The tendency of graphite-diamond transformation assisted by nonmetallic catalysts of carbonates, sulfates, or phosphorus under high pressure and high temperature has been investigated by calculating the activation energy and transformation probability of the carbon atoms over a potential barrier. It was found that the activation energy is highly sensitive to the catalyst chosen. The value of activation energy in the systems of graphite-carbonates, graphite-phosphorus, and graphite-sulfate are 130.71 × 103, 206.03 × 103, and 221 × 103 J/mol, respectively. If fd stands for the probability of the transformation from graphite to diamond, the probability sequence of graphite-diamond transformation in different systems was put forward: fd(gr.-carbonate) > fd(gr.-phosphorus). fd(gr.-sulfate).

Highly (200)-oriented Pt films on SiO2/Si substrates were successfully prepared by a combination of a dc magnetron sputtering using Ar/O2 gas mixtures and subsequent controlled annealing. The intensity ratio of (200) to (111) planes (I200/I111) was over 200. The (200)-oriented Pt microcrystallites were less susceptible to amorphization due to their lower strain energy with oxygen incorporation than (111)-oriented ones. The controlled grain growth from the selected (200)-oriented seed microcrystallites during subsequent annealing provided a kinetic pathway where grain growth of the seed microcrystallites was predominant, while suppressing the nucleation of surface energy-driven, (111)-oriented seed microcrystallites and subsequent (111) preferred orientation.

Deformation in metallic glasses is generally considered to arise from flow in localized shear bands, where adiabatic heating is thought to reduce glass viscosity. Evidence has been inferred from the veined fracture surfaces and molten droplets reported for metallic glasses. In this work, the detailed spatially resolved surface temperature increase and subsequent dissipation associated with crack tip plasticity in a Zr–Ti–Ni–Cu–Be bulk metallic glass is characterized for the first time. Maximum temperatures of up to 54.2 K were estimated from a heat conduction model and shown to be in excellent agreement with a nonhardening plasticity model for the heat generated by a propagating crack. Local cooling was also observed and shown to be consistent with thermoelastic effects.

We systematically studied the temperature and time dependence of phase formation of HgBa2Can−1CunO2(n+1)+δ [Hg-12(n − 1)n, n = 1, 2, 3, 4] superconductors by a single step firing method. All samples were synthesized from high-purity HgO, BaO, CaO, and CuO in a sealed quartz tube. The phase formation of Hg-12(n − 1)n was examined by both x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and dc susceptibility measurement. A single-phase HgBa2CuO4+δ (Hg-1201) was obtained in a relatively wide temperature range (600–850 °C), while single-phase HgBa2CaCu2O6+8 (Hg-1212) and HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ (Hg-1223) were obtained only in narrow temperature and time ranges for the synthesis. The optimum temperatures for Hg-1212 and Hg-1223 were found to be 665 and 710 °C, respectively, when the sintering time was fixed for about 50 h. The HgBa2Ca3Cu4O10+δ (Hg-1234) phase was obtained as a mixture with Hg-1223.

The chemical and microstructural evolution of particulate (Bi,Pb)2223 in contact with pure bulk silver at 830 to 905 °C under flowing air and Ar−5% O2 atmospheres has been studied. Specimens annealed under PO2 and temperature conditions for which the (Bi,Pb)2223 phase itself is stable, based on a critical assessment of the literature, revealed a silver/(Bi,Pb)2223 interface-limited reaction, producing both solid and liquid decomposition phases. The (Bi,Pb)2223 not in direct contact with silver exhibited no reaction under the same conditions. Solid silver dissolves into the (Bi,Pb)2223 incongruent liquid, facilitating the incongruent melting reaction. On cooling, equiaxed metallic silver particles precipitated uniformly throughout bulk specimens partially melted on a silver substrate.

We report on the fabrication and structural characterization of arrays of superconducting nanowires by electroplating lead into the nanopores of track-etched polymer membranes. The diameters of the lead nanowires range from 400 down to 70 nm, whereas their length is about 20 μm. Large enhancement of the critical field has been observed in good agreement with the Ginsburg–Landau–Silin theory. By comparing the predicted critical field enhancement for thin cylinders with experimental results, we have extracted the effective penetration depth. The dependence of the effective penetration depth and electron mean free path on the wire diameter is also discussed.

Large grain polycrystalline Si films were grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) onto TiB2 substrates using the SiCl4–H2 reagent system. A statistically designed processing study was used to correlate the film growth rate, crystallographic orientation, and grain size with deposition temperature, the SiCl4 : H2 ratio, and the level of B doping. Each process variable influenced grain size with temperature having the dominant effect. Grains as large as 15 to 20 μm were achieved for a coating thickness of about 50 μm.

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is used to reveal fine structures of amorphous silicon induced by Vickers indentation and its interface with unindented silicon matrix. Deformation microtwins at the interface and continuous transition from lattice structure of crystal into amorphous structure at the interface are observed. Within the amorphous silicon near the periphery of the indented region, there are many clusters characterized by distorted silicon lattice. A possible mechanism of lattice-distortion-induced amorphization at the periphery of indented silicon is suggested. All the indentations are performed at ambient temperature.

Polycrystalline silicon thin films (polysilicon) have been deposited on single crystalline silicon substrates, and square and rectangular windows have been etched into these substrates using standard micromachining techniques. Pressure-displacement curves of the resulting polysilicon membranes have been obtained for these geometries, and this data has been used to determine the elastic constants E and v. The microstructural features of the films have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction. The grains were observed to be columnar and were found to have a 〈011〉 out-of-plane texture and a random in-plane grain orientation. A probabilistic model of the texture has been used to calculate the bounds of the elastic constants in the thin films. The results obtained from bulge testing (E = 162 ± 4 GPa and v = 0.20 ± 0.03) fall in the wide range of values previously reported for polysilicon and are in good agreement with the microsample tensile measurements conducted on films deposited in the same run as the present study (168 ± 2 GPa and 0.22 ± 0.01) and the calculated values of the in-plane moduli for 〈1103〉 textured films (E = 163.0–165.5 GPa and v = 0.221–0.239).

Titanium dioxide thin films prepared with and without lithium and niobium were as follows: uniform, crack-free, and stoichiometric, amorphous as-deposited at 300 °C and below; polycrystalline anatase when deposited at 400 °C or annealed at 500−800 °C; and rutile when annealed at 900 °C. Films prepared around 200 °C were very porous, but the porosity decreased as the substrate temperature increased. Optical absorption spectra revealed an indirect bandgap of 3.0 eV for amorphous and anatase films, and a direct bandgap of the same value in rutile. Dark dc conductivity of undoped films was lower than 10−10 (Ω · cm)−1; Hall effect measurements indicated that effective electron mobility was below 1 cm2/(V · s). The presence of Nb and Li increased the conductivity by 2–3 orders of magnitude, similar to the effect of hydrogen annealing. Illumination increased the conductivity by several orders of magnitude, and the decay followed a multiexponential law extending into the 106 second range after irradiation was stopped. The electronic properties of the films were determined by oxygen-related surface states at grain boundaries. Samples containing Li exhibited considerable sensitivity to water vapor.

The best linear fit of Hc(T)/Ms(T) versus implies that Hc is determined by a nucleation process in nanocrystalline two-phase magnets. The condition of the grain shapes is improved after adding Hf and Ga, but the surfaces are deteriorated by some precipitates on the boundary. Taking into account the values of α, Neff, the results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Mössbauer spectroscopy, the magnetic field heat treatment not only induces grain refinement but also causes a uniform distribution of the soft and hard phases. Both the remanence and energy product values are increased by 20–30% for all ribbons after annealing with magnetic field. The magnetic interaction in Nd2Fe14B/Fe3B + αFe-based nanocrystalline two-phase magnets is studied using δM plots in this paper. It is found that the exchange-coupled interaction is greatly enhanced in the sample annealed with magnetic heat treatment, especially Nd4Fe76Co3Hf0.5Ga0.5B16, which achieves the highest energy product (BH)max = 15.8 MGOe.

High-temperature forging experiments have been carried out by axial compression testing on a Fe–41Al–2Cr alloy in order to determine the deformation systems operating under such high-speed, high-temperature conditions, and to examine the textures produced by such deformation and during subsequent annealing to recrystallize. Deformation is deduced to take place by the operation of 〈111〉 {110} and 〈111〉{112} slip systems at low temperatures and by 〈100〉{001} and 〈100〉{011} slip systems at high temperatures, with the formation of the expected strong 〈111〉 textures. The examination of the weak 〈100〉 texture component is critical to distinguishing the operating slip system. Both texture and dislocation analyses are consistent with the operation of these deformation systems. Recrystallization takes place extremely quickly at high temperatures (above 800 °C), that is within seconds after deformation and also dynamically during deformation itself. Recrystallization changes the texture such that 〈100〉 textures superimpose on the deformation texture. The flow stress peak observed during forging is found at a very high temperature. Possible origins of the peak are examined in terms of the operating slip systems.

The effect of solidification history on the resultant microstructure in atomized Al–2.56 wt% Fe and Al–6.0 wt% Fe powders was studied, with particular emphasis on droplet size, undercooling, and phase stability. The atomized Al–Fe powders exhibited four microstructural features, i.e., Al3Fe phase (now known as Al13Fe4), Al + Al6Fe, α–Al dendrite, and a predendritic microstructure. The presence of these phases was noted to depend on alloy composition and a kinetic phase competitive growth mechanism due to the initial undercooling experienced by the powders. The occurrence of structures of the predendritic, cellular, and/or dendritic type was properly predicted by the theory of dendrite growth into undercooled alloy melts for the case of large undercoolings.

The compatibility of 1.4914 martensitic steel and 316 L austenitic stainless steel has been studied in the presence of static liquid gallium. It was shown that the materials are severely attacked by the liquid metal. The corrosion is characterized by the formation of a reaction layer identified as FeGa3. Depending on the steel, the growth kinetics and the morphology of the layer are found to be different. In the case of 1.4914 steel, the growth law is linear, which implies an interface controlled regime. Moreover, the layer formed from an initially rectangular substrate exhibits a typical cruciform pattern. In the case of 316 L steel, a parabolic growth is found after a transient period, indicating a process mainly controlled by diffusion. Contrary to the martensitic steel, the morphology of the layer occurring during the solid-liquid interaction leads to complete coverage of the 316 L substrate, with rounded edges.

Wetting behavior of eutectic SnPb and pure Sn on Au(500 Å)/Cu(1 μm)/Cr(800 Å) layered thin films were monitored in situ in a ramping temperature profile using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a vacuum of 10−5–10−6 Torr. We found that the wetting behavior of these two solders in SEM was dramatically different from their behavior in RMA soldering flux; a smaller wetting angle and rough wetting front morphology were observed. Very surprisingly, no dewetting could be observed inside the SEM chamber, yet dewetting happened to the same sample when it was removed from the SEM and immersed in RMA soldering flux. We estimate the interfacial energy between liquid Sn and solid Cr and assume the reduction of surface and interfacial energies caused by possible oxidation of Cr and liquid Sn surface in the SEM in order to explain the above-mentioned wetting and dewetting behaviors.

Two intermetallic phases, R2Fe17 carbide and R2Fe14C, which are promising candidates for permanent magnets, are formed in the iron-rich R–Fe–C ternary alloy system (R = rare earths). Using x-ray diffraction and thermomagnetometry the phase formation, transformation, and thermodynamic relations between the two structures, prepared by high energy ball milling, are studied quantitatively for R = Sm. The results lead to a free energy diagram for the pseudobinary system of Sm2Fe17 and C. A maximum equilibrium carbon content, xc, has been established for the carbide Sm2Fe17Cx and its temperature dependence determined. Beyond the equilibrium concentration, Sm2Fe17Cx transforms into a mixture of Sm2Fe17Cxc, Sm2Fe14C, and α–Fe. Although not thermodynamically stable, Sm2Fe17Cx can still be formed through nonequilibrium processes by being kinetically favored over the stable phase(s). This feature is important for the production of Sm–Fe–C-based permanent magnets.

The structure and composition of passive films electrochemically formed on AISI 304 and 316L stainless steels in a chloride-containing solution have been studied by soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Soft x-ray absorption spectra were taken at the oxygen 1s edge and at the transition metals (Cr, Fe, Ni) 2p edges, making it possible to determine the main contributions to the passive film's composition. The soft x-ray absorption spectra at the Cr 2p edges indicate that in all cases the passive film is mainly formed by Cr2O3. Spectra at the Fe and Ni 2p edges exhibit no significant contribution of Ni and Fe oxides to the passive layer composition. However, differences in spectral shape with respect to metallic Ni and Fe suggest the presence of a small amount of hydroxides, which is maximum for the AISI 304 stainless steel polarized at the lowest scan rate. The spectra at the O 1s edges confirm the results obtained at the transition metal edges.

The reaction kinetics in vapor-deposited indium/amorphous-selenium (a-Se) multilayer thin films were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A number of reactions were observed upon heating with characteristic temperatures which were found to be independent of the multilayer modulation wavelength. The initial interface reaction between In and a-Se is the formation of an In2Se phase. Kinetic analyses of the In2Se formation process combined with TEM observations indicated that interface reaction is characterized by the two-dimensional growth of pre-existing In2Se regions formed during deposition to impingement in the plane of the original In/a-Se interface. The change of the density of In2Se grains with temperature was analyzed in terms of the derived kinetic parameters, which is consistent with TEM observations and the heat release measurements.

Powder metallurgy was used to fabricate fully dense, unreacted composites consisting of a copper matrix containing 50–60 vol% ZrW2O8 particles with negative thermal expansion. Upon cycling between 25 and 300 °C, the composites showed coefficients of thermal expansion varying rapidly with temperature and significantly larger than predicted from theory. The anomalously large expansion on heating and contraction on cooling are attributed to the volume change associated with the allotropic transformation of ZrW2O8 between its high-pressure γ-phase and its low-pressure α- or β-phases. Based on calorimetry and diffraction experiments and on simple stress estimations, this allotropic transformation is shown to result from the hydrostatic thermal stresses in the particles due to the thermal expansion mismatch between matrix and reinforcement.

Carbon fiber provides strain sensing through change in electrical resistance upon strain. Due to piezoresistivity of various origins, a single carbon fiber in epoxy, an epoxy-matrix composite with short carbon fibers (5.5 vol%), a cement-matrix composite with short carbon fibers (0.2–0.5 vol%), and an epoxy-matrix composite with continuous carbon fibers (58 vol%) are strain sensors with fractional change in resistance per unit strain up to 625. A single bare carbon fiber is not piezoresistive, but just resistive.