Molten salt synthesis of α-Al2O3 platelets using NaAlO2 as raw material

α-Al₂O₃ platelets were prepared by a molten salt synthesis method when NaAlO₂ was used as raw material. The effects of the stirring rate during the gel preparation, heating temperature, type and addition amount of molten salts, addition of plate-like α-Al₂O₃ seeds, additives such as TiOSO₄ and Na₃PO₄·12H₂O on the morphology of α-Al₂O₃ were studied. High stirring rate during the gel preparation and high heating temperature not only help to restrain the overlapping of α-Al₂O₃ platelets, but also improve the size distribution. When the heating temperature increases to 1200 °C, most of α-Al₂O₃ platelets are hexagonal in its morphology, and the size of platelets becomes relatively uniform. When Na₂SO₄-K₂SO₄ flux is used instead of NaCl-KCl flux, it is easy to obtain α-Al₂O₃ platelets with a big size. When the molar ratio of salt to final Al₂O₃ powders increases to 4:1, most of α-Al₂O₃ platelets are hexagonal, and the overlapping of powders is inhibited. The addition of a small amount of plate-like seeds has a significant effect on the size of α-Al₂O₃ platelets. With the increase of seed amount, the diameter of α-Al₂O₃ platelets tends to decrease. The addition of 5.45 wt.% TiOSO₄ results in the formation of hexagonal α-Al₂O₃ platelets with an average diameter of 5.1 μm and an average thickness of 1.4 μm. Thin α-Al₂O₃ platelets with a discal shape are obtained owing to the co-addition of 0.51 wt.% Na₃PO₄·12H₂O and 3 wt.% TiOSO₄.     

用于珠光颜料的片状氧化铝制备

采用熔融盐法制备片状α-Al2O3,研究了硫酸盐、煅烧温度、添加剂(磷酸盐、二氧化钛)对片状α-Al2O3晶体形貌的影响。当氢氧化铝凝胶煅烧温度为900℃时,没加硫酸盐分解所得的氧化铝晶相为κ-Al2O3晶相,而加入硫酸盐的氧化铝晶相为α-Al2O3晶相,熔融盐降低了片状α-Al2O3的形成温度,促进κ-Al2O3向α-Al2O3晶型转变。煅烧温度由900℃上升到1200℃时,片状α-Al2O3的团聚程度降低,颗粒尺寸分布更加均匀。当煅烧温度在1200℃下、磷酸盐添加量为3%、二氧化钛添加量为2%时,所制得片状氧化铝分散均匀,径厚比较大,片状氧化铝平均粒径为5.225μm、厚度约400-500 nm。     

Enhancement of Ca3Co4O9 thermoelectric properties by Cr for Co substitution

Ca₃Co_4−xCr_xO₉ polycristalline thermoelectric ceramics with small amounts of Cr have been synthesized by the classical solid state method. Microstructural characterizations have shown that all the Cr has been incorporated into the Ca₃Co₄O₉ structure and no Cr-containing secondary phases have been produced for Cr contents≤0.05. Apparent density measurements have shown that all samples are very similar, with densities around 75% of the theoretical one. Electrical resistivity decreases and Seebeck coefficient slightly raises when Cr content increases until 0.05 Cr addition. The improvement in both parameters leads to higher power factor values than the usually obtained by conventional solid state routes.     

Mechanochemical-molten salt synthesis of α-Al2O3 platelets

The polyaluminium chloride (PACl) precursor was used for a simple and scaled-up mechanochemical-molten salt synthesis of α-Al₂O₃ platelets. PACl, as a low temperature α-Al₂O₃ precursor, was firstly mechanically activated by high-energy ball milling for 5 min, followed by a next 5 min ball milling in the presence of a NaCl–KCl salt mixture. The starting formation temperature of the α-Al₂O₃ phase was 600 °C. In the subsequent annealing in the temperature range of 660–1000 °C, the α-Al₂O₃ phase with a well developed plate-like morphology was obtained. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal analysis (DTA, TG) and solution ²⁷Al NMR spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and two-step sintering behavior of solution derived corundum abrasives with plate-like grains

Corundum abrasives with plate-like grains were fabricated by a two-step sintering technique using the solution-based process with the addition of the ternary compound additive Na₃AlF₆-CaO-SiO₂. The two-step sintering method showed obvious advantages over conventional sintering methods in promoting sample densification, suppressing grain growth, and homogenizing the microstructure of the corundum abrasives. The sample doped with 2.5?wt% Na₃AlF₆ and 4?wt% CaO + SiO₂ in the molar ratio of 1:1 possessed a relative density of 99.3%, average grain size of 0.54?µm, and single-particle compressive strength of 49?N. The introduction of seeds reduced the temperature of θ- to α-Al₂O₃ phase transformation. The relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the abrasives was also discussed.     

Dietary Virgin Olive Oil Reduces Oxidative Stress and Cellular Damage in Rat Brain Slices Subjected to Hypoxia–Reoxygenation

We investigated how virgin olive oil (VOO) affected platelet and hypoxic brain damage in rats. Rats were given VOO orally for 30 days at 0.25 or 0.5 mL kg⁻¹ per day (doses A and B, respectively). Platelet aggregation, thromboxane B₂, 6-keto-PGF_1α, and nitrites + nitrates were measured, and hypoxic damage was evaluated in a hypoxia–reoxygenation assay with fresh brain slices. Oxidative stress, prostaglandin E ₂, nitric oxide pathway activity and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were also measured. Dose A inhibited platelet aggregation by 36% and thromboxane B₂ by 19%; inhibition by dose B was 47 and 23%, respectively. Virgin olive oil inhibited the reoxygenation-induced increase in lipid peroxidation (57% in control rats vs. 2.5% (P < 0.05) in treated rats), and reduced the decrease in glutathione concentration from 67 to 24% (dose A) and 41% (dose B). Brain prostaglandin E ₂ after reoxygenation was 306% higher in control animals, but the increases in treated rats were only 53% (dose A) and 45% (dose B). The increases in nitric oxide production (213% in controls) and activity of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (175% in controls) were both smaller in animals given VOO (dose A 84%; dose B 12%). Lactate dehydrogenase activity was reduced by 17% (dose A) and 42% (dose B). In conclusion, VOO modified processes related to thrombogenesis and brain ischemia. It reduced oxidative stress and modulated the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase, diminishing platelet aggregation and protecting the brain from the effects of hypoxia–reoxygenation. This study was partially supported by a grant from the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain (AGL−04-7935-C03-02).     

Docosahexaenoic acid: Nutrient and precursor of bioactive lipids

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the end‐product of the n‐3 family fatty acid, is an abundant component in the brain phospholipids, and a major nutrient of marine lipids. It is accumulated in this compartment from the non‐esterified pool bound to blood plasma albumin. 1‐Lyso,2‐DHA‐glycerophosphocholine is another form, also bound to albumin, which appears even more efficient than non‐esterified DHA for its brain accretion. DHA, as a highly unsaturated fatty acid, may affect the cell redox status. As expected, it may promote lipid peroxidation at high concentrations, but most interestingly may prevent it at low concentrations. DHA is also a fairly good substrate of lipoxygenases, especially the n‐9 and n‐6 ones. Hydroxy derivatives, i.e., docosanoids, exhibit potent biological activities, which may explain part of the potential benefit of DHA in the brain and vascular bed.     

Thermal aging behavior of plasma sprayed LaMgAl11O19 thermal barrier coating

The crystallization behavior of the amorphous phase of the plasma sprayed LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ (LaMA) coating during thermal aging processes has been investigated. Results indicate that LaMA coating exhibits much similar microstructure and thermal properties such as close coefficient of thermal expansion and specific heat capacity etc. to the sintered LaMA bulk after aging at 1673 K for 20 h. On the other hand, a solid state reaction seems to occur to reform the ideal magnetoplumbite-type LaMA phase coupled with the formations of the La-rich aluminate intermediate phases. When the aging temperature is held between 1273 K and 1473 K, nanosized platelet-like grains as well as sub-grains with high aspect ratios are present. The phase stability has been investigated through the chemical compositions and X-ray diffraction analysis. The recrystallization mechanism of the amorphous LaMA coating has been explored by tracing the microstructure evolutions during thermal aging process.     

α-Fe2O3 nano-platelets prepared by mechanochemical/thermal processing

A new method to prepare plate-shaped Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles was investigated and their magnetic properties were characterised. First, Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles of ~ 6 nm in diameter were synthesised by mechanochemical processing, involving the solid-state exchange reaction Fe₂(SO₄)₃ + 3 Na₂CO₃ → Fe₂(CO₃)₃ + 3 Na₂SO₄ → Fe₂O₃ + 3 Na₂SO₄ +  3 CO₂ (g) effected by high-energy ball milling and subsequent heat treatment at 400 °C. Next, nano-platelets were grown from the nanoparticles by further heat treatment in a salt matrix at 700 °C. Removal of the salt and by-product phases after heat treatment led to well-dispersed platy haematite particles of 20-200 nm in diameter with aspect ratio of 4-10. The hematite nano-platelets were weakly ferromagnetic with coercivity of ~ 160 Oe and remanent magnetisation of 0.2 emu/g.     

~(60)Coγ射线照射对人血小板的影响

以不同剂量的~(60)Coγ射线照射富含血小板的血浆后,检测其代谢及释放产物的变化。~(60)Coγ射线照射剂量达5Gy时,血小板表面活化标记蛋白GMP-140分子的表达显著增多,且随剂量的增加而增高;但血小板膜糖蛋白Ⅰ_b和Ⅲ_a未见明显改变;当剂量为2.5Gy时血浆内血小板TXB_2的产生及释放就呈显著升高;γ射线剂量大于5Gy时,血浆内vWF的浓度显著升高。结果提示:~(60)Coγ射线照射剂量达5Gy后,可激活体外的血小板,导致后者代谢旺盛,内容物释放增多。