Optical properties of graphite-like carbon films

A model of the electronic structure of graphite-like carbon films, describing the semiconductor properties of this material, is presented. Spectra of optical constants of microcrystalline carbon films in the region λ = 0.4–8.0 μm were studied by the spectral ellipsometry and IR reflection methods. A number of distinctive features of the spectra, associated with both the appearance of C---C- and C---H_n-type bonds and direct energy gaps, were found. Analysis of the optical data using the proposed model makes possible a common interpretation of our results and literature data. Values of a parameter Θ, which is an averaged qualitative parameter of structural distortions within carbon microcrystallites as compared with crystalline graphite, are determined from comparison of theoretical results and experimental data.     

In-Situ observation on microfracture behavior ahead of the crack tip in 63Sn37Pb solder alloy

in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) tensile tests on as-cast and aged 63Sn37Pb solder alloys were conducted, and the fracture behavior in nanometer scale ahead of the crack tip was inspected and discussed. Results show that the fracture was completed by connecting the discontinuous cracks or voids. Dislocation behavior was concentrated along the grain boundaries for as-cast samples, and displayed mainly as dislocation climb. The crack was intergranular dominated under the lower strain rate. While remarkable mutual dislocation emission was detected in the aged solder. Transgranular cracks were dominant in the fractured area, and they propagated by linking up with the nanometer scale cracks ahead of the crack tips under the effective promotion of the inverse dislocation emission. At the same time, the partial interphase or intergranular cracks in the thinned area were also found. Under this condition, a new critical stress intensity factor K _c ^′ to define the mutual dislocation emission was proposed.     

On sorting triangles in a delaunay tessellation

In a two-dimensional Delaunay-triangulated domain, there exists a partial ordering of the triangles (with respect to a vertex) that is consistent with the two-dimensional visibility of the triangles from that vertex. An equivalent statement is that a polygon that is star-shaped with respect to a given vertex can be extended, one triangle at a time, until it includes the entire domain. Arbitrary planar triangulations do not possess this useful property which allows incremental processing of the triangles.This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation's US-Italy Collaborative Research Program under Grant INT-8714578 and Information, Robotics, and Intelligent Research Grant IRI-8704781.     

Computerized conferencing for knowledge acquisition from multiple experts

The increasing complecity of many expert system application areas calls for the integration of the knowledge of multiple experts. The use of multiple experts introduces some interesting new problems during the process of knowledge acquisition. The problems are further complicated when the experts are geographically dispersed or unavailable for face-to-face interactions.

This article discusses the motivations for acquiring the knowledge of multiple experts, the problems related to knowledge acquisition, new issues that arise whens multiple experts interact, solutions that can be brought to bear in building multiple expert systems (particularly when experts are geographically dispersed), and new tools for knowledge engineers to use when dealing with multiple experts.     

Electrochemical Faceting of polycrystalline platinum in HF solutions

The electrochemical faceting of polycrystalline (pc) platinum yielding a (100)-preferred oriented electrode surface was accomplished in HF solutions by applying to the pc platinum electrode a square wave potential perturbation at 1 kHz in the 0.2 to 1.3 V range (vs rhe). SEM patterns of the resulting surfaces were also obtained. For HF concentrations up to 2 M no appreciable influence of the electrolyte concentration on the electrochemical faceting was noticed. Otherwise, the voltammetric response of the (100)-type preferred oriented platinum surface in the H-adatom potential range when compared to previously reported data resulted remarkably sensitive to the electrolyte composition. The discussion of results was based on the non-equilibrium adsorption conditions for anions under the periodic perturbation.     

Catalytic properties and electronic structure of copper ions in Cu-ZSM-5

The effect of ion exchange conditions, such as Si/Al ratio, precursor copper salt, pH and concentration of the solution, on the catalytic activity in SCR of NO by propane and on the electronic state of copper ions in Cu-ZSM-5 has been studied. The NO conversion in NO SCR by C₃H₈ has been found to reach a maximum value at Cu/Al ratio about 0.37–0.4 and remain constant at higher Cu/Al.

ESR and UV–vis DR spectroscopy have been used to elucidate stabilization conditions of copper ions in Cu-ZSM-5 zeolites as isolated Cu²⁺ ions, chain copper oxide structures and square-plain oxide clusters. The ability of copper ions for reduction and reoxidation in the chain structures may be responsible for the catalytic activity of Cu-ZSM-5. These transformations of copper ions are accompanied by the observation of intervalence transitions Cu²⁺–Cu⁺ and CTLM of the chain structures in the UV–vis spectra.     

高柔韧性尼龙1010材料的制备

对尼龙1010/NBR/增塑剂体系进行了系统研究,发现在挤出机中环氧扩链剂可以对尼龙进行扩链反应,且环氧树脂对尼龙1010的扩链反应活性较高,扩链效果比较明显;N-丁基苯磺酰胺是尼龙的良好增塑剂,经增塑、增韧后可以使经扩链后的尼龙1010柔韧性有明显提高.采用SEM和TEM对所制备的材料进行了形貌分析,发现用NBR增韧尼龙,对于不同的基体材料,橡胶粒子的形貌有很大不同,粒子由增韧纯尼龙的椭球形变为在增塑尼龙基体中不规则的形状.