The influence of crystallization route on the SrBi2Nb2O9 thin films

Polycrystalline SrBi2Nb2O9-layered ferroelectric thin films were synthesized on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using the polymeric precursors solution. The dip-coated films were specular and crack-free and crystallized during firing at 700 °C. Single-, double-, and triple-layered films were obtained by several dips in the deposition solution, and the influence of crystallization between each dip was studied. Microstructure and morphological evaluation were followed by grazing incident x-ray diffraction (GIXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Multilayered films obtained using the intermediate-crystallized layer route present a dense microstructure with spherical grains, with a preferential orientation in the 〈215〉 direction; films obtained using the intermediate-amorphous layer route are polycrystalline and present elongated grains around 250 nm in size.

Key features of alumina/magnesia/graphite refractories for steel ladle lining

The corrosion resistance of resin bonded alumina/magnesia/graphite refractories containing different kinds of aggregates were investigated when submitted to the action of slags of several CaO/SiO2 ratios. The laboratory testing was performed by means of the rotary slag attack test. Specifically evaluated was the influence of alumina/carbon ratio and magnesia and silica contents on the refractories corrosion resistance. It was found that this property could be improved by increasing the refractory Al2O3/SiO2 ratio as well as by choosing the appropriate Al2O3/C ratio. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.

A new application of humic substances: Activation of supports for invertase immobilization

Invertase was immobilized on aminopropyl silica (APTS-SiO2) activated with humic substances (APTS-SiO2-HS) and on aminopropyl silica activated with glutaraldehyde (APTS-SiO2-GA). The resulting activity of both systems was compared. Humic substances (HS) used for the activation of the silica were extracted from soil of Cananéia, São Paulo State, Brazil, according to the procedure recommended by the International Humic Substances Society. Activity was determined by measuring the rate of formation of reduced sugars using the reaction with dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS). The amount of HS bound on the APTS-SiO2 was equal to 50 mg. The maximum amount of invertase immobilized on APTS-SiO2-HS was 15200 U/g while in the system APTS-SiO2-GA it was 13400 U/g. The experimental enzymatic activity was 3700 and 3300 U/g, for the systems APTS-SiO2-HS and APTS-SiO2-GA, respectively. Considering the increased amount and activity of immobilized enzyme compared with the glutaraldehyde method, it was concluded that this technique opens a new perspective in the preparation of supports for enzyme immobilization employing humic substances. © Springer-Verlag 2000.

Ferroelectric SBN thin films grown by an SBN/Bi2O3 PLD sequential process

Ferroelectric SrBi2Nb2O9 (SBN) thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) using a sequential deposition process from two SBN and Bi2O3 targets. This route allows for bismuth enrichment of the film composition in order to improve the ferroelectric characteristics. Structural and microstructural characterizations were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composition of films and targets was determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). The deposition temperature, which provided well-crystallized layered perovskite SBN phase films in situ, was found to be 700°C. The results were compared with those obtained for SBN films deposited at 400°C and then crystallized ex situ. For an ex situ annealing temperature of 750°C, a remanent polarization value (Pr) of 23.2 μc/cm2 and a coercive field (Ec) of 112 kV/cm were measured. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photoluminescence in amorphous (PbLa)TiO3 thin films deposited on different substrates

Pb1-xLaxTiO3 thin films, (X=0.0; 13 and 0.27mol%) were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. Thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(111), Si(100) and glass substrates by spin coating, and annealed in the 200-300°C range in an O2 atmosphere. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used for the microstructural characterization of the thin films. Photoluminescence (PL) at room temperature has been observed in thin films of (PbLa)TiO3. The films deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates present PL intensity greater than those deposited on glass and silicon substrates. The intensity of PL in these thin films was found to be dependent on the thermal treatment and lanthanum molar concentration. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural phase evolution of strontium-doped lead titanate thin films prepared by the soft chemical technique

Strontium-modified lead titanate thin films with composition Pb1-xSrxTiO3 were grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using the polymeric precursor method. The structural phase evolution as a function of the Sr contents was studied using micro-Raman scattering, specular reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The results showed a gradual change from tetragonal to cubic structure, the transition occurring at about x = 0.58. The infrared reflectance spectra showed that the frequency of several peaks decreases as the strontium concentration increases. These features are correlated with a decrease in the tetragonal distortion of the TiO6 octahedra as the strontium concentration increases.

Sol-Gel Erbium-Doped Silica-Hafnia Planar and Channel Waveguides

Erbium activated SiO2 -HfO2 planar waveguides, doped with Er3+ concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 4 mol%, were prepared by sol-gel method. The films were deposited on v-SiO2 and silica-on-silicon substrates using dip-coating technique. The waveguides show high densification degree, effective intermingling of the two film components, and uniform surface morphology. The waveguide deposited on silica-on-silicon substrates shows one single propagation mode at 1.5μm, with a confinement coefficient of 0.81 and an attenuation coefficient of 0.8 dB/cm at 632.8nm. Emission in the C-telecommunication band was observed at room temperature for all the samples upon continuouswave excitation at 980 nm or 514.5 nm. The shape of the emission band corresponding to the 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transition is found to be almost independent both on erbium content and excitation wavelength, with a FWHM between 44 and 48 nm. The 4I13/2 level decay curves presented a single-exponential profile, with a lifetime ranging between 1.1 - 6.6 ms, depending on the erbium concentration. Infrared to visible upconversion luminescence upon continuous-wave excitation at 980 nm was observed for all the samples. Channel waveguide in rib configuration was obtained by etching the active film in order to have a well confined mode at 1.5 μm.

Temperature and stoichiometry effect on microstructural and ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3 thin films prepared by chemical soulution deposition

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) solutions were prepared using a polymeric precursor method, Zr n-propoxide and Ti i-propoxide were used as starting materials with ethylene glycol and water as solvents. The PZT solution was spin-coated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates, baked on a hot plate, and finally heat-treated in a tube furnace between 400 and 800°C. The surface morphology and grain size of the films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), using a tapping mode with amplitude modulation. The films, thermal annealed at temperatures higher than 500°C, exhibited a dense microstructure, without noticeable cracks or voids. Electrical properties were investigated as a function of composition and annealing temperature.

Influence of oxygen atmosphere on LiNbO3 thin films prepared by Pechini process

Thin films of lithium niobate were deposited on the Pt/Ti/SiO2 (111) substrates by the polymeric precursor method (Pechini process). Annealing in static air and oxygen atmosphere was performed at 500°C for 3 hours. The films obtained were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The dielectric constant, dissipation factor and resistance were measured in frequency region from 10 Hz to 10 MHz. Electrical characterizations of the films pointed to ferroelectricity via hysteresis loop. The influence of oxygen atmosphere on crystallization and properties of LiNbO3 thin films is discussed.

Nucleation and crystallization of titania nanoparticles in silica titania planar waveguides: A study by low frequency Raman scattering

SiO2 (1-x) - TiO2 (x) waveguides, with the mole fraction x in the range 0.07 - 0.20 and thickness of about 0.4 μm, were deposited on silica substrates by a dip-coating technique. The thermal treatments at 700-900°C, used to fully densify the xerogels, produce nucleation of TiO2 nanocrystals even for the lowest TiO2 content. The nucleation of TiO2 nanocrystals and their growth by thermal annealing up to 1300°C were studied by waveguide Raman spectroscopy, for the SiO2 (0.8) - TiO2 (0.2) composition. By increasing the annealing temperature, the Raman spectrum evolves from that typical of the silica-titania glass to that of anatase, but brookite phase is dominant at intermediate temperatures. In the low. frequency region (5-50 cm-1) of the Raman spectra, acoustic vibrations of the nanocrystals are observed. From the measured line shapes, we can deduce the size distribution of the particles. The results are compared with those obtained from the line widths in the X-ray diffraction patterns. Nanocrystals with a mean size in the range 4-20 nm are obtained, by thermal annealing in a corresponding range of 800-1300°C.

Adsorption of silanes bearing nitrogenated Lewis bases on SiO 2/Si (100) model surfaces

The present paper describes the one-pot procedure for the formation of self-assembled thin films of two silanes on the model oxidized silicon wafer, SiO2/Si. SiO2/Si is a model system for other surfaces, such as glass, quartz, aerosol, and silica gel. MALDI-TOF MS with and without a matrix, XPS, and AFM have confirmed the formation of self-assembled thin films of both 3-imidazolylpropyltrimethoxysilane (3-IPTS) and 4-(N- propyltriethoxysilane-imino)pyridine (4-PTSIP) on the SiO2/Si surface after 30 min. Longer adsorption times lead to the deposition of nonreacted 3-IPTS precursors and the formation of agglomerates on the 3-IPTS monolayer. The formation of 4-PTSIP self-assembled layers on SiO2/Si is also demonstrated. The present results for the flat SiO2/Si surface can lead to a better understanding of the formation of a stationary phase for affinity chromatography as well as transition-metal-supported catalysts on silica and their relationship with surface roughness and ordering. The 3-IPTS and 4-PTSIP modified SiO2/Si wafers can also be envisaged as possible built-on-silicon thin-layer chromatography (TLC) extraction devices for metal determination or N-heterocycle analytes, such as histidine and histamine, with on-spot MALDI-TOF MS detection. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geologic e geoquímica do batólito Rapakivi Rio Branco, SW do Craton Amazônico - MT

The Rio Branco Rapakivi Batholith belongs to the Cachoeirinha Tectonic Domain, part of the Rio Negro-Juruena Geochronological Province located on the southwestern portion of the Amazonian Craton in Mato Grosso, Central Brasil. A systematic geological mapping on a 1:100.000 scale, coupled with petrographic and geochemical studies allowed to redefine this batholithic unit, to recognize faciological variations and to characterize the geochemical features of this rapakivi magmatism. The batholith is constituted by two major plutonic suites, the first forming a basic suite of fine-grained, equigranular, mesoto melanocratic gray to black lithotypes, with usually discontinuous porphyritic varieties located near the margins of the intrusion. The second one is characterized by acid to intermediate rocks constituted by porphyritic granites, in part granophyric, with rapakivi textures. They have K-feldspar phenocrysts of up to 4cm. Three distinct petrographic facies are recognized in this suite: 1. equigranular to pegmatitic monzogranites; 2. red rapakivi leuco-monzogranites; 3. dark red rapakivi monzogranites to quartz-monzonites. Rocks present SiO2 contents from 67% to 73%, show peraluminous to metaluminous compositions and define a high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic magmatism in an I- and A-type, post-orogenic to anorogenic intraplate environment. The magmatic processes are associated with the end of the collisional event that consolidated and stabilized the SW part of the Amazonian Craton.

Viabilidade de aplicação das coberturas argilosas da região de Alfenas na indústra cerâmica

The region of Alfenas, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is predominantly constituted of Pre-Cambrian rocks with well developed alteration profiles in association with colluvial and alluvial sediments. No study to date has examined in detail its potential use in the ceramic industry. The scarce knowledge of its mineralogical and technological properties limits its value and consequently its industrial use. Until now, these clay materials have been used in a rudimental manner, in small scale in the fabrication of red tiles. The present study aimed at analyzing these clays mineralogically (X-ray diffraction), chemically (major and minor elements by X-ray fluorescence and organic carbon analysis) and technologically (pressing granulometric distribution; mechanical resistence; water absorption, apparent porosity; linear firing shrinkage; color of firing and others) in order to better understand the raw material and develop adequate technological applications. The best results of ceramic properties were the samples with higher organic content (more plastic clays) and higher values of Al2O3 (kaolinite and gibbsite) and Fe2O3 as well lower SiO2 content and finer grain size which contribute to a better sinterization.

Thickness dependence of structure and piezoelectric properties at nanoscale of polycrystalline PZT thin films

Lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr 0.50Ti 0.50)O 3 (PZT) thin films were deposited by a polymeric chemical method on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates to understand the mechanisms of phase transformations and the effect of film thickness on the structure, dielectric and piezoelectric properties in these films. PZT films pyrolyzed at temperatures higher than 350 °C present a coexistence of pyrochlore and perovskite phases, while only perovskite phase grows in films pyrolyzed at temperatures lower than 300 °C. For pyrochlore-free PZT thin films, a small (100) orientation tendency near the film-substrate interface was observed. Finally, we demonstrate the existence of a self-polarization effect in the studied PZT thin films. Results suggest that Schottky barriers and/or mechanical coupling near the filmsubstrate interface are not primarily responsible for the observed self-polarization effect in our films. © 2012 IEEE.

A comparative study of aquifer systems occurring at the Paraná sedimentary basin, Brazil: U-isotopes contribution

The radioactivity due to 238U and 234U in three aquifer systems occurring within the Paraná sedimentary basin, South America, has been investigated. Uranium is much less dissolved from fractured igneous rocks than from the porous sedimentary rocks as indicated by the U-mobility coefficients between 7. 6 × 10-6 and 1. 2 × 10-3 g cm-3. These values are also compatible with the U preference ratios relative to Na, K, Ca, Mg and SiO2, which showed that U is never preferentially mobilized in the liquid phase during the flow occurring in cracks, fissures, fractures and faults of the igneous basaltic rocks. Experimental dissolution of diabase grains on a time-scale laboratory has demonstrated that the U dissolution appeared to be a two-stage process characterized by linear and second-order kinetics. The U dissolution rate was 8 × 10-16 mol m-2 s-1 that is within the range of 4 × 10-16-3 × 10-14 mol m-2 s-1 estimated for other rock types. The 234U/238U activity ratio of dissolved U in solutions was higher than unity, a typical result expected during the water-rock interactions when preferential 234U-leach from the rock surfaces takes place. Some U-isotopes data allowed estimating 320 ka for the groundwater residence time in a sector of a transect in São Paulo State. A modeling has been also realized considering all U-isotopes data obtained in Bauru (35 samples), Serra Geral (16 samples) and Guarani (29 samples) aquifers. The results indicated that the Bauru aquifer waters may result from the admixture of waters from Guarani (1. 5 %) and Serra Geral (98. 5 %) aquifers. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.