Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Several Micrometers (several + micrometer)
Selected AbstractsMultifunctional FeCo/TiN Multilayer Thin Films with Combined Magnetic and Protective Properties,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 12 2009Christian Klever Abstract Coatings with thicknesses ranging from a few nanometer up to several micrometer produced by physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes have been established in engineering technologies since the early 1980s. In particular, magnetron sputtered wear resistance coatings are industrially established and capable to enhance tool lifetimes significantly. However, in cases where optical inspection of a coating in use is not possible, an intrinsic sensor function of the film would be beneficial. Therefore, the development of wear resistant coatings with an integrated sensor functionality based on the insertion of a magnetoelastic ferromagnetic phase is suggested. In combination with appropriate read-out electronics such a film system would be ready for online monitoring of the coatings' actual state (e.g., strain, temperature, volume loss). This paper focuses on the development of wear resistance coatings which simultaneously supply beneficial mechanical properties as well as ferromagnetic properties optimized for online non-contact read-out applications. Multilayer coatings obtained through alternate stacking of magnetron sputtered TiN and FeCo layers with a nominal total thickness of 1000,nm were produced as a model system meeting the above conditions. The bilayer period was varied down to 2.6,nm while the individual layer thickness ratio tTiN/tFeCo was determined by the deposition rates and maintained constant at a value of about 3/1. The films were vacuum annealed ex situ in a static magnetic field subsequent to the deposition. The constitution of the as-deposited and annealed coatings as well as their mechanical (nanohardness, Young's modulus) and magnetic properties (magnetization hysteresis, frequency-dependent permeability) are described. Finally, the suitability of the coatings for the use in remote-interrogable wear sensor applications is briefly discussed. [source] Synthesis of rhombohedral strontium carbonate aggregates at the water/hexamethylene interface with cetyltrimethylammonium bromideCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 8 2008Long Chen Abstract Unusual rhombohedral strontium carbonate (SrCO3) aggregates have been synthesized in situ from strontium nitrate by the slow release of carbon dioxide by alkaline hydrolysis of diethyl carbonate at the water/hexamethylene interface in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffractometry were used to characterize the products. The results indicate that rhombohedral SrCO3 aggregates are obtained with weaker crystallinity and sizes of several micrometers. The possible formation mechanism of the SrCO3 aggregates at the interface is discussed, which can be interpreted by particle-aggregation based non-classical crystallization laws. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Hydrothermal growth of boron nitride microcrystalsCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2005Xiaopeng Hao Abstract Boron nitride (BN) crystals with size of several micrometers have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method. The reactants used in our experiments were boric acid (H3BO3), sodium azide (NaN3) and white phosphor (P). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), selective area electron diffraction (SAED). It is found that the existence of Cl - in the reaction mixture has much effect on the synthesis of BN. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Preparation of ZnO Nanowires in a Neutral Aqueous System: Concentration Effect on the Orientation Attachment ProcessEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 19 2006Ming Yang Abstract ZnO nanowires with diameters in the range of 10 to 30 nm and lengths of ca. several micrometers are prepared with the use of ZnO nanoparticles as building blocks. The length and diameter of the ZnO nanowires can be controlled by the variation of the concentration of the nanoparticles in the orientation attachment process. A plausible mechanism for the concentration-controlled orientation attachment process is suggested. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006) [source] Self-Assembled, Molecularly Aligned Conjugated Polymer Nanowires via DewettingADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2010Shion Seng Chang High aspect-ratio poly(9,9,-dioctylfluorene) (F8) nanowires are fabricated on top of silicon/amorphous Teflon substrates, by dewetting of F8 thin-films. The conjugated nature of the polymers enables the self-assembly of continuous molecularly-aligned nanowires of several micrometers in length and tens of nanometers width, without using a template. The sizescale of the dewetted morphology can be controlled by varying the thickness of the F8 and amorphous Teflon layers. As predicted by van der Waals theory the characteristic sizescale of the dewetted morphology increases with F8 film thickness. However, the dependence of the characteristic sizescale on amorphous Teflon thickness is not accounted for, even qualitatively, by standard spinodal theory with van der Waals forces as the de-stabilizing force across the F8 film. The Rayleigh instability is strongly suppressed in the F8 nanowires in the late stages of dewetting, compared to isotropic, amorphous polymers. Polarized Raman measurements show a systematic increase in molecular alignment along the axis of the nanowires as their width is reduced below the typical liquid-crystalline domain size in polyfluorene films. Thus the dewetting process aligns the polymers, and the aligned polymers suppress the Rayleigh instability and enable the formation of high aspect-ratio continuous nanowires. [source] An Organic Light-Emitting Diode with Field-Effect Electron Transport,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 1 2008S. Schols Abstract We describe an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) using field-effect to transport electrons. The device is a hybrid between a diode and a field-effect transistor. Compared to conventional OLEDs, the metallic cathode is displaced by one to several micrometers from the light-emitting zone. This micrometer-sized distance can be bridged by electrons with enhanced field-effect mobility. The device is fabricated using poly(triarylamine) (PTAA) as the hole-transport material, tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) doped with 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(julolindin-4-yl-vinyl)-4H-pyran (DCM2) as the active light-emitting layer, and N,N,-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI-C13H27), as the electron-transport material. The obtained external quantum efficiencies are as high as for conventional OLEDs comprising the same materials. The quantum efficiencies of the new devices are remarkably independent of the current, up to current densities of more than 10 A cm,2. In addition, the absence of a metallic cathode covering the light-emission zone permits top-emission and could reduce optical absorption losses in waveguide structures. These properties may be useful in the future for the fabrication of solid-state high-brightness organic light sources. [source] Silicone Nanofilaments and Their Application as Superhydrophobic Coatings,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 20 2006Silicone nanofilaments (see figure) are grown by a simple chemical vapor deposition method on different substrate materials. The filaments are flexible, and have lengths of up to several micrometers and diameters of up to 150,nm. The dense and entangled arrangement of these filaments yields a superhydrophobic coating that is also optically transparent and antireflective. [source] Preparation of a Monodispersed Suspension of Barium Titanate Nanoparticles and Electrophoretic Deposition of Thin FilmsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 8 2004Juan Li A transparent and stable monodispersed suspension of nanocrystalline barium titanate was prepared by dispersing a piece of BaTiO3 gel into a mixed solvent of 2-methoxyethanol and acethylacetone. The results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and size analyzer confirmed that the BaTiO3 nanoparticles in the suspension had an average size of ,10 nm with a narrow size distribution. Crystal structure characterization via TEM and X-ray diffraction indicated BaTiO3 nanocrystallites to be a perovskite cubic phase. BaTiO3 thin films of controlled thickness from 100 nm to several micrometers were electrophoretic deposited compactly on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The deposited thin film had uniform nanostructure with a very smooth surface. [source] Superhydrophobic 3D Microstructures Assembled From 1D Nanofibers of PolyanilineMACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 3 2008Ying Zhu Abstract Superhydrophobic dandelion-like 3D microstructures self-assembled from 1D nanofibers of PANI were prepared by a self-assembly process in the presence of perfluorosebacic acid (PFSEA) as a dopant. The dandelion-like microspheres (about 5 µm) are composed of uniform Y-shaped junction nanofibers of about 210 nm average diameter and several micrometers in length, as measured by SEM. The dandelion-like microstructure is coreless with a hollow cavity, and the shell thickness is about one third of the sphere diameter, as measured by TEM. Since PFESA dopant has a low surface energy perfluorinated carbon chain and two hydrophilic COOH end groups, it has dopant, is a "soft-template" and brings about superhydrophobic functions at the same time. Moreover, it is proposed that the self-assembly of PANI 1D nanofibers, driven by a combined interaction of hydrogen bonding, ,-, stacking and hydrophobic interactions, leads to the formation of the 3D microstructures. [source] TEM characterization of VLS-grown ZnTe nanowiresPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 12 2008H. Kirmse Abstract ZnTe nanowires were grown via a vapour-liquid-solid pro- cess. Nano-sized droplets of a gold-based eutectic act as catalysts. The comprehensive transmission electron microscopy studies reveal that the nanowires are single crystals with numerous stacking faults and twins. The dimension of the wires is several micrometers in length and a few tens of nanometers in diameter. At the sidewall of the nanowires additional nanocrystals of ZnO embedded in an amorphous layer are identified. The formation process of the nanowires can be understood as a two-step process. The first step is the one-dimensional growth along the wire axis by consuming all the material deposited near the droplet. In a second step, facets are formed due to lateral growth of the nanowire. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Characteristics of polyimide ultrafine fibers prepared through electrospinningPOLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2003Changwoon Nah Abstract A novel route for making polyimide sub-micron fibers is described. The ultrafine fibers are prepared by electrospinning a poly(amic acid) solution, a precursor of polyimide, followed by thermal imidization. The fiber diameters, which are much smaller than conventionally spun fibers, range from a few tens of nanometers to several micrometers. A rectangular cross-section is observed in the case of sub-micron fibers with a cross-sectional dimension below ,500,nm. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Experimental study on gasification characteristics and slagging behavior of Chinese typical high ash fusion temperature coal in lab scale downflow gasifierASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2010Xiaojiang Wu Abstract In order to extend the applicability of entrained flow gasification technology by using Chinese high ash fusion temperature (AFT) coal with dry ash extraction, gasification characteristics and slagging behavior of Chinese high AFT coal were studied in a lab scale downflow gasifier. The results showed that under this experimental condition, the optimum temperature window which is suitable for dry ash extraction with high AFT coal ranges from 1573 to 1623 K, as well as the corresponding optimum O2/coal mass ratio ranges from 0.93 to 1.13. The cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion are around 42 and 90%, respectively in this experiment. The slag on the bottom of the gasifier and in the cyclone existed, on the whole, as solid except that some small parts were melted with several micrometers in diameter, while the slag in the bag filter had remained unmelted when continue operating at an optimum condition for 1.5 h. Due to the small percentage of melted parts in the slag, the tendency of plugging is small and the problems of plugging can be avoided at the exit of gasifier by gasifying Chinese high AFT coal at around 1623 K. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Novel nickel-based catalyst for low temperature hydrogen production from methane steam reforming in membrane reformerASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2010Yazhong Chen Abstract Hydrogen production from various hydrocarbon fuels, particularly biomass-derived fuels, has attracted worldwide attention due to its potential for application to fuel cells, a device which converts chemical energy into electricity efficiently and cleanly. However, current technology, such as natural gas steam reforming, could not meet the specific requirements of hydrogen for fuel cells. Therefore, novel processes are intensively investigated, aiming to develop economic and efficient ones for the specific purpose. An important direction is the integrated membrane reformer for one-step high-purity hydrogen production. However, for the commercial realization of this technology, there are still some difficulties to overcome. By comparison with previous investigations with a similar membrane, this work showed that catalyst also played an important role in determining membrane reformer performance. We proposed that when thickness of membrane was several micrometers, the permeance of membrane became less important than the kinetics of catalyst, due to the fact that under such conditions, hydrogen permeation rate was faster than the kinetics of steam reforming reaction when commercial catalyst was applied, but further evidence is indispensable. In this initial work, we focused on developing efficient nickel catalyst for low temperature steam reforming. Nickel-based catalyst was developed by deposition,coprecipitation and used as pre-reduced, showing high performance for methane steam reforming at low temperatures and good durability, which may find practical application for the integrated membrane reforming process. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Use of recombinant rotavirus VP6 nanotubes as a multifunctional template for the synthesis of nanobiomaterials functionalized with metalsBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 5 2009Germán Plascencia-Villa Abstract The structural characteristics and predefined constant size and shape of viral assemblies make them useful tools for nanobiotechnology, in particular as scaffolds for constructing highly organized novel nanomaterials. In this work it is shown for the first time that nanotubes formed by recombinant rotavirus VP6 protein can be used as scaffolds for the synthesis of hybrid nanocomposites. Rotavirus VP6 was produced by the insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system. Nanotubes of several micrometers in length and various diameters in the nanometer range were functionalized with Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd through strong (sodium borohydride) or mild (sodium citrate) chemical reduction. The nanocomposites obtained were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), dynamic light scattering, and their characteristic plasmon resonance. The outer surface of VP6 nanotubes had intrinsic affinity to metal deposition that allowed in situ synthesis of nanoparticles. Furthermore, the use of preassembled recombinant protein structures resulted in highly ordered integrated materials. It was possible to obtain different extents and characteristics of the metal coverage by manipulating the reaction conditions. TEM revealed either a continuous coverage with an electrodense thin film when using sodium citrate as reductant or a discrete coverage with well-dispersed metal nanoparticles of diameters between 2 and 9,nm when using sodium borohydride and short reaction times. At long reaction times and using sodium borohydride, the metal nanoparticles coalesced and resulted in a thick metal layer. HRTEM-EDS confirmed the identity of the metal nanoparticles. Compared to other non-recombinant viral scaffolds used until now, the recombinant VP6 nanotubes employed here have important advantages, including a longer axial dimension, a dynamic multifunctional hollow structure, and the possibility of producing them massively by a safe and efficient bioprocess. Such characteristics confer important potential applications in nanotechnology to the novel nanobiomaterials produced here. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 871,881. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Fabrication and Characteristics of Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Carbon/Carbon Composites by Fast Catalytic Infiltration Processes,CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION, Issue 1-3 2009Jin-Cao Zhang Abstract The simultaneous in-situ growth of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and densification of a CNFs/CF hybrid multiscale felt are accomplished in a single step by thermal gradient chemical vapor infiltration using Fe as the catalyst and vaporized kerosene under atmospheric pressure. A three-dimensional CNF network which could bridge dissimilar components of composites is formed on carbon fibers (CFs). The length of CNFs can reach several micrometers and the diameters are about 80,nm. Smooth and rough surface densified CNFs can be produced after further higher temperature infiltration. CNFs, anchoring to CFs by the adherence of the catalyst nanoparticles, enhance the bonding between CFs and pyrocarbon as well as promoting the formation of a rough laminar pyrocarbon matrix. The deposition mechanisms and physical model are also discussed. This fast catalytic infiltration process can be applied to other ceramic materials and has significant enlargement potential. [source] Nucleation and Growth of Boron Nanowires on ZrB2 Particles,CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION, Issue 7 2006L. Guo Abstract Amorphous boron rich nanowires are grown on ZrB2 particles using diborane as the gas precursor in a CVD process under 20,Torr pressure and at 900,°C. These nanowires have uniform diameters of tens of nanometers and lengths of up to several micrometers. The boron-rich nanowires are characterized and found to be composed of boron clusters containing unit cells of icosahedral B12. A surface nucleation and growth mechanism of solid boron from vapor phase is proposed to explain the nanowire growth. The role of ZrB2 particles in the synthesis of the boron-rich nanostructures is also discussed. [source] Nanopatterning of Biomolecules with Microscale BeadsCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 5 2005Patrick Pammer Nanopatterning of biomolecules: Arrays of microscale beads can be used as stamps to print biomolecules onto a flat substrate. The simple surface-structuring method produces regular patterns of nanoscale DNA and protein spots with a diameter of 300 nm separated by an interspot distance of several micrometers (see figure). [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||