Sound Velocity of Kaolin in the Temperature Range from 20 °C to 1100 °C

The sound velocity of Sedlec kaolin during heating from 20 °C to 1100 °C was investigated by modulated force thermomechanical analysis (mf-TMA). In the interval from 20 °C to 250 °C, the sound velocity increases which can be explained by liberation of the water molecules from pores and micropores. Dehydroxylation (450 °C to 650 °C) presents itself with a decrease of the sound velocity. After dehydroxylation, a two-step increase of the sound velocity was observed. The first step of the increase of the sound velocity is due to solid-state sintering at low temperatures. The second step starts at 950 °C as a consequence of the collapse of the metakaolinite structure. After the maximum, a steep increase of the sound velocity follows as a result of solid-state sintering.     

Effect of Cr additions on the electrical properties of Ni–BaTiO3 ultra-thin multilayer capacitors

Multilayer ceramic capacitors based on BaTiO₃ dielectric compositions and Ni inner electrodes have complex interfacial reactions that impact the continuity of the inner electrode microstructure. Previously we demonstrated that through the addition of Cr to Ni, a significant improvement in the continuity of ultra-thin Ni electrodes in Ni–BaTiO₃ multilayer capacitors could be achieved. Here, the effect of the Cr addition to the nickel electrode pastes is studied with regard to the electrical properties. Low-field electrical measurements demonstrate no major differences between Cr doped Ni and undoped Ni. However, high-field measurements show a significant decrease to the total capacitor resistance. Under a critical electrical bias the conductivity significantly increases due to a Fowler–Nordheim tunneling conduction though the interfacial Schottky barrier at the dielectric–electrode interface; the onset voltage of this conduction is much lower than with the undoped nickel. Based on these results, we evaluate criteria for the selection of an appropriate refractory metal in order to improve the Ni electrode continuity.     

Thermomechanical and thermodilatometric analysis of green alumina porcelain

A modulated force thermomechanical analysis (mf-TMA) and thermodilatometric analysis (TDA) of the green ceramic mixture of kaolin (27 wt.%), Al₂O₃ (50 wt.%) and feldspar (23 wt.%) up to 1000 °C is presented. The mf-TMA reflects changes during heating the green ceramics with higher sensitivity than TDA. Discrepancies between mf-TMA and TDA revealed that the elastic behavior of the green porcelain samples is determined most importantly by processes on the crystal boundaries (escaping of the water molecules at the low temperatures up to 150 °C and solid state sintering at the temperatures above 450 °C). Processes in the crystal interiors (e.g. dehydroxylation) have a lesser function. Thermodilatometric results depend more on the processes which take place inside the crystals than on the processes on the crystal surfaces.     

First-principles investigation of migration barriers and point defect complexes in B2–NiAl

We perform a systematic first-principles investigation of atomic hop mechanisms in B2–NiAl and discover a low barrier collective hop that can mediate Al diffusion through the anti-structural bridge mechanism. We also find an alternative hop sequence for the migration of a triple defect than that proposed previously. To shed light on the dominant hop mechanisms that mediate diffusion in B2–NiAl, we study point defects and defect clusters in B2–NiAl at high temperature by combining a cluster expansion with Monte Carlo simulations. Going beyond the mean field approximation, we find that the inclusion of interactions among the various point defects is crucial to predict the concentration of defect complexes, such as the triple defects of B2–NiAl. Interactions among point defects also introduce an important degree of short-range order between Al antisite defects and Ni antisite defects. We find an increasing probability between pairs of Al antisite atoms and Ni vacancies as the alloy concentration of B2–NiAl becomes both Al rich and Ni rich, suggesting that the anti-structural bridge mechanism should play an important role in facilitating Al transport.     

Characterisation of flour, starch and fibre obtained from sweet potato (kumara) tubers, and their utilisation in biscuit production

Sweet potato (kumara) tubers of differing colours (orange, red and white) were used to produce tuber flour, a purified starch fraction and an isolated fibre extract. The fractions from each tuber colour were added into a biscuit mixture, and the effects of tuber source and fraction composition were observed in relation to the physico-chemical characteristics of biscuits. Addition of sweet potato flour and fibre fractions to white wheat flour significantly reduced the pasting properties (peak and final viscosity) of the resulting gels by up to seven-fold compared with the control wheat flour gel (as determined by the Rapid Visco Analyser). The addition of sweet potato starch affected the pasting properties of wheat flour–sweet potato starch mixes to a lesser extent. Biscuit texture (force required to cause a biscuit to fracture) was significantly reduced with the incorporation of sweet potato fibre into the biscuit dough preparation, this was linked to a reduction in biscuit thickness and spread ratio. However, the addition of sweet potato flour and starch resulted in biscuits of similar firmness as the control biscuits.     

Die Thermokraft von Aluminiumnitrid bei Temperaturen zwischen 1350 und 1650 °C in Argon- und Stickstoffatmosphäre

Beschreibung der Versuchsapparatur zur Messung der Thermospannung der Kette Rh |_{T + Δ} AIN |_T Rh für Temperatur-differenzen bis zu ± 60 °C zwischen 1350 und 1650 °C. Ermittlung der Thermokraft und ihres homogenen Anteils. Berechnung der Überführungswärme der wandernden Ionen aus der homogenen Thermokraft. Erörterung zum Leitungsmechanismus im Aluminiumnitrid AlN.     

Atlas-based segmentation of pathological MR brain images using a model of lesion growth

We propose a method for brain atlas deformation in the presence of large space-occupying tumors, based on an a priori model of lesion growth that assumes radial expansion of the lesion from its starting point. Our approach involves three steps. First, an affine registration brings the atlas and the patient into global correspondence. Then, the seeding of a synthetic tumor into the brain atlas provides a template for the lesion. The last step is the deformation of the seeded atlas, combining a method derived from optical flow principles and a model of lesion growth. Results show that a good registration is performed and that the method can be applied to automatic segmentation of structures and substructures in brains with gross deformation, with important medical applications in neurosurgery, radiosurgery, and radiotherapy.