Single Crystal Growth and Physical Property Characterization of Non-centrosymmetric Superconductor PbTaSe_2

We report on the single crystal growth and superconducting properties of PbTaSe2 with the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure. By using the chemicM vapor transport technique, centimeter-size single crystals are success- fully obtained. The measurement of temperature dependence of electricaJ resistivity p（T） in both normal and superconducting states indicates a quasi-two-dimensional electronic state in contrast to that of polycrystalline samples. Specific heat C（T） measurement reveals a bulk superconductivity with Tc ≈ 3.75K and a specific heat jump ratio of 1.42. All these results are in agreement with a moderately electron-phonon coupled, type-g Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor.

Preparation, Characterization and Luminescent Properties of MCM-41 Type Materials Impregnated with Rare Earth Complex

Hybrid materials incorporating Eu-(TTA)(3). 2H(2)O (7hereafter designated as Eu-TTA, with TTA: thenoyltrifluoroacetone) in unmodified or modified MCM-41 by 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES) were prepared by impregnation method. The obtained materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and luminescence spectra. All the hybrid samples exhibited the characteristic emission bands of EU3+ under UV light excitation at room temperature, and the excitation spectra showed significant blue-shifts compared to the pure rare-earth complex. Although the red emission intensity in the modified hybrid was almost the half of the red emission intensity in the pure Eu-TTA complex at room temperature, the hybrid showed a much higher thermal stability due to the shielding character of the MCM-41 host.

Characterization of Manmade and Recycled Cellulosic Fibers for Their Application in Building Materials

The aim of this study was to characterize two types of cellulosic fibers obtained from bleached wood pulp and unbleached recycled waste paper with different cellulose content(from 47.4 percent up to 82 percent),to compare and to analyze the potential use of the recycled fibers for building application,such as plastering mortar.Changes in the chemical composition,cellulose crystallinity and degree of polymerization of the fibers were found.The recycled fibers of lower quality showed heterogeneity in the fiber sizes(width and length),and they had greater surface roughness in comparison to high purity wood pulp samples.The high purity fibers(cellulose content>80.0 percent)had greater crystallinity and more homogeneous and smooth surfaces than the recycled fibers.The presence of calcite and kaolinite in all of the recycled cellulosic fibers samples was confirmed,whereas only one wood pulp sample contained calcite.The influence of the chemical composition was reflected in the fiber density values.Changes in the chemical composition and cellulose structure of the fibers affected the specific surface area,porosity and thermo physical properties of the fibers.More favorable values of thermal conductivity were reached for the recycled fibers than for the wood pulp samples.Testing the suitability of the recycled fibers with inorganic impurities originating from the paper-making processes for their use as fillers in plastering mortars(0.5 wt.%fiber content of the total weight of the filler and binder)confirmed their application by achieving a compressive strength value of 28 day-cured fiber-cement mortar required by the standard as well as by measured more favorable value of capillary water absorption coefficient.

Synthesis Characterization Non-isothermal Kinetics of the Thermal Decomposition and Redox Properties Derived from Copper(Ⅱ) Binuclear Coordination Compound of 1,4-Bis-(1'-Phenyl-3'-Methyl-5'-Pyrazolone-4')-1,4-Butanedione

The paper reports the synthetic procedure and character of Copper(II) binuclearcoordination compound of 1,4-bis-(1'-phenyl-3'-methyl-5'-pyrazolone Thenon-isothermal kinetics of thermal decomposition of the complex has been stUdied from the TG-DTGcurves by means of the Achar et al. and Coats-Redfern methods,the most probab1e kinetic equation canbe expressed as dofdtrAe -E / RT * l /(2Q).The corresponding kinetic compensation effect expressions arefound to be lnuA=0. 1794E+0. 1689.The non-isothermal thermal decomposition process of the complex isone-dimensional diffusion.But electrochemical studies of the complex(Cu2L'2)from cyclic voltamrnetriccurves by means of powder microelectrodes technique'',shows one two-electron irreversible process.

Synthesis of γ-Al_2O_3 nanoparticles by chemical precipitation method

Highly pure active γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized from aluminum nitrate and ammonium carbonate with a little surfactant by chemical precipitation method. The factors affecting the synthesis process were studied. The properties of γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles were characterized by DTA, XRD, BET, TEM, laser granularity analysis and impurity content analysis. The results show that the amorphous precursor AI（OH）3 sols are produced by using 0.1 mol/L Al（NO3）3·9H2O and 0.16 mol/L （NH4）2CO3·H2O reaction solutions, according to the volume ratio 1.33, adding 0.024%（volume fraction） surfactant PEG600, and reacting at 40℃, 1000 r/min stirring rate for 15min. Then, after stabilizing for 24 h, the precursors were extracted and filtrated by vacuum, washed thoroughly with deionized water and dehydrated ethanol, dried in vacuum at 80℃ for 8h, final calcined at 800℃ for 1h in the air, and high purity active γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles can be prepared with cubic in crystal system, OH^7-FD3M in space group, about 9 nm in crystal grain size, about 20 nm in particle size and uniform size distribution, 131.35 m^2/g in BET specific surface area, 7 - 11 nm in pore diameter, and not lower than 99.93% in purity.

Material microstructures analyzed by using gray level Co-occurrence matrices

The mechanical properties of materials greatly depend on the microstructure morphology. The quantitative characterization of material microstructures is essential for the performance prediction and hence the material design. At present,the quantitative characterization methods mainly rely on the microstructure characterization of shape, size, distribution,and volume fraction, which related to the mechanical properties. These traditional methods have been applied for several decades and the subjectivity of human factors induces unavoidable errors. In this paper, we try to bypass the traditional operations and identify the relationship between the microstructures and the material properties by the texture of image itself directly. The statistical approach is based on gray level Co-occurrence matrix（GLCM）, allowing an objective and repeatable study on material microstructures. We first present how to identify GLCM with the optimal parameters, and then apply the method on three systems with different microstructures. The results show that GLCM can reveal the interface information and microstructures complexity with less human impact. Naturally, there is a good correlation between GLCM and the mechanical properties.

Cost-effective integrated strategy for the fabrication of hard-magnet barium hexaferrite powders from low-grade barite ore

Ultrafine barium hexaferrite（BaFe12O19） powders were synthesized from the metallurgical extracts of low-grade Egyptian barite ore via a co-precipitation route. Hydrometallurgical treatment of barite ore was systematically studied to achieve the maximum dissolution efficiency of Fe（～99.7%） under the optimum conditions. The hexaferrite precursors were obtained by the co-precipitation of BaS produced by the reduction of barite ore with carbon at 1273 K and then dissolved in diluted HCl and FeCl3 solution at pH 10 using NaOH as a base; the product was then annealed at 1273 K in an open atmosphere. The effect of Fe^3＋/Ba^2＋ molar ratio and the addition of hydrogen peroxide（H2O2） on the phase structure, crystallite size, morphology, and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. Single-phase BaFe（12）O（19） powder was obtained at an Fe^3＋/Ba^2＋ molar ratio of 8.00. The formed powders exhibited a hexagonal platelet-like structure. Good maximum magnetization（48.3 A×m^2×kg^–1） was achieved in the material prepared at an Fe^3＋/Ba^2＋ molar ratio of 8.0 in the presence of 5% H2O2 as an oxidizer and at 1273 K because of the formation of a uniform, hexagonal-shaped structure.

Rapid characterization of the binding property of HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain by validation screening of PDZ ligand library

HtrA2/Omi is a mammalian mitochondrial serine protease, and was found to have dual roles in mam- malian cells, not only acting as an apoptosis-inducing protein but also maintaining mitochondrial ho- meostasis. PDZ domain is one of the most important protein-protein interaction modules and is in- volved in a variety of important cellular functions, such as signal transduction, degradation of proteins, and formation of cytoskeleton. Recently, it was reported that the PDZ domain of HtrA2/Omi might regulate proteolytic activity through its interactions with ligand proteins. In this study, we rapidly characterized the binding properties of HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain by validation screening of the PDZ ligand library with yeast two-hybrid approach. Then, we predicted its novel ligand proteins in human proteome and reconfirmed them in the yeast two-hybrid system. Finally, we analyzed the smallest networks bordered by the shortest path length between the protein pairs of novel interactions to evaluate the confidence of the identified interactions. The results revealed some novel binding proper- ties of HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain. Besides the reported Class II PDZ motif, it also binds to Class I and Class III motifs, and exhibits restricted variability at P?3, which means that the P?3 residue is selected according to the composition of the last three residues. Seven novel ligand proteins of HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain were discovered, providing significant clues for further clarifying the roles of HtrA2/Omi. Moreover, this study proves the high efficiency and practicability of the newly developed validation screening of candidate ligand library method for binding property characterization of peptide-binding domains.

Precise in-situ characterization and cross-validation of the electromagnetic properties of a switched reluctance motor

The electrical-magnetic characteristics of a Switched Reluctance Motor(SRM)exhibit highly nonlinear relationshipwith respect to the rotor position and excitation current,which poses challenges for both precise static measurements and exact calculation of these properties in real-time control.To guarantee that an in-lab test result can be used in the application,firstly a measurementmethod is proposed to characterize the SRM's electromagnetic properties such as the flux linkage,magnetic co-energy,phase inductance and electromagnetic torque on the basis of an installed SRM control circuitry and half-bridge power converter.By this means the characterization process is equivalent to the online observation in its results.Secondly,a theoreticalmodel is built to discriminate the physical meaning between the incremental inductance and the phase inductance,which is the origin of other relevant parameters.This helps to guide the correct utilization of the characterization result.Thirdly an in-situ cross-validation experimentation according to the magnetizing and demagnetizing status measurement verifies the feasibilities and accuracy of the proposed inductance measuring method,which avoid a dubious FEM-based comparison between the numerical calculation and experimental results.Cross-validation experiment shows that the proposed in-situ characterization scheme obtains an accurate full-range electromagnetic properties.The proposed methodology breaks the barrier between the in-lab measurement and on-line utilization of the SRM parameters,highlighting the merits that it completely includes the in-situ factors and replicates the operational scenario without the need of specifically designed instrumentation,which is especially suitable for rapid field characterization for high power motors.

Characterization of Birefringence and Dispersion Properties in an Arrayed Waveguide Grating

We have characterized polarization dependent loss(PDL), differential group delay(DGD), and chromatic dispersion of an AWG and a simple method was proposed to estimate the chromatic dispersion from the measured DGD of the device.

Synthesis, Characterization and Corrosion Inhibitive Properties of New Thiazole Based Polyamides Containing Diarylidenecyclohexanone Moiety

The present work aimed to synthesize a new interesting series of thiazole based polyamides containing diarylidenecyclohexanone moiety 5a-5f using low temperature solution polycondensation technique. The new polymers were synthesized by the reaction of thiazole based monomer namely, bis（2-aminothiazol-4-ylbenzylidene）cyclohexanone 3 with different aliphatic and aromatic diacid chlorides using NMP, and in the presence of anhydrous Li Cl as catalyst. Adipoyl, sebacoyl, oxaloyl, terephthaloyl, isophthaloyl dichlorides and biphenyl dicarbonyl dichloride were used as diacid chlorides. The structure of the model compound 4 as well as the new polymers was confirmed by correct elemental and spectral analyses. The thermal properties of those polymers were evaluated by TGA and DTG measurements and correlated to their structural units, beside X-ray diffraction analysis, solubility and viscometry measurements. The inherent viscosities for the synthesized polymers were in the range 0.6–1.03 d L/g. On the other hand the corrosion inhibitive properties of monomer 3 as well as polyamides 5d and 5f as selected examples were carried out on carbon-steel in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 at 40 °C. The calculated inhibition efficiency（IE%） for polymer 5d was in the range（82 ± 6）% in all selected concentrations. The best value of IE% was obtained at 1 mg/L to reach 98.24% for polymer 5d and at 0.5 mg/L to reach 87.75% for polymer 5f.

Microstructural Characterization and Mechanical Properties of VB_2/A390 Composite Alloy

In this work, we make the best use of the vanadium element; a series of A1-V-B alloys and VB2/A390 composite alloys were fabricated. For Ak-10V-6B alloy, the grain size of VB2 can be controlled within about 1 μm and is distributed uniformly in the AI matrix. Further, it can be found that VB2 promises to be a useful reinforcement particle for piston alloy. The addition of VB2 can improve the mechanical properties of the A390 composite alloys significantly. The results show that with 1 % VB2 addition, A390 composite alloy exhibits the best performance. Compared with the A390 alloy, the coefficient of thermal expansion is 13.2 × 10^-6 K-1, which decreased by 12.6%; the average Brinell hardness can reach 156.5 HB, wear weight loss decreased by 28.9% and ultimate tensile strength at 25℃ （UTS25 ℃） can reach 355 MPa, which increased by 36.5%.

ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND MEDICAL PROPERTIES OF ANTICOMPLEMENT AGENTS FROM TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINES

The inappropriate activation of complement system may cause some life-threatening symptoms such as rheumatoid arthritis,systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)and acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).In our efforts to obtain natural anticomplement agents from traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)for prevention and treatment of the complement-associated diseases。

Research and application of Ti-Mn-based hydrogen storage alloys

Ti–Mn-based hydrogen storage alloys are considered to be one of the most promising hydrogen storage alloys for proton exchange membrane fuel cell applications,because of their good hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics,low price,good activation performance,possession of high electrochemical capacity,and good cycling performance.The structure,performance characteristics,crystal structure of hydrides,development and application status of Ti–Mn-based hydrogen storage alloys were reviewed,and the methods to improve Ti–Mn-based hydrogen storage alloys were discussed:optimization of the preparation process,element substitution,and surface treatment.(1)In the study of the alloy preparation process,it was found that the use of the annealing process can significantly improve the high rate discharge performance,and cycling stability performance,increasing the maximum discharge capacity of the alloy electrode.In addition,using vacuum plasma spraying to prepare the electrode has better cycling stability and kinetic performance.(2)In element substitution,the effects of using Zr elements to partially replace Ti and Mn with Cr,V,Mo,and Fe on the hydrogen storage properties of Ti–Mn-based alloys were investigated.(3)In the study of surface treatment,palladium was plated on the surface of TiMn_(1.5) alloy by chemical deposition,and the strong affinity of palladium for hydrogen accelerated the cleavage of hydrogen molecules,which significantly improved the hydrogen absorption kinetics of TiMn_(1.5) alloy.Meanwhile,a new binary alloy system was formed by adding TiMn_(2) to MgH_(2),and it was shown that the addition of TiMn_(2) significantly improved the hydrogen absorption/desorption kinetics of the MgH_(2) alloy.Finally,the prospect of the application of Ti–Mn-based hydrogen storage alloys is presented,and the insight of further development of the alloy is offered.

Synthesis and Characterization of Neodymium and Ytterbium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Nano-powder

Nd/Yb-co-doped YAG transparent ceramic nano-powder was prepared by a sol-gel combustion method.The structure,morphology and properties were characterized by thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis,X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,infrared spectroscopy,absorption analysis and fluorescence spectroscopy,respectively.The results show that the mass loss of the powder calcinated at 900 ℃ for 3 h is 49.56%.A well-crystallized Nd/Yb:YAG nano-powder with the superior sintering performance and high purity is obtained,and the morphology of the particles with the average diameter in the range of 60-100 runs appears regular.The nano-powder exhibits an intense absorption at 808 nm,corresponding to the 4I/9/2-4F7/2 transition of Nd^(^(3+) ions,which is suitable to absorb the wavelength of 808 nm from a laser diode source.The emission peak at 1046 nm of the Nd/Yb:YAG powder is more intense than that of Nd^(^(3+):YAG powder.It is indicated that the energy absorbed by Yb^(^(3+) ions from the laser diode source can be transmitted to Nd^(^(3+) ions based on the cross relaxation process of[(4F3/2)Nd,(2F7/2)Yb]-[(479/2)Nd,(2F5/2)Yb].

Flow properties of fine powders in powder coating

Three types of nanoparticles and their combinations were blended into a fine powder, which has been used in the powder coating industry. To study their effects on flow properties, the modified powder samples were characterized using a variety of techniques that tested the powder under different powder states ranging from dynamic to static. It was found that all three nanoparticles improved the flow properties of the powder to some degree, though the amounts of the nanoparticles needed were different depending on their physical properties. Secondly, inconsistency among these powder characterization techniques was also found. This is attributed to the different states of the powder samples during a measurement including dynamic, dynamic-static and static states. It was confirmed that characterization techniques which test the flow properties of a powder under all three states are needed to fully describe the flow properties of the powder. Finally, the effects of combinations of nanoparticles were explored, and it was found that combinations of nanoparticles can intensify, weaken or combine the effects of their component nanoparticles. The effects of nanoparticle combinations are not a simple summation of the effects of their comnonent nanoparticles.

Formation mechanism of multi-functional black silicon based on optimized deep reactive ion etching technique with SF_6/C_4F_8

This paper reports a controllable multi-functional black silicon surface with nanocone-forest structures fabricated by an optimized deep reactive ion etching(DRIE)technique using SF6/C4F8 in cyclic etching-passivation process,which is maskless,effective and controllable.The process conditions are investigated by systematically comparative experiments and core parameters have been figured out,including etching process parameters,pre-treatment,patterned silicon etching and inclined surface etching.Based on the experimental data,the formation mechanism of nanocone shape is developed,which provides a novel view for in-depth understanding of abnormal phenomena observed in the experiments under different process situations.After the optimization of the process parameters,the black silicon surfaces exhibit superhydrophobicity with tunable reflectance.Additionally,the quantitative relationship between nanocones aspect ratio and surface reflectance and static contact angle is obtained,which demonstrates that black silicon surfaces with unique functional properties(i.e.,cross-combination of reflectance and wettability)can be achieved by controlling the morphology of nanostructures.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Galvanized Steel/AA6061 Joints by Laser Fusion Brazing Welding

Laser fusion brazing welding was proposed.Galvanized steel/AA6061 lapped joint was obtained by laser fusion brazing welding technique using the laser-induced aluminium molten pool spreading and wetting the solid steel surface.Wide joint interface was formed using the rectangular laser beam coupled with the synchronous powder feeding.The result showed that the tiny structure with the composition of a-Al and Al–Si eutectic was formed in the weld close to the Al side.And close to the steel side,a layer of compact Fe–Al–Si intermetallics,including the Al-rich FeAl3,Fe2Al5 phases and Al–Fe–Si s1 phase,was generated with the thickness of about 10–20 lm.Transverse tensile shows the brittlefractured characteristic along to the seam/steel interface with the maximum yield strength of 152.5 MPa due to the existence of hardening phases s1 and Al–Fe intermetallics.

Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Properties of a SMATed Mg Alloy under In Situ SEM Tensile Testing

Surface mechanical attrition treatment（SMAT） has been recently applied to bulk polycrystalline magnesium（Mg） alloys with gradient grain size distribution from the impact surface to inside matrix, hence effectively improving the alloys＇ mechanical performances. However, in-depth understanding of their mechanical property enhancement and grain size-dependent fracture mechanism remains unclear. Here,we demonstrated the use of in situ micro-tensile testing inside a high resolution scanning electron microscope（SEM） to characterize the microstructure evolution, in real time, of SMATed Mg alloy AZ31 samples with different grain sizes of ~10 μm（＇coarse-grain sample＇） and ~5 μm（＇fine-grain sample＇）, respectively, and compared the results with those of a raw Mg alloy AZ31. The quantitative tensile tests with in situ SEM imaging clearly showed that fracture of ‘fine-grain sample＇ was dominated by intergranular cracks,while both trans-granular and intergranular cracks led to the final failure of the ‘coarse-grain samples＇.It is expected that this in situ SEM characterization technique, coupled with quantitative tensile testing method, could be applicable for studying other grain-refined metals/alloys, allowing to optimize their mechanical performances by controlling the grain sizes and their gradient distribution.

Determination of microcapsule physicochemical, structural, and mechanical properties

Research into the fundamental properties of microcapsules and use of the results to develop a wide variety of products in industries such as printing, fast-moving consumer goods, construction, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals is a dynamic and ever-progressing field of study. For microcapsules to be effective in providing protection from harsh environments or delivering large payloads, it is essential to have a good understanding of their properties to enable quality control during formulation, storage, and applications. This review aims to outline the commonly used techniques for determining the physicochemical, struc- tural, and mechanical properties of microcapsules, and highlights the interlinked nature of these three areas with respect to the end-use industrial application. This review provides information on techniques that are well supported in the literature, and also examines microcapsule analytical techniques that will become more prevalent as a result of new technological developments or extensions from other areas of study.