Fabrication of SmCo5 Double-Layered Perpendicular Magnetic Recording Media

We fabricated SmCo₅ double-layered perpendicular magnetic recording media with high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for realizing ultra high density recording. A double-layered medium with a Ru buffer layer introduced between a Cu/Ti intermediate layer and a Co-Zr-Nb soft magnetic underlayer exhibited high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, whereas that without the Ru buffer layer did not. Auger electron spectroscopy revealed that the Ru buffer layer inhibited interdiffusion between the Cu/Ti intermediate layer and the Co-Zr-Nb soft magnetic underlayer. We report here for the first time the read-write characteristics of SmCo₅ double-layered perpendicular magnetic recording media. The medium noise was small in the medium with a Sm-Co layer deposited under high Ar gas pressure owing to small magnetic clusters     

Recent advances in NiMH battery technology

Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) is a commercially important rechargeable battery technology for both consumer and industrial applications due to design flexibility, excellent energy and power, environmental acceptability and cost. [1] From the initial product introduction in 1991 of cylindrical cells having an energy of 54 Wh kg⁻¹, today's small consumer cells have a specific energy over 100 Wh kg⁻¹. Numerous licensed manufacturers produce a myriad of NiMH products ranging from 30 mAh button cells to a wide variety of consumer cylindrical products, prismatic cells up to 250 Ah for electric buses and 6 Ah multicell modules for hybrid electric vehicles. Power has increased from under 200 to 1200 W kg⁻¹ commercially and up to 2000 W kg⁻¹ at a development level [2].     

Epitaxial growth of p-sexiphenyl film on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

The epitaxial growth of p-sexiphenyl (C₃₆H₂₆, 6P) on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). 6P molecules prefer epitaxial growth with the long axis along the [110] direction (armchair direction) of the HOPG substrate, with the unit cell parameters b₁ = 0.67 ± 0.06 nm, b₂ = 5.97 ± 0.06 nm and angle of 88 ± 3° between them. The relation of the 6P overlayer lattice vectors with the HOPG substrate has also been deduced, i.e. the 5 × 1 supercell is in a point-on-point commensurate relation with respect to the HOPG substrate surface.     

Synthesis of the Optically Active Polymer Consisting of Chiral Phosphorus Atoms and <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Phenylene-ethynylene Units

Summary We successfully synthesized optically active polymer 4 by using chiral bisphosphine, (S,S)-1,2-bis(boranato(t-butyl)methylphosphino)ethane (S,S)-1, as a key building block. The structure of the polymer was characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectra. According to the CD spectra, the p-phenylene-ethynylene unit in the polymer main chain exhibited Cotton signals around the area of π-π^* transition band.     

A control scheme for a three‐phase current source inverter in utility interactive photovoltaic system

A novel PWM control scheme for a three‐phase current source inverter of a photovoltaic (PV) generation system connected to a utility is proposed. The PV‐array output power can be adjusted by controlling the modulation factor in the proposed PWM pattern. The harmonic components of the output currents can be decreased sufficiently to satisfy the requirements of the Interactive Guidelines. Furthermore, a new Maximum Power Point Tracking control is proposed. The inverter output current should be detected, and the modulation factor may be controlled so as to obtain the maximum effective current. The inverter output power can be maintained at the maximum power point despite fluctuations of panel temperatures, insolation levels, and system voltages. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 135(1): 43–55, 2001     

Effect of precarbonization temperature on liquefaction of lignites

Soya Koishi and North Dakota lignites were precarbonized at 350, 400 and 420 °C to reduce the oxygen content prior to hydrogenation at 400 °C under an initial hydrogen pressure of 10 MPa for 1 h. After hydrogenation, the solubility in tetralin and benzene remained almost constant to the precarbonization temperature of 420 °C for Soya Koishi lignite and 400 °C for North Dakota lignite. The hydrogen consumption decreased by ≈25% for the former and by ≈50% for the latter. The hydrogen content also decreased by precarbonization which increased the tetralin-insoluble fraction.     

Antioxidant activities of tocopherols on Fe2+-ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation in lecithin liposomes

The antioxidant activities of 4 tocopherols, tocol, and a water-soluble model analog of α-tocopherol were compared. Egg lecithin liposomes were used and oxidation was catalyzed by Fe²⁺-ascorbate. The activities decreased in the order α->β->γ->δ-tocopherol>tocol, in agreement with their potencies in vivo. The water-soluble analog was the least effective. Activity depended on the molar ratio of antioxidant to unsaturated lipid, with one molecule each of the α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocopherol and tocol capable of protecting, respectively, 220, 120, 100, 30 and 20 molecules of polyunsaturated fatty acid. The mechanism of possible antioxidant effect of the compounds used is discussed.