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At least 451 records · Page 25

Hardness and modulus of Fe2B, Fe3(C,B), and Fe23(C,B)6 borides and carboborides in the Fe-C-B system

Highlights: • Hardness and modulus of the Fe{sub 2}B, Fe{sub 3}(C,B), Fe{sub 23}(C,B){sub 6} and M{sub 7}C{sub 3} phases are analyzed. • Hardness and modulus of the Fe{sub 3}(C,B) phase are increasing with its B content. • Size effects are apparent for hardness of Fe{sub 2}B, Fe{sub 3}(C,B), Fe{sub 23}(C,B){sub 6} and M{sub 7}C{sub 3}. • The model of Nix and Gao was used to evaluate the load-independent hardness H{sub 0}. • Hardness ranking is Fe{sub 2}B > M{sub 7}C{sub 3} > Fe{sub 3}(C,B) > Fe{sub 23}(C,B){sub 6} - Abstract: This work provides a comparative and comprehensive study of the indentation hardness and indentation modulus of iron-rich borides and carboborides of types Fe{sub 2}B, Fe{sub 3}(C,B), and Fe{sub 23}(C,B){sub 6}. In addition, the hardness and elastic modulus of Cr-rich M{sub 7}C are investigated for comparative purposes. We investigated the impact of increasing B content and indentation size effect (ISE). The phases of interest were stabilized in cast Fe-C-B alloys that varied with respect to the B / (B + C) ratio and heat treatment. The resulting microstructures were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and wavelength X-ray spectroscopy (WDS). Dynamic in-situ nanoindentation experiments based on the method of continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) were coupled to SEM and EBSD investigations to determine the mechanical properties of the individual borides and carboborides as a function of the indentation depth. The results were compared to values obtained for the Cr-rich M{sub 7}C{sub 3} carbide. It was found that the hardness of the B-rich Fe{sub 3}(C{sub ,}B) phase is considerably higher than pure Fe{sub 3}C and increases with increasing B content. The ISE was present in all investigated phases, and the hardness decreased as a function of indentation depth. The hardness at infinite indentation depth H{sub 0} was estimated according to the model of Nix and Gao. The Fe{sub 2}B phase was found to be the hardest phase (H{sub 0} = 19.04 GPa), followed by M{sub 7}C{sub 3} (H{sub 0} = 16.43 GPa), Fe{sub 3}(C,B) (H{sub 0} = 11.18 to 12.24 GPa), and Fe{sub 23}(C,B){sub 6} (H{sub 0} = 10.39 GPa).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Temperature-induced structural evolution in liquid Ag-Ga alloys

Temperature-dependent atomic structural evolutions of liquid Ag 60 Ga 40 and Ag 70 Ga 30 alloys have been studied by in situ high-energy x-ray-diffraction (HEXRD) experiments combined with ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations. The experimental data show a reversible structural crossover at about 1050 ~ 1100 (± 50) K in both liquid Ag 60 Ga 40 and Ag 70 Ga 30 alloys. Obvious changes of the electrical resistivity, absolute thermoelectric power, and atomic diffusivity around the similar temperature range for both Ag-Ga liquids strongly support the HEXRD results. The origin of the liquid-to-liquid crossover in both Ag-Ga liquids was suggested to link with the rearrangements of Ag and Ga atoms, i.e., Ag and Ga atoms prefer to associate with themselves in the higher temperature range above 1100 K, consistent with the accelerated increase of the strong covalently bonded Ga–Ga dimers in both Ag-Ga liquids. In addition, more studies from the energy aspect are still desirable to understand the rearrangements of Ag and Ga atoms in the higher temperature range in both Ag-Ga liquids.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Green Synthesis and Antioxidant Study of Silver Nanoparticles of Root Extract of Sageretia thea and Its Role in Oxidation Protection Technology

Development of environmentally friendly synthesis of nanoparticles is one of the important areas of research in nanotechnology. In present study silver naopartticles (AgNPs) of root extract of Sageretia thea (S. thea) were synthesized at room temperature. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV. Visible spectroscopy (UV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Formation of AgNPs was confirmed by visual examination the colour change from yellow to brick red due to surface Plasmon resonance band at 435 nm. SEM and TEM analysis of synthesized AgNPs revealed spherical morphology with average particle size 25 nm. Crystalline nature of the AgNPs in face centered cubic structure is evident from the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and XRD pattern. The presence of elemental Ag was confirmed by EDX analysis at 3kv. Different functional groups which responsible for reduction and stabilization of reaction medium was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed strong DPPH and dye protection radical scavenging assay while modest hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging assay as compare to crude extract. The present investigations suggest that biosynthesized nanoparticles have a high potential for use in the preparation of drugs used against various diseases and also a promising candidate for many medical applications.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

X-ray diffraction strains in laser-ablated aluminum, nickel, sodium, and invar: Pressures to 475 GPa

Dynamically compressed materials in longitudinal waves are described by two physical models: hydrostatic pressure, with equal, normal, principal stresses or material uniaxially strained in the wave propagation direction. These models are disparate, so experimental comparisons and evaluations are important. Polycrystalline material in a state of hydrostatic pressure will have no eccentricity of x-ray-diffracted Debye–Scherrer rings. A general three-dimensional solution of Bragg diffracted x rays based on principal crystallographic strains in the compression wave was found. The distortion of x-ray diffraction beams has been used for strain measurements; the analysis developed incorporates a strained reciprocal lattice and the incident x-ray beam. Strain-distorted Polanyi surfaces form an annulus of compression with an ellipsoid of revolution in reciprocal space, which is intersected by Ewald's sphere for Bragg diffraction. The in situ measurements for strain describe nanosecond diffraction evaluated using two planes, (hkl) and (h′k′l′), both in the same crystallographic phase. Diffraction from Al, Ni, Na, and Invar quantifies the compression axial strains in these materials: The compression axial ratios are 0.65, 1.05, 0.88, and 1.58 at pressures of 291, 402, 409, and 367 GPa for the respective materials. Crystal structure transformations with homogeneous pressurized stresses, mandating equal normal strains, should not be anticipated to agree with heterogeneous, uniaxially strained, and sheared crystalline phases. Measurements support in-plane strains increasing with pressure, p , in fcc and hcp aluminum as ε 22 = −0.21 p /TPa.

Alloys↗

Pore Distortion in a Metal–Organic Framework for Regulated Separation of Propane and Propylene

The development of porous solids for adsorptive separation of propylene and propane remains an important and challenging line of research. State-of-the-art sorbent materials often suffer from the trade-off between adsorption capacity and selectivity. Here, we report the regulated separation of propylene and propane in a metal–organic framework via designed pore distortion. Here, the distorted pore structure of HIAM-301 successfully excludes propane and thus achieved simultaneously high selectivity (>150) and large capacity (~3.2 mmol/g) of propylene at 298 K and 1 bar. Dynamic breakthrough measurements validated the excellent separation of propane and propylene. In situ neutron powder diffraction and inelastic neutron scattering revealed the binding domains of adsorbed propylene molecules in HIAM-301 as well as host–guest interaction dynamics. This study presents a new benchmark for the adsorptive separation of propylene and propane.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Formation of diamonds in laser-compressed hydrocarbons at planetary interior conditions

The effects of hydrocarbon reactions and diamond precipitation on the internal structure and evolution of icy giant planets such as Neptune and Uranus have been discussed for more than three decades. Inside these celestial bodies, simple hydrocarbons such as methane, which are highly abundant in the atmospheres, are believed to undergo structural transitions that release hydrogen from deeper layers and may lead to compact stratified cores. Indeed, from the surface towards the core, the isentropes of Uranus and Neptune intersect a temperature–pressure regime in which methane first transforms into a mixture of hydrocarbon polymers, whereas, in deeper layers, a phase separation into diamond and hydrogen may be possible. Here in this paper, we show experimental evidence for this phase separation process obtained by in situ X-ray diffraction from polystyrene (C 8 H 8 ) n samples dynamically compressed to conditions around 150 GPa and 5,000 K; these conditions resemble the environment around 10,000 km below the surfaces of Neptune and Uranus. Our findings demonstrate the necessity of high pressures for initiating carbon–hydrogen separation and imply that diamond precipitation may require pressures about ten times as high as previously indicated by static compression experiments. In conclusion, our results will inform mass–radius relationships of carbon-bearing exoplanets, provide constraints for their internal layer structure and improve evolutionary models of Uranus and Neptune, in which carbon–hydrogen separation could influence the convective heat transport.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Transition from nonsequential to sequential double ionization in many-electron systems

Understanding strong-field double ionization of many-electron systems is an important fundamental problem with potential implications for molecular imaging within this regime. Using mid-IR radiation, we unambiguously identify the transition from nonsequential (e, 2e) to sequential double ionization in Xe at an intensity below 10 14 W/cm 2 . Ionization from excited orbitals is found to be decisive at low intensities, but we demonstrate that such mechanisms are unimportant in the sequential regime. We utilize these facts to successfully image a molecular dication using laser-induced electron diffraction. This methodology can be used to study molecular dynamics on unprecedented few-femtosecond time scales.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Crystal structure and equation of state of Fe-Si alloys at super-Earth core conditions

The high-pressure behavior of Fe alloys governs the interior structure and dynamics of super-Earths, rocky extrasolar planets that could be as much as ten times more massive than Earth. In experiments reaching up to 1300 GPa, we combine laser-driven dynamic ramp compression with in situ X-ray diffraction to study the effect of composition on the crystal structure and density of Fe-Si alloys, a potential constituent of super-Earth cores. We find that Fe-7wt.%Si adopts the hexagonal close packed (hcp) structure over the measured pressure range, whereas Fe-15wt.%Si is observed in a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure. This study represents the first experimental determination of the density and crystal structure of Fe-Si alloys at pressures corresponding to the center of a ~3 Earth-mass terrestrial planet. Our results allow for direct determination of the effects of light elements on core radius, density, and pressures for such planets.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Optical and Physical Probing of Thermal Processes in Semiconductor and Plasmonic Nanocrystals

This article reviews thermal properties of semiconductor and emergent plasmonic nanomaterials with a focus on mechanisms through which hot carriers and phonons are produced and dissipated, as well as the related impact on optoelectronic properties. Equilibrium elevated temperatures, of particular relevance to implementation of nanomaterials in devices, affect absorptive and radiative transitions as well as emission efficiency that can present reversible and irreversible changes with temperature. In noble metal or doped semiconductor/insulator nanomaterials, hot carriers and lattice heating can substantially influence localized surface plasmon resonances and yield large, ultrafast changes in transmission, or strongly oscillatory coherences. Transient optical and diffraction characterizations enable non-equilibrium investigations of phonon dynamics and cooling such as lattice expansion and crystal phase stability. Timescales of nanoparticle thermalization with surroundings and transport of heat within films of such materials is also discussed.

optical probe↗

Structure, Elastic Constants and XRD Spectra of Extended Solids under High Pressure

We present results of evolutionary simulations based on density functional calculations of a potentially new type of energetic materials called extended solids: P-N and N-H. High-density structures with covalent bonds generated using variable and fixed concentration methods were analysed in terms of thermo-dynamical stability and agreement with experimental X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra. X-ray diffraction spectra were calculated using a virtual diffraction algorithm that computes kinematic diffraction intensity in three-dimensional reciprocal space before being reduced to a two-theta line profile. Calculated XRD patterns were used to search for the structure of extended solids present at experimental pressures by optimizing data according to experimental XRD peak position, peak intensity and theoretically calculated enthalpy. Elastic constants has been calculated for thermodynamically stable structures of P-N system.

Batyrev, I. G.↗

Styrene-Based Elastomer Composites with Functionalized Graphene Oxide and Silica Nanofiber Fillers: Mechanical and Thermal Conductivity Properties

The mechanical and thermal conductivity properties of two composite elastomers were studied. Styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) filled with functionalized graphene oxide (GO) and silica nanofibers, and styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) block copolymers filled with graphene oxide. For the SBR composites, GO fillers with two different surface functionalities were synthesized (cysteamine and dodecylamine) and dispersed in the SBR using mechanical and liquid mixing techniques. The hydrophilic cysteamine-based GO fillers were dispersed in the SBR by mechanical mixing, whereas the hydrophobic dodecylamine-based GO fillers were dispersed in the SBR by liquid mixing. Silica nanofibers (SnFs) were fabricated by electrospinning a sol–gel precursor solution. The surface chemistry of the functionalized fillers was studied in detail. The properties of the composites and the synergistic improvements between the GO and SnFs are presented. For the SBS composites, GO fillers were dispersed in the SBS elastomer at several weight percent loadings using liquid mixing. Characterization of the filler material and the composite elastomers was performed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile testing, nanoindentation, thermal conductivity and abrasion testing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Investigation of temperature dependent microstructure evolution of pure iron during friction stir welding using liquid CO2 rapid cooling

Highlights: • Microstructure evolution during the FSW of pure iron was investigated under low and high heat input conditions, respectively. • Rapid cooling, tool stop action, marker insert and short-time annealing were employed to clarify the microstructure evolution. • Continuous and discontinuous dynamic recrystallizations occur during the microstructure evolution under both the conditions. • Incomplete and complete recrystallized microstructures were developed severally under the low and high heat input conditions. • Grain growth occurs during the normal cooling stage but it is very limited under the low heat input condition. - Abstract: The microstructure evolution of pure iron during friction stir welding was reconstructed by an ingenious experimental design, in which the rapid cooling friction stir welding combined with the tool “stop action” technique and the subsequent short-time annealing were adopted to “freeze” the transient microstructure during the stirring and reproduce the normal cooling during conventional friction stir welding, respectively. The microstructure evolution during the stirring and normal cooling was investigated along the material flow path and in the annealed “frozen” weld zone by high-resolution electron-backscatter-diffraction technique. The results show that the continuous and discontinuous dynamic recrystallizations occur simultaneously at the severe deformation stage in front of the tool both under low and high heat input conditions. However, during the material flow, the microstructure evolution involves the plastic deformation, recrystallization, high angle boundaries migration and dynamic recovery under the low heat input condition, while in a dynamic balance of deformation, recrystallization and grain growth under the high heat input conditions. At the cooling stage, normal grain growth occurs both for the low and high heat input welding conditions, while it is very limited for the low heat input condition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Coherent diffractive imaging with twisted X-rays: Principles, applications, and outlook

Recent technological breakthroughs in synchrotron and x-ray free electron laser facilities have revolutionized nanoscale structural and dynamic analyses in condensed matter systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the advancements in coherent scattering and diffractive imaging techniques, which are now at the forefront of exploring materials science complexities. These techniques, notably Bragg coherent diffractive imaging and x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, x-ray magnetic dichroism, and x-ray correlation analysis leverage beam coherence to achieve volumetric three-dimensional imaging at unprecedented sub-nanometer resolutions and explore dynamic phenomena within sub-millisecond timeframes. Such capabilities are critical in understanding and developing advanced materials and technologies. Simultaneously, the emergence of chiral crystals—characterized by their unique absence of standard inversion, mirror, or other roto-inversion symmetries—presents both challenges and opportunities. These materials exhibit distinctive interactions with light, leading to phenomena such as molecular optical activity, chiral photonic waveguides, and valley-specific light emissions, which are pivotal in the burgeoning fields of photonic and spintronic devices. This review elucidates how novel x-ray probes can be leveraged to unravel these properties and their implications for future technological applications. A significant focus of this review is the exploration of new avenues in research, particularly the shift from conventional methods to more innovative approaches in studying these chiral materials. Inspired by structured optical beams, the potential of coherent scattering techniques utilizing twisted x-ray beams is examined. This promising direction not only offers higher spatial resolution but also opens the door to previously unattainable insights in materials science. By contextualizing these advancements within the broader scientific landscape and highlighting their practical applications, this review aims to chart a course for future research in this rapidly evolving field.

Physics↗

Dynamic compression effects of H 2 ⁡O in a dynamic diamond anvil cell: Origin of metastable ice VII and its crystal growth kinetics

We report on the structural verification of metastable ice VII solidifying in the phase space of ice VI at 1.80 GPa at room temperature. Using time-resolved (TR) x-ray diffraction and TR ruby luminescence paired with high-speed microphotography utilizing a dynamic diamond anvil cell, an initial compression rate range from 0.12 to 95.84 GPa/s was explored. The solidification pressure of metastable ice VII has a potential sigmoidal dependence upon compression rate with a turnover compression rate of ∼80 GPa/s. The preferred crystallization of ice VII in the stability field of ice VI is due to the increased nucleation rate of ice VII over ice VI at 1.77 GPa that is driven by the surface energy difference between the liquid and solid phases along with the change in Gibbs free energy of solidification. The dynamic pressure-volume–compression behaviors of ice phases (VI and VII) show a lattice stiffening in both phases, especially during the compression loading. It is also found that the compression rate greatly affects the solid-solid phase transition between ice VI and VII but does not affect the liquid-solid transition between water and ice VI as much. Lastly, a third phase transition was found to occur after metastable ice VII transforms into high-density amorphous (HDA) ice, which could be a disordered hydrogen-bonded network configuration of ice VII forming out of HDA ice facilitated by the decoupling of the oxygen movement and reorientation of the H 2⁡ O molecule. These results demonstrate the complexity of a seemingly simple molecule H 2⁡ O, how it can readily change its static properties with the modification of (de)compression rate, and highlight the need to use multiple TR structural and spectroscopic probes at higher time resolutions to realize the most comprehensive understanding.

Chemical bonding↗

Spatial and thermal signatures of α and β relaxations in glassy and glacial aliphatic ionic liquids

The competition between Coulomb and van der Waals interactions brings forth unique dynamic features and broad applications to ionic liquids. Herein, we present a combined calorimetric, X-ray diffraction, incoherent elastic, and quasi-elastic neutron scattering study, over a wide temperature range (180–340 K), of the relaxational dynamics of the liquid, supercooled liquid, crystalline, glassy, and glacial states of two model ionic liquids: tributylmethylammonium (a good glass-former) and butyltrimethylammonium (a good crystal-former) cations and the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion. In both systems, we observed two distinct relaxation processes. Finally, the Q-dependence of the respective relaxation time shows that the α-process is diffusive, while the β-process is modulated by the structure of the liquids.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Correlations between electronic order and structural distortions and their ultrafast dynamics in the single-layer manganite P r 0.5 C a 1.5 Mn O 4

Time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiments on the half-doped single-layered manganite Pr 0.5 Ca 1.5 Mn O 4 are used to monitor the ultrafast photoinduced dynamics of the structural distortion associated with the charge and orbital ordering (CO/OO). As in the nonlayered three-dimensional counterpart, the ordered phase melts in less than 100 fs after 800-nm photoexcitation and subsequently partially recovers due to thermal equilibration of electronic and vibrational systems. Photoexciting Pr 0.5 Ca 1.5 Mn O 4 below the transition temperature of a second structural phase transition that occurs around 146 K (deep inside the CO/OO phase) releases this structural transition, but progresses on a much slower timescale. Finally, this additional reduction of crystal symmetry, which we ascribe to a further tilt of the oxygen octahedra, can thus be considered to be only weakly coupled to CO/OO. Furthermore, static hard-x-ray and resonant soft-x-ray diffraction at the Mn L 2,3 edges experiments identify correlations between structural distortions and electronic order in thermal equilibrium.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Compression rate effects on the Bi-III stability field in dynamic diamond anvil cell XFEL studies of bismuth

This study aims to resolve conflicting observations of bismuth’s high-pressure phase transitions across static, intermediate, and shock compression regimes. We probed its high-pressure structural sequence using the dynamic diamond anvil cell with and time-resolved X-ray diffraction with microsecond resolution at an X-ray free-electron laser. At room temperature and pressures up to 20 gigapascals, bismuth evolves through the same structural sequence previously identified under static compression. However, the transformation behavior differs in important ways under dynamic loading. In particular, the transition from the incommensurate intermediate-pressure phase to the high symmetry high pressure phase begins at pressures about 2 to 4 gigapascals lower than in static experiments, and the onset of this transformation depends on the compression rate. As a result, the stability field of the intermediate-pressure phase is reduced under rapid compression. Our results suggest that at sufficiently fast loading rates the intermediate phase may be bypassed entirely, consistent with previous shock-compression observations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗