Deposits of nitrides and oxides of Al and Ti have been produced by laser irradiation of Al and Ti targets in air, N2, and NH3 + N2 gases. Microstructure and constituent phases in these deposits have been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and x-ray diffractometry (XRD). The distribution of metalloid elements has been investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). On the basis of the results of these examinations, the nitride and oxide deposits have been shown to be formed by reactions between ambient gas and metal-melt or metal-vapor which take place during pulse laser irradiation.

Raman scattering, x-ray diffraction, and BET measurements are used to study the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) and to correlate the structural changes with the metal-insulator transition observed in the electronic transport properties of heat-treated ACFs. A sequence of events is identified, starting with desorption, followed by micropore collapse plus the stacking of basic structural units in the c-direction, and ending up with in-plane crystallization. The graphitization process closely resembles that depicted by Oberlin's model, except that the final material at high-temperature heat treatment remains turbostratic. Because the metal-insulator transition was observed to occur at heat-treatment temperature THT ≃ 1200 °C, which is well below the THT value (2000 °C) for in-plane crystallization, we conclude that this electronic transition is not due to in-plane ordering but rather to the collapse of the micropore structure in the ACFs. Raman scattering also provides strong evidence for the presence of local two-dimensional graphene structures, which is the basis for the transport phenomena observed in heat-treated ACFs.

A laser-induced process has been studied and developed for the synthesis either of pure TiO2 powders for use as a catalyst support or of mixed Ti1−xVxO2 oxides to be used directly as catalysts in the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with ammonia. The radiation source is a 600 W cw CO2 laser and the precursors are titanium and vanadium alkoxides whose vapors are carried under the laser beam by controlled flows of an inert gas and of a reaction sensitizer. The study of the process has been mainly devoted to the optimization of the production rate and of the reaction efficiency. The powder characteristics, related to the process parameters, have been investigated through different techniques. The results show that the particles are monodispersed, unaggregated, monocrystalline with anatase structure and their diameters can be as small as 50 A. Vanadium contents up to X = 0.25 have been obtained in Ti1−xVxO2 compounds, without V2O5 segregation. Finally, a comparison between the behavior of surface VOx active sites has been carried out in catalysts prepared by chemical impregnation of TiO2 and in the mixed Ti–V oxide powders.

A study of the effects of titanium ion implantation on the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of single crystal and polycrystalline α-alumina has been carried out. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) in channeling geometry shows that a great proportion of implanted titanium ions are substitutional at low fluence. This fraction falls to near zero as an amorphous layer is formed. The chemical states for implanted titanium are determined by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Titanium is present in the Ti3+ state near the surface and as metallic Ti0 and as Ti3+ at depths corresponding to higher local concentration of titanium. The same behavior is observed for polycrystalline and single crystal α–alumina. Nanoindentation experiments show that low fluence implantation of titanium results in an increase of mechanical properties whereas high fluence implanted samples exhibit reduced hardness and Young's modulus compared to unimplanted samples. The friction coefficient is not changed by titanium ion implantation. Likewise, the wear characteristics were not changed by low fluence implantation, but amorphization at high fluence leads to a greater disk wear rate.

The role of SiO2 in nucleation of diamond has been investigated in an oxy-acetylene flame. It was found that growth methods that minimize SiO2 formation enhance diamond nucleation. A short pretreatment of a scratched Si surface in a low oxygen-to-acetylene ratio flame, at a distance 1.5 cm from the flame core, significantly improved uniformity of subsequent diamond growth. When scratched surfaces were intentionally oxidized, nucleation of diamond was completely inhibited. By using a mask to controllably deposit SiO2 on a scratched Si surface, highly selective deposition of diamond was achieved with resolution below 5 μm. These results are discussed with reference to competing oxidation and carbon formation processes that take place during the nucleation of diamond. During the nucleation stage, carbon may be deposited on the scratched Si via a route in which the Si surface catalyzes carbon formation reactions that are otherwise kinetically unfavorable. The formation of an oxide layer, on the other hand, would act to passivate the surface, and thus inhibit carbon formation via a catalytic route. The decomposition of CO to C and CO2 is given as an example of a reaction that is favored at temperatures below 1000 K, but requires surface catalysis to proceed because it remains frozen out in the gas phase due to a very slow reaction rate.

The incorporation of ductile fibers in brittle matrices can lead to a significant increase in fracture resistance. The increase in toughness that derives from crack bridging is governed by the properties of the matrix/fiber interface and the ductility of the fibers. The current study addresses the role of interface sliding stress on the toughness of brittle composites reinforced with ductile fibers. The debond length is explicitly related to the interface sliding stress and the properties of the fiber. It is then incorporated into a geometrical model to simulate the bridging tractions versus crack opening under condition of continuous debonding. The implications on the effect of interfaces on the resistance curve are discussed.

Shock consolidation experiments were conducted via flyer impact on synthetic diamond (6–12 μm) and cubic boron nitride (c-BN) (4–8 μm) admixed with SiC whisker (SCW), Si3N4 whisker (SNW), SiC powder, and Si powder contained in stainless steel capsules under the shock pressure range of 10–30 GPa. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy imaging of the samples revealed no plastic deformation or melting of diamond and virtually no deformation of c-BN, whereas the SCW and SNW were extensively melted and recrystallized into bundle-shaped crystallites. In contrast, SiC powder mixed with diamond was also melted but demonstrated equant grain growth. A new method to calculate the shock temperature and melt fraction is formulated on the basis of Milewski's sphere-rod packing data. The new method assigns excess bulk volume to the zone around whiskers and yields a better description of the energy deposition mechanism of the consolidation of powder-whisker systems. Some of the experiments employed Sawaoka's post-shock annealing technique, in which the sample is sandwiched between two layers of a mixture of titanium powder plus carbon. Very well consolidated samples were obtained with post-shock heating under shock pressures of only about 11 GPa. Micro-Vickers hardness values up to 27 GPa were obtained for c-BN plus SCW at a low impact velocity of 1.45 km/s with post-shock heating. This hardness is similar to that obtained at a higher impact velocity of 1.95 km/s without post-shock heating. To understand the post-shock heating process, one-dimensional time dependent temperature profile calculations were conducted for the sample and Ti + C layers. Post-shock heating appears to be very important in the consolidation of powder and whisker admixture. The calculated optimum Ti + C thickness is about 0.8–1.7 mm at a porosity of 40% for a typical sample thickness of 2 mm. The heating and cooling time is a few milliseconds. Good compacts with micro-Vickers hardness values up to 28 GPa were also obtained upon shock consolidation of diamond plus Si admixtures.

Well-crystallized polycrystalline films of cubic BaTiO3 have been synthesized on Ti metal substrates by electrochemical, hydrothermal, and electrochemical-hydrothermal reaction of a Ti metal with a saturated solution of Ba(OH)2 in the temperature range 80 °C−200 °C. The films can be produced in the electrochemical process by the anodization of a Ti substrate in Ba(OH)2 solution at pH = 13 and current densities of the order of 10–50 mA/cm2. The films can also be synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction of Ba(OH)2 and a Ti substrate without electrical bias. A combination of these two techniques reduces the reaction time to 30–45 min. The films were found to have good adherence on the substrate and films of thickness up to 2 μm could be formed within a reaction time of 45 min. Capacitance measurements have yielded a dielectric constant of 300. The films prepared by the three different techniques have been compared for crystallinity and microstructure. The thickness of the films increased with temperature and time of reaction. The crystallinity decreased with extended time of reaction for a given temperature. It is likely that a reactive intermediate such as Ti(OH)4 (aq.) is formed in all the three cases which leads to the formation of crystalline BaTiO3.

This fracture study evaluates the role of a fiber/matrix interfacial glass on the toughening of two different carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. Both composites incorporate a two-dimensional layup of 8-harness satin weave continuous fiber fabric, but differ in several aspects, the most significant of which is the presence of an oxidation inhibitor in one of these. The fracture behavior of both materials was determined in three-point flexure at 20 through 1650 °C. Microstructural studies indicate that the nonhomogeneous distribution of the oxidation inhibitor within the fiber bundles controls the fracture behavior. Electron microprobe results indicate a high concentration of the glass oxidation inhibitor associated with the inter-bundle matrix, while the intra-bundle matrix is composed primarily of carbon. Accordingly, debonding along the inter-bundle interfaces characterizes the oxidation inhibited composite, whereas the nonoxidation inhibited samples debond by individual fibers. Both materials exhibit strongly rising R-curves throughout the test temperature range. At the higher test temperatures the oxidation inhibited C/C shows the greatest cumulative toughening component, although at a lower value of the fracture toughness. This is consistent with the observed increase in the percentage of fibers that experience individual pullout at the higher temperatures.

A powerful micro SIMS technique coupled to a computer driven acquisition system has allowed the simultaneous recording of C−, MoO−, and Si− images of the sample surfaces, or of the transverse cross sections of the Mo-diamond interface. Diamond deposition has been shown to take place on a Mo2C layer, and the influence on the nucleation process of Si contamination, coming from the quartz tube etched by H atoms, has been investigated. Contamination can in fact occur during the shutdown procedures or during the whole experiment. This last contamination can be avoided by using suitable pressure ranges or gas combinations. Moreover, the deposition time necessary to obtain well-crystallized diamond films and the nucleation density could be optimized by an in situ pretreatment stage. This treatment reduces the delay observed before nucleation (which would correspond to the carbide formation), and increases the carbon activity at the sample surface.

Isothermal sections of the In–Ni–P phase diagram have been determined at 600 °C and 470 °C. Two new ternary phases not previously identified in bulk samples were found. A phase with the composition Ni57In22P21 is present at both 600 °C and 470 °C and was found by differential thermal analysis to melt at 736 °C. The phase Ni2InP was found to be in equilibrium with InP at 470 °C, but it does not appear in the 600 °C isotherm since it melts at 526 °C. The phases (In), Ni2P, Ni5P4, and NiP2 are in equilibrium with InP at both temperatures studied.

The growth of sputter-deposited MoS2 thin films is investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Pure high-temperature grown films are compared with H2O-contaminated films and amorphous annealed films. In the first case, the films are oriented. They have a first interface layer with crystallites having their (002) planes parallel with the substrate. The subsequent growth leads to the already described lamellar structure, with flakes perpendicular to the substrate. This structure can be explained in terms of a local branching process during crystal growth. The orientation relations between the crystallites in the parallel layer and the lamellae are determined. The local structure at the root of the lamellae, as well as at the interface, is investigated by image calculation. Water contamination in the plasma is shown to result in an amorphization of the interfacial region, followed by lamellar growth. Amorphous films annealed under vacuum do not show a lamellar structure, but have isotropic crystallization. In each of these cases, the mechanism determining the film structure is different.

The chemical stability of the surface of metals, such as aluminum and stainless steel (SUS304), exposed to acid solutions is remarkably improved by the digital growth of Al2O3 using the sequential surface chemical reaction of trimethylaluminum (TMA) and water vapor. Samples thus coated with Al2O3 thin films were not etched by 1 N HCl or 1 N H2SO4 completely, and no change in the surface morphology was observed by these immersion tests. By the quantitative verification of polarization measurement in 1 N HCl and 1 N H2SO4, the polarization resistance was estimated to be 1.4 × 101–5.18 × 103 times that of noncoated samples. Anticorrosion coating of SUS304 pipe walls was also demonstrated.

The versatility of mechanochemical processing was investigated in a number of nonmetallic inorganic systems. It is shown that high energy grinding can be used to produce amorphous carbon from synthetic graphite and some forms of natural graphite. Elemental sulfur can likewise be amorphized by prolonged high energy grinding. Phase transformations of αFe2O3 (hematite) and mechanochemical reactions of this phase with ZnO and NiO are strongly influenced by the presence of iron resulting from wear of the grinding media. Thus spinel type ferrites were obtained by grinding of such mixtures for short times (1–3 h in a Spex mill); however, longer grinding times resulted in the formation of FeO or (Fe,Zn)O (when grinding ZnO) or FeO or (Fe, Ni)O (when grinding NiO), presumably as a result of the reaction of mill wear debris with the mill charge. The suspected (Fe, Zn)O phase is most likely a nonequilibrium solid solution. Negligible were accompanied the mechanochemical synthesis of NiS and ZnS from elemental powders. These sulfides were formed for short milling times. In contrast, sulfides of tungsten were not formed even when rather long milling times were employed. The survey of mechanochemical reactions presented here further reinforces the concept that this low temperature synthesis method is a robust process route for production of a wide range of materials.

The transfer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) onto stainless steel (AISI 316) and silicon wafers in a static contact was characterized at temperatures ranging from 21 °C to 300 °C. The amount of transferred PTFE on AISI 316 substrate was found to be strongly time- and temperature-dependent, and reached a steady state after a certain period of contact time. On testing the effect of temperature on this steady transfer state, an almost temperature independent amount of PTFE was observed to be transferred onto AISI 316 at temperatures between 130 and 180 °C. This steady state started at the glass transition at about 127 °C. This was significantly consistent with an almost constant amorphous-to-crystalline phase ratio at about the same temperature range as determined using infrared spectrophotometry (IR). In general, the amount of the transferred PTFE on AISI 316 depended on the relative amount of amorphous phase in the PTFE contact area. Thus, the amorphous phase in semicrystalline PTFE evidently plays an active role in the transfer process.

A model is presented to explain the recently reported mechanism of thermal spalling for shaping high melting point ceramics by electrical discharge machining. Since previous models fail to explain the experimental observations completely, an expanding circular heat source created by growth of plasma is assumed to act on the surface. Erosion of materials by spalling is caused by thermally induced compressive stresses during heating-up periods and tensile stresses during cooling-down periods. This model explains material removal for anodic erosion in general (wire-cutting machines) and for cathodic erosion (die-sinking machines) whenever long pulse duration is used. Simulation of the model for TiB2 provides a local melt front that penetrates to a depth of submicrometer, then recedes as pulse duration increases. Spalling develops flakes with thickness correlated to pulse duration. The results were verified by the experimental observations which showed that large flakes having the predicted maximum thickness as well as few quenched spherical droplets containing titanium were obtained.

The thermal conductivities of LaAlO3 and NdAlO3 have been measured for the first time between 10 and 300 K. These substrates can be classified as intermediate thermal conductors. The measured room temperature values of 9 W m−1 K−1 for LaAlO3 and 7.5 W m−1 K−1 for NdAlO3 are close to those predicted from the crystal structure of these materials, despite the fact that the crystals are twinned.

Ultrafine (≍0.4 μm) strontium titanate powder was synthesized using strontium nitrate and potassium titanyl oxalate as precursors. An aqueous (0.1 M) potassium titanyl oxalate solution was added dropwise to a (0.1 M) strontium nitrate solution with continuous stirring at room temperature to precipitate strontium titanyl oxalate (STO). The precipitate, after careful washing with distilled water several times, was air-dried and calcined at 550 °C/6 h to obtain homogeneous, spherical, stoichiometric powder of SrTiO3 ≍0.4 μm in size. The calcined powder was characterized using different techniques such as XRD, DTA/TG/DTG, SEM, and IR.

Mechanical and optical properties and structural characteristics are described for Si:N films with Al and O additions (SixAl1−xOyN1−y) deposited by reactive RF diode sputtering on Si and SiO2 substrates. The thermal and intrinsic stress components, elastic stiffness, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and refractive index were measured for films ranging in thickness from ∼2 μm to 50 μm. Some structural and microstructural data were obtained using x-ray diffraction, optical and scanning-electron microscopy, and surface profilometry. Alloying Si:N with Al to form Si:Al:N greatly reduced the compressive intrinsic and total stress found in pure Si:N films on Si. Addition of O to the Si:Al:N moderately increased the intrinsic stress, decreased the elastic stiffness, and produced a smoother, more glassy (amorphous) film.

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a–C:H) films on stainless steel (AISI430) substrate oxidized in air at 1273 K were prepared from a gas mixture of methane and hydrogen by an rf plasma chemical vapor deposition, and thermally stimulated exoelectron emission (TSEE) was studied for the x-ray irradiated a–C:H films. Glow curves and energy distributions of TSEE from the 80- and 280-nm a–C:H films and from the AISI430 substrate have been measured under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. It was found that the glow curve from the 80-nm a–C:H film was similar to that from the AISI430 substrate, but it was quite different from that from the 280-nm film; the values of the mean energy of exoelectrons at the glow peak temperatures from the 80-nm a–C:H film are almost the same as those from the substrate but are much lower than those of the 280-nm film. The surfaces of 80- and 280-nm a–C:H films are observed with the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Observations by SEM show that the 80-nm film has relatively large-sized clusters of films and the stainless steel substrate still appears in some places, but the surface of the 280-nm film is completely covered by the carbon films. From these results, we propose that TSEE from the 80-nm film originates mainly from the oxide films on the stainless steel substrate and TSEE from the 280-nm film originates from the film itself. Thus, TSEE can be applied to characterize the surface of thin films.