Photopyroelectric study of thermal properties and phase transitions in selected solids

This thesis presents in detail. the theoretical developments and calculations which are used for the simultaneous determination of thermal parameters, namely thermal diffusivity (a). thermal effusivity (e), thermal conductivity (K) and heat capacity (cr ) employing photopyroelectric technique. In our calculations. we have assumed that the pyroelectric detector is supported on a copper backing. so that there will be sufficient heat exchange between the heated pyroelectric detector and the backing so that the signal fluctuations are reduced to a minimum. Since the PPE signal depends on the properties of the detector that are also temperature dependent. a careful temperature calibration of the system need to be carried out. APPE cell has been fabricated for the measurements that can be used to measure the thermal properties of solid samples from ~ 90 K to ~ 350 K. The cell has been calibrated using standard samples and the accuracy of the technique is found to be of the order of± 1%.In this thesis, we have taken up work n photopyroelectric investigation of thermal parameters of ferroelectric crystals such as Glycine phosphite (NH3CH2COOH3P03), Triglycine sulfate and Thiourea as well as mixed valence perovskites samples such as Lead doped Lanthanum Manganate (Lal_xPb~Mn03) Calcium doped (Lal_xCaxMnOJ) and Nickel doped Lanthanum Stroncium Cobaltate (Lao~Sro5Ni,Col_x03).The three ferroelectric crystals are prepared by the slow evaporation technique and the mixed valence perovskites by solid state reaction technique.Mixed valence perovskites, with the general formula RI_xA~Mn03 (R = La. Nd or Pr and A = Ba, Ca, Sr or Pb) have been materials of intense experimental and theoretical studies over the past few years. These materials show . colossal magneloresis/ance' (CMR) in samples with 0.2 < x < 0.5 in such a doping region, resistivity exhibits a peak at T = T p' the metal - insulator transition temperature. The system exhibits metallic characteristics with d %T > Oabove Tp (wherep is the resistivity) and insulating characteristics with d % T < 0 above T p. Despite intensive investigations on the CMR phenomena and associated electrical properties. not much work has been done on the variation of thermal properties of these samples. We have been quite successful in finding out the nature of anomaly associated with thermal properties when the sample undergoes M-I transition.The ferroelectric crystal showing para-ferroelectric phase transitions - Glycine phosphite. Thiourea and Triglycine sulfate - are studied in detail in order to see how well the PPE technique enables one to measure the thermal parameters during phase transitions. It is seen that the phase transition gets clearly reflected in the variation of thermal parameters. The anisotropy in thermal transport along different crystallographic directions are explained in terms of the elastic anisotropy and lattice contribution to the thermal conductivity. Interesting new results have been obtained on the above samples and are presented in three different chapters of the thesis.In summary. we have carried investigations of the variations of the thermal parameters during phase transitions employing photopyroelectric technique. The results obtained on different systems are important not only in understanding the physics behind the transitions but also in establishing the potentiality of the PPE tool. The full potential of PPE technique for the investigation of optical and thermal properties of materials still remains to be taken advantage of by workers in this field.

STUDIES ON THE STRESS FLUCTUATIONS IN SHEARED STOKESIAN SUSPENSIONS USING CHAOS THEORY AND NONLINEAR DYNAMICS

The thesis report results obtained from a detailed analysis of the fluctuations of the rheological parameters viz. shear and normal stresses, simulated by means of the Stokesian Dynamics method, of a macroscopically homogeneous sheared suspension of neutrally buoyant non-Brownian suspension of identical spheres in the Couette gap between two parallel walls in the limit of vanishingly small Reynolds numbers using the tools of non-linear dynamics and chaos theory for a range of particle concentration and Couette gaps. The thesis used the tools of nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory viz. average mutual information, space-time separation plots, visual recurrence analysis, principal component analysis, false nearest-neighbor technique, correlation integrals, computation of Lyapunov exponents for a range of area fraction of particles and for different Couette gaps. The thesis observed that one stress component can be predicted using another stress component at the same area fraction. This implies a type of synchronization of one stress component with another stress component. This finding suggests us to further analysis of the synchronization of stress components with another stress component at the same or different area fraction of particles. The different model equations of stress components for different area fraction of particles hints at the possible existence a general formula for stress fluctuations with area fraction of particle as a parameter

Thermal Degradation of Short Nylon -6 Fiber-Reinforced Styrene Butadiene Rubber Composite

The thermal properties of short Nylon-6 fiber-reinforced Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) composites were studied by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The effect of epoxy-based bonding agent on thermal degradation of the gum and the composites was also studied. The thermal stability of the SBR was enhanced in the presence of Nylon-6 fibers and the stability of the composites increased in the presence of bonding agent. The epoxy resin did not significantly change the thermal stability of SBR gum vulcanizate. Results of kinetic studies showed that the degradation of SBR and the short nylon fiber-reinforced composites with and without bonding agents followed first-order kinetics.

Thermal degradation of short polyester fiber polyurethane elastomer composite

The thermal degradation of short polyester fiber reinforced polyurethane composites with and without different bonding agents has been studied by thermogravimetric analysis . It was found that degradation of the polyurethane takes place in two steps and that of the composites takes place in three steps. With the incorporation of 30 phr of fiber in the matrix , the onset of degradation was shifted from 230 to 238 ° C. The presence of bonding agents in the virgin elastomer and the composite gave an improved thermal stability . Results of kinetic studies showed that the degradation of polyurethane and the reinforced composites with and without bonding agents follows first -order reaction kinetics

Thermal degradation of short kevlar fibre thermoplastic polyurethane composite

The thermal degradation of short kevlar fibre-thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites has been studied by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). TGA showed that the thermal degradation of TPU takes place in two steps with peak maxima (T1max and T2ma,) at 383°C and 448°C, respectively. In the presence of 10-40 phr of short kevlar fibres, T1_ and T2max were shifted to lower temperatures. The temperature of onset of degradation was increased from 245 to 255°C at 40 parts per hundred rubber (phr) fibre loading. Kinetic studies showed that the degradation of TPU and kevlar-TPU composite follows first-order reaction kinetics. The DSC study showed that there is an improvement in thermal stability of TPU in the presence of 20 phr of short kevlar fibres.

The Steady-State and Transient Characteristic Analysis of Thermal Fixing a Photorefractive Hologram Grating in Lithium Niobate

The transient interaction between a refraction index grating and light beams during simultaneous writing and thermal fixing of a photorefractive hologram is investigated. With a diffusion- and photovoltaic-dominated carrier transport mechanism and carrier thermal activation (temperature dependent) considered in Fe:LiNbO3 crystal, from the standpoint of field-material coupling, the theoretical thermal fixing time and the space-charge field buildup, spatial distribution, and temperature dependence are given numerically by combining the band transport model with mobile ions with the coupled-wave equation

Preparation of high surface area TiO (anatase) by thermal hydrolysis 2 of titanyl sulphate solution

Highly crystalline, ultra fine TiO (anatase) having high surface area has been prepared by thermal hydrolysis of titanyl sulphate 2 solution and characterized using B.E.T surface area measurements, XRD and chemical analysis. The dependence of surface area on concentration of staffing solution, temperature of hydrolysis, duration of boiling and calcination temperature were also studied. As the boiling temperature, duration of boiling and calcination temperature increased, the surface area of TiO formed decreased significantly. 2 On increasing calcination temperature, the crystallite size of TiO also increased and gradually the phase transformation to rutile took 2 place. The onset and completion temperatures of rutilation were 700 and 10008C, respectively