Graphite Oxide and Aromatic Amines: Size Matters

Experimental and theoretical studies are performed in order to illuminate, for first time, the intercalation mechanism of polycyclic aromatic molecules into graphite oxide. Two representative molecules of this family, aniline and naphthalene amine are investigated. After intercalation, aniline molecules prefer to covalently connect to the graphene oxide matrix via chemical grafting, while napthalene amine molecules bind with the graphene oxide surface through π–π interactions. The presence of intercalated aromatic molecules between the graphene oxide layers is demonstrated by X‐ray diffraction, while the type of interaction between graphene oxide and polycyclic organic molecules is elucidated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical calculations describe the intercalation mechanism and the aniline grafting, rationalizing the experimental data. The present work opens new perspectives for the interaction of various aromatic molecules with graphite oxide and the so‐called “intercalation chemistry”.     

Massive transformation and absolute stability

Under carefully chosen conditions, solidification theory may be applied to solid-state transformations, and this has been done here for composition-invariant diffusion transformations. The predictions of the modeling are compared with isovelocity experiments in two iron systems, Fe-7.29 wt pct Cr and Fe-3.1 wt pct Ni. The ferrite to austenite phase transformation is used to demonstrate that stabilization of a planar transformation front at absolute stability is the natural lower velocity limit for a composition-invariant (massive) transformation. The results of the model, which includes nonequilibrium effects, clearly show that steady-state plane-front growth leading to composition invariance can be obtained at various temperatures depending on the growth velocity. In the lower velocity range, at the limit of absolute stability (of the order of 10 μm/s in the systems studied), the transformation interface moves under conditions of local equilibrium, and the temperature corresponds to the lower solvus temperature. At higher velocity (of the order of the interface diffusion rate, which in these systems is of the order of cm/s), the transformation is predicted to proceed at temperatures close to T ₀. At even higher rates, atom attachment kinetic undercooling will decrease the transformation temperature with respect to T ₀. In some cases, this temperature might even drop below the lower solvus. This article is based on a presentation made at the symposium entitled “The Mechanisms of the Massive Transformation,” a part of the Fall 2000 TMS Meeting held October 16–19, 2000, in St. Louis, Missouri, under the auspices of the ASM Phase Transformations Committee.     

Time and cost securing in complex large-scale projects

Meeting time and cost objectives in complex projects involves specific problems and risks. An attempt is made to analyse the components of total cost increase of a project caused by time delay. An outline is given as to how these considerations can be used to estimate cost increases in investors' decision situations as well as to ascertain fair contractual penalties and claims for compensation and for the evaluation of justified project acceleration costs.     

Online Calculation and Prediction of the Strip Temperature in a Hot Strip Finishing Mill

The paper deals with a physical model for the calculation of the strip temperature in a hot rolling mill. Beside the heat transfer from the strip to the environment in the different mill sections a sub‐model for the material properties of steel including phase transitions is introduced. For the application in a process automation system an online adaptation of the model to the current state of the mill is indispensable. The adaptation is explained in detail.     

The impact of agricultural management practices on nutrient losses to water: data on the effects of soil drainage characteristics.

Against the background of increasing nutrient concentrations in Irish water bodies, this study set out to gain information on the potential of agricultural grassland to lose nutrients to water. Overland flow, flow from artificial subsurface drains and stream flow were gauged and sampled during heavy rainfall events. Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), potassium (K), total ammonia (TA), and total oxidised nitrogen (TON) were measured in water samples. When the nutrient concentrations in water were examined in relation to the grassland management practices of the study catchments it emerged that soil P levels, the application of organic and inorganic fertilisers before heavy rainfall and the presence of grazing animals could all influence nutrient concentrations in surface and subsurface drainage water. Overall, the drainage characteristics of soil were found to have a considerable influence on the potential of land to lose nutrients to water.     

A Graphene Field-Effect Device

In this letter, a top-gated field-effect device (FED) manufactured from monolayer graphene is investigated. Except for graphene deposition, a conventional top-down CMOS-compatible process flow is applied. Carrier mobilities in graphene pseudo-MOS structures are compared to those obtained from the top-gated Graphene-FEDs. The extracted values exceed the universal mobility of silicon and silicon-on-insulator MOSFETs