Characterization of CuInS2 thin films for solar cells prepared by spray pyrolysis

We have made a study of the chemical composition, the electrical, the optical and the structural properties of polycrystalline CuInS₂ thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis to be used for thin film solar cells. These films were deposited starting from aqueous solutions with different chemical compositions ([Cu]/[In] and [S]/[Cu] ratios) and at different substrate temperatures. In all cases, the material is p-type with grains preferentially oriented in the (112) direction of the sphalerite structure. The electro-optical properties show a very strong dependence on the [Cu]/[In] ratio in the solution. Films with copper excess have smaller resistivity and better crystallinity than those which are stoichiometric or have indium excess. The results obtained in this work show the possibility of having CuInS₂ thin films with a wide range of resistivity, a fact that could be important for making solar cells based on this material.     

Void formation and growth in a class of compressible solids

A new class of compressible elastic solids, which includes the Blatz-Ko material as a special case, is proposed. A closed-form solution is constructed and studied for a bifurcation problem modeling void formation in this class of compressible elastic solids. The relation between the void-formation condition and the material parameters is obtained analytically. An energy comparison of the void-formation deformation and the homogeneous expansion deformation is carried out.     

Monitoring water quality in reservoirs with IRS-1A-LISS-I

An attempt has been made to quantify the relationship between the variation in IRS-IA-LISS-I (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite-1A Linear Imaging Self-Scanning System) radiance data and field measured change in secchi disc depth. Secchi disc depth was measured for 47 predetermined sampling locations on reservoir surface water. At extinction depth (secchi depth), water samples were collected from all the sampling locations. Suspended sediments of eight locations representing various reaches of the reservoir were selected for mineralogical, particle size and optical properties analysis. The LISS-I radiance value in band 1 (0.45–0.52µm) band 2 (0-52–0.59 µm) and band 3 (0.62–0.68 µm) were used in a regression analysis. The absorption infrared band 4 (0.77–0.86 µm) was not included in the analysis. In these, the dependable variable was secchi depth (SD) and the LISS-I-radiance data was the estimator variable. Forty-seven data sets of 20 October 1988 from Tawa reservoir surface water were used to obtain an estimator equation for SD. The verification of the estimator equation was tested by applying it to a data set of 21 measurements of 28 September 1988 for this reservoir. The coefficient of correlation between observed and estimated values for the 28 September 1988 data set wasr=0.92 for SD, indicating that the equation could accurately predict the water clarity (SD) for this reservoir on new occasions from IRS-IA-LISS-I spectral data. It is shown that mineral composition and optical properties of suspended sediments influence the reflected radiance of water quality. It is concluded that IRS-IA-LISS-I data provide a useful means of mapping water quality in reservoir.     

Differences in the structure of copper active sites for decomposition and selective reduction of nitric oxide with hydrocarbons and ammonia

Cu ion co-ordination-location in zeolites of MFI, erionite, mordenite matrices has been determined and the activity of the individual Cu sites compared for NO decomposition and its selective reduction by hydrocarbons or ammonia. It appears that Cu ions in the vicinity of one framework Al (site II), able to form stable Cu⁺-dinitrosyl complexes, and abundant in MFI structure, are responsible for high activity in NO decomposition. The Cu ions neighbouring two framework Al atoms (site I), and forming mostly mononitrosyl complexes, which dominate in erionite structure, provide a high activity in selective reduction of NO.     

Development of damage in a 2D woven C/SiC composite under mechanical loading: I. Mechanical characterization

An investigation has been undertaken to determine the damage mechanisms and the associated mechanical response of a 2D reinforced composite of carbon fibers in an SiC CVI-processed matrix subjected to uniaxial tensile and compressive loadings at room temperature. Under tension loading, an extended non-linear stress/strain response was evidenced and related to a multi-stage development of damage involving transverse matrix microcracking, bundle/matrix and inter-bundle debonding as well as thermal residual stress release. This tensile behavior proved to be damageable-elastic with respect to a fictitious thermalstress-free origin of the stress/strain axis lying in the compression domain. In compression, after an initial stage involving closure of the thermal microcracks present from processing, the composite displayed a linear-elastic behavior until failure. The extent of damage over the material was characterized quantitatively at the microscale by the decrease of the average transverse microcrack spacing and at the macroscale by the decrease of both the longitudinal Young's modulus and the in-plane Poisson's ratio.     

Preparation of ultra fine nickel-copper bimetallic powder for BME-MLCC

The preparation of ultra fine nickel-copper bimetallic powder with two-stage chemical reduction method was investigated. Reductive sugar and hydrazine hydrate were employed as reducing agent in different reductive stage, respectively. Reaction of CuSO₄·5H₂O with reductive sugar at 70 °C gives cuprous oxide and copper particles, then as-prepared mixture and nickelous hydroxide were reduced by hydrazine hydrate, and nickel-copper powder having excellent dispersibility was prepared. Influences of nickel added on composition and dispersibility of powder were studied. TG/DTG/DTA of nickel-copper powder, which is stable in room temperature, were discussed with thermal analyzer. Relation of nickel content to oxidation temperature was investigated. Ni-Cu bimetallic powder particles have a fully coated structure when nickel content is up to 30%. As-prepared nickel-copper powder was applied in base metal electrode-multilayer ceramic capacitor (BME-MLCC). The end termination has high adhesion force, fairly good densification, low resistivity, excellent solderibility behavior and resistance behavior to soldering.     

货运调车场减速顶噪声及治理的探讨

铁路货物运输枢纽的调车场中，驼峰调车是主要的调车手段，为提高生产效率和确保安全，沿驼峰下滑道布置的减速器（减速闸，减速顶）的噪声是调车场噪声的主要声源之一，本文通过对昆明东站铁路降噪工程的观测试验项目，探讨了减速顶噪声的特性及治理措施。     

柘溪水库泥沙淤积情况调查简介

通过对 1995年柘溪水库泥沙冲淤调查资料的分析 ,对比 196 3年建库时及 1974年库区泥沙冲淤情况 ,获得建库以来库区泥沙沉积率及其泥沙分布的关系曲线 ,可为已建或拟建的同类泥沙淤积分析提供参考。     

Use of chemical variation and predation as plant defenses byEncelia farinosa against a specialist herbivore

Larvae of the monophagous herbivore,Trirhabda geminata, selectively eat particular plants and plant parts of its natural host,Encelia farinosa. Measurements of leaf damage and larval positions on branches through time support this observation. Time-lapse movie photography revealed that larvae are sufficiently mobile to search most of a plant in a 48-hr period and that aggregations were the result of larval activity and not directly the result of oviposition. Experiments withT. geminata larvae on artificial diets containing a range of natural concentrations of chemical extracts fromE. farinosa leaves showed that the larvae grew significantly slower and had a lower overall survivorship at the high concentration. Combining the results of all choice tests, larvae appeared unable to distinguish between high- and low-concentration agar diets. Considered individually, larval preferences for natural production concentrations changed as the season progressed. Early-season larvae preferred low-concentration leaves, while late-season larvae preferred high-concentrations. Measurements of chemical and nitrogen content of leaves selected by larvae in the field confirmed this pattern. Percent parasitism in field-collected larvae increased with season as the larval population decreased. This combination of slowed growth and increasing parasitism and predation is a putative defense strategy ofEncelia farinosa to prevent adaptation by a specialist herbivore to the total range of compounds elaborated.     

A novel methanol-tolerant Ir-Se chalcogenide electrocatalyst for oyxgen reduction

A novel methanol-tolerant oxygen-reduction catalyst, Iridium-selenium (Ir-Se) chalcogenide, was synthesized by chemical precipitation in an organic solvent. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis confirmed that the synthesized Ir-Se chalcogenide had a chemical formula of Ir₄Se. This chalcogenide showed strong catalytic activity towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and a high methanol tolerance. It was found that most of the oxygen could be directly reduced to water through a four-electron pathway with less than 10% hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) being produced during the ORR. The improvement in catalytic activity of the Ir-Se chalcogenide in comparison with that of pure Ir might be attributed to the effect of a bimetallic interaction.