Pressure dependence of the electric conductance of aqueous solutions of LiCl,KCl and (CH3)4NCl. Correlation of kinetic parameters

The electrical conductivity and the compression of solutions of LiCl, KCl, and (CH₃)₄NCl have been measured as a function of pressure up to 2 kbar at the temperatures 25°, 35° and 45°C in the concentration range 0·1–1 molal. The results are discussed in terms of the transition state theory in relation to kinetic parameters for viscous flow and partial molal volume.     

An ultrastructural study of cryofractured myocardial cells with special attention to the relationship between mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum

A comparative study of various cryofracturing techniques has been conducted on the mammallian myocardial cell. Quench freezing of fresh or fixed tissue in melting Freon 22 resulted in severe cellular damage due to ice crystallization. Fixation with Karnovsky's fixative prior to quenching had no modifying effect on the size and distribution of the ice crystals. The crystals were orientated primarily in the direction of the long axis of the myofibrils, manifested as empty tube-like structures in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Regular cross-bridging often seen at the Z-band levels indicated that ice crystals, at least in some portions of the cells, were confined within the sarcomere. Within the same cell the size of the ice crystals could vary considerably. Treatment of the tissue with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) prior to rapid freezing had no noticeable cryoprotective effect. The surface of the thin layer of PVP surrounding the freeze dried tissue appeared amorphous in the SEM. However, the first evidence of ice crystallization was found a few micrometres under the surface. The freezing artefacts were completely circumvented if the cryofracturing was carried out on ethanol-impregnated or on critical point dried material. While the first method resulted in a smooth fracture plane passing through the cell structures, the intracellular fracture plane of the critical point dried material followed the surface of the cell organelles. Separation of the cell organelles caused by freezing or by critical point drying revealed thread-like structures extending from the mitochondrial surface. Re-examination of SEM-processed material in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that these structures were part of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and that a close contact between the SR and the outer mitochondrial membrane existed. TEM of conventional prepared material revealed that strands of electron-dense material, here named ‘mito-reticular junctional fibres’, bridged the narrow gap between the mitochondrial surface and the SR. It is suggested that these fibres have a specific anchoring function.     

Freezing patterns in quench frozen,freeze-dried polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)

An SEM investigation of the effects of freezing and freeze-drying on 2 mm diameter columns as well as on 10 mm diameter thick discs of PVP was carried out using standard techniques of quench freezing and cryofracturing followed by freeze-drying. Quench freezing in liquid Freon 12 or liquid propane led to patterns of ice formation that depended on the position in the sample, the orientation of the fracture plane observed relative to the geometry of the sample and the concentration of PVP. Vitrification did not occur. Quench freezing in liquid N₂ resulted in larger ice crystals and the pattern of the crystals was much less predictable.     

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of ZnO on in-situ grown GaN/4H-SiC buffer layers

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was used to grow ZnO(0001) layers on GaN(0001)/4H-SiC buffer layers deposited in the same growth chamber equipped with both N- and O-plasma sources. The GaN buffer layers were grown immediately before initiating the growth of ZnO. Using a substrate temperature of 440°C–445°C and an O₂ flow rate of 2.0–2.5 sccm, we obtained ZnO layers with smooth surfaces having a root-mean-square roughness of 0.3 nm and a peak-to-valley distance of 3 nm shown by AFM. The FWHM for X-ray rocking curves recorded across the ZnO(0002) and ZnO(101ˉ5) reflections were 200 and 950 arcsec, respectively. These values showed that the mosaicity (tilt and twist) of the ZnO film was comparable to corresponding values of the underlying GaN buffer. It was found that a substrate temperature >450°C and a high Zn-flux always resulted in a rough ZnO surface morphology. Reciprocal space maps showed that the in-plane relaxation of the GaN and ZnO layers was 82.3% and 73.0%, respectively and the relaxation occurred abruptly during the growth. Room-temperature Hall-effect measurements showed that the layers were intrinsically n-type with an electron concentration of 10¹⁹ cm^–3 and a Hall mobility of 50 cm²·V^–1·s^–1.     

Vacuum Evaporation of Pure Metals

Theories on the evaporation of pure substances are reviewed and applied to study vacuum evaporation of pure metals. It is shown that there is good agreement between different theories for weak evaporation, whereas there are differences under intensive evaporation conditions. For weak evaporation, the evaporation coefficient in Hertz-Knudsen equation is 1.66. Vapor velocity as a function of the pressure is calculated applying several theories. If a condensing surface is less than one collision length from the evaporating surface, the Hertz-Knudsen equation applies. For a case where the condensing surface is not close to the evaporating surface, a pressure criterion for intensive evaporation is introduced, called the effective vacuum pressure, p _eff. It is a fraction of the vapor pressure of the pure metal. The vacuum evaporation rate should not be affected by pressure changes below p _eff, so that in lower pressures below p _eff, the evaporation flux is constant and equal to a fraction of the maximum evaporation flux given by Hertz-Knudsen equation as 0.844 $ \dot{n}_{\hbox{Max} } $ . Experimental data on the evaporation of liquid and solid metals are included.     

Degradation of the adsorbent Tenax TA by nitrogen oxides,ozone, hydrogen peroxide,OH radical,and limonene oxidation products

The degradation of the adsorbent Tenax TA was studied qualitatively by sampling oxidants common in indoor air followed by thermal desorption and gas chromatography. A total of 25 degradation products were identified. Several degradation products not reported previously were identified: 9 for nitrogen dioxide; 11 for ozone; 2 for hydrogen peroxide; 12 for hydroxyl radical; 1 for ozone-limonene mixtures, but none for nitrogen oxide. Whereas ozone shows a complex degradation of the adsorbent, hydrogen peroxide and limonene--ozone mixtures show few products. Nitrogen dioxide and the hydroxyl radical behave almost identically and produce 2,6-diphenyl-p-benzoquinone as the major degradation product. Reactant specific degradation products were identified for ozone (11) and nitrogen dioxide (1).     

Model of Silicon Refining During Tapping: Removal of Ca,Al, and Other Selected Element Groups

A mathematical model for industrial refining of silicon alloys has been developed for the so-called oxidative ladle refining process. It is a lumped (zero-dimensional) model, based on the mass balances of metal, slag, and gas in the ladle, developed to operate with relatively short computational times for the sake of industrial relevance. The model accounts for a semi-continuous process which includes both the tapping and post-tapping refining stages. It predicts the concentrations of Ca, Al, and trace elements, most notably the alkaline metals, alkaline earth metal, and rare earth metals. The predictive power of the model depends on the quality of the model coefficients, the kinetic coefficient, τ, and the equilibrium partition coefficient, L for a given element. A sensitivity analysis indicates that the model results are most sensitive to L. The model has been compared to industrial measurement data and found to be able to qualitatively, and to some extent quantitatively, predict the data. The model is very well suited for alkaline and alkaline earth metals which respond relatively fast to the refining process. The model is less well suited for elements such as the lanthanides and Al, which are refined more slowly. A major challenge for the prediction of the behavior of the rare earth metals is that reliable thermodynamic data for true equilibrium conditions relevant to the industrial process is not typically available in literature.     

A Model of Foam Filters

Filtration with foam filters is reported as a successful method to remove inclusions from top-cut silicon scrap. Inclusions in top-cut silicon scrap are needle-like Si₃N₄ particles and round SiC inclusions. A high filtration efficiency of more than 99 pct for 30-ppi SiC filters is achieved. The inclusions that remain are mainly SiC particles smaller than 10 μm. Possibly these particles are primarily secondary inclusions. The filtration efficiency increases with decreasing filter pore size. The main factor that plays a role in deep-bed filtration seems to be interception. Various models are considered to estimate the removal efficiency of foam filters by this mechanism. Here, we propose a new model called “the branch” model. This model gives a high filtration efficiency and agrees the best with the experimental results.