Nanoscale Crystallization in the Amorphous Alloy Fe79P14.2Si4.4Mn2.2V0.2 upon Pulsed Photon Annealing

The effect of pulsed photon annealing with energy densities from 1.4 to 42 J/cm² for various lengths of time on the structure of the amorphous alloy Fe₇₉P_14.2Si_4.4Mn_2.2V_0.2 was studied by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and transmission electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that short-term irradiation with low energy densities leads to surface relaxation of the amorphous alloy, increases the strength of the surface layer, and reduces the internal-friction peak. Longer term photon annealing leads to crystallization of the alloy throughout the sample thickness.     

Comparative Assessment of the Effect of Chemical and Radiation Factors on Workers and the General Public Resulting from the Salvaging of Nuclear-Powered Submarines

The results of observations performed over many years are used to make an assessment of the degree to which the concentration of chemical and radioactive substances escaping into the environment during salvaging of nuclear-powered submarines exceeds the admissable norms for workers at the main ship-repair facilities in Russia and for the general public in the surrounding territories. It is shown that the chemical substances are a determining factor in environmental contamination. Their content in the atmosphere and sea water exceeds the admissable norms near sources, on the territory of the enterprises, and (for individual indicators) at populated points. Under these conditions, the concentration of technogenic radionuclides does not exceed the admissable norms and its damaging effect on man is hundreds and thousands of times less than that of chemicals.     

Special Features of Fracture of Steels from Partially-Alloyed Powders

Special features of fracture of structural steels 45N2D2M and 45N4D2M manufactured by pressing with subsequent sintering from partially alloyed iron powders are studied. Impact bending tests of specimens with different levels of retained porosity show two kinds of fracture, i.e., intraparticle cleavage and interparticle dimple fracture. In addition, the surfaces of the “initial” pores come out to the fracture surface. Other conditions being equal, growth in porosity decreases the proportion of the brittle component of fracture and decreases the critical brittle point.     

Gradient interpenetrating polymer networks

The methods of synthesis and properties of gradient interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) are discussed based on literature and authors' own experimental data. Gradient IPN can be treated as a sequence of an infinite number of layers of IPNs, whose composition and properties vary gradually from the surface to the core of specimens. These are analysed the most important properties of gradient IPNs: temperature transitions, thermodynamic and physico-mechanical characteristics and the main direction of practical application of gradient IPN-based materials.     

Continuous stimulated emission at T=293 K from separate-confinement heterostructure diode lasers with one layer of InAs quantum dots grown on vicinal GaAs(bd001) surfaces misoriented in the [010] direction in the active region

The electroluminescence and stimulated emission of lasers with one layer of InAs quantum dots (QD’s) grown in a single molecular-beam epitaxial process on vicinal GaAs(001) surfaces misoriented in the direction [010] by 2, 4 and 6° are investigated. It is discovered that an increase in the misorientation angle leads to a blue shift and a decrease in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the electroluminescence spectrum. This effect is attributed to a decrease in the size of the quantum dots and improvement in their size uniformity. A strong dependence of the threshold current density on the width of the spontaneous luminescence spectrum is discovered. The room-temperature threshold current density of the lasers with one layer of quantum dots and the spontaneous luminescence spectrum having the smallest FWHM (54 meV) equals 210 A/cm². Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 32, 1482–1486 (December 1998)