Ferromagnetism Exhibited by Nanoparticles of Noble Metals

Gold nanoparticles with average diameters in the range 2.515 nm, prepared at the organic/aqueous interface by using tetrakis( hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC) as reducing agent, exhibit ferromagnetism whereby the saturation magnetization M(S) increases with decreasing diameter and varies linearly with the fraction of surface atoms. The value of M(S) is higher when the particles are present as a film instead of as a sol. Capping with strongly interacting ligands such as alkane thiols results in a higher M(S) value, which varies with the strength of the metal-sulfur bond. Ferromagnetism is also found in Pt and Ag nanoparticles prepared as sols, and the M(S) values vary as Pt > Au > Ag. A careful study of the temperature variation of the magnetization of Au nanoparticles, along with certain other observations, suggests that small bare nanoparticles of noble metals could indeed possess ferromagnetism, albeit weak, which is accentuated in the presence of capping agents, specially alkane thiols which form strong metal-sulfur bonds.

Vapor pressure of liquid metals and alloys

The Gibbs-Bogoliubov formalism in conjunction with the pseudopotential theory is applied to the calculation of the vapour pressure of eight liquid metals from Groups I to IV of the periodic table and of alloys (Na-K). The calculated vapour pressure of the elements and their temperature dependencies, the partial pressures, activities and boiling points of the alloys are all found to be in reasonable agreement with measured data.

The Thermodynamics of Oxygen in Reactive Metals

For some new applications of metals in functional devices, metals of high purity are required. In recent years, many high-purity metals have been produced commercially for use in electronics, but the demand for ultra-high-purity metals is increasing rapidly because of more stringent specifications for materials used in high-performance information devices.

Study of surface oxidation of rare-earth-metals by photoelectron-spectroscopy

Surface oxidation of La, Ce, Sm and Tb metals has been investigated by He(II) ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (u.p.s.) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (X.p.s.). Oxidation of La gives rise to La2O3 on the surface. While Ce2O3 appears to be the stable oxide on the surface, we find evidence for formation of CeO2 at high oxygen exposure. Valence band of Sm clearly shows the presence of both divalent and trivalent states due to interconfigurational fluctuation. Exposure of Sm to oxygen first depletes the divalent Sm at the surface. While Sm2O3 is the stable oxide on the surface of Sm, Tb2O3 is the stable oxide on the surface of Tb (and not any of the higher oxides).

In-situ formation of graphene-lead oxide composite and its use in trace arsenic detection

Reduced graphene oxide-lead dioxide composite is formed when EGO coated surface is electrochemically reduced along with lead ions in the solution. This composite has been shown to be an excellent material for low level detection of arsenic. Various functional groups present on EGO, in a wide pH range of 2-11, are responsible for the favorable interaction between metal ion and the modified electrode surface and subsequent trace level detection. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopic techniques confirm the formation of composite and its composition. Thin layer of lead dioxide along with reduced exfoliated graphene oxide has been shown to be responsible for the enhanced activity of the surface. The detection limit of arsenic is found to be 10 nM. This study opens up the possibility of using the composites for sensing applications and possibly simultaneous detection of arsenic and lead. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rotation field in wedge indentation of metals

A study is made of the rotation field in wedge indentation of metals using copper as the model material system. Wedges with apical angles of 60 and 120 are used to indent annealed copper, and the deformation is mapped using image correlation. The indentation of annealed and strain-hardened copper is simulated using finite element analysis. The rotation field, derived from the deformation measurements, provides a clear way of distinguishing between cutting and compressive modes of deformation. Largely unidirectional rotation on one side of the symmetry line with small spatial rotation gradients is characteristic of compression. Bidirectional rotation with neighboring regions of opposing rotations and locally high rotation gradients characterizes cutting. In addition, the rotation demarcates such characteristic regions as the pile-up zone in indentation of a strain-hardened metal. The residual rotation field obtained after unloading is essentially the same as that at full load, indicating that it is a scalar proxy for plastic deformation as a whole.

Dual functional performance of fiber Bragg gratings coated with metals using flash evaporation technique

Metallic and other type of coatings on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors alter their sensitivity with thermal and mechanical stress while protecting the fragile optical fiber in harsh sensing surroundings. The behavior of the coated materials is unique in their response to thermal and mechanical stress depending on the thickness and the mode of coating. The thermal stress during the coating affects the temperature sensitivity of FBG sensors. We have explored the thermal response of FBGs coated with Al and Pb to an average thickness of 80 nm using flash evaporation technique where the FBG sensor is mounted in a region at room temperature in an evacuated chamber having a pressure of 10(6) Torr which will minimize any thermal stress during the coating process. The coating thickness is chosen in the nanometer region with the aim to study thermal behavior of nanocoatings and their effect on FBG sensitivity. The sensitivity of FBGs is evaluated from the wavelengths recorded using an optical sensing interrogator sm 130 (Micron Optics) from room temperature to 300 degrees C both during heating and cooling. It is observed that the sensitivity of the metal coated fibers is better than the reference FBG with no coating for the entire range of temperature. For a coating thickness of 80 nm, Al coated FBG is more sensitive than the one coated with Pb up to 170 degrees C and it reverses at higher temperatures. This point is identified as a reversible phase transition in Pb monolayers as the 2-dimensional aspects of the metal layers are dominant in the nanocoatings of Pb. On cooling, the phase transition reverses and the FBGs return to the original state and for repeated cycles of heating and cooling the same pattern is observed. Thus the FBG functions as a sensor of the phase transitions of the coatings also. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nature of Quiet Sun Oscillations Using Data from the Hinode, TRACE, and SOHO Spacecraft

We study the nature of quiet-Sun oscillations using multi-wavelength observations from TRACE, Hinode, and SOHO. The aim is to investigate the existence of propagating waves in the solar chromosphere and the transition region by analyzing the statistical distribution of power in different locations, e.g. in bright magnetic (network), bright non-magnetic and dark non-magnetic (inter-network) regions, separately. We use Fourier power and phase-difference techniques combined with a wavelet analysis. Two-dimensional Fourier power maps were constructed in the period bands 2 -aEuro parts per thousand 4 minutes, 4 -aEuro parts per thousand 6 minutes, 6 -aEuro parts per thousand 15 minutes, and beyond 15 minutes. We detect the presence of long-period oscillations with periods between 15 and 30 minutes in bright magnetic regions. These oscillations were detected from the chromosphere to the transition region. The Fourier power maps show that short-period powers are mainly concentrated in dark regions whereas long-period powers are concentrated in bright magnetic regions. This is the first report of long-period waves in quiet-Sun network regions. We suggest that the observed propagating oscillations are due to magnetoacoustic waves, which can be important for the heating of the solar atmosphere.

The Role of Strain Rate Response on Tribological Behavior of Metals

In an effort to study the role of strain rate response on the tribological behavior of metals, room temperature experiments were conducted by sliding commercially pure titanium and a-iron pins against an H-11 die steel flats of various surface textures. The steel flat surface textures were specifically prepared to allow for imposing varying amounts of strain rates at the contacting interface during sliding motion. In the experiments, it was observed that titanium (a harder material than iron) formed a transfer layer on H-11 steel surface textures that produced higher strain rates. In contrast, the titanium pins abraded the steel surfaces that produced lower strain rates. The iron pins were found to abrade the H-11 steel surface regardless of the surface texture characteristics. This unique tribological behavior of titanium is likely due to the fact that titanium undergoes adiabatic shear banding at high strain rates, which creates pathways for lower resistance shear planes. These shear planes lead to fracture and transfer layer formation on the surface of the steel flat, which ultimately promotes a higher strain rate of deformation at the asperity level. Iron does not undergo adiabatic shear banding and thus more naturally abrades the surfaces. Overall, the results clear indicated that a materials strain rate response can be an important factor in controlling the tribological behavior of a plastically deforming material at the asperity level. DOI: 10.1115/1.4007675]