Fabrication and Photocatalytic Characteristics of TiO2 Films on Silicon Substrates

Silicon ( 111 ) and Silicon (100) have been employed for fabrication of TiO2 films by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Titanium (Ⅳ) isopropoxide (Ti[O (C3H7)4 ])was used as a precursor. The as-deposited TiO2 films have been characterized with Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The photocatalytic properties were investigated by decomposition of aqueous orange Ⅱ. The crystalline and structural properties of TiO2 film had crucial influences on the photodegradation efficiency. For MOCVD in-situ deposited films on Si substrates, thephotoactivities varied following a shape of “M”: At lower (350 ℃ ) middle (500 ℃) and higher (800 ℃) temperature of deposition, relative lower photodegradation activities have been observed. At 400 ℃ and 700 ℃ of deposition, relative higher efficiencies of degradation have been obtained, because one predominant crystallite orientation could be obtained as deposition at those two temperatures, especially a single anatase crystalline TiO2 film could be obtained at 700 ℃ growth.     

Directional solidification and physical properties measurements of the zinc-aluminum eutectic alloy

Zn-5wt% Al eutectic alloy was directionally solidified with different growth rates (5.32–250.0 μm/s) at a constant temperature gradient of 8.50 K/mm using a Bridgman-type growth apparatus. The values of eutectic spacing were measured from transverse sections of the samples. The dependences of the eutectic spacing and undercooling on growth rate are determined as λ=9.21V-0.53 and ΔT=0.0245V0.53, respectively. The results obtained in this work were compared with the Jackson-Hunt eutectic theory and the similar experimental results in the literature. Microhardness of directionally solidified samples was also measured by using a microhardness test device. The dependency of the microhardness on growth rate is found as Hv=115.64V0.13. Afterwards, the electrical resistivity (r) of the casting alloy changes from 40×10-9 to 108×10-9 Ω·m with the temperature rising in the range of 300–630 K. The enthalpy of fusion (ΔH) and specific heat (C_p) for the Zn-Al eutectic alloy are calculated to be 113.37 J/g and 0.309 J/(g·K), respectively by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) from heating trace during the transformation from liquid to solid.     

Cretaceous synfolding remagnetization components revealing tectonic rotation of the middle Yangtze fold belt

To reveal the deformation process of the middle Yangtze fold belt, we conducted a paleomagnetic study on Middle Triassic limestones and Middle to Late Jurassic sandstones from Wanzhou, Chongqing. Stepwise thermal and alternating field demagnetization were used to isolate the multi-component re-manent magnetizations. The Jurassic samples were overprinted by recent geomagnetic field, while three magnetization components were isolated from the Middle Triassic samples. A low temperature component (LTC) was isolated at temperatures below 200℃, an intermediate temperature component (ITC) at 200―360℃ and a high temperature component (HTC) at 400―460℃. The LTC is distributed around the present-day Earth magnetic field, probably a viscous component. Stepwise unfolding indi-cates that the maximum precision parameters of ITC and HTC components are achieved at 33±8% and 50±27% (with 95% confidence) unfolding, respectively. The best-clustered ITC mean direction, Dec = 11.2°, Inc = 45.2° (α₉₅ = 4.5°, N = 34), corresponding to a paleopole at 79.3°N, 219.5°E (d_p = 3.6°, d_m = 5.7°), is consistent with the Cretaceous reference direction of the South China Block (SCB). The best-clustered HTC mean direction (taking 70% unfolding), Dec = 24.2°, Inc =49.0° (α₉₅ = 3.6°, N = 23), corresponding to a paleopole at 69.2°N, 195.5°E (d_p =3.1°, d_m = 4.8°), suggests a clockwise rotation of 12.8°±3.5°. These synfolding remagnetization components clearly reveal that a clockwise rotation happened at the middle stage of folding, thus supporting that at least part of the variation in fold axis strikes is due to orocline rotation. Combined with published data, our analysis indicates that the Wan-zhou-Xiangxi segment of the middle Yangtze fold belt experienced oroclinal bending. Furthermore, a published post-folding component isolated from the Middle Triassic Puqi Formation suggests a 27.5°±5.8° clockwise rotation, confirming that at least 50% of the observed clockwise rotations in the eastern middle Yangtze fold belt can be attributed to oroclinal bending. The remagnetization data and geological evidence observed in the middle Yangtze fold belt suggest that collision between SCB and North China Block (NCB) probably lasted till the early period of Early Cretaceous.     

Spark plasma and microwave sintering of Al6061 and Al2124 alloys

Despite the importance of aluminum alloys as candidate materials for applications in aerospace and automotive industries, very little work has been published on spark plasma and microwave processing of aluminum alloys. In the present work, the possibility was explored to process Al2124 and Al6061 alloys by spark plasma and microwave sintering techniques, and the microstructures and properties were compared. The alloys were sintered for 20 min at 400, 450, and 500℃. It is found that compared to microwave sintering, spark plasma sintering is an effective way to obtain homogenous, dense, and hard alloys. Fully dense (100%) Al6061 and Al2124 alloys were obtained by spark plasma sintering for 20 min at 450 and 500℃, respectively. Maximum relative densities were achieved for Al6061 (92.52%) and Al2124 (93.52%) alloys by microwave sintering at 500℃ for 20 min. The Vickers microhardness of spark plasma sintered samples increases with the increase of sintering temperature from 400 to 500℃, and reaches the values of Hv 70.16 and Hv 117.10 for Al6061 and Al2124 alloys, respectively. For microwave sintered samples, the microhardness increases with the increase of sintering temperature from 400 to 450℃, and then decreases with the further increase of sintering temperature to 500℃.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of twin-wire arc sprayed Ni-Al composite coatings on 6061-T6 aluminum alloy sheet

We have systematically studied the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni-5wt%Al and Ni-20wt%Al composite coatings fabricated on 6061-T6 aluminum alloy sheet by twin-wire arc spraying under different experimental conditions. The abrasive wear behavior and interface diffusion behavior of the composite coatings were evaluated by dry/wet rubber wheel abrasive wear tests and heat treatment, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the composite coatings exhibit features of adhesive wear. Besides, the Vickers microhardness of NiAl and Ni₃Al intermetallic compounds is relatively larger than that of the substrate, which is beneficial for enhancing the wear resistance. With the increase of annealing temperature and time, the interface diffusion area between the Ni-Al coating and the substrate gradually expands with the formation of NiAl₃ and Ni₂Al₃ phases, and is controlled by diffusion of aluminum atoms. The grain growth exponent n of diffusion kinetics of the Ni-Al coating, calculated via a high-temperature diffusion model at 400, 480, and 550℃, is between 0.28 and 0.38. This satisfies the cubic law, which is consistent with the general theoretical relationship of high-temperature diffusion.     

Nonlinear optical polyimide with high thermal stability prepared by simultaneous poling and polymerization

The high T_g polyimide embedded with a novel imidazol-typed chromophore 2-[5-(4-nitrostilbenyl)thienyl]- 4,5-di(4-aminophenyl)imidazole (NSTDAPI) was prepared using the “simultaneous poling and polymerization” technique. The glass transition temperature (T_g) is 304℃ and the initial decomposition temperature (T_d) is 330℃. The in-situ second harmonic generation (in-situ SHG) measurement was performed to study its poling behavior and the stability of the poling-induced orientation. The nonlinear optical (NLO) coefficient d₃₃ of poled polyimide film is 32.2 pm/V at 1064 nm fundamental wavelength. The SHG signal of the poled polymer film was quite stable below 200℃, and then began to decay rapidly above 220℃. The half-decay temperature of dipole orientation for the film is 250℃.     

Identification and primary genetic analysis of Arabidopsis stomatal mutants in response to multiple stresses

In response to variable environmental conditions, guard cells located in the leaf epidermis can integrate and cope with a multitude of complicated stimuli, thereby making stomata in an appro- priate state. However, many signaling components in guard cell signaling remain elusive. In our laboratory, a tool for non-invasive remote infrared thermal images was used to screen an ethyl methane sulfonate-mutagenized population for Arabidopsis stomatal response mutants under multiple stresses (ABA, H2O2, CO2, etc.). More than forty "hot" or "cold" mutants were isolated (above or below 0.5℃ in con- trast to normal plantlets). Identification and primary genetic analysis of these mutants show that they are monogenic recessive mutations and there exist distinct difference in stomata apertures compared to wild type. These mutants in response to various environmental stresses and hormones were comprehen- sively investigated, which enables us to further un- derstand the cross-talk in different signal transduction pathways.     

New Early Triassic paleomagnetic data from Huangben section, Guangdong and its tectonic implications

Continent China is composed of several blocks of variable sizes during different geological times, inwhich South China Block is composed of three tectonic units: Yangtze Block, Jiangnan Fold Belt and Southeast China Coastal Fold Belt (Fig. 1(a)), the last…     

Vp of muscovite-biotite gneiss up to 950℃ at 400 MPa: Constraints on the origin of abnormal seismic layers in continental crust

Here we present experimental results of compressional wave velocity (Vp) of muscovite-biotite gneiss from Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC) at the temperature up to 950℃ and the pressure of 0.1―400 MPa. At 400 MPa, when the temperature is lower than 600℃, Vp decreases linearly with increasing temperature at the rate of (Vp/T)p -4.43×10-4 km/s ℃. In the temperature range of 600―800℃, Vp drops significantly and the signal is degraded gradually due to the dehydration of muscovite and α-quartz softening. When the temperature rises from 800℃ to 875℃, Vp increases and the signals become clear again as a result of the temperature going through the β-quartz range. The experiments indicate that the duration has great influence on the experimental results when temperature is above the dehydration point of biotite. During the first 30 h at 950℃, the Vp decreases substantially from 5.9 to 5.4 km/s and the signal amplitude is attenuated by more than 80%. After the 30-h transition, the Vp and the amplitude of ultrasonic wave signals become steady. The decrease of Vp and attenuation of the signals at 950℃ are associated with the breakdown reactions of biotite. The experiments suggest that the breakdown of muscovite and/or quartz softening can contribute to the low seismic wave velocity in thickened quartz-rich felsic-crust such as what is beneath southern Tibet. Additionally, α-β quartz transition generates a measurable high seismic velocity zone, which provides a possibility of precisely constraining the temperature in the upper-middle continental crust. Our study also demonstrates that duration is a key factor to obtain credible experimental results.     

Effects of annealing temperature on the microstructure and hardness of TiAlSiN hard coatings

TiAlSiN hard coatings were synthesized on high-speed steel using an arc ion enhanced magnetic sputtering hybrid system.The microstructure and hardness of the coatings at different annealing temperatures were explored by means of XRD,TEM,EDAX and Vickers indentation.The as-deposited TiAlSiN coatings were confirmed to be amorphous due to high depositing rate and low deposition temperature during the film growth.The transformation from amorphous to nanocomposites of nano-crystallites and amorphousness were observed after the annealing treatment,the microstructure of TiAlSiN coatings annealed at 800°C and 1000°C were consisted of crystalline hcp-AlN,fcc-TiN and amorphous phase,however,the coatings were only consisted of fcc-TiN and amorphous phase when annealing at 1100°C and 1200°C.Meanwhile,the formation of Al2O3 was detected on the coating surface after annealing at 1200°C and it indicated the excellent oxidation resistance of the TiAlSiN coatings under the present experimental conditions.Furthermore,the average grain size of the TiAlSiN coatings after high temperature annealing even at 1200°C was less than 30 nm and the size increased with the increasing temperature.However,the hardness of the so-deposited coatings with HV0.2N=3300 dramatically decreased with the increase of temperature and reached nearly to the hardness of TiN coatings with HV0.2N=2300.     

Metallic phases of Dong Ujimqin mesosiderite: A field emission scanning electron microscope study

The microstructure of Fe-Ni metallic phases in Dong Ujimqin mesosiderite was studied using the field emission SEM. Taenite is characterized by a zoned structure, consisting of outer clear taenite and inner cloudy zone (CZ). CZ has a typical "island-honeycomb" microstructure. The average size of the island phase is about 358 nm, suggesting a cooling rate of ～ 0. 5℃/Ma at low temperature (<400℃ ). The Ni concentration profiles across kamacite and zoned taenite were also measured by electron probe microscope analysis (EPMA). Formation of the Fe-Ni metallic phases, microstructure in Dong Ujimqin mesosiderite was discussed based on the new low-temperature Fe-Ni phase diagram.     

Effects of synthetic conditions on the structure and morphology of open-ended vanadium oxide nanotubes and study of their growth mechanism

Vanadium oxide nanotubes (VOx-NTs) have been synthesized by using n-butylamine as structuredirecting template and V2O5 as precursor under hydrothermal conditions. XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, BET and TG-DTA characterizations have been performed to both optimize the synthetic conditions and understand the growth mechanism of VOx-NTs. The results showed that open-ended VOx-NTs were obtained under the optimized conditions (hydrothermal temperature: 150―160°C, hydrothermal time: 5―7 d, the molar ratio of V2O5 to n-butylamine is 1:1) with diameters ranging from about 30 to 100 nm and several micrometers in length. The BET surface area and the desorption cumulative pore volume of pores of the as-synthesized sample were about 27.4609 m2/g and 0.191087 cm3/g, respectively. The result presents that the synthesis of VOx-NTs is controlled by the "rolling" mechanism and temperature is primary driving force for rolling.     

Agglomerating Growth of One-Dimensional Carbon Nano-Materials Synthesized from Ethanol Flames

One-dimensional carbon nano-materials （ODCNMs） synthesized from ethanol flames exhibit various agglomerated morphologies, such as ＂chrysanthemum-like＂, ＂hairball-like＂ or ＂orange-peel-like＂, ＂vertically aligned＂ and ＂wrinkling-pileup＂. The present work studied the agglomerating process and the growth mechanism by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It is thought that the size and distribution of the catalyst particles produced from pretreatment of the substrates play a key role during the formation of agglomerations. It is expected that the steady growth of ODCNMs in flames will be improved through the preparation of the catalysts.     

Genetic analysis of “all-fish” growth hormone gene trans ferred carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and its F1 generation

Recombinant “all-fish” growth hormone gene (GH) was microinjected into the fertilized eggs of carp. A comparison between the growth traits of transgenics and non-transgenics was carried out, and the transgenic individuals with significant “fast-growing” effect were successfully gained. A comparison on the reproductivities was also given out between the transgenics and their non-transgenic siblings, and showed that the reproductive capacity of transgenics was substantially equivalent to those of the non-transgenics. On the other hand, the genetic separation and the characteristic distribution of the F₁ generation were genetically analyzed, which gave solid evidence for the hypothesis that 2–3 chromosomes are integrated with transgene. In addition, the distinct biological effects for multisite-integrated transgenes were further discussed. The present study opens a door for the breeding of “fast-growing” transgenic fish.     

Dispersion of CoCl2 into γ-Al2O3 studied by positron

Co²⁺/γ-Al₂O₃ samples were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation of γ-Al₂O₃ with different concentration solution of CoCl₂ and dried at 40 °C. We measured the positron lifetime spectra of the samples of different Co²⁺ mass fractions (0%–8.24%) heated at different temperatures (100–500°C). All lifetime spectra were resolved into four components, in which the third and the fourth components were related to the surface state of the micropores and the secondary pores of the γ-Al₂O₃. The experimental results showed that the Co²⁺ was mainly located in the micropores and the secondary pores near to the exterior of the support. For low Co²⁺ mass fraction samples, when the heating temperature was above 400 °C, dispersal was almost finished. When the Co²⁺ mass fraction was above 5.59%, Co²⁺ and Cl⁻ were dispersed into the secondary pores in the form of multiple layers.     

Synthesis and pervaporation performance of high-reproducibility silicalite-1 membranes

High-reproducibility silicalite-1 membranes were synthesized on silica tubes by in-situ hydrothermal synthesis, and the relative standard deviation （R.S.D.） of average separation factor for eight membranes was only 7.5%. By using an effective method called ＂solution-filling （SF）＂, the average flux of membranes prepared with SF method was improved by about 49% compared to membranes prepared without SF method, and the highest flux of membrane prepared with SF method towards ethanol/H2O mixture at 80℃ was 1.49 kg/（m^2·h）. Pervaporation experiments showed that the fluxes of silicalite-1 membranes at 60℃ were 2.63, 0.87, 0.24, and 0.20 kg/（m^2·h） towards methanol/H2O, ethanol/H=O, 2-propanol/H2O, and 1-propanol/H2O mixtures, respectively, and the corresponding separation factors were 22, 69, 81, and 159, respectively.     

Analysis of the characteristics of the harmonics coefficient <Emphasis Type="Italic">J</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript> of the Earth’s gravity field in different periods

The characteristics of the geopotential coefficient J2 in different periods are analyzed using satellite laser ranging data spanning the last 27 years.The satellites used in the analysis are Lageos1 and Lageos2.The variations in J2 are obtained by determining the dynamic orbit.The results show that there are strong seasonal and long-term variations.For different data spans,the seasonal variations agree well in terms of both amplitude and phase.Using all the data,the amplitude and phase of the annual term are 2.5 10-10 and 127°,respectively,while the amplitude and phase of the semiannual term are 0.94 10-10 and 213°,respectively.In the case of long-term variation,the secular variation in J2(J2) is-2.2 10-11 a-1 from 1984 to 2010.J2 differs for the different periods because of interannual variations,such as the "1998 anomaly".Another anomaly may have taken place during 2007-2010.Although the cause of the anomaly is unknown,it is an important observational constraint on the shape of the Earth.     

Microwave sintering of Ca<Subscript>0.6</Subscript>La<Subscript>0.2667</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> microwave dielectric ceramics

Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics were prepared by conventional and microwave sintering techniques and their sinterability, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties were investigated in detail for comparison. Densified Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics were obtained by microwave sintering at 1350°C for 30 min and by conventional sintering at 1450°C for 4 h. An unusual phenomenon was found that some larger grains (grain size range: 8–10 μm) inclined to assemble in one area but some smaller ones (grain size range: 2–4 μm) inclined to gather in another area in the microwave sintered ceramics. The microwave dielectric properties of Ca_0.6La_0.2667TiO₃ ceramics prepared by microwave sintering at 1350°C were as follows: dielectric constant (ɛ _r) = 119.6, quality factor (Qf) = 17858.5 GHz, and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τ _f) = 155.5 ppm/°C. In contrast, the microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics prepared by conventional sintering at 1450°C were ɛ _r = 117.4, Qf = 13375 GHz, and τ _f = 217.2 ppm/°C.     

Formation of ζ phase in Cu-Ge peritectic alloys

Rapid growth behavior of ζ phase has been investigated in the undercooling experiments of Cu-14%Ge, Cu-15%Ge, Cu-18.5%Ge and Cu-22%Ge alloys. Alloys of the four compositions obtain the maximum undercoolings of 202 K（0.17TL）, 245 K（0.20TL）, 223 K（0.20TL） and 176 K（0.17TL）, respectively. As the content of Ge increases, the microstructural transition of ＂a（Cu） dendrite ＋ ζ＂ peritectic phase → ζ＂ peritectic phase →, ζ dendrite ＋ （ε＋ζ） eutectic＂ takes place in the alloy at small undercooling, while the microstructural transition of ＂fragmented α （Cu）dendrite ＋ ζ peritectic phase →, ζ peritectic phase →ζ dendrite ＋ ε phase＂ happens in the alloy at large undercooling. EDS analysis of the Ge content in peritectic phase indicates that undercooling enlarges the solid solubility of ζ rdendrite, which leads to a decrease in the Ge content in ζ phase as undercooling increases. In the Cu-18.5%Ge alloy composed of ζ peritectic phase, the Ge content in ζ phase increases when undercooling increases, which is due to the restraint of the Ge enrichment on the grain boundaries by high undercooling effect.     

Effects of surface modification on isothermal oxidation behavior of HVOF-sprayed NiCrAlY coatings

NiCrAlY coatings were deposited on Ni-based superalloy by high-velocity oxygen-fuel spraying (HVOF). Surface modification by means of grit-blasted, shot-peened and ground methods was used in order to study the effect of surface conditions on the isothermal oxidation behavior of HVOF-sprayed NiCrAlY coatings at 1050 ℃. The results showed that surface modification had an obvious effect on the isothermal oxidation behavior of the coatings. There was a large decrease in growth rate compared with the as-sprayed coating. The scale formed on the grit-blasted and shot-peened coatings was a mixture of Al₂O₃ and NiCr₂O₄, while the oxide formed on the ground coating was composed mainly of Al2O3. After surface modification, the content of NiCr₂O₄ spinels decreased compared with the as-sprayed coating.