Shear-induced spiral-like morphology of a main-chain liquid crystalline poly(aryl ether ketone)

The shear-induced spiral-like morphology of a main-chain thermotropic liquid crystalline poly(aryl ether ketone) is observed and characterized by means of polarizing light microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction techniques. The spiral-like texture is formed during shearing in the temperature range of liquid crystalline to isotropic transition (335-340 degreesC), and dispersed discontinuously in the mosaic matrix. Electron diffraction results indicate that the spiral exhibits orthorhombic lateral packing of the crystals and homeotropic alignment of the molecules. The spiral formation process and possible affecting factors are discussed.

Segmented All-Platinum Nanowires with Controlled Morphology through Manipulation of the Local Electrolyte Distribution in Fluidic Nanochannels during Electrodeposition

Synthesis of segmented all-Pt nanowires is achieved by a template-assisted method. The combination of a suitably chosen electrolyte/template system with pulse-reverse electrodeposition allows the formation of well-defined segments linked to nanowires. Manipulation of the morphology is obtained by controlling the electrokinetie effects on the local electrolyte distribution inside the nanochannels during the nanowire growth process, allowing a deviation from the continuously cylindrical geometry given by the nanoporous template. The length of the segments can be adjusted as a function of the cathodic pulse duration. Applying constant pulses leads to segments with homogeneous shape and dimensions along most of the total wire length. X-ray diffraction demonstrates that the preferred crystallite orientation of the polycrystalline wires varies with the average segment length. The results are explained considering transitions in texture formation with increasing thickness of the electrodeposit. A mechanism of segment formation is proposed based on structural characterizations. Nanowires with controlled segmented morphology are of great technological importance, because of the possibility to precisely control their substructure as a means of tuning their electrical, thermal, and optical properties. The concept we present in this work for electrodeposited platinum and track-etched polycarbonate membranes can be applied to other selected materials as well as templates and constitutes a general method to controlled nanostructuring and synthesis of shape controlled nanostructures.

Effect of Particle Size on the Formation of Adiabatic Shear Band In Particle Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites

In this paper, the effect of particle size on the formation of adiabatic shear band in 2024 All matrix composites reinforced with 15% volume fraction of 3.5, 10 and 20 mum SiC particles was investigated by making use of split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The results have demonstrated that the onset of adiabatic shear banding in the composites strongly depends on the particle size and adiabatic shear banding is more readily observed in the composite reinforced with small particles than that in the composite with large particles. This size dependency phenomenon can be characterized by the strain gradient effect. Instability analysis reveals that high strain gradient is a strong driving force for the formation of adiabatic shear banding in particle reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCp).

Formation of adiabatic shear band in metal matrix composites

A modified single-pulse loading split Hopkinson torsion bar (SSHTB) is introduced to investigate adiabatic shear banding behavior in SiCp particle reinforced 2024 Al composites in this work. The experimental results showed that formation of adiabatic shear band in the composite with smaller particles is more readily observed than that in the composite with larger particles. To characterize this size-dependent deformation localization behavior of particle reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCp), a strain gradient dependent shear instability analysis was performed. The result demonstrated that high strain gradient provides a deriving force for the formation of adiabatic shear banding in MMCp. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic dc voltage band observed within each current branch in the transition from static to dynamic electric-field domain formation in a doped GaAs/AlAs superlattice

A dynamic dc voltage band was found emerging from each sawtooth-like branch of the current-voltage characteristics of a doped GaAs/AlAs superlattice in the transition process from static to dynamic electric-field domain formation caused by increasing the sample temperature. As the temperature increases, these dynamic dc voltage bands expand within each sawtooth-like branch, squeeze out the static regions, and join up together to turn the whole plateau into dynamic electric-field domain formation. These results are well explained by a general analysis of stability of the sequential tunneling current in superlattices. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)04443-5].

A modified criterion for shear band formation in bulk metallic glass under complex stress states

A new criterion for shear band formation in metallic glasses is proposed based on the shear plane criterion proposed by Packard and Schuh [1]. This modified shear plane (MSP) criterion suggests that a shear band is not initiated randomly throughout the entire material under stress but is initiated at the physical boundaries or defects and at locations where the highest normal stress modified maximum shear stress occurs. Moreover, the same as in the shear plan criterion, the shear stress all over the shear band should exceed the shear yield strength of the material. For a complete shear band to form, both requirements need to be fulfilled. The shear yield strength of the material is represented by the shear stress of the point at which the shear band stops. The new criterion agrees very well with experimental results in both the determination of the shear yield strength and the shear band path. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formation, Thermal Stability and Deformation Behavior of Graphite-Flakes Reinforced Cu-based Bulk Metallic Glass Matrix Composites

Graphite-flake reinforced Cu47Ti34Zr11 Ni-8 bulk metallic glass matrix composite was fabricated by water-cooled copper mould cast. Most of the graphite flakes still keep unreacted and distribute uniformly in the amorphous matrix except that some reactive wetting occurs by the formation of TiC particles around the flakes. It reveals that the presence of graphite flakes does not affect the onset of the glass transition temperature, crystallization reaction and liquidus of the metallic glass. The resulting material shows obvious serrated flow and higher fracture strength under room temperature compressive load, comparing with the monolithic bulk metallic glass (BMG). Three types of interaction between the shear bands and graphite flakes, namely, shear band termination, shear bands branching and new shear bands formation near the graphite flakes can be observed by quasi-static uniaxial compression test and bonded interface technique through Vickers indentation.

Formation, microstructure and development of the localized shear deformation in low-carbon steels

An investigation has been made into the effect of microstructural parameters on the propensity for forming shear localization produced during high speed torsional testing by split Hopkinson bar with different average rates of 610, 650 and 1500 s(-1) in low carbon steels. These steels received the quenched, quenched and tempered as well as normalized treatments that provide wide microstructural parameters and mechanical properties. The results indicate that the occurrence of the shear localization is susceptible to the strength of the steels. In other words, the tendency of the quenched steel to form a shear band is higher than that of the other two steels. It is also found that there is a critical strain at which the shear localization occurs in the steels. The critical strain value is strongly dependent on the strength of the steels. Before arriving at this point, the material undergoes a slow work-hardening. After this point, the material suffers work-softening, corresponding to a process during which the deformation is gradually localized and eventually becomes spatially correlated to form a macroscopic shear band. Examinations by SEM reveal that the shear localization within the band involves a series of sequential crystallographic and non-crystallographic events including the change in crystal orientation, misorientation, generation and even perhaps damage in microstructures such as the initiation, growth and coalescence of the microcracks. It is expected that the sharp drop in the load-carrying capacity is associated with the growth and coalescence of the microcracks rather than the occurrence of the shear localization, but the shear localization is seen to accelerate the growth and coalescence of the microcracks. The thin foil observations by TEM reveal that the density of dislocations in the band is extremely high and the tangled arrangement and cell structure of dislocations tends to align along the shear direction. The multiplication and interaction of dislocations seems to be responsible for work-hardening of the steels. The avalanche of the dislocation cells corresponds to the sharp drop in shear stress at which the deformed specimen is broken. Double shear bands and kink bands are also observed in the present study. The principal band develops first and its width is narrower than that of the secondary band.

Formation of shear bands in plane sheet

The formation of shear bands in plane sheet is studied, both analytically and experimentally, to enhance the fundamental understanding of this phenomenon and to develop a capability for predicting material failure. The evolution of voids is measured and its interaction with the process of shear banding is examined. The evolving dilatancy in plasticity is shown to have a vital role in analysing the shear-band type of bifurcation, and tremendously reduces the theoretical value of critical stresses. The analyses, referring to both localized and diffuse modes of bifurcation, fairly explain the corresponding observations obtained through testing a dual-phase steer sheet and provide a justification of the constitutive model used.

Suppression of indium droplet formation by adding CCl4 during metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth of InN films

In this work, the influences of CCl4 on the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth of InN were studied for the first time. It was found that the addition of CCl4 can effectively suppress the formation of metal indium (In) droplets during InN growth, which was ascribed to the etching effect of Cl to In. However, with increasing of CCl4 flow, the InN growth rate decreased but the lateral growth of InN islands was enhanced. This provides a possibility of promoting islands coalescence toward a smooth surface of the InN film by MOCVD. The influence of addition of CCl4 on the electrical properties was also investigated.

Strain relaxation and band-gap tunability in ternary InxGa1-xN nanowires

The alloy formation enthalpy and band structure of InGaN nanowires were studied by a combined approach of the valence-force field model, Monte Carlo simulation, and density-functional theory (DFT). For both random and ground-state structures of the coherent InGaN alloy, the nanowire configuration was found to be more favorable for the strain relaxation than the bulk alloy. We proposed an analytical formula for computing the band gap of any InGaN nanowires based on the results from the screened exchange hybrid DFT calculations, which in turn reveals a better band-gap tunability in ternary InGaN nanowires than the bulk alloy.

Formation of InAs quantum dots on low-temperature GaAs epi-layer

InAs self-organized quantum dots (QDs) grown on annealed low-temperature GaAs (LT-GaAs) epi-layers and on normal temperature GaAs buffer layers have been compared by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. TEM evidences that self-organized QDs were formed with a smaller size and larger density than that on normal GaAs buffer layers. It is discussed that local tensile surface strain regions that are preferred sites for InAs islands nucleation are increased in the case of the LT-GaAs buffer layers due to exhibiting As precipitates. The PL spectra show a blue-shifted peak energy with narrower linewidth revealing the improvement of optical properties of the QDs grown on LT-GaAs epi-layers. It suggests us a new way to improve the uniformity and change the energy band structure of the InAs self-organized QDs by carefully controlling the surface stress states of the LT-GaAs buffers on which the QDs are formed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Some new observation on the formation and optical properties of CdS clusters in zeolite-Y

CdS clusters in zeolite-Y have been prepared by the exchange of Cd2+ into the zeolite following by sulfurization with Na2S in solution. Blue-shifts from the bulk caused by quantum size effect and the change of absorption upon CdS loading are observed. Two absorption bands are detected for one of the sample and are assigned to the 1s-1s band and exciton transition, respectively. The exciton feature is more pronounced in the excitation spectrum than in the absorption spectrum, and the luminescence excited at the exciton band is stronger than that at the 1s-1s band. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd