Magnesium hydride (MgH2) is a prospective material for the storage of hydrogen in solid materials. It can also be envisaged for thermal energy storage applications since it has the potential to reversibly absorb hydrogen in large quantities, theoretically up to 7.6% by weight. Also, MgH2 is inexpensive, abundant, and environmentally friendly, but it operates at relatively high temperatures, and the kinetics of the hydrogenation process is slow. Mechanical milling and the addition of catalyst can alter the activation energy and the kinetic properties of the MgH2 phase. It is known that the addition of titanium hydride (TiH2) lowers the enthalpy and enhances the absorption of hydrogen from MgH2, titanium oxide (TiO2) enhances the desorption of hydrogen and niobium oxide (Nb2O5) enhances the absorption of hydrogen. In this work, the influences of the catalysts, as mentioned above on the properties of MgH2, were studied. The samples were analyzed in terms of crystal and microstructure as well as hydrogen storage properties using a pressure-composition isotherm (PCT)measurement. It has been found that the simultaneous addition of the three catalysts enhances the properties of MgH2, lowers the activation energy and operating temperature, increases the rate of intake and release of hydrogen, and provides the largest gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity.

In this work, a novel shape-stabilized phase change material, composed of n-octadecane, expanded graphite (EG), and sodium chloride (NaCl), was prepared by a convenient method. In the composite, EG was used as the matrix material and NaCl served as the nucleating agent. Effects of the additional amount of NaCl on the thermal properties of the composite were investigated by DSC and TG. The melting and crystallization enthalpies of the composite are −160.23 J/g and 162.80 J/g, respectively; the supercooling degree of the composite decreased to 3.77 °C when compared to 7.58 °C of the pure n-octadecane. Furthermore, the thermal cycling performances became better, and the thermal decomposition temperature improved to 150 °C. The composite exhibited high latent heat, low supercooling degree, good thermal cycling performance, and enhanced thermal stability, making it a potential material for the thermal energy storage application in the field of thermal regulation.

Two glass series in the ternary systems K2O-B2O3-SiO2 (KBS) and Na2O-B2O3-SiO2 (NBS) were studied in order to identify the main factors influencing the solubility of iodine. We established that iodine incorporation is strongly linked to the bulk chemistry, i.e. the SiO2/(B2O3+SiO2) molar ratio, and to the physical properties of the glasses, and we assessed three different solubility limits. Iodine in Si-rich glasses has a low solubility (≤1 mol% I) regardless of the alkali ion present. On the contrary, in B-rich glasses, the solubility is five times higher than in Si-rich glasses for Na-glasses, and more than six times higher for K-glasses. The strong dependence of iodine solubility on the bulk chemistry is related to the adaptability of the glass network. Furthermore, our data suggest that iodine is stable with different redox states in the glasses here analyzed.

In the safety assessment of a radioactive waste disposal, it is extremely important to assess the migration behavior of long-half-life radionuclides in the disposal environment. The migration behavior in the disposal environment for a radionuclide varies with the chemical form of the nuclide. In particular, C-14 has various chemical forms, and its migration behavior in the disposal environment substantially varies with the chemical forms. It has been reported that hardly soluble C-14 is generated in PWRs. However, the chemical form of this hardly soluble C-14 is little known. In this study, the thermal decomposition behavior of particles containing C-14 and the mass spectra of gases released through thermal decomposition were analyzed in order to examine the chemical form of C-14 generated in PWRs. In this study, the gases released during the thermogravimetric (TG) analysis were partially oxidized to CO2, trapped in an alkaline solution and analysed for C-14. Another part of the gas was analysed directly by mass spectrometry (MS). The residues obtained after TG analysis were also analysed for C-14 by oxidizing the residue to CO2, trapping the CO2 in alkaline solutions and analysing C-14 by LSC. During TG-analysis in inert gas (He) atmosphere, about 90% of C-14 was found in residue, while when air was used during TG-analysis, no C-14 could be detected in residue. From the MS-analysis of species released during TG-analysis in inert gas, fragments regarded as originating from ion-exchange resins were detected in released gases. Based on this result, it was found that while substances originating from ion-exchange resin were present in radioactive particles generated in a PWR, the main part of C-14 was contained in the residue after heating in the form of thermally stable substances, easy to be oxidized by air at high temperature. It was not possible to determine their exact chemical composition in this work but also, In addition, sorption of insoluble C-14 to cementitious materials was preliminarily examined. As a results, the concentration of insoluble C-14 decreased greatly in 7 days. That means insoluble C-14 tended not to stay in water. Elucidation of the sorption mechanism in the disposal environment of these C-14 is also a future task.

A congruent melting compound LiNaV2O6 has been synthesized by high-temperature solution reaction and it has been grown with sizes up to 11 × 6 × 2 mm3 by the top-seeded growth method for the first time. LiNaV2O6 crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group C2/c, with a = 10.184(2) Å, b = 9.067(2) Å, c = 5.8324(11) Å, β = 108.965(14)°. UV–Vis–NIR diffuse reflectance spectrum of LiNaV2O6 shows that it has a wide transmittance range from 385 to 2500 nm. The ab initio calculations show that the birefringence of LiNaV2O6 is 0.136 at 589.3 nm. Therefore, LiNaV2O6 may be a new birefringent material. Based on the analysis of the relationship between crystal structure and linear optical properties, it is found that the large birefringence is attributed to the particular arrangement of V–O anionic groups.

Solution-processed zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) obtained viahydrolysis/pyrolysis of an organic precursor present an excellent technique toobtain high performance electronic devices with low manufacturing cost. In thecurrent work, we propose the use of an alternative deposition method, based on apolymeric precursor route (known as Pechini), to obtain solution-processed ZnOcompact films as the active layer of TFTs. The elimination of the organic phaseand the formation of inorganic thin-films was carried out by thermal treatmentat different temperatures (ranging from 200°C to 500°C) and atdifferent times (from 5 min to 2 hours), being monitored by UV-vis and infrared(IR) optical absorption spectroscopy. It was observed that, for temperaturesabove 400°C and treatment times superior to 30 min, the organic phasewas completely eliminated, remaining only the inorganic (metal oxide) phase. Theoptical bandgap of the resulting ZnO films, determined from UV-vis absorption,is about 3.4 eV. The electrical characteristics (output and transfer curves) ofthe obtained devices demonstrate the feasibility of Pecchini method to buildsolution-processed metal oxide TFTs. The results for the electrical mobility ofthe majority charge-carriers (electrons) and for the threshold voltage were 0.39cm2.V-1.s-1 and 0.45 V, respectively.

The process and kinetics of carbide precipitation upon tempering of an Fe-10Cr-0.15C (wt.%) alloy fabricated from high-purity components has been studied. Differential scanning calorimetry reveals three exotherms in a temperature range of 100-700°C. Using advanced electron microscopy and Kissinger analysis, the exothermic processes have been interpreted. Cementite precipitated first upon tempering at temperatures as low as 200°C; M7C3 and M23C6 appear at higher temperatures, precipitating at approximately the same time but on different sites (M7C3 within grains and laths and M23C6 on grain and lath boundaries). Subsequently, the more stable M23C6 coarsens at the expense of M7C3, which dissolves. The first exotherm was interpreted as being related to the precipitation of cementite whilst the other two overlapping exotherms were interpreted as relating to the concurrent precipitation and coarsening of M7C3 and M23C6, respectively. In-situ SEM and TEM observation is being conducted in order to obtain a more precise understanding and further validate the interpretation of the DSC results.

We have been developing a collection of low-cost experiments for exploring the science of glassy materials through hands-on activities with sucrose based glass (a.k.a. hard candy). These form a mini-curriculum of glass science, consisting of inter-related experiments and home built apparatuses. It provides an environment to develop an understanding of glassy materials through active, prolonged engagement. Some of our earlier experiments were reported four years ago[1]. Since that report we have made substantial improvements and added new topics, including electrical and thermal conductivity, an improved DTA apparatus, and improved methodology for crystallization kinetics. All of our experiments are designed to be low-cost (typically <$100) and the apparatuses are designed for construction by students or teachers.

Ce3+ is known to show broad optical emission peaking in the green spectral range. For the stabilization of 3-valent cerium in ceramic phosphors such as calcium scandate CaSc2O4, often co-doping with sodium for charge compensation is performed (Na+, Ce3+ ↔ 2 Ca2+). At the melting point of CaSc2O4 (≈2110°C), however, alkaline oxides evaporate completely and co-doping is thus no option for crystal growth from the melt. It is shown that even without co-doping Ce3+:CaSc2O4 crystal fibers can be grown from the melt by laser-heated pedestal growth (LHPG) in a suitable reactive atmosphere. Reactive means here that the oxygen partial pressure is a function of temperature and pO2(T) rises for this atmosphere in such a way that Ce3+ is kept stable for all T. Crystal fibers with ≈1 mm diameter and ≤50 mm length were grown and characterized. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was performed in the pseudo-binary system CaO–Sc2O3, and the specific heat capacity cp(T) of CaSc2O4 was measured up to 1240 K by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Near and beyond the melting point of calcium scandate significant evaporation of calcium tends to shift the melt composition towards the Sc2O3 side. Measurements and thermodynamic calculations reveal quantitative data on the fugacities of evaporating species.

We observe the heat flux exchanged by the hot tip of a scanning thermal microscope, which is an instrument based on the atomic force microscope. We first vary the pressure in order to analyze the impact on the hot tip temperature. Then the distance between the tip and a cold sample is varied down to few nanometers, in order to reach the ballistic regime. We observe the cooling of the tip due to the tip-sample heat flux and compare it to the current models in the literature.

We synthesized viscous precursors to indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) using three kinds of alcoholamines, ethanolamine (EA), diethanolamine (DEA), and triethanolamine (TEA), by a simple process. The viscous precursors are obtained just by vigorous stirring of alcoholamine and urea in an aqueous solution containing the metal nitrates during heating at 150-160 °C. The precursor containing EA (EA-precursor) is a pale-orange suspension containing aggregates of the metal hydroxides and shows pseudoplastic flow. The precursors containing DEA (DEA-precursor) and TEA (TEA-precursor) are transparent pale-yellow and dark-orange sols, respectively. They give Newtonian flow in the lower shear rate and pseudoplastic flow in the higher shear rate. Higher concentration of metal salts leads to higher viscosity of the precursors. According to thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) for the EA- and DEA-precursors, evaporation of alcoholamine occurs at around each boiling point and subsequently formation of metal oxides occur at around 300 °C. In the case of the TEA-precursor, formation of metal oxides occurs before pyrolysis of TEA attributed to the higher boiling point of TEA. The thin IGZO film, which is prepared by spin-coating of the diluted DEA-precursor and subsequent sintering at 450 °C for 30 min, shows 0.02 cm2 ·V-1s-1 of the mobility and 10-5 of the on/off ratio. The highly viscous DEA-precursor containing high concentration of metal ions allows patterning in an area of 100 cm2 onto a surface of a silicon wafer with screen printing.

Effects of Ti and Si particle sizes on phase transformations of Ti–Si–Cu system were explored through differential thermal analysis (DTA), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). For Ti[15]Si[15]Cu[45] system, fine Ti easily dissolves into Si–Cu liquid to form Ti–Si–Cu liquid at ∼795 °C, which further participates into the reaction of β-Ti and Si to yield abundant quantity of Ti5Si3 at ∼917 °C. For Ti[150]Si[15]Cu[45] system, nonetheless, the reaction of coarse Ti with Si–Cu liquid involves more difficulty in forming the ternary liquid , which is the causal factor for the delay in the formation of Ti5Si3 to ∼948 °C. For Ti[15]Si[150]Cu[45] system, coarse Si results in the formation of insufficient Si–Cu liquid initially, whereas Ti–Cu liquid forms at ∼960 °C instead, which further reacts with coarse Si to form Ti–Si–Cu liquid, and then Ti5Si3is precipitated from the liquid.

Asphalt bitumens are complex colloidal systems of high viscosity and complex behavior, which are mainly used for making asphalt concrete for road surfaces. Thermal and rheological characterizations are needed to understand their complex behavior, particularly at the processing stage. Prediction of properties at short and long observation times is usually performed through time-temperature superposition (TTS) models, which make use of some calculated shift factors. The influence of crystallization-like transformation processes on the validity of these shift factors is investigated here by temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). Four asphalt emulsions are considered in this work, each one with a specific transformation behavior. The structure-properties relationships are explained on the basis of the transformation profiles and rheological data.

1,8-Diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene (DBU) was neutralized by a range of Brønsted acids with a wide variation in the ΔpKa values of their constituent acids and base. The salts exhibited properties characteristic of an ionic liquid, such as high thermal stability and liquidity near ambient temperature. Analyses of thermal behaviors and temperature dependencies of density, viscosity (η), and ionic conductivity were made to correlate the physicochemical properties with the ΔpKa value of the obtained protic ionic liquids (PILs). Differential thermal analyses (DTA) revealed that PILs with high ΔpKa values underwent thermal decomposition resembling their aprotic counterparts; however, PILs with a low ΔpKa exhibited the evaporation of neutral species progressively generated from the shifting of the equilibrium toward neutral components during the weight loss process. The ionicity of the PILs, determined from Walden plots utilizing density, conductivity, and viscosity data, was found to decrease as temperature increased, and this effect was more pronounced for low ΔpKa values, possibly because of the shifting of the equilibrium and the imbalance between strong hydrogen bonds and Coulombic interactions. Fragility, estimated from plots of log(η) versus the scaled temperature Tg/T was found to be lower for PILs than for DBU owing to neutralization. [DBU]-based PILs exhibit intermediate fragility in nature, but this fragility becomes more prominent for PILs with low ΔpKa values

In this study, the exothermic DSC peaks observed in rapidly-solidified Fe-44.9at.%Al ribbons and water-quenched Fe-48.5at.%Al single crystals were analyzed by Matusita’s method in order to discuss the kinetics of the agglomeration processes of supersaturated vacancies. Both the nucleation and morphological factors, n and m, respectively were approximately 3 for the rapidly solidified ribbons and were approximately 2 for the water-quenched single crystals. Based on the Matusita’s idea, the m values suggest the growth of 3-dimensional voids in the rapidly solidified ribbons and the growth of 2-dimensional dislocations loops in the single crystals due to the agglomeration of supersaturated vacancies. In addition, the n values suggest that the nuclei of voids and dislocation loops existed in as-quenched samples. These interpretations are in good agreement with the results of TEM observations.

Nanocomposites of polystyrene loaded with various amounts of anatase (ranging between 0 % wt. and 20 % wt.) have been synthesized and investigated by thermal analysis. The research was focused on the simulation of Thermogravimetric Analysis data, aiming to a refined understanding of the interactions between of polystyrene and TiO2 nanoparticles. The dependence of the first derivative of residual mass on temperature has been used to determine more accurately the temperature at which the mass loss is maxim. Several functions have been used to simulate the dependence of the first derivative of mass loss on the temperature of the sample. The highest correlation coefficient was obtained for the asymmetric Gaussian combination, which connects two halves of a Gaussian line with different linewidth. An increase of the thermal stability of the polymeric matrix upon loading with TiO2 is reported.

A thermodynamic study was carried out to resolve discrepancies in the enthalpy of formation and related parameters for lanthanum zirconate pyrochlore. The homogeneity field for single phase pyrochlore formation was determined to be ∼33–35 mol% La2O3 at 1500 °C. High-temperature oxide melt drop solution calorimetry was performed in sodium molybdate and lead borate solvents on three compositions ranging from La1.98Zr2.01O7 to La2.07Zr1.95O7. The enthalpy of formation from oxides at 25 °C, ΔH0f,ox, for stoichiometric lanthanum zirconate pyrochlore is −107.3 ± 5.1 kJ/mol, and the standard enthalpy of formation from elements, ΔH0f,el, is −4102.2 ± 6.0 kJ/mol. La2Zr2O7 pyrochlore was found by differential thermal analysis to be stable up to its melting point. The melting point and the fusion enthalpy of La2Zr2O7 pyrochlore were measured as 2295 ± 10 °C and ∼350 kJ/mol, respectively.

The ignition and reaction mechanisms of the thermal explosion reaction in the Ni-Ti-C system under air and Ar conditions were investigated. The reaction for the formation of TiC can be initiated at a low temperature under air. The ignition temperature under air is much lower than that under Ar. Under Ar, both the ignition and reaction mechanisms consist of dissolution, reaction, and precipitation. Under air, the ignition mechanism is confirmed to be the chemical oven mechanism, and the reaction mechanism is dissolution, reaction, and precipitation. The mechanism of gas transport plays a much more minor role in the ignition and reaction processes under air.

The ignition and reaction processes of the thermal explosion reaction from the Ti–B4C system in air were studied. The thermal explosion reaction for the formation of TiC and TiB2 can be initiated at a relatively low temperature with the incorporation of air. Generally, the ignition process in air is suggested to be a chemical oven rather than gas transport, and the reaction process is proposed to be dissolution and precipitation.

Nanometric-sized nitrogen-doped titanium oxide (TiO2-xNy) powders were synthesized by the two-microemulsion technology. The dried precursor precipitate was characterized by differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller, and x-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), and the mechanisms for the evolution of TiO2-xNy powders in this process were proposed and discussed in the context of the microstructure. It shows that a higher pH value solution results in obtaining a small size and much more homogeneous TiO2-xNy powder after calcinations. The powder prepared from a solution of pH 10–11 and calcined at 500 °C has a particle size of ∼4–6 nm with a specific surface area of 160 m2/g and exhibits a pure phase of anatase containing ∼5 mol% of N evidenced by XPS. However, the nanometric-sized TiO2-xNy powder shows the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue solution effectively by exposing the powders in aqueous solution under visible light.