Микроструктура и фазовый состав сплава дисилицидов железа и хрома

The phase composition, microstructure, and interphase interfaces of the disordered CrSi2-FeSi2 solid solution obtained by spontaneous crystallization (before and after annealing) have been investigated by scanning, transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry. The as-grown samples contained the phases of CrSi2 with the P6422 hexagonal structure and FeSi2 with the P4/mmm tetragonal structure. Annealing of the samples led to the phase transformation of tetragonal FeSi2 into the orthorhombic modification Cmca. Precipitates of cubic iron monosilicide FeSi with space group P213, nano-precipitates of Si and silicon silicide Cr5Si3 with a tetragonal structure I4/mcm were observed inside the FeSi2 grains. Impurities of interstitial Cr atoms with a concentration up to 2.0 at% are found in iron (di)silicides grains in all samples. The structure of the CrSi2 phase remains unchanged after annealing; the concentration of impurity iron atoms is about 0.7 at%. Orientation relationships between the crystal lattices of the phases are established and strains due to the mismatch of the crystal lattices are determined.

Crystallization of Bosonic Quantum Hall States

The dominance of interactions over kinetic energy lies at the heart of strongly correlated quantum matter, from fractional quantum Hall liquids, to atoms in optical lattices and twisted bilayer graphene. Crystalline phases often compete with correlated quantum liquids, and transitions between them occur when the energy cost of forming a density wave approaches zero. A prime example occurs for electrons in high magnetic fields, where the instability of quantum Hall liquids towards a Wigner crystal is heralded by a roton-like softening of density modulations at the magnetic length. Remarkably, interacting bosons in a gauge field are also expected to form analogous liquid and crystalline states. However, combining interactions with strong synthetic magnetic fields has been a challenge for experiments on bosonic quantum gases. Here, we study the purely interaction-driven dynamics of a Landau gauge Bose-Einstein condensate in and near the lowest Landau level. We observe a spontaneous crystallization driven by condensation of magneto-rotons, excitations visible as density modulations at the magnetic length. Increasing the cloud density smoothly connects this behaviour to a quantum version of the Kelvin-Helmholtz hydrodynamic instability, driven by the sheared internal flow profile of the rapidly rotating condensate. At long times the condensate self-organizes into a persistent array of droplets, separated by vortex streets, which are stabilized by a balance of interactions and effective magnetic forces.

Determination of Micromechanical Properties of Cementitious Materials with Self-Healing Agent

The paper deals with the determination of nano, microstructural, and micromechanical properties of cementitious materials surface with self-healing agent based on calcium carbonate precipitation (calcite). This was done by means of electron microscopy with elemental microanalysis and nanoindentation. These methods can define parameters of individual phases within cementitious materials, which are important for the development of micromechanical models. Bacillus pseudofirmus in combination with culture medium 235 was chosen as a self-healing agent. Our study provides information about micromechanical properties of crystals resulting from spontaneous crystallization from the culture medium and from crystallization caused by bacteria.

Study of SmBO3 - ScBO3 system and new SmSc(BO3)2 orthoborate

A new SmSc(BO3)2 compound was discovered under study of SmBO3 – ScBO3 diagram by solid-state synthesis. The obtained compound was grown from stoichiometric melt by spontaneous crystallization method, and crystallizes...

Na2La2B10O19: A New Lanthanum Sodium Borate with Infinite 2D Layer (_∞﷩2﷩[B_10 O_19 ]^(8-)and Moderate Birefringence

A new rare earth borate Na2La2B10O19 was successfully synthesized by spontaneous crystallization in high temperature solution. It crystallizes in the centrosymmetric (CS) space group C2/c with an infinite two-dimensional (2D)...

GaPO4 Single Crystals: Growth Condition by Hydrothermal Refluxing Method

Bulk GaPO4 is an advanced piezoelectric material operating under high temperatures according to the α-β phase transition at 970 °C. This work presents the technological development of a hydrothermal refluxing method first applied for GaPO4 single crystal growth. Crystals of 10–20 g were grown in mixtures of aqueous solutions of low- and high-vapor-pressure acids (H3PO4/HCl) at 180–240 °C (10–20 bars). The principal feature of the refluxing method is a spatial separation of crystal growth and nutrient dissolution zones. This leads to a constant mass transportation of the dissolved nutrient, even for materials with retrograde solubility. Mass transport is carried out by dissolution of GaPO4 nutrient in a dropping flow of condensed low-vapor-pressure solvent. This method allows an exact saturation at temperature of equilibrium and avoids spontaneous crystallization as well loss of seeds. Grown crystals have a moderate OH− content and reasonable structural uniformity. Moreover, the hydrothermal refluxing method allows a fine defining of GaPO4 concentration in aqueous solutions of H3PO4, H2SO4, HCl and their mixtures at set T–P parameters (T < 250 °C, p = 10–30 bars). The proposed method is relatively simple to use, highly reproducible for crystal growth of GaPO4 and probably could applied to other compounds with retrograde solubility.

Crystal structures and comparisons of huntite aluminum borates REAl3(BO3)4 (RE = Tb, Dy and Ho)

Three huntite-type aluminoborates of stoichiometry REAl3(BO3)4 (RE = Tb, Dy and Ho), namely, terbium/dysprosium/holmium trialuminium tetrakis(borate), were synthesized by slow cooling within a K2Mo3O10 flux with spontaneous crystallization. The crystal structures were determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) data. The synthesized borates are isostructural to the huntite [CaMg3(CO3)4] structure and crystallized within the trigonal R32 space group. The structural parameters were compared to literature data of other huntite REAl3(BO3)4 crystals within the R32 space group. All three borates fit well into the trends calculated from the literature data. The unit-cell parameters and volumes increase linearly with larger RE cations whereas the densities decrease. All of the crystals studied were refined as inversion twins.

Rb9– x Ag3+x Sc2(WO4)9: a new glaserite-related structure type, rubidium disorder, ionic conductivity

A new triple tungstate Rb9−x Ag3+x Sc2(WO4)9 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) synthesized by solid state reactions and spontaneous crystallization from melts presents a new structure type related to those of Cs7Na5Yb2(MoO4)9 and Na13Sr2Ta2(PO4)9. The title compound in centrosymmetric space group Cmcm contains dimers of two ScO6 octahedra sharing corners with three bridging WO4 tetrahedra. Three pairs of opposite terminal WO4 tetrahedra are additionally linked by AgO2 dumbbells to form {Ag3[Sc2(WO4)9]}9− groups, which together with some rubidium ions are packed in pseudohexagonal glaserite-like layers parallel to (001), but stacking of the layers is different in these three structures. In the title structure, the layers stack with a shift along the b axis and their interlayer space contains disordered Rb+ cations partially substituted by Ag+ ions. Almost linear chains of incompletely filled close Rb3a–Rb3d positions (the shortest distances Rb–Rb are 0.46 to 0.64 Å) are found to locate approximately along the b axis. This positional disorder and the presence of wide common quadrangular faces of Rb2 and Rb3a–Rb3d coordination polyhedra favor two-dimensional ionic conductivity in the (001) plane with Rb+ and Ag+ carriers, which was confirmed with bond valence sum (BVS) maps. Electrical conductivity measurements on Rb9Ag3Sc2(WO4)9 ceramics revealed a first-order superionic phase transition at 570 K with a sharp increase in the electrical conductivity. The conductivity σi = 1.8 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 690 K is comparable with the value of 1.0 × 10−3 S cm−1 (500 K) observed earlier for rubidium-ion transport in pyrochlore-like ferroelectric RbNbWO6.