Crystallization of GeO2–Al2O3–Bi2O3 Glass

In the presented work, two kinds of germanium oxide glass with different compositions, namely GeO2 and GeO2–Al2O3–Bi2O3, were investigated. After controlled crystallization of a glassy sample, the emission in the NIR-range was determined (1165 nm with excitation at 470 nm). To better understanding the kinetics of the glass crystallization, the activation energy was also determined by applying the Kissinger method. The obtained results show that in the case of GeO2–Al2O3–Bi2O3, activation energy value was 400 and 477 kJ/mol, which means that such values are significantly larger than for pure GeO2 (254 kJ/mol). The investigations also show that two phases crystallized in the complex glass matrix: the mullite-like phase and germanium oxide.

Synthesis, thermal, structural and electrical properties of vanadium-doped lithium-manganese-borate glass and nanocomposites

A glassy sample with a nominal formula LiMn1 − 3x/2VxBO3 (where x = 0.05) was synthesised using the melt-quenching method. Material was characterised by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffactometry (XRD) at room temperature and as a function of temperature (HT-XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), impedance spectroscopy (IS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Dependences of glass transition and crystallisation temperatures on the heating rate in DTA experiments were determined. The initial value of electrical conductivity of the glass was 1.4 × 10− 15 Scm− 1. It was significantly increased by a proper thermal nanocrystallisation. The maximum value was higher by 6 orders of magnitude and reached 2.6 × 10− 9 Scm− 1 at room temperature. Expected crystalline phases (i.e. monoclinic and hexagonal LiMnBO3) upon heating were identified and assigned to thermal events observed with DTA. Microstructure of nanocrystalline samples observed by SEM revealed nanocrystalline grains noticeably smaller than 100 nm. Results explaining nanocrystallisation process are coherent.

Stability of Cubic Zirconia in a Granitic System Under High Pressure & Temperature

Cubic zirconia is a well known, highly durable material with potential uses as an actinide host phase in ceramic waste forms and inert matrix fuels and in containers for very deep borehole disposal of some highly radioactive wastes. To investigate the behaviour of this material under the conditions of possible use, a cube of ∼ 2.5 mm edge was made from a single crystal of yttriastabilized cubic zirconia doped with 0.3 wt.% CeO2. The cube was enclosed in powdered granite within a gold capsule and a small amount of H2O added before sealing. The sealed capsule was held for 4 months in a cold-seal pressure vessel at a temperature of 780°C and a pressure 150 MPa, simulating both the conditions of a deep borehole disposal involving partial melting of the host rock and the conditions under which the actinide waste form might be encapsulated in granite prior to disposal. At the end of the experiment the quenched, largely glassy, sample was cut into thin slices and studied by optical microscopy, EMPA, SEM and cathodoluminescence methods. The results show that no corrosion of the zirconia crystal or reaction with the granite melt occurred and that no detectable diffusion of elements, including Ce, in or out of the zirconia took place on the timescale of the experiment. Consequently, it appears that cubic zirconia could perform most satisfactorily as both an actinide host waste form for encapsulation in solid granite for very deep disposal and as a container material for deep borehole disposal of highly radioactive wastes (HLW), including spent fuel.

Can Metallic Glass Damping Be Increased by Stress Training Treatment?

We have subjected Zr59Cu20Al10Ni8Ti3 glassy sample to internal friction thermal cycle (IFTC) measurements under various conditions involving changes in heating/cooling rate, strain amplitude and frequency. Additional low temperature internal friction peaks (ALTIFP) were found to occur with the characteristic low temperature internal friction peak (CLTIFP) observed for some glassy alloys. The ALTIFP were enhanced on heating and reduced on cooling. Their strength increase following the number of IFTC can be related to a stress concentration in some zones of the glassy structure, which is abruptly relaxed by the viscous flow creating interfaces in the glassy structure. These interfaces are likely to be formed between atomic clusters. The growth of the ALTIFP increases significantly the whole IF level (IFL) from 10-4 to 10-2 enhancing the damping capacity of the glassy sample.

Structural Investigation of Amorphous Europium Metaphosphate by X-ray Diffraction

The local coordination of europium in vitreous Eu metaphosphate has been investigated, using information obtainable from crystalline EuP3O9. One glassy sample and one crystalline sample of nominal EuP3O9 composition were examined by X-ray diffraction. The description of the close coordination of Eu, deduced from the orthorhombic structure of the crystalline sample, was used as a model for the amorphous situation. Besides, as a monoclinic form of Eu metaphosphate is also reported to exist, a second model was deduced from this structure, starting from the isomorphous monoclinic Yb metaphosphate. Best fitting calculations indicated that orthorhombic coordination is the better model for the short range order of europium in the vitreous metaphosphate.

A comparison of the modulated microwave absorption spectra of ceramic and powdered YBa2Cu3O7-δ samples

Flux trapping in the 9.3 GHz modulated microwave absorption spectra observed near 4 K from ceramic and powdered ceramic specimens of two separately prepared YBa2Cu3O7-δ samples has been used to separate the intergranular and intragranular contributions to the spectra. In the denser, glassy sample, a broad absorption with a peak near 400 Oe for forward sweeps was observed with appreciable intensity after the maximum flux was trapped. This spectrum is attributed to intergranular junctions, since its relative intensity was reduced on powdering and suspending in wax. In the less dense, more uniform sample, the latter spectrum was appreciably weaker in both ceramic and powder. Both types of junction appear to contribute to the narrow low-field absorption which was observed after zero field cooling in all the samples.