Synthesis of Nearly Monodisperse Iron Oxide and Oxyhydroxide Nanocrystals

Uniform magnetite, hematite, and goethite nanocrystals were prepared through an attractive method based on an oleic acid/alcohol/water system. By adjusting the synthetic parameters (base concentration, alcohol content, categories of alcohols, etc.), the controlled synthesis of uniform magnetite, hematite, and goethite nanocrystals can be easily achieved. Detailed investigations on the effect of the experimental parameters on the morphology of the final products and the phase transitions among the magnetite, hematite, and goethite phases were carried out. Finally, a method of doping other metal ions into magnetite was developed and the magnetic properties of magnetite doped with different metal elements were studied.     

Phase equilibrium in solutions of star-shaped macromolecules: an improved Okada-Numasawa model

The two-region Okada-Numasawa model for solutions of star-shaped polymers has been improved by means of a change in the integration order and introduction of a concentration-dependent and molar-mass-dependent Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (the second and third approximations of the Flory-Huggins theory). To overcome calculation difficulties, a special algorithm for computing coexistence curves of polymeric systems with an UCST has been used. The agreement between the experimental and calculated coexistence curves for the star-shaped polystyrene (PS)-cyclohexane system has been improved: the difference between T_cs is ∼0.33 K against ∼12 K as given by the original model.     

Modeling the continuous melt transesterification of bisphenol-A and diphenyl carbonate in a continuous stirred tank reactor

A model of continuous melt transesterification of bisphenol-A and diphenyl carbonate in a continuous stirred tank reactor is developed using phase equilibria assumption and the method of molecular weight moments. The model equations can be simplified into a polynomial system that has 17 equations and 17 unknowns. Solution of the polynomial system gives out almost every aspects of the continuous transesterification process. Molecular weight and polydispersity index, end group ratio of hydroxyl to phenyl carbonate, contents of molecular species, and lost diphenyl carbonate fractions are studied in different operation parameters.     

不甩线圈的多星形移相变极

对于某些槽数和极数比的多星形移相变极电机,提出与前人不同的是在两种极数下均不甩去线圈的绕组方案,使绕组利用率高,且线圈及其联接都较简单.这种绕组方案在一种极数下并联支路略有不平衡,其所引起的电机定子铜耗的增加是极其有限的,不致影响电机的正常运行.     

多相物质粉末衍射的物相检索

讨论了多相物质粉末衍射的物相检索问题，介绍了XRDS的物相检索软件。这是一种智能型的物相检索程序，考虑了测试数据的不确定度，以及粉末样品和块状样品衍射图谱各自的特点，不仅注意到实际样品中微量物相存在的可能，也注意到块状样品结构有序性的可能。XRDS能够帮助材料工作者同时检出样品中所含的多种物相及其含量，操作简单、结果可靠。     

Shock-induced phase transitions of C70 fullerite

Shock-induced phase transitions of C₇₀ fullerite were studied at the pressure range up to 52 GPa with use of recovery assemblies of planar geometry. The starting material consists of two crystalline phases: phase with hexagonal close-packed (HCP) and phase with rhombohedral structure. We have found that C₇₀ fullerite undergoes a series of polymorphic phase transitions in conditions of step-like shock-wave compression. In the specimens, recovered from 9, 14 and 19 GPa, a dominant phase was fullerite C₇₀ with cubic structure. Also, some amount of C₇₀ with HCP structure was observed. The quantity of HCP phase was decreasing with increasing of intensity of shock loading. With further growth of shock pressure, destruction of C₇₀ molecules occurs. In the samples, recovered after shock loading, the main phase was graphite with a low degree of three-dimensional regularity.     

Quality assessment of SRTM C- and X-band interferometric data: Implications for the retrieval of vegetation canopy height

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission distinguished itself as the first near-global spaceborne mission to demonstrate direct sensitivity to vertical vegetation structure. Whether this sensitivity is viewed as exploitable signal or unwanted bias, a great deal of interest exists in retrieving vegetation canopy height information from the SRTM data. This study presents a comprehensive application-specific assessment of SRTM data quality, focusing on the characterization and mitigation of two primary sources of relative vertical error: uncompensated Shuttle mast motion and random phase noise. The assessment spans four test sites located in the upper Midwestern United States and examines the dependence of data quality on both frequency, i.e., C-band vs. X-band, and the number of acquired datatakes. The results indicate that the quality of SRTM data may be higher than previously thought. Novel mitigation strategies include a knowledge-based approach to sample averaging, which has the potential to reduce phase noise error by 43 to 80%. The strategies presented here are being implemented as part of an ongoing effort to produce regional- to continental-scale estimates of vegetation canopy height within the conterminous U.S.     

Equilibrium and crystallographic measurements of the binary tetrahydrofuran and helium clathrate hydrates

Clathrate compounds are crystalline materials formed by a physical interaction between host and relatively light guest molecules. Various types of nano-sized cages surrounded by host frameworks exist in the highly unique crystalline structures and free guest molecules are entrapped in an open host-guest network. Recently, we reported two peculiar phenomena, swapping and tuning, naturally occurring in the hydrate cages. Helium, one of the smallest light guest molecules, must be the challengeable material in the sense of physics and moreover possesses versatile applications in the field of superconductivity technology and thermonuclear industry. In this regard, we attempted for the first time to synthesize helium hydrates at moderate temperature and pressure conditions. According to inclusion phenomena, helium itself normally cannot form clathrate hydrates due to being too small molecularly without the help of hydrate former molecules (sI, sII, and sH formers). In this study, the hydrate equilibria of the binary clathrate hydrate containing tetrahydrofuran, helium, and water were determined at 2, 3, 5.56 THF mol%. Direct volumetric measurements were also carried out to confirm the exact amount of helium captured in the hydrate cages. Finally, the crystalline structure of the formed mixed hydrates was identified by powder X-ray diffraction, resulting in structure II.     

Studies on the dielectric and relaxor behavior of sol-gel derived barium strontium zirconate titanate thin films

The dielectric behavior of sol-gel derived Ba_0.80Sr_0.20(Zr_xTi_1−x)O₃ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.50) thin films is studied. A relaxor behavior is observed for x ≥ 0.35. The degree of relaxation increases with Zr content. The frequency dependence of the polar regions follows Vogel-Fulcher relation with a characteristic cooperative freezing at freezing temperature (T_f). Below T_f, a long range polarization ordering is likely to take place. The plausible mechanism of the relaxor behavior of BSZT thin films with Zr contents ≥ 0.35 has been proposed based on the measured temperature as well as frequency dependent dielectric data. The solid solution system is visualized as a mixture of Ti^+ 4 rich polar regions and Zr^+ 4 rich regions; with the increase in Zr content the volume fraction of the polar regions is progressively reduced. At and above 35.0 at.% Zr substitution the polar regions exhibit typical relaxor behavior.