KnbO3 is a ferroelectric material with a Curie temperature (TC) at 415°C, thus giving it the potential to be a material for high-temperature positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (PTCR) applications. In this study, we investigated the PTCR effect in donor-doped KnbO3 ceramics containing 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mol% PbO. The donor-doped KnbO3 ceramics exhibited a PTCR anomaly with a relatively low room-temperature resistivity. The temperature of the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition (TC) of the KnbO3 decreased with the amount of added PbO, while the orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transition (TOT) remained unchanged.

We report the extremely high and selective uptake of selenium oxyanions by a novel anion exchanger, Ni1-xZn2x(OH)2(OCOCH3)2xnH2O (0.15<x<0.25). The tested Ni–Zn basic salt (x=0.24) exhibited very high selectivity for Se(IV) [Kd = 9.0 × 104 cm3/g with an initial Se(IV) concentration of 1 × 10-4 M] in the presence of 0.1 M C1− solution. The uptake of Se(IV) on the Ni–Zn basic salt was irreversible when treated with solutions containing 1 N C1− 1N NO3− or 1 N PO43−This novel exchanger also showed high Kd (2.6 × 103 cm3/g) for Se(VI), and therefore it is expected to be useful for decontamination and removal of selenium oxyanions from contaminated water.

Aluminum samples were milled in a high-energy ball mill at times ranging from 10 to 500 min in stainless vial/media and nylon vial/media. The crystallite size of aluminum milled in the stainless steel setup reached a plateau at 25 nm around 100 min, whereas the crystallite size of aluminum milled in the nylon setup reached the same plateau at 500 min. Contamination studies were conducted using x-ray fluorescence, hydrogen–carbon–nitrogen analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Although organic contamination due to the nylon milling media was high at 12 wt% when milled for 500 min, it is shown that the contaminant could be easily removed by thermal treatment.

Mullite ceramics with controlled microstructure in terms of residual glassy phase and density were produced from diphasic silica/boehmite sols using pressure filtration, die-pressing, and extrusion techniques. The effect of the compaction process on the green and sintered densities and on the final mullite microstructure was investigated. It is shown that glassy-phase-free mullite with high green and sintered densities can be produced from engineered diphasic colloidal suspensions using pressure filtration. The results show that the green body formation technique strongly determines the final sintered density, but it has no effect on the final phase composition of diphasic sol-derived sintered mullites.

Nanocrystalline pure copper was obtained by cold rolling a commercial bulk Cu to very large extensions at subambient temperatures. The eventual formation of nanocrystalline grain structures is attributed to dynamic grain refinement (recrystallization) mechanisms activated by the low-temperature continuous plastic deformation that leads to ultrahigh densities of dislocations.

We demonstrate in this paper that common crystalline phases can be made noncrystalline and hard magnets can be converted to soft magnets in the solid state in several seconds at temperatures far below the melting points. New crystal structures and magnetic structures of ferromagnetic oxides (ferrites such as BaFe12O19, CoFe2O4, Fe3O4, and ZnFe2O4, etc.) are formed by reacting either the stoichiometric mixture of oxides or the preformed phase-pure crystalline material in a pure H field (or E field) at microwave (2.45 GHz) frequencies. These major changes in the magnetic properties as well as major structural phase changes are caused by the magnetic field.

Phase transformation about precipitation in a Cu–Zn alloy was studied. It was found that with an electropulsing treatment the number of nuclei during phase transformation could be dramatically enhanced and nucleation of precipitates was more homogeneous. The phenomena did not result from the effect of rapid heating or rapid cooling during electropulsing but resulted from the electric current itself. The results were in good agreement with the theoretical model that electric current can increase nucleation by decreasing the thermodynamic barrier during phase transformation.

A bulk metallic glass-forming Ti–Cu–Ni–Sn alloy with in situ formed composite microstructure prepared by both centrifugal and injection casting presents more than 6% plastic strain under compressive stress at room temperature. The in situ formed composite contains dendritic hexagonal-close-packed-Ti solid solution precipitates and a few Ti3Sn, β –(Cu, Sn) grains dispersed in a glassy matrix. The composite microstructure can avoid the development of the highly localized shear bands typical for the room-temperature deformation of monolithic glasses. Instead, highly developed shear bands with evident protuberance are observed, resulting in significant yielding and homogeneous plastic deformation over the entire sample.

In this article, we review recent advances in the understanding and analysis of damage initiation and evolution in laminate structures with brittle outerlayers and compliant sublayers in concentrated loading. The relevance of such damage to lifetime-limiting failures of engineering and biomechanical layer systems is emphasized. We describe the results of contact studies on monolayer, bilayer, trilayer, and multilayer test specimens that enable simple elucidation of fundamental damage mechanics and yet simulate essential function in a wide range of practical structures. Damage processes are observed using post mortem (“bonded-interface”) sectioning and direct in situ viewing during loading. The observations reveal a competition between damage modes in the brittle outerlayers—cone cracks or quasiplasticity at the top (near-contact) surfaces and laterally extending radial cracks at the lower surfaces. In metal or polymeric support layers, yield or viscoelasticity can become limiting factors. Analytical relations for the critical loads to initiate each damage mode are presented in terms of key system variables: geometrical (layer thickness and indenter radius); material (elastic modulus, strength and toughness of brittle components, hardness of deformable components). Such relations provide a sound physical basis for the design of brittle layer systems with optimal damage thresholds. Other elements of the damage process—damage evolution to failure, crack kinetics (and fatigue), flaw statistics, and complex (tangential) loading—are also considered.

CdTe:Zn:V crystals grown by the seeded Bridgman method in microgravity conditions during the STS95-Spacelab-AGHF-1 mission and in the ground laboratory (l-g) were analyzed and compared. The results obtained clearly show that the structural quality of the space crystal is better. Density of inclusions, concentration of dislocations, and presence of stresses are lower in the microgravity-grown (μ-g) crystal. The l-g crystal contains twins and grains from the beginning of the growth process, that is, from the near-seed region. In general, the concentration of inclusions and amount of segregated impurities on the l-g crystal are larger than in the μ-g crystal. X-ray rocking curves and low-temperature photoluminescence spectra demonstrate the relatively high quality of both crystals on a microscale at the beginning of the growth and show that the l-g conditions were worse at the end. The results of this investigation demonstrate a positive role of contactless growth and μ-g conditions in the melt in suppressing the creation of inclusions and dislocations.

Calcium aluminate scaffolds with controlled porosity were processed for bone-graft applications. Indirect fused deposition process was used to fabricate these structures. Phase analyses were done using x-ray diffraction technique on powdered samples of calcium aluminates at different compositions. Hg porosimetry was used to determine the pore sizes and the pore volumes present in these controlled porosity structures at different calcium aluminate compositions. Cylindrical samples were tested under uniaxial compressive loading as a function of composition and volume fraction porosity (VFP). Samples of 29% and 44% VFP (designed) with average pore size of 300 μm showed compressive strength between 2 and 24 MPa. Cytotoxicity and cell proliferation studies were conducted with a modified human osteoblast cell line (HOB). These materials showed good cell attachment and a steady cell growth behavior with HOB cells during the first three weeks of in vitro analyses.

The dependency of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) on the nonmagnetic matrix in nanogranular Co20(Cu1-xGex)80 ribbons was studied. When the matrix Cu is substituted with semiconductor Ge, the magnetoresistance transitioned from negative to positive at low temperatures. The positive GMR effect is closely related to the quantity of Co/Co3Ge2/Co junctionlike configurations. This result provides evidence for the competition between two types of electronic transport mechanisms in the magnetic granular ribbons: (i) electronic spin-dependent scattering, inducing a negative magnetoresistance and (ii) Coulomb blockade of the electronic tunneling, inducing a positive magnetoresistance.

For this paper, high-temperature interactions between a reactive silicate liquid and the (001) surface of a MgO single crystal were studied. The paper discusses the influence of the morphology of the MgO surface on both the dewetting of a silicate liquid and the mechanism of precipitation of excess MgO out of this silicate liquid. Alternative pathways were considered for MgO precipitation; it may occur by nucleation and growth of plateaus on the MgO surface or by MgO absorption at surface steps. On flat MgO(001) surfaces, precipitation of MgO from the continuous layer of silicate liquid led to the formation of plateaulike precipitates. Precipitation from disconnected silicate droplets onto stepped MgO(001) surfaces resulted in the growth of ridges at steps on the surface.

Results of a chemical vapor deposition crystal growth method intended to produce large amounts of InN needed for thermodynamic experiments are reported. Polycrystalline films of InN were grown by reaction of InCl3 and NH3 in a hot-wall silica reactor under nearly atmospheric pressure. Samples were analyzed using x-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. The decomposition of InN was studied in both thin film and powder form. InN films were investigated by isothermal heating under nitrogen and subsequent microscopic inspection. The removal of the nucleation barrier of forming the first liquid phase was emphasized. InN powder decomposition experiments involved two different customized thermogravimetric methods: (i) dynamic oscillation thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and (ii) isothermal stepping TGA for a higher resolution of the decomposition start. The decomposition start was found consistently at (773 ±5) K under 1 bar of nitrogen. Nevertheless, it is suggested that InN may be metastable even below room temperature based on Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermo chemistry-type thermodynamic analysis of all available phase equilibrium and thermodynamic data. This included the determination of the absolute entropy of InN, 31.6 ±3 J/mol-formula K, based on a Debye and Einstein analysis of the experimental data on the heat capacity. All calculations of pressure are corrected for the fugacity of nitrogen, which becomes crucial above 1000 bar. The contradictory literature data in the In–N system are discussed based on three different internally consistent thermodynamic analyses of the system that highlight the consequences of different choices made on the decomposition temperature of InN. Widely reproduced data in the literature are shown to produce thermodynamically impossible negative absolute entropy of InN. Complete P-T-x phase diagrams are given, which strongly suggest that solid InN is metastable under ambient conditions. To find out that InN crystals could be reproducibly superheated more than 500 K before they actually decompose comes as a surprise compared to other III-V systems, especially Ga–N.

Single-phase polycrystalline ceramics in the MO–La2O3–TiO2 (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) system, such as cation-deficient hexagonal perovskites CaLa4Ti4O15, SrLa4Ti4O15, BaLa4Ti4O15, and Ca2La4Ti5O18 and the orthorhombic phases CaLa4Ti5O17 and CaLa8Ti9O31, were prepared through the solid-state ceramic route. The phases and structure of the ceramics were analyzed through x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were studied using a network analyzer. The investigated ceramics show high εr in the range 42 to 54, high quality factors with Q ×f in the range 16,222 to 50,215 GHz, and low Tf in the range –25 to +6 ppm / °C. These high dielectric constant materials with high Q × f up to 50,215 GHz are suitable for applications where narrow bandwidth and extremely low insertion loss is necessary, especially at frequencies around 1.9 GHz.

A novel magnetic pair-making interaction between Mn and Ru shows a strong correlation between the magnetic ordering and electronic transport, which was well exemplified in the investigation of bulk polycrystalline samples of La0.7Pb0.3Mn1⊟xRuxO3 and La0.6Pb0.4Mn1⊟xRuxO3, where 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4. The metal-insulator transition (Tρ) complementing the Curie temperature (Tc) was observed up to 30% of Ru in La0.7Pb0.3Mn1⊟xRuxO3, and extended up to 40% of Ru in La0.6Pb0.4Mn1⊟xRuxO3, showing a unique double-exchange ferromagnetic exchange interaction between Mn and Ru ions. An upturn in resistance due to charge carrier localization at low temperatures (T<0.5 Tc) for more than 20% Ru doping was due to a dominant hole carrier density contribution rather than to grain boundary effects as inferred from the scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray studies of the samples sintered at 1200 and 1400 °C. The charge localization effect of the eg electrons was removed by tuning the hole carrier density as demonstrated in the La0.6Pb0.4Mn1⊟xRuxO3 samples. Long range correlations between magnetism and transport in this series was attributed to the presence of mixed valence Ru(IV/V) and Mn(III)/(IV) pair, which shows a unique double exchange mediated interaction.

Time-resolved x-ray diffraction measurements were carried out during and after the exposure of anhydrous boron oxide glass films to humid air. B(OH)3 crystals grew on the glass substrate with planar sheets of B(OH)3 molecules aligned parallel to the surface. After the space above the sample was evacuated, the crystal peaks began to disappear. During the decay, new crystals of orthoboric acid grew with the orientation of the B(OH)3 sheets perpendicular to the substrate. Then crystals with all orientations decayed completely, and an amorphous scattering pattern remained. The water acquired by the sample during the exposure eventually reacted with the anhydrous B2O3 glass to produce amorphous BO(3+y)/2Hy. The decay of the crystals took from one to several days, depending on the length of the exposure to humid air. Measurements of the metastable equilibrium phases in the B2O3–H2O binary system showed that at room temperature the amorphous phase could reach the composition BO1.85H0.7. At higher water concentrations this saturated amorphous phase coexisted with crystalline B(OH)3. This result is consistent with the instability of the crystalline B(OH)3 film in contact with anhydrous glass, and we present a thermodynamic model for this process. In the present case, amorphization is driven by the outdiffusion of water from a crystalline phase rather than interdiffusion in conventional solid-state amorphization.

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by polymer matrix templated synthesis. Synthetic ion-exchange resins were used as hosts for the coprecipitation of cobalt ferrite where the nanopores of the resin acted as the constrained environment. The weight fraction of the particles within the resin was roughly 16%. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that cobalt ferrite crystallites were about 1–7 nm in diameter. Magnetic properties measured using an alternating gradient magnetometer showed the particles (prepared using initial salt solution ratio of Fe3+:Co2+ of 1.5:1.0) were superparamagnetic with magnetization M (of the particle-resin system) in the range of 3.0 to 4.4 emu/g at 10 kOe of applied field. The least upper bound of the magnetic size was about 3 nm in diameter. Ratios of Fe3+ to Co2+ within the matrix of the resin before and after precipitation were investigated by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry and were found to be sensitive to the initial salt solution mixture. The ratio Fe3+:Co2+ of 1.5:1.0 was found to be a better mixture in terms of magnetization value. Spherical shape cobalt ferrite particles 2–8 nm in diameter were observed using transmission electron microscopy. The close agreement between the physical and crystallite size indicated that the particles are largely monocrystals.

Glass-ceramics containing ferroelectric CsLiB6O10 crystals were prepared by heat treating Cs2O–Li2O–B2O3 glasses. Second harmonic generation (SHG) was observed from samples prepared by two-step heat treatment (nucleation and growth); however, the intensity was rather weak. On the other hand, one-step heat treatment by the addition of a small amount of TiO2 to the glass resulted in the glass-ceramics containing small single crystal-like CsLiB6O10 particles. The strongest SHG observed was comparable with that of Y-cut quartz. The preferred orientation of precipitated CsLiB6O10 crystals was attributed to the occurrence of SHG from the glass-ceramics.

The dislocation configurations in SrTiO3 thin films grown epitaxially on LaAlO3 (100) substrates were studied by conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Misfit dislocations had, in most cases, a Burgers vector a〈100〉 and line directions of 〈100〉 These dislocations constitute orthogonal arrays of parallel dislocations at the interface, relieving the lattice mismatch between SrTiO3 and LaAlO3. Threading dislocations were found to be the major defects in the films. Two types of threading dislocations with the Burgers vectors a〈100〉?and a〈100〉?were identified. The relations of these threading dislocations with the misfit dislocations were investigated and are discussed in this paper.