Mechanical properties and dimensional effects of ZnO- and SnO(2)-based varistors

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comparative electrical behavior at low and high current of SnO(2)- and ZnO-based varistors

The complete I-V characteristics of SnO(2)-based varistors, particularly of the Pianaro system SCNCr consisting in 98.9%SnO(2)+1%CoO+0.05%Nb(2)O(5)+0.05%Cr(2)O(3), all in mol%, have been seldom reported in the literature. A comparative study at low and high currents of the nonohmic behavior of SCNCr- and ZnO-based varistors (modified Matsuoka system) is proposed in this work. The SCNCr system showed higher nonlinearity coefficients in the whole range of measured current. The electrical breakdown field (E(b)) was twice as high for the SCNCr system (5400 V/cm) than for the ZnO varistor (2600 V/cm) due to a smaller average grain size of the former (4.5 mu m) with respect to the latter (8.5 mu m). Nevertheless, we consider that another important factor responsible for the high E(b) in the SCNCr system is the great number of electrically active interfaces (85%) as determined with electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). It was also established that the SCNCr system might be produced in disks of smaller dimensions than that of commercial ZnO-based product, with a 5.0 cm(-1) minimal area-volume (A/V) ratio. The SCNCr reached the saturation current in a short time because of the high resistivity of the grains, which is five times higher than that of the grains in ZnO-based varistors.

The effect of TiO(2) on the microstructural and electrical properties of low voltage varistor based on (Sn,Ti)O(2) ceramics

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Comparative electrical behavior at low and high current of SnO(2)- and ZnO-based varistors

The complete I-V characteristics of SnO(2)-based varistors, particularly of the Pianaro system SCNCr consisting in 98.9%SnO(2)+1%CoO+0.05%Nb(2)O(5)+0.05%Cr(2)O(3), all in mol%, have been seldom reported in the literature. A comparative study at low and high currents of the nonohmic behavior of SCNCr- and ZnO-based varistors (modified Matsuoka system) is proposed in this work. The SCNCr system showed higher nonlinearity coefficients in the whole range of measured current. The electrical breakdown field (E(b)) was twice as high for the SCNCr system (5400 V/cm) than for the ZnO varistor (2600 V/cm) due to a smaller average grain size of the former (4.5 mu m) with respect to the latter (8.5 mu m). Nevertheless, we consider that another important factor responsible for the high E(b) in the SCNCr system is the great number of electrically active interfaces (85%) as determined with electrostatic force microscopy (EFM). It was also established that the SCNCr system might be produced in disks of smaller dimensions than that of commercial ZnO-based product, with a 5.0 cm(-1) minimal area-volume (A/V) ratio. The SCNCr reached the saturation current in a short time because of the high resistivity of the grains, which is five times higher than that of the grains in ZnO-based varistors.

Nanostructured Cu/Nb multilayers subjected to helium ion-irradiation

Helium ion-irradiation experiments have been performed in single layer Cu films, Nb films and Cu/Nb multilayer films with layer thickness varying from 2.5 nm to 100 nm each layer. Peak helium concentration approaches a few atomic percent with 6-9 displacement-per-atom in Cu and Nb. He bubbles were observed in single layer Cu and Nb films, as well as in Cu 100 nm/Nb 100 nm multilayers with helium bubbles aligned along layer interfaces. Helium bubbles are not resolved via transmission electron microscopy in Cu 2.5 nm/Nb 2.5 nm multilayers. These studies indicate that layer interface may play an important role in annihilating ion-irradiation induced defects such as vacancies and interstitials and have implications in improving the radiation tolerance of metallic materials using nanostructured multilayers. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of Zr/Ti content on the morphotropic phase boundary in the PZT-PZN system

A quantitative structural investigation was carried out on (1-y)PbZrxTi1-xO3-yPbZn(1/3)Nb(2/3)O(3) where y=0.1 and 0.2 ((1-y)PZT-yPZN). High resolution XRD data have been used for quantitative phase analysis. The nominal compositions were prepared by a two-step low temperature calcining solid-state method. The sintered samples show an average grain size of 1-2 mu m. It is demonstrated that the increase in the concentration of PZN leads to the shift of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of PZT towards the PbZrO3 end member. In the present work, an effort has been made to quantitatively determine the MPB phase contents and to regain the coexistence of tetragonal and monoclinic phases by varying the value of x(i.e. Zr/Ti ratio). The width of the MPB becomes considerably larger for y=0.10 and 0.20 as compared to pure PZT. This is attributed to the considerably lower grain size of our samples resulting from the adopted preparation method. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrocaloric Effect in 0.85PMN-0.15PT Thin Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition

The electrocaloric effect (ECE) of 0.85PbMg(1/3)Nb(2/3)O(3-)0.15PbTiO(3) (0.85PMN-0.15PT) thin films deposited on (111) Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been calculated. The reversible adiabatic temperature was calculated indirectly using the Maxwell's relation Delta T = -T/C rho integral(E2)(E1) (partial derivative P/partial derivative T)(sigma,E)dE. Permittivity and P-E measurements show an anomaly at 11 degrees C on heating only. This anomaly previously reported are claimed to arise due to the PNR depolarization upon heating. The absence of this anomaly during cooling suggests that no structural phase transition takes place. A negative electrocaloric effect is observed which is explained by the increase in the entropy term.

染料激光器混合染料体系的研究

分子间的能量转移是当今光化学、光生物学和光物理学中的一个重要课题，长期以来一直受到人们的广泛关注。六十年代染料激光器出现以后，人们很快就将这一原理应用研究染料激光器的工作物质。选择适当的混合染料溶液作为染料激光器的工作物质，可以提高某些染料的激光输出能量或扩展激光波长覆盖范围，这已成为分子间能量转移的一个新的应用领域。本文首先阐述分子间能量转移的基本理论并对混合染料体系的选择及其研究进行了文献综述。另外，对研究过程中，他人工作改采用的实验手段也进行了概述，特别对荧光寿命的测量讨论得较为仔细。实验中我们着重研究了R6G/Red B、R6G/NB两个二元体系和C440/C540/Saf.~(-1)、C440/Fl.Na/Saf.~(-1)以及R6G/Red B/Ox725三个三元混合染料体系。实验方法主要通过测量混合染料溶液的荧光光谱、荧光寿命和激光输出性能。激发源波长始终固定在337.1nm。荧光光谱和荧光寿命多是在英国Applied Photophysics公司生产的SP-70型纳秒荧光分光光度计上测量的。这套仪器的设置从激发、探测以至最后的数据处理（微机处理）都达到较高的灵敏度和精确度。更为主要的是采用了时间相关单光子计数技术这一新的测量方法，真有较高的时间分辨本领，为染料分子的短寿命测量提供了重复性极好的可靠数据。并且由于这套仪器的信噪比大，能够测出高浓度溶液情况下的荧光光谱，而一般地荧光光谱仪却很难探测。激光调谐范围的测量是在QJD-9型染料激光器上进行的，光路结构安排合理，各项技术指标都达到了较高水平。激光强度的测量是采用了通用的光路结构测量混合染料溶液的超辐射模式的激光输出。下面是我们的实验结果。1.R6G/Red B、R6G/NB二元混合染料体系。通过测量R6G/Red B混合染料溶液的荧光光谱，了解到给体R6G有较强的能量转移给受体Red B。又通过荧光寿命的测量，表明溶液浓度达到～10~(-3) mol.L~(-1)时，分子间的能量转移主要是共振转移，且符合Stern-Volmer关系。由此我们进行了一定量讨论，计算了不同浓度溶液中给体与受体分子间的平均距离R。激光性能的测量表明这一体系具有较大的激光强度输出，且通过改变给体、受体浓度可扩展调谐范围。对于R6G/NB，我们做了类似的研究。但与R6G/Red B不同的是，R6G/NB始终是双峰。激光性能测量表明此体系可以扩展调谐范围，且可改善NB的激光输出，降低泵浦阈值。2.C440/C540/Saf.-T、C440/Fl.Na/Saf.-T及R6G/Red B/Ox725三元体系。C440/C540/Saf.-T混合染料溶液的荧光光谱研究表明，三种染料分子之间有较强的能量转移发生，且与溶液浓度配比适当时，可以同时获得三个不同波段处的荧光发射，从而可望扩展波长调谐范围。见图1。对于C440/Fl.Na/Saf.-T混合溶液，我们主要是采用光谱手段，对能量转移过程做了研究。结果表明C440/Fl.Na之间以辐射转移为主要机制，Fl.Na/Saf.-T之间在波度稍大时，发生共振转移的可能性较强。另外对能量转移过程进行了一些定量的讨论。计算求得C440/Fl.Na的临距离R_o = 47.5A，小于Fl.Na/Saf.-T的临界距离R_o = 59.0A，因而后者发生共振转移的可能性较大。R6G/Red B/Ox725体系与前两体系相比是向长波长方向扩展了。激光性能的测量表明，此体系可以作为染料激光器的工作物质。实验结果还表明三种染料混合以后的激光性能比Red B/Ox725二组份混合的效果好得多。R6G/Red B/Ox725的超辐射是图2所示。

华南下寒武统层序框架的初步构建―以遵义松林地区为例

华南下寒武统保存着国际著名的生物群（如澄江生物群），同时蕴藏着磷块岩、重晶石、稀土及Ni-Mo-PGE等丰富的矿产资源，因此，它一直为地质科学家们持续关注的热点之一。关于华南下寒武统的研究，前人在古生物学方面已经取得了卓著的成就，主要表现在国际权威期刊上（如期刊《Science》和《Nature》）已发表大量的关于澄江生物群的研究成果，对早期生命演化研究具有重要而广泛的影响。然而，华南下寒武统年代学及国际对比研究方面已明显滞后，公开发表的华南下寒武统的高精度、可靠的锆石U-Pb年龄数据至本研究论文截稿时止仍然仅有唯一的一个，即Jenkins et al. (2002)报道的国际前寒武系-寒武系界线层型候选剖面―云南晋宁梅树村剖面的朱家菁组中谊村段中部（第5层）钾质斑脱岩锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄（538.2 ± 1.5 Ma）。因而，华南下寒武统中的重要生物群、矿床及具全球对比意义的C同位素漂移事件缺乏地层精确年龄的约束，进而制约了早期生命演化理论、矿床成因解释及地层国际对比等方面研究的发展。 近来，发现华南下寒武统赋存独特的钾质斑脱岩层，它们在横向上广泛分布于云南东部、四川峨眉麦地坪、贵州西部（如织金和金沙岩孔）及北部（如遵义松林）、湖北宜昌泰山庙和湖南张家界等地区，在地层序列垂向上主要产出于朱家菁组中谊村段中部、石岩头组底部以及它们的相当层位。这些钾质斑脱岩既是建立地层框架等时层潜在的物质基础，亦是获取地层精确锆石U-Pb年龄的具重要意义的研究对象之一。因此，对它们进行系统研究可望改观华南下寒武统年代学及国际对比研究方面的落后现状。 同时，华南下寒武统广泛产出的磷块岩既具有重要的资源价值，另一方面，任一磷块岩层代表着一次独立的成磷事件，因而将华南地区下寒武统磷块岩进行区域上的对比研究，从而以磷块岩层作为等时层，对构建华南下寒武统地层框架具有重要的地层学意义。 此外，华南下寒武统产出的Ni-Mo多元素富集层广泛分布于扬子地台范围，西起云南东部，东部延至浙江诸暨地区，在NE-SW向延伸近1600 km，它既代 表了重要的成矿事件，亦为关键的地球化学异常层位。因此，对Ni-Mo多元素富集层进行区域上的对比研究，明确它在华南下寒武统各重要剖面的产出位置，对于构建华南下寒武统层序框架具有重要意义。 遵义松林地区的下寒武统因赋存Ni-Mo-PGE矿床及与滇东地区澄江生物群相当的遵义生物群而日益受到国内外地质学家们的广泛关注。该区牛蹄塘组底部产出磷块岩、钾质斑脱岩及Ni-Mo多元素富集层，与滇东地区梅树村剖面出露的地层具有潜在的可对比性。因此，本研究选取近年来日益受科学家们关注的遵义松林地区下寒武统作为研究对象，重点对该区牛蹄塘组底部的钾质斑脱岩开展矿物学、地球化学和年代学研究。同时，将遵义松林地区下寒武统剖面上磷块岩、钾质斑脱岩、Ni-Mo多元素富集层主要与滇东地区梅树村剖面的相应岩层进行地球化学对比研究。研究的目的在于通过对华南地区上述两条代表性的下寒武统剖面进行地层对比研究，初步构建华南下寒武统具时间、空间涵义的层序框架，从而约束华南下寒武统中的重要生物群、矿床及具全球对比意义的C同位素漂移事件的时间，进一步促进华南下寒武统的划分和全球对比。论文获得以下主要结论性认识： （1）滇东地区朱家菁组中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩及其邻近的磷块岩可构成华南下寒武统层序框架的第一个标志层。这一标志层在贵州大部分地区（或华南地区的多数下寒武统剖面）缺失。该标志层的磷块岩稀土元素总量和Y含量高于新元古代陡山沱期磷块岩，低于遵义松林地区牛蹄塘组底部及其华南其它地区相当层位（石岩头组底部及戈仲伍组）的磷块岩。第一个标志层的钾质斑脱岩的原始岩浆为亚碱性系列的酸性岩浆，其典型特征为具有较低的Zr（变化范围144×10-6~291×10-6，平均196.4×10-6）、Nb（变化范围10×10-6~13×10-6，平均11.86×10-6）含量和较高的Zr/Nb比值（变化范围为12.63~24.24，平均值为16.55）。这一层钾质斑脱岩的锆石U-Pb年龄为538.2±1.5 Ma（Jenkins et al., 2002）。 （2）遵义松林地区牛蹄塘组底部钾质斑脱岩和磷块岩分别相当于滇东地区石岩头组底部钾质斑脱岩和磷块岩，它们构成华南下寒武统层序框架的第二个标志层。该标志层中钾质斑脱岩的原始岩浆性质为中性岩浆，其碱性程度高于朱家菁组中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩的原始岩浆。相对于中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩，该层位的钾质斑脱岩具有高的Zr(变化范围187.0910-6~391.5710-6，平均值318.4010-6)、Nb（49.6910-6~140.0010-6，平均值90.6810-6）含量和低的Zr/Nb（2.60~4.32，平均值3.61）比值。该钾质斑脱岩的年龄为518 ± 5 Ma。该标志层的磷块岩以极其富REE和Y为特征，其稀土元素总量平均值为636.01×10-6，Y含量平均值262.43×10-6，明显高于滇东地区中谊村段磷块岩（∑REE平均值为195.45×10-6，Y含量平均值为91.2310-6），它们代表早寒武世时期一次特殊的以极其富REE和Y为特征的成磷事件。 （3）Ni-Mo多元素富集层可以作为构建华南下寒武统层序框架中的第三个等时标志层。滇东地区梅树村剖面的Ni-Mo多元素富集层被重新校正在玉案山组底部（即13层，Ni、Mo含量分别为135×10-6和583×10-6）。Ni-Mo多元素地球化学标志层的典型特征为在剖面上具Ni、Mo等多种微量元素及贵金属元素的最高异常。该标志层的Re-Os年龄为537~542 Ma，可能代表的不是地层层序的年龄。 （4）初步建立华南下寒武统时间框架。约束了华南地区下寒武统Ni-Mo-PGE矿床的下限年龄应为518 ± 5 Ma。同时，该时间框架亦约束了滇东地区澄江生物群及最古老三叶虫的下限年龄（518 ± 5 Ma），考虑到石岩头组底部钾质斑脱岩的产出位置与玉案山组中部澄江生物群的产出层位存在相当的距离（大于80 m），因此，前人对澄江生物群的推测年龄（525~530 Ma）可能有些偏老。此外，初步约束了华南地区具全球对比意义的C同位素正漂移事件的年龄（538~518 Ma）。该时间框架是建立在两个相互支持的地层高精度锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄的基础之上，而国际前寒武系-寒武系界线年龄的最新研究成果为542 Ma，因此，它支持将华南地区的前寒武系-寒武系界线置于朱家菁组中谊村段中部钾质斑脱岩层（第5层）的下伏地层的方案。结合华南地区最新的地层古生物学研究成果（朱茂炎等，2001；Zhu et al., 2003），将这一界线置于朱家菁组中谊村段底界可作为一种合理的选择。

Variability and trends in Laptev Sea ice outflow between 1992-2011

Variability and trends in seasonal and interannual ice area export out of the Laptev Sea between 1992 and 2011 are investigated using satellite-based sea ice drift and concentration data. We found an average total winter (Octo- ber to May) ice area transport across the northern and east- ern Laptev Sea boundaries (NB and EB) of 3.48 × 10 5 km 2 . The average transport across the NB (2.87 × 10 5 km 2 ) is thereby higher than across the EB (0.61 × 10 5 km 2 ), with a less pronounced seasonal cycle. The total Laptev Sea ice area flux significantly increased over the last decades (0.85 × 10 5 km 2 decade − 1 , p> 0 . 95), dominated by increas- ing export through the EB (0.55 × 10 5 km 2 decade − 1 , p> 0 . 90), while the increase in export across the NB is smaller (0.3 × 10 5 km 2 decade − 1 ) and statistically not significant. The strong coupling between across-boundary SLP gradient and ice drift velocity indicates that monthly variations in ice area flux are primarily controlled by changes in geostrophic wind velocities, although the Laptev Sea ice circulation shows no clear relationship with large-scale atmospheric in- dices. Also there is no evidence of increasing wind velocities that could explain the overall positive trends in ice export. The increased transport rates are rather the consequence of a changing ice cover such as thinning and/or a decrease in con- centration. The use of a back-propagation method revealed that most of the ice that is incorporated into the Transpolar Drift is formed during freeze-up and originates from the cen- tral and western part of the Laptev Sea, while the exchange with the East Siberian Sea is dominated by ice coming from the central and southeastern Laptev Sea. Furthermore, our re- sults imply that years of high ice export in late winter (Febru- ary to May) have a thinning effect on the ice cover, which in turn preconditions the occurence of negative sea ice extent anomalies in summer.

Erbium and Ytterbium Codoped Titanoniobophosphate Glasses for Ion-Exchange-Based Planar Waveguides

This work presents the optical properties of erbium-doped and erbium/ytterbium codoped Na(2)O-Al(2)O(3)-TiO(2)-Nb(2)O(5)-P(2)O(5) glass systems and also the characterization of planar waveguides obtained by typical thermally assisted Ag+<-> Na+ ion-exchange process. The glass systems allow the preparation of single mode and multimode planar waveguides presenting a strong and relatively broad emission at 1536 nm. The emission signal in the infrared region is intensified for silver-containing samples when compared with free-silver samples. The emission signal intensification may be attributed to a nonplasmonic energy transfer from silver species to Er3+ ions as no bands related to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of silver nanoparticles were observed.

Rankamaite from the Urubu pegmatite, Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil: Crystal chemistry and Rietveld refinement

A new occurrence of rankamaite is here described at the Urubu pegmatite, Itinga municipality, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The mineral forms cream-white botryoidal aggregates of acicular to fibrous crystals, intimately associated with simpsonite, thoreaulite, cassiterite, quartz, elbaite, albite, and muscovite. The average of six chemical analyses obtained by electron microprobe is (range in parentheses, wt%): Na(2)O 2.08 (1.95-2.13), K(2)O 2.61 (2.52-2.74), Al(2)O(3) 1.96 (1.89-2.00), Fe(2)O(3) 0.01 (0.00-0.03), TiO(2) 0.02 (0.00-0.06), Ta(2)O(5) 81.04 (79.12-85.18), Nb(2)O(5) 9.49 (8.58-9.86), total 97.21 (95.95-101.50). The chemical formula derived from this analysis is (Na(1.55)K(1.28))(Sigma 2.83)(Ta(8.45)Nb(1.64)Al(0.89)Fe(0.01)(3+)Ti(0.01))(Sigma 11.00)[O(25.02)(OH)(5.98)](Sigma 31.00). Rankamaite is an orthorhombic ""tungsten bronze"" (OTB), crystallizing in the space group Cmmm. Its unit-cell parameters refined from X-ray diffraction powder data are: a = 17.224(3), b = 17.687(3), c = 3.9361(7) angstrom, V = 1199.1(3) angstrom(3), Z = 2. Rietveld refinement of the powder data was undertaken using the structure of LaTa(5)O(14) as a starting model for the rankamaite structure. The structural formula obtained with the Rietveld analyses is: (Na(2.21)K(1.26))Sigma(3.37)(Ta(9.12)NB(1.30) Al(0.59))(Sigma 11.00)[O(26.29)(OH)(4.71)](Sigma 31.00). The tantalum atoms are coordinated by six and seven oxygen atoms in the form of distorted TaO(6) octahedra and TaO(2) pentagonal bipyramids, respectively. Every pentagonal bipyramid shares edges with four octahedra, thus forming Ta(5)O(14) units. The potassium atom is in an 11-fold coordination, whereas one sodium atom is in a 10-fold and the other is in a 12-fold coordination. Raman and infrared spectroscopy were used to investigate the room-temperature spectra of rankamaite.

Preparation of pyrochlore-free PMN by an alternative chemical method

This work reports the synthesis of the MgNb(2)O(6) and the ferroelectric lead magnesium niobate Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3) (PMN) using fine precursor powders obtained from a chemical Oxide Precursor Method (OPM). To obtain pyrochlore-free PMN ceramics, the synthesis of the precursor MgNb(2)O(6) powders was studied for 2-25 mol% excess of MgO and 10 mol% excess of PbO. Structural and microstructural properties of the sintered ceramics obtained by the cited method and by the classical columbite method were studied and compared. Results lead to good quality, pyrochlore-free PMN ceramic prepared by OPM, presenting greater grain size if compared with ceramic prepared by columbite method.

Relation among optical, thermal and thermo-optical properties and niobium concentration in tellurite glasses

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Investigation on dielectric response of PMN ceramics around paraelectric-ferroelectric diffuse phase transition

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)