Publications

Crystallized Fe-(Cu)-Sm-B ribbons were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and Mossbauer spectrometry. The bcc alpha-Fe, tetragonal Fe3B and tetragonal Fe2B phases were found to crystallize after appropriate annealing. The relative proportion of alpha-Fe decreases with increasing Sm content, in agreement with the increase of the crystallization point. The metastable Fe3B phase decomposition into alpha-Fe and Fe2B was observed within a wide range of annealing temperature. The Sm ions randomly accommodate the Fe sites in the Fe3B lattice. After cumulative annealing at higher temperatures, the tetragonal Sm1.1Fe4B4 paramagnetic phase is found.

The polarization behaviour of Armco iron in solutions of HCl with and without inhibitors has been studied by potentiostatic method. At lower overvoltage values the dissolution process is controlled by activation, while at higher overvoltage values the dissolution process is controlled by diffusion. The inhibition of this metal corrosion in the aqueous solutions of HCl has been studied using three surfactants. Under the critical micelle concentration the inhibition of those three surfactants is negligible. At a concentration higher than critical micelle concentration, the inhibiting action of surfactants increases rapidly. The process of inhibition was attributed to the formation of the adsorbed film on the metal surface, that protects the metal against the corrosive agents.

Simultaneous measurements of electrical resistance R and Seebeck e.m.f. V-s, of thick film SnO2, gas sensors were performed in air containing different concentrations p(i) of reducing gas (ethanol vapours, CO, CH4, C2H6 were successively used). The graphical representations of the V-s,versus In h values both for the identification of the reducing gas (selectivity) and for the determination of gas concentration. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

GaN thin films were deposited by laser ablation of liquid Ga target in nitrogen reactive atmosphere. An Nd-YAG laser (lambda = 1.06 mu m, tau(FWHM) = 10 ns) of 0.35 J energy/pulse was used as laser source. The nitrogen pressure was varied in the range of 10(-2) to 10(-1) mbar. As substrates, we used (0001) sapphire plates and (100) Si wafers, coated or uncoated with ZnO as buffer layers, and heated below 300 degrees C. Different analysis techniques evidenced the characteristics of the deposited films. SIMS profiles corresponding to N and Ga in-depth distribution carried out the presence of layers of the order of 130-150 nm, with uniform distribution of Ga and N inside the layer. XPS studies evidenced the Ga-N bonding. The Nls signal contains as main peak the one centered at 397.3 eV and corresponding to Ga-N bond. From the distance between the photoelectron Ga 3d peak and the Auger Ga LMM peak, the calculated Auger parameter of 1083.9 eV corresponds to the one reported in literature for GaN compound (1084.05 eV). Both techniques evidenced an oxygen contamination below 5%. XRD recorded spectra show the presence of a peak assigned to (002) GaN crystalline orientation. Optical absorption spectroscopy studies in the UV-visible range evidenced a high transparency (over 80% transmission) for the deposited films. The energy band gap obtained from the absorption spectra was found to be larger than 3.6 eV. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Formation of primary paramagnetic point defects under low temperature X-ray irradiation have been studied by ESR and optical absorption in pure and thallium doped PbCl2 single crystals. Besides Pb-2(3+) self-trapped electron (STEL) centers the PbCl2 : Tl crystals exhibit trapped-electron (PbTl)(+)-type centers. Based on production properties of paramagnetic centers it is suggested that besides forming Tl-2 divided by centers the holes are self trapped at pairs of neighbouring Cl- anions resulting in V-k type centers with various orientation and length of the Cl-Cl axis. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The absorption spectrum of CuGeO3 crystals is measured in the transmittance region and at the fundamental edge, The reflection spectrum is studied in the range 3-6 eV, The identified transitions are interpreted in the context of band-structure calculations.

High-resolution synchrotron-radiation powder diffraction experiments were performed to observe structural changes induced by hydrogen loading in rapidly-quenched Ti-Zr-Ni alloy ribbons with dominant icosahedral character. Lattice expansion effects due to hydrogen storage in Ti-Zr-Ni quasicrystals as well as phonon and phason disorder coefficients are obtained from an analysis of diffraction linewidths.

The gallophosphate cloverite has been investigated because of its applicability to act as a host for larger molecules. 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) and 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) liquid crystals were used as guest molecules. The results show that the adsorption of liquid crystals from the gas phase proceeds without destruction of the cloverite structure. The typical phase properties of the liquid crystals remain unchanged after adsorption on cloverite: however, they appear with lower intensity in the DSC curve. A new smectic phase seems to be formed inside the cloverite pore system. FTIR measurements show the interaction of 5CB with the Lewis and Bronsted acid sites of cloverite. Desorption of liquid crystals out of the pore system proceeds slowly under liberation of the POH groups of the lattice. In summary, the results show that the gallophosphate cloverite is a suitable host for large molecules. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The molecular structures for N-phenyl-N'-acetylurea, N-phenyl-N'-capronylthiourea, and N - phenyl - N' - benzoyl thiourea have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy. The relative positions of atoms in the parent molecular fragment, common to all three analyzed compounds, are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

Co, Ni, Mn, Cr, and Cu substituted magnetites were prepared by the hydrothermal method at 300 degrees C, with concentrations ranging from 8.2% to 12.5%. Transmission electron microscopy determined the average particle diameter (Phi) to be in the hundred of nm range and the morphological modifications induced by the various substitutions employed, Hysteresis loop measurements were performed to determine the coercive field H-c, and saturation magnetic moment m(s). While H-c decreased with increasing (Phi), the particle shape was found to play an important role in explaining the dependence of m(s) on (Phi). Transmission Mossbauer spectroscopy was used to determine the site preference of the substitutions and their effect on the hyperfine magnetic fields. The room-temperature Mossbauer spectra were analyzed assuming a random distribution of substitutents using the binomial distribution from the ionic crystal point of view. Superparamagnetic particles were observed at room temperature in the case of Cu and Cr substituted magnetites. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.