Tetragonal to monoclinic transformation and microstructural evolution in ZrO2–9.7 mol% MgO during cyclic heating and cooling

The tetragonal (t) to monoclinic (m) transformation behaviour and its relationship to microstructural evolution were investigated by means of dilatometry and transmission electron microscopy for ZrO2–9.7 mol% MgO during cyclic heating and cooling between room temperature and 1490 K. In the as-sintered specimens, fine oblate ellipsoidal t-phase precipitates, 20–50 nm in diameter and 100–200 nm long, were distributed in the cubic (c)-phase matrix. They were below a critical size for transformation and exhibited no transformation in the first three cycles. In the fourth and further cycles, transformation occurred in two distinct stages. A low-temperature stage appeared at 850–1000 K on heating and at 400–700 K on cooling, while a high-temperature stage appeared at 1350–1400 K on heating and at 1000–1200 K on cooling. With the increasing number of cycles, at first the size of low-temperature stages increased and then decreased above ten cycles accompanying the development of the high-temperature stage. During cyclic heating and cooling, coarsening of ellipsoidal precipitates and decomposition of c- and t-phases occurred. As a result of the decomposition, MgO particles and a new m-phase containing a very low concentration of MgO were produced. The coarsened ellipsoidal t-phase precipitates were responsible for the low-temperature stage. The new m- or t-phase containing very low MgO produced by the decomposition was responsible for the high-temperature stage.     

Analytical Electron Microscope Analysis of the Formation of BaO · 6Al2O3

The formation process of barium hexaaluminate (BaO 6Al₂O₃) from BaCO₃/γ-Al₂O₃ powders or hydrolyzed alkoxides was studied by analytical electron microscopy. Barium hexaaluminate is produced by a two-step solid-state reaction from BaCO₃ and Al₂O₃ via formation of BaO·Al₂O₃. Marked grain growth and inclusion of nonequilibrium phase were inevitable in this powder mixture process. However, in an alkoxide-derived precursor, homogeneous mixing of components is attained and hence the formation of BaO·6Al₂O₃ proceeds readily. Powders obtained by this latter route consisted of fine planar particles with a uniform size and retained a large surface area (20.2 m²/g) even after heating at 1300°C. Electron diffraction results implied that suppression of crystal growth along the c axis is the reason for the large surface area of BaO·6Al₂O₃.     

Magnetorefractive Effect for Co/Ru Multilayer Film with Antiferromagnetic Interlayer Exchange Coupling

The spin‐dependent scattering of conduction electron in metallic magnetic multilayers was investigated to reveal the optical properties which corresponded to the magnetization state. From the measurement of magnetorefractive effect in antiferro‐magnetically exchange coupled Co/Ru multilayers, it was found that (1) the transmittance varied around 1% at wavelength of 1550 nm during the parallel/antiparallel spin alignment changes, (2) as a result of number of repetition and Co thickness for the multilayers, transmittance difference between the parallel and antiparallel spin alignment states had trade‐off relationship with the magnitude of transmittance, and (3) asymmetric Co/Ru/Co stacking structure brought different interlayer exchange coupling fields in each layer, which resulted in magnetic field sensitive transmittance.     

Oxidation of CVD Si3N4 at 1550° to 1650°C

A thermo gravimetric study of the oxidation behavior of chemically vapor-deposited amorphous and crystalline Si₃N₄ (CVD Si₃N₄) was made in dry oxygen (0.1 MPa) at 1550° to 1650°C. The specimens were prepared under various deposition conditions using a mixture of SiCl₄, NH₃, and H₂ gases. The crystalline CVD Si₃N₄ indicated a parabolic oxidation kinetics over the whole temperature range, whereas the amorphous CVD Si₃N₄ changed from a parabolic to a linear law with increased temperature. The oxidation mechanism is discussed in terms of the activation energy for the oxidation and the microstructure of the formed oxide films.     

The minimal time control of multi-system problems with energy constrained inputs†

This paper presents an. application, of functional analysis to the minimal?time control problem where two or more energy constrained systems of the same order must be taken to an initially unknown common point in state space. Two different types of problems with different forms of the energy constraint are described in detail. The development depends on the fact that the reachable region of a system with an energy constraint on the input vector is an ellipsoid.     

Effect of Milling on the Intrinsic Coercivity of Barium Ferrite Powders

The effect of milling on the intrinsic coercive force of Ba ferrite powders has been ascribed to (1) thermal fluctuations caused by superparamagnetic fine particles and (2) lattice defects introduced by milling. To test these interpretations, the Moessbauer absorption spectra and angular variation of coercive force for ball-milled powders were determined. With increasing milling time, the Moessbauer absorption spectrum becomes ambiguous, and the absorption lines are broadened; the quadrupole-split center line corresponding to superparamagnetic BaFe₁₂O₁₉ cannot be detected. The angular variation of coercive force shows that milling considerably lowers either the nucleation field of the reverse domain or the effective anisotropy field or both. It is concluded that lattice defects, rather than superparamagnetic fine particles introduced by milling, greatly affect the intrinsic coercive force of Ba ferrite powders.     

Synthesis of minimum-time control functions with multiple constraints by functional analysis!

This paper presents the functional analysis and iterative procedure for the minimum-time control problem subject to energy and magnitude constraints on the control functions. The necessary change of Swiger's method is described to solve a multi-boundary problem and numerical results are presented for a linear control system.     

Frozen Carrots Texture and Pectic Compotients as Affected by Low-Temperature-Blanching and Quick Freezing

Carrots preheated for 2 hr at 60°C and then cooked became firmer than raw or cooked carrots. After preheating, the amount of high methoxyl pectin decreased, and low methoxyl pectin increased. Firmness of carrots decreased through freezing then thawing, but preheated carrots retained firmer texture than those blanched in boiling water. Quick-freezing resulted in better texture than slow-freezing. Loss in texture was accompanied by release of pectin. Slow-freezing accelerated release of pectin as compared to quick-freezing. Preheated carrots were slower in release of pectin. The degree of esterification of pectin substances in raw carrots decreased during preheating, freezing and thawing. Cell damage in quick frozen carrots was slight. Optimum preheating occurred with 30 min at 60°C or 5 min at 70°C. Preheating and then quick freezing were effective in improving texture of frozen carrots.     

Thermochromism in Reduced Phosphate Glasses

Coloring and bleaching of reduced phosphate glasses in the systems K₂O-B₂O_r Al₂O₃-P₂O₅ and K₂O-Al₂O₃-P₂O₅, containing no silver halide, were studied. The as-cast glasses, which are colorless and transparent, become tinged with red when they are reheated at high temperatures for long times. The bleached specimens (PTC-RP glass) are obtained by heating at >600°C, then quenching. The PTC-RP glasses exhibit coloring phenomena by irradiation of light or by heating above 200°C; the colored glasses are again bleached thermally. Coloring of the glasses by heating is described in this paper in terms of phase change within the colloidal phosphorus formed in the glasses. The apparent activation energy for the thermocoloring is estimated to be ∼15×10⁴ J/mol (35 kcal/mol).