Screw dislocation in functionally graded magnetoelectroelastic solids

A screw dislocation in a functionally graded magnetoelectroelastic material is investigated. The material properties exponentially changing along both x and y directions are considered and the mechanical–electric–magnetic coupling is discussed. Closed-form expressions for the mechanical, electric and magnetic components are derived using the general stress function method. The solutions can be applied as a fundamental result and reduced into the classic and piezoelectric cases. The study puts forth a direct way for screw dislocation analysis in inhomogeneous structures with multifield coupling.     

Modelling of dissolution kinetics of thin amorphous chalcogenide films

A theoretical relationship for the dissolution kinetics of thin chalcogenide films is proposed. The influence of light irradiation on the film dissolution is taken into account. The theoretical curves are in good agreement with the experimental dissolution results obtained for As₂S₃ thin amorphous films.     

Bulk metallic glass formation near the TiCu–TiNi pseudo-binary eutectic composition

No bulk metallic glass (BMG) has been observed so far in the Ti–Cu binary system. It has been found that by choosing a pseudo-binary eutectic (L?→?TiCu +TiNi) deeper than that in the binary, reachable via only small substitution of Cu with Ni, the glass-forming ability can be effectively elevated. BMGs of 1–1.5 mm diameter have been formed over a composition range around Ti₅₀Cu₄₃Ni₇. The new BMGs are reproducibly malleable with significant compressive plastic strains.     

Light emission from ferroelectric barium titanate nanocrystals

Thin laminates (thickness δ = 20–45 nm) of barium titanate, BaTiO₃ (BT), have been synthesised by the sol–gel method followed by heating of the amorphous precursor powder in air. An orthorhombic BT polymorph forms along with a tetragonal phase (t-BT) after 2 h of heating the precursor at 600°C, as evidenced by a well-defined X-ray diffraction pattern. The average crystallite size D ～ 21 nm compares the δ-value obtained from the scanning electron micrograph. On heating at temperatures as high as 750°C, the structure remains mostly t-BT (D ? 44 nm), which emits violet–blue–green light at a wavelength of 380–580 nm with a maximum at around 422 nm. The emission extends to wavelengths shorter than ～300 nm owing to a quantum-size effect in smaller crystals processed at lower temperatures. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), which occurs at a g-value of 1.995 (linewidth ΔH = 1.12 mT) in a sample heated at 400°C, shows an order of magnitude of lower intensity at g = 1.993 (ΔH = 3.69 mT) on annealing out the paramagnetic defects at 600°C in air. No EPR signal arises in t-BT free from such defects in larger crystals.     

Topological interlocking of protective tiles for the space shuttle

We propose a new concept of design of heat- and impact-resistant tile covering for space shuttles based upon topological interlocking of tiles. The key features of this type of tiling are as follows: firstly, the tiles are kept in place by virtue of the geometry of their contacting surfaces alone, so that no binding agent needs to be used; secondly, failure of an individual element does not compromise the structural integrity of the tile assembly and, moreover, a failed tile will be kept in place by its neighbours, thus maintaining its thermal protection function; thirdly, topological interlocking removes the need for connectors or other stress concentrators deleterious in extreme conditions of space flight and re-entry. Topological interlocking is scale and material independent, which permits combining tiles made from different materials in any proportion.     

Arsenic adsorption onto silicon stepped surfaces: a study at semiempirical level

As adsorption onto Si surfaces vicinal to (100) has been studied using the Hartree–Fock method at a semiempirical level and a cluster model of the surface steps. The simulation conditions apply to the dilute limit of the adsorbate concentration. Accordingly, one As atom is placed on the step in a substitutional or interstitial location, either above or below the surface. The optimal configuration of the system is evaluated from a steepest-descent energy minimization. The central finding is that As is preferably adsorbed in the interstitial location and the physical explanation is that this location allows both a stronger electrostatic coupling with the surface and a lower stress than in the case of the substitutional impurity. This result represents a significant divergence with respect to the known properties of the bulk impurity. It can, however, consistently account for known features of heteroepitaxial growth of As on Si(100).     

Mechanically driven grain boundary relaxation: a mechanism for cyclic hardening in nanocrystalline Ni

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to show that cyclic mechanical loading can relax the non-equilibrium grain boundary (GB) structures of nanocrystalline metals by dissipating energy and reducing the average atomic energy of the system, leading to higher strengths. The GB processes that dominate deformation in these materials allow low-energy boundary configurations to be found through kinematically irreversible structural changes during cycling, which increases the subsequent resistance to plastic deformation.     

Grain boundary phase observed in Al–5 at.% Zn alloy by using HREM

The nature and behaviour of grain boundary (GB) phases is very important since they can control strength, plasticity, resistivity, grain growth, corrosion resistance, etc, especially in nanocrystalline materials. For nanocrystalline Al-based light alloys, extremely high plasticity has been observed in restricted temperature and concentration intervals close to the solidus line. This phenomenon is not fully understood. It can be explained by formation of GB phases not included in the bulk phase diagram. Therefore, the structure of GB phases, as well as thermodynamic conditions for their existence, has to be carefully studied. In this work the structure and composition of GBs and GB triple junctions in Al–5 at.% Zn polycrystals annealed in the temperature region above and below the bulk solidus line were studied by high-resolution electron microscopy and analytical transmission electron microscopy. Evidence has been obtained that a thin layer of a liquid-like phase exists in GBs and GB triple junctions slightly below the bulk solidus line.     

The crystal structure of Al20.6Ta22.4 and its relation to Frank–Kasper phases

The monoclinic phase in the Al–Ta system has been identified by means of X-ray single-crystal structure analysis as Al_{19+ x} Ta_{24? x} (x?=?1.6), Pearson symbol mP86. Al_20.58Ta_22.42 crystallizes in the space group P2₁/n, with a?=?987.86?pm, b?=?990.12?pm, c?=?1489.45?pm and β?=?99.958°. Twinned crystals of the title compound can be obtained by iodine-promoted reactions of the elements. In the experiments described here, the reactions took place in sealed tantalum ampoules at 1400°C. Single-phase samples were obtained by a metallurgical powder method, which minimizes aluminium loss by incongruent vapourization. The composition was found to span the range 0.51?≤?x _Ta?≤?0.53. Al_{19+ x} Ta_{24? x} decomposes in the solid state at 1450°C into Al₆₉Ta₃₉ and σ-AlTa₂. The crystal structure is analyzed in relation to tetrahedral close-packed structures. The kinship with Cr₃Si-type and H-type structures is accentuated.