In this work a hypothesis to explain the alkaline hydrolysis degradation process of calcium aluminate cement concrete (CACC) is presented. The hypothesis is based on x-ray diffraction (XRD) data of some samples taken from real Spanish CACC structures. The identification from XRD data of a hydrated alkaline aluminate could serve as a guide to differentiate both processes of normal carbonation and alkaline hydrolysis.

Specimens of two Al–Cu–Mg (2124) composites, reinforced with 20 vol% of either Si3N4 particulates or Si3N4 whiskers, were tested under experimental conditions close to those for optimum high strain rate superplasticity. Both composites developed extensive internal cavitation during testing, but quantitative measurements show that significant cavity growth occurs throughout the test in the whisker-reinforced composite, but only at strains ≥1.0 in the particulate-reinforced composite. This difference in behavior is attributed to differences in the extent of a discontinuous liquid phase at the grain boundaries and at the matrix/reinforcement interfaces. It is concluded that the presence of an extensive liquid phase in the particulate-reinforced composite is beneficial for attaining high ductility because it relieves the stress concentrations from grain boundary sliding and thereby limits the growth of cavities.

Thin diamond film coated WC-Co cutting tool inserts were produced using arc-jet and hot-filament chemical vapor deposition. The diamond films were characterized using SEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy to examine crystal structure, fracture mode, thickness, crystalline orientation, diamond quality, and residual stress. The performance of the tools was evaluated by comparing the wear resistance of the materials to brazed polycrystalline diamond-tipped cutting tool inserts (PCD) while machining A390 aluminum (18% silicon). Results from the experiments carried out in this study suggest that the wear resistance of the thin diamond films is primarily related to the grain boundary strength, crystal orientation, and the density of microdefects in the diamond film.

Two experimental techniques for the quantitative measurement of residual stress in thin polycrystalline diamond coatings have been developed. The x-ray low-incident-beam-angle-diffraction (LIBAD) allows one to measure the lattice strain with well-defined in-depth information, while micro-Raman spectroscopy permits one to accurately measure the frequencies of the zone-center optical phonons of diamond which are related to the lattice strain. The interpretation of the measured information in terms of residual stress is outlined for both techniques. The residual stress data obtained by either method in thin CVD diamond coatings were found to be in excellent agreement. The sign and magnitude of the balanced biaxial stress in the coating plane depend mainly on the substrate material used for the diamond deposition. Compressive stress was present in diamond coatings deposited on WC-Co substrates, whereas tensile stress was found in those on SiAlON substrates.

We have investigated the near-interface characterization of diamond films grown on Si(100) substrates by means of a hot-filament chemical-vapor-deposition (HFCVD) method using high-resolution-electron microscopy (HREM). Atomic scale study of the diamond/Si interface reveals that on the top of the amorphous intermediate layer, there exists a precursor phase which seems to be a diamond-like structure, which provides a suitable site for subsequent diamond nucleation. High density crystal defects directly originate from the precursor phase. HREM images also reveal that during the deposition Si recrystallizes in some damaged areas left by pretreatment, such as scratching grooves. In the recrystallization process twins and microtwins can be formed, and amorphous solid is left in the Si crystals.

The effects of secondary pretreatments on diamond nucleation were investigated for the Si substrates pretreated by the diamond abrasion. When the substrate was just abraded with diamond powder, the nucleation density of diamond was 7 × 108/cm2. However, the nucleation density was found to be greatly decreased by various secondary pretreatments except by one wet chemical etching method. The nucleation density was reduced to 3 × 107/cm2 by the chemical etching (I), to 7 × 106/cm2 by the H2 plasma etching, and to ∼104/cm2 by the Ar sputtering, or O2 plasma etching. It was very slightly reduced to 3 × 108/cm2 by the chemical etching (II). The effects of secondary pretreatments in reducing the nucleation density were found to be very closely related to the removal of diamond seeds rather than topographic sites or structural defects. Therefore, diamond seeds generated by the diamond abrasion are considered as the main nucleation sites of diamond.

PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 (PMN) prepared by organic solution of citrates was analyzed by the Rietveld method to determine the influence of seeds and dopants on the perovskite and pyrochlore phase formation. It was observed that pyrochlore phase formation increases with an increase in calcination time when no additives are included during the preparation. It was also observed that a greater amount of perovskite phase appeared in doped or seeded samples. The fraction of perovskite phase increased from 88 mol% in pure sample to ∼95 mol% in doped and seeded samples calcined at 800 °C for 1 h. It is clear that the addition of dopants or seeds during PMN preparation can enhance the formation of perovskite phase.

In this paper, a new set of experimental data, αVKTV, representing the partial temperature derivative of the work done by the thermal pressure of the solid, is fitted by n terms of a modified Einstein model. Experimental data show that αVKTV, not αVKT, approaches a constant value at high temperature. Based on the observed linear relationship of isothermal bulk modulus with temperature at high temperature, thermal expansion can be evaluated by fitting αVKTV data. Our previous results have shown that at low temperature or for materials with less variable bulk modulus and expansivity, thermal expansion data can be simply approximated by an n term Einstein model. More generally and for many materials, αVKTV data resemble an isochoric specific heat curve. With this method, thermal expansion can be predicted at high temperatures from low and intermediate temperature range data. With accurate thermal expansion data, high temperature bulk moduli can also be predicted.

Stoichiometric Ca2CuO3, having square-planar Cu-chains [C. L. Teske and H. Müller-Buschbaum, Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 379, 234 (1970); M. Hjorth and J. Hyldtoft, Acta Chem. Scand. 44, 516 (1990)], is expectedly antiferromagnetic due to 1D intrachain superexchange [K. Okuda, S. Noguchi, K. Konishi, H. Deguchi, and K. Takeda, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 104–107, 817 (1992)]. Nonetheless, we report remarkable spontaneous ferromagnetism at 293 K after sintering, prominently in oxygen. This apparently introduced excess oxygen at vacant quasioctahedral sites, promoting spin-flip and ferromagnetic interchain coupling. Thermogravimetry (TGA) revealed excess oxygen, ≈0.17 O/Cu. X-ray diffraction (XRD) yielded a comparatively smaller unit cell. Ferromagnetism disappeared by oxygen depletion, mimicking reported nonmagnetism of Ca2CuO3−δ [Okuda et al. (1992)]. Elemental analysis showed insignificant magnetic impurity traces. Tc ranged between 680 K and 723 K, depending on freshness and purity. Saturation magnetization varied with processing, optimally 0.30 A · m2/kg at 1.0 T applied field. Coercivity and remanence varied with purity.

The role of aluminum nitride (AlN) as a buffer layer on the nucleation and growth of diamond on silicon and steel substrates during hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD) has been investigated systematically. The scanning Auger electron microscopy (AES) is employed to study chemistry and content of carbon on the surface and in subsurface regions of AlN as a function of HF-CVD parameters. It is found that AlN offers an excellent diffusion barrier for carbon over a wide range of temperature and hydrocarbon content of CVD gas environment, with simultaneous inhibition of graphitization. It also facilitates nucleation of diamond phase. The surface reactions between AlN and carbon are discussed in terms of hydrogen-assisted phase transformations. We have developed a two-step procedure to obtain a continuous diamond film on steel substrates. The characteristic features of AlN have been exploited to obtain adherent and graphite-free diamond deposits on various types of steels, including low carbon steel, tool steel, high speed steel, and bearing steel.

The microstructure of a muscovite mica exposed to a rare gas ion beam has been studied by transmission electron microscopy. The investigation of damage without implantation was carried out using argon and helium ions of sufficient energy to traverse the 100–150 nm mica specimens. For 340 keV Ar++ irradiation, amorphization of mica occurred at a fluence as low as 3.5 × 1014 ions · cm−2, which corresponds to 0.29 dpa. Muscovite can be amorphized using 80 keV helium ions, but this requires a much higher fluence and damage production of 4.6 × 10−6 ions · cm−2 and 0.60 dpa, respectively. Since helium irradiation results principally in ionization energy loss, it indicates that amorphization of muscovite results mainly from nuclear interactions. Complete amorphization of muscovite mica is found to take place for all ions at approximately the same amount of nuclear energy transfer to energetic primary knock-on atoms, assuming a recoil energy greater than 500 eV. This suggests that amorphization occurs directly in dense displacement cascades. A significant amount of helium, 100 ppm, can be implanted into muscovite mica without destroying the crystal structure.

High-purity tungsten was prepared by the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process from a mixture of CaO · WO3 and Mg. The complete reduction of CaO · WO3 required a 33% excess of magnesium over the stoichiometric molar ratio Mg/CaO · WO3 of 3: 1. The MgO and CaO in the product were leached with an HCl solution. The product tungsten had a purity of 99.980% which was higher than that of the reactants. The high purity results because the nontungsten reactants and products are volatilized by the high temperatures generated during the rapid exothermic SHS reaction and are dissolved during HCl leaching of the product.

The structure and physical properties of sodium antimony germanate glasses with compositions 10Na2O − xSb2O3 − (90 − x)GeO2, x = 10−30 mol%, prepared by the melt-quenched route have been studied. It is observed from x-ray diffraction, SEM, density and oxygen molar volume, infrared (IR), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and optical absorption that single phase homogeneous glasses with a random network structure can be obtained in this system. The strength and connectivity of the glass network increase with GeO2 content. The main Ge−O stretching vibration also shifts to higher wavelength side. Two oxidation states of antimony, Sb3+ and Sb5+, are present, while the so-called “germanate anomaly” is absent in these glasses. This study discusses the probable structural reasons behind this type of behavior of these glasses.

The linear thermal expansion of the bulk amorphous Zr4.12Ti13.8Cu12 5Ni10Be22.5 (atomic percent) alloy has been measured from 80 K to 773 K. The data for T, Tg were fitted by a model based on the Grüneisen relation and a Debye expression for the heat capacity. From the fit, we deduced the Grüneisen parameter, g = 1.25, and the Debye temperature, QD = 400 K. Annealing the amorphous alloy at 663 K, which is between the glass transition temperature Tg = 623 K and the crystallization temperature Tx = 693 K, causes viscous flow in the sample. This is due to the small viscosity in the undercooled liquid.

A vacuum deposition method is presented in which copolymer films are grown from a vinylic monomer chosen for desirable properties and paraxylylene. The concentration of paraxylylene in the final copolymer can be negligibly small if proper deposition conditions, presented here for the first time, are employed. Films of paraxylylene with N-phenyl maleimide deposited at 40 °C, for example, showed thermal stability and FTIR spectra nearly identical with homopolymers of poly(N-phenyl maleimide). Different rate-limiting steps are proposed to explain film composition; paraxylylene is under surface reaction control, while the comonomer obeys mass flow control. This results in a deposition environment extremely rich in comonomer. Growth rates and compositions were consistent with predictions. The initiation reaction did not appear different from homopolymerization of paraxylylene. The general method presented here allows fabrication of vapor-deposited thin films with properties limited primarily by the comonomer employed.