encoder which is insensitive to the accuracy of encoder components is proposed. This new design does not demand high accuracy of the encoder structure other than the fundamental pattern to produce the least significant digit. The allowable error in the encoder structure is compensated by electronic light circuits. This absolute encoder has been applied to the measurement of height position in a cylindrical form-measuring system. The new encoders can be connected in series by reduction gears whose accuracy is fairly rough, so that a multi-turn device in realized. The allowable tolerances in the encoder structure are presented.     

Catalytic properties and surface states of La1−x (Th,Sr) x CoO3

The surface chemical states of the perovskite-type thorium- or strontium-doped lanthanum cobalt oxides (La_1–x Th _x CoO₃, La_1–x Sr _x CoO₃) have been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Catalytic oxidations of CO have been also investigated by flow methods. The ionicity between cobalt and lattice oxygen was increased by substituting thorium for lanthanum, and had a peak atx = 0.02. The catalytic activity also had a peak atx = 0.02. However, the ionicity decreased for the case of strontium substitution, and the activity also decreased.     

In vitro intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression on brain endothelial cells in multiple sclerosis

To investigate the origin of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and its expression on brain endothelial cells, we studied the expression in vitro of ICAM-1 on human brain endothelial cells after incubation of T cells from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using a histochemical technique and flow cytometry. We determined soluble forms of ICAM-1 (ICAM-1) in the supernatants after mixtures of brain endothelial cells and T cells from patients with MS using an enzyme-liked immunosorbent assay. Flow cytometric analysis showed that a number of ICAM-1-positive cells were significantly increased after incubation of brain endothelial cells with T cells from patients with acute relapsing MS during an exacerbation as compared with those of controls (P < 0.01). Patients with acute relapsing MS during an exacerbation and chronic progressive MS exhibited higher levels of ICAM-1 in the supernatants of mixtures with brain endothelial cells and lymphocytes than those of controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). These results suggest that lymphocytes from patients with acute relapsing MS during an exacerbation lead to an increased expression of ICAM-1 on the brain endothelial cells and add to evidence involving this adhesion molecule in the pathogenesis of MS.     

Mechanism of laser assisted field evaporation from insulating oxides

To explain the recent successful three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) analyses of insulating oxides by laser assisted field evaporation, we investigated the mechanism of the laser-induced field evaporation of oxides by ab initio calculations. The calculated potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the ground and excited states indicated that the activation barrier height for field evaporation is substantially reduced by the accumulation of holes near the tip apex. This would make the direct electronic excitation possible to promote field evaporation along with thermal excitation. These theoretical calculations are supported by experimental observations.     

Radiation-grafted membrane/electrode assemblies with improved interface

Recent progress is reported in preparing membrane/electrode assemblies for polymer electrolyte fuel cells based on radiation-grafted FEP-g-poly(styrenesulfonic acid) membranes. MEAs with an improved interface between the membrane and commercially available gas diffusion electrodes were obtained by Nafion®-coating of the membrane and hot-pressing. These improved MEAs showed both, performance data comparable to those of MEAs based on Nafion® 112 and an operation lifetime in H₂/O₂ fuel cells of more than 2000 h at 60 °C and 500 mA cm⁻² current density.