On mechanical properties of metallic glass and its liquid vitrification characteristics

A systematic survey of the available data such as elastic constants, density, molar mass, and glass transition temperature of 45 metallic glasses is conducted. It is found that a critical strain controlling the onset of plastic deformation is material-independent. However, the correlation between elastic constants of solid glass and vitrification characteristics of its liquid does not follow a simple linear relation, and a characteristic volume, viz. molar volume, maybe relating to the characteristic size of a shear transformation zone (STZ), should be involved.

The formation mechanism of low leaching glassy slag during plasma arc vitrification treatment of fly ash

In this paper, the glass formation theory is applied to study the formation mechanism of the low leaching glassy slag during the process of plasma waste treatment. The research shows that SiO2 acts as network former to form a 3-dimensional Si-O tetrahedral network in which heavy metals are bonded or encapsulated, so the Si-O tetrahedron protect heavy metals against leaching from the vitrified slag or acid corrosion. For given chemical compositions of waste, the formation ability of the vitrified slag can be represented by the ratio of the whole oxygen ions to the whole network former ions in glass (O/Si) which is appropriate in the range of 2~3. A plasma arc reactor is used to conduct the vitrification experiments of two kinds of fly ashes with additives in which effects of various parameters including arc power, cooling speed, treatment temperature are studied. The chemical compositions of fly ashes are analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. The experimental results show that both cooling speed and O/Si have important influence on the formation of the vitrified slag, which is qualitatively in accordance with the predictions of the glass formation theory.

Cryopreservation of Kunming mouse oocytes using slow cooling, ultrarapid cooling and vitrification protocols

The cryopreservation of oocytes has been only marginally successful with any of the current protocols, including slow cooling, rapid cooling and vitrification. We wished to test the hypothesis that oocytes from a single mouse strain would freeze successfully by 1 of the 3 mentioned protocols. Unfertilized Kunming mouse oocytes obtained 14 h after PMSG/hCG administration were randomly assigned to be cryopreserved after slow cooling, ultra rapid cooling and vitrification. Oocytes were thawed by straws being placed into 37 degrees C water, and their morphological appearance and in vitro fertilization capability were compared with that of oocytes that had not undergone cryopreservation. Survival of oocytes was indicated by the absence of darkened ooplasm or by broken membranes or zona pellucida. Functional integrity was evaluated by the formation of a 2-cell embryo after IVF. Survival rate of slow cooled oocytes did not differ from that seen in vitrified oocytes (55.1 vs 65.9%) but was significantly lower in the rapidly cooled oocytes (24.2%; P<0.01). The results of NF of slow cooled and vitrified oocytes were similar to those of the control group (72 and 73 vs 77%; P>0.05). It appears that Kunming mouse oocytes can be successfully cryopreserved using the slow cooling method with 1,2-propanediol and vitrification, which contains both permeating and nonpermeating cryoprotectants. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.

Vitrification of Yunnan Yellow Cattle oocytes: work in progress

The objective of this study was to provide a simple cryopreservation method for oocytes from Yunnan Yellow Cattle and facilitate preservation efforts in this native Chinese breed, which is threatened by agricultural modernization. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from slaughterhouse ovaries and matured in vitro for 22-24 h, then selected for cryopreservation. Vitrification in open pulled straws (OPS) or in microdrops on a cooled metal surface (solid surface vitrification, SSV) was compared. The OPS vitrification solution consisted of 20% ethylene glycol (EG) and 20% DMSO. The SSV solution was a mixture of 35% EG, 5% polyvinyl-pyrrolidon (PVP) and 0.4 M trehalose. Vitrified and warmed oocytes were either fertilized in vitro or parthenogenetically activated. The rates of cleavage and development to blastocysts of fertilized oocytes following OPS versus SSV were not statistically different (38.3 and 12.5% versus 35.8 and 6.0%, respectively). The corresponding rates of parthenogenetic development to blastocysts were also not different (8.2 versus 3.5%, respectively). Development to blastocysts of non-vitrified controls following fertilization was significantly higher than that of the vitrified oocytes (22.6%, P < 0.05). These results demonstrate for the first time, that although both OPS and SSV procedures reduced embryonic development, Yunnan Yellow Cattle oocytes are capable of developing to blastocysts following cryopreservation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary studies on the vitrification of red sea bream (Pagrus major) embryos

The objective was to identify an appropriate cryoprotectant and protocol for vitrification of red sea bream (Pagrus major) embryos. The toxicity of five single-agent cryoprotectants, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol (EG), glycerol (GLY), and methyl alcohol (MeOH), as well as nine cryoprotectant mixtures, were investigated by comparing post-thaw hatching rates. Two vitrifying protocols, a straw method and a solid surface vitrification method (copper floating over liquid nitrogen), were evaluated on the basis of post-thaw embryo morphology. Exposure to single-agent cryoprotectants (10% concentration for 15 min) was not toxic to embryos, whereas for higher concentrations (20 and 30%) and a longer duration of exposure (30 min), DMSO and PG were better tolerated than the other cryoprotectants. Among nine cryoprotectant mixtures, the combination of 20% DMSO + 10% PG + 10% MeOH had the lowest toxicity after exposure for 10 min or 15 min. High percentages of morphologically intact embryos, 50.6 +/- 16.7% (mean +/- S.D.) and 77.8 +/- 15.5%, were achieved by the straw vitrifying method (20.5% DMSO + 15.5% acetamide + 10% PG, thawing at 43 degrees C and washing in 0.5 M sucrose solution for 5 min) and by the solid surface vitrification method (40% GLY, thawing at 22 degrees C and washing in 0.5 M sucrose solution for 5 min). After thawing, morphological changes in the degenerated embryos included shrunken yolks and ruptured chorions. Furthermore, thawed embryos that were morphologically intact did not consistently survive incubation. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

THE FORMATION MECHANISM OF THE VITRIFIED SLAG IN A PLASMA ARC REACTOR FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT

Various hazardous wastes with additives have been vitrified to investigate the formation mechanism of the glassy slag by a 30 kW DC plasma-arc reactor developed by the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The average temperature in the reaction area is controlled at 1500°C. The chemical compositions of three sorts of fly ashes are analyzed by XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence). Fly ashes with vitrifying additives can be vitrified to form glassy slag, which show that the ratio of the whole oxygen ions to the whole network former ions in glass (R) is appropriate in the range of 2~3 to form durable vitrified slag. In this experiment, the arc power is controlled below 5 kW to inhibit waste evaporation. To enhance the effects of heat transfer to wastes, ferrous powder has been added into the graphite crucible, which aggregates as ingot below the molten silicate after vitrification. The slag fails to form glass if the quenching rate is less than 1 K/min. Therefore, the slag will break into small chips due to the sharp quenching rate, which is more than 100 K/sec.

透红外含碲氟铝基玻璃的激光损伤阈值

在氟铝酸盐玻璃组分中加入适量声子能量低的重金属氧化物TeO2，得到一种新的氧氟化物玻璃。该材料具有良好的成玻璃性能，适合制作大尺寸红外窗口镜。研究了TeO2含量对玻璃特征温度、阿贝数和红外透过性能的影响。同时测试了这种玻璃的抗DF激光能力，结果表明：TeO2含量为15％的玻璃，DF激光破坏阈值达14．95kW·cm^-2。分析显示，由于玻璃基质的多声子吸收，对激光能量的吸收而引起的热冲击是导致玻璃破坏的主要原因。进一步降低玻璃中水分，可以提高玻璃抗激光破坏性能。

苦苣苔科植物的组织培养和离体保存

苦苣苔科(Gesneriaceae)植物种类繁多, 全世界约150属3700余种,我国有58属470余种，大部分具有极高的观赏价值，许多是传统的民间草药。虽然我国苦苣苔科植物资源丰富，然而很多种类分布区域狭窄，种群数量稀少，加之生境受到破坏，许多已经面临灭绝的危险。本研究拟通过组织培养、玻璃化超低温保存以及快速繁殖，达到保护和扩繁珍稀濒危苦苣苔科植物的目的。 以药用唇柱苣苔（Chirita medica D. Fang ex W. T. Wang）和粉绿异裂苣苔（Pseudochirita guangxiensis W.T.Wang var. glauca Y. G. Wei et Y. Liu）为材料，取幼嫩叶片为外植体，通过组织培养实验得到最佳诱导不定芽培养基：MS培养基附加30 g l-1蔗糖，7.5 g l-1琼脂，药用唇柱苣苔附加0.10 mg l-1 BA ，0.10 mg l-1 NAA，粉绿异裂苣苔附加0.05 mg l-1IAA，1.00 mg l-1BA。最高不定芽诱导率分别为：90.3%和85.0%。最佳生根培养基：1/2MS培养基附加30 g l-1蔗糖，5 g l-1活性炭，7 g l-1琼脂，生根率为100%，诱导产生6.11条根，根长为18.8mm（药用唇柱苣苔）；1/2MS培养基附加10-20g l-1蔗糖，1 g l-1活性炭，7 g l-1琼脂，诱导生成6.8-7.4条根，均长17.7-22.0mm（粉绿异裂苣苔）。 在组织培养的基础上进行了苦苣苔科植物的玻璃化超低温冷冻保存研究。以烟叶唇柱苣苔（C. heterotricha Merr.）和濒危植物药用唇柱苣苔叶片外植体为材料，经过自然干燥、装载液处理、玻璃化溶液处理、液氮冷冻保存，成功实现了玻璃化超低温冷冻保存，经过液氮冷冻保存后的材料可以继续分化、生长。适当时间的玻璃化试剂处理对于材料无致死作用，不经液氮冷冻，可以达到100%存活。-20 oC 、-40 oC、液氮保存后，存活率随温度下降而下降，表明冷冻致死的原因在于冰晶形成；提高冷冻后成活率的关键是控制干燥脱水，经过适当的自然干燥，材料存活率分别达到50.0%和27.8%。 以叶片为外植体材料，通过组织培养和快速繁殖可以大规模扩繁苦苣苔科植物。主要步骤为：外植体叶片消毒→不定芽诱导培养→生根诱导培养→继代保存或炼苗移栽，经过3-4个月时间可获得大量栽培植株。已成功保存并培养了40余种苦苣苔科植物，包括濒危苦苣苔及高观赏价值苦苣苔。

Heterogeneity in structurally arrested hard spheres

When cooled or compressed sufficiently rapidly, a liquid vitrifies into a glassy amorphous state. Vitrification in a dense liquid is associated with jamming of the particles. For hard spheres, the density and degree of order in the final structure depend on the compression rate: simple intuition suggests, and previous computer simulation demonstrates, that slower compression results in states that are both denser and more ordered. In this work, we use the Lubachevsky-Stillinger algorithm to generate a sequence of structurally arrested hard-sphere states by varying the compression rate.

Square lamellar structure having phase-separated microdomain in H-shaped block copolymer thin film

The morphology of a H-shaped block copolymer (poly(ethylene glycol) backbone and polystyrene branches (PS)(2)PEG(PS)(2)) in a thin film has been investigated. A peculiar square lamella that has a phase-separated microdomain at its surface is obtained after spin coating. The experimental temperature plays a critical role in the lamellar formation. The copolymer first self-assembles into square lamellar micelles with an incomplete crystalline core due to the crystallizability of PEG.