electroless co-based barrier: Topics by WorldWideScience.org

Sample records for electroless co-based barrier

Diffusion barrier characteristics and shear fracture behaviors of eutectic PbSn solder/electroless Co(W,P) samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Hung-Chun; Hsieh, Tsung-Eong

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Diffusion barrier features, activation energies of IMC growth and mechanical behaviors of electroless Co(W,P)/PbSn joints. ► Amorphous Co(W,P) is a sacrificial- plus stuffed-type barrier while polycrystalline Co(W,P) is a sacrificial-type barrier. ► Ductile mode dominates the failure of Co(W,P)/PbSn joints. ► Phosphorus content of Co(W,P) is crucial to the barrier capability and microstructure evolution at Co(W,P)/PbSn interface. ► Diffusion barrier capability is governed by the nature of chemical bonds, rather than the crystallinity of materials. - Abstract: Diffusion barrier characteristics, activation energy (E a ) of IMC growth and bonding properties of amorphous and polycrystalline electroless Co(W,P) (termed as α-Co(W,P) and poly-Co(W,P)) to eutectic PbSn solder are presented. Intermetallic compound (IMC) spallation and an nano-crystalline P-rich layer were observed in PbSn/α-Co(W,P) samples subjected to liquid-state aging at 250 °C. In contrast, IMCs resided on the P-rich layer in PbSn/α-Co(W,P) samples subjected to solid-state aging at 150 °C. Thick IMCs neighboring to an amorphous W-rich layer was seen in PbSn/poly-Co(W,P) samples regardless of the aging type. α-Co(W,P) was found to be a sacrificial- plus stuffed-type barrier while poly-Co(W,P) is mainly a sacrificial-type barrier. The values of E a 's for PbSn/α-Co(W,P) and PbSn/poly-Co(W,P) systems were 338.6 and 167.5 kJ/mol, respectively. Shear test revealed the ductile mode dominates the failure in both α- and poly-Co(W,P) samples. Analytical results indicated the high P content in electroless layer might enhance the barrier capability but degrade the bonding strength.
Comparative study of electroless Co-Ni-P plating on Tencel fabric by Co0-based and Ni0-based activation for electromagnetic interference shielding

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Siyi; Zhao, Hang; Hou, Lei; Lu, Yinxiang

2017-10-01

The primary objective of this research work was to develop high-performance conductive fabrics with desired electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE), excellent durability and improved corrosion resistance. Such conductive fabrics were fabricated by combining an ultra-low-cost electroless plating method with an alkoxy silane self-assembly technology, which involved successive steps of modification, activation, Co-Ni-P coating deposition and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) thin coatings assembling. Malic acid (MA) was selected to modify the pristine Tencel (TS) substrates, and the probably interaction mechanism was investigated by FT-IR measurement. Co0 and Ni0 nanoparticles (NPs) were used as the activators to initiate electroless plating, respectively, and thereby two categories of Co-Ni-P coatings with different Co/Ni atomic ratio were obtained. Both of them presented compact morphologies and preferential (1 1 1) crystal orientation, which were validated by FE-SEM and XRD measurements. Owing to the lower square resistance and higher magnetic properties, the Co-Ni-P coated fabric activated by Co0 activator showed a higher EMI SE (18.2-40.1 dB) at frequency of 30-1000 MHz. APTMS thin coatings were then assembled on the top of alloy coated fabrics to act as anti-corrosion barriers. Electrochemical polarization measurement in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution showed that top-APTMS coated conductive fabric exhibited a higher corrosion resistance than the one in absence of APTMS assembly. Overall, the whole process of fabrication could be performed in several hours (or less) without any specialized equipment, which shows a great potential as EMI shielding fabrics in mass-production.
Electroless deposition of NiCrB diffusion barrier layer film for ULSI-Cu metallization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yuechun [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming (China); Chen, Xiuhua, E-mail: chenxh@ynu.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming (China); Ma, Wenhui [National Engineering Laboratory of Vacuum Metallurgy, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming (China); Shang, Yudong; Lei, Zhengtao; Xiang, Fuwei [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • In this paper, the electroless deposited NiCrB thin film was mainly in the form of NiB, CrB{sub 2} compounds and elementary Ni. • The sheet resistance of NiCrB thin film was 3.043 Ω/□, it is smaller than that of the widely used Ta, TaN and TiN diffusion barrier layers. • Annealing experiments showed that the failure temperature of NiCrB thin film regarding Cu diffusion was 900 °C. • NiCrB barrier layer crystallized after 900 °C annealing, Cu grains arrived at Si-substrate through grain boundaries, resulting in the formation of Cu{sub 3}Si. • Eelectroless deposited NiCrB film also had good oxidation resistance, it is expected to become an anti-oxidant layer of copper interconnection. - Abstract: NiCrB films were deposited on Si substrates using electroless deposition as a diffusion barrier layer for Cu interconnections. Samples of the prepared NiCrB/SiO{sub 2}/Si and NiCrB/Cu/NiCrB/SiO{sub 2}/Si were annealed at temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 900 °C. The reaction mechanism of the electroless deposition of the NiCrB film, the failure temperature and the failure mechanism of the NiCrB diffusion barrier layer were investigated. The prepared samples were subjected to XRD, XPS, FPP and AFM to determine the phases, composition, sheet resistance and surface morphology of samples before and after annealing. The results of these analyses indicated that the failure temperature of the NiCrB barrier film was 900 °C and the failure mechanism led to crystallization and grain growth of the NiCrB barrier layer after high temperature annealing. It was found that this process caused Cu grains to reach Si substrate through the grain boundaries, and then the reaction between Cu and Si resulted in the formation of highly resistive Cu{sub 3}Si.
Enhancement of seeding for electroless Cu plating of metallic barrier layers by using alkyl self-assembled monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Sung-Te [Department of Electronic Engineering, Hsiuping University of Science and Technology, Dali 412, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Chung, Yu-Cheng [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 407, Taiwan (China); Fang, Jau-Shiung [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Formosa University, Huwei 632, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Yi-Lung [Department of Electrical Engineering, National Chi-Nan University, Puli, Nantou 545, Taiwan (China); Chen, Giin-Shan, E-mail: gschen@fcu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 407, Taiwan (China)

2017-05-31

Highlights: • Ta barrier layers are used as model substrates for seeding of electroless plating. • Ta layers seeded with Ta-OH yield seeds with limited density and large size (>10 nm). • Substantial improvement of seeding is obtained with functionalized SAMs. • The mechanism of seeding improvement by functionalized SAMs is clearly clarified. - Abstract: Tethering a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on ultralow-k (porous) dielectric materials as a seed-trapping layer for electroless Cu plating has been extensively studied. By contrast, literature on direct electroless Cu plating of metallic barrier layers assisted by SAMs is scarce. Therefore, Ta, a crucial component of barrier materials for Cu interconnect metallization, was investigated as a model substrate for a new seeding (Ni catalyst formation) process of electroless Cu plating. Transmission and scanning electron microscopies indicated that catalytic particles formed on Ta films through Ta−OH groups tend to become aggregates with an average size of 14 nm and density of 2 × 10{sup 15} m{sup −2}. By contrast, Ta films with a plasma-functionalized SAM tightly bound catalytic particles without agglomeration, thus yielding a markedly smaller size (3 nm) and higher density (3 × 10{sup 16} m{sup −2}; one order greater than those formed by other novel methods). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy clearly identified the types of material species and functional groups induced at each step of the seeding process. Moreover, the phase of the catalytic particles, either nickel alkoxide, Ni(OH){sub 2}, or metallic Ni, along with the seed-bonding mechanism, was also unambiguously distinguished. The enhancement of film-formation quality of Cu by the new seeding process was thus demonstrated.
Electroless Ni-Mo-P diffusion barriers with Pd-activated self-assembled monolayer on SiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Dianlong; Yang Zhigang; Zhang Chi

2010-01-01

Ternary Ni-based amorphous films can serve as a diffusion barrier layer for Cu interconnects in ultralarge-scale integration (ULSI) applications. In this paper, electroless Ni-Mo-P films deposited on SiO 2 layer without sputtered seed layer were prepared by using Pd-activated self-assembled monolayer (SAM). The solutions and operating conditions for pretreatment and deposition were presented, and the formation of Pd-activated SAM was demonstrated by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analysis and BSE (back-scattered electron) observation. The effects of the concentration of Na 2 MoO 4 added in electrolytes, pH value, and bath temperature on the surface morphology and compositions of Ni-Mo-P films were investigated. The microstructures, diffusion barrier property, electrical resistivity, and adhesion were also examined. Based on the experimental results, the Ni-Mo-P alloys produced by using Pd-activated SAM had an amorphous or amorphous-like structure, and possessed good performance as diffusion barrier layer.
NiCo-lead zirconium titanate-NiCo trilayered magnetoelectric composites prepared by electroless deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, M. H.; Wang, Y. G.; Bi, K.; Fan, H. P.; Zhao, Z. S.

2015-01-01

The NiCo layers with various Ni/Co atomic ratio have been successfully electroless deposited on PZT layers by varying the bath composition. As the cobalt atomic ratio in the deposited layer increases from 17.2 to 54.8 wt%, the magnetostrictive coefficient decreases. The magnetoelectric effect depends strongly on the magnetostrictive properties of magnetostrictive phase. The magnetoelectric coefficient of NiCo/PZT/NiCo trilayers increases with Ni/Co atomic ratio of the deposited NiCo layers increasing from 45:55 to 83:17. A maximum ME voltage coefficient of α E,31 = 2.8 V ⋅ cm −1 ⋅ Oe −1 is obtained at a frequency of about 88 kHz, which makes these trilayers suitable for applications in actuators, transducers and sensors
NiCo-lead zirconium titanate-NiCo trilayered magnetoelectric composites prepared by electroless deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, M. H.; Wang, Y. G.; Bi, K., E-mail: bike@bupt.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications and School of Science, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876 (China); Fan, H. P. [School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Technological University Qindao College, Qingdao 266106 (China); Zhao, Z. S. [Shandong Engineering Consulting Institute, Jinan 250013 (China)

2015-04-15

The NiCo layers with various Ni/Co atomic ratio have been successfully electroless deposited on PZT layers by varying the bath composition. As the cobalt atomic ratio in the deposited layer increases from 17.2 to 54.8 wt%, the magnetostrictive coefficient decreases. The magnetoelectric effect depends strongly on the magnetostrictive properties of magnetostrictive phase. The magnetoelectric coefficient of NiCo/PZT/NiCo trilayers increases with Ni/Co atomic ratio of the deposited NiCo layers increasing from 45:55 to 83:17. A maximum ME voltage coefficient of α{sub E,31} = 2.8 V ⋅ cm{sup −1} ⋅ Oe{sup −1} is obtained at a frequency of about 88 kHz, which makes these trilayers suitable for applications in actuators, transducers and sensors.
Effect of W addition on the electroless deposited NiP(W) barrier layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Yishi; Hu, Anmin; Hang, Tao; Peng, Li; Li, Ming

2013-01-01

Electroless deposition of NiP, NiWP thin film on p-type Si as the barrier layer to prevent the diffusion of Cu into Si was investigated. The thermal stability of the Si/Ni(W)P/Cu layers were evaluated by measuring the changes of resistance of the samples after annealed at various temperatures. XRD was applied to detect the formation of Cu 3 Si and evaluate the barrier performance of the layers. The results of XRD of the stacked Si/NiP/Cu, Si/NiWP-1/Cu, Si/NiWP–2/Cu films reveal that Cu atom could diffuse through NiP barrier layer at 450 °C, Cu could hardly diffuse through NiWP layer at 550 °C. This means that with W added in the layer, the barrier performance is improved. Although the resistance of Si/NiWP-1 and Si/NiWP-2 are higher than that of Si/NiP, the resistance of stacked layers of Si/NiWP-1/Cu and Si/NiWP–2/Cu are close to that of Si/NiP/Cu. This means that using NiWP as barrier layer is acceptable.
Electrochemical studies on electroless ternary and quaternary Ni-P based alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balaraju, J.N.; Selvi, V. Ezhil; Grips, V.K. William; Rajam, K.S.

2006-01-01

The autocatalytic (electroless) deposition of Ni-P based alloys is a well-known commercial process that has found numerous applications because of their excellent anticorrosive, wear, magnetic, solderable properties, etc. It is a barrier coating, protecting the substrate by sealing it off from the corrosive environments, rather than by sacrificial action. The corrosion resistance varies with the phosphorus content of the deposit: relatively high for a high-phosphorus electroless nickel deposit but low for a low-phosphorus electroless nickel deposit. In the present investigation ternary Ni-W-P alloy films were prepared using alkaline citrate-based bath. Quaternary Ni-W-Cu-P films were deposited by the addition of 3 mM copper ions in ternary Ni-W-P bath. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies indicated that all the deposits were nanocrystalline, i.e. 1.2, 2.1 and 6.0 nm, respectively, for binary, ternary and quaternary alloys. Corrosion resistance of the films was evaluated in 3.5% sodium chloride solution in non-deaerated and deaerated conditions by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance (EIS) methods. Lower corrosion current density values were obtained for the coatings tested in deaerated condition. EIS studies showed that higher charge transfer resistance values were obtained for binary Ni-P coatings compared to ternary or quaternary coatings. For all the coatings a gradual increase in the anodic current density had been observed beyond 740 mV. In deaerated condition all the reported coatings exhibited a narrow passive region and all the values of E p , E tp and i pass were very close showing no major changes in the electrochemical behavior. In the non-deaerated conditions no passivation behavior had been observed for all these coatings
Study on the poisoning resistance of Pd-coated ZrCo alloy prepared by electroless plating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Xiumei, E-mail: xiumei418@163.com; Wang, Shumao; Li, Zhinian; Yuan, Baolong; Ye, Jianhua; Qiu, Haochen; Wu, Yuanfang; Liu, Xiaopeng; Jiang, Lijun

2016-12-15

Highlights: • The Pd membrane was prepared by electroless plating method. • The Pd membrane was compact and uniform. • The effectiveness of Pd membranes was affected by impurity contents and temperatures. - Abstract: To improve the poisoning resistance of ZrCo alloy, Pd membranes have been prepared over the surface of the alloy substrates by using electroless plating method. The characteristics of Pd membranes have been examined by XRD, SEM, EDS and EPMA technologies. From SEM images, the uniform and compact thin Pd film was revealed. The effect of this Pd film was evaluated by comparing the hydrogen absorption properties of bare and Pd-coated ZrCo specimens in contaminated hydrogen gas. The degradation of hydrogen absorption of Pd-coated ZrCo induced by poisoning was less than that of bare ZrCo sample obviously, meaning that the Pd membranes over the surface of substrates appeared to be effective in improving the poisoning resistance of ZrCo alloy. Furthermore, the effect became more significant with the increasing of impurity contents in the experimental gas and the operation temperatures.
Electroless Ni-B plating on SiO2 with 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane as a barrier layer against Cu diffusion for through-Si via interconnections in a 3-dimensional multi-chip package

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Akihiro; Sakamoto, Atsushi; Hattori, Reiji; Kuroki, Yukinori

2009-01-01

Electroless Ni-B was plated on SiO 2 as a barrier layer against Cu diffusion for through-Si via (TSV) interconnections in a 3-dimensional multi-chip package. The electroless Ni-B was deposited on the entire area of the SiO 2 side wall of a deep via with vapor phase pre-deposition of 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane on the SiO 2 . The carrier lifetimes in the Si substrates plated with Ni-B/Cu did not decrease with an increase in annealing temperature up to 400 deg. C . The absence of degradation of carrier lifetimes indicates that Cu atoms did not diffuse into the Si through the Ni-B. The advantages of electroless Ni-B (good conformal deposition and forming an effective diffusion barrier against Cu) make it useful as a barrier layer for TSV interconnections in a 3-dimensional multi-chip package
Electroless plating Cu-Co-P polyalloy on UV/ozonolysis irradiated polyethylene terephthalate film and its corrosion resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Lei; Bi, Siyi; Zhao, Hang; Xu, Yumeng; Mu, Yuhang; Lu, Yinxiang, E-mail: yxlu@fudan.edu.cn

2017-05-01

Highlights: • Electroless plating Cu-Co-P polyalloy was firstly fabricated onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. • An etchant-free and amine-free UV/ozonolysis irradiation method UV/ozonolysis was effective for the transition from hydrophilic to hydrophobic of PET sheet. • A time-saving and cost-effective orthogonal experiment (L{sub 9}(3){sup 4}) was utilized to optimize the plating conditions. • The optimized copper polyalloy possessed high corrosion resistance in three aggressive mediums including NaCl, NaOH and HCl, respectively. • The Cu-Co-P coated PET composite showed excellent electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE > 99.999% at frequency ranging from 30 MHz to 1000 MHz). - Abstract: High corrosion resistant Cu-Co-P coatings were firstly prepared on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by electroless plating in combination with UV/ozonolysis irradiation under optimized cobalt sulfate heptahydrate concentration, pH value, plating temperature and time. The copper polyalloy/PET composite can be obtained in three steps, namely: (i) the generation of oxygen-containing functionalities (carboxylic groups) onto PET surface through UV irradiation combined with ozone, (ii) Cu seeding catalysts were obtained after being immersed into cupric citrate and NaBH{sub 4} solutions subsequently, and (iii) Cu-Co-P polyalloy metallization using electroless plating bath. Attenuated total reflection fourier transformation infrared spectrometer (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), water contact angle measurement and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) were utilized to track the surface changes during the whole process. The electroless plating conditions were optimized by an orthogonal experiment (L{sub 9}(3){sup 4}) for Cu-Co-P coating as follows: CoSO{sub 4}·7H{sub 2}O addition of 0.08 M, pH value, plating temperature and time were set on 10.0, 35 °C and 25 min, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, copper
Characterization and Properties of Electroless Nickel Plated Poly (ethylene terephthalate) Nonwoven Fabric Enhanced by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Pretreatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geng Yamin; Lu Canhui; Liang Mei; Zhang Wei

2010-01-01

In order to develop a more economical pretreatment method for electroless nickel plating, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma at atmospheric pressure was used to improve the hydrophilicity and adhesion of poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nonwoven fabric. The properties of the PET nonwoven fabric including its liquid absorptive capacity (W A ), aging behavior, surface chemical composition, morphology of the surface, adhesion strength, surface electrical resistivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI)- shielding effectiveness (SE) were studied. The liquid absorptive capacity (W A ) increased due to the incorporation of oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing functional groups on the surface of PET nonwoven fabric after DBD air-plasma treatment. The surface morphology of the nonwoven fibers became rougher after plasma treatment. Therefore, the surface was more prone to absorb tin sensitizer and palladium catalyst to form an active layer for the deposition of electroless nickel. SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicated that a uniform coating of nickel was formed on the PET nonwoven fabric. The average EMI-SE of Ni-plating of PET nonwoven fabric maintained a relatively stable value (38.2 dB to 37.3 dB) in a frequency range of 50 MHz to 1500 MHz. It is concluded that DBD is feasible for pretreatment of nonwoven fabric for electroless nickel plating to prepare functional material with good EMI-SE properties.
Synthesis of dense nano cobalt-hydroxyapatite by modified electroless deposition technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohd Zaheruddin, K., E-mail: zaheruddin@unimap.edu.my; Rahmat, A., E-mail: azmirahmat@unimap.edu.my; Shamsul, J. B., E-mail: sbaharin@unimap.edu.my; Mohd Nazree, B. D., E-mail: nazree@unimap.edu.my; Aimi Noorliyana, H., E-mail: aimiliyana@unimap.edu.my [School of Materials Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kompleks Pusat Pengajian Jejawi Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Taman Muhibbah, Jejawi 02600 Arau Perlis (Malaysia)

2016-07-19

Cobalt-hydroxyapatite (Co-HA) composites was successfully prepared by simple electroless deposition process of Co on the surface of hydroxyapatite (HA) particles. Co deposition was carried out in an alkaline bath with sodium hypophosphite as a reducing agent. The electroless process was carried out without sensitization and activation steps. The deposition of Co onto HA was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The Co-HA composite powder was compacted and sintered at 1250°C. The Co particles were homogeneously dispersed in the HA matrix after sintering and the mechanical properties of composites was enhanced to 100 % with 3 % wt Co and gradually decreased at higher Co content.
Electroless Cu Plating on Anodized Al Substrate for High Power LED.

Science.gov (United States)

Rha, Sa-Kyun; Lee, Youn-Seoung

2015-03-01

Area-selective copper deposition on screen printed Ag pattern/anodized Al/Al substrate was attempted using a neutral electroless plating processes for printed circuit boards (PCBs), according to a range of variation of pH 6.5-pH 8 at 70 °C. The utilized basic electroless solution consisted of copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate, sodium phosphinate monohydrate, sodium citrate tribasic dihydrate, ammonium chloride, and nickel(II) sulfate hexahydrate. The pH of the copper plating solutions was adjusted from pH 6.5 to pH 8 using NH4OH. Using electroless plating in pH 6.5 and pH 7 baths, surface damage to the anodized Al layer hardly occurred; the structure of the plated Cu-rich films was a typical fcc-Cu, but a small Ni component was co-deposited. In electroless plating at pH 8, the surface of the anodized Al layer was damaged and the Cu film was composed of a lot of Ni and P which were co-deposited with Cu. Finally, in a pH 7 bath, we can make a selectively electroless plated Cu film on a PCB without any lithography and without surface damage to the anodized Al layer.
The performance of electroless nickel deposits in oil-field environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mack, R.; Bayes, M.

1984-01-01

An experimental study was conducted on an electroless nickel plated (represented by Enplate NI-422) C-90 steel, uncoated C-90 steel, AISI 420, 174 PH, SAF 2205, and HASTELLOY /sup R/ G-3 to determine their corrosion-performance in twelve simulated downhole oil or gas production environments during 28 day exposures. These environments were aqueous brines containing various concentrations of Cl - , H 2 S and/or CO 2 , and over a range of temperatures. The results from this study and oilfield data for electroless nickel plated low alloy steels are presented and discussed. The study demonstrates the feasibility of electroless nickel coated low alloy steels as an economical substitute for some highly alloyed materials in certain oilfield applications; the field data support this
Electroless Nickel-Based Catalyst for Diffusion Limited Hydrogen Generation through Hydrolysis of Borohydride

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Shannon P. Anderson

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Catalysts based on electroless nickel and bi-metallic nickel-molybdenum nanoparticles were synthesized for the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride for hydrogen generation. The catalysts were synthesized by polymer-stabilized Pd nanoparticle-catalyzation and activation of Al2O3 substrate and electroless Ni or Ni-Mo plating of the substrate for selected time lengths. Catalytic activity of the synthesized catalysts was tested for the hydrolyzation of alkaline-stabilized NaBH4 solution for hydrogen generation. The effects of electroless plating time lengths, temperature and NaBH4 concentration on hydrogen generation rates were analyzed and discussed. Compositional analysis and surface morphology were carried out for nano-metallized Al2O3 using Scanning Electron Micrographs (SEM and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis (EDAX. The as-plated polymer-stabilized electroless nickel catalyst plated for 10 min and unstirred in the hydrolysis reaction exhibited appreciable catalytic activity for hydrolysis of NaBH4. For a zero-order reaction assumption, activation energy of hydrogen generation using the catalyst was estimated at 104.6 kJ/mol. Suggestions are provided for further work needed prior to using the catalyst for portable hydrogen generation from aqueous alkaline-stabilized NaBH4 solution for fuel cells.
Electroless Fabrication of Cobalt Alloys Nanowires within Alumina Template

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Nazila Dadvand

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A new method of nanowire fabrication based on electroless deposition process is described. The method is novel compared to the current electroless procedure used in making nanowires as it involves growing nanowires from the bottom up. The length of the nanowires was controlled at will simply by adjusting the deposition time. The nanowires were fabricated within the nanopores of an alumina template. It was accomplished by coating one side of the template by a thin layer of palladium in order to activate the electroless deposition within the nanopores from bottom up. However, prior to electroless deposition process, the template was pretreated with a suitable wetting agent in order to facilitate the penetration of the plating solution through the pores. As well, the electroless deposition process combined with oblique metal evaporation process within a prestructured silicon wafer was used in order to fabricate long nanowires along one side of the grooves within the wafer.
Development and electrochemical characterization of Ni‐P coated tungsten incorporated electroless nickel coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shibli, S.M.A., E-mail: smashibli@yahoo.com; Chinchu, K.S.

2016-08-01

Ni‐P-W alloy and composite coatings were prepared by incorporation of sodium tungstate/tungsten and Ni‐P coated tungsten into electroless nickel bath respectively. Good inter-particle interactions among the depositing elements i.e. Ni and P with the incorporating tungsten particles were achieved by means of pre-coated tungsten particle by electroless nickel covering prior to its addition into the electroless bath. The pre-coated tungsten particles got incorporated uniformly into the Ni-P matrix of the coating. The particles and the coatings were characterized at different stages by different techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The electroless Ni-P coating incorporated with pre-coated tungsten exhibited considerably high hardness, thickness and deposition rate. The performance and corrosion resistance characteristics of the composite coating incorporated with the nickel coated tungsten were found to be superior over other conventional Ni-P-W ternary alloy coatings currently reported. - Highlights: • An amorphous Ni-P coating was effectively formed on tungsten particles. • Electroless ternary Ni-P-W composite coatings were successfully prepared. • Enhancement in the inter-particle interaction in the Ni-P composite matrix was achieved. • Efficient and uniform incorporation of the composite in the internal layer was evident. • The tungsten incorporated coating possessed effective barrier protection.
Electroless Ni-P/Nano-SiO2 Composite Plating on Dual Phase Magnesium-Lithium Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Y.; Zhang, Z. W.; Zhang, M. L.

The application of Mg-Li alloys is restricted in practice due to mainly poor corrosion resistance and wear resistance. Electroless nickel plating is one of the common and effective ways to protect alloys from corrosion. In this study, nano-SiO2 particles with Ni-P matrix have been successfully co-deposited onto dual phase Mg-8Li base alloy through electroless plating, generating homogeneously Ni-P/nano-SiO2 composite coating. The morphology, elemental composition and structures of coatings were investigated. Coating performances were evaluated using hardness tests and electrochemical analysis. The results indicate that the Ni-P/nano-SiO2 composite coating can significantly improve the wear and corrosion resistance.

Electroless nickel-plating for the PWSCC mitigation of nickel-base alloys in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ji Hyun; Hwang, Il Soon

2008-01-01

The feasibility study has been performed as an effort to apply the electroless nickel-plating method for a proposed countermeasure to mitigate primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of nickel-base alloys in nuclear power plants. In order to understand the corrosion behavior of nickel-plating at high temperature water, the electrochemical properties of electroless nickel-plated alloy 600 specimens exposed to simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) primary water were experimentally characterized in high temperature and high pressure water condition. And, the resistance to the flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) test was investigated to check the durability of plated layers in high-velocity water-flowing environment at high temperature. The plated surfaces were examined by using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) after exposures to the condition. From this study, it is found that the corrosion resistance of electroless nickel-plated Alloy 600 is higher than that of electrolytic plating in 290 deg. C water
Synthesis and Electrochemical Evaluation of Carbon Supported Pt-Co Bimetallic Catalysts Prepared by Electroless Deposition and Modified Charge Enhanced Dry Impregnation

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John Meynard M. Tengco

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Carbon-supported bimetallic Pt-Co cathode catalysts have been previously identified as higher activity alternatives to conventional Pt/C catalysts for fuel cells. In this work, a series of Pt-Co/C catalysts were synthesized using electroless deposition (ED of Pt on a Co/C catalyst prepared by modified charge enhanced dry impregnation. X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM characterization of the base catalyst showed highly dispersed particles. A basic ED bath containing PtCl62− as the Pt precursor, dimethylamine borane as reducing agent, and ethylenediamine as stabilizing agent successfully targeted deposition of Pt on Co particles. Simultaneous action of galvanic displacement and ED resulted in Pt-Co alloy formation observed in XRD and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XEDS mapping. In addition, fast deposition kinetics resulted in hollow shell Pt-Co alloy particles while particles with Pt-rich shell and Co-rich cores formed with controlled Pt deposition. Electrochemical evaluation of the Pt-Co/C catalysts showed lower active surface but much higher mass and surface activities for oxygen reduction reaction compared to a commercial Pt/C fuel cell catalyst.
Selective Electroless Nickel Plating on PMMA using Chloroform Pre-Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Sipes, Nicholas

In the past 5 years, we have discovered that chloroform promotes the adhesion of thin gold films to Poly(methyl methacrylate) surfaces. Based on this new understanding of the interaction of chloroform with PMMA and metal atoms, we were curious to see if chloroform would promote the adhesion of Nickel to PMMA deposited by electroless plating. My goal was to selectively electroless plate Nickel onto PMMA. Chloroform was spun-cast onto 1 inch square PMMA substrates. I used electrical tape to shield one half of the PMMA from the chloroform during spin-casting; this allowed for a direct comparison of treated vs. untreated. The samples were then put through hydrochloric acid and a series of baths provided by Transene Company Inc. to electrolessly deposit nickel on the sample. After many trials, there was a clear distinction in the adhesion strength of the Nickel to the plain PMMA surface vs. the chloroform pre-treated surface. Showing that it is possible to create chloroform sites via spin-casting for electroless nickel plating on PMMA opens up the challenge to better understand the chemistry taking place and to perfect the electroless plating process.
Nanocrystalline soft ferromagnetic Ni-Co-P thin film on Al alloy by low temperature electroless deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aal, A. Abdel; Shaaban, A.; Hamid, Z. Abdel

2008-01-01

Soft ferromagnetic ternary Ni-Co-P films were deposited onto Al 6061 alloy from low temperature Ni-Co-P electroless plating bath. The effect of deposition parameters, such as time and pH, on the plating rate of the deposit were examined. The results showed that the plating rate is a function of pH bath and the highest coating thickness can be obtained at pH value from 8 to10. The surface morphology, phase structure and the magnetic properties of the prepared films have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and vibrating magnetometer device (VMD), respectively. The deposit obtained at optimum conditions showed compact and smooth with nodular grains structure and exhibited high magnetic moments and low coercivety. Potentiodynamic polarization corrosion tests were used to study the general corrosion behavior of Al alloys, Ni-P and Ni-Co-P coatings in 3.5% NaCl solution. It was found that Ni-Co-P coated alloy demonstrated higher corrosion resistance than Ni-P coating containing same percent of P due to the Co addition. The Ni-Co-P coating with a combination of high corrosion resistance, high hardness and excellent magnetic properties would be expected to enlarge the applications of the aluminum alloys
Recovery process for electroless plating baths

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Roger W.; Neff, Wayne A.

1992-01-01

A process for removing, from spent electroless metal plating bath solutions, accumulated byproducts and counter-ions that have deleterious effects on plating. The solution, or a portion thereof, is passed through a selected cation exchange resin bed in hydrogen form, the resin selected from strong acid cation exchangers and combinations of intermediate acid cation exchangers with strong acid cation exchangers. Sodium and nickel ions are sorbed in the selected cation exchanger, with little removal of other constituents. The remaining solution is subjected to sulfate removal through precipitation of calcium sulfate hemihydrate using, sequentially, CaO and then CaCO.sub.3. Phosphite removal from the solution is accomplished by the addition of MgO to form magnesium phosphite trihydrate. The washed precipitates of these steps can be safely discarded in nontoxic land fills, or used in various chemical industries. Finally, any remaining solution can be concentrated, adjusted for pH, and be ready for reuse. The plating metal can be removed from the exchanger with sulfuric acid or with the filtrate from the magnesium phosphite precipitation forming a sulfate of the plating metal for reuse. The process is illustrated as applied to processing electroless nickel plating baths.
Nickel Electroless Plating: Adhesion Analysis for Mono-Type Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Eun Gu; Rehman, Atteq ur; Lee, Sang Hee; Lee, Soo Hong

2015-10-01

The adhesion of the front electrodes to silicon substrate is the most important parameters to be optimized. Nickel silicide which is formed by sintering process using a silicon substrate improves the mechanical and electrical properties as well as act as diffusion barrier for copper. In this experiment p-type mono-crystalline czochralski (CZ) silicon wafers having resistivity of 1.5 Ω·cm were used to study one step and two step nickel electroless plating process. POCl3 diffusion process was performed to form the emitter with the sheet resistance of 70 ohm/sq. The Six, layer was set down as an antireflection coating (ARC) layer at emitter surface by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. Laser ablation process was used to open SiNx passivation layer locally for the formation of the front electrodes. Nickel was deposited by electroless plating process by one step and two step nickel electroless deposition process. The two step nickel plating was performed by applying a second nickel deposition step subsequent to the first sintering process. Furthermore, the adhesion analysis for both one step and two steps process was conducted using peel force tester (universal testing machine, H5KT) after depositing Cu contact by light induced plating (LIP).
Electroless atomic layer deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, David Bruce; Cappillino, Patrick J.; Sheridan, Leah B.; Stickney, John L.; Benson, David M.

2017-10-31

A method of electroless atomic layer deposition is described. The method electrolessly generates a layer of sacrificial material on a surface of a first material. The method adds doses of a solution of a second material to the substrate. The method performs a galvanic exchange reaction to oxidize away the layer of the sacrificial material and deposit a layer of the second material on the surface of the first material. The method can be repeated for a plurality of iterations in order to deposit a desired thickness of the second material on the surface of the first material.
Encapsulation of electroless copper patterns into diamond films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pimenov, S.M.; Shafeev, G.A.; Lavrischev, S.V. [General Physics Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)] [and others

1995-12-31

The results are reported on encapsulating copper lines into diamond films grown by a DC plasma CVD. The process includes the steps of (i) laser activation of diamond for electroless metal plating, (ii) electroless copper deposition selectively onto the activated surface regions, and (iii) diamond regrowth on the Cu-patterned diamond films. The composition and electrical properties of the encapsulated copper lines were examined, revealing high purity and low electrical resistivity of the encapsulated electroless copper.
Hall Measurements on Carbon Nanotube Paper Modified With Electroless Deposited Platinum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iwuoha Emmanuel

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Carbon nanotube paper, sometimes referred to as bucky paper, is a random arrangement of carbon nanotubes meshed into a single robust structure, which can be manipulated with relative ease. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes were used to make the nanotube paper, and were subsequently modified with platinum using an electroless deposition method based on substrate enhanced electroless deposition. This involves the use of a sacrificial metal substrate that undergoes electro-dissolution while the platinum metal deposits out of solution onto the nanotube paper via a galvanic displacement reaction. The samples were characterized using SEM/EDS, and Hall-effect measurements. The SEM/EDS analysis clearly revealed deposits of platinum (Pt distributed over the nanotube paper surface, and the qualitative elemental analysis revealed co-deposition of other elements from the metal substrates used. When stainless steel was used as sacrificial metal a large degree of Pt contamination with various other metals was observed. Whereas when pure sacrificial metals were used bimetallic Pt clusters resulted. The co-deposition of a bimetallic system upon carbon nanotubes was a function of the metal type and the time of exposure. Hall-effect measurements revealed some interesting fluctuations in sheet carrier density and the dominant carrier switched from N- to P-type when Pt was deposited onto the nanotube paper. Perspectives on the use of the nanotube paper as a replacement to traditional carbon cloth in water electrolysis systems are also discussed.
Electroless synthesis of 3 nm wide alloy nanowires inside Tobacco mosaic virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balci, Sinan; Kern, Klaus; Bittner, Alexander M; Hahn, Kersten; Kopold, Peter; Kadri, Anan; Wege, Christina

2012-01-01

We show that 3 nm wide cobalt–iron alloy nanowires can be synthesized by simple wet chemical electroless deposition inside tubular Tobacco mosaic virus particles. The method is based on adsorption of Pd(II) ions, formation of a Pd catalyst, and autocatalytic deposition of the alloy from dissolved metal salts, reduced by a borane compound. Extensive energy-filtering TEM investigations at the nanoscale revealed that the synthesized wires are alloys of Co, Fe, and Ni. We confirmed by high-resolution TEM that our alloy nanowires are at least partially crystalline, which is compatible with typical Co-rich alloys. Ni traces bestow higher stability, presumably against corrosion, as also known from bulk CoFe. Alloy nanowires, as small as the ones presented here, might be used for a variety of applications including high density data storage, imaging, sensing, and even drug delivery. (paper)
Review on Electroless Plating Ni-P Coatings for Improving Surface Performance of Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongyan; Zou, Jiaojuan; Lin, Naiming; Tang, Bin

2014-04-01

Electroless plating has been considered as an effective approach to provide protection and enhancement for metallic materials with many excellent properties in engineering field. This paper begins with a brief introduction of the fundamental aspects underlying the technological principles and conventional process of electroless nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) coatings. Then this paper discusses different electroless nickel plating, including binary plating, ternary composite plating and nickel plating with nanoparticles and rare earth, with the intention of improving the surface performance on steel substrate in recent years in detail. Based on different coating process, the varied features depending on the processing parameters are highlighted. Separately, diverse preparation techniques aiming at improvement of plating efficiency are summarized. Moreover, in view of the outstanding performance, such as corrosion resistance, abrasive resistance and fatigue resistance, this paper critically reviews the behaviors and features of various electroless coatings under different conditions.
Electroless nickel plating on stainless steels and aluminum

Science.gov (United States)

1966-01-01

Procedures for applying an adherent electroless nickel plating on 303 SE, 304, and 17-7 PH stainless steels, and 7075 aluminum alloy was developed. When heat treated, the electroless nickel plating provides a hard surface coating on a high strength, corrosion resistant substrate.
Copper circuit patterning on polymer using selective surface modification and electroless plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sang Jin [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Tae-Jun [Institute for Multidisciplinary Convergence of Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Juil [Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Hansung University, Seoul 136-792 (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Myoung-Woon [Institute for Multidisciplinary Convergence of Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Kyu Hwan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jun Hyun, E-mail: jhhan@cnu.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • A new simple two step method for the pattering of Cu circuits on PET substrate was proposed. • The simple patterning of the high adhesive Cu circuits was achieved by plasma treatment using a patterned mask coated with a catalyst material. • The high adhesive strength of Cu circuits was due to the nanostructure formed by oxygen plasma treatment. - Abstract: We have examined a potential new and simple method for patterning a copper circuit on PET substrate by copper electroless plating, without the pretreatment steps (i.e., sensitization and activation) for electroless plating as well as the etching processes of conventional circuit patterning. A patterned mask coated with a catalyst material, Ag, for the reduction of Cu ions, is placed on a PET substrate. Subsequent oxygen plasma treatment of the PET substrate covered with the mask promotes the selective generation of anisotropic pillar- or hair-like nanostructures coated with co-deposited nanoparticles of the catalyst material on PET. After oxygen plasma treatment, a Cu circuit is well formed just by dipping the plasma-treated PET into a Cu electroless plating solution. By increasing the oxygen gas pressure in the chamber, the height of the nanostructures increases and the Ag catalyst particles are coated on not only the top but also the side surfaces of the nanostructures. Strong mechanical interlocking between the Cu circuit and PET substrate is produced by the large surface area of the nanostructures, and enhances peel strength. Results indicate this new simple two step (plasma surface modification and pretreatment-free electroless plating) method can be used to produce a flexible Cu circuit with good adhesion.
Adhesion enhancement between electroless nickel and polyester fabric by a palladium-free process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu Yinxiang, E-mail: yxlu@fudan.edu.cn [Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433 (China); Xue Longlong; Li Feng [Department of Materials Science, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2011-01-15

A new, efficient, palladium- and etchant-free process for the electroless nickel plating of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric has been developed. PET electroless plating can be prepared in three steps, namely: (i) the grafting of thiol group onto PET, (ii) the silver Ag{sup 0} seeding of the PET surface, and (iii) the nickel metallization using electroless plating bath. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectrometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG) were used to characterize the samples in the process, and the nickel loading was quantified by weighing. This process successfully compares with the traditional one based on KMnO{sub 4}/H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} etching and palladium-based seed layer. The nickel coating obtained in this palladium-free process can pass through ultrasonic washing challenge, and shows excellent adhesion with the PET substrate. However, the sample with Pd catalyst via traditional process was damaged during the testing experiment.
Reduction of core loss in non-oriented (NO) electrical steel by electroless-plated magnetic coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chivavibul, Pornthep; Enoki, Manabu; Konda, Shigeru; Inada, Yasushi; Tomizawa, Tamotsu; Toda, Akira

2011-01-01

An important issue in development of electrical steels for core-laminated products is to reduce core loss to improve energy conversion efficiency. This is usually obtained by tailoring the composition, microstructure, and texture of electrical steels themselves. A new technique to reduce core loss in electrical steel has been investigated. This technique involves electroless plating of magnetic thin coating onto the surface of electrical steel. The material system was electroless Ni-Co-P coatings with different thicknesses (1, 5, and 10 μm) deposited onto the surface of commercially available Fe-3% Si electrical steel. Characterization of deposited Ni-Co-P coating was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer. The deposited Ni-Co-P coatings were amorphous and composed of 56-59% Ni, 32-35% Co, and 8-10% P by mass. The effect of coatings on core loss of the electrical steel was determined using single sheet test. A core loss reduction of 4% maximum was achieved with the Ni-Co-P coating of 1 μm thickness at 400 Hz and 0.3 T. - Research Highlights: → New approach to reduce core loss of electrical steel by magnetic coating. → Ni-Co-P coating influences core loss of NO electrical steel. → Core loss increases in RD direction but reduces in TD direction.
Co2FeAl based magnetic tunnel junctions with BaO and MgO/BaO barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Rogge

2015-07-01

Full Text Available We succeed to integrate BaO as a tunneling barrier into Co2FeAl based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs. By means of Auger electron spectroscopy it could be proven that the applied annealing temperatures during BaO deposition and afterwards do not cause any diffusion of Ba neither into the lower Heusler compound lead nor into the upper Fe counter electrode. Nevertheless, a negative tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR ratio of -10% is found for Co2FeAl (24 nm / BaO (5 nm / Fe (7 nm MTJs, which can be attributed to the preparation procedure and can be explained by the formation of Co- and Fe-oxides at the interfaces between the Heusler and the crystalline BaO barrier by comparing with theory. Although an amorphous structure of the BaO barrier seems to be confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM, it cannot entirely be ruled out that this is an artifact of TEM sample preparation due to the sensitivity of BaO to moisture. By replacing the BaO tunneling barrier with an MgO/BaO double layer barrier, the electric stability could effectively be increased by a factor of five. The resulting TMR effect is found to be about +20% at room temperature, although a fully antiparallel state has not been realized.
Human-Capital based Governance Structure, Success Factors and Barriers to Effective Governance: Co-operatives in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohana Othman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Co-operatives comprise the crucial third engine of growth for the Malaysian economy after the public and private sectors. This study investigates the human capital based governance structure, success factors and barriers to effective governance of co-operatives in Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed to the top 100 co-operatives listed in the Malaysian Co-operative Societies Commission website. Analysis of the responses to the questionnaires showed that human capital based co-operatives governance comprise members’ participation, independence of the board, depth of expertise and competencies of directors and other characteristics of the board. This study also identified branding as the most important success factor ahead of competitiveness and proximity. Malaysia’s economy is projected to continue relying significantly on the performance of co-operatives. Thus, it is incumbent for greater attention to be given towards an effective governance that results in successful co-operatives.
Electroless alloy/composite coatings

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The market for these coatings is expanding fast as the potential applications are on the rise. In the present article, an attempt has been made to review different electroless alloy/composite coatings with respect to bath types and their composition, properties and applications. Different characterisation studies have been ...
Improved Plasticity of Ti-Based Bulk Metallic Glass at Room Temperature by Electroless Thin Nickel Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available By restricting the dilated deformation, surface modification can stimulate multiple shear banding and improve the plasticity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs. Aimed at modifying the surface of BMGs by thin layers, a crystalline Ni coating with ultrafine grains was coated on the surface of a Ti-based BMG by electroless plating. With a thickness of about 10 μm, the prepared thin coating could effectively limit the fast propagation of primary shear bands and stimulate the nucleation of multiple shear bands. As a result, the compression plasticity of the coated Ti-based BMG was improved to about 3.7% from near 0% of the non-coated BMG. Except for a small amount of Ni coating was adhered to the BMG substrate after fracture, most of the coatings were peeled off from the surface. It can be attributed to the abnormal growth of some coarse grains/particles in local region of the coating, which induces a large tensile stress at the interface between the coating and the BMG substrate. It is suggested that, for electroless nickel plating, improving the adhesive bonding strength between the coating and the substrate has a better geometric restriction effect than simply increasing the thickness of the coating.
Environmentally benign electroless nickel plating using supercritical carbon-dioxide on hydrophilically modified acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene

Science.gov (United States)

Tengsuwan, Siwach; Ohshima, Masahiro

2014-08-01

Electroless Ni-P plating using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) in conjunction with copolymer-based hydrophilic modification was applied to an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) substrate. The surface of ABS substrate was hydrophilically modified by blending with a multi-block copolymer, poly(ether-ester-amide)s (PEEA), in injection molding process. The substrate was then impregnated with Pd(II)-hexafluoroacetylacetonate, Pd(hfa)2, using scCO2, followed by the electroless plating reaction. ABS/PEEA substrates with different PEEA to ABS blend ratios and different volume ratios of butadiene to the styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) matrix were prepared to investigate how the dispersed PEEA and butadiene domains affected the blend morphology and the adhesive strength of the plating metal-to-polymer contact. Increasing the PEEA copolymer to ABS blend ratio increased the mass transfer rate of the plating solution in the ABS substrate. Consequently, the metal-polymer composite layer became thicker, which increased the adhesive strength of the metal-to-polymer contact because of the anchoring effect. The butadiene domains appeared to attract the Pd catalyst precursor, and thus, the proportion of butadiene in the ABS matrix also affected the adhesive strength of the contact between the metal layer and the substrate. The ABS substrate was successfully plated with a Ni-P metal layer with an average adhesive strength of 9.1 ± 0.5 N cm-1 by choosing appropriate ABS/PEEA blend ratios and a Pd(hfa)2 concentration.

Thickness-, Composition-, and Magnetic-Field-Dependent Complex Impedance Spectroscopy of Granular-Type-Barrier Co/Co-Al2O3/Co MTJs

Science.gov (United States)

Tuan, Nguyen Anh; Anh, Nguyen Tuan; Nga, Nguyen Tuyet; Tue, Nguyen Anh; Van Cuong, Giap

2016-06-01

The alternating-current (ac) electrical properties of granular-type-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions (GBMTJs) based on Co/Co x (Al2O3)1- x ( t)/Co trilayer structures have been studied using complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS). Their CIS characteristics were investigated in external magnetic fields varying from 0 kOe to 3 kOe as a function of Co composition x at 10 at.%, 25 at.%, and 35 at.%, with barrier layer thickness t of 20 nm to 90 nm. The influence of these factors on the behaviors of the ac impedance response of the GBMTJs was deeply investigated and attributed to the dielectric or conducting nature of the Co-Al2O3 barrier layer. The most remarkable typical phenomena observed in these behaviors, even appearing paradoxical, include lower impedance for thicker t for each given x, a declining trend of Z with increasing x, a clear decrease of Z with H, and especially a partition of Z into zones according to the H value. All these effects are analyzed and discussed to demonstrate that diffusion-type and mass-transfer-type phenomena can be inferred from processes such as spin tunneling and Coulomb or spin blockade in the Co-Al2O3 barrier layer.
Electroless plating technology of integral hohlraum Cu target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Jiguang; Fu Qu; Wan Xiaobo; Zhou Lan; Xiao Jiang

2005-01-01

The electroless plating method of making integral hohlraum Cu target and corrosion-resistant technology of target's surface were researched. The actual process was as follows, choosing plexiglass (PMMA) as arbor, taking cationic activation and electroless plating Cu on the arbor surface, taking arbor surface passivation and chemical etching by C 6 H 5 N 3 solution. The technology is easy to realize and its cost is lower, so it is of great reference value for fabricating other integral hohlraum metal or alloy targets used for inertial confinement fusion study. (author)
Selective Electroless Silver Deposition on Graphene Edges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durhuus, D.; Larsen, M. V.; Andryieuski, Andrei

2015-01-01

We demonstrate a method of electroless selective silver deposition on graphene edges or between graphene islands without covering the surface of graphene. Modifications of the deposition recipe allow for decoration of graphene edges with silver nanoparticles or filling holes in damaged graphene...... on silica substrate and thus potentially restoring electric connectivity with minimal influence on the overall graphene electrical and optical properties. The presented technique could find applications in graphene based transparent conductors as well as selective edge functionalization and can be extended...
Metal deposition by electroless plating on polydopamine functionalized micro- and nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondin, Giovanni; Wisser, Florian M; Leifert, Annika; Mohamed-Noriega, Nasser; Grothe, Julia; Dörfler, Susanne; Kaskel, Stefan

2013-12-01

A novel approach for the fabrication of metal coated micro- and nanoparticles by functionalization with a thin polydopamine layer followed by electroless plating is reported. The particles are initially coated with polydopamine via self-polymerization. The resulting polydopamine coated particles have a surface rich in catechols and amino groups, resulting in a high affinity toward metal ions. Thus, they provide an effective platform for selective electroless metal deposition without further activation and sensitization steps. The combination of a polydopamine-based functionalization with electroless plating ensures a simple, scalable, and cost-effective metal coating strategy. Silver-plated tungsten carbide microparticles, copper-plated tungsten carbide microparticles, and copper-plated alumina nanoparticles were successfully fabricated, showing also the high versatility of the method, since the polymerization of dopamine leads to the formation of an adherent polydopamine layer on the surface of particles of any material and size. The metal coated particles produced with this process are particularly well suited for the production of metal matrix composites, since the metal coating increases the wettability of the particles by the metal, promoting their integration within the matrix. Such composite materials are used in a variety of applications including electrical contacts, components for the automotive industries, magnets, and electromagnetic interference shielding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Broadband infrared absorption enhancement by electroless-deposited silver nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gritti Claudia

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Decorating semiconductor surfaces with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs is considered a viable solution for enhancing the absorptive properties of photovoltaic and photodetecting devices. We propose to deposit silver NPs on top of a semiconductor wafer by a cheap and fast electroless plating technique. Optical characterization confirms that the random array of electroless-deposited NPs improves absorption by up to 20% in a broadband of near-infrared frequencies from the bandgap edge to 2000 nm. Due to the small filling fraction of particles, the reflection in the visible range is practically unchanged, which points to the possible applications of such deposition method for harvesting photons in nanophotonics and photovoltaics. The broadband absorption is a consequence of the resonant behavior of particles with different shapes and sizes, which strongly localize the incident light at the interface of a high-index semiconductor substrate. Our hypothesis is substantiated by examining the plasmonic response of the electroless-deposited NPs using both electron energy loss spectroscopy and numerical calculations.
Negotiating EU CO2/energy taxation. Political economic driving forces and barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klok, Jacob

2001-11-01

The primary objective of this project is to identify the main political economic driving forces behind and barriers against the creation of an EU agreement on CO 2 /energy taxation. The analysis is based on a theoretical framework for understanding European integration and on detailed historical investigations into a process of EU negotiations concerning CO 2 /energy taxation that took place from the 1980s to 1994. Following the historical analysis of political economic driving forces and barriers, some overall perspectives on possible future developments within the field of EU CO 2 /energy taxation are finally advanced. The secondary objective of the project is to consider the possible effects on the EU negotiation process of Danish efforts to push the CO 2 /energy tax proposal from the late 1980s to 994. This analysis is based on the preceding historical analysis of the EU negotiation process, as well as further investigations into the national Danish development within the field of CO 2 /energy taxation, including accounts of Denmark's particular relations with the EU during the period in question. Finally, based on the likely future developments in the field EU CO 2 /energy taxation. Denmark's strategic opportunities are outlined. (BA)
Co-P-B catalyst thin films prepared by electroless and pulsed laser deposition for hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of alkaline sodium borohydride: A comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, N.; Fernandes, R.; Bazzanella, N.; Miotello, A.

2010-01-01

Co-P-B catalyst thin films have been synthesized on Ni-foam and glass substrate by using electroless deposition (ED) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) respectively. The efficiency of these catalyst films was tested by catalytic hydrolysis of NaBH 4 for H 2 generation. While the chemically produced Co-P-B film on Ni-foam shows similar activity as that of their corresponding powder, the Co-P-B film deposited by PLD exhibits much superior H 2 generation rate as compared to Co-P-B powder. We attribute this increased efficiency to the special features of the Co-P-B films which are in the form of nanoparticle-assembled films, a peculiar characteristic of PLD films for appropriate choice of the pulse laser parameters. The surface nanoparticle-configuration increases the active surface area and also favors electronic exchange mechanisms to promote hydrolysis process for H 2 gas generation. The films deposited by using laser energy density of 3 J/cm 2 show the highest activity in connection to the best configuration of the ablated nanoparticles. Different numbers of Co-P-B layers were deposited on Ni-foam by ED and it was found that at least four layers are required for complete coverage of the foam to have the best activity.
Development of process technologies for improvement of electroless nickel coatings properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barba-Pingarrón, A; Trujillo-Barragán, M; Hernandez-Gallegos, M A; Valdez-Navarro, R; Bolarín-Miró, A; Jesús, F Sánchez – de; Vargas-Mendoza, L; Molera-Sola, P

2013-01-01

This paper describes research and technology developments that enable to improve nickel electroless coating properties. This work deals with: (a) different methods in order to achieve Ni-P-Mo coatings. (b) Other development is related with coatings with addition of hard particles such as SiC, WC or Al 2 O 3 ,(c) Electroless nickel deposits on PBT and austempered ductile iron (ADI). (d) In addition, nickel coatings were deposited on powder metallic pieces and finally, electroless nickel coatings, in conjunction with layers from thermal spray process were formed. Characterization of all coatings by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, micro-hardness, wear and corrosion tests were carried out. Results indicate positive increment in both mechanical and electrochemical properties which enhance field applications in Mexican industry.
Electroless alloy/composite coatings: A review

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

M. Senthilkumar (Newgen Imaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

pharmaceutical ... Four types of reducing agent have been used for electroless nickel bath including ..... coatings, however, the bath is more stable at a pH of about 9. 5. ..... ite coating by dry sliding tests with a slider-on-cylinder tribometer in ...
Hybrid Antifouling and Antimicrobial Coatings Prepared by Electroless Co-Deposition of Fluoropolymer and Cationic Silica Nanoparticles on Stainless Steel: Efficacy against Listeria monocytogenes.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Kang; Chen, Juhong; Nugen, Sam R; Goddard, Julie M

2016-06-29

Controlling formation, establishment, and proliferation of microbial biofilms on surfaces is critical for ensuring public safety. Herein, we report on the synthesis of antimicrobial nanoparticles and their co-deposition along with fluorinated nanoparticles during electroless nickel plating of stainless steel. Plating bath composition is optimized to ensure sufficiently low surface energy to resist fouling and microbial adhesion as well as to exert significant (>99.99% reduction) antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes. The resulting coatings present hybrid antifouling and antimicrobial character, can be applied onto stainless steel, and do not rely on leaching or migration of the antimicrobial nanoparticles to be effective. Such coatings can support reducing public health issues related to microbial cross-contamination in areas such as food processing, hospitals, and water purification.
Review of Supported Pd-Based Membranes Preparation by Electroless Plating for Ultra-Pure Hydrogen Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Alique, David; Martinez-Diaz, David; Sanz, Raul; Calles, Jose A

2018-01-23

In the last years, hydrogen has been considered as a promising energy vector for the oncoming modification of the current energy sector, mainly based on fossil fuels. Hydrogen can be produced from water with no significant pollutant emissions but in the nearest future its production from different hydrocarbon raw materials by thermochemical processes seems to be more feasible. In any case, a mixture of gaseous compounds containing hydrogen is produced, so a further purification step is needed to purify the hydrogen up to required levels accordingly to the final application, i.e., PEM fuel cells. In this mean, membrane technology is one of the available separation options, providing an efficient solution at reasonable cost. Particularly, dense palladium-based membranes have been proposed as an ideal chance in hydrogen purification due to the nearly complete hydrogen selectivity (ideally 100%), high thermal stability and mechanical resistance. Moreover, these membranes can be used in a membrane reactor, offering the possibility to combine both the chemical reaction for hydrogen production and the purification step in a unique device. There are many papers in the literature regarding the preparation of Pd-based membranes, trying to improve the properties of these materials in terms of permeability, thermal and mechanical resistance, poisoning and cost-efficiency. In this review, the most relevant advances in the preparation of supported Pd-based membranes for hydrogen production in recent years are presented. The work is mainly focused in the incorporation of the hydrogen selective layer (palladium or palladium-based alloy) by the electroless plating, since it is one of the most promising alternatives for a real industrial application of these membranes. The information is organized in different sections including: (i) a general introduction; (ii) raw commercial and modified membrane supports; (iii) metal deposition insights by electroless-plating; (iv) trends in
2-Mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole, and Thioglycolic Acid in an Electroless Nickel-Plating Bath

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmet Ozan Gezerman

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The use of three different materials, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and thioglycolic acid, was investigated to improve the performance of electroless nickel-plating baths. By changing the concentrations of these materials, sample plates were coated. Optical microscope images were obtained by selecting representative coated plates. From the results of the investigations, the effects of these materials on electroless nickel plating were observed, and the most appropriate amounts of these materials for nickel plating were determined. Moreover, the nickel plating speed observed with the bath solution containing 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and thioglycolic acid is higher than that in the case of traditional electroless plating baths, but the nickel consumption amount in the former case is lower. In order to minimize the waste water generated from electroless nickel-plating baths, we determined the lowest amounts of the chemicals that can be used for the concentrations reported in the literature.
Enhancement in the Tribological and Mechanical Properties of Electroless Nickel-Nanodiamond Coatings Plated on Iron

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Karaguiozova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A technology to improve the tribological and mechanical surface properties of iron alloys is developed based on the electroless nickel plating. The technology combines sol-gel and electroless deposition technique. Novel nanocomposite coatings are obtained consisting of Nickel-phosphorus-nanodiamond (Ni-P-ND. The ND sol is added directly to the electroless Ni-P solution. A suitable surfactant is added to achieve well-dispersed ND particles in the electroless solution to facilitate their embodiment and equal distribution in the coating. Substrates of steel 17CrNiMo6 and spheroidal graphite cast irons are used for the manufacture of the iron alloys specimens. The surface morphology and microstructure observation performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and optical metallography confirms the influence of ND particles on the coating structure. The structural phase investigation by X Ray analysis indicates a transformation of the amorphous phase to a crystalline one such as Ni, Ni3P after coatings' heat treatment. The microhardness investigation by Knoop Method and wear resistance measurement in accordance with the Polish Standard PN-83/H-04302 of Ni-P and Ni-P-ND composite coatings are evaluated and compared with each other. The increase in the value of hardness and wear resistance of Ni-P composite coatings in the presence of ND particles and after heat treatment is obtained.
ELECTROLESS NICKEL PLATING ON ABS PLASTIC BY USING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CHEMICALS

OpenAIRE

Uraz, Canan

2017-01-01

In this study, electroless nickel (EN) plating onacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) engineering plastic by usingenvironmentally friendly chemicals were studied. Electroless plating is afundamental step in the metal plating on the plastic. This step makes theplastic conductive and makes it possible to a homogeneous and hard platingwithout using any hazardous and unfriendly chemical such as palladium, tin,etc. In the industry there are many distinct chemical materials both catalystsand activ...
Electroless deposition process for zirconium and zirconium alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Donaghy, Robert E.; Sherman, Anna H.

1981-01-01

A method is disclosed for preventing stress corrosion cracking or metal embrittlement of a zirconium or zirconium alloy container that is to be coated on the inside surface with a layer of a metal such as copper, a copper alloy, nickel, or iron and used for holding nuclear fuel material as a nuclear fuel element. The zirconium material is etched in an etchant solution, desmutted mechanically or ultrasonically, oxidized to form an oxide coating on the zirconium, cleaned in an aqueous alkaline cleaning solution, activated for electroless deposition of a metal layer and contacted with an electroless metal plating solution. This method provides a boundary layer of zirconium oxide between the zirconium container and the metal layer.
Tentative investigation on neutron mirror fabrication with electroless nickel plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Jiang; Morita, Shin-ya; Yamagata, Yutaka; Takeda, Shin; Kato, Jun-ichi; Hino, Masahiro; Furusaka, Michihiro

2013-01-01

Neutron optics becomes highly required due to the rapid development of neutron technology. In this paper, we attempt to fabricate the neutron mirror by using a metal substrate made of electroless nickel plating to take place of glass concerning about mirror's optical performance and manufacturing method. A new manufacture process chain of neutron mirror is proposed by following the steps of fast milling and precision cutting of aluminium/stainless, electroless nickel plating, ultra-precision cutting by diamond tools, super-smooth polishing and super mirror coating to obtain high form accuracy and good surface roughness time-efficiently. Some tentative investigations are carried out. A workpiece (□ 50 x 50 mm 2 ) with flat surface made of electroless nickel plating is machined by ultra-precision cutting and polishing. The surface roughness with 0.728 nm rms (0.588 nm Ra) is acquired. According to results of reflectometry, the neutron beam can be reflected effectively with high intensity and little scattering. (author)
Preparation and characterization of inorganic and organic coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy with electroless plating pretreatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, S.Y.; Li, Q.; Zhang, H.X.; Wang, S.Y.; Liu, F. [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University Chongqing, 400715 (China); Yang, X.K. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University Chongqing, 400715 (China)

2011-09-15

In this paper, a protective coating scheme was applied for the corrosion protection of AZ91D magnesium alloy. Electroless Ni coating (EN coating) as bottom layer, electrodeposited Ni coating (ENN coating), and silane-based coating (ENS coating) as top layer, respectively, were successfully prepared on AZ91D magnesium alloy by combination techniques. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were employed to investigate the surface and phase structure of coatings, respectively. The electrochemical corrosion behaviors of coatings in neutral 3.5 wt% NaCl solution were evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization techniques. The corrosion testing showed that the three kinds of coatings all could provide corrosion protection for AZ91D magnesium alloy to a certain extent, and the corrosion resistance of ENN and ENS was superior to EN. In order to further study the corrosion protection properties of ENN and ENS, a comparative investigation on the evolution of EIS of ENN and ENS was carried out by dint of immersion test in neutral 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The results indicated that, compared with ENN, the ENS could provide longer corrosion protection for AZ91D magnesium alloy. It is significant to determine the barrier effect of each coating, which could provide reference for industry applications. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electroless siliconizing Fe-3% Cr-3% Si alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurlina, Enung; Darmono, Budy; Purwadaria, Sunara

2000-01-01

In this research Fe-3%Cr-3%Mo-3%Si and Fe-3%Cr-3%Cu-3%Si alloys had been coated by silicon metal without electricity current which knows as electroless siliconizing. Coating was conducted by immersed sampler into melt fluoride-chloride salt bath at temperature of 750 o C for certain period. The layer consisted of Fe3Si phase. Observation by microscope optic and EDAX showed that the silicide layer were thick enough, adherent, free for crack and had silicon content on the surface more than 15%. The growth rate of silicide layer followed parabolic rate law, where the process predominantly controlled by interdiffusion rate in the solid phase. Key words : electroless siliconizing, the melt fluoride- chloride salt mix, silicide layer
Comparison of galvanic displacement and electroless methods for ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE–SEM) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) .... FE–SEM images of gold nanoparticles deposited calcite, prepared by electroless ... or Au3+ compound of oxalate. The Ag.
GaN Nanowires Synthesized by Electroless Etching Method

KAUST Repository

Najar, Adel; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Ng, Tien Khee; Ooi, Boon S.; Ben Slimane, Ahmed

2012-01-01

Ultra-long Gallium Nitride Nanowires is synthesized via metal-electroless etching method. The morphologies and optical properties of GaN NWs show a single crystal GaN with hexagonal Wurtzite structure and high luminescence properties.

Study of Nickel Silicide as a Copper Diffusion Barrier in Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kale, Abhijit; Beese, Emily; Saenz, Theresa; Warren, Emily; Nemeth, William; Young, David; Marshall, Alexander; Florent, Karine; Kurinec, Santosh K.; Agarwal, Sumit; Stradins, Pauls

2016-11-21

NiSi as a conductive diffusion barrier to silicon has been studied. We demonstrate that the NiSi films formed using the single step annealing process are as good as the two step process using XRD and Raman. Quality of NiSi films formed using e-beam Ni and electroless Ni process has been compared. Incomplete surface coverage and presence of constituents other than Ni are the main challenges with electroless Ni. We also demonstrate that Cu reduces the thermal stability of NiSi films. The detection of Cu has proven to be difficult due to temperature limitations.
Preparation and Study of Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Materials Comprised of Ni-Co Coated on Web-Like Biocarbon Nanofibers via Electroless Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohu Huang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Electromagnetic interference (EMI shielding materials made of Ni-Co coated on web-like biocarbon nanofibers were successfully prepared by electroless plating. Biocarbon nanofibers (CF with a novel web-like structure comprised of entangled and interconnected carbon nanoribbons were obtained using bacterial cellulose pyrolyzed at 1200°C. Paraffin wax matrix composites filled with different loadings (10, 20, and 30 wt%, resp. of CF and Ni-Co coated CF (NCCF were prepared. The electrical conductivities and electromagnetic parameters of the composites were investigated by the four-probe method and vector network analysis. From these results, the EMI shielding efficiencies (SE of NCCF composites were shown to be significantly higher than that of CF at the same mass fraction. The paraffin wax composites containing 30 wt% NCCF showed the highest EMI SE of 41.2 dB (99.99% attenuation, which are attributed to the higher electrical conductivity and permittivity of the NCCF composites than the CF composites. Additionally, EMI SE increased with an increase in CF and NCCF loading and the absorption was determined to be the primary factor governing EMI shielding. This study conclusively reveals that NCCF composites have potential applications as EMI shielding materials.
Electroless deposition, post annealing and characterization of nickel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

Currently at: Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, USA. MS received 9 ... The electroless deposition is a promising method to prepare durable metal films on both .... graphic data available in literature. The XRD patterns were ...
Fabrication of conductive copper patterns using reactive inkjet printing followed by two-step electroless plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jin-Ju; Lin, Guo-Qiang; Wang, Yan; Sowade, Enrico; Baumann, Reinhard R.; Feng, Zhe-Sheng

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Copper patterns were fabricated by reactive inkjet printing and two-step electroless plating. • Cu particles produced via reactive inkjet printing act as catalyst for copper electroless plating. • High conductivity can be obtained without many printing passes and high temperature sintering. • This approach can largely avoid nozzle-clogging problems. • This approach presents a potential way in the flexible printed electronics with simple process. - Abstract: A simple and low-cost process for fabricating conductive copper patterns on flexible polyimide substrates was demonstrated. Copper catalyst patterns were first produced on polyimide substrates using reactive inkjet printing of Cu (II)-bearing ink and reducing ink, and then the conductive copper patterns were generated after a two-step electroless plating procedure. The copper layers were characterized by optical microscope, SEM, XRD and EDS. Homogeneously distributed copper nanoclusters were found in the catalyst patterns. A thin copper layer with uniform particle size was formed after first-step electroless plating, and a thick copper layer of about 14.3 μm with closely packed structure and fine crystallinity was produced after second-step electroless plating. This resulting copper layer had good solderability, reliable adhesion strength and a low resistivity of 5.68 μΩ cm without any sintering process.
Fabrication of conductive copper patterns using reactive inkjet printing followed by two-step electroless plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jin-Ju; Lin, Guo-Qiang; Wang, Yan [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054 (China); Sowade, Enrico; Baumann, Reinhard R. [Digital Printing and Imaging Technology, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, 09126 (Germany); Feng, Zhe-Sheng, E-mail: fzs@uestc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054 (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Copper patterns were fabricated by reactive inkjet printing and two-step electroless plating. • Cu particles produced via reactive inkjet printing act as catalyst for copper electroless plating. • High conductivity can be obtained without many printing passes and high temperature sintering. • This approach can largely avoid nozzle-clogging problems. • This approach presents a potential way in the flexible printed electronics with simple process. - Abstract: A simple and low-cost process for fabricating conductive copper patterns on flexible polyimide substrates was demonstrated. Copper catalyst patterns were first produced on polyimide substrates using reactive inkjet printing of Cu (II)-bearing ink and reducing ink, and then the conductive copper patterns were generated after a two-step electroless plating procedure. The copper layers were characterized by optical microscope, SEM, XRD and EDS. Homogeneously distributed copper nanoclusters were found in the catalyst patterns. A thin copper layer with uniform particle size was formed after first-step electroless plating, and a thick copper layer of about 14.3 μm with closely packed structure and fine crystallinity was produced after second-step electroless plating. This resulting copper layer had good solderability, reliable adhesion strength and a low resistivity of 5.68 μΩ cm without any sintering process.
2-Mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole, and Thioglycolic Acid in an Electroless Nickel-Plating Bath

OpenAIRE

Ahmet Ozan Gezerman; Burcu Didem Çorbacıoğlu

2015-01-01

The use of three different materials, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, and thioglycolic acid, was investigated to improve the performance of electroless nickel-plating baths. By changing the concentrations of these materials, sample plates were coated. Optical microscope images were obtained by selecting representative coated plates. From the results of the investigations, the effects of these materials on electroless nickel plating were observed, and the most appropriate amo...
Development of high performance electroless Ni–P–HNT composite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranganatha, S.; Venkatesha, T.V.; Vathsala, K.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Novel Ni–P composites were prepared by incorporating Halloysite nanotubes. ► Mild steel specimens surface engineered by nickel using electroless technique. ► Incorporated halloysite nanotubes made nickel matrix highly corrosion resistant. ► HNT composite exhibits high hardness and largely reduces friction. - Abstract: Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) of the dimension 50 nm × 1–3 μm (diameter × length) are utililized to fabricate the alloy composite by employing electroless/autocatalytic deposition technique. Electroless Ni–P–HNT binary alloy composite coatings are prepared successfully on low carbon steel. These nanotubes were made to get inserted/incorporated into nickel matrix and corresponding composites are examined for their electrochemical, mechanical and tribological performances and compared with that of plain Ni–P. The coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques to analyze surface nature and composition correspondingly. Small amount of incorporated HNTs made Ni–P deposits appreciable enhancement and betterment in corrosion resistance, hardness and friction resistance. This drastic improvement in the properties reflects the effect of addition of HNTs into Ni–P matrix leading to the development of high performance Ni–P–HNT composite coatings.
Electroless nickel plating on abs plastics from nickel chloride and nickel sulfate baths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inam-ul-haque; Ahmad, S.; Khan, A.

2005-01-01

Aqueous acid nickel chloride and alkaline nickel sulphate bath were studied for electroless nickel planting on acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic. Before electroless nickel plating, specimens were etched, sensitized and activated. Effects of sodium hypophosphite and sodium citrate concentration on the electroless nickel plating thickness were discussed. Aqueous acid nickel chloride bath comprising, nickel chloride 10 g/L, sodium hypophosphite 40 g/L, sodium citrate 40g/L at pH 5.5, temperature 85 deg. C and density of 1 Be/ for thirty minutes gave best coating thickness in micrometer. It was found that acid nickel chloride bath had a greater stability, wide operating range and better coating thickness results than alkaline nickel sulphate bath. Acid nickel chloride bath gave better coating thickness than alkaline nickel sulfate bath
Study of electroless Ni-W-P alloy coating on martensitic stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nikitasari, Arini, E-mail: arini-nikitasari@yahoo.com; Mabruri, Efendi, E-mail: efendi-lipi@yahoo.com [Research Center for Metallurgy and Materials, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (470 Building, Puspiptek, Serpong, Indonesia 15313) (Indonesia)

2016-04-19

Electroless nickel phospor (Ni-P) is widely used in many industries due to their corrosion and wear resistance, coating uniformity, and ability to coat non-conductive surfaces. The unique properties of tungsten such as high hardness, higher melting point, lower coefficient of linear thermal expansion, and high tensile strength have created a lot of interest in developing ternary Ni-W-P alloys. This article presents the study of electroless Ni-W-P alloys coating using acid or alkaline bath on martensitic stainless steel. Nickel sulfate and sodium tungstate were used as nickel and tungsten sources, respectively, and sodium hypophosphite was used as a reducing agent. Acid or alkaline bath refer to bath pH condition was adjusted by adding sulfuric acid. Martensitic stainless steel was immersed in Ni-W-P bath for 15, 30, and 60 minutes. The substrate of martensitic stainless steel was subjected to pre-treatment (polishing and cleaning) and activation prior to electroless plating. The plating characteristics were investigated for concentration ratio of nickel and hypophosphite (1:3), sodium tungstate concentration 0,1 M, immersion time (15 min, 30 min, 60 min), and bath condition (acid, alkaline). The electroless Ni-W-P plating was heat treated at 400°C for 1 hour. Deposits were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and corrosion measurement system (CMS).
Enhanced Dissolution of Platinum Group Metals Using Electroless Iron Deposition Pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Taninouchi, Yu-ki; Okabe, Toru H.

2017-12-01

In order to develop a new method for efficiently recovering platinum group metals (PGMs) from catalyst scraps, the authors investigated an efficient dissolution process where the material was pretreated by electroless Fe deposition. When Rh-loaded alumina powder was kept in aqua regia at 313 K (40 °C) for 30 to 60 minutes, the Rh hardly dissolved. Meanwhile, after electroless Fe plating using a bath containing sodium borohydride and potassium sodium tartrate as the reducing and complexing agents, respectively, approximately 60 pct of Rh was extracted by aqua regia at 313 K (40 °C) after 30 minutes. Furthermore, when heat treatment was performed at 1200 K (927 °C) for 60 minutes in vacuum after electroless plating, the extraction of Rh approached 100 pct for the same leaching conditions. The authors also confirmed that the Fe deposition pretreatment enhanced the dissolution of Pt and Pd. These results indicate that an effective and environmentally friendly process for the separation and extraction of PGMs from catalyst scraps can be developed utilizing this Fe deposition pretreatment.
Fabrication and optical characterization of improved electroless ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thin semi conductor films of strontium fluoride (SrF2) were successfully deposited on glass microscope slides using simple and cheap electroless chemical bath deposition methods at 320K and pH values of 9, 10 and 12. Controlled addition of ethylenediamine tetra acetate (EDTA), another complexing agent with pH to ...
Thin and flexible Ni-P based current collectors developed by electroless deposition for energy storage devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Haoran; Susanto, Amelia; Lian, Keryn

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A PET metallized by electroless nickel was developed as flexible current collector. • The Ni-PET current collector showed good conductivity and chemical stability. • The flexible nanocarbon electrodes with Ni-PET exhibited capacitive behavior. • The Ni-PET enabled electrodes performed nicely in liquid and solid supercapacitors. - Abstract: A PET film metalized by electroless nickel deposition was demonstrated as thin and flexible current collector for energy storage devices. The resultant nickel-on-PET film (Ni-PET) can be used both as current collector for electrochemical capacitors and as electrode for thin film batteries. The composition of Ni-PET was characterized by EDX and XPS. The electrochemical performance of the Ni-PET current collector was similar to Ni foil but with less hydrogen evolution at low potential. The Ni-PET film exhibited better flexibility than a metallic Ni foil. Carbon nanotubes were coated on a Ni-PET substrate to form an electrochemical capacitor electrode which exhibited high chemical stability in both liquid and solid electrolytes, showing strong promise for solid energy storage devices.
Thin and flexible Ni-P based current collectors developed by electroless deposition for energy storage devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Haoran, E-mail: haoran.wu@mail.utoronto.ca; Susanto, Amelia; Lian, Keryn

2017-02-01

Highlights: • A PET metallized by electroless nickel was developed as flexible current collector. • The Ni-PET current collector showed good conductivity and chemical stability. • The flexible nanocarbon electrodes with Ni-PET exhibited capacitive behavior. • The Ni-PET enabled electrodes performed nicely in liquid and solid supercapacitors. - Abstract: A PET film metalized by electroless nickel deposition was demonstrated as thin and flexible current collector for energy storage devices. The resultant nickel-on-PET film (Ni-PET) can be used both as current collector for electrochemical capacitors and as electrode for thin film batteries. The composition of Ni-PET was characterized by EDX and XPS. The electrochemical performance of the Ni-PET current collector was similar to Ni foil but with less hydrogen evolution at low potential. The Ni-PET film exhibited better flexibility than a metallic Ni foil. Carbon nanotubes were coated on a Ni-PET substrate to form an electrochemical capacitor electrode which exhibited high chemical stability in both liquid and solid electrolytes, showing strong promise for solid energy storage devices.
Synthesis and characterization of electroless Ni–P coated graphite ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247 667, India ... the chemical composition of the bath was also reported ..... viour of electroless Ni–P films, Ph.D. Thesis, University of.
Broadband infrared absorption enhancement by electroless-deposited silver nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gritti, Claudia; Raza, Søren; Kadkhodazadeh, Shima

2017-01-01

Decorating semiconductor surfaces with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) is considered a viable solution for enhancing the absorptive properties of photovoltaic and photodetecting devices. We propose to deposit silver NPs on top of a semiconductor wafer by a cheap and fast electroless plating technique....... Optical characterization confirms that the random array of electroless-deposited NPs improves absorption by up to 20% in a broadband of nearinfrared frequencies from the bandgap edge to 2000 nm. Due to the small filling fraction of particles, the reflection in the visible range is practically unchanged......, which points to the possible applications of such deposition method for harvesting photons in nanophotonics and photovoltaics. The broadband absorption is a consequence of the resonant behavior of particles with different shapes and sizes, which strongly localize the incident light at the interface...
Microwave-assisted activation for electroless nickel plating on PMMA microspheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yen-Chung [Graduate School of Defense Science, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 335 (China); Materials and Electro-optics Research Division, Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 325 (China); Liu, Robert Lian-Huey [Graduate School of Defense Science, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 335 (China); Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu Taiwan 304 (China); Chen, Xin-Liang [Graduate School of Defense Science, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 335 (China); Shu, Hsiou-Jeng [Materials and Electro-optics Research Division, Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 325 (China); Ger, Ming-Der, E-mail: mingderger@gmail.com [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chung Cheng Institute of Technology, National Defense University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan 335 (China)

2011-05-15

A novel microwave-assisted activation method for electroless plating on PMMA microspheres is presented in this study. When the microwave irradiation was applied during the activation step, the amount of the Pd species adsorbed on PMMA surfaces was much higher than that of sample pretreated with a conventional activation process without microwave irradiation. With this activation method, it was also shown that the adsorbed Pd species with a size of 4-6 nm were uniformly distributed on the surfaces of the PMMA microspheres, thus a smooth and uniform nickel-phosphorus coating on the PMMA microspheres was obtained by subsequent electroless plating. The samples after each step were characterized by XPS, TEM, ICP and SEM.
Development of high performance electroless Ni-P-HNT composite coatings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranganatha, S., E-mail: kamath.ranganath@gmail.com [Department of studies in chemistry, School of chemical sciences, Kuvempu university, Shankaraghatta-577451, Shimoga, Karnataka (India); Venkatesha, T.V., E-mail: drtvvenkatesha@yahoo.co.uk [Department of studies in chemistry, School of chemical sciences, Kuvempu university, Shankaraghatta-577451, Shimoga, Karnataka (India); Vathsala, K., E-mail: vathsala.mahesh@gmail.com [Nanotribology Laboratory, Mechanical engineering department, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka (India)

2012-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Novel Ni-P composites were prepared by incorporating Halloysite nanotubes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mild steel specimens surface engineered by nickel using electroless technique. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Incorporated halloysite nanotubes made nickel matrix highly corrosion resistant. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer HNT composite exhibits high hardness and largely reduces friction. - Abstract: Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) of the dimension 50 nm Multiplication-Sign 1-3 {mu}m (diameter Multiplication-Sign length) are utililized to fabricate the alloy composite by employing electroless/autocatalytic deposition technique. Electroless Ni-P-HNT binary alloy composite coatings are prepared successfully on low carbon steel. These nanotubes were made to get inserted/incorporated into nickel matrix and corresponding composites are examined for their electrochemical, mechanical and tribological performances and compared with that of plain Ni-P. The coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques to analyze surface nature and composition correspondingly. Small amount of incorporated HNTs made Ni-P deposits appreciable enhancement and betterment in corrosion resistance, hardness and friction resistance. This drastic improvement in the properties reflects the effect of addition of HNTs into Ni-P matrix leading to the development of high performance Ni-P-HNT composite coatings.
Enhancement of porous silicon photoluminescence by electroless deposition of nickel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amdouni, S. [Unité de nanomatériaux et photonique, Université El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Département de Physique, 2092 El Manar, Tunis Tunisia (Tunisia); Rahmani, M., E-mail: rahmanimehdi79@yahoo.com [Unité de nanomatériaux et photonique, Université El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Département de Physique, 2092 El Manar, Tunis Tunisia (Tunisia); Zaïbi, M.-A [Unité de nanomatériaux et photonique, Université El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Département de Physique, 2092 El Manar, Tunis Tunisia (Tunisia); Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Ingénieurs de Tunis, Université de Tunis, 5 Avenue Taha Hussein, 1008 Tunis (Tunisia); Oueslati, M. [Unité de nanomatériaux et photonique, Université El Manar, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Département de Physique, 2092 El Manar, Tunis Tunisia (Tunisia)

2015-01-15

Nickel-porous silicon nanocomposites (PS/Ni) are elaborated by an electroless deposition method using NiCl{sub 2} aqueous solution. The presence of nickel ions in the porous layer is confirmed by Fourier Transformed InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of PS/Ni, prepared at different electroless durations (t{sub edp}), are analyzed. A remarkable enhancement in the integrated PL intensity of PS containing nickel was observed. The lower t{sub edp} favor the deposition of nickel in PS, hence the silicon dangling bonds at the porous surface are quenched and this was increased the PL intensity. However, for the longer t{sub edp}, the PL intensity has been considerably decreased due to the destruction of some Si nanocrystallites. The PL spectra of PS/Ni, for t{sub edp} less than 8 min, show a multiband profile indicating the creation of new luminescent centers by Ni elements which induces a strong modification in the emission mechanisms. - Highlights: • Deposition of Ni ions into porous silicon (PS) layer using the electroless method. • Formation of Ni–O bonds on the porous layer. • The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of PS is enhanced after Ni deposition. • The increase of the PL is due to the contribution of radiative centers related to Ni.
Electroless plating apparatus for discrete microsized particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, A.

1978-01-01

Method and apparatus are disclosed for producing very uniform coatings of a desired material on discrete microsized particles by electroless techniques. Agglomeration or bridging of the particles during the deposition process is prevented by imparting a sufficiently random motion to the particles that they are not in contact with each other for a time sufficient for such to occur
Electroless plating of low-resistivity Cu–Mn alloy thin films with self-forming capacity and enhanced thermal stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Sung-Te, E-mail: stchen@mail.hust.edu.tw [Department of Electronic Engineering, Hsiuping University of Science and Technology, Dali 412, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Chen, Giin-Shan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Seatwen 407, Taichung, Taiwan (China)

2015-11-05

Previous studies have typically used sputter deposition to fabricate Cu–Mn alloy thin films with concentrated solute additions which have exceeded several atomic percentages, and the electrical resistivity values of the resultant films from previous studies are relatively high, ranging from 2.5 to 3.5 μΩ-cm. Herein, we proposed a different approach by using electroless process to plate dilute Cu–Mn (0.1 at.%) alloy thin films on dielectric layers (SiO{sub 2}). Upon forming-gas annealing, the Mn incorporated into Cu–Mn films was segregated toward the SiO{sub 2} side, eventually converting itself into a few atomic layer thickness at the Cu/SiO{sub 2} interface, and forming films with a low level of resistivity the same as that of pure Cu films (2.0 μΩ-cm). The interfacial layer served as not only a diffusion barrier, but also an adhesion promoter that prevented the film’s agglomeration during annealing at elevated temperatures. The mechanism for the dual-function performance by the Mn addition was elucidated by interfacial bonding analysis, as well as dynamic (adhesive strength) and thermodynamic (surface-tension) measurements. - Highlights: • Electroless plating is proposed to grow dilute (0.1%) Cu–Mn films on SiO{sub 2} layers. • Adequate annealing results in a self-forming of MnO{sub x} at the Cu/SiO{sub 2} interface. • The role of interfacial MnO{sub x} as a barrier and adhesion promoter is demonstrated. • The treated dilute film has a low ρ level of pure Cu, in contrast to concentrated films. • Its potential as a single entity replacement of Cu interconnect is presented.

Electroless deposition, post annealing and characterization of nickel ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Electroless deposition of nickel (EN) films on -type silicon has been investigated under different process conditions. The interface between the film and substrate has been characterized for electrical properties by probing the contact resistances. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy have been performed to obtain ...
Electroless silver coating of rod-like glass particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Jee Hyun; Kim, Kyung Hwan; Choi, Hyung Wook; Lee, Sang Wha; Park, Sang Joon

2008-09-01

An electroless silver coating of rod-like glass particles was performed and silver glass composite powders were prepared to impart electrical conductivity to these non-conducting glass particles. The low density Ag-coated glass particles may be utilized for manufacturing conducting inorganic materials for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications and the techniques for controlling the uniform thickness of silver coating can be employed in preparation of biosensor materials. For the surface pretreatment, Sn sensitization was performed and the coating powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam microscopy (FIB), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) along with the surface resistant measurements. In particular, the use of FIB technique for determining directly the Ag-coating thickness was very effective on obtaining the optimum conditions for coating. The surface sensitization and initial silver loading for electroless silver coating could be found and the uniform and smooth silver-coated layer with thickness of 46 nm was prepared at 2 mol/l of Sn and 20% silver loading.
Electroless Plated Nanodiamond Coating for Stainless Steel Passivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D.; Korinko, P.; Spencer, W.; Stein, E.

2016-01-01

Tritium gas sample bottles and manifold components require passivation surface treatments to minimize the interaction of the hydrogen isotopes with surface contamination on the stainless steel containment materials. This document summarizes the effort to evaluate electroless plated nanodiamond coatings as a passivation layer for stainless steel. In this work, we developed an electroless nanodiamond (ND)-copper (Cu) coating process to deposit ND on stainless steel parts with the diamond loadings of 0%, 25% and 50% v/v in a Cu matrix. The coated Conflat Flanged Vessel Assemblies (CFVAs) were evaluated on surface morphology, composition, ND distribution, residual hydrogen release, and surface reactivity with deuterium. For as-received Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs, hydrogen off-gassing is rapid, and the off-gas rates of H 2 was one to two orders of magnitude higher than that for both untreated and electropolished stainless steel CFVAs, and hydrogen and deuterium reacted to form HD as well. These results indicated that residual H 2 was entrapped in the Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs during the coating process, and moisture was adsorbed on the surface, and ND and/or Cu might facilitate catalytic isotope exchange reaction for HD formation. However, hydrocarbons (i.e., CH 3 ) did not form, and did not appear to be an issue for the Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs. After vacuum heating, residual H 2 and adsorbed H 2 O in the Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs were dramatically reduced. The H 2 off-gassing rate after the vacuum treatment of Cu and 50% ND-Cu coated CFVAs was on the level of 10 -14 l mbar/s cm 2 , while H 2 O off-gas rate was on the level of 10 -15 l mbar/s cm 2 , consistent with the untreated or electropolished stainless steel CFVA, but the HD formation remained. The Restek EP bottle was used as a reference for this work. The Restek Electro-Polished (EP) bottle and their SilTek coated bottles tested under a different research project exhibited very little hydrogen off-gassing and
Electroless silver plating on PET fabric initiated by in situ reduction of polyaniline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mu, Shipeng; Xie, Huayang [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Wang, Wei [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Lab of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Yu, Dan, E-mail: yudan@dhu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China); Key Lab of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620 (China)

2015-10-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We propose a method to initiate electroless plating by reduction of PANI. • The shielding effective of the silver-plated fabric reaches 50–90 dB. • The silver-plated fabric has good antibacterial activity. - Abstract: Novel electroless silver plating poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric was prepared by a two-step procedure. In the first step, the in situ polymerized polyaniline (PANI) occurred on the fabric surface in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS). Then, Ag(0) species reduced from silver nitrate (AgNO{sub 3}) by in situ reduction of PANI were used as catalyst to initiate electroless silver plating. Hence, this composite material was prepared by conductive polymer combined with electroless plating. The silver layer on PET fabric surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the silver layer was plated uniformly and compactly with surface resistance about 0.1 Ω/sq on average. The shielding effectiveness (SE) of silver-plated PET fabric was around 50–90 dB, which was considered to have potential applications in electromagnetic shielding materials. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis was carried out to study thermal stability. The antibacterial tests demonstrated that the silver-plated fabric exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli both with 100%.
Ductile electroless Ni-P coating onto flexible printed circuit board

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenchang; Zhang, Weiwei; Wang, Yurong; Mitsuzak, Naotoshi; Chen, Zhidong

2016-03-01

In this study, a ductile electroless Ni-P coating on the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) was prepared in an acidic nickel plating bath. The addition of dipropylamine (DPA) in electroless plating not only improves the ductility of the Ni-P coating, but also enhances the corrosion resistance. The further analysis reveals that the ductility improvement and enhancement of corrosion resistance for the Ni-P coating may be due to the fact that the addition of DPA significantly refines the volume of columnar nodule and reduce the porosity, thus leading to the released internal stress. In addition, it was found that the nodule within the Ni-P coating grew into a columnar structure, which may be also contribute to the improvement of ductility.
Evaluation of Electroless-Nickel Plated Polypropylene under Thermal Cycling and Mechanical Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.O. Ajibola

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The electroless-nickel composite (ENC consisting of bright metallic electroless-nickel (EN and dull electroless-nickel-phosphorus (EN-P were deposited on the polypropylene (PP substrate from the sodium hypophosphite baths. The ENC plated specimens were subjected to abrasive wear-adhesion test of 1750, 3500, 7000 and 14000 cycles; thermal cycle-adhesion tests, and tensile strength and creep tests. The deposition of ENC influenced the strength and creep strain properties of the PP. The maximum stress σ of 118 (MPa was obtained from EN-PP specimen at strain  of 0.1 mm/mm as compared with the PP having stress σ of 36 (MPa at strain  of 0.07 mm/mm before failure The surface appearances and microstructures of ENC film on PP substrates were examined under the higher resolution metallurgical microscope with digital camera and microscopic camera. The composition of ENC film was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray analyses (Jeol JSM-7600F Field Emission SEM/EDX, The micrographs and spectra lines data generated were used to interpret the results.
Influence of electroless coatings of Cu, Ni-P and Co-P on MmNi3.25Al0.35Mn0.25Co0.66 alloy used as anodes in Ni-MH batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raju, M.; Ananth, M.V.; Vijayaraghavan, L.

2009-01-01

Electroless coatings of Ni-P, Co-P and Cu were applied on the surface of non-stoichiometric MmNi 3.25 Al 0.35 Mn 0.25 Co 0.66 (Mm: misch metal) metal hydride alloy. Elemental analysis was made with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX). The structural analysis of bare and coated alloys was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD) whereas surface morphology was examined with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The electrode characteristics inclusive of electrochemical capacity and cycle life were studied at C/5 rate. Superior performance is obtained with copper coated alloy. Microstructure observations indicate that the observed excellent performance could be attributed to uniform and efficient surface coverage with copper. Also, lanthanum surface enrichment in samples during Cu coating leads to improvement in performance. It is inferred from electro analytical investigations that copper coatings act as microcurrent collectors with alterations in hydrogen transport mechanism and facilitate charge transfer reaction on the alloy surface without altering battery properties. Moreover, supportive first time TEM evidence of existence of such copper nano current collectors (about 8 nm in diameter and length about 20 nm) is reported.
A novel Ag catalyzation process using swelling impregnation method for electroless Ni deposition on Kevlar® fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Hongwei; Bai, Ruicheng; Shao, Qinsi; Gao, Yufang; Li, Aijun; Tang, Zhiyong

2015-12-01

A novel Ag catalyzation process using swelling impregnation pretreatment method was developed for electroless nickel (EN) deposition on Kevlar fiber. Firstly, the fiber was immersed into an aqueous dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solution of silver nitrate to impart silver nitrate into the inner part of the fiber near the surface. Subsequently silver nitrate was reduced to metal silver nanoparticles on the fiber surface by treatment with aqueous solution of sodium borohydride. After electroless plating, a dense and homogeneous nickel coating was obtained on the fiber surface. The silver nanoparticles formed at the fiber surface functioned as a catalyst for electroless deposition as well as an anchor for the plated layer. The study also revealed that the incorporation of surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in electroless nickel plating bath can enhance the adhesion strength of EN layer with the fiber surface and minimize the surface roughness of the EN coating. The Ni plated Kevlar fiber possessed excellent corrosion resistance and high tensile strength.
Electroless formation of hybrid lithium anodes for fast interfacial ion transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choudhury, Snehashis; Stalin, Sanjuna; Vu, Duylinh; Fawole, Kristen; Archer, Lynden A. [School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Tu, Zhengyuan [Department of Material Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Gunceler, Deniz [Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (United States); Sundararaman, Ravishankar [Material Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (United States)

2017-10-09

Rechargeable batteries based on metallic anodes are of interest for fundamental and application-focused studies of chemical and physical kinetics of liquids at solid interfaces. Approaches that allow facile creation of uniform coatings on these metals to prevent physical contact with liquid electrolytes, while enabling fast ion transport, are essential to address chemical instability of the anodes. Here, we report a simple electroless ion-exchange chemistry for creating coatings of indium on lithium. By means of joint density functional theory and interfacial characterization experiments, we show that In coatings stabilize Li by multiple processes, including exceptionally fast surface diffusion of lithium ions and high chemical resistance to liquid electrolytes. Indium coatings also undergo reversible alloying reactions with lithium ions, facilitating design of high-capacity hybrid In-Li anodes that use both alloying and plating approaches for charge storage. By means of direct visualization, we further show that the coatings enable remarkably compact and uniform electrodeposition. The resultant In-Li anodes are shown to exhibit minimal capacity fade in extended galvanostatic cycling when paired with commercial-grade cathodes. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electroless Plated Nanodiamond Coating for Stainless Steel Passivation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, D. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Korinko, P. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Spencer, W. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Stein, E. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-09-15

Tritium gas sample bottles and manifold components require passivation surface treatments to minimize the interaction of the hydrogen isotopes with surface contamination on the stainless steel containment materials. This document summarizes the effort to evaluate electroless plated nanodiamond coatings as a passivation layer for stainless steel. In this work, we developed an electroless nanodiamond (ND)-copper (Cu) coating process to deposit ND on stainless steel parts with the diamond loadings of 0%, 25% and 50% v/v in a Cu matrix. The coated Conflat Flanged Vessel Assemblies (CFVAs) were evaluated on surface morphology, composition, ND distribution, residual hydrogen release, and surface reactivity with deuterium. For as-received Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs, hydrogen off-gassing is rapid, and the off-gas rates of H₂ was one to two orders of magnitude higher than that for both untreated and electropolished stainless steel CFVAs, and hydrogen and deuterium reacted to form HD as well. These results indicated that residual H₂ was entrapped in the Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs during the coating process, and moisture was adsorbed on the surface, and ND and/or Cu might facilitate catalytic isotope exchange reaction for HD formation. However, hydrocarbons (i.e., CH₃) did not form, and did not appear to be an issue for the Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs. After vacuum heating, residual H₂ and adsorbed H₂O in the Cu and ND-Cu coated CFVAs were dramatically reduced. The H₂ off-gassing rate after the vacuum treatment of Cu and 50% ND-Cu coated CFVAs was on the level of 10^-14 l mbar/s cm², while H₂O off-gas rate was on the level of 10^-15 l mbar/s cm², consistent with the untreated or electropolished stainless steel CFVA, but the HD formation remained. The Restek EP bottle was used as a reference for this work. The Restek Electro-Polished (EP) bottle and their Sil
Catalysts characteristics of Ni/YSZ core-shell according to plating conditions using electroless plating

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyun-Wook; Jang, Jae-Won; Lee, Young-Jin; Kim, Jin-Ho; Jeon, Dae-Woo; Lee, Jong-Heun; Hwang, Hae-jin; Lee, Mi-Jai

2017-11-01

This study aims to develop an anode catalyst for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using electroless nickel plating. We have proposed a new method for electroless plating of Ni metal on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) particles. We examine the uniformity of the Ni layer on the plated core-shell powder, in addition to the content of Ni and the reproducibility of the plating. We have also evaluated the carbon deposition rate and characteristics of the SOFC anode catalyst. To synthesize Ni-plated YSZ particles, the plated powder is heat-treated at 1200 °C. The resultant particles, which have an average size of 50 μm, were subsequently used in the experiment. The size of the Ni particles and the Ni content both increase with increasing plating temperature and plating time. The X-ray diffraction pattern reveals the growth of Ni particles. After heat-treatment, Ni is oxidized to NiO, leading to the co-existence of Ni and NiO; Ni3P is also observed due to the presence of phosphorous in the plating solution. Following heat treatment for 1 h at 1200 °C, Ni is mostly oxidized to NiO. The carbon deposition rate of the reference YSZ powder is 135%, while that of the Ni-plated YSZ is 1%-6%.
High corrosion resistance of electroless composite plating coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Y.W.; Shan, D.Y.; Han, E.H.

2008-01-01

The process of electroless plating Ni-P on AZ91D magnesium alloys was improved. The Ni-P-ZrO 2 composite coatings and multilayer coatings were investigated based on the new electroless plating process. The coatings surface and cross-section morphologies were observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical compositions were analyzed by EDXS. The corrosion behaviors were evaluated by immersion, salt spray and electrochemical tests. The experimental results indicated that the Ni-P-ZrO 2 composite coatings suffered attack in NaCl solution but displayed passivation characteristics in NaOH and Na 2 SO 4 solutions. The corrosion resistance of Ni-P-ZrO 2 coatings was superior to Ni-P coatings due to the effect of ZrO 2 nano-particle. The multilayer coatings consisting of Ni-P-ZrO 2 /electroplating nickel/Ni-P (from substrate to surface) can protect magnesium alloys from corroding more than 1000 h for the salt spray test
Electroless Plating on Plastic Induced by Selective Laser Activation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Yang; Tang, Peter Torben; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2009-01-01

This paper presents a new method for selective micro metallization of polymers. A Nd:YAG laser is employed to draw patterns on polymer surfaces that are submerged in a liquid (usually water). After subsequent activation with palladium chloride and followed by auto-catalytic electroless plating, c...
Optimizing growth conditions for electroless deposition of Au films ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Optimizing growth conditions for electroless deposition of Au films on. Si(111) substrates. BHUVANA and G U KULKARNI*. Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit and DST Unit on Nanoscience, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for. Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur PO, Bangalore 560 064, India. MS received 24 March 2006.
Electroless Sliver-Plating Process in the Preparation of 103Pd-125I Hybrid Brachytherapy Seed Cores

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LI Zhong-yong1,2;CHEN Bin-da1;Lv Xiao-zhou1;LU Jin-hui1;CUI Hai-ping1,2

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Electroless 103Pd plating and electroless Ag plating and chemical 125I depositing were took place on the surface of carbon rods in turn, which was a reliable method for the preparation of 103Pd-125I hybrid brachytherapy seed cores. 103Pd and 125I were deposited on the same substrate effectively through silver coating as a bridge. The process of electroless Ag plating was a novel and important step in the preparation of 103Pd-125I hybrid seed. In this work, the process of electroless Ag plating was studied using 0.5×3.0 mm carbon rods with palladium coating as substrate, silver-ammino complex as precursor, 110mAg as radioactive tracer, and hydrazine as reductant. The optimum conditions were AgNO3 2g/L，Na2EDTA 40 g/L，NH3•H2O 16.25%，H4N2•H2O 5‰，pH=10，t=60 min，and T=35 ℃. Sliver deposited on each carbon rod was uniform, and sliver-coating was white and smooth.
Electroless plating of PVC plastic through new surface modification method applying a semi-IPN hydrogel film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ming-Qiu; Yan, Jun; Du, Shi-Guo; Li, Hong-Guang

2013-01-01

A novel palladium-free surface activation process for electroless nickel plating was developed. This method applied a semi-Interpenetrating Polymer Network (semi-IPN) hydrogel film to modify the poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) surface by chemical bonds. The activation process involved the formation of semi-IPN hydrogel film on the PVC surface and the immobilization of catalyst for electroless plating linking to the pretreated substrate via N-Ni chemical bond. The hydrogel layer was used as the chemisorption sites for nickel ions, and the catalyst could initiate the subsequent electroless nickel plating onto the PVC surface. Finally, a Ni–P layer was deposited on the nickel-activated PVC substrate by electroless plating technique. The composition and morphology of nickel-plated PVC foils were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of SEM and XRD show that a compact and continuous Ni–P layer with amorphous nickel phase is formed on the PVC surface. EDS shows that the content of the nickel and the phosphorus in the deposits is 89.4 wt.% and 10.6 wt.%, respectively.
Electroless plating of PVC plastic through new surface modification method applying a semi-IPN hydrogel film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Ming-Qiu, E-mail: mqwang1514@163.com; Yan, Jun; Du, Shi-Guo; Li, Hong-Guang

2013-07-15

A novel palladium-free surface activation process for electroless nickel plating was developed. This method applied a semi-Interpenetrating Polymer Network (semi-IPN) hydrogel film to modify the poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) surface by chemical bonds. The activation process involved the formation of semi-IPN hydrogel film on the PVC surface and the immobilization of catalyst for electroless plating linking to the pretreated substrate via N-Ni chemical bond. The hydrogel layer was used as the chemisorption sites for nickel ions, and the catalyst could initiate the subsequent electroless nickel plating onto the PVC surface. Finally, a Ni–P layer was deposited on the nickel-activated PVC substrate by electroless plating technique. The composition and morphology of nickel-plated PVC foils were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of SEM and XRD show that a compact and continuous Ni–P layer with amorphous nickel phase is formed on the PVC surface. EDS shows that the content of the nickel and the phosphorus in the deposits is 89.4 wt.% and 10.6 wt.%, respectively.
Electroless plating of PVC plastic through new surface modification method applying a semi-IPN hydrogel film

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ming-Qiu; Yan, Jun; Du, Shi-Guo; Li, Hong-Guang

2013-07-01

A novel palladium-free surface activation process for electroless nickel plating was developed. This method applied a semi-Interpenetrating Polymer Network (semi-IPN) hydrogel film to modify the poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) surface by chemical bonds. The activation process involved the formation of semi-IPN hydrogel film on the PVC surface and the immobilization of catalyst for electroless plating linking to the pretreated substrate via Nsbnd Ni chemical bond. The hydrogel layer was used as the chemisorption sites for nickel ions, and the catalyst could initiate the subsequent electroless nickel plating onto the PVC surface. Finally, a Ni-P layer was deposited on the nickel-activated PVC substrate by electroless plating technique. The composition and morphology of nickel-plated PVC foils were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of SEM and XRD show that a compact and continuous Ni-P layer with amorphous nickel phase is formed on the PVC surface. EDS shows that the content of the nickel and the phosphorus in the deposits is 89.4 wt.% and 10.6 wt.%, respectively.
Study on the nano-composite electroless coating of Ni-P/Ag

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Hongfang; Tian Fang; Li Dan; Guo Qiang

2009-01-01

The nano-composite coating of Ni-P/Ag was obtained by adding silver nanoparticles to the Ni-P electroless plating solutions. The properties of the coating were tested by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and microsclerometer. Silver nanoparticles changed the properties of the composite coating. The Ni-P electroless coating contains 12.23 wt.% P while the composite coating of Ni-P/Ag contains 11.17 wt.% P and 0.24 wt.% Ag. The hardness of the composite coating is bigger than that of Ni-P alloy coating. Differential scanning calorimeter studies showed the amorphous to crystalline transition with precipitation of Ni 3 P and Ni around 335 deg. C
Room temperature synthesis of indium tin oxide nanotubes with high precision wall thickness by electroless deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Boehme

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Conductive nanotubes consisting of indium tin oxide (ITO were fabricated by electroless deposition using ion track etched polycarbonate templates. To produce nanotubes (NTs with thin walls and small surface roughness, the tubes were generated by a multi-step procedure under aqueous conditions. The approach reported below yields open end nanotubes with well defined outer diameter and wall thickness. In the past, zinc oxide films were mostly preferred and were synthesized using electroless deposition based on aqueous solutions. All these methods previously developed, are not adaptable in the case of ITO nanotubes, even with modifications. In the present work, therefore, we investigated the necessary conditions for the growth of ITO-NTs to achieve a wall thickness of around 10 nm. In addition, the effects of pH and reductive concentrations for the formation of ITO-NTs are also discussed.

Fabrication of micro-Ni arrays by electroless and electrochemical ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

in electroless solution. With the help of the membrane, nickel micro-columns of about 1–2 µm diameter were obtained. The surface-deposited nickel layer served as a substrate for the nickel micro-columns, and the resulting material possessed strong mechanical strength. Electrochemical deposition was operated without ...
The Effects of Electroless Nickel Plating Bath Conditions on Stability of Solution and Properties of Deposit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, Jin; Lee, Jae Ho

2000-01-01

Electroless depositions of nickel were conducted in different bath conditions to find optimum conditions of electroless nickel plating at low operating temperature and pH. The effect of complexing reagent on stability of plating solution was investigated. Sodium citrate complexed plating solution is more stable than sodium pyrophosphate complexed solution. The effects of nickel salt concentration, reducing agent, complexing agent and inhibitor on deposition rate was investigated. The effects of pH on deposition rate and content of phosphorous in deposited nickel were also analyzed. Electroless deposited nickel become crystallized with increasing pH due to lower phosphorous content. In optimum operating bath condition, deposition rate was 7 μm/hr at 60 .deg. C and pH 10.0 without stabilizer. The rate was decreased with stabilizer concentration
Co-ordinated action between youth-care and sports: facilitators and barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermens, Niels; de Langen, Lisanne; Verkooijen, Kirsten T; Koelen, Maria A

2017-07-01

In the Netherlands, youth-care organisations and community sports clubs are collaborating to increase socially vulnerable youths' participation in sport. This is rooted in the idea that sports clubs are settings for youth development. As not much is known about co-ordinated action involving professional care organisations and community sports clubs, this study aims to generate insight into facilitators of and barriers to successful co-ordinated action between these two organisations. A cross-sectional study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured qualitative interview data. In total, 23 interviews were held at five locations where co-ordinated action between youth-care and sports takes place. Interviewees were youth-care workers, representatives from community sports clubs, and Care Sport Connectors who were assigned to encourage and manage the co-ordinated action. Using inductive coding procedures, this study shows that existing and good relationships, a boundary spanner, care workers' attitudes, knowledge and competences of the participants, organisational policies and ambitions, and some elements external to the co-ordinated action were reported to be facilitators or barriers. In addition, the participants reported that the different facilitators and barriers influenced the success of the co-ordinated action at different stages of the co-ordinated action. Future research is recommended to further explore the role of boundary spanners in co-ordinated action involving social care organisations and community sports clubs, and to identify what external elements (e.g. events, processes, national policies) are turning points in the formation, implementation and continuation of such co-ordinated action. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Study of electroless nickel plating on PerFactoryTM rapid prototype model

OpenAIRE

J.C. Rajaguru; C. Au, M. Duke

2012-01-01

This paper presents an investigation of electroless nickel plating on PerFactoryTM rapid prototype model built on PerFactoryTM R05 material. PerFactoryTM R05 is acrylic based photo sensitive resin. It is a popular material in rapid prototyping using PerFactoryTM method which employs addictive manufacturing technique to build prototypes for visual inspection, assembly etc. Metallization of such a prototype can extend the application envelop of the rapid prototyping technique as they can be use...
Development of high performance electroless Ni-P-HNT composite coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Ranganatha, S.; Venkatesha, T. V.; Vathsala, K.

2012-12-01

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) of the dimension 50 nm × 1-3 μm (diameter × length) are utililized to fabricate the alloy composite by employing electroless/autocatalytic deposition technique. Electroless Ni-P-HNT binary alloy composite coatings are prepared successfully on low carbon steel. These nanotubes were made to get inserted/incorporated into nickel matrix and corresponding composites are examined for their electrochemical, mechanical and tribological performances and compared with that of plain Ni-P. The coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques to analyze surface nature and composition correspondingly. Small amount of incorporated HNTs made Ni-P deposits appreciable enhancement and betterment in corrosion resistance, hardness and friction resistance. This drastic improvement in the properties reflects the effect of addition of HNTs into Ni-P matrix leading to the development of high performance Ni-P-HNT composite coatings.
Preparation and characterization of electroless Ni–B/nano-SiO2 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tance, lubricity, good ductility and corrosion resistance and excellent solderability and electrical properties.1 To enhance the properties of electroless ..... ingly porous Ni–B nanolayer structures and the nodule size grows with the nanolayer ...
Electroless silver plating on PET fabric initiated by in situ reduction of polyaniline

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Shipeng; Xie, Huayang; Wang, Wei; Yu, Dan

2015-10-01

Novel electroless silver plating poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric was prepared by a two-step procedure. In the first step, the in situ polymerized polyaniline (PANI) occurred on the fabric surface in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS). Then, Ag(0) species reduced from silver nitrate (AgNO3) by in situ reduction of PANI were used as catalyst to initiate electroless silver plating. Hence, this composite material was prepared by conductive polymer combined with electroless plating. The silver layer on PET fabric surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that the silver layer was plated uniformly and compactly with surface resistance about 0.1 Ω/sq on average. The shielding effectiveness (SE) of silver-plated PET fabric was around 50-90 dB, which was considered to have potential applications in electromagnetic shielding materials. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis was carried out to study thermal stability. The antibacterial tests demonstrated that the silver-plated fabric exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli both with 100%.
Diffusion barrier characteristics of co monolayer prepared by Langmuir Blodgett technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Sumit, E-mail: sumitelsd2007@gmail.com [Electronic Science Department, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana 136119 (India); Kumar, Mukesh, E-mail: kumarmukesh@gmail.com [Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering at Wadi Aldawasir, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Wadi Aldawasir 11991 (Saudi Arabia); Rani, Sumita [Electronic Science Department, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana 136119 (India); Kumar, Dinesh, E-mail: dineshelsd@gmail.com [Electronic Science Department, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana 136119 (India)

2016-04-30

Graphical abstract: Thermal stability of structures (a) Cu/SiO{sub 2}/Si and (b) Cu/Co/SiO{sub 2}/Si, indicating that presence of thin cobalt layer improves the thermal stability of the structure up to 600 °C. - Highlights: • Monolayers of cobalt were deposited on SiO{sub 2}/Si substrates using LB technique. • Copper layers were deposited on this structures using thermal evaporation method. • Thermal stability was determined by annealing the structures at various temperatures. • The structure was found to be stable up to 650 °C. - Abstract: Monolayers of Co over SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate were deposited using Langmuir Blodgett (LB) technique. The diffusion barrier capability of Co layer was evaluated against copper diffusion. The structure of the deposited Co layer was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Thermal stability of Cu/SiO{sub 2}/Si and Cu/Co/SiO{sub 2}/Si test structures was studied and compared using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and four probe techniques. The samples were annealed at different temperatures starting from 200 °C up to 700 °C in vacuum for 30 min. XRD results indicated that combination of Co/SiO{sub 2} worked as diffusion barrier up to 550 °C whereas SiO{sub 2} alone could work as barrier only up to 300 °C. Sheet resistance of these samples was measured as a function of annealing temperature which also supports XRD results. C–V curves of these structures under the influence of Biased Thermal Stress (BTS) were analyzed. BTS was applied at 2.5 MV cm{sup −1} at 150 °C. Results showed that in the presence of Co barrier layer there was no shift in the C–V curve even after 90 min of BTS while in the absence of barrier there was a significant shift in the C–V curve even after 30 min of BTS. Further these test structures were examined for leakage current density (j{sub L}) at same BTS
Barrier Data Base user's guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Worrell, R.B.; Gould, D.J.; Wall, D.W.

1977-06-01

A special purpose data base for physical security barriers has been developed. In addition to barriers, the entities accommodated by the Barrier Data Base (BDB) include threats and references. A threat is established as a configuration of people and equipment which has been employed to penetrate (or attempt to penetrate) a barrier. References are used to cite publications pertinent to the barriers and threats in the data base. Utilization and maintenance of the Barrier Data Base is achieved with LIST, QUERY, ENTER, DELETE, and CHANGE commands which are used to manipulate the data base entities
Surface modification of an epoxy resin with polyamines and polydopamine: Adhesion toward electroless deposited copper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaubroeck, David, E-mail: David.Schaubroeck@elis.ugent.be [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), IMEC and Ghent University, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); Mader, Lothar [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), IMEC and Ghent University, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); Dubruel, Peter [Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4 bis, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Vanfleteren, Jan [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), IMEC and Ghent University, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium)

2015-10-30

Highlights: • Surface modifications of epoxy resins with polydopamine and grafted polyamines can significantly increase the adhesion toward electroless deposited copper. • A clear characterization of the copper/epoxy interphase is provided by SEM analyses of cross sections. • Tailored conditions such as etching time (roughness) and electroless deposition temperature are needed to increase the adhesion of the modified surfaces. - Abstract: In this paper the influence of the epoxy roughness, surface modifications and ELD (electroless copper deposition) temperatures on the adhesive strength of the copper is studied. Good adhesion at low roughness values is targeted due to their applicability in high density electronic circuits. Roughened epoxy surfaces are modified with adsorbed polyamines, polydopamine and polyamines grafted to polydopamine. Next the, adhesive strength of ELD copper is determined with peel strength measurements and the interphases are examined with SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Polydopamine and polyamines grafted to polydopamine can lead to increased adhesive strength at lower roughness values compared to the non-modified samples at specific plating temperatures.
Tribological and corrosion behaviour of electroless Ni-B coating possessing a blackberry like structure

Science.gov (United States)

Bülbül, Ferhat; Altun, Hikmet; Küçük, Özkan; Ezirmik, Vefa

2012-08-01

This study aims to evaluate the tribological and corrosion properties of the electroless Ni-B coating deposited on AISI 304 stainless steels. The microstructure of the coating was characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). XRD analysis revealed that the prepared coating possessed an amorphous character. SEM-EDS investigation also indicated that a non-stoichiometric Ni-B coating was deposited with a columnar growth mechanism on the stainless steel substrate and the morphology of the growth surface was blackberry-like. The hardness and tribological properties were characterized by microhardness and a pin-on-disc wear test. The electroless Ni-B coated sample had a higher degree of hardness, a lower friction coefficient and a lower wear rate than the uncoated substrate. The electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization method was used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the coating. The electroless Ni-B coating offered cathodic protection on the substrate by acting as a sacrificial anode although it was electrochemically more reactive than the stainless steel substrate.
Fabrication of a micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy by electroless reduction with a calcium reductant for electrolytic capacitor applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Yoshida, Masumi; Taguchi, Yoshiaki; Habazaki, Hiroki; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A metallic Ti–Zr alloy was obtained by electroless reduction for capacitor applications. • The reduction mechanisms were studied by SEM, XRD, EPMA, and an oxygen analyzer. • The alloy was obtained by electroless reduction in the presence of excess calcium reductant. • A micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy was successfully obtained. • The alloy has a low oxygen content and a large surface area. -- Abstract: A metallic titanium and zirconium micro-porous alloy for electrolytic capacitor applications was produced by electroless reduction with a calcium reductant in calcium chloride molten salt at 1173 K. Mixed TiO 2 –70 at%ZrO 2 oxides, metallic calcium, and calcium chloride were placed in a titanium crucible and heated under argon atmosphere to reduce the oxides with the calcium reductant. A metallic Ti–Zr alloy was obtained by electroless reduction in the presence of excess calcium reductant and showed a micro-porous morphology due to the sintering of each of the reduced particles during the reduction. The residual oxygen content and surface area of the reduced Ti–Zr alloy decreased over time during the electroless reduction. The element distributions were slightly different at the positions of the alloy and were in the composition range of Ti-69.3 at% to 74.3 at%Zr. A micro-porous Ti–Zr alloy with low oxygen content (0.20 wt%) and large surface area (0.55 m 2 g −1 ) was successfully fabricated by electroless reduction under optimal conditions. The reduction mechanisms of the mixed and pure oxides by the calcium reductant are also discussed
Study of Nd:YAG laser annealing of electroless Ni-P film on spiegel-iron plate by Taguchi method and grey system theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, W.L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Formosa University, 64, Wunhua Road, Huwei, Yunlin 632, Taiwan (China); Chien, W.T.; Jiang, M.H. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, 1, Shuehfu Road, Neipu, Pingtung 912, Taiwan (China); Chen, W.J., E-mail: chenwjau@yuntech.edu.t [Graduate School of Materials Science, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, 123 University Road, Section 3, Douliou, Yunlin 64002, Taiwan (China)

2010-04-09

An electroless Ni-P film was first deposited on a spiegel-iron plate and then annealed by an Nd:YAG pulsed wave laser. In order to obtain the optimal laser annealing parameters for maximizing the hardness and minimizing the surface roughness of electroless Ni-P films, the Taguchi method and grey system theory were used to analyze the experimental data. The electroless Ni-P film was also characterized by scanning electron microscopy for the morphology, and transmission electron microscopy for the microstructure and crystal structure. The results showed that the hardness and the surface roughness of electroless Ni-P films can be, at the same time, improved to 50.8% and 68%, respectively, by the laser annealing with the optimal parameters.
Study of Nd:YAG laser annealing of electroless Ni-P film on spiegel-iron plate by Taguchi method and grey system theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, W.L.; Chien, W.T.; Jiang, M.H.; Chen, W.J.

2010-01-01

An electroless Ni-P film was first deposited on a spiegel-iron plate and then annealed by an Nd:YAG pulsed wave laser. In order to obtain the optimal laser annealing parameters for maximizing the hardness and minimizing the surface roughness of electroless Ni-P films, the Taguchi method and grey system theory were used to analyze the experimental data. The electroless Ni-P film was also characterized by scanning electron microscopy for the morphology, and transmission electron microscopy for the microstructure and crystal structure. The results showed that the hardness and the surface roughness of electroless Ni-P films can be, at the same time, improved to 50.8% and 68%, respectively, by the laser annealing with the optimal parameters.
Electroless Ni–B Coating of Pure Titanium Surface for Enhanced Tribocorrosion Performance in Artificial Saliva and Antibacterial Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Mindivan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the surface of commercial pure (Grade 2 titanium was coated with electroless Ni–B. The surface morphology, microstructure and phase identification were analysed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD and Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscope (FEG-SEM equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS. The tribocorrosion performance in a laboratory simulated artificial saliva was investigated using a reciprocating ball-on-plate tribometer coupled to an electrochemical cell. The antibacterial property of the electroless Ni–B film coated on pure titanium was basically investigated. From this study, it may be concluded that this electroless Ni–B coating process cannot only improve the hardness and tribocorrosion performance of the pure titanium, but can also provide antimicrobial activity.
A fine surface roughness electroless Ni–P–PTFE composite modified stamper for light guide plate application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, K; Fu, C

2010-01-01

Electroless Ni–P–PTFE composite coating technology takes advantage of the beneficial properties from both Ni–P alloy and PTFE, such as good wear resistance, good anti-adhesion, dry lubrication, low coefficient of friction and good corrosion resistance. It has been applied in many mold industries. However, the Ni–P–PTFE composite coating suffers from bad surface roughness, when the PTFE particles incorporate into a Ni–P matrix. This severely hampers the technology to be applied to optical grade applications. In this paper, we propose a trick to generate a fine surface roughness (FSR) electroless Ni–P–PTFE composite to modify a nickel stamper. Using this new method, the nickel stamper can be covered by a Ni–P–PTFE functional layer and can keep the original surface property at the same time, namely the optical properties. We have chosen 4.5 inch (97 mm × 59 mm × 0.6 mm) light guide plates (LGPs) to demonstrate the effectiveness of the procedure. For the sake of comparison, the LGPs were produced by injection molding with three kinds of stampers including an original SUS430 master, an electroless Ni–P–PTFE composite coated nickel stamper and an FSR electroless Ni–P–PTFE composite modified stamper. We measured and discussed the optical performances at both the element level and system level, namely complete back light units.
Site-selective electroless nickel plating on patterned thin films of macromolecular metal complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Mutsumi; Yamagiwa, Hiroki; Asakawa, Daisuke; Noguchi, Makoto; Kurashina, Tadashi; Fukawa, Tadashi; Shirai, Hirofusa

2010-12-01

We demonstrate a simple route to depositing nickel layer patterns using photocross-linked polymer thin films containing palladium catalysts, which can be used as adhesive interlayers for fabrication of nickel patterns on glass and plastic substrates. Electroless nickel patterns can be obtained in three steps: (i) the pattern formation of partially quaterized poly(vinyl pyridine) by UV irradiation, (ii) the formation of macromolecular metal complex with palladium, and (iii) the nickel metallization using electroless plating bath. Metallization is site-selective and allows for a high resolution. And the resulting nickel layered structure shows good adhesion with glass and plastic substrates. The direct patterning of metallic layers onto insulating substrates indicates a great potential for fabricating micro/nano devices.
Electroless or autocatalytic coating of microparticles for laser fusion targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer, A.; Catlett, D.S.

1977-04-01

Use of a novel device for applying uniform metallic coatings to spherical microparticles is described. The apparatus deposits electroless metal coatings on hollow, thin-walled metal or sensitized nonmetallic micromandrels. The apparatus and process were developed for fabrication of microsphere pressure vessels for use as targets in laser-initiated fusion research
CO2 valorization by means of Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Machrafi, H.; Cavadias, S.; Amouroux, J.

2011-01-01

As atmospheric pollution is causing several environmental problems it is incumbent to reduce the impact of pollution on the environment. One particular problem is the production of CO2 by many transport and industrial applications. Instead of stocking CO2 and instead of being a product, it can be used as a source. The case considered is the CO2 reformation of methane producing hydrogen and CO. It is an endothermic reaction, for which the activation barrier needs to be surpassed. This can be done efficiently by the method of Dielectric Barrier Discharge. The process relies on the collision of electrons, which are accelerated under an electrical field that is created in the discharge area. This leads to the formation of reactive species, which facilitate the abovementioned reaction. This study is performed using a Matlab program with the Reaction Engineering module in COMSOL (with an incorporated kinetic mechanism) in order to model the discharge phase. Then COMSOL (continuity and Navier-Stokes equations) is used to model the flow in the post-discharge phase. The results showed that both a 2D and 3D model can be used to model the chemical-plasma process. These methods need strongly reduced kinetic mechanism, which in some cases can cause loss of precision.
CO2 valorization by means of Dielectric Barrier Discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machrafi, H; Cavadias, S; Amouroux, J

2011-01-01

As atmospheric pollution is causing several environmental problems it is incumbent to reduce the impact of pollution on the environment. One particular problem is the production of CO 2 by many transport and industrial applications. Instead of stocking CO 2 and instead of being a product, it can be used as a source. The case considered is the CO 2 reformation of methane producing hydrogen and CO. It is an endothermic reaction, for which the activation barrier needs to be surpassed. This can be done efficiently by the method of Dielectric Barrier Discharge. The process relies on the collision of electrons, which are accelerated under an electrical field that is created in the discharge area. This leads to the formation of reactive species, which facilitate the abovementioned reaction. This study is performed using a Matlab program with the Reaction Engineering module in COMSOL (with an incorporated kinetic mechanism) in order to model the discharge phase. Then COMSOL (continuity and Navier-Stokes equations) is used to model the flow in the post-discharge phase. The results showed that both a 2D and 3D model can be used to model the chemical-plasma process. These methods need strongly reduced kinetic mechanism, which in some cases can cause loss of precision.

Young Investigator Proposal, Research Area 7.4 Reactive Chemical Systems: Multifunctional, Bimetallic Nanomaterials Prepared by Atomic Layer Electroless Deposition

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-30

Report: Young Investigator Proposal, Research Area 7.4 Reactive Chemical Systems: Multifunctional, Bimetallic Nanomaterials Prepared by Atomic Layer ...Chemical Systems: Multifunctional, Bimetallic Nanomaterials Prepared by Atomic Layer Electroless Deposition Report Term: 0-Other Email: pcappillino... Layer Electroless Deposition (ALED, Figure 1) is the ability to tune growth mechanism, hence growth morphology, by altering conditions. In this
Fabrication of fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co2MnSi thin film and a MgO tunnel barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kijima, H.; Ishikawa, T.; Marukame, T.; Matsuda, K.-I.; Uemura, T.; Yamamoto, M.

2007-01-01

Fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) were fabricated with a Co-based full-Heusler alloy Co 2 MnSi (CMS) thin film having the ordered L2 1 structure as a lower electrode, a MgO tunnel barrier, and a Co 50 Fe 50 upper electrode. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns observed in situ for each layer in the MTJ layer structure during fabrication clearly indicated that all layers of the CMS lower electrode, MgO tunnel barrier, and Co 50 Fe 50 upper electrode grew epitaxially. The microfabricated fully epitaxial CMS/MgO/Co 50 Fe 50 MTJs demonstrated relatively high tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 90% at room temperature and 192% at 4.2 K
Acyl-CoA binding protein and epidermal barrier function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bloksgaard, Maria; Neess, Ditte; Færgeman, Nils J

2014-01-01

The acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP) is a 10kDa intracellular protein expressed in all eukaryotic species and mammalian tissues investigated. It binds acyl-CoA esters with high specificity and affinity and is thought to act as an intracellular transporter of acyl-CoA esters between different...... includes tousled and greasy fur, development of alopecia and scaling of the skin with age. Furthermore, epidermal barrier function is compromised causing a ~50% increase in transepidermal water loss relative to that of wild type mice. Lipidomic analyses indicate that this is due to significantly reduced...
Effect of graphene tunnel barrier on Schottky barrier height of Heusler alloy Co2MnSi/graphene/n-Ge junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Gui-fang; Hu Jing; Lv Hui; Cui Zhijun; Hou Xiaowei; Liu Shibin; Du Yongqian

2016-01-01

We demonstrate that the insertion of a graphene tunnel barrier between Heusler alloy Co 2 MnSi and the germanium (Ge) channel modulates the Schottky barrier height and the resistance–area product of the spin diode. We confirm that the Fermi level is depinned and a reduction in the electron Schottky barrier height (SBH) occurs following the insertion of the graphene layer between Co 2 MnSi and Ge. The electron SBH is modulated in the 0.34 eV–0.61 eV range. Furthermore, the transport mechanism changes from rectifying to symmetric tunneling following the insertion. This behavior provides a pathway for highly efficient spin injection from a Heusler alloy into a Ge channel with high electron and hole mobility. (paper)
Electroless plating and magnetic properties of Co–Zn–P coating on ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Electroless plating; magnetic properties; Co–Zn–P coating; short carbon fibres. 1. Introduction. Since carbon ... high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, fatigue and ... achieved in the production process of carbon fibres prepared from organic ... and a variety of functional applications (Fitzer et al 1984;. Abraham et ...
Electroless nickel plating of arc discharge synthesized carbon nanotubes for metal matrix composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagannatham, M.; Sankaran, S.; Prathap, Haridoss

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Electroless Ni coatings have been performed on CNTs for various deposition times. • The deposition of nickel increased with increase in deposition time. • A deposition time of 60 min has been optimum for uniform coating of Ni on CNTs. • The CNTs with uniform coating of Ni are potential for reinforcements in composites. • Electroless nickel coatings are determined to be super paramagnetic behavior. - Abstract: Electroless nickel (EN) plating was performed on arc discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes for various deposition times. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy characterization techniques are used to identify the presence of nickel deposition on the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the degree of graphitization. The results indicate that impurities are less in the purified CNTs as compared to raw carbon soot. Increasing deposition time up to 60 min increases uniform deposition of nickel throughout the length of the CNTs. However, for deposition time longer than 60 min, nickel particles are seen separated from the surface of the CNTs. Uniformly coated nickel CNTs throughout their length are potential candidates for reinforcements in composite materials. Magnetic properties of the nickel coated CNTs, with deposition time of 30 and 60 min were also evaluated. The magnetic saturation of nickel coated CNTs with deposition time of 30 min is less compared to nickel coated CNTs with deposition time of 60 min
Electroless nickel plating of arc discharge synthesized carbon nanotubes for metal matrix composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jagannatham, M.; Sankaran, S.; Prathap, Haridoss, E-mail: prathap@iitm.ac.in

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Electroless Ni coatings have been performed on CNTs for various deposition times. • The deposition of nickel increased with increase in deposition time. • A deposition time of 60 min has been optimum for uniform coating of Ni on CNTs. • The CNTs with uniform coating of Ni are potential for reinforcements in composites. • Electroless nickel coatings are determined to be super paramagnetic behavior. - Abstract: Electroless nickel (EN) plating was performed on arc discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes for various deposition times. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy characterization techniques are used to identify the presence of nickel deposition on the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the degree of graphitization. The results indicate that impurities are less in the purified CNTs as compared to raw carbon soot. Increasing deposition time up to 60 min increases uniform deposition of nickel throughout the length of the CNTs. However, for deposition time longer than 60 min, nickel particles are seen separated from the surface of the CNTs. Uniformly coated nickel CNTs throughout their length are potential candidates for reinforcements in composite materials. Magnetic properties of the nickel coated CNTs, with deposition time of 30 and 60 min were also evaluated. The magnetic saturation of nickel coated CNTs with deposition time of 30 min is less compared to nickel coated CNTs with deposition time of 60 min.
Process and properties of electroless Ni–Cu–P–ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranganatha, S.; Venkatesha, T.V.; Vathsala, K.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The Ni–P and Ni–P–Cu–ZrO 2 coatings were produced by electroless technique. ► The influence of copper and ZrO 2 nanoparticles on Ni–P was studied. ► Surface morphology, structure and electrochemical behavior were evaluated. ► The Ni–Cu–P–ZrO 2 and Ni–P–ZrO 2 coatings are more resistant to corrosion than Ni–P. ► Introduction of Cu and ZrO 2 in the matrix aids to the enhancement of microhardness. -- Abstract: Electroless Ni–Cu–P–ZrO 2 composite coating was successfully obtained on low carbon steel matrix by electroless plating technique. Coatings with different compositions were obtained by varying copper as ternary metal and nano sized zirconium oxide particles so as to obtain elevated corrosion resistant Ni–P coating. Microstructure, crystal structure and composition of deposits were analyzed by SEM, EDX and XRD techniques. The corrosion behavior of the deposits was studied by anodic polarization, Tafel plots and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5% sodium chloride solution. The ZrO 2 incorporated Ni–P coating showed higher corrosion resistance than plain Ni–P. The introduction of copper metal into Ni–P–ZrO 2 enhanced the protection ability against corrosion. The influence of copper metal and nanoparticles on microhardness of coatings was evaluated.
Effects of Pretreatment on the Structure And Properties of Electroless Nickel Coatings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Per; Deng, Hong

1994-01-01

The pretreatment process can significantly affect the corrosion resistance of electroless nickel (EN) coatings One of the most important reasons is that different pretreatment processes can give different surface morphologies of the substrate. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the scanni...
Mapping remote and multidisciplinary learning barriers: lessons from challenge-based innovation at CERN

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Matilde Bisballe; Utriainen, Tuuli Maria; Steinert, Martin

2018-01-01

This paper presents the experienced difficulties of students participating in the multidisciplinary, remote collaborating engineering design course challenge-based innovation at CERN. This is with the aim to identify learning barriers and improve future learning experiences. We statistically analyse the rated differences between distinct design activities, educational background and remote vs. co-located collaboration. The analysis is based on a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire (N = 37). Our analysis found significant ranking differences between remote and co-located activities. This questions whether the remote factor might be a barrier for the originally intended learning goals. Further a correlation between analytical and converging design phases was identified. Hence, future facilitators are suggested to help students in the transition from one design phase to the next rather than only teaching methods in the individual design phases. Finally, we discuss how educators address the identified learning barriers when designing future courses including multidisciplinary or remote collaboration.
Ablation, surface activation, and electroless metallization of insulating materials by pulsed excimer laser irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowndes, D.H.; Godbole, M.J.; Pedraza, A.J.

1993-01-01

Pulsed-laser irradiation of wide bandgap ceramic substrates, using photons with sub-bandgap energies, activates the ceramic surface for subsequent electroless copper deposition. The copper deposit is confined within the irradiated region when the substrate is subsequently immersed in an electroless copper bath. However, a high laser fluence (typically several j/cm 2 ) and repeated laser shots are needed to obtain uniform copper coverage by this direct-irradiation process. In contrast, by first applying an evaporated SiO x thin film (with x ∼1), laser ablation at quite low energy density (∼0.5 J/cm 2 ) results in re-deposition on the ceramic substrate of material that is catalytic for subsequent electroless copper deposition. Experiments indicate that the re-deposited material is on silicon, on which copper nucleates. Using an SiO x film on a laser-transparent substrate, quite fine (∼12 μm) copper lines can be formed at the boundary of the region that is laser-etched in SiO x . Using SiO x with an absorbing (polycrystalline) ceramic substrate, more-or-less uniform activation and subsequent copper deposition are obtained. In the later case, interactions with the ceramic substrate also may be important for uniform deposition
Higher-resolution selective metallization on alumina substrate by laser direct writing and electroless plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv, Ming; Liu, Jianguo; Wang, Suhuan; Ai, Jun; Zeng, Xiaoyan

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Mechanisms of laser direct writing and electroless plating were studied. • Active seeds in laser-irradiated zone and laser-affected zone were found to be different. • A special chemical cleaning method with aqua regia was taken. • Higher-resolution copper patterns on alumina ceramic were obtained conveniently. - Abstract: How to fabricate conductive patterns on ceramic boards with higher resolution is a challenge in the past years. The fabrication of copper patterns on alumina substrate by laser direct writing and electroless copper plating is a low cost and high efficiency method. Nevertheless, the lower resolution limits its further industrial applications in many fields. In this report, the mechanisms of laser direct writing and electroless copper plating were studied. The results indicated that as the decomposed products of precursor PdCl_2 have different chemical states respectively in laser-irradiated zone (LIZ) and laser-affected zone (LAZ). This phenomenon was utilized and a special chemical cleaning method with aqua regia solution was taken to selectively remove the metallic Pd in LAZ, while kept the PdO in LIZ as the only active seeds. As a result, the resolution of subsequent copper patterns was improved significantly. This technique has a great significance to develop the microelectronics devices.
Comparative study of electroless nickel film on different organic acids modified cuprammonium fabric (CF)

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hang; Lu, Yinxiang

2016-01-01

Nickel films were grown on citric acid (CA), malic acid (MA) and oxalic acid (OA) modified cuprammonium fabric (CF) substrates via electroless nickel deposition. The nickel films were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Their individual deposition rate and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) were also investigated to compare the properties of electroless nickel films. SEM images illustrated that the nickel film on MA modified CF substrate was smooth and uniform, and the density of nickel nuclei was much higher. Compared with that of CA modified CF, the coverage of nickel nuclei on OA and MA modified CF substrate was very limited and the nickel particles size was too big. XRD analysis showed that the nickel films deposited on the different modified CF substrates had a structure with Ni (1 1 1) preferred orientation. All the nickel coatings via different acid modification were firmly adhered to the CF substrates, as demonstrated by an ultrasonic washing test. The result of tensile test indicated that the electroless nickel plating on CF has ability to strengthen the CF substrate while causes limited effect on tensile elongation. Moreover, the nickel film deposited on MA modified CF substrate showed more predominant in EMI SE than that deposited on CA or OA modified CF.
Electroless Ni-P/Ni-B duplex coatings: preparation and evaluation of microhardness, wear and corrosion resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayanan, T.S.N. Sankara; Krishnaveni, K.; Seshadri, S.K.

2003-01-01

The present work deals with the formation of Ni-P/Ni-B duplex coatings by electroless plating process and evaluation of their hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The Ni-P/Ni-B duplex coatings were prepared using dual baths (acidic hypophosphite- and alkaline borohydride-reduced electroless nickel baths) with both Ni-P and Ni-B as inner layers and with varying single layer thickness. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to assess the duplex interface. The microhardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of electroless nickel duplex coatings were compared with electroless Ni-P and Ni-B coatings of similar thickness. The study reveals that the Ni-P and Ni-B coatings are amorphous in their as-plated condition and upon heat-treatment at 450 deg. C for 1 h, both Ni-P and Ni-B coatings crystallize and produce nickel, nickel phosphide and nickel borides in the respective coatings. All the three phases are formed when Ni-P/Ni-B and Ni-B/Ni-P duplex coatings are heat-treated at 450 deg. C for 1 h. The duplex coatings are uniform and the compatibility between the layers is good. The microhardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the duplex coating is higher than Ni-P and Ni-B coatings of similar thickness. Among the two types of duplex coatings studied, hardness and wear resistance is higher for coatings having Ni-B coating as the outer layer whereas better corrosion resistance is offered by coatings having Ni-P coating as the outer layer
Electroless deposition and electrical characterization of N- Cu 2 O ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This work describes the preparation of n-Cu2O layer by the electroless methods of boiling and immersion of copper plates in 0.001M CuSO4Electron Microscopy (SEM) have been used to characterize the oxide films deposited. XRD studies show, for the first time, that cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and cupric oxide (CuO) were ...
Tribological characteristics of electroless Ni–P–MoS2 composite coatings at elevated temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhen; Wang Jingbo; Lu Jinjun; Meng Junhu

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Uniform Ni–P–MoS 2 composite coatings are deposited by electroless plating. ► Friction coefficient of composite coating decreases with the increase of temperature. ► Formation of lubricious oxide film leads to excellent tribological property. - Abstract: Ni–P–MoS 2 composite coatings were deposited on AISI-1045 steel plate by electroless plating followed by a heat treatment at 300 °C for 2 h. The high-temperature tribological characteristics of the composite coatings were evaluated under dry sliding conditions in a tribometer with ball-on-disk configuration. The effect of the co-deposition of MoS 2 on the friction and wear behaviors of composite coatings at elevated temperature was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the morphology of the worn surface of composite coating. The chemical states of some typical elements on the worn surfaces were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. The results indicate that friction coefficient of the composite coatings decreases with the increase of test temperature up to 500 °C, and the best tribological properties of Ni–P–MoS 2 composite coatings are achieved at 400 °C. The worn surface of Ni–P–MoS 2 composite coatings are characterized by mild scuffing and deformation. The improvement of tribological properties of the composite coatings was attributed to the formation of the lubricious oxide film composed of oxides of Ni and Mo at high temperatures. With the test temperature increasing to 600 °C, the tribological properties of the composite coating begin to deteriorate due to softening of the coating.
Fire and Gas Barrier Properties of Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile Nanocomposites Using Polycaprolactone/Clay Nanohybrid Based-Masterbatch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Benali

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Exfoliated nanocomposites are prepared by dispersion of poly(ε-caprolactone (PCL grafted montmorillonite nanohybrids used as masterbatches in poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile (SAN. The PCL-grafted clay nanohybrids with high inorganic content are synthesized by in situ intercalative ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone between silicate layers organomodified by alkylammonium cations bearing two hydroxyl functions. The polymerization is initiated by tin alcoholate species derived from the exchange reaction of tin(II bis(2-ethylhexanoate with the hydroxyl groups borne by the ammonium cations that organomodified the clay. These highly filled PCL nanocomposites (25 wt% in inorganics are dispersed as masterbatches in commercial poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile by melt blending. SAN-based nanocomposites containing 3 wt% of inorganics are accordingly prepared. The direct blend of SAN/organomodified clay is also prepared for sake of comparison. The clay dispersion is characterized by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD, atomic force microscopy (AFM, and solid state NMR spectroscopy measurements. The thermal properties are studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The flame retardancy and gas barrier resistance properties of nanocomposites are discussed both as a function of the clay dispersion and of the matrix/clay interaction.
Preparation and corrosion resistance of electroless Ni-P/SiC functionally gradient coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hui-Long; Liu, Ling-Yun; Dou, Yong; Zhang, Wen-Zhu; Jiang, Wen-Feng

2013-12-01

In this paper, the protective electroless Ni-P/SiC gradient coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy substrate were successfully prepared. The prepared Ni-P/SiC gradient coatings were characterized for its microstructure, morphology, microhardness and adhesion to the substrate. The deposition reaction kinetics was investigated and an empirical rate equation for electroless Ni-P/SiC plating on AZ91D magnesium alloy was developed. The anticorrosion properties of the Ni-P/SiC gradient coatings in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution were evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. The potentiodynamic polarization measurements revealed that the SiC concentration in the bath and heat treatment can influence the corrosion protection performance of electroless deposited Ni-P/SiC gradient coatings. EIS studies indicated that higher charge transfer resistance and slightly lower capacitance values were obtained for Ni-P/SiC gradient coatings compared to Ni-P coatings. The corrosion resistance of the Ni-P/SiC gradient coatings increases initially and decreases afterwards with the sustained increasing of immersion time in the aggressive medium. The electroless Ni-P/SiC gradient coatings can afford better corrosion protection for magnesium alloy substrate compared with Ni-P coatings.
CO2 reforming of methane: valorizing CO2 by means of Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Machrafi, H.; Cavadias, S.; Amouroux, J.

2011-03-01

The impact of pollution on the environment is causing several problems that are to be reduced as much as possible. One important example is the production of CO2 that is emitted by many transport and industrial applications. An interesting solution is to view CO2 as a source instead of a product that can be stocked. The case considered in this work is the CO2 reformation of methane producing hydrogen and CO. It is an endothermic reaction, for which the activition barrier needs to be overcome. The method of Dielectric Barrier Discharge can do this efficiently. The process relies on the collision of electrons, which are accelerated under an electrical field that is created in the discharge area. This leads to the formation of reactive species, which facilitate the abovementioned reaction. The determination of the electron density is performed by PLASIMO. The study is subsequently continued using the Reaction Engineering module in COMSOL (with an incorporated kinetic mechanism) in order to model the discharge phase. Then COMSOL (continuity and Navier-Stokes equations) is used to model the flow in the post-discharge phase. The results showed that both a 2D and 3D model can be used to model the chemical-plasma process. These methods need strongly reduced kinetic mechanism, which in some cases can cause loss of precision. It is also observed that the present experimental set-up that is modeled needs to be improved. A suggestion is made.
Electrolytic Recovery of Nickel from Spent Electroless Nickel Bath Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Idhayachander

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Plating industry is one of the largest polluting small scale industries and nickel plating is among the important surface finishing process in this industry. The waste generated during this operation contains toxic nickel. Nickel removal and recovery is of great interest from spent bath for environmental and economic reasons. Spent electroless nickel solution from a reed relay switch manufacturing industry situated in Chennai was taken for electrolytic recovery of nickel. Electrolytic experiment was carried out with mild steel and gold coated mild steel as cathode and the different parameters such as current density, time, mixing and pH of the solution were varied and recovery and current efficiency was studied. It was noticed that there was an increase in current efficiency up to 5 A/dm2 and after that it declines. There is no significant improvement with mixing but with modified cathode there was some improvement. Removal of nickel from the spent electroless nickel bath was 81.81% at 5 A/dm2 and pH 4.23. Under this condition, the content of nickel was reduced to 0.94 g/L from 5.16 g/L. with 62.97% current efficiency.

ADSORPTION PROPERTIES OF NICKEL-BASED MAGNETIC ACTIVATED CARBON PREPARED BY PD-FREE ELECTROLESS PLATING

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Boyang Jia

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Nickel-based magnetic activated carbon was synthesized from coconut shell activated carbon by electroless plating with palladium-free activation. The effect of plating solution volume on metallic ratio and adsorption capacity were evaluated. The effect of metallic ratio on specific area, pore volume, and magnetic properties were investigated. The morphologies of activated carbon before and after plating were observed by SEM, and the composition of the layer was analyzed by EDS analysis. The results showed that the metallic ratio was increased with the increase of the plating solution volume. The magnetic activated carbon showed high adsorption capacity for methylene blue and a high iodine number. Those values reached 142.5 mg/g and 1035 mg/g, respectively. The specific area and pore volume decreased from 943 m2/g to 859 m2/g and 0.462 ml/g to 0.417 ml/g, respectively. And the layer was more compact and continuous when the metallic ratio reached 16.37 wt.%. In the layer, there was about 97 wt.% nickel and 3 wt.% phosphorus, which indicates that the layer was a low-phosphorus one. At the same time, magnetism was enhanced, making the product suitable for some special applications.
Seeding of silicon by copper ion implantation for selective electroless copper plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhansali, S.; Sood, D.K.; Zmood, R.B. [Microelectronic and Materials Technology Centre, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technolgy, Melbourne, VIC (Australia)

1993-12-31

We report on the successful use of copper(self) ion implantation into silicon to seed the electroless plating of copper on silicon (100) surfaces. Copper ions have been implanted to doses of 5E14-6.4E16 ions/cm{sup 2} using a MEEVA ion implanter at extraction voltage of 40kV. Dose was varied in fine steps to determine the threshold dose of 2E15 Cu ions/cm{sup 2} for `seed` formation of copper films on silicon using a commercial electroless plating solution. Plated films were studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, EDX and profilometry . The adhesion of films was measured by `scotch tape test`. The adhesion was found to improve with increasing dose. However thicker films exhibited rather poor adhesion and high internal stress. SEM results show that the films grow first as isolated islands which become larger and eventually impinge into a continuous film as the plating time is increased. (authors). 5 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.
Seeding of silicon by copper ion implantation for selective electroless copper plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhansali, S; Sood, D K; Zmood, R B [Microelectronic and Materials Technology Centre, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technolgy, Melbourne, VIC (Australia)

1994-12-31

We report on the successful use of copper(self) ion implantation into silicon to seed the electroless plating of copper on silicon (100) surfaces. Copper ions have been implanted to doses of 5E14-6.4E16 ions/cm{sup 2} using a MEEVA ion implanter at extraction voltage of 40kV. Dose was varied in fine steps to determine the threshold dose of 2E15 Cu ions/cm{sup 2} for `seed` formation of copper films on silicon using a commercial electroless plating solution. Plated films were studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, EDX and profilometry . The adhesion of films was measured by `scotch tape test`. The adhesion was found to improve with increasing dose. However thicker films exhibited rather poor adhesion and high internal stress. SEM results show that the films grow first as isolated islands which become larger and eventually impinge into a continuous film as the plating time is increased. (authors). 5 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.
Seeding of silicon by copper ion implantation for selective electroless copper plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhansali, S.; Sood, D.K.; Zmood, R.B.

1993-01-01

We report on the successful use of copper(self) ion implantation into silicon to seed the electroless plating of copper on silicon (100) surfaces. Copper ions have been implanted to doses of 5E14-6.4E16 ions/cm 2 using a MEEVA ion implanter at extraction voltage of 40kV. Dose was varied in fine steps to determine the threshold dose of 2E15 Cu ions/cm 2 for 'seed' formation of copper films on silicon using a commercial electroless plating solution. Plated films were studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, EDX and profilometry . The adhesion of films was measured by 'scotch tape test'. The adhesion was found to improve with increasing dose. However thicker films exhibited rather poor adhesion and high internal stress. SEM results show that the films grow first as isolated islands which become larger and eventually impinge into a continuous film as the plating time is increased. (authors). 5 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs
Application of electroless Ni-P coating on magnesium alloy via CrO3/HF free titanate pretreatment

Science.gov (United States)

Rajabalizadeh, Z.; Seifzadeh, D.

2017-11-01

The titanate conversion coating was applied as CrO3/HF free pretreatment for the electroless Ni-P plating on AM60B magnesium alloy. The microscopic images revealed that the alloy surface was completely covered by a cracked conversion film after titanate pretreatment which was mainly composed of Mg(OH)2/MgO, MgF2, TiO2, SiO2, and Al2O3/Al(OH)3. The microscopic images also revealed that numerous Ni nucleation centers were formed over the titanate film after short electroless plating times. The nucleation centers were created not only on the cracked area but also over the whole pretreated surface due to the catalytic action of the titanate film. Also, uniform, dense, and defect-free Ni-P coating with fine structure was achieved after 3 h plating. The Ni-P coating showed mixed crystalline-amorphous structure due to its moderate phosphorus content. The results of two traditional corrosion monitoring methods indicated that the Ni-P coating significantly increases the corrosion resistance of the magnesium alloy. Moreover, Electrochemical Noise (EN) method was used as a non-polarized technique to study the corrosion behavior of the electroless coating at different immersion times. The results of the EN tests were clearly showed the localized nature of the corrosion process. Micro-hardness value of the magnesium alloy was remarkably enhanced after the electroless plating. Finally, suitable adhesion between the Ni-P coating and the magnesium alloy substrate was confirmed by thermal shock and pull-off-adhesion tests.
Experimental study on the formation and growth of electroless nickel-boron coatings from borohydride-reduced bath on mild steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vitry, Veronique, E-mail: veronique.vitry@umons.ac.be [Service de Metallurgie, Universite de Mons, Rue de l' Epargne 56, 7000 Mons (Belgium); Sens, Adeline [Service de Metallurgie, Universite de Mons, Rue de l' Epargne 56, 7000 Mons (Belgium); Kanta, Abdoul-Fatah [Service de Sciences des Materiaux, Universite de Mons, Rue de l' Epargne 56, 7000 Mons (Belgium); Delaunois, Fabienne [Service de Metallurgie, Universite de Mons, Rue de l' Epargne 56, 7000 Mons (Belgium)

2012-12-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Initiation mechanism of electroless Ni-B on St-37 steel has been identified. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Different phases of the plating process were observed and identified. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Influence of chemical heterogeneity on coating morphology was revealed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Batch replenishment of the plating bath induces new germination phase. - Abstract: Quality and homogeneity of electroless nickel-boron coatings are very important for applications in corrosion and electronics and are completely dependent on the formation of the deposit. The growth and formation process of electroless nickel-boron was investigated by immersing mild steel (St-37) samples in an un-replenished bath for various periods of time (from 5 s to 1 h). The coatings obtained at the different stages of the process were then characterized: thickness was measured by SEM, morphology was observed, weight gain was recorded and top composition of the coatings was obtained from XPS. Three main phases were identified during the coating formation and links between plating time, instantaneous deposition rate, chemistry of last formed deposit and morphology were established. The mechanism for initial deposition on steel substrate for borohydride-reduced electroless nickel bath was also observed. Those results were confronted with chemistry evolution in the unreplenished plating bath during the process. This allowed getting insight about phenomena occurring in the plating bath and their influence on coating formation.
Low Temperature Steam Methane Reforming Over Ni Based Catalytic Membrane Prepared by Electroless Palladium Plating.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang Moon; Hong, Sung Chang; Kim, Sung Su

2018-09-01

A Pd/Ni-YSZ porous membrane with different palladium loadings and hydrazine as a reducing reagent was prepared by electroless plating and evaluated for the steam methane reforming activity. The steam-reforming activity of a Ni-YSZ porous membrane was greatly increased by the deposition of 4 g/L palladium in the low-temperature range (600 °C). With an increasing amount of reducing reagent, the Pd clusters were well dispersed on the Ni-YSZ surface and were uniform in size (∼500 nm). The Pd/Ni-YSZ catalytic porous membrane prepared by 1 of Pd/hydrazine ratio possessed an abundant amount of metallic Pd. The optimal palladium loadings and Pd/hydrazine ratio increased the catalytic activity in both the steam-reforming reaction and the Pd dispersion.
Initial deposition mechanism of electroless nickel plating on AZ91D magnesium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Y.; Shan, D.; Han, E.

2006-01-01

The pretreatment processes and initial deposition mechanism of electroless nickel plating on AZ91D magnesium alloy were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The results showed that alkaline cleaning could remove the greases and oils from the substrate surface. Acid etching could wipe off the metal chippings and oxides. The hydrofluoric acid activating process which could improve the adhesion of coating to substrate played a key role in the subsequent process of electroless nickel plating. The nickel coating was deposited preferentially on the primary α phase and then spread to the eutectic α phase and β phase. The nickel initially nucleated on the primary α phase by a replacement reaction, then grew depending on the autocatalysis function of nickel. The coating on the β phase displayed better adhesion than that on the α phase due to the nails fixing effect. (author)
Effect of graphene tunnel barrier on Schottky barrier height of Heusler alloy Co2MnSi/graphene/n-Ge junction

Science.gov (United States)

Gui-fang, Li; Jing, Hu; Hui, Lv; Zhijun, Cui; Xiaowei, Hou; Shibin, Liu; Yongqian, Du

2016-02-01

We demonstrate that the insertion of a graphene tunnel barrier between Heusler alloy Co2MnSi and the germanium (Ge) channel modulates the Schottky barrier height and the resistance-area product of the spin diode. We confirm that the Fermi level is depinned and a reduction in the electron Schottky barrier height (SBH) occurs following the insertion of the graphene layer between Co2MnSi and Ge. The electron SBH is modulated in the 0.34 eV-0.61 eV range. Furthermore, the transport mechanism changes from rectifying to symmetric tunneling following the insertion. This behavior provides a pathway for highly efficient spin injection from a Heusler alloy into a Ge channel with high electron and hole mobility. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61504107) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant Nos. 3102014JCQ01059 and 3102015ZY043).
Selected-area growth of nickel micropillars on aluminum thin films by electroless plating for applications in microbolometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Do Ngoc Hieu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available An optimization process of electroless plating of nickel was carried out with NiCl2 as the nickel ion source, NaH2PO2 as the reduction agent, CH3COONa and Na3C6H5O7 as complexing agents. Electroless plated nickel layers on sputtered aluminum corning glass substrates with a resistivity of about 75.9 μΩ cm and a nickel concentration higher than 93% were obtained. This optimum process was successfully applied in growing nickel micropillars at selected areas with a well-controlled height. The microstructure of the masking layers was fabricated by means of optical photolithography for subsequent growth of nickel micropillars on selected areas. Micropillars size was defined by the opening size and the height was controlled by adjusting the plating time at a growth rate of 0.41 μm/min. This result shows that electroless nickel plating could be a good candidate for growing micropillars for applications in microbolometers.
Comparison of radiation detector performance for different metal contacts on CdZnTe deposited by electroless deposition method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Q.; Dierre, F.; Crocco, J.; Bensalah, H.; Dieguez, E. [Crystal Growth Laboratory, Department of Materials Physics, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Ayoub, M. [Durham Scientific Crystals Laboratory, Netpark, Thomas Wright Way, Sedgefield, TS21, 3FD (United Kingdom); Corregidor, V.; Alves, E. [Unidade de Fisica e Aceleradores, LFI, ITN, E.N.10, 2686-953, Sacavem (Portugal); Fernandez-Ruiz, R. [Servicio Interdepartamental de Investigacion. Laboratorio de TXRF/Laue-XRD. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Perez, J.M. [CIEMAT, Edificio 22, Avda Complutense 22, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2011-11-15

A comparative study of four different metals gold (Au), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru) and rhodium (Rh) deposited on CdZnTe(CZT) by the electroless deposition method has been carried out. Two of these materials, Ru and Rh, have been deposited for the first time by this method. In contrast to the Pt deposition, the deposition of Ru and Rh were not carried out under the optimal conditions. The metals deposited on the samples were identified by Total reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF). Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) analyses show that Au forms the thickest layer ({proportional_to}160 nm) for the experimental conditions of this work. Current-voltage measurements show that Pt forms a more linear ohmic contact with the lowest leakage current. A {sup 57}Co gamma ray spectrum gave a better detector performance with a FWHM 11 keV at 122 keV. (copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)
The effect of inducing uniform Cu growth on formation of electroless Cu seed layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Taeho; Kim, Myung Jun; Park, Kyung Ju; Kim, Kwang Hwan; Choe, Seunghoe; Lee, Young-Soo; Kim, Jae Jeong

2014-01-01

The uniformity of Cu growth on Pd nanocatalysts was controlled by using organic additives in the formation of electroless Cu seed layers. Polyethylene glycol (PEG, Mw. 8000) not only reduced the deposition rate but also improved the uniformity of Cu growth on each Pd nanocatalyst during the seed layer formation. The stronger suppression effect of PEG on Cu than on Pd reduced the difference in the deposition rate between the two surfaces, resulting in the uniform deposition. Meanwhile, bis(3-sulfopropyl) disulfide degraded the uniformity by strong and nonselective suppression. The sheet resistance measurement and atomic force microscopy imaging revealed that the uniform Cu growth by PEG was more advantageous for the formation of a thin and smooth Cu seed layer than the non-uniform growth. The uniform Cu growth also had a positive influence on the subsequent Cu electrodeposition: the 60-nm-thick electrodeposited Cu film on the Cu seed layer showed low resistivity (2.70 μΩ·cm), low surface roughness (6.98 nm), and good adhesion strength. - Highlights: • Uniform Cu growth on Pd was achieved in formation of electroless Cu seed layer. • PEG addition to electroless bath improved the uniformity of Cu growth on Pd. • A thin, smooth and continuous Cu seed layer was obtained with PEG. • Adhesion strength of the Cu seed layer was also improved with PEG. • The uniformity improvement positively affected subsequent Cu electrodeposition
Characterisation of phase composition, microstructure and microhardness of electroless nickel composite coating co-deposited with SiC on casting aluminium LM24 alloy substrate

OpenAIRE

Franco, M.; Sha, Wei; Malinov, Savko

2013-01-01

Electroless Ni-P (EN) and composite Ni-P-SiC (ENC) coatings were developed on cast aluminium alloy, LM24. The coating phase composition, microstructure and microhardness were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microhardness tester, respectively, on as-plated and heat-treated specimens. The original microstructure of the Ni-P matrix is not affected by the inclusion of the hard particles SiC. No formation of Ni-Si phase was observed upto 500°C of ...
Improvement of the Wear Resistance of Ferrous Alloys by Electroless Plating of Nickel

Science.gov (United States)

Kaleicheva, J. K.; Karaguiozova, Z.

2018-01-01

The electroless nickel (Ni) and composite nickel - nanodiamond (Ni+DND) coatings are investigated in this study. The method EFTTOM-NICKEL for electroless nickel plating with nanosized strengthening particles (DND 4-6 nm) is applied for the coating deposition. The coatings are deposited on ferrous alloys samples. The wear resistance of the coatings is performed by friction wear tests under 50-400 MPa loading conditions - in accordance with a Polish Standard PN-83/H-04302. The microstructure observations are made by optic metallographic microscope GX41 OLIMPUS and the microhardness is determined by Vickers Method. Tests for wear resistance, thickness and microhardness measurements of the coatings without heat treatment and heat treatment are performed. The heat treatment regime is investigated with the aim to optimize the thermal process control of the coated samples without excessive tempering of the substrate material. The surface fatigue failure is determined by contact fatigue test with the purpose to establish suitable conditions for production of high performance materials.
Production of hard hydrophilic Ni-B coatings on hydrophobic Ni-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloys by electroless deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buelbuel, Ferhat; Karabudak, Filiz; Yesildal, Ruhi [Ataturk Univ., Erzurum (Turkey). Mechanical Engineering Dept.

2017-07-01

This paper is mainly focused on the wetting state of liquid droplets on Ni-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V hierarchical structured hydrophobic surfaces in micro/nanoscale. Electroless Ni-B deposition as a surface coating treatment has recently drawn considerable attention of researchers owing to remarkable advantages when compared with other techniques such as low price, conformal ability to coat substrates, good bath stability and relatively easier plating process control. The Ni-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V substrates were plated by electroless Ni-B plating process. The coated films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness testing and static contact angle measurement. Results obtained from the analyses show that electroless Ni-B deposition may improve the hardness and wettability of the Ni-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloy surfaces.
Broadband infrared absorption enhancement by electroless-deposited silver nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gritti, Claudia; Raza, Søren; Kadkhodazadeh, Shima

2017-01-01

Decorating semiconductor surfaces with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) is considered a viable solution for enhancing the absorptive properties of photovoltaic and photodetecting devices. We propose to deposit silver NPs on top of a semiconductor wafer by a cheap and fast electroless plating technique......, which points to the possible applications of such deposition method for harvesting photons in nanophotonics and photovoltaics. The broadband absorption is a consequence of the resonant behavior of particles with different shapes and sizes, which strongly localize the incident light at the interface...
Programmer's description of the Barrier Data Base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wall, D.W.; Jones, R.E.; Worrell, R.B.

1976-12-01

The Barrier Data Base is a body of information concerning different kinds of barriers that are used in safeguarding nuclear materials and installations. The two programs written for creating, updating, and manipulating the Barrier Data Base are discussed. The BARRIER program is used to add, delete, modify, display, or search for specific data in the data base. A utility program named NUMBER is used to compress and renumber the barrier and threat tables
Characterisation of an in vitro blood-brain barrier model based on primary porcine capillary endothelial cells in monoculture or co-culture with primary rat or porcine astrocytes and pericytes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Louiza Bohn; Larsen, Annette Burkhart; Moos, Torben

to in vivo such as efflux transporters, tight junction proteins, and high transendothelial electric resistance (TEER). Primary BCECs are isolated from a variety of mammals such as rats, mice, cattle and pigs. Often bovine and porcine BCECs are cultured in monoculture or in co-culture with rat astrocytes......In vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models based on primary brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) in monoculture or in co-culture with primary astrocytes and pericytes are often applied for studying physiology of the BBB. Primary BCECs retain many morphological and biochemical properties similar...... obtained from neonatal rats which have been shown to strengthen the barrier properties of the BCECs. In this study, brain endothelial cells (PBECs), astrocytes and pericytes are isolated from pig brains donated by the local abattoir. The brains are from 6 month old domestic pigs. The availability and high...
Interface structure and properties of CNTs/Cu composites fabricated by electroless deposition and spark plasma sintering

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hu; Zhang, Zhao-Hui; Hu, Zheng-Yang; Song, Qi; Yin, Shi-Pan

2018-01-01

In this paper, we fabricated a novel copper matrix composites reinforced by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using electroless deposition (ED) and spark plasma sintering technique. Microstructure, mechanical, electric conductivity, and thermal properties of the CNTs/Cu composites were investigated. The results show that a favorable interface containing C-O and O-Cu bond was formed between CNTs and matrix when the CNTs were coated with nano-Cu by ED method. Thus, we accomplished the uniformly dispersed CNTs in the CNTs/Cu powders and compacted composites, which eventually leads to the enhancement of the mechanical properties of the CNTs/Cu composites in the macro-scale environment. However, the interface structure can hinder the movement of carriers and free electrons and increase the interface thermal resistance, which leads to modest decrease of electrical and thermal conductivity of the CNTs/Cu composites.
Control of biofouling on titanium condenser tubes with the use of electroless copper plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anandkumar, B.; George, R.P.; Kamachi Mudali, U.; Ramachandran, D.

2015-01-01

In sea water environments titanium condenser tubes face serious issues of biofouling and biomineralization. Electroless plating of nanocopper film is attempted inside the tubes for the control of biofilm formation. Using advanced techniques like AFM, SEM, and XPS, electroless copper plated flat Ti specimens were characterized. Examination of Cu coated Ti surfaces using AFM and SEM showed more reduction in the microroughness compared to anodized Ti surface. Cu 2p 3/2 peak in XPS spectral analysis showed the shift in binding energy inferring the reduction of the hydroxide to metallic copper. Tubular specimens were exposed to sea water up to three months and withdrawn at monthly intervals to evaluate antibacterial activity and long term stability of the coating. Total viable counts and epifluorescence microscopy analyses showed two orders decrease in bacterial counts on copper coated Ti specimens when compared to as polished control Ti specimens. Molecular biology techniques like DGGE and protein expression analysis system were done to get insight into the community diversity and copper tolerance of microorganisms. DGGE gel bands clearly showed the difference in the bacterial diversity inferring from the 16S rRNA gene fragments (V3 regions). Protein analysis showed distinct protein spots appearing in electroless copper coated Ti biofilm protein samples in addition to protein spots common to both the biofilms of Cu coated and as polished Ti. The results indicated copper accumulating proteins in copper resistant bacterial species of biofilm. Reduced microroughness of the surface and toxic copper ions resulted in good biofouling control even after three months exposure to sea water. (author)

Comparative study of electroless nickel film on different organic acids modified cuprammonium fabric (CF)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Hang; Lu, Yinxiang, E-mail: yxlu@fudan.edu.cn

2016-01-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • An etchant-free and moderate surface pre-treatment process was studied. • Citric acid, malic acid and oxalic acid were selected as modification agents. • High adhesive nickel coating on cuprammonium fabric was obtained. • The electromagnetic parameters were evaluated from the experimental data. - Abstract: Nickel films were grown on citric acid (CA), malic acid (MA) and oxalic acid (OA) modified cuprammonium fabric (CF) substrates via electroless nickel deposition. The nickel films were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Their individual deposition rate and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) were also investigated to compare the properties of electroless nickel films. SEM images illustrated that the nickel film on MA modified CF substrate was smooth and uniform, and the density of nickel nuclei was much higher. Compared with that of CA modified CF, the coverage of nickel nuclei on OA and MA modified CF substrate was very limited and the nickel particles size was too big. XRD analysis showed that the nickel films deposited on the different modified CF substrates had a structure with Ni (1 1 1) preferred orientation. All the nickel coatings via different acid modification were firmly adhered to the CF substrates, as demonstrated by an ultrasonic washing test. The result of tensile test indicated that the electroless nickel plating on CF has ability to strengthen the CF substrate while causes limited effect on tensile elongation. Moreover, the nickel film deposited on MA modified CF substrate showed more predominant in EMI SE than that deposited on CA or OA modified CF.
Electromagnetic properties of core–shell particles by way of electroless Ni–Fe–P alloy plating on flake-shaped diatomite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Deyuan [Bionic and Micro/Nano/Bio Manufacturing Technology Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Yuan, Liming, E-mail: lming_y@163.com [Bionic and Micro/Nano/Bio Manufacturing Technology Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Lan, Mingming; Hu, Yanyan; Cai, Jun [Bionic and Micro/Nano/Bio Manufacturing Technology Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Zhang, Wenqiang [College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083 (China); Li, Haiyang [China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Beijing 100854 (China)

2013-11-15

Flake-shaped diatomite particles coated by Ni–Fe–P alloy were prepared by electroless plating technique and processed by heat treatment. The samples were characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD. The results indicated that the magnetic diatomite particles had continuous and homogeneous Ni–Fe–P coating, and the phase constitution of the Ni–Fe–P coating was transformed from an amorphous structure to a crystalline structure during heat treatment. The measured electromagnetic parameters and the calculated reflection loss suggested that heat treatment was able to enhance the microwave absorption performance of the paraffin wax based composites. In a word, the Ni–Fe–P coated diatomite particle obtained in this paper is a promising candidate for lightweight microwave absorbing inclusions. - Highlights: • We used the flake-shaped diatomite particles as forming template to fabricate the core–shell ferromagnetic particles. • The diatomite particles were deposited Ni–Fe–P alloy by way of electroless plating methods. • The coated diatomite particles were lightweight ferromagnetic fillers. • The composites containing coated diatomite particles with heat treatment exhibited great potential in the field of electromagnetic absorbing.
Electromagnetic properties of core–shell particles by way of electroless Ni–Fe–P alloy plating on flake-shaped diatomite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Deyuan; Yuan, Liming; Lan, Mingming; Hu, Yanyan; Cai, Jun; Zhang, Wenqiang; Li, Haiyang

2013-01-01

Flake-shaped diatomite particles coated by Ni–Fe–P alloy were prepared by electroless plating technique and processed by heat treatment. The samples were characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD. The results indicated that the magnetic diatomite particles had continuous and homogeneous Ni–Fe–P coating, and the phase constitution of the Ni–Fe–P coating was transformed from an amorphous structure to a crystalline structure during heat treatment. The measured electromagnetic parameters and the calculated reflection loss suggested that heat treatment was able to enhance the microwave absorption performance of the paraffin wax based composites. In a word, the Ni–Fe–P coated diatomite particle obtained in this paper is a promising candidate for lightweight microwave absorbing inclusions. - Highlights: • We used the flake-shaped diatomite particles as forming template to fabricate the core–shell ferromagnetic particles. • The diatomite particles were deposited Ni–Fe–P alloy by way of electroless plating methods. • The coated diatomite particles were lightweight ferromagnetic fillers. • The composites containing coated diatomite particles with heat treatment exhibited great potential in the field of electromagnetic absorbing
Comparison of the surfaces and interfaces formed for sputter and electroless deposited gold contacts on CdZnTe

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Steven J.; Baker, Mark A.; Duarte, Diana D.; Schneider, Andreas; Seller, Paul; Sellin, Paul J.; Veale, Matthew C.; Wilson, Matthew D.

2018-01-01

Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) is a leading sensor material for spectroscopic X/γ-ray imaging in the fields of homeland security, medical imaging, industrial analysis and astrophysics. The metal-semiconductor interface formed during contact deposition is of fundamental importance to the spectroscopic performance of the detector and is primarily determined by the deposition method. A multi-technique analysis of the metal-semiconductor interface formed by sputter and electroless deposition of gold onto (111) aligned CdZnTe is presented. Focused ion beam (FIB) cross section imaging, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) depth profiling and current-voltage (IV) analysis have been applied to determine the structural, chemical and electronic properties of the gold contacts. In a novel approach, principal component analysis has been employed on the XPS depth profiles to extract detailed chemical state information from different depths within the profile. It was found that electroless deposition forms a complicated, graded interface comprised of tellurium oxide, gold/gold telluride particulates, and cadmium chloride. This compared with a sharp transition from surface gold to bulk CdZnTe observed for the interface formed by sputter deposition. The electronic (IV) response for the detector with electroless deposited contacts was symmetric, but was asymmetric for the detector with sputtered gold contacts. This is due to the electroless deposition degrading the difference between the Cd- and Te-faces of the CdZnTe (111) crystal, whilst these differences are maintained for the sputter deposited gold contacts. This work represents an important step in the optimisation of the metal-semiconductor interface which currently is a limiting factor in the development of high resolution CdZnTe detectors.
How thin barrier metal can be used to prevent Co diffusion in the modern integrated circuits?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixit, Hemant; Konar, Aniruddha; Pandey, Rajan; Ethirajan, Tamilmani

2017-01-01

In modern integrated circuits (ICs), billions of transistors are connected to each other via thin metal layers (e.g. copper, cobalt, etc) known as interconnects. At elevated process temperatures, inter-diffusion of atomic species can occur among these metal layers, causing sub-optimal performance of interconnects, which may lead to the failure of an IC. Thus, typically a thin barrier metal layer is used to prevent the inter-diffusion of atomic species within interconnects. For ICs with sub-10 nm transistors (10 nm technology node), the design rule (thickness scaling) demands the thinnest possible barrier layer. Therefore, here we investigate the critical thickness of a titanium–nitride (TiN) barrier that can prevent the cobalt diffusion using multi-scale modeling and simulations. First, we compute the Co diffusion barrier in crystalline and amorphous TiN with the nudged elastic band method within first-principles density functional theory simulations. Later, using the calculated activation energy barriers, we quantify the Co diffusion length in the TiN metal layer with the help of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Such a multi-scale modelling approach yields an exact critical thickness of the metal layer sufficient to prevent the Co diffusion in IC interconnects. We obtain a diffusion length of a maximum of 2 nm for a typical process of thermal annealing at 400 °C for 30 min. Our study thus provides useful physical insights for the Co diffusion in the TiN layer and further quantifies the critical thickness (∼2 nm) to which the metal barrier layer can be thinned down for sub-10 nm ICs. (paper)
How thin barrier metal can be used to prevent Co diffusion in the modern integrated circuits?

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Hemant; Konar, Aniruddha; Pandey, Rajan; Ethirajan, Tamilmani

2017-11-01

In modern integrated circuits (ICs), billions of transistors are connected to each other via thin metal layers (e.g. copper, cobalt, etc) known as interconnects. At elevated process temperatures, inter-diffusion of atomic species can occur among these metal layers, causing sub-optimal performance of interconnects, which may lead to the failure of an IC. Thus, typically a thin barrier metal layer is used to prevent the inter-diffusion of atomic species within interconnects. For ICs with sub-10 nm transistors (10 nm technology node), the design rule (thickness scaling) demands the thinnest possible barrier layer. Therefore, here we investigate the critical thickness of a titanium-nitride (TiN) barrier that can prevent the cobalt diffusion using multi-scale modeling and simulations. First, we compute the Co diffusion barrier in crystalline and amorphous TiN with the nudged elastic band method within first-principles density functional theory simulations. Later, using the calculated activation energy barriers, we quantify the Co diffusion length in the TiN metal layer with the help of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Such a multi-scale modelling approach yields an exact critical thickness of the metal layer sufficient to prevent the Co diffusion in IC interconnects. We obtain a diffusion length of a maximum of 2 nm for a typical process of thermal annealing at 400 °C for 30 min. Our study thus provides useful physical insights for the Co diffusion in the TiN layer and further quantifies the critical thickness (~2 nm) to which the metal barrier layer can be thinned down for sub-10 nm ICs.
Tribological behavior of dual-layer electroless-plated Ag–carbon nanotube coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyun-Dai; Penkov, Oleksiy V.; Kim, Dae-Eun

2013-01-01

The tribological behavior of electroless Ag-plated carbon nanotube (CNT) dual-layer coatings was assessed and compared to that of the pure CNT coating. The motivation was to protect the surface of CNT coatings from wear by depositing a thin, soft Ag coating. The methods used for coating CNTs and Ag were spin coating and electroless plating, respectively. These coating methods were selected based on their simplicity and cost effectiveness. Wear tests were conducted by sliding the coatings against a stainless steel ball under a 10–30 mN applied load. Results showed that the wear rate of the dual-layer coating was strongly dependent on the thickness of the Ag layer as well as the applied load. At a 10 mN load and an Ag thickness of 65 nm, the wear rate of the dual-layer coating was about 10 times less than that of the pure CNT coating. However, when the thickness of the Ag was decreased to 11.5 nm, the wear rate was significantly higher. Also, the steady-state friction coefficients of the CNT and the dual-layer Ag–CNT coatings were in the range of 0.65–0.73 for all loads. A model of the wear reduction mechanism of the dual-layer Ag–CNT coating was proposed. - Highlights: ► Dual-layer Ag–carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings were deposited on silicon wafer. ► Friction coefficient of the Ag–CNT coatings was about 0.65. ► Wear of Ag–CNT coatings depended on the thickness of Ag layer and the applied load. ► Wear rate of the Ag–CNT coating was 10-fold less than that of the pure CNT coating
Effect of heat treatment, top coatings and conversion coatings on the corrosion properties of black electroless Ni-P films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Y., E-mail: liu_yunli@hotmail.com [R and D Department, MacDermid plc, 198 Golden Hillock Road, Birmingham B11 2PN (United Kingdom); Beckett, D.; Hawthorne, D. [R and D Department, MacDermid plc, 198 Golden Hillock Road, Birmingham B11 2PN (United Kingdom)

2011-02-15

Electroless black nickel-phosphorus plating is an advanced electroless nickel plating process formulated to deposit a black finish when processed through an oxidizing acid solution. Heat treatment, five types of top organic coating techniques and one conversion coating technique with three different experimental conditions were investigated to stabilize the black film and increase the hardness and corrosion resistance. Morphology and compositions of electroless nickel-phosphorous films with or without heat treatment, with five types of top organic coatings, and with three conversion coatings were compared to examine nickel, phosphorus, oxygen, carbon, silicon and chrome contents on the corrosion resistance of black surfaces by energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis and scanning electron microscope. Corrosion resistance of black electroless nickel-phosphorus coatings with or without heat treatment, with five types of top organic coatings, and with three conversion coatings was investigated by the polarization measurements and the salt spray test in 5% NaCl solution, respectively. HydroLac as the top organic coating from MacDermid showed the excellent corrosion resistance and the black EN film did not lose the black color after 48 h salt spray test. Electrotarnil B process with 0.5 ASD for 1 min stabilized the black Ni-P film immediately and increased the hardness and corrosion performance of the black Ni-P film. The black Ni-P coating with Electroarnil B process passed the 5% NaCl salt spray test for 3000 h in the black color and had a minimal corrosion current 0.8547 {mu}A/cm{sup 2} by the polarization measurement.
TiO2 as diffusion barrier at Co/Alq3 interface studied by x-ray standing wave technique

Science.gov (United States)

Phatak Londhe, Vaishali; Gupta, A.; Ponpandian, N.; Kumar, D.; Reddy, V. R.

2018-06-01

Nano-scale diffusion at the interfaces in organic spin valve thin films plays a vital role in controlling the performance of magneto-electronic devices. In the present work, it is shown that a thin layer of titanium dioxide at the interface of Co/Alq3 can act as a good diffusion barrier. The buried interfaces of Co/Alq3/Co organic spin valve thin film has been studied using x-ray standing waves technique. A planar waveguide is formed with Alq3 layer forming the cavity and Co layers as the walls of the waveguide. Precise information about diffusion of Co into Alq3 is obtained through excitation of the waveguide modes. It is found that the top Co layer diffuses deep into the Alq3 resulting in incorporation of 3.1% Co in the Alq3 layer. Insertion of a 1.7 nm thick barrier layer of TiO2 at Co/Alq3 interface results in a drastic reduction in the diffusion of Co into Alq3 to a value of only 0.4%. This suggests a better performance of organic spin valve with diffusion barrier of TiO2.
Enhancement of the corrosion protection of electroless Ni–P coating by deposition of sonosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharifalhoseini, Zahra [Sonochemical Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Entezari, Mohammad H., E-mail: entezari@um.ac.ir [Sonochemical Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Environmental Chemistry Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 91779 Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-10-01

Graphical abstract: Enhancement of the corrosion protection of electroless Ni–P layer by ZnO nanoparticles deposition and the comparison with the classical and sonochemical Ni–P coatings. - Highlights: • Unique effects of ultrasound were investigated on the anticorrosive performance of electroless Ni–P coating. • Sonoynthesis of ZnO NPs and its deposition were performed on the surface of Ni–P coating. • ZnO as an anticorrosive has a critical role in the multifunctional surfaces. • Electrochemical properties of all fabricated samples were compared with each other. - Abstract: Ni–P coatings were deposited through electroless nickel plating in the presence and absence of ultrasound. The simultaneous synthesis of ZnO nanoparticle and its deposition under ultrasound were also carried out on the surface of Ni–P layer prepared by the classical method. The morphology of the surfaces and the chemical composition were determined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Electrochemical techniques were applied for the corrosion behavior studies. The Ni–P layer deposited by ultrasound showed a higher anticorrosive property than the layer deposited by the classical method. The ZnO nanoparticles deposited on the surface of Ni–P layer significantly improved the corrosion resistance.
Surface modification of an epoxy resin with polyamines and polydopamine: The effect on the initial electroless copper deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaubroeck, David, E-mail: David.Schaubroeck@elis.ugent.be [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), imec and Ghent University, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); Mader, Lothar [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), imec and Ghent University, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium); De Geyter, Nathalie; Morent, Rino [Research Unit Plasma Technology (RUPT), Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Dubruel, Peter [Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4 bis, B-9000 Ghent (Belgium); Vanfleteren, Jan [Center for Microsystems Technology (CMST), imec and Ghent University, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Ghent (Belgium)

2014-06-01

This paper describes the influence of polydopamine and polyamine surface modifications of an etched epoxy cresol novolak (ECN) resin on the initial electroless copper deposition. Three different strategies to introduce polyamines on a surface in aqueous environment are applied: via polyethyleneimine adsorption (PEI), via polydopamine and via polyamines grafted to polydopamine. Next, the influence of these surface modifications on the catalytic palladium activation is investigated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Finally, the initial electroless copper deposition on modified epoxy surfaces is evaluated using SEM and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). Grafted polyamines on polydopamine surface modifications result in a large increase of the initial deposited copper.
Blocking germanium diffusion inside silicon dioxide using a co-implanted silicon barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Barba, D.; Wang, C.; Nélis, A.; Terwagne, G.; Rosei, F.

2018-04-01

We investigate the effect of co-implanting a silicon sublayer on the thermal diffusion of germanium ions implanted into SiO2 and the growth of Ge nanocrystals (Ge-ncs). High-resolution imaging obtained by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements supported by Monte-Carlo calculations shows that the Si-enriched region acts as a diffusion barrier for Ge atoms. This barrier prevents Ge outgassing during thermal annealing at 1100 °C. Both the localization and the reduced size of Ge-ncs formed within the sample region co-implanted with Si are observed, as well as the nucleation of mixed Ge/Si nanocrystals containing structural point defects and stacking faults. Although it was found that the Si co-implantation affects the crystallinity of the formed Ge-ncs, this technique can be implemented to produce size-selective and depth-ordered nanostructured systems by controlling the spatial distribution of diffusing Ge. We illustrate this feature for Ge-ncs embedded within a single SiO2 monolayer, whose diameters were gradually increased from 1 nm to 5 nm over a depth of 100 nm.
Higher-resolution selective metallization on alumina substrate by laser direct writing and electroless plating

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Ming; Liu, Jianguo; Wang, Suhuan; Ai, Jun; Zeng, Xiaoyan

2016-03-01

How to fabricate conductive patterns on ceramic boards with higher resolution is a challenge in the past years. The fabrication of copper patterns on alumina substrate by laser direct writing and electroless copper plating is a low cost and high efficiency method. Nevertheless, the lower resolution limits its further industrial applications in many fields. In this report, the mechanisms of laser direct writing and electroless copper plating were studied. The results indicated that as the decomposed products of precursor PdCl2 have different chemical states respectively in laser-irradiated zone (LIZ) and laser-affected zone (LAZ). This phenomenon was utilized and a special chemical cleaning method with aqua regia solution was taken to selectively remove the metallic Pd in LAZ, while kept the PdO in LIZ as the only active seeds. As a result, the resolution of subsequent copper patterns was improved significantly. This technique has a great significance to develop the microelectronics devices.
Barriers to evidence-based medicine: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun; Tabrizi, Jafar Sadegh; Azami-Aghdash, Saber

2014-12-01

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has emerged as an effective strategy to improve health care quality. The aim of this study was to systematically review and carry out an analysis on the barriers to EBM. Different database searching methods and also manual search were employed in this study using the search words ('evidence-based' or 'evidence-based medicine' or 'evidence-based practice' or 'evidence-based guidelines' or 'research utilization') and (barrier* or challenge or hinder) in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane library, Pro Quest, Magiran, SID. Out of 2592 articles, 106 articles were finally identified for study. Research barriers, lack of resources, lack of time, inadequate skills, and inadequate access, lack of knowledge and financial barriers were found to be the most common barriers to EBM. Examples of these barriers were found in primary care, hospital/specialist care, rehabilitation care, medical education, management and decision making. The most common barriers to research utilization were research barriers, cooperation barriers and changing barriers. Lack of resources was the most common barrier to implementation of guidelines. The result of this study shows that there are many barriers to the implementation and use of EBM. Identifying barriers is just the first step to removing barriers to the use of EBM. Extra resources will be needed if these barriers are to be tackled. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Controlled Ag electroless deposition in bulk structures with complex three-dimensional profiles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malureanu, Radu; Zalkovskij, Maksim; Andryieuski, Andrei

2010-01-01

are of high uniformity, having an average roughness of about 4 nm. The characterization of the metal deposition is done using both the scanning electron microscopy technique as well as by atomic force microscope measurements. The electroless technique can be easily implemented, providing the effective...... and reliable metal deposition for fabrication of 3D samples in the broad range of plasmonics and photonics applications....
Adhesion of electrolessly deposited nickel-phosphorus on alumina ceramic : an assessment of the current status

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Severin, J.W.; With, de G.

1993-01-01

Literature data on the adhesion of electrolessly deposited Ni(P) films on alumina ceramic substrates are reviewed in this paper. The influences of conditions of successive etching, nucleation and metallization processes on adhesion are discussed as well as the effect of subsequent annealing
Improvement of copper plating adhesion on silane modified PET film by ultrasonic-assisted electroless deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Yinxiang

2010-01-01

Copper thin film on silane modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate was fabricated by ultrasonic-assisted electroless deposition. The composition and topography of copper plating PET films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Peel adhesion strength, as high as 16.7 N/cm, was achieved for the planting copper layer to the modified PET substrate with ultrasonic-assisted deposition; however, a relative low value as 11.9 N/cm was obtained for the sample without ultrasonic vibration by the same measurement. The electrical conductivity of Cu film was changed from 7.9 x 10 4 to 2.1 x 10 5 S/cm by using ultrasonic technique. Ultrasonic operation has the significant merits of fast deposition and formation of good membranes for electroless deposition of Cu on PET film.
Electroless metal plating of plastics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, L.J.

1986-01-01

The product of an electroless plating process is described for plating at least one main group metal directly on a surface of a polymeric substrate comprising the steps of forming a nonaqueous solution containing a metallic salt of an alkali metal in a positive valence state and at least one main group metal in a negative valence state, the main group metal being selected from the group consisting of Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, Si and Te, selecting an aromatic polymeric substrate reducible by the solublized salt and resistant to degration during the reaction, and carrying out a redox reaction between the salt in solution and the substrate by contacting the solution with the substrate for a sufficient time to oxidize and deposit the main group metal in elemental form to produce a plated substrate. The product is characterized by the plated metal being directly on the surface of the polymeric substrate and the alkali metal being retained in the plated substrate with the substrate being negatively charged with electrons transferred from the main group metal during the redox reaction
Effect of copper content on the properties of electroless Ni–Cu–P coatings prepared on magnesium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Junjun; Wang, Xudong; Tian, Zhiyong; Yuan, Ming; Ma, Xijuan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Electroless Ni–Cu–P coatings were obtained on ZK61M magnesium alloys. • The crystallinity and compactness increases with the increasing of copper content. • The introduction of copper element in the coatings contributes to the formation of passivation film. • The coatings with higher corrosion resistance were obtained from the solution with a higher CuSO 4 concentration. - Abstract: The Ni–Cu–P coatings were obtained by electroless plating method on ZK61M magnesium alloys. The effect of copper content on the properties of electroless Ni–Cu–P coatings on magnesium alloys was further studied. The coatings surface and cross-section morphologies were observed with scanning electron microscope. The crystal structure and corrosion resistance of Ni–Cu–P coatings were evaluated by X-ray diffractometer and electrochemical tests. The experimental results showed that the Ni–Cu–P coatings were uniform and compact, and the corrosion resistance of these coatings was superior to Ni–P coatings owing to the introduction of copper. The crystallinity and compactness of the Ni–Cu–P coatings gradually enhanced with the increasing of copper content in the coatings. The introduction of copper element in the Ni–Cu–P coatings contributes to the formation of passivation film. The Ni–Cu–P coatings with higher corrosion resistance were obtained from the solution with a higher CuSO 4 concentration.
Laboratory procedure for sizing and electroless nickel plating assembled steel bearings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, R.R.; Petit, G.S.

1976-01-01

The bearing is placed in a holder and degreased in methyl chloroform. The entire bearing is etched in hydrochloric acid and sized in an ammonium bifluoride-hydrogen peroxide solution (NH 4 F.HF--H 2 O 2 ). The bearing is removed from the holder, activated in hydrochloric acid and plated with 0.001 in. of nickel in a plating tumbler immersed in a heated electroless nickel plating bath. The bearing is water-rinsed and air-dried

Transmission electron microscopy study for investigating high-temperature reliability of Ti10W90-based and Ta-based diffusion barriers up to 600 C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budhiman, Nando; Schuermann, Ulrich; Kienle, Lorenz; Jensen, Bjoern; Chemnitz, Steffen; Wagner, Bernhard

2016-01-01

Abstractauthoren Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, including energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) (elemental mapping, line, and point measurements) and energy filtered TEM (EFTEM) methods, is applied to investigate the high temperature reliability, especially material diffusion, of two types of diffusion barriers: titanium-tungsten-based (Ti 10 W 90 -based) and tantalum-based (Ta-based), with nickel (Ni) layer on top. Both barriers were deposited as a form of stacked layers on sili-con (Si) wafers using the physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. TEM analysis is performed on both barriers before and after annealing (at 600 C for 24 h inside a vacuum chamber). No diffusion of material into the Si substrate as observed. Additionally, only diffusion between the Ni and adjoining Ti 10 W 90 layers, and between Ni and adjoining Ta layers in the Ti 10 W 90 -based and Ta-based barriers, respectively, are observed due to annealing. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Improved electroless plating method through ultrasonic spray atomization for depositing silver nanoparticles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Qi [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China); Xie, Ming [Kunming Institute of Precious Metals, Kunming 650106 (China); Liu, Yichun, E-mail: liuyichun@kmust.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China); Yi, Jianhong [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093 (China)

2017-07-01

Highlights: • Electroless plating method assisted by ultrasonic spray atomization was developed. • This method leads to much more uniform silver coatings on MWCNTs. • The plating parameters affect the layer morphologies a lot. - Abstract: A novel method was developed to deposit nanosized silver particles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electroless plating of silver on MWCNTs accomplished in small solution drops generated by ultrasonic spray atomization, which inhibited excessive growth of silver particles and led to much more uniform nanometer grain-sized coatings. The results showed that pretreatment was essential for silver particles to deposit on the MWCNTs, and the electrolyte concentration and reaction temperature were important parameters which had a great influence on the morphology and structure of the silver coatings. Possible mechanisms of this method are also discussed in the paper.
Improved electroless plating method through ultrasonic spray atomization for depositing silver nanoparticles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Qi; Xie, Ming; Liu, Yichun; Yi, Jianhong

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Electroless plating method assisted by ultrasonic spray atomization was developed. • This method leads to much more uniform silver coatings on MWCNTs. • The plating parameters affect the layer morphologies a lot. - Abstract: A novel method was developed to deposit nanosized silver particles on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electroless plating of silver on MWCNTs accomplished in small solution drops generated by ultrasonic spray atomization, which inhibited excessive growth of silver particles and led to much more uniform nanometer grain-sized coatings. The results showed that pretreatment was essential for silver particles to deposit on the MWCNTs, and the electrolyte concentration and reaction temperature were important parameters which had a great influence on the morphology and structure of the silver coatings. Possible mechanisms of this method are also discussed in the paper.
The large magnetoelectric effect in Ni-lead zirconium titanate-Ni trilayers derived by electroless deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bi, K; Wang, Y G; Wu, W; Pan, D A

2010-01-01

Magnetoelectric (ME) Ni-lead zirconium titanate-Ni trilayers with neither electrodes nor bonding layers have been derived by electroless deposition. The structure and magnetic properties of the electroless deposited Ni layers with different pH values are characterized by x-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometer. The influence of the bias magnetic field and the magnetic field frequency (f) on ME coupling is discussed. It is seen that α E,31 depends strongly on H dc and f. The value of the ME coefficient increases as the thickness of the Ni layer and the pH of the bath increase. A maximum of the ME voltage coefficient α E,31 = 5.77 V cm -1 Oe -1 at resonance frequency with a deposited Ni layer thickness t Ni = 302 μm is obtained. The large ME coefficient makes these Ni-PZT-Ni trilayers suitable for applications in sensors, actuators and transducers. (fast track communication)
Efficacy of reducing agent and surfactant contacting pattern on the performance characteristics of nickel electroless plating baths coupled with and without ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Amrita; Pujari, Murali; Uppaluri, Ramgopal; Verma, Anil

2014-07-01

This article addresses furthering the role of sonication for the optimal fabrication of nickel ceramic composite membranes using electroless plating. Deliberating upon process modifications for surfactant induced electroless plating (SIEP) and combined surfactant and sonication induced electroless plating (SSOEP), this article highlights a novel method of contacting of the reducing agent and surfactant to the conventional electroless nickel plating baths. Rigorous experimental investigations indicated that the combination of ultrasound (in degas mode), surfactant and reducing agent pattern had a profound influence in altering the combinatorial plating characteristics. For comparison purpose, purely surfactant induced nickel ELP baths have also been investigated. These novel insights consolidate newer research horizons for the role of ultrasound to achieve dense metal ceramic composite membranes in a shorter span of total plating time. Surface and physical characterizations were carried out using BET, FTIR, XRD, FESEM and nitrogen permeation experiments. It has been analyzed that the SSOEP baths provided maximum ratio of percent pore densification per unit metal film thickness (PPDδ) and hold the key for further fine tuning of the associated degrees of freedom. On the other hand SIEP baths provided lower (PPDδ) ratio but higher PPD. For SSOEP baths with dropwise reducing agent and bulk surfactant, the PPD and metal film thickness values were 73.4% and 8.4 μm which varied to 66.9% and 13.3 μm for dropwise reducing agent and drop surfactant case. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Electrochemical behavior of low phosphorus electroless Ni-P-Si3N4 composite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balaraju, J.N.; Ezhil Selvi, V.; Rajam, K.S.

2010-01-01

In the present investigation the electroless Ni-P-Si 3 N 4 composite coatings were prepared by using a low phosphorus bath containing submicron size silicon nitride particles. Plain Ni-P deposits were also prepared for comparison. The phosphorus contents present in electroless plain Ni-P and Ni-P-Si 3 N 4 coatings are 3.7 and 3.4 wt.%, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images obtained for composite coatings (cross-sections) showed that the second phase particles are uniformly distributed throughout the thickness of the deposits. It was found that nodularity increased with particle codeposition in Ni-P matrix. To find out the electrochemical behavior of plain Ni-P and composite coatings, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance (EIS) studies were carried out in 3.5 wt.% sodium chloride solution in non-deaerated condition. Second phase particle incorporation in Ni-P matrix indicated a marginal decrease in corrosion current density compared to the plain Ni-P deposits. This was further confirmed by EIS studies and SEM analysis of the corroded samples.
Electrical control of exchange bias via oxygen migration across CoO-ZnO nanocomposite barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Q.; Yan, S. S.; Xu, J.; Li, S. D.; Zhao, G. X.; Long, Y. Z.; Shen, T. T.; Zhang, K.; Zhang, J.

2016-12-01

We proposed a nanocomposite barrier CoO-ZnO for magnetism manipulation in Co/CoO-ZnO/Ag heterojunctions. Both electrical control of magnetism and resistive switching were realized in this junction. An electrical tunable exchange bias of CoO1-v (v denotes O vacancies) on Co films was realized using voltages below 1 volt. The magnetism modulation associated with resistive switching can be attributed to the oxygen ions migration between the insulating CoO1-v layer and the semiconductive ZnO1-v layer, which can cause both ferromagnetic phase and resistance switching of CoO1-v layer.
Synthesis, optical properties and residual strain effect of GaN nanowires generated via metal-assisted photochemical electroless etching

KAUST Repository

Najar, Adel

2017-04-18

Herein, we report on the studies of GaN nanowires (GaN NWs) prepared via a metal-assisted photochemical electroless etching method with Pt as the catalyst. It has been found that etching time greatly influences the growth of GaN NWs. The density and the length of nanowires increased with longer etching time, and excellent substrate coverage was observed. The average nanowire width and length are around 35 nm and 10 μm, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows a single-crystalline wurtzite structure and is confirmed by X-ray measurements. The synthesis mechanism of GaN NWs using the metal-assisted photochemical electroless etching method was presented. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements of GaN NWs show red-shift PL peaks compared to the as-grown sample associated with the relaxation of compressive stress. Furthermore, a shift of the E2 peak to the lower frequency in the Raman spectra for the samples etched for a longer time confirms such a stress relaxation. Based on Raman measurements, the compressive stress σxx and the residual strain εxx were evaluated to be 0.23 GPa and 2.6 × 10−4, respectively. GaN NW synthesis using a low cost method might be used for the fabrication of power optoelectronic devices and gas sensors.
Development and evaluation of the Communication over Language Barriers questionnaire (CoLB-q) in paediatric healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Granhagen Jungner, Johanna; Tiselius, Elisabet; Wenemark, Marika; Blomgren, Klas; Lützén, Kim; Pergert, Pernilla

2018-04-22

To develop a valid and reliable questionnaire addressing the experiences of healthcare personnel of communicating over language barriers and using interpreters in paediatric healthcare. A multiple- methods approach to develop and evaluate the questionnaire, including focus groups, cognitive interviews, a pilot test and test-retest. The methods were chosen in accordance with questionnaire development methodology to ensure validity and reliability. The development procedure showed that the issues identified were highly relevant to paediatric healthcare personnel and resulted in a valid and reliable Communication over Language Barriers questionnaire (CoLB-q) with 27 questions. The CoLB-q is perceived as relevant, important and easy to respond to by respondents and has satisfactory validity and reliability. The CoLB-q can be used to map how healthcare personnel overcome language barriers through communication tools and to identify problems encountered in paediatric healthcare. Furthermore, the transparently described process could be used as a guide for developing similar questionnaires. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Electroless deposition of metal nanoparticle clusters: Effect of pattern distance

KAUST Repository

Gentile, Francesco

2014-04-03

Electroless plating is a deposition technique in which metal ions are reduced as atoms on specific patterned sites of a silicon surface to form metal nanoparticles (NPs) aggregates with the desired characteristics. Those NPs, in turn, can be used as constituents of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates, which are devices where the electromagnetic field and effects thereof are giantly amplified. Here, the electroless formation of nanostructures was studied as a function of the geometry of the substrate. High resolution, electron beam lithography techniques were used to obtain nonperiodic arrays of circular patterns, in which the spacing of patterns was varied over a significant range. In depositing silver atoms in those circuits, the authors found that the characteristics of the aggregates vary with the pattern distance. When the patterns are in close proximity, the interference of different groups of adjacent aggregates cannot be disregarded and the overall growth is reduced. Differently from this, when the patterns are sufficiently distant, the formation of metal clusters of NPs is independent on the spacing of the patterns. For the particular subset of parameters used here, this critical correlation distance is about three times the pattern diameter. These findings were explained within the framework of a diffusion limited aggregation model, which is a simulation method that can decipher the formation of nanoaggregates at an atomic level. In the discussion, the authors showed how this concept can be used to fabricate ordered arrays of silver nanospheres, where the size of those spheres may be regulated on varying the pattern distance, for applications in biosensing and single molecule detection.
Electroless deposition of metal nanoparticle clusters: Effect of pattern distance

KAUST Repository

Gentile, Francesco; Laura Coluccio, Maria; Candeloro, Patrizio; Barberio, Marianna; Perozziello, Gerardo; Francardi, Marco; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2014-01-01

Electroless plating is a deposition technique in which metal ions are reduced as atoms on specific patterned sites of a silicon surface to form metal nanoparticles (NPs) aggregates with the desired characteristics. Those NPs, in turn, can be used as constituents of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates, which are devices where the electromagnetic field and effects thereof are giantly amplified. Here, the electroless formation of nanostructures was studied as a function of the geometry of the substrate. High resolution, electron beam lithography techniques were used to obtain nonperiodic arrays of circular patterns, in which the spacing of patterns was varied over a significant range. In depositing silver atoms in those circuits, the authors found that the characteristics of the aggregates vary with the pattern distance. When the patterns are in close proximity, the interference of different groups of adjacent aggregates cannot be disregarded and the overall growth is reduced. Differently from this, when the patterns are sufficiently distant, the formation of metal clusters of NPs is independent on the spacing of the patterns. For the particular subset of parameters used here, this critical correlation distance is about three times the pattern diameter. These findings were explained within the framework of a diffusion limited aggregation model, which is a simulation method that can decipher the formation of nanoaggregates at an atomic level. In the discussion, the authors showed how this concept can be used to fabricate ordered arrays of silver nanospheres, where the size of those spheres may be regulated on varying the pattern distance, for applications in biosensing and single molecule detection.
Electrochemical supercapacitor application of electroless surface polymerization of polyaniline nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amarnath, Chellachamy A.; Chang, Jin Ho; Kim, Doyoung; Mane, Rajaram S.; Han, Sung-Hwan; Sohn, Daewon

2009-01-01

Electrochemical supercapacitive behaviour of polyaniline nanostructures, i.e., nanorods and nanospheres fabricated on aniline-primed conducting indium-tin oxide substrate via electroless surface polymerization using ammonium persulfate as initiator and selenious acid as efficient dopant is investigated. The self-assembled monolayer of urea derivative in presence of 3-(triethoxysilyl)-propyl isocyanate and aniline plays role of aniline-primed substrate. Polyaniline electrode composed of nanorods of excess surface area responsible for large redox reactions has shown 592 F g -1 specific capacitance which is significantly greater than closely compact polyaniline nanospheres, i.e., 214 F g -1
Bias voltage dependence of magnetic tunnel junctions comprising amorphous ferromagnetic CoFeSiB layer with double barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yim, H.I.; Lee, S.Y.; Hwang, J.Y.; Rhee, J.R.; Chun, B.S.; Wang, K.L.; Kim, Y.K.; Kim, T.W.; Lee, S.S.; Hwang, D.G.

2008-01-01

Double-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions (DMTJs) with and without an amorphous ferromagnetic material such as CoFeSiB 10, CoFe 5/CoFeSiB 5, and CoFe 10 (nm) were prepared and compared to investigate the bias voltage dependence of the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio. Typical DMTJ structures were Ta 45/Ru 9.5/IrMn 10/CoFe 7/AlO x /free layer 10/AlO x /CoFe 7/IrMn 10/Ru 60 (in nanometers). The interlayer coupling field and the normalized TMR ratios at the applied voltages of +0.4 and -0.4 V of the amorphous CoFeSiB free-layer DMTJ offer lower and higher values than that of the polycrystalline CoFe free-layer DMTJ, respectively. An amorphous ferromagnetic CoFeSiB layer improves the interface roughness of the free layer/tunnel barrier and, as a result, the interlayer coupling field and bias voltage dependence of the TMR ratio are suppressed at a given voltage. (copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)
Morphology of one-time coated palladium-alumina composite membrane prepared by sol-gel process and electroless plating technique

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, R.; Dewi, R.; Pardi; Hakim, L.; Diana, S.

2018-03-01

Palladium coated porous alumina ceramic membrane tube was obtained using a combination of sol-gel process and electroless plating technique. The thickness, structure and composition of palladium-alumina composite membrane were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Palladium particle size was 6.18 to 7.64 nm. Palladium membrane with thickness of approximately 301.5 to 815.1 nm was formed at the outer surface of the alumina layer. EDX data confirmed the formation of palladium-alumina membrane containing 45% of palladium. From this research it shows the combination of sol-gel process and electroless plating technique with one-time coating can produce a homogeneous and smoother palladium nano layer film on alumina substrate.
Synthesis of gold nano-catalysts supported on carbon nanotubes by using electroless plating technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Xicheng; Li Xia; Lun Ning; Wen Shulin

2006-01-01

Gold nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes were prepared by using electroless plating technique. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has shown that spherical gold nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed on the surfaces of the carbon nanotubes with a distribution of particle sizes sharply at around 3-4 nm in diameter. The results presented in this work will probably provide new catalysts with better performances
Magnetically Driven Micromachines Created by Two-Photon Microfabrication and Selective Electroless Magnetite Plating for Lab-on-a-Chip Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tommaso Zandrini

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a novel method to fabricate three-dimensional magnetic microparts, which can be integrated in functional microfluidic networks and lab-on-a-chip devices, by the combination of two-photon microfabrication and selective electroless plating. In our experiments, magnetic microparts could be successfully fabricated by optimizing various experimental conditions of electroless plating. In addition, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS clarified that iron oxide nanoparticles were deposited onto the polymeric microstructure site-selectively. We also fabricated magnetic microrotors which could smoothly rotate using common laboratory equipment. Since such magnetic microparts can be remotely driven with an external magnetic field, our fabrication process can be applied to functional lab-on-a-chip devices for analytical and biological applications.
Fabrication of Three Dimensional Cu Metallic Photonic Crystal by Electroless Plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, S-C; Hou, F-J; Jian, P-C Jang-; Tsai, M-S; Chen, M-C; Li, L-S; Huang, J-Y; Lin, S-Y

2007-01-01

A 3D copper (Cu) metallic photonic crystal (MPC) with 180nm line width was fabricated by electroless plating. The mold of 3D MPC for Cu replacement is poly-Si. It has been verified as an enhancing thermal photovoltaic effect while the mold was transferred into tungsten MPC by chemical vapor deposition method. The 5 layers structure of Cu MPC was clear observed with scanning electron microscopy. The photonic band-gap ranged from 1.5 to 13 μm was measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument
The Effect of Adding Corrosion Inhibitors into an Electroless Nickel Plating Bath for Magnesium Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Rong; Su, Yongyao; Liu, Hongdong; Cheng, Jiang; Yang, Xin; Shao, Zhongcai

2016-10-01

In this work, corrosion inhibitors were added into an electroless nickel plating bath to realize nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) coating deposition on magnesium alloy directly. The performance of five corrosion inhibitors was evaluated by inhibition efficiency. The results showed that only ammonium hydrogen fluoride (NH4HF2) and ammonium molybdate ((NH4)2MoO4) could be used as corrosion inhibitors for magnesium alloy in the bath. Moreover, compounding NH4HF2 and (NH4)2MoO4, the optimal concentrations were both at 1.5 ~ 2%. The deposition process of Ni-P coating was observed by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It showed corrosion inhibitors inhibited undesired dissolution of magnesium substrate during the electroless plating process. In addition, SEM observation indicated that the corrosion inhibition reaction and the Ni2+ replacement reaction were competitive at the initial deposition time. Both electrochemical analysis and thermal shock test revealed that the Ni-P coating exhibited excellent corrosion resistance and adhesion properties in protecting the magnesium alloy.
Thermophysical properties and microstructure of graphite flake/copper composites processed by electroless copper coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Qian; He, Xin-Bo; Ren, Shu-Bin; Zhang, Chen; Ting-Ting, Liu; Qu, Xuan-Hui

2014-01-01

Highlights: • GF–copper composites were fabricated using a sparking plasma sintering, which involves coating GF with copper, using electroless plating technique. • The oriented graphite flake distributed homogeneously in matrix. • With the increase of flake graphite from 44 to 71 vol.%, the basal plane thermal conductivity of composites increases from 445 to 565 W m −1 K −1 and the thermal expansion of composites decreases from 8.1 to 5.0. • The obtained composites are suitable for electronic packaging materials. -- Abstract: This study focuses on the fabrication of thermal management material for power electronics applications using graphite flake reinforced copper composites. The manufacturing route involved electroless plating of copper on the graphite flake and further spark plasma sintering of composite powders. The relative density of the composites with 44–71 vol.% flakes achieved up to 98%. Measured thermal conductivities and coefficients of thermal expansion of composites ranged from 455–565 W m −1 K −1 and 8 to 5 ppm K −1 , respectively. Obtained graphite flake–copper composites exhibit excellent thermophysical properties to meet the heat dispersion and matching requirements of power electronic devices to the packaging materials
Effect of heat treatment duration on tribological behavior of electroless Ni-(high)P coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, A.; Das, S. K.; Sahoo, P.

2016-09-01

Electroless nickel coating occurs through an autocatalytic chemical reaction and without the aid of electricity. From tribological perspective, it is recommended due to its high hardness, wear resistance, lubricity and corrosion resistance properties. In this paper electroless Ni-P coatings with high phosphorous weight percentages are developed on mild steel (AISI 1040) substrates. The coatings are subjected to heat treatment at 300°C and 500°C for time durations up to 4 hours. The effect of heat treatment duration on the hardness as well as tribological properties is discussed in detail. Hardness is measured in a micro hardness tester while the tribological tests are carried out on a pin-on-disc tribotester. Wear is reported in the form of wear rates of the sample subjected to the test. As expected, heat treatment of electroless Ni-P coating results in enhancement in its hardness which in turn increases its wear resistance. The present study also finds that duration of heat treatment has quite an effect on the properties of the coating. Increase in heat treatment time in general results in increase in the hardness of the coating. Coefficient of friction is also found to be lesser for the samples heat treated for longer durations (4 hour). However, in case of wear, similar trend is not observed. Instead samples heat treated for 2 to 3 hour display better wear resistance compared to the same heat treated for 4 hour duration. The microstructure of the coating is also carried out to ensure about its proper development. From scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the coating is found to possess the conventional nodular structure while energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) shows that the phosphorous content in the coating to be greater than 9%. This means that the current coating belongs to the high phosphorous category. From X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), it is found that coating is amorphous in as-deposited condition but transforms into a crystalline structure with

Electrochromism of the electroless deposited cuprous oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neskovska, R.; Ristova, M.; Velevska, J.; Ristov, M.

2007-01-01

Thin cuprous oxide films were prepared by a low cost, chemical deposition (electroless) method onto glass substrates pre-coated with fluorine doped tin oxide. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed the Cu 2 O composition of the films. Visible transmittance spectra of the cuprous oxide films were studied for the as-prepared, colored and bleached films. The cyclic voltammetry study showed that those films exhibited cathode coloring electrochromism, i.e. the films showed change of color from yellowish to black upon application of an electric field. The transmittance across the films for laser light of 670 nm was found to change due to the voltage change for about 50%. The coloration memory of those films was also studied during 6 h, ex-situ. The coloration efficiency at 670 nm was calculated to be 37 cm 2 /C
Microwave absorption property of the diatomite coated by Fe-CoNiP films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Zhenqiang; Cai, Jun; Xu, Yonggang; Zhang, Deyuan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The bio-absorbent coated Fe-CoNiP was fabricated by electroless and CVD. • The EM parameters were enlarged as Fe coated on the diatomite. • The coating CIPs play a key role in the enhancement mechanism. • The Fe-CoNiP diatomite had a better absorbing and shielding properties. - Abstract: A bio-absorbent of Fe-CoNiP coated on the diatomite was fabricated by way of electroless plating of CoNiP and subsequent chemical vapor deposition of Fe. The surface morphology and composition of the above-mentioned diatomite particles at different stage were characterized with the scanning electron microscopy and the energy spectrum analysis respectively, and the results showed that the diatomite was successfully coated with CoNoP and Fe (carbony iron). The complex permittivity and permeability of composites filled with the bio-absorbent and paraffin was measured in frequency range of 2–18 GHz, and then the microwave reflection loss (RL) and the shielding effectiveness (SE) were calculated. The results showed that the permittivity and the permeability were both enlarged as Fe films were coated onto the CoNiP-coated diatomite, which was attributed to the excellent electromagnetic property of carbonyl irons. The composites made with the Fe-CoNiP diatomite had a better absorbing property (minimum RL −11.0 dB) as well as the shielding property (maximum SE 5.6 dB) at thickness 2 mm. It indicated the absorption property was mainly due to the attenuation on the microwave, and the Fe-CoNiP diatomite could be an effective absorbent with low-density
Microwave absorption property of the diatomite coated by Fe-CoNiP films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Zhenqiang; Cai, Jun; Xu, Yonggang, E-mail: xuyonggang221@163.com; Zhang, Deyuan

2015-08-15

Highlights: • The bio-absorbent coated Fe-CoNiP was fabricated by electroless and CVD. • The EM parameters were enlarged as Fe coated on the diatomite. • The coating CIPs play a key role in the enhancement mechanism. • The Fe-CoNiP diatomite had a better absorbing and shielding properties. - Abstract: A bio-absorbent of Fe-CoNiP coated on the diatomite was fabricated by way of electroless plating of CoNiP and subsequent chemical vapor deposition of Fe. The surface morphology and composition of the above-mentioned diatomite particles at different stage were characterized with the scanning electron microscopy and the energy spectrum analysis respectively, and the results showed that the diatomite was successfully coated with CoNoP and Fe (carbony iron). The complex permittivity and permeability of composites filled with the bio-absorbent and paraffin was measured in frequency range of 2–18 GHz, and then the microwave reflection loss (RL) and the shielding effectiveness (SE) were calculated. The results showed that the permittivity and the permeability were both enlarged as Fe films were coated onto the CoNiP-coated diatomite, which was attributed to the excellent electromagnetic property of carbonyl irons. The composites made with the Fe-CoNiP diatomite had a better absorbing property (minimum RL −11.0 dB) as well as the shielding property (maximum SE 5.6 dB) at thickness 2 mm. It indicated the absorption property was mainly due to the attenuation on the microwave, and the Fe-CoNiP diatomite could be an effective absorbent with low-density.
Tunnel magnetoresistance in alumina, magnesia and composite tunnel barrier magnetic tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schebaum, Oliver; Drewello, Volker; Auge, Alexander; Reiss, Guenter; Muenzenberg, Markus; Schuhmann, Henning; Seibt, Michael; Thomas, Andy

2011-01-01

Using magnetron sputtering, we have prepared Co-Fe-B/tunnel barrier/Co-Fe-B magnetic tunnel junctions with tunnel barriers consisting of alumina, magnesia, and magnesia-alumina bilayer systems. The highest tunnel magnetoresistance ratios we found were 73% for alumina and 323% for magnesia-based tunnel junctions. Additionally, tunnel junctions with a unified layer stack were prepared for the three different barriers. In these systems, the tunnel magnetoresistance ratios at optimum annealing temperatures were found to be 65% for alumina, 173% for magnesia, and 78% for the composite tunnel barriers. The similar tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of the tunnel junctions containing alumina provide evidence that coherent tunneling is suppressed by the alumina layer in the composite tunnel barrier. - Research highlights: → Transport properties of Co-Fe-B/tunnel barrier/Co-Fe-B magnetic tunnel junctions. → Tunnel barrier consists of MgO, Al-Ox, or MgO/Al-Ox bilayer systems. → Limitation of TMR-ratio in composite barrier tunnel junctions to Al-Ox values. → Limitation indicates that Al-Ox layer is causing incoherent tunneling.
Studies on the influence of surface pre-treatments on electroless copper coating of boron carbide particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deepa, J.P.; Resmi, V.G.; Rajan, T.P.D.; Pavithran, C.; Pai, B.C.

2011-01-01

Boron carbide is one of the hard ceramic particles which find application as structural materials and neutron shielding material due to its high neutron capture cross section. Copper coating on boron carbide particle is essential for the synthesis of metal-ceramic composites with enhanced sinterability and dispersibility. Surface characteristics of the substrate and the coating parameters play a foremost role in the formation of effective electroless coating. The effect of surface pre-treatment conditions and pH on electroless copper coating of boron carbide particles has been studied. Surface pre-treatement of B 4 C when compared to acid treated and alkali treated particles were carried out. Uniform copper coating was observed at pH 12 in alkali treated particles when compared to others due to the effective removal of inevitable impurities during the production and processing of commercially available B 4 C. A threshold pH 11 was required for initiation of copper coating on boron carbide particles. The growth pattern of the copper coating also varies depending on the surface conditions from acicular to spherical morphology.
Corrosion of AZ91D magnesium alloy with a chemical conversion coating and electroless nickel layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huo Hongwei; Li Ying; Wang Fuhui

2004-01-01

A chemical conversion treatment and an electroless nickel plating were applied to AZ91D alloy to improve its corrosion resistance. By conversion treatment in alkaline stannate solution, the corrosion resistance of the alloy was improved to some extent as verified by immersion test and potentiodynamic polarization test in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution at pH 7.0. X-ray diffraction patterns of the stannate treated AZ91D alloy showed the presence of MgSnO 3 · H 2 O, and SEM images indicated a porous structure, which provided advantage for the adsorption during sensitisation treatment prior to electroless nickel plating. A nickel coating with high phosphorus content was successfully deposited on the chemical conversion coating pre-applied to AZ91D alloy. The presence of the conversion coating between the nickel coating and the substrate reduced the potential difference between them and enhanced the corrosion resistance of the alloy. An obvious passivation occurred for the nickel coating during anodic polarization in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution
Preparation and pattern recognition of metallic Ni ultrafine powders by electroless plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H.J.; Zhang, H.T.; Wu, X.W.; Wang, Z.L.; Jia, Q.L.; Jia, X.L.

2006-01-01

Using hydrazine hydrate as reductant, metallic Ni ultrafine powders were prepared from NiSO 4 aqueous solution by electroless plating method. The factors including concentration of NiSO 4 , bathing temperature, ratio of hydrazine hydrate to NiSO 4 , the pH of the solution, etc., on influence of the yield and average particle size of metallic Ni ultrafine powders were studied in detail. X-ray powders diffraction patterns show that the nickel powders are cubic crystallite. The average crystalline size of the ultrafine nickel powders is about 30 nm. The dielectric and magnetic loss of ultrafine Ni powders-paraffin wax composites were measured by the rectangle waveguide method in the range 8.2-12.4 GHz. The factors for Ni ultrafine powders preparation are optimized by computer pattern recognition program based on principal component analysis, the optimum factors regions with higher yield of metallic Ni ultrafine powders are indicated by this way
Corrosion and wear protective composition modulated alloy coatings based on ternary Ni-P-X alloys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leisner, P.; Benzon, M. E.; Christoffersen, Lasse

1996-01-01

Scattered reporting in the litterature describes a number of ternary Ni-P-X alloyes (where X can be Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Pd, Re or W) with promising corrosin and wear protective performance. Based on a systematic study of Ni-P-X alloys it is the intention to produce coatings with improved corrosion...... and wear performance compared with conventional coatings like electroless nickel, hard chromioum and anodised aluminium....
Synthesis, optical properties and residual strain effect of GaN nanowires generated via metal-assisted photochemical electroless etching

KAUST Repository

Najar, Adel; Shafa, Muhammad; Anjum, Dalaver H.

2017-01-01

Herein, we report on the studies of GaN nanowires (GaN NWs) prepared via a metal-assisted photochemical electroless etching method with Pt as the catalyst. It has been found that etching time greatly influences the growth of GaN NWs. The density
Thermophysical properties and microstructure of graphite flake/copper composites processed by electroless copper coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Qian; He, Xin-Bo; Ren, Shu-Bin; Zhang, Chen; Ting-Ting, Liu; Qu, Xuan-Hui, E-mail: quxh@ustb.edu.cn

2014-02-25

Highlights: • GF–copper composites were fabricated using a sparking plasma sintering, which involves coating GF with copper, using electroless plating technique. • The oriented graphite flake distributed homogeneously in matrix. • With the increase of flake graphite from 44 to 71 vol.%, the basal plane thermal conductivity of composites increases from 445 to 565 W m{sup −1} K{sup −1} and the thermal expansion of composites decreases from 8.1 to 5.0. • The obtained composites are suitable for electronic packaging materials. -- Abstract: This study focuses on the fabrication of thermal management material for power electronics applications using graphite flake reinforced copper composites. The manufacturing route involved electroless plating of copper on the graphite flake and further spark plasma sintering of composite powders. The relative density of the composites with 44–71 vol.% flakes achieved up to 98%. Measured thermal conductivities and coefficients of thermal expansion of composites ranged from 455–565 W m{sup −1} K{sup −1} and 8 to 5 ppm K{sup −1}, respectively. Obtained graphite flake–copper composites exhibit excellent thermophysical properties to meet the heat dispersion and matching requirements of power electronic devices to the packaging materials.
Self-optimized metal coatings for fiber plasmonics by electroless deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bialiayeu, A; Caucheteur, C; Ahamad, N; Ianoul, A; Albert, J

2011-09-26

We present a novel method to prepare optimized metal coatings for infrared Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensors by electroless plating. We show that Tilted Fiber Bragg grating sensors can be used to monitor in real-time the growth of gold nano-films up to 70 nm in thickness and to stop the deposition of the gold at a thickness that maximizes the SPR (near 55 nm for sensors operating in the near infrared at wavelengths around 1550 nm). The deposited films are highly uniform around the fiber circumference and in spite of some nanoscale roughness (RMS surface roughness of 5.17 nm) the underlying gratings show high quality SPR responses in water. © 2011 Optical Society of America
Fischer-Tropsch Performance of an SiO2-Supported Co-Based Catalyst Prepared by Hydrogen Dielectric-Barrier Discharge Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Tingjun; Huang Chengdu; Lv Jing; Li Zhenhua

2014-01-01

A silica-supported cobalt catalyst was prepared by hydrogen dielectric-barrier discharge (H 2 -DBD) plasma. Compared to thermal hydrogen reduction, H 2 -DBD plasma treatment can not only fully decompose the cobalt precursor but also partially reduce the cobalt oxides at lower temperature and with less time. The effect of the discharge atmosphere on the property of the plasma-prepared catalyst and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis activity was studied. The results indicate that H 2 -DBD plasma treatment is a promising alternative for preparing Co/SiO 2 catalysts from the viewpoint of energy savings and efficiency
Electroless Formation of Hybrid Lithium Anodes for Fast Interfacial Ion Transport

KAUST Repository

Choudhury, Snehashis; Tu, Zhengyuan; Stalin, Sanjuna; Vu, Duylinh; Fawole, Kristen; Gunceler, Deniz; Sundararaman, Ravishankar; Archer, Lynden A.

2017-01-01

Rechargeable batteries based on metallic anodes are of interest for fundamental and application-focused studies of chemical and physical kinetics of liquids at solid interfaces. Approaches that allow facile creation of uniform coatings on these metals to prevent physical contact with liquid electrolytes, while enabling fast ion transport, are essential to address chemical instability of the anodes. Here, we report a simple electroless ion-exchange chemistry for creating coatings of indium on lithium. By means of joint density functional theory and interfacial characterization experiments, we show that In coatings stabilize Li by multiple processes, including exceptionally fast surface diffusion of lithium ions and high chemical resistance to liquid electrolytes. Indium coatings also undergo reversible alloying reactions with lithium ions, facilitating design of high-capacity hybrid In-Li anodes that use both alloying and plating approaches for charge storage. By means of direct visualization, we further show that the coatings enable remarkably compact and uniform electrodeposition. The resultant In-Li anodes are shown to exhibit minimal capacity fade in extended galvanostatic cycling when paired with commercial-grade cathodes.
Electroless Formation of Hybrid Lithium Anodes for Fast Interfacial Ion Transport

KAUST Repository

Choudhury, Snehashis

2017-08-17

Rechargeable batteries based on metallic anodes are of interest for fundamental and application-focused studies of chemical and physical kinetics of liquids at solid interfaces. Approaches that allow facile creation of uniform coatings on these metals to prevent physical contact with liquid electrolytes, while enabling fast ion transport, are essential to address chemical instability of the anodes. Here, we report a simple electroless ion-exchange chemistry for creating coatings of indium on lithium. By means of joint density functional theory and interfacial characterization experiments, we show that In coatings stabilize Li by multiple processes, including exceptionally fast surface diffusion of lithium ions and high chemical resistance to liquid electrolytes. Indium coatings also undergo reversible alloying reactions with lithium ions, facilitating design of high-capacity hybrid In-Li anodes that use both alloying and plating approaches for charge storage. By means of direct visualization, we further show that the coatings enable remarkably compact and uniform electrodeposition. The resultant In-Li anodes are shown to exhibit minimal capacity fade in extended galvanostatic cycling when paired with commercial-grade cathodes.
Method for regeneration of electroless nickel plating solution

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenmann, E.T.

1997-03-11

An electroless nickel(EN)/hypophosphite plating bath is provided employing acetic acid/acetate as a buffer and which is, as a result, capable of perpetual regeneration while avoiding the production of hazardous waste. A regeneration process is provided to process the spent EN plating bath solution. A concentrated starter and replenishment solution is provided for ease of operation of the plating bath. The regeneration process employs a chelating ion exchange system to remove nickel cations from spent EN plating solution. Phosphites are then removed from the solution by precipitation. The nickel cations are removed from the ion exchange system by elution with hypophosphorus acid and the nickel concentration of the eluate adjusted by addition of nickel salt. The treated solution and adjusted eluate are combined, stabilizer added, and the volume of resulting solution reduced by evaporation to form the bath starter and replenishing solution. 1 fig.
Method for regeneration of electroless nickel plating solution

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenmann, Erhard T.

1997-01-01

An electroless nickel(EN)/hypophosphite plating bath is provided employing acetic acid/acetate as a buffer and which is, as a result, capable of perpetual regeneration while avoiding the production of hazardous waste. A regeneration process is provided to process the spent EN plating bath solution. A concentrated starter and replenishment solution is provided for ease of operation of the plating bath. The regeneration process employs a chelating ion exchange system to remove nickel cations from spent EN plating solution. Phosphites are then removed from the solution by precipitation. The nickel cations are removed from the ion exchange system by elution with hypophosphorous acid and the nickel concentration of the eluate adjusted by addition of nickel salt. The treated solution and adjusted eluate are combined, stabilizer added, and the volume of resulting solution reduced by evaporation to form the bath starter and replenishing solution.
Bath temperature effect on magnetoelectric performance of Ni-lead zirconate titanate-Ni laminated composites synthesized by electroless deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, W. [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Wang, Y.G., E-mail: yingang.wang@nuaa.edu.c [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Bi, K. [College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China)

2011-03-15

Magnetoelectric (ME) Ni-lead zirconate titanate-Ni laminated composites have been prepared by electroless deposition at various bath temperatures. The structure of the Ni layers deposited at various bath temperatures was characterized by X-ray diffraction, and microstructures were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The magnetostrictive coefficients were measured by means of a resistance strain gauge. The transverse ME voltage coefficient {alpha}{sub E,31} was measured with the magnetic field applied parallel to the sample plane. The deposition rate of Ni increases with bath temperature. Ni layer with smaller grain size is obtained at higher bath temperature and shows higher piezomagnetic coefficient, promoting the ME effect of corresponding laminated composites. It is advantageous to increase the bath temperature, while trying to avoid the breaking of bath constituents. - Research Highlights: Laminated composites without interlayer are prepared by electroless deposition. Bath temperature affects the grain size of the deposited Ni layers. Higher bath temperature is beneficial to obtain stronger ME response.
Mechanically robust silver coatings prepared by electroless plating on thermoplastic polyurethane

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, B.; Vediappan, K.; Oliveira, J. C.; Fonseca, C.

2018-06-01

A simple and low-cost surface functionalization method is proposed to activate a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for the electroless deposition of a silver coating with excellent adhesion and low resistivity. The TPU surface functionalization was performed in solution and consisted in forming a physical interpenetrating network at the TPU surface, involving TPU and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), a polymer displaying a strong affinity for metals. The presence of PVP on the TPU surface and its stability in aqueous solution were assessed by ATR-FTIR and contact angle measurements as a function of the PVP concentration and treatment time. A modified Tollens solution was used to grow a silver film on the TPU substrate, by using the electroless plating method. Compact silver films with an average thickness of 12.5 μm and a resistivity of 8.57 mΩ·cm were obtained for a 24 h plating time. The adhesion strength of the silver film proved to be higher than 8.5 N/cm. The resistance to fatigue of the silver films was studied by performing series of compression/stretching tests (150 cycles). It was concluded that the films kept low resistance values, although displaying a higher sensitivity to compression than to stretching. Furthermore, the films keep a good conductivity for strains up to 400%. The excellent electrical and mechanical properties of the films make them suitable candidates for the coating of multipin dry bioelectrodes. Owing to the high affinity of many metals for PVP, this activation technique has the potential to be extended to the deposition of other metals and other polymers as well, provided a suitable solvent is used.
Preparation of Stable Superhydrophobic Coatings on Wood Substrate Surfaces via Mussel-Inspired Polydopamine and Electroless Deposition Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaili Wang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA chemistry and electroless deposition approaches were used to prepare stable superhydrophobic coatings on wood surfaces. The as-formed PDA coating on a wood surface exhibited a hierarchical micro/nano roughness structure, and functioned as an “adhesive layer” between the substrate and a metallic film by the metal chelating ability of the catechol moieties on PDA, allowing for the formation of a well-developed micro/nanostructure hierarchical roughness. Additionally, the coating acted as a stable bridge between the substrate and hydrophobic groups. The morphology and chemical components of the prepared superhydrophobic wood surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. The PDA and octadecylamine (OA modified surface showed excellent superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle (CA of about 153° and a rolling angle (RA of about 9°. The CA further increased to about 157° and RA reduced to about 5° with the Cu metallization. The superhydrophobic material exhibited outstanding stability in harsh conditions including ultraviolet aging, ultrasonic washing, strong acid-base and organic solvent immersion, and high-temperature water boiling. The results suggested that the PDA/OA layers were good enough to confer robust, degradation-resistant superhydrophobicity on wood substrates. The Cu metallization was likely unnecessary to provide significant improvements in superhydrophobic property. However, due to the amazing adhesive capacity of PDA, the electroless deposition technique may allow for a wide range of potential applications in biomimetic materials.
Effect of strontium tantalate surface texture on nickel nanoparticle dispersion by electroless deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Compean-González, C.L. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Arredondo-Torres, V.M. [Facultad de Químico Farmacobiología, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Tzintzuntzan #173, Col. Matamoros, Morelia, Michoacán C.P. 58240 (Mexico); Zarazúa-Morin, M.E. [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66451 (Mexico); Figueroa-Torres, M.Z., E-mail: m.zyzlila@gmail.com [Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ingeniería Civil, Departamento de Ecomateriales y Energía, Av. Universidad s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León C.P. 66451 (Mexico)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Efficient short-time procedure for nickel nanoparticles dispersion by electroless. • Nanoparticles are spherical in shape with an average size of 15 nm. • Influence of surface texture on deposition temperature and time was observed. • Nickel deposition can be done below 50 °C. - Abstract: The present work studies the effect of smooth and porous texture of Sr{sub 2}Ta{sub 2}O{sub 7} on its surface modification with nickel nanoparticles through electroless deposition technique. The influence of temperature to control Ni nanoparticles loading amount and dispersion were analyzed. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms were used to examine surface texture characteristics. The morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (MEB) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometry system (EDS), which was used to determine the amount of deposited Ni. The material with smooth texture (SMT) consists of big agglomerates of semispherical shape particles of 400 nm. Whilst the porous texture (PRT) exhibit a pore-wall formed of needles shape particles of around 200 nm in size. Results indicated that texture characteristics strongly influence the deposition reaction rate; for PRT oxide, Ni deposition can be done from 20 °C while for SMT oxide deposition begins at 40 °C. Analysis of Sr{sub 2}Ta{sub 2}O{sub 7} surface indicated that in both textures, Ni nanoparticles with spherical shape in the range of 10–20 nm were obtained.

Effect of hydrofluoric acid concentration on the evolution of photoluminescence characteristics in porous silicon nanowires prepared by Ag-assisted electroless etching method

KAUST Repository

Najar, Adel

2012-01-01

We report on the structural and optical properties of porous silicon nanowires (PSiNWs) fabricated using silver (Ag) ions assisted electroless etching method. Silicon nanocrystallites with sizes <5 nm embedded in amorphous silica have been observed from PSiNW samples etched using the optimum hydrofluoric acid (HF) concentration. The strongest photoluminescence (PL) signal has been measured from samples etched with 4.8 M of HF, beyond which a significant decreasing in PL emission intensity has been observed. A qualitative model is proposed for the formation of PSiNWs in the presence of Ag catalyst. This model affirms our observations in PL enhancement for samples etched using HF <4.8 M and the eventual PL reduction for samples etched beyond 4.8 M of HF concentration. The enhancement in PL signals has been associated to the formation of PSiNWs and the quantum confinement effect in the Si nanocrystallites. Compared to PSiNWs without Si-O x, the HF treated samples exhibited significant blue PL peak shift of 100 nm. This effect has been correlated to the formation of defect states in the surface oxide. PSiNWs fabricated using the electroless etching method can find useful applications in optical sensors and as anti-reflection layer in silicon-based solar cells. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.
Comparative Study of Electroless Copper Film on Different Self-Assembled Monolayers Modified ABS Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiushuai Xu

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Copper films were grown on (3-Mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS, (3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES and 6-(3-(triethoxysilylpropylamino-1,3,5- triazine-2,4-dithiol monosodium (TES self-assembled monolayers (SAMs modified acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS substrate via electroless copper plating. The copper films were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD. Their individual deposition rate and contact angle were also investigated to compare the properties of SAMs and electroless copper films. The results indicated that the formation of copper nuclei on the TES-SAMs modified ABS substrate was faster than those on the MPTMS-SAMs and APTES-SAMs modified ABS substrate. SEM images revealed that the copper film on TES-SAM modified ABS substrate was smooth and uniform, and the density of copper nuclei was much higher. Compared with that of TES-SAMs modified resin, the coverage of copper nuclei on MPTMS and APTES modified ABS substrate was very limited and the copper particle size was too big. The adhesion property test demonstrated that all the SAMs enhanced the interfacial interaction between copper plating and ABS substrate. XRD analysis showed that the copper film deposited on SAM-modified ABS substrate had a structure with Cu(111 preferred orientation, and the copper film deposited on TES-SAMs modified ABS substrate is better than that deposited on MPTMS-SAMs or APTES-SAMs modified ABS resins in electromigrtion resistance.
Laser Induced Selective Activation For Subsequent Autocatalytic Electroless Plating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Yang

. The third hypothesis is that the activation and rinsing process can be described by diffusion. This hypothesis is proved using Fick’s diffusion laws combined with the short-time-plating experiment. The influence of laser parameters on the surface structure is investigated for Nd:YAG, UV, and fiber lasers......The subject of this PhD thesis is “Laser induced selective activation for subsequent autocatalytic electroless plating.” The objective of the project is to investigate the process chains for micro structuring of polymer surfaces for selective micro metallization. Laser induced selective activation...... (LISA) is introduced and studied as a new technique for producing 3D moulded interconnect devices (3D-MIDs). This technique enables the metallization of polymer surface modified by laser and subsequently activated by a PdCl2/SnCl2 system. Various technologies exist on an industrial level...
Self-organized synthesis of silver dendritic nanostructures via an electroless metal deposition method

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, T.; Wu, X. L.; Mei, Y. F.; Chu, P. K.; Siu, G. G.

2005-09-01

Unique silver dendritic nanostructures, with stems, branches, and leaves, were synthesized with self-organization via a simple electroless metal deposition method in a conventional autoclave containing aqueous HF and AgNO3 solution. Their growth mechanisms are discussed in detail on the basis of a self-assembled localized microscopic electrochemical cell model. A process of diffusion-limited aggregation is suggested for the formation of the silver dendritic nanostructures. This nanostructured material is of great potential to be building blocks for assembling mini-functional devices of the next generation.
Effects of TiN nanoparticles on the microstructure and properties of W–30Cu composites prepared via electroless plating and powder metallurgy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Li-Mei; Luo, Lai-Ma; Zhao, Mei-Ling; Luo, Guang-Nan; Zhu, Xiao-Yong; Cheng, Ji-Gui; Zan, Xiang; Wu, Yu-Cheng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • TiN-doped W–Cu composite was successfully prepared by electroless plating and powder metallurgy. • TiN-doped W–Cu significantly affected the microstructure and properties of the composites. • W–Cu composite with 0.25 wt.% TiN possesses the best comprehensive performance. - Abstract: W–30Cu/(0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2) wt.% TiN composites were prepared via electroless plating with simplified pretreatment and powder metallurgy. The phase and morphology of W–Cu/TiN composite powders and sintered W–Cu/TiN samples were characterized via X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to characterize the microstructure of the sintered W–Cu/TiN samples. The relative density, hardness, electrical conductivity, and compressive strength of the sintered samples were examined. Results showed that W–30Cu composite powders with a uniform structure can be obtained using W powder pretreated with nitric acid, ammonium fluoride, and hydrofluoric acid followed by electroless Cu plating. The addition of TiN nanoparticles significantly affected the microstructure and properties of the W–30Cu composites. A good combination of the compressive strength and hardness of the W–30Cu composite material can be obtained by incorporating the TiN additive at 0.25 wt.%. However, the relative density and electrical conductivity slightly decreased
XRD studies on solid state amorphisation in electroless Ni/P and Ni/B deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sampath Kumar, P.; Kesavan Nair, P.

1996-01-01

The decomposition of electroless Ni-P and Ni-B deposits on annealing at various temperature is studied using x-ray diffraction techniques employing profile deconvolution and line profile analysis. It appears that solid state amorphisation takes place in the Ni-B deposits in a narrow temperature range just prior to the onset of crystallization of amorphous phase. In the case of Ni-P deposits no evidence for solid state amorphisation could be obtained. Thermodynamic and kinetic considerations also support such a conclusion
Synthesis, characterization and application of electroless metal assisted silicon nanowire arrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahoo, Sumanta Kumar [Centre for Nanoscience & Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi 626 005, Tamilnadu (India); Marikani, Arumugam, E-mail: amari@mepcoeng.ac.in [Department of Physics, Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi 626 005, Tamilnadu (India)

2015-12-01

Highlights: • Preparation of Silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWs) by electroless metal deposition technique. • From analysis, it has been found that the as-prepared SiNWs are of 3.5–4.0 μm and 75 nm of length and diameter in average respectively. Further a characteristic Raman peak at 520 cm{sup −1} also has been observed. • It exhibits good electron field-emission properties with turn-on field (E{sub 0}) of about 8.26 V μm{sup −1} at current density (J) of 4.9 μA cm{sup −2}. • Functionalized SiNWs have been used for electrochemical detection bovine serum albumin protein bio-molecules. - Abstract: Vertically aligned silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWs) have been synthesized by electroless metal deposition process. The fabricated SiNWs have an average diameter of 75 nm and 3.5–4.0 μm length, as confirmed from scanning electron microscopy. A characteristic asymmetric peak broadening at 520 cm{sup −1} from Raman spectroscopy was obtained for the SiNWs as compared to the bulk silicon crystal due to phonon confinement. The as-prepared SiNWs exhibit good electron field-emission properties with turn-on field of about 8.26 V μm{sup −1} at a current density of 4.9 μA cm{sup −2}. The SiNWs was functionalized by coating with a thin gold metallic film for 60 s, and then used as bio-probe for the detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein molecules. From the linear sweep voltammetry analysis, the Au coated SiNWs, exhibit linear response to the BSA analyte with increase in concentration. The minimum detection limit of the protein molecule was calculated of about 1.16 μM by the as-synthesized SiNWs probe.
A high performance ceria based interdiffusion barrier layer prepared by spin-coating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plonczak, Pawel; Joost, Mario; Hjelm, Johan

2011-01-01

A multiple spin-coating deposition procedure of Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) for application in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was developed. The thin and dense CGO layer can be employed as a barrier layer between yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte and a (La, Sr)(Co, Fe)O3 based cathode....... The decomposition of the polymer precursor used in the spin-coating process was studied. The depositions were performed on anode supported half cells. By controlling the sintering temperature between each spin-coating process, dense and crack-free CGO films with a thickness of approximately 1 μm were obtained....... The successive steps of dense layer production was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction was employed to monitor the crystal structure of the CGO layer sintered at different temperatures. The described spin coated barrier layer was evaluated using an anode supported cell...
Synthesis of polymer hybrid latex poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate) with organo montmorillonite via miniemulsion polymerization method for barrier paper

Science.gov (United States)

Chanra, J.; Budianto, E.; Soegijono, B.

2018-03-01

Hybrid polymer latex based on combination of organic-inorganic materials, poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate) (PMMBA) and organo-montmorillonite (OMMT) were synthesized via miniemulsion polymerization technique. Modification of montmorillonite (MMT) through the incorporation of myristyltrimethylammonium bromide (MTAB) into the clay’s interlayer spaces were investigated by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Barrier property and thermal stability of polymer latex film sample were investigated through its Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The results indicated that addition of OMMT as filler in PMMBA increased the barrier property and thermal stability of the latex film. Addition of 8.0% (wt) OMMT increased the barrier property and thermal stability. Miniemusion polymerization process with higher addition (>8.0 wt%) of OMMT resulting in high latex viscosity, particle size, and high amount of coagulum. The utilization of this hybrid polymer could benefits paper and board industries to produce high quality barrier paper for food packaging.
Potentiodynamic studies of Ni-P-TiO2 nano-composited coating on the mild steel deposited by electroless plating method

Science.gov (United States)

Uttam, Vibha; Duchaniya, R. K.

2016-05-01

Now a days, corrosion studies are important for reducing the wastage of metals. The importance of corrosion studies is two folds i.e. first is economic, including the reduction of material losses resulting from the wasting away or sudden failure of materials and second is conservation Electroless process is an autocatalytic reduction method in which metallic ions are reduced in the solution. Nanocomposite coatings of Ni-P-TiO2 on mild steel are deposited by varying volume of TiO2 nano-powder by electroless method from Ni-P plating bath containing Nickel Sulphate as a source of nickel ions, sodium hypophosphite as the reducing agent, lactic acid as a complexing agents and TiO2 nano powder. Electroless Ni-P-TiO2 coating have been widely used in the chemical process industries, mechanical industries, electronic industries and chloroalkali industries due to their excellent corrosion with mechanical properties. In the present work, deposition of Ni-P alloy coating and Ni-P-TiO2 nanocomposited coatings were done on the mild steel and corrosion properties were studied with Potentio-dynamic polarization measurements method in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride solution. It showed in the experiments that Ni-P-TiO2 nanocomposited coating has better corrosion resistance as comparedthan Ni-P alloy coating. Morphological studies were done by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These studies confirmed the deposition of Ni-P alloy coating and Ni-P-TiO2 nanocomposited coating.
Effect of hydrofluoric acid concentration on the evolution of photoluminescence characteristics in porous silicon nanowires prepared by Ag-assisted electroless etching method

KAUST Repository

Najar, Adel; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Ng, Tien Khee; Ooi, Boon S.; Ben Slimane, Ahmed; Sougrat, Rachid

2012-01-01

We report on the structural and optical properties of porous silicon nanowires (PSiNWs) fabricated using silver (Ag) ions assisted electroless etching method. Silicon nanocrystallites with sizes <5 nm embedded in amorphous silica have been
Diffusion chamber system for testing of collagen-based cell migration barriers for separation of ligament enthesis zones in tissue-engineered ACL constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahner, J; Hoyer, M; Hillig, S; Schulze-Tanzil, G; Meyer, M; Schröpfer, M; Lohan, A; Garbe, L-A; Heinrich, G; Breier, A

2015-01-01

A temporary barrier separating scaffold zones seeded with different cell types prevents faster growing cells from overgrowing co-cultured cells within the same construct. This barrier should allow sufficient nutrient diffusion through the scaffold. The aim of this study was to test the effect of two variants of collagen-based barriers on macromolecule diffusion, viability, and the spreading efficiency of primary ligament cells on embroidered scaffolds. Two collagen barriers, a thread consisting of a twisted film tape and a sponge, were integrated into embroidered poly(lactic-co-caprolactone) and polypropylene scaffolds, which had the dimension of lapine anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL). A diffusion chamber system was designed and established to monitor nutrient diffusion using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran of different molecular weights (20, 40, 150, 500 kDa). Vitality of primary lapine ACL cells was tested at days 7 and 14 after seeding using fluorescein diacetate and ethidium bromide staining. Cell spreading on the scaffold surface was measured using histomorphometry. Nuclei staining of the cross-sectioned scaffolds revealed the penetration of ligament cells through both barrier types. The diffusion chamber was suitable to characterize the diffusivity of dextran molecules through embroidered scaffolds with or without integrated collagen barriers. The diffusion coefficients were generally significantly lower in scaffolds with barriers compared to those without barriers. No significant differences between diffusion coefficients of both barrier types were detected. Both barriers were cyto-compatible and prevented most of the ACL cells from crossing the barrier, whereby the collagen thread was easier to handle and allowed a higher rate of cell spreading.
Spin accumulation in Si channels using CoFe/MgO/Si and CoFe/AlOx/Si tunnel contacts with high quality tunnel barriers prepared by radical-oxygen annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akushichi, T.; Shuto, Y.; Sugahara, S.; Takamura, Y.

2015-01-01

We investigate spin injection into Si channels using three-terminal spin-accumulation (3T-SA) devices with high-quality CoFe/MgO/n-Si and CoFe/AlO x /n-Si tunnel spin-injectors whose tunnel barriers are formed by radical oxidation of Mg and Al thin films deposited on Si(100) substrates and successive annealing under radical-oxygen exposure. When the MgO and AlO x barriers are not treated by the radical-oxygen annealing, the Hanle-effect signals obtained from the 3T-SA devices are closely fitted by a single Lorentz function representing a signal due to trap spins. On the other hand, when the tunnel barriers are annealed under radical-oxygen exposure, the Hanle-effect signals can be accurately fitted by the superposition of a Lorentz function and a non-Lorentz function representing a signal due to accumulated spins in the Si channel. These results suggest that the quality improvement of tunnel barriers treated by radical-oxygen annealing is highly effective for spin-injection into Si channels
Potentiodynamic studies of Ni-P-TiO{sub 2} nano-composited coating on the mild steel deposited by electroless plating method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uttam, Vibha, E-mail: vibhauttam74@gmail.com; Duchaniya, R. K., E-mail: rkduchaniya.meta@mnit.ac.in [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, MNIT Jaipur (India)

2016-05-06

Now a days, corrosion studies are important for reducing the wastage of metals. The importance of corrosion studies is two folds i.e. first is economic, including the reduction of material losses resulting from the wasting away or sudden failure of materials and second is conservation Electroless process is an autocatalytic reduction method in which metallic ions are reduced in the solution. Nanocomposite coatings of Ni-P-TiO{sub 2} on mild steel are deposited by varying volume of TiO{sub 2} nano-powder by electroless method from Ni-P plating bath containing Nickel Sulphate as a source of nickel ions, sodium hypophosphite as the reducing agent, lactic acid as a complexing agents and TiO{sub 2} nano powder. Electroless Ni-P-TiO{sub 2} coating have been widely used in the chemical process industries, mechanical industries, electronic industries and chloroalkali industries due to their excellent corrosion with mechanical properties. In the present work, deposition of Ni-P alloy coating and Ni-P-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposited coatings were done on the mild steel and corrosion properties were studied with Potentio-dynamic polarization measurements method in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride solution. It showed in the experiments that Ni-P-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposited coating has better corrosion resistance as comparedthan Ni-P alloy coating. Morphological studies were done by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy–dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These studies confirmed the deposition of Ni-P alloy coating and Ni-P-TiO{sub 2} nanocomposited coating.
Tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance due to antiferromagnetic CoO tunnel barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, K.; Sanderink, J. G. M.; Bolhuis, T.; van der Wiel, W. G.; de Jong, M. P.

2015-01-01

A new approach in spintronics is based on spin-polarized charge transport phenomena governed by antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach for AFM metals and semiconductors. We report tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) due to the rotation of antiferromagnetic moments of an insulating CoO layer, incorporated into a tunnel junction consisting of sapphire(substrate)/fcc-Co/CoO/AlOx/Al. The ferromagnetic Co layer is exchange coupled to the AFM CoO layer and drives rotation of the AFM moments in an external magnetic field. The results may help pave the way towards the development of spintronic devices based on AFM insulators. PMID:26486931
Impedance-based cell monitoring: barrier properties and beyond

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benson Kathrin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract In multicellular organisms epithelial and endothelial cells form selective permeable interfaces between tissue compartments of different chemical compositions. Tight junctions which connect adjacent cells, control the passage of molecules across the barrier and, in addition, facilitate active transport processes. The cellular barriers are not static but can be deliberately modulated by exposure to specific external stimuli. In vitro models representing the essential absorption barriers of the body are nowadays available, thus allowing investigation of the parameters that control permeability as well as transport processes across those barriers. Independent of the origin of the barrier forming cells, techniques are needed to quantify their barrier integrity. One simple assay is to measure the permeability for given hydrophilic substrates possessing different molecular weights like sucrose or dextrans. However, this technique is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, radioactive or fluorescently-labeled substrates are needed to allow easy analytical detection. Finally, if transport processes are investigated, the standard permeant may interfere with the transport process under investigation or might even alter the barrier integrity by itself. Thus, independent, non-invasive techniques are needed to quantify the barrier integrity continuously during the experiment. Such techniques are available and are mainly based on the measurement of the transendothelial or transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER of barrier forming cells grown on porous membranes. Simple devices using two sets of electrodes (so-called Voltohmeters are widely used. In addition, an easy-to-use physical technique called impedance spectroscopy allows the continuous analysis of both the TEER and the electrical capacitance giving additional information about the barrier properties of cells grown on permeable membranes. This technique is useful as a quality control
Barriers and facilitators to epilepsy self-management for patients with physical and psychological co-morbidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Perzynski, Adam T; Ramsey, Riane K; Colón-Zimmermann, Kari; Cage, Jamie; Welter, Elisabeth; Sajatovic, Martha

2017-09-01

Objectives This exploratory study identifies barriers and facilitators to self-management to inform future epilepsy self-management interventions for persons who have epilepsy complicated by co-morbid mental health conditions and serious medical events. Methods Focus group methods were used in a series of community advisory board meetings. Analysis was conducted using a thematic, constant comparative approach aiming to describe the range of barriers and facilitators salient to participants. There were a total of 22 participants, including 8 health professionals, 9 patients with epilepsy, and 5 care partners. Mean age was 49.1 (SD = 11.0, range 32-69), 11 (50%) were female, and 11 (50%) were male. For those with epilepsy, mean years having epilepsy was 24.7 (SD = 19.9, range 1-58 years). Results Individual psychological barriers (mental illness, fatigue, and psychological distress) prominently interfered with health behaviors. Community and family barriers included stigma, lack of epilepsy knowledge, and poor social support. Facilitators included planning for seizures, learning about medications, stress management, socializing with others, and talking with other epilepsy patients. Discussion Qualitative evidence in this study suggests a linkage between social integration and positive health behaviors. Future efforts to embed patients with epilepsy and their caregivers into clinical care processes could offset barriers and enhance facilitators.
Experimental Design for Evaluation of Co-extruded Refractory Metal/Nickel Base Superalloy Joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ME Petrichek

2005-01-01

Prior to the restructuring of the Prometheus Program, the NRPCT was tasked with delivering a nuclear space reactor. Potential NRPCT nuclear space reactor designs for the Prometheus Project required dissimilar materials to be in contact with each other while operating at extreme temperatures under irradiation. As a result of the high reactor core temperatures, refractory metals were the primary candidates for many of the reactor structural and cladding components. They included the tantalum-base alloys ASTAR-811C and Ta-10W, the niobium-base alloy FS-85, and the molybdenum base alloys Moly 41-47.5 Rhenium. The refractory metals were to be joined to candidate nickel base alloys such as Haynes 230, Alloy 617, or Nimonic PE 16 either within the core if the nickel-base alloys were ultimately selected to form the outer core barrel, or at a location exterior to the core if the nickel-base alloys were limited to components exterior to the core. To support the need for dissimilar metal joints in the Prometheus Project, a co-extrusion experiment was proposed. There are several potential methods for the formation of dissimilar metal joints, including explosive bonding, friction stir welding, plasma spray, inertia welding, HIP, and co-extrusion. Most of these joining methods are not viable options because they result in the immediate formation of brittle intermetallics. Upon cooling, intermetallics form in the weld fusion zone between the joined metals. Because brittle intermetallics do not form during the initial bonding process associated with HIP, co-extrusion, and explosive bonding, these three joining procedures are preferred for forming dissimilar metal joints. In reference to a Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory report done under a NASA sponsored program, joints that were fabricated between similar materials via explosive bonding had strengths that were directly affected by the width of the diffusion barrier. It was determined that the diffusion zone should not exceed
Contacting co-culture of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells alters barrier function of human embryonic stem cell derived retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Skottman, H; Muranen, J; Lähdekorpi, H; Pajula, E; Mäkelä, K; Koivusalo, L; Koistinen, A; Uusitalo, H; Kaarniranta, K; Juuti-Uusitalo, K

2017-10-01

Here we evaluated the effects of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (hREC) on mature human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The hESC-RPE cells (Regea08/017, Regea08/023 or Regea11/013) and hREC (ACBRI 181) were co-cultured on opposite sides of transparent membranes for up to six weeks. Thereafter barrier function, small molecule permeability, localization of RPE and endothelial cell marker proteins, cellular fine structure, and growth factor secretion of were evaluated. After co-culture, the RPE specific CRALBP and endothelial cell specific von Willebrand factor were appropriately localized. In addition, the general morphology, pigmentation, and fine structure of hESC-RPE cells were unaffected. Co-culture increased the barrier function of hESC-RPE cells, detected both with TEER measurements and cumulative permeability of FD4 - although the differences varied among the cell lines. Co-culturing significantly altered VEGF and PEDF secretion, but again the differences were cell line specific. The results of this study showed that co-culture with hREC affects hESC-RPE functionality. In addition, co-culture revealed drastic cell line specific differences, most notably in growth factor secretion. This model has the potential to be used as an in vitro outer blood-retinal barrier model for drug permeability testing. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Wear resistance and fracture mechanics of WC-Co composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaytbay, Saleh; El-Hadek, Medhat

2014-01-01

Manufacturing of WC-Co composites using the electroless precipitation method at different sintering temperatures of 1 100, 1 250, 1 350 and 1 500 C was successfully achieved. The chemical composition of the investigated materials was 90 wt.% WC with 10 wt.% Co, and 80 wt.% WC with 20 wt.% Co. The specific density, densification, and Vickers microhardness measurements were found to increase with increased sintering temperature for both the WC-Co compositions. The composites of tungsten carbide with 10 wt.% Co had a higher specific density and Vickers microhardness measurements than those for the composites of tungsten carbide with 20 wt.% Co. Composites with WC-10 wt.% Co had better wear resistance. The stress-strain and transverse rupture strength increased monotonically with the increase in sintering temperatures, agreeing with the material hardness and wear resistance behavior. Fractographical scanning electron microscopy analysis of the fracture surface demonstrated a rough characteristic conical shape failure in the direction of the maximum shear stress. A proposed mechanism for the formation of the conical fracture surface under compression testing is presented. (orig.)

Electroless nickel – phosphorus coating on crab shell particles and its characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arulvel, S., E-mail: gs.arulvel.research@gmail.com; Elayaperumal, A.; Jagatheeshwaran, M.S.

2017-04-15

Being hydrophilic material, crab shell particles have only a limited number of applications. It is, therefore, necessary to modify the surface of the crab shell particles. To make them useful ever for the applications, the main theme we proposed in this article is to utilize crab shell particles (CSP) with the core coated with nickel phosphorus (NiP) as a shell using the electroless coating process. For dealing with serious environmental problems, utilization of waste bio-shells is always an important factor to be considered. Chelating ability of crab shell particles eliminates the surface activation in this work proceeding to the coating process. The functional group, phase structure, microstructure, chemical composition and thermal analysis of CSP and NiP/CSP were characterized using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction analyzer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The combination of an amorphous and crystalline structure was exhibited by CSP and NiP/CSP. NiP/CSP has shown a better thermal stability when compared to uncoated CSP. Stability test, adsorption test, and conductivity test were conducted for the study of adsorption behavior and conductivity of the particles. CSP presented a hydrophilic property in contrast to hydrophobic NiP/CSP. NiP/CSP presented a conductivity of about 44% greater compared to the CSP without any fluctuations. - Highlights: • Utilization of crab shell waste is focused on. • NiP coating on crab shell particle is fabricated using electroless process. • Thermal analysis, stability test, adsorption test and conductivity test were done. • Organic matrix of crab shell particle favors the coating process. • Results demonstrate the characterization of CSP core – NiP shell structure.
Charge transport through DNA based electronic barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Sunil R.; Chawda, Vivek; Qi, Jianqing; Anantram, M. P.; Sinha, Niraj

2018-05-01

We report charge transport in electronic 'barriers' constructed by sequence engineering in DNA. Considering the ionization potentials of Thymine-Adenine (AT) and Guanine-Cytosine (GC) base pairs, we treat AT as 'barriers'. The effect of DNA conformation (A and B form) on charge transport is also investigated. Particularly, the effect of width of 'barriers' on hole transport is investigated. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are performed on energy minimized DNA structures to obtain the electronic Hamiltonian. The quantum transport calculations are performed using the Landauer-Buttiker framework. Our main findings are contrary to previous studies. We find that a longer A-DNA with more AT base pairs can conduct better than shorter A-DNA with a smaller number of AT base pairs. We also find that some sequences of A-DNA can conduct better than a corresponding B-DNA with the same sequence. The counterions mediated charge transport and long range interactions are speculated to be responsible for counter-intuitive length and AT content dependence of conductance of A-DNA.
Effect of annealing on microstructure evolution in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB heterostructures by positron annihilation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Chong-Jun; Lu, Xiang-An; Zhao, Zhi-Duo; Li, Ming-Hua; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Bao-Yi; Cao, Xing-Zhong; Zhang, Jing-Yan; Yu, Guang-Hua

2013-09-01

As one of the most powerful tools for investigation of defects of materials, positron annihilation spectroscopy was employed to explore the thermal effects on the film microstructure evolution in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB heterostructures. It is found that high annealing temperature can drive vacancy defects agglomeration and ordering acceleration in the MgO barrier. Meanwhile, another important type of defects, vacancy clusters, which are formed via the agglomeration of vacancy defects in the MgO barrier after annealing, still exists inside the MgO barrier. All these behaviors in the MgO barrier could potentially impact the overall performance in MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions.
Barrier inhomogeneities at vertically stacked graphene-based heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yen-Fu; Li, Wenwu; Li, Song-Lin; Xu, Yong; Aparecido-Ferreira, Alex; Komatsu, Katsuyoshi; Sun, Huabin; Nakaharai, Shu; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito

2014-01-21

The integration of graphene and other atomically flat, two-dimensional materials has attracted much interest and been materialized very recently. An in-depth understanding of transport mechanisms in such heterostructures is essential. In this study, vertically stacked graphene-based heterostructure transistors were manufactured to elucidate the mechanism of electron injection at the interface. The temperature dependence of the electrical characteristics was investigated from 300 to 90 K. In a careful analysis of current-voltage characteristics, an unusual decrease in the effective Schottky barrier height and increase in the ideality factor were observed with decreasing temperature. A model of thermionic emission with a Gaussian distribution of barriers was able to precisely interpret the conduction mechanism. Furthermore, mapping of the effective Schottky barrier height is unmasked as a function of temperature and gate voltage. The results offer significant insight for the development of future layer-integration technology based on graphene-based heterostructures.
A porcine astrocyte/endothelial cell co-culture model of the blood-brain barrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeliazkova-Mecheva, Valentina V; Bobilya, Dennis J

2003-10-01

A method for the isolation of porcine atrocytes as a simple extension of a previously described procedure for isolation of brain capillary endothelial cells from adolescent pigs [Methods Cell Sci. 17 (1995) 2] is described. The obtained astroglial culture purified through two passages and by the method of the selective detachment was validated by a phase contrast microscopy and through an immunofluorescent assay for the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Porcine astrocytes were co-cultivated with porcine brain capillary endothelial cells (PBCEC) for the development of an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model. The model was visualized by an electron microscopy and showed elevated transendothellial electrical resistance and reduced inulin permeability. To our knowledge, this is the first report for the establishment of a porcine astrocyte/endothelial cell co-culture BBB model, which avoids interspecies and age differences between the two cell types, usually encountered in the other reported co-culture BBB models. Considering the availability of the porcine brain tissue and the close physiological and anatomical relation between the human and pig brain, the porcine astrocyte/endothelial cell co-culture system can serve as a reliable and easily reproducible model for different in vitro BBB studies.
Dielectric Barrier Discharge based Mercury-free plasma UV-lamp for efficient water disinfection.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, Ram; Hossain, Afaque M; Pal, U N; Kumar, N; Khairnar, K; Mohan, M Krishna

2017-12-12

A structurally simple dielectric barrier discharge based mercury-free plasma UV-light source has been developed for efficient water disinfection. The source comprises of a dielectric barrier discharge arrangement between two co-axial quartz tubes with an optimized gas gap. The outer electrode is an aluminium baked foil tape arranged in a helical form with optimized pitch, while the inner electrode is a hollow aluminium metallic rod, hermetically sealed. Strong bands peaking at wavelengths 172 nm and 253 nm, along with a weak band peaking at wavelength 265 nm have been simultaneously observed due to plasma radiation from the admixture of xenon and iodine gases. The developed UV source has been used for bacterial deactivation studies using an experimental setup that is an equivalent of the conventional house-hold water purifier system. Deactivation studies for five types of bacteria, i.e., E. coli, Shigella boydii, Vibrio, Coliforms and Fecal coliform have been demonstrated with 4 log reductions in less than ten seconds.
Opportunities and Barriers for Water Co-Governance—A Critical Analysis of Seven Cases of Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in Europe, Australia and North America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morten Graversgaard

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture (DWPA and its governance has received increased attention as a policy concern across the globe. Mitigation of DWPA is a complex problem that requires a mix of policy instruments and a multi-agency, broad societal response. In this paper, opportunities and barriers for developing co-governance, defined as collaborative societal involvement in the functions of government, and its suitability for mitigation of DWPA are reviewed using seven case studies in Europe (Poland, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands and UK, Australia (Murray-Darling Basin and North America (State of Minnesota. An analytical framework for assessing opportunities and barriers of co-governance was developed and applied in this review. Results indicated that five key issues constitute both opportunities and barriers, and include: (i pressure for change; (ii connected governance structures and allocation of resources and funding; (iii leadership and establishment of partnerships through capacity building; (iv use and co-production of knowledge; and (v time commitment to develop water co-governance.
Decomposition mechanism of trichloroethylene based on by-product distribution in the hybrid barrier discharge plasma process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Sang-Bo [Industry Applications Research Laboratory, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Changwon, Kyeongnam (Korea, Republic of); Oda, Tetsuji [Department of Electrical Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

2007-05-15

The hybrid barrier discharge plasma process combined with ozone decomposition catalysts was studied experimentally for decomposing dilute trichloroethylene (TCE). Based on the fundamental experiment for catalytic activities on ozone decomposition, MnO{sub 2} was selected for application in the main experiments for its higher catalytic abilities than other metal oxides. A lower initial TCE concentration existed in the working gas; the larger ozone concentration was generated from the barrier discharge plasma treatment. Near complete decomposition of dichloro-acetylchloride (DCAC) into Cl{sub 2} and CO{sub x} was observed for an initial TCE concentration of less than 250 ppm. C=C {pi} bond cleavage in TCE gave a carbon single bond of DCAC through oxidation reaction during the barrier discharge plasma treatment. Those DCAC were easily broken in the subsequent catalytic reaction. While changing oxygen concentration in working gas, oxygen radicals in the plasma space strongly reacted with precursors of DCAC compared with those of trichloro-acetaldehyde. A chlorine radical chain reaction is considered as a plausible decomposition mechanism in the barrier discharge plasma treatment. The potential energy of oxygen radicals at the surface of the catalyst is considered as an important factor in causing reactive chemical reactions.
Factors in Overcoming Barriers to Implementing Co-management in British Columbia Salmon Fisheries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelyn Pinkerton

1999-12-01

Full Text Available Ten years of research and efforts to implement co-management in British Columbia fisheries have demonstrated that we lack neither good models nor the political will in communities to design and test local and regional institutions for successful involvement in various aspects of management. The barriers lie rather in the distrust and resistance of management agencies and the lack of broadly organized political support. The nature of the barriers and some of the elements of a successful approach to overcoming them are identified and discussed. The analysis is focused around the barriers encountered by two differently situated fishing communities or regions that have launched conservation initiatives through cooperation between local aboriginal and nonaboriginal fishing groups. In attempting to overcome the political barriers, the communities seek to develop expertise in selective fishing technology for more sustainable harvest, principled multi-stakeholder negotiation, marketing, shared databases, and preliminary ecosystem monitoring. The communities exemplify small- and medium-scale bottom-up approaches to adaptive management. The analysis shows the key and possibly unique contributions of processes at these levels, and suggests how they can be scaled up and linked to processes at other levels. Both types of analysis are largely missing in adaptive management theory, which has tended to focus on larger scale processes and to dismiss the potential of smaller scale ones to transform, expand, and link. This analysis focuses on salmon (Oncorhynchus spp. fisheries of British Columbia, Canada, but the literature suggests that the findings have far broader applicability.
Barrier-based micro/milli channels reactor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al-Rawashdeh, M.I.M.

2013-01-01

Gas-liquid processing in microreactors remains mostly restricted to the laboratory scale dueto the complexity and expenditure needed for an adequate numbering-up with a uniform flowdistribution. The barrier-based distributor is a multiphase flow distributor which assures flowuniformity and prevents
Barriers to participation in a hospital-based falls assessment clinicprogramme

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Evron, Lotte; Schultz-Larsen, Kirsten; Fristrup, Tine

2009-01-01

Aims: To gain new knowledge about barriers to participation in hospital-based falls assessment. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 20 older people referred to falls assessment at a hospital-based clinic were conducted. A convenience sample of 10 refusers and 10 accepters was collected. Those...... of knowledge were expected, owing to accepters' participation in the programme. Interview transcriptions were thematically analysed. The analysis was directed towards identification of barriers to falls assessment. Results: Barriers to participation were categorized as being either within or outside the falls...
Electroless silver plating of the surface of organic semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Campione, Marcello; Parravicini, Matteo; Moret, Massimo; Papagni, Antonio; Schröter, Bernd; Fritz, Torsten

2011-10-04

The integration of nanoscale processes and devices demands fabrication routes involving rapid, cost-effective steps, preferably carried out under ambient conditions. The realization of the metal/organic semiconductor interface is one of the most demanding steps of device fabrication, since it requires mechanical and/or thermal treatments which increment costs and are often harmful in respect to the active layer. Here, we provide a microscopic analysis of a room temperature, electroless process aimed at the deposition of a nanostructured metallic silver layer with controlled coverage atop the surface of single crystals and thin films of organic semiconductors. This process relies on the reaction of aqueous AgF solutions with the nonwettable crystalline surface of donor-type organic semiconductors. It is observed that the formation of a uniform layer of silver nanoparticles can be accomplished within 20 min contact time. The electrical characterization of two-terminal devices performed before and after the aforementioned treatment shows that the metal deposition process is associated with a redox reaction causing the p-doping of the semiconductor. © 2011 American Chemical Society
Design, fabrication, and characterization of electroless Ni–P alloy films for micro heating devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Bernard Haochih; Liao, Fang-Yi; Chen, Jian-Hong

2013-01-01

In this work electroless nickel–phosphorous coatings were used as the micro heaters for scanning thermal microscopy. The deposition of Ni–P alloys not only simplified the microelectromechanical system fabrication steps but also provided flexibility in the tuning of the resistance of the heating elements. Ni–P films were plated on patterned silicon substrates and silicon with a silicon nitride film. The pre-deposition reactive ion etch (RIE) treatment caused a change in surface roughness that enhanced the adhesion of Ni–P coatings. Optimization of RIE parameters and pH values could achieve selective deposition of Ni–P, thus helped the lift-off of a serpentine circuit pattern. The chemical composition and microstructure of Ni–P films affect the electrical properties of micro heaters. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy identified the Ni–P composition and confirmed its insignificant level of oxidation. The high-temperature X-ray diffraction indicated that the as-deposited film was crystalline Ni, which later transformed into Ni 3 P at higher temperature. The resistivity of Ni–P films was tailored between 10 −5 and 10 −7 Ω m via a post-deposition annealing, which also obtained a stable temperature coefficient of resistance. Consequently, the performance of micro heaters could be designed with a high degree of flexibility. - Highlights: • We developed a process to fabricate micro heater by Ni–P electroless plating. • Reactive ion etch caused oscillating surface roughness and affected Ni–P adhesion. • Ni 3 P phase precipitates during annealing and reduces resistivity of Ni–P alloys. • Resistivity of Ni–P is tunable from 10 −5 to 10 −7 Ω m by plating and annealing
Barrier inhomogeneities limited current and 1/f noise transport in GaN based nanoscale Schottky barrier diodes

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Ashutosh; Heilmann, M.; Latzel, Michael; Kapoor, Raman; Sharma, Intu; Göbelt, M.; Christiansen, Silke H.; Kumar, Vikram; Singh, Rajendra

2016-01-01

The electrical behaviour of Schottky barrier diodes realized on vertically standing individual GaN nanorods and array of nanorods is investigated. The Schottky diodes on individual nanorod show highest barrier height in comparison with large area diodes on nanorods array and epitaxial film which is in contrast with previously published work. The discrepancy between the electrical behaviour of nanoscale Schottky diodes and large area diodes is explained using cathodoluminescence measurements, surface potential analysis using Kelvin probe force microscopy and 1ow frequency noise measurements. The noise measurements on large area diodes on nanorods array and epitaxial film suggest the presence of barrier inhomogeneities at the metal/semiconductor interface which deviate the noise spectra from Lorentzian to 1/f type. These barrier inhomogeneities in large area diodes resulted in reduced barrier height whereas due to the limited role of barrier inhomogeneities in individual nanorod based Schottky diode, a higher barrier height is obtained. PMID:27282258
Region-selective electroless gold plating on polycarbonate sheets by UV-patterning in combination with silver activating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou Qinghua [Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Zijin' gang Campus, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Chen Hengwu, E-mail: hwchen@zju.edu.c [Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Zijin' gang Campus, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Wang Yi [Institute of Microanalytical Systems, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Zijin' gang Campus, Hangzhou 310058 (China)

2010-02-28

A simple, time- and cost-effective approach for region-selective metalization of polycarbonate (PC) surface has been established by combining photoresist-free UV-patterning with tin- and amine-free silver activating and electroless gold plating. The surface of PC sheets was exposed to the UV lights emitted from a low-pressure mercury lamp through a photomask, the micro pattern on the mask being transferred to the PC surface due to the photochemical generation of carboxyl groups on the UV-exposed region. The UV-exposed PC sheets were then treated with an ammoniacal AgNO{sub 3} solution, so that the silver ions were chemisorbed by the photochemically generated carboxyl groups. When the Ag{sup +}-adsorbed PC sheet was immersed into an electroless gold plating bath, shiny gold film quickly deposited on the UV-exposed region, resulting in the formation of a micro gold devices on the PC surface. The whole plating process including UV-exposure, surface activating and gold plating can be completed in about 3-4 h. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transformation infrared spectrometer (ATR-FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were employed to trace the surface change during the plating process. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Scotch-tape test were employed to characterize the electrochemical properties and adhesion strength of the prepared micro gold devices, respectively. The prepared micro gold electrodes were demonstrated for amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide.
Study of Diffusion Barrier for Solder/ n-Type Bi2Te3 and Bonding Strength for p- and n-Type Thermoelectric Modules

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wen-Chih; Li, Ying-Sih; Wu, Albert T.

2018-01-01

This paper investigates the interfacial reaction between Sn and Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solder on n-type Bi2Te3 thermoelectric material. An electroless Ni-P layer successfully suppressed the formation of porous SnTe intermetallic compound at the interface. The formation of the layers between Bi2Te3 and Ni-P indicates that Te is the dominant diffusing species. Shear tests were conducted on both Sn and SAC305 solder on n- and p-type Bi2Te3 with and without a Ni-P barrier layer. Without a Ni-P layer, porous SnTe would result in a more brittle fracture. A comparison of joint strength for n- and p-type thermoelectric modules is evaluated by the shear test. Adding a diffusion barrier increases the mechanical strength by 19.4% in n-type and 74.0% in p-type thermoelectric modules.
Collection of Ni-bearing material from electroless plating waste by magnetic separation with HTS bulk magnet

Science.gov (United States)

Oka, T.; Fukazawa, H.; Fukui, S.; Ogawa, J.; Sato, T.; Ooizumi, M.; Tsujimura, M.; Yokoyama, K.

2014-01-01

The magnetic separation experiment to collect the Ni compounds from the waste liquid of electroless plating processes was conducted in the open-gradient magnetic separation process with the high temperature superconducting bulk magnet system. The magnetic pole containing Gd-based bulk superconductors was activated to 3.45 T at 35 K in the static magnetic field of 5 T with use of a superconducting solenoid magnet. The coarse Ni-sulfate crystals were formed by adding the concentrated sulfuric acid to the Ni-phosphite precipitates which yielded from the plating waste liquid by controlling the temperature and the pH value. The open-gradient magnetic separation technique was employed to separate the Ni-sulfate crystals from the mixture of the Ni-sulfate and Ni-phosphite compounds by the difference between their magnetic properties. And we succeeded in collecting Ni-sulfate crystals preferentially to the Ni-phosphite by attracting them to the magnetic pole soon after the Ni-sulfate crystals began to grow.
Electro-magnetic properties of composites with aligned Fe-Co hollow fibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seungchan Cho

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A novel Fe-Co binary hollow fiber was synthesized by electroless plating using hydrolyzed polyester fiber and its anisotropy characteristic was investigated for electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. The hollow fibers in parallel with magnetic field show higher saturated magnetization of 202 emu/g at the applied magnetic field of 10 kOe and lower coercivity (27.658 Oe, compared with the random and vertical oriented hollow fibers. From complex permittivity measurement, the Fe-Co hollow fiber composites clearly display a single dielectric resonance, located at ∼14 GHz. The Fe-Co hollow fibers not only provide excellent EM properties in GHz frequency ranges, resulting mainly from the strong resonance, but also adjust the soft magnetic properties through fiber alignments. The cavitary structure of the Fe-Co hollow fibers, not only giving rise to a dielectric loss resonance and also adjusting its peak frequency, may be a pathway to useful EM wave absorptive devices in GHz frequency ranges.
Ultrasonic preparation of nano-nickel/activated carbon composite using spent electroless nickel plating bath and application in degradation of 2,6-dichlorophenol.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Jingyu; Jin, Guanping; Li, Changyong; Zhu, Xiaohui; Dou, Yan; Li, Yong; Wang, Xin; Wang, Kunwei; Gu, Qianqian

2014-11-01

Ni was effectively recovered from spent electroless nickel (EN) plating baths by forming a nano-nickel coated activated carbon composite. With the aid of ultrasonication, melamine-formaldehyde-tetraoxalyl-ethylenediamine chelating resins were grafted on activated carbon (MFT/AC). PdCl2 sol was adsorbed on MFT/AC, which was then immersed in spent electroless nickel plating bath; then nano-nickel could be reduced by ascorbic acid to form a nano-nickel coating on the activated carbon composite (Ni/AC) in situ. The materials present were carefully examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemistry techniques. The resins were well distributed on the inside and outside surfaces of activated carbon with a size of 120 ± 30 nm in MFT/AC, and a great deal of nano-nickel particles were evenly deposited with a size of 3.8 ± 1.1 nm in Ni/MFT. Moreover, Ni/AC was successfully used as a catalyst for ultrasonic degradation of 2,6-dichlorophenol. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Live Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Does Not Enhance Epithelial Barrier Integrity in an Apical Anaerobic Co-Culture Model of the Large Intestine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Maier

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Appropriate intestinal barrier maturation during infancy largely depends on colonization with commensal bacteria. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is an abundant obligate anaerobe that colonizes during weaning and is thought to maintain colonic health throughout life. We previously showed that F. prausnitzii induced Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2 activation, which is linked to enhanced tight junction formation. Therefore, we hypothesized that F. prausnitzii enhances barrier integrity, an important factor in appropriate intestinal barrier maturation. In order to test metabolically active bacteria, we used a novel apical anaerobic co-culture system that allows the survival of both obligate anaerobic bacteria and oxygen-requiring intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2. The first aim was to optimize the culture medium to enable growth and active metabolism of F. prausnitzii while maintaining the viability and barrier integrity, as measured by trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER, of the Caco-2 cells. This was achieved by supplementing the apical cell culture medium with bacterial culture medium. The second aim was to test the effect of F. prausnitzii on TEER across Caco-2 cell layers. Live F. prausnitzii did not improve TEER, which indicates that its benefits are not via altering tight junction integrity. The optimization of the novel dual-environment co-culturing system performed in this research will enable the investigation of new probiotics originating from indigenous beneficial bacteria.

Live Faecalibacterium prausnitzii Does Not Enhance Epithelial Barrier Integrity in an Apical Anaerobic Co-Culture Model of the Large Intestine.

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Eva; Anderson, Rachel C; Roy, Nicole C

2017-12-12

Appropriate intestinal barrier maturation during infancy largely depends on colonization with commensal bacteria. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is an abundant obligate anaerobe that colonizes during weaning and is thought to maintain colonic health throughout life. We previously showed that F. prausnitzii induced Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) activation, which is linked to enhanced tight junction formation. Therefore, we hypothesized that F. prausnitzii enhances barrier integrity, an important factor in appropriate intestinal barrier maturation. In order to test metabolically active bacteria, we used a novel apical anaerobic co-culture system that allows the survival of both obligate anaerobic bacteria and oxygen-requiring intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2). The first aim was to optimize the culture medium to enable growth and active metabolism of F. prausnitzii while maintaining the viability and barrier integrity, as measured by trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER), of the Caco-2 cells. This was achieved by supplementing the apical cell culture medium with bacterial culture medium. The second aim was to test the effect of F. prausnitzii on TEER across Caco-2 cell layers. Live F. prausnitzii did not improve TEER, which indicates that its benefits are not via altering tight junction integrity. The optimization of the novel dual-environment co-culturing system performed in this research will enable the investigation of new probiotics originating from indigenous beneficial bacteria.
Design, fabrication, and characterization of electroless Ni–P alloy films for micro heating devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Bernard Haochih, E-mail: hcliu@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (China); Promotion Center for Global Materials Research, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (China); Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (China); Liao, Fang-Yi; Chen, Jian-Hong [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (China)

2013-06-30

In this work electroless nickel–phosphorous coatings were used as the micro heaters for scanning thermal microscopy. The deposition of Ni–P alloys not only simplified the microelectromechanical system fabrication steps but also provided flexibility in the tuning of the resistance of the heating elements. Ni–P films were plated on patterned silicon substrates and silicon with a silicon nitride film. The pre-deposition reactive ion etch (RIE) treatment caused a change in surface roughness that enhanced the adhesion of Ni–P coatings. Optimization of RIE parameters and pH values could achieve selective deposition of Ni–P, thus helped the lift-off of a serpentine circuit pattern. The chemical composition and microstructure of Ni–P films affect the electrical properties of micro heaters. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy identified the Ni–P composition and confirmed its insignificant level of oxidation. The high-temperature X-ray diffraction indicated that the as-deposited film was crystalline Ni, which later transformed into Ni{sub 3}P at higher temperature. The resistivity of Ni–P films was tailored between 10{sup −5} and 10{sup −7} Ω m via a post-deposition annealing, which also obtained a stable temperature coefficient of resistance. Consequently, the performance of micro heaters could be designed with a high degree of flexibility. - Highlights: • We developed a process to fabricate micro heater by Ni–P electroless plating. • Reactive ion etch caused oscillating surface roughness and affected Ni–P adhesion. • Ni{sub 3}P phase precipitates during annealing and reduces resistivity of Ni–P alloys. • Resistivity of Ni–P is tunable from 10{sup −5} to 10{sup −7} Ω m by plating and annealing.
Effects of Water Molecule on CO Oxidation by OH: Reaction Pathways, Kinetic Barriers, and Rate Constants.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Linyao; Yang, Li; Zhao, Yijun; Zhang, Jiaxu; Feng, Dongdong; Sun, Shaozeng

2017-07-06

The water dilute oxy-fuel combustion is a clean combustion technology for near-zero emission power; and the presence of water molecule could have both kinetic and dynamic effects on combustion reactions. The reaction OH + CO → CO 2 + H, one of the most important elementary reactions, has been investigated by extensive electronic structure calculations. And the effects of a single water molecule on CO oxidation have been studied by considering the preformed OH(H 2 O) complex reacts with CO. The results show little change in the reaction pathways, but the additional water molecule actually increases the vibrationally adiabatic energy barriers (V a G ). Further thermal rate constant calculations in the temperature range of 200 to 2000 K demonstrate that the total low-pressure limit rate constant for the water assisted OH(H 2 O) + CO → CO 2 + H 2 O + H reaction is 1-2 orders lower than that of the water unassisted one, which is consistent with the change of V a G . Therefore, the hydrated radical OH(H 2 O) would actually slow down the oxidation of CO. Meanwhile, comparisons show that the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ method gives a much better estimation in energy and thus is recommended to be employed for direct dynamics simulations.
Electroless deposition and nanolithography can control the formation of materials at the nano-scale for plasmonic applications

KAUST Repository

Coluccio, Maria Laura; Gentile, Francesco; Francardi, Marco; Perozziello, Gerardo; Malara, Natalia; Candeloro, Patrizio; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

2014-01-01

The new revolution in materials science is being driven by our ability to manipulate matter at the molecular level to create structures with novel functions and properties. The aim of this paper is to explore new strategies to obtain plasmonic metal nanostructures through the combination of a top down method, that is electron beam lithography, and a bottom up technique, that is the chemical electroless deposition. This technique allows a tight control over the shape and size of bi- and three-dimensional metal patterns at the nano scale. The resulting nanostructures can be used as constituents of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates, where the electromagnetic field is strongly amplified. Our results indicate that, in electroless growth, high quality metal nanostructures with sizes below 50 nm may be easily obtained. These findings were explained within the framework of a diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) model, that is a simulation model that makes it possible to decipher, at an atomic level, the rules governing the evolution of the growth front; moreover, we give a description of the physical echanisms of growth at a basic level. In the discussion, we show how these findings can be utilized to fabricate dimers of silver nanospheres where the size and shape of those spheres is controlled with extreme precision and can be used for very large area SERS substrates and nano-optics, for single molecule detection. 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Electroless deposition and nanolithography can control the formation of materials at the nano-scale for plasmonic applications

KAUST Repository

Coluccio, Maria Laura

2014-03-27

The new revolution in materials science is being driven by our ability to manipulate matter at the molecular level to create structures with novel functions and properties. The aim of this paper is to explore new strategies to obtain plasmonic metal nanostructures through the combination of a top down method, that is electron beam lithography, and a bottom up technique, that is the chemical electroless deposition. This technique allows a tight control over the shape and size of bi- and three-dimensional metal patterns at the nano scale. The resulting nanostructures can be used as constituents of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates, where the electromagnetic field is strongly amplified. Our results indicate that, in electroless growth, high quality metal nanostructures with sizes below 50 nm may be easily obtained. These findings were explained within the framework of a diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) model, that is a simulation model that makes it possible to decipher, at an atomic level, the rules governing the evolution of the growth front; moreover, we give a description of the physical echanisms of growth at a basic level. In the discussion, we show how these findings can be utilized to fabricate dimers of silver nanospheres where the size and shape of those spheres is controlled with extreme precision and can be used for very large area SERS substrates and nano-optics, for single molecule detection. 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Electroless Deposition and Nanolithography Can Control the Formation of Materials at the Nano-Scale for Plasmonic Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Laura Coluccio

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The new revolution in materials science is being driven by our ability to manipulate matter at the molecular level to create structures with novel functions and properties. The aim of this paper is to explore new strategies to obtain plasmonic metal nanostructures through the combination of a top down method, that is electron beam lithography, and a bottom up technique, that is the chemical electroless deposition. This technique allows a tight control over the shape and size of bi- and three-dimensional metal patterns at the nano scale. The resulting nanostructures can be used as constituents of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS substrates, where the electromagnetic field is strongly amplified. Our results indicate that, in electroless growth, high quality metal nanostructures with sizes below 50 nm may be easily obtained. These findings were explained within the framework of a diffusion limited aggregation (DLA model, that is a simulation model that makes it possible to decipher, at an atomic level, the rules governing the evolution of the growth front; moreover, we give a description of the physical mechanisms of growth at a basic level. In the discussion, we show how these findings can be utilized to fabricate dimers of silver nanospheres where the size and shape of those spheres is controlled with extreme precision and can be used for very large area SERS substrates and nano-optics, for single molecule detection.
Anodic photodissolution of n-InP, under electroless conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debiemme-Chouvy, Catherine; Quennoy, Anne

2004-01-01

In the presence of α-SiMo 12 O 40 4- ions dissolved in acidic solution and under laser irradiation, the electroless photoetching of n-type InP is achieved. At the laser impact, the semiconductor is oxidized while SiMo 12 O 40 4- species are reduced. The shape of the pit formed, due to the photoanodic dissolution of the material, depends on the experimental conditions, notably on the presence or not of Cl - ions in the medium. It can have either a Gaussian shape or a flat bottom. To specify the charge transfer which occurs at the n-InP/solution illuminated interface, some electrochemical studies were performed on n- and p-type InP electrodes. In fact, the reduction of SiMo 12 O 40 4- ions occurs by capture of electrons from the InP conduction band. Considering the energetic situation at the InP/electrolyte interface and some electrochemical results, it is concluded that the electron transfer from InP to SiMo 12 is mediated by surface states. The influence of Cl - ions on the n-InP photodissolution process is also discussed
LASER INDUCED SELECTIVE ACTIVATION UTILIZING AUTO-CATALYTIC ELECTROLESS PLATING ON POLYMER SURFACE

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Yang; Nielsen, Jakob Skov; Tang, Peter Torben

2009-01-01

. Characterization of the deposited copper layer was used to select and improve laser parameters. Several types of polymers with different melting points were used as substrate. Using the above mentioned laser treatment, standard grades of thermoplastic materials such as ABS, SAN, PE, PC and others have been......This paper presents a new method for selective micro metallization of polymers induced by laser. An Nd: YAG laser was employed to draw patterns on polymer surfaces using a special set-up. After subsequent activation and auto-catalytic electroless plating, copper only deposited on the laser tracks....... Induced by the laser, porous and rough structures are formed on the surface, which favours the palladium attachment during the activation step prior to the metallization. Laser focus detection, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and other instruments were used to analyze the topography of the laser track...
Double-barrier junction based dc SQUID

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bartolomé, M.E.; Brinkman, Alexander; Flokstra, Jakob; Golubov, Alexandre Avraamovitch; Rogalla, Horst

2000-01-01

dc SQUIDs based on double-barrier Nb/Al/AlOx/Al/AlOx/Al/Nb junctions (DBSQs) have been fabricated and tested for the first time. The current–voltage curves have been measured at temperatures down to 1.4 K. The critical current, Ic, dependence on the temperature T is partially described by the
Effect of electroless etching parameters on the growth and reflection properties of silicon nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozdemir, Baris; Unalan, Husnu Emrah; Kulakci, Mustafa; Turan, Rasit

2011-01-01

Vertically aligned silicon nanowire (Si NW) arrays have been fabricated over large areas using an electroless etching (EE) method, which involves etching of silicon wafers in a silver nitrate and hydrofluoric acid based solution. A detailed parametric study determining the relationship between nanowire morphology and time, temperature, solution concentration and starting wafer characteristics (doping type, resistivity, crystallographic orientation) is presented. The as-fabricated Si NW arrays were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and a linear dependency of nanowire length to both temperature and time was obtained and the change in the growth rate of Si NWs at increased etching durations was shown. Furthermore, the effects of EE parameters on the optical reflectivity of the Si NWs were investigated in this study. Reflectivity measurements show that the 42.8% reflectivity of the starting silicon wafer drops to 1.3%, recorded for 10 μm long Si NW arrays. The remarkable decrease in optical reflectivity indicates that Si NWs have a great potential to be utilized in radial or coaxial p-n heterojunction solar cells that could provide orthogonal photon absorption and enhanced carrier collection.
Effect of electroless etching parameters on the growth and reflection properties of silicon nanowires.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozdemir, Baris; Kulakci, Mustafa; Turan, Rasit; Unalan, Husnu Emrah

2011-04-15

Vertically aligned silicon nanowire (Si NW) arrays have been fabricated over large areas using an electroless etching (EE) method, which involves etching of silicon wafers in a silver nitrate and hydrofluoric acid based solution. A detailed parametric study determining the relationship between nanowire morphology and time, temperature, solution concentration and starting wafer characteristics (doping type, resistivity, crystallographic orientation) is presented. The as-fabricated Si NW arrays were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and a linear dependency of nanowire length to both temperature and time was obtained and the change in the growth rate of Si NWs at increased etching durations was shown. Furthermore, the effects of EE parameters on the optical reflectivity of the Si NWs were investigated in this study. Reflectivity measurements show that the 42.8% reflectivity of the starting silicon wafer drops to 1.3%, recorded for 10 µm long Si NW arrays. The remarkable decrease in optical reflectivity indicates that Si NWs have a great potential to be utilized in radial or coaxial p-n heterojunction solar cells that could provide orthogonal photon absorption and enhanced carrier collection.
Effect of electroless etching parameters on the growth and reflection properties of silicon nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Ozdemir, Baris; Kulakci, Mustafa; Turan, Rasit; Emrah Unalan, Husnu

2011-04-01

Vertically aligned silicon nanowire (Si NW) arrays have been fabricated over large areas using an electroless etching (EE) method, which involves etching of silicon wafers in a silver nitrate and hydrofluoric acid based solution. A detailed parametric study determining the relationship between nanowire morphology and time, temperature, solution concentration and starting wafer characteristics (doping type, resistivity, crystallographic orientation) is presented. The as-fabricated Si NW arrays were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and a linear dependency of nanowire length to both temperature and time was obtained and the change in the growth rate of Si NWs at increased etching durations was shown. Furthermore, the effects of EE parameters on the optical reflectivity of the Si NWs were investigated in this study. Reflectivity measurements show that the 42.8% reflectivity of the starting silicon wafer drops to 1.3%, recorded for 10 µm long Si NW arrays. The remarkable decrease in optical reflectivity indicates that Si NWs have a great potential to be utilized in radial or coaxial p-n heterojunction solar cells that could provide orthogonal photon absorption and enhanced carrier collection.
Electrochemical Investigation on the Formation of Cu Nanowires by Electroless Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felizco Jenichi Clairvaux E.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The growth of copper (Cu nanowires by electroless deposition in aqueous solution at 60-80 °C was studied from an electrochemical perspective using in situ mixed potential measurements and potential-pH diagrams. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM showed that thick and short nanowires were obtained at high temperatures, while long and thin nanowires result from low reaction temperatures. In situ mixed potential measurements reveal that Cu(II reduction is more favored at higher reaction temperatures, hastening the reduction reaction. The fast reaction leads to a high concentration of Cu atoms in the solution. As a result, Cu deposition occurs rapidly, such that they attached on both sides and ends of the primary Cu nanowires. This results to the formation of thick and short structures. On the other hand, thin and long nanowires are obtained due to the slow reduction reaction, which gives the Cu atoms more time to orderly attach in a wire-like formation.
Roles of Ag in fabricating Si nanowires by the electroless chemical etching technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, X.; Wang, Q. K.; Wangyang, P. H.; Tao, H.

2012-01-01

Silicon wafers coated with a film of Ag pattern are used for investigating roles of Ag in the fabrication of silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWs) by the electroless chemical etching technique. The diameter of SiNWs grown in the mixed AgNO 3 /HF solution ranges from 20 to 250 nm. A growth mechanism for such obtained SiNWs is proposed and further experimentally verified. As a comparison as well as to better understand this chemical process, another popular topic on growing SiNWs in the H 2 O 2 /HF solution is also studied. Originating from different chemical reaction mechanisms, Ag film could protect the underneath Si in the AgNO 3 /HF solution and it could, on the contrary, accelerate etching of the underneath Si in the H 2 O 2 /HF solution.
Attitudes and barriers to evidence-based practice in optometry educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Suttle, Catherine M; Challinor, Kirsten L; Thompson, Rachel E; Pesudovs, Konrad; Togher, Leanne; Chiavaroli, Neville; Lee, Adrian; Junghans, Barbara; Stapleton, Fiona; Watt, Kathleen; Jalbert, Isabelle

2015-04-01

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an essential component of good quality, patient-centered health care. This requires practitioners to acquire EBP skills and knowledge during undergraduate and continuing education. Evidence-based practice education exists in a range of health care disciplines, including optometry. Evidence-based practice education, however, depends on relevant skills and knowledge in educators. Courses and workshops exist for the development of EBP teaching skills in some areas of health care but not in optometry. Here, we describe a pilot workshop designed to enhance the teaching of EBP and to investigate the perspectives of optometric educators on EBP including their attitudes and perceived barriers to EBP and its teaching. Twenty-seven optometric educators including 8 facilitators participated. Of these, 14 were academics (including the 8 facilitators) and 13 were practitioners. Evidence-based practice attitudes were assessed using the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale-50 with appropriate modifications for optometry. Workshop design incorporated strategies to trigger discussion among participants. A nominal group technique was used to identify, prioritize, and reach consensus on barriers to EBP. Although some participants expressed reservations about EBP, a common understanding of the contemporary definition of EBP emerged in educators. Thirty-five barriers to EBP were identified; "time" was selected in the top five barriers by most participants and attracted the highest total score, well above any other barrier (negative attitude to EBP, volume of evidence, integration with clinical practice, and lack of lifelong learning mind-set). Attitudes toward EBP were generally positive and negatively correlated with age and time since graduation, respectively. A group of optometrists and academics new to implementing education in EBP displayed positive attitudes to EBP but considered that its application and teaching could be significantly hindered
FeCoNi coated glass fibers in composite sheets for electromagnetic absorption and shielding behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joonsik; Jung, Byung Mun; Lee, Sang Bok; Lee, Sang Kwan; Kim, Ki Hyeon

2017-09-01

To evaluate the electromagnetic (EM) absorption and shield of magnetic composite sheet, we prepared the FeCoNi coated glass fibers filled in composite sheet. The FeCoNi was coated by electroless plating on glass fiber as a filler. The coated FeCoNi found that consist of mixtures of bcc and fcc phase. The magnetization and coercivity of coated FeCoNi are about 110 emu/g and 57 Oe, respectively. The permittivity and permeability of the FeCoNi composite sheet were about 21 and 1, respectively. Power absorption increased 95% with the increment of frequency up to 10 GHz. Inter-decoupling of this composite sheet showed maximum 30 dB at around 5.3 GHz, which is comparable to that of a conductive Cu foil. Shielding effectiveness (SE) was measured by using rectangular waveguide method. SE of composite obtained about 37 dB at X-band frequency region.
Development of nickel membranes deposited on ceramic materials by electroless plating: studies of the hydrogen perm-selectivity properties at elevated temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amer, J.

2008-09-01

The main objective of this work was to synthesize nickel based membranes by electroless plating on materials such as alumina-α, alumina-γ and zirconia with various textures and to determine their hydrogen perm-selectivity at high temperatures. The synthesis of metal films of high purity (≥ 99% mass Ni) resulting from the choice of hydrazine with its dual role of reducing and complexing agent has revealed that the diameter of pores on the surface support has an impact on the quality of metal adherence. The various contributions of hydrogen transport through these composite membranes at low temperatures (Knudsen and surface diffusion) and at high temperatures (Knudsen and activated diffusion) was established. At its implementation in a membrane reactor (reaction of propane dehydrogenation), the layer of nickel showed a very good resistance to coking. (author)
Size effect on the adsorption and dissociation of CO{sub 2} on Co nanoclusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Haiyan; Cao, Dapeng; Fisher, Adrian [International Research Center for Soft Matter, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Johnston, Roy L. [School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Cheng, Daojian, E-mail: chengdj@mail.buct.edu.cn [International Research Center for Soft Matter, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters were predicted as the high-symmetry structures. • CO{sub 2} dissociation on the size-selected Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters was studied. • Co{sub 55} nanocluster possesses the highest activity relevant to CO{sub 2} dissociation. • A non-monotonous behavior of the dissociation barrier of CO{sub 2} with the size was found. - Abstract: Spin-polarized density functional theory calculations were carried out to study the adsorption and dissociation properties of CO{sub 2} on size-selected Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters. Based on genetic algorithm method, Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters were predicted as the most stable high-symmetry structures among these Co{sub n} (n = 2–58) nanoclusters from the Gupta potential. For the adsorption of CO{sub 2}, CO and O on size-selected Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters, the lowest adsorption strength is found for all the different adsorbates on Co{sub 55} nanocluster. For the dissociation of CO{sub 2} on these size-selected Co nanoclusters, the largest Co{sub 55} nanocluster possesses the greatest catalytic activity for the dissociation of CO{sub 2}, with the smallest reaction barrier of 0.38 eV. Our results reveal a non-monotonous behavior of the catalytic activities of Co nanoclusters on size, which is of fundamental interest for the design of new Co catalysts for the conversion of CO{sub 2}.
Electroless porous silicon formation applied to fabrication of boron-silica-glass cantilevers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teva, Jordi; Davis, Zachary James; Hansen, Ole

2010-01-01

This work describes the characterization and optimization of anisotropic formation of porous silicon in large volumes (0.5-1 mm3) of silicon by an electroless wet etching technique. The main goal is to use porous silicon as a sacrificial volume for bulk micromachining processes, especially in cases...... where etching of the full wafer thickness is needed. The porous silicon volume is formed by a metal-assisted etching in a wet chemical solution composed of hydrogen peroxide (30%), hydrofluoric acid (40%) and ethanol. This paper focuses on optimizing the etching conditions in terms of maximizing...... for bio-chemical sensors. The porous silicon volume is formed in an early step of the fabrication process, allowing easy handling of the wafer during all of the micromachining processes in the process flow. In the final process step, the porous silicon is quickly etched by immersing the wafer in a KOH...
Facile synthesis of dendritic Cu by electroless reaction of Cu-Al alloys in multiphase solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Ying; Liang, Shuhua, E-mail: liangxaut@gmail.com; Yang, Qing; Wang, Xianhui

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Nano- or micro-scale fractal dendritic copper (FDC) was synthesized by electroless immersing of Cu-Al alloys in CuCl{sub 2} + HCl. • FDC size increases with the increase of Al content in Cu-Al alloys immersed in CuCl{sub 2} + HCl solution. • Nanoscale Cu{sub 2}O was found at the edge of FDC. Nanoporous copper (NPC) can also be obtained by using Cu{sub 17}Al{sub 83} alloy. • The potential difference between CuAl{sub 2} and α-Al phase and the replacement reaction in multiphase solution are key factors. - Abstract: Two-dimensional nano- or micro-scale fractal dendritic coppers (FDCs) were synthesized by electroless immersing of Cu-Al alloys in hydrochloric acid solution containing copper chloride without any assistance of template or surfactant. The FDC size increases with the increase of Al content in Cu-Al alloys immersed in CuCl{sub 2} + HCl solution. Compared to Cu{sub 40}Al{sub 60} and Cu{sub 45}Al{sub 55} alloys, the FDC shows hierarchical distribution and homogeneous structures using Cu{sub 17}Al{sub 83} alloy as the starting alloy. The growth direction of the FDC is <110>, and all angles between the trunks and branches are 60°. Nanoscale Cu{sub 2}O was found at the edge of FDC. Interestingly, nanoporous copper (NPC) can also be obtained through Cu{sub 17}Al{sub 83} alloy. Studies showed that the formation of FDC depended on two key factors: the potential difference between CuAl{sub 2} intermetallic and α-Al phase of dual-phase Cu-Al alloys; a replacement reaction that usually occurs in multiphase solution. The electrochemical experiment further proved that the multi-branch dendritic structure is very beneficial to the proton transfer in the process of catalyzing methanol.

Influence of face-centered-cubic texturing of Co2Fe6B2 pinned layer on tunneling magnetoresistance ratio decrease in Co2Fe6B2/MgO-based p-MTJ spin valves stacked with a [Co/Pd](n)-SyAF layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Takemura, Yasutaka; Lee, Du-Yeong; Lee, Seung-Eun; Chae, Kyo-Suk; Shim, Tae-Hun; Lian, Guoda; Kim, Moon; Park, Jea-Gun

2015-05-15

The TMR ratio of Co2Fe6B2/MgO-based p-MTJ spin valves stacked with a [Co/Pd]n-SyAF layer decreased rapidly when the ex situ magnetic annealing temperature (Tex) was increased from 275 to 325 °C, and this decrease was associated with degradation of the Co2Fe6B2 pinned layer rather than the Co2Fe6B2 free layer. At a Tex above 325 °C the amorphous Co2Fe6B2 pinned layer was transformed into a face-centered-cubic (fcc) crystalline layer textured from [Co/Pd]n-SyAF, abruptly reducing the Δ1 coherence tunneling of perpendicular-spin-torque electrons between the (100) MgO tunneling barrier and the fcc Co2Fe6B2 pinned layer.
CO2 laser direct writing of silver lines on epoxy resin from solid film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, J.G.; Chen, C.H.; Zheng, J.S.; Huang, J.Y.

2005-01-01

A technique of CO 2 laser direct writing from solid film was proposed in this paper. Patterns of silver lines were locally deposited on the non-conductive substrate using a preset layer of silver compound solid film, which was irradiated by focused CO 2 laser beam. The deposits were analyzed by XPS and EPMA. Results showed that metallic silver was dominant with an even distribution on the surface of the substrate, and part of the deposited silver had diffused into the substrate interior. The deposits had catalytic activity for the further electroless copper plating and had strong adhesion to the substrate. At last, the deposition mechanism and the dependence of the width of silver lines on the laser power and scan speed were roughly explored
Characterization of electroless Au, Pt and Pd contacts on CdTe and ZnTe by RBS and SIMS techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roumie, M. E-mail: mroumie@cnrs.edu.lb; Hageali, M.; Zahraman, K.; Nsouli, B.; Younes, G

2004-06-01

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) was applied to characterize Au, Pt and Pd contacts on II-VI semiconductor materials, CdTe and ZnTe, used as nuclear detectors. Electroless thin film depositions were prepared by changing the concentration of the reaction solution. Contrary to the deposition reaction time, it was observed that the amount of solution dilution degree had a considerable effect on increasing the thickness of the metal layer. Furthermore, PICTS electrical measurements confirmed the depth profile analysis performed by RBS and SIMS.
ANALISIS STRUKTUR MIKRO LAPISAN BOND COAT NIAL THERMAL BARRIER COATING (TBC PADA PADUAN LOGAM BERBASIS CO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toto Sudiro

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Kehandalan dan umur pakai sistem Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC ditentukan oleh kestabilan lapisan bond coat dan thermal grown oxide (TGO. Sehingga sangatlah penting untuk memahami mekanisme pembentukan dan degradasi lapisan ini. Pada makalah ini akan dibahas analisis struktur mikro lapisan bond coat NiAl yang dideposisikan pada substrat CoCrNi dengan menggunakan gabungan metoda electroplating dan pack-cementation. Pada makalah ini juga dibahas mekanisme pembentukan void disepanjang interface bond coat¬-substrat setelah tes oksidasi.
A tunable acoustic barrier based on periodic arrays of subwavelength slits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constanza Rubio

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The most usual method to reduce undesirable enviromental noise levels during its transmission is the use of acoustic barriers. A novel type of acoustic barrier based on sound transmission through subwavelength slits is presented. This system consists of two rows of periodic repetition of vertical rigid pickets separated by a slit of subwavelength width and with a misalignment between them. Here, both the experimental and the numerical analyses are presented. The acoustic barrier proposed can be easily built and is frequency tunable. The results demonstrated that the proposed barrier can be tuned to mitigate a band noise without excesive barrier thickness. The use of this system as an environmental acoustic barrier has certain advantages with regard to the ones currently used both from the constructive and the acoustical point of view.
A tunable acoustic barrier based on periodic arrays of subwavelength slits

Science.gov (United States)

Rubio, Constanza; Uris, Antonio; Candelas, Pilar; Belmar, Francisco; Gomez-Lozano, Vicente

2015-05-01

The most usual method to reduce undesirable enviromental noise levels during its transmission is the use of acoustic barriers. A novel type of acoustic barrier based on sound transmission through subwavelength slits is presented. This system consists of two rows of periodic repetition of vertical rigid pickets separated by a slit of subwavelength width and with a misalignment between them. Here, both the experimental and the numerical analyses are presented. The acoustic barrier proposed can be easily built and is frequency tunable. The results demonstrated that the proposed barrier can be tuned to mitigate a band noise without excesive barrier thickness. The use of this system as an environmental acoustic barrier has certain advantages with regard to the ones currently used both from the constructive and the acoustical point of view.
The Morphology of Silver Layers on SU8 polymers prepared by Electroless Deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Aniruddha; Yuan, Biao; Heinrich, Helge; Grabill, Chris; Williams, Henry; Kuebler, Stephen; Bhattacharya, Aniket

2010-03-01

Silver was deposited onto the functionalized surface of polymeric SU-8 where gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) act as nucleation sites using electroless metallization chemistry. Here we report on the evolution of the nanoscale morphology of deposited Ag studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). In TEM of sample cross sections correlations between the original gold and the silver nanoparticles were obtained while plan-view TEM results showed the distribution of nanoparticles on the surface. Scanning TEM with a high-angle annular dark field detector was used to obtain atomic number contrast. The morphology of the deposited Ag was controlled through the presence and absence of gum Arabic. The thickness and height fluctuations of the Ag layer were determined as a function of time and a statistical analysis of the growth process was conducted for the initial deposition periods.
Electroless copper plating on 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane modified PET fabric challenged by ultrasonic washing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Yinxiang

2009-01-01

Electroless deposition of Cu on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric modified with 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane was investigated. Morphology, composition, structure, thermal decomposing behavior of copper coating PET fabric after ultrasonic washing in water for 1 h were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectrometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG), respectively. Copper plating on modified fabric has good adherence stability and high electric conductivity before and after ultrasonic washing, while copper coating fabric without modification is easily destroyed during the washing process, which leads to the textile changing from conductor to dielectric. As the copper weight on the treated fabric is 28 g/m 2 , the shielding effectiveness (SE) is more than 54 dB at frequency ranging from 0.01 MHz to 18 GHz.
Nuclear fuel element and container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grubb, W.T.; King, L.H.

1981-01-01

The invention is based on the discovery that a substantial reduction in metal embrittlement or stress corrosion cracking from fuel pellet-cladding interaction can be achieved by the use of a copper layer or liner in proximity to the nuclear fuel, and an intermediate zirconium oxide barrier layer between the copper layer and the zirconium cladding substrate. The intermediate zirconia layer is a good copper diffusion barrier; also, if the zirconium cladding surface is modified prior to oxidation, copper can be deposited by electroless plating. A nuclear fuel element is described which comprises a central core of fuel material and an elongated container using the system outlined above. The method for making the container is again described. It comprises roughening or etching the surface of the zirconium or zirconium alloy container, oxidizing the resulting container, activating the oxidized surface to allow for the metallic coating of such surfaces by electroless deposition and further coating the activated-oxidized surface of the zirconium or zirconium alloy container with copper, iron or nickel or an alloy thereof. (U.K.)
Creation and dynamical co-evolution of electron and ion channel transport barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, D.E.

2002-01-01

A wide variety of magnetic confinement devices have found transitions to an enhanced confinement regime. Simple dynamical models have been able to capture much of the dynamics of these barriers however an open question has been the disconnected nature of the electron thermal transport channel sometimes observed in the presence of a standard ('ion channel' barrier. By adding to simple barrier model an evolution equation for electron fluctuations we can investigate the interaction between the formation of the standard ion channel barrier and the somewhat less common electron channel barrier. Barrier formation in the electron channel is even more sensitive to the alignment of the various gradients making up the sheared radial electric field than the ion barrier is. Electron channel heat transport is found to significantly increase after the formation of the ion channel barrier but before the electron channel barrier is formed. This increased transport is important in the barrier evolution. (author)
Fabrication and Characteristics of High Capacitance Al Thin Films Capacitor Using a Polymer Inhibitor Bath in Electroless Plating Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Young-Lae; Lee, Jung-Woo; Lee, Chang-Hyoung; Choi, Hyung-Seon; Kim, Sung-Su; Song, Young Il; Park, Chan; Suh, Su-Jeong

2015-10-01

An aluminum (Al) thin film capacitor was fabricated for a high capacitance capacitor using electrochemical etching, barrier-type anodizing, and electroless Ni-P plating. In this study, we focused on the bottom-up filling of Ni-P electrodes on Al2O3/Al with etched tunnels. The Al tunnel pits were irregularly distributed on the Al foil, diameters were in the range of about 0.5~1 μm, the depth of the tunnel pits was approximately 35~40 μm, and the complex structure was made full filled hard metal. To control the plating rate, the experiment was performed by adding polyethyleneimine (PEI, C2H5N), a high molecular substance. PEI forms a cross-link at the etching tunnel inlet, playing the role of delaying the inlet plating. When the PEI solution bath was used after activation, the Ni-P layer was deposited selectively on the bottoms of the tunnels. The characteristics were analyzed by adding the PEI addition quantity rate of 100~600 mg/L into the DI water. The capacitance of the Ni-P/Al2O3 (650~700 nm)/Al film was measured at 1 kHz using an impedance/gain phase analyzer. For the plane film without etch tunnels the capacitance was 12.5 nF/cm2 and for the etch film with Ni-P bottom-up filling the capacitance was 92 nF/cm2. These results illustrate a remarkable maximization of capacitance for thin film metal capacitors.
Exceptionally High Efficient Co-Co2P@N, P-Codoped Carbon Hybrid Catalyst for Visible Light-Driven CO2-to-CO Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Wen Gan

2018-05-02

Artificial photosynthesis has attracted wide attention, particularly the development of efficient solar light-driven methods to reduce CO2 to form energy-rich carbon-based products. Because CO2 reduction is an uphill process with a large energy barrier, suitable catalysts are necessary to achieve this transformation. In addition, CO2 adsorption on a catalyst and proton transfer to CO2 are two important factors for the conversion reaction，and catalysts with high surface area and more active sites are required to improve the efficiency of CO2 reduction. Here, we report a visible light-driven system for CO2-to-CO conversion that consists of a heterogeneous hybrid catalyst of Co and Co2P nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanolayers codoped with N and P (Co-Co2P@NPC) and a homogeneous Ru(II)-based complex photosensitizer. The average generation rate of CO of the system was up to 35,000 μmol h-1 g-1 with selectivity of 79.1% in 3 h. Linear CO production at an exceptionally high rate of 63,000 μmol h-1 g-1 was observed in the first hour of reaction. Inspired by this highly active catalyst, we also synthesized Co@NC and Co2P@NPC materials and explored their structure, morphology, and catalytic properties for CO2 photoreduction. The results showed that the nanoparticle size, partially adsorbed H2O molecules on the catalyst surface, and the hybrid nature of the systems influenced their photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Radiation defect formation in two-barrier structures based on silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madatov, R.S.; Abbasov, F.P.; Mustafayev, Yu.M.

2013-01-01

It was developed a silicon-based photodetector with high integral sensitivity in low-wave spectrum. It was investigated the effect of gamma radiation on the mechanism of current transport in the structure of Schottky barrier type and in transitions. It is shown that the double-barrier structures can improve the photovoltaic parameters of conventional detectors. For the first time it was obtained and studied the characteristics of two-barrier structures created on the same plane. The advantages over conventional structures are shown. The annealing point is changing the structure of radiation defects and leads to their disappearance
Stability of nonfouling electroless nickel-polytetrafluoroethylene coatings after exposure to commercial dairy equipment sanitizers.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Kang; Goddard, Julie M

2015-09-01

Application of nonfouling coatings on thermal processing equipment can improve operational efficiency. However, to enable effective commercial translation, a need exists for more comprehensive studies on the stability of nonfouling coatings after exposure to different sanitizers. In the current study, the influence of different commercial dairy equipment sanitizers on the nonfouling properties of stainless steel modified with electroless Ni-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coatings was determined. Surface properties, such as dynamic contact angle, surface energy, surface morphology, and elemental composition, were measured before and after the coupons were exposed to the sanitizers for 168 cleaning cycles. The fouling behavior of Ni-PTFE-modified stainless steel coupons after exposure was also evaluated by processing raw milk on a self-fabricated benchtop-scale plate heat exchanger. The results indicated that peroxide sanitizer had only minor effect on the Ni-PTFE-modified stainless steel surface, whereas chlorine- and iodine-based sanitizers influenced the surface properties drastically. The coupons after 168 cycles of exposure to peroxide sanitizer accumulated the least amount of fouling material (4.44±0.24mg/cm(2)) compared with the coupons exposed to the other 3 sanitizers. These observations indicated that the Ni-PTFE nonfouling coating retained antifouling properties after 168 cycles of exposure to peroxide-based sanitizer, supporting their potential application as nonfouling coatings for stainless steel dairy processing equipment. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Barriers to Implementing Evidence-Based Intrapartum Care: A Descriptive Exploratory Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Iravani, Mina; Janghorbani, Mohsen; Zarean, Ellahe; Bahrami, Masod

2016-02-01

Evidence based practice is an effective strategy to improve the quality of obstetric care. Identification of barriers to adaptation of evidence-based intrapartum care is necessary and crucial to deliver high quality care to parturient women. The current study aimed to explore barriers to adaptation of evidence-based intrapartum care from the perspective of clinical groups that provide obstetric care in Iran. This descriptive exploratory qualitative research was conducted from 2013 to 2014 in fourteen state medical training centers in Iran. Participants were selected from midwives, specialists, and residents of obstetrics and gynecology, with a purposive sample and snowball method. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed according to conventional content analysis. Data analysis identified twenty subcategories and four main categories. Main categories included barriers were related to laboring women, persons providing care, the organization environment and health system. The adoption of evidence based intrapartum care is a complex process. In this regard, identifying potential barriers is the first step to determine and apply effective strategies to encourage the compliance evidence based obstetric care and improves maternity care quality.
Fabrication of Mg-X-O (X = Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Ti, V, and Zn) barriers for magnetic tunnel junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Yakushiji, K.; Kitagawa, E.; Ochiai, T.; Kubota, H.; Shimomura, N.; Ito, J.; Yoda, H.; Yuasa, S.

2018-05-01

We fabricated magnetic tunnel junctions with a 3d-transition material(X)-doped MgO (Mg-X-O) barrier, and evaluated the effect of the doping on magnetoresistance (MR) and microstructure. Among the variations of X (X = Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Mn, Ti, V, and Zn), X = Fe and Mn showed a high MR ratio of more than 100%, even at a low resistance-area product of 3 Ωμm2. The microstructure analysis revealed that (001) textured orientation formed for X = Fe and Mn despite substantial doping (about 10 at%). The elemental mappings indicated that Fe atoms in the Mg-Fe-O barrier were segregated at the interfaces, while Mn atoms were evenly involved in the Mg-Mn-O barrier. This suggests that MgO has high adaptability for Fe and Mn dopants in terms of high MR ratio.
Interlaminar and ductile characteristics of carbon fibers-reinforced plastics produced by nanoscaled electroless nickel plating on carbon fiber surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soo-Jin; Jang, Yu-Sin; Rhee, Kyong-Yop

2002-01-15

In this work, a new method based on nanoscaled Ni-P alloy coating on carbon fiber surfaces is proposed for the improvement of interfacial properties between fibers and epoxy matrix in a composite system. Fiber surfaces and the mechanical interfacial properties of composites were characterized by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), and impact strength. Experimental results showed that the O(1s)/C(1s) ratio or Ni and P amounts had been increased as the electroless nickel plating proceeded; the ILSS had also been slightly improved. The impact properties were significantly improved in the presence of Ni-P alloy on carbon fiber surfaces, increasing the ductility of the composites. This was probably due to the effect of substituted Ni-P alloy, leading to an increase of the resistance to the deformation and the crack initiation of the epoxy system.
Ultraviolet light and ozone surface modification of poly-alpha α-methylstyrene using electroless nickel plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chi Fangting; Sichuan Univ., Chengdu; Li Bo; Liu Yiyang; Chen Sufen; Jiang Bo

2009-01-01

The deposition capability of nickel on the surface of poly-α-methylstyrene microspheres was improved by combined treatment of ozone aeration and UV irradiation in aqueous ammonia. Surface properties of the treated film were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and Fourier transform infrared(FT-TR) measurements. The samples were characterized by SEM. The results indicate that after ultraviolet joint ozone treatment, the surfaces of microspheres were oxidized, and the amine and amide groups are introduced on their surface. The images of SEM show the adhesion between microspheres and nickel-phosphorus films was improved after surface modification. This was attributed to amide which could chemisorb palladium ions to catalyze electroless nickel plating on the pretreated surface of microspheres. (authors)
A path method for finding energy barriers and minimum energy paths in complex micromagnetic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dittrich, R.; Schrefl, T.; Suess, D.; Scholz, W.; Forster, H.; Fidler, J.

2002-01-01

Minimum energy paths and energy barriers are calculated for complex micromagnetic systems. The method is based on the nudged elastic band method and uses finite-element techniques to represent granular structures. The method was found to be robust and fast for both simple test problems as well as for large systems such as patterned granular media. The method is used to estimate the energy barriers in CoCr-based perpendicular recording media
Probing the energy barriers and magnetization reversal processes of nanoperforated membrane based percolated media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neu, V; Schultz, L; Schulze, C; Makarov, D; Albrecht, M; Faustini, M; Grosso, D; Lee, J; Kim, S-K; Suess, D

2013-01-01

Magnetization reversal processes in Co/Pt multilayers prepared on nanoperforated templates are probed by magnetization relaxation measurements. The signature of pinning controlled domain wall movement as expected for percolated media is identified. This contrasts with the nucleation-type reversal mechanism of a Co/Pt reference film prepared on a smooth substrate. A zero field energy barrier of 93k B T is determined by fluctuation field measurements and is elucidated by micromagnetic calculations using the nudged elastic band method. This value is sufficiently large to qualify the material as a promising percolated medium. (paper)

Magnetic tunnel junctions with AlN and AlNxOy barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwickert, M. M.; Childress, J. R.; Fontana, R. E.; Kellock, A. J.; Rice, P. M.; Ho, M. K.; Thompson, T. J.; Gurney, B. A.

2001-01-01

Nonoxide tunnel barriers such as AlN are of interest for magnetic tunnel junctions to avoid the oxidation of the magnetic electrodes. We have investigated the fabrication and properties of thin AlN-based barriers for use in low resistance magnetic tunnel junctions. Electronic, magnetic and structural data of tunnel valves of the form Ta (100 Aa)/PtMn (300 Aa)/CoFe 20 (20 Aa - 25 Aa)/barrier/CoFe 20 (10 - 20 Aa)/NiFe 16 (35 - 40 Aa)/Ta (100 Aa) are presented, where the barrier consists of AlN, AlN x O y or AlN/AlO x with total thicknesses between 8 and 15 Aa. The tunnel junctions were sputter deposited and then lithographically patterned down to 2 x 2μm 2 devices. AlN was deposited by reactive sputtering from an Al target with 20% - 35% N 2 in the Ar sputter gas at room temperature, resulting in stoichiometric growth of AlN x (x=0.50±0.05), as determined by RBS. TEM analysis shows that the as-deposited AlN barrier is crystalline. For AlN barriers and AlN followed by natural O 2 oxidation, we obtain tunnel magnetoresistance >10% with specific junction resistance R j down to 60Ωμm 2 . [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics
A laser printing based approach for printed electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, T.; Hu, M.; Guo, Q.; Zhang, W.; Yang, J., E-mail: jyang@eng.uwo.ca [Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University, London N6A 3K7 (Canada); Liu, Y.; Lau, W. [Chengdu Green Energy and Green Manufacturing Technology R& D Center, 355 Tengfei Road, 620107 Chengdu (China); Wang, X. [Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Western University, London N6A 3K7 (Canada); Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2016-03-07

Here we report a study of printing of electronics using an office use laser printer. The proposed method eliminates those critical disadvantages of solvent-based printing techniques by taking the advantages of electroless deposition and laser printing. The synthesized toner acts as a catalyst for the electroless copper deposition as well as an adhesion-promoting buffer layer between the substrate and deposited copper. The easy metallization of printed patterns and strong metal-substrate adhesion make it an especially effective method for massive production of flexible printed circuits. The proposed process is a high throughput, low cost, efficient, and environmentally benign method for flexible electronics manufacturing.
A laser printing based approach for printed electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, T.; Hu, M.; Guo, Q.; Zhang, W.; Yang, J.; Liu, Y.; Lau, W.; Wang, X.

2016-01-01

Here we report a study of printing of electronics using an office use laser printer. The proposed method eliminates those critical disadvantages of solvent-based printing techniques by taking the advantages of electroless deposition and laser printing. The synthesized toner acts as a catalyst for the electroless copper deposition as well as an adhesion-promoting buffer layer between the substrate and deposited copper. The easy metallization of printed patterns and strong metal-substrate adhesion make it an especially effective method for massive production of flexible printed circuits. The proposed process is a high throughput, low cost, efficient, and environmentally benign method for flexible electronics manufacturing.
A novel blood-brain barrier co-culture system for drug targeting of Alzheimer's disease: establishment by using acitretin as a model drug.

Science.gov (United States)

Freese, Christian; Reinhardt, Sven; Hefner, Gudrun; Unger, Ronald E; Kirkpatrick, C James; Endres, Kristina

2014-01-01

In the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) the homeostasis of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing in the brain is impaired. The expression of the competing proteases ADAM10 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10) and BACE-1 (beta site APP cleaving enzyme 1) is shifted in favor of the A-beta generating enzyme BACE-1. Acitretin--a synthetic retinoid-e.g., has been shown to increase ADAM10 gene expression, resulting in a decreased level of A-beta peptides within the brain of AD model mice and thus is of possible value for AD therapy. A striking challenge in evaluating novel therapeutically applicable drugs is the analysis of their potential to overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for central nervous system targeting. In this study, we established a novel cell-based bio-assay model to test ADAM10-inducing drugs for their ability to cross the BBB. We therefore used primary porcine brain endothelial cells (PBECs) and human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) transfected with an ADAM10-promoter luciferase reporter vector in an indirect co-culture system. Acitretin served as a model substance that crosses the BBB and induces ADAM10 expression. We ensured that ADAM10-dependent constitutive APP metabolism in the neuronal cells was unaffected under co-cultivation conditions. Barrier properties established by PBECs were augmented by co-cultivation with SH-SY5Y cells and they remained stable during the treatment with acitretin as demonstrated by electrical resistance measurement and permeability-coefficient determination. As a consequence of transcellular acitretin transport measured by HPLC, the activity of the ADAM10-promoter reporter gene was significantly increased in co-cultured neuronal cells as compared to vehicle-treated controls. In the present study, we provide a new bio-assay system relevant for the study of drug targeting of AD. This bio-assay can easily be adapted to analyze other Alzheimer- or CNS disease-relevant targets in neuronal cells, as their
Transparent, Ultrahigh-Gas-Barrier Films with a Brick-Mortar-Sand Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Yibo; Pan, Ting; Xu, Simin; Yan, Hong; Han, Jingbin; Wei, Min; Evans, David G; Duan, Xue

2015-08-10

Transparent and flexible gas-barrier materials have shown broad applications in electronics, food, and pharmaceutical preservation. Herein, we report ultrahigh-gas-barrier films with a brick-mortar-sand structure fabricated by layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of XAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH, X=Mg, Ni, Zn, Co) nanoplatelets and polyacrylic acid (PAA) followed by CO2 infilling, denoted as (XAl-LDH/PAA)n-CO2. The near-perfectly parallel orientation of the LDH "brick" creates a long diffusion length to hinder the transmission of gas molecules in the PAA "mortar". Most significantly, both the experimental studies and theoretical simulations reveal that the chemically adsorbed CO2 acts like "sand" to fill the free volume at the organic-inorganic interface, which further depresses the diffusion of permeating gas. The strategy presented here provides a new insight into the perception of barrier mechanism, and the (XAl-LDH/PAA)n-CO2 film is among the best gas barrier films ever reported. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Vacuum brazing of electroless Ni-P alloy-coated SiCp/Al composites using aluminum-based filler metal foil

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng; Xu, Dongxia; Niu, Jitai

2016-12-01

Using rapidly cooled (Al-10Si-20Cu-0.05Ce)-1Ti (wt%) foil as filler metal, the research obtained high-performance joints of electroless Ni-P alloy-coated aluminum matrix composites with high SiC particle content (60 vol%, SiCp/Al-MMCs). The effect of brazing process on joint properties and the formation of Al-Ni and Al-Cu-Ni intermetallic compounds were investigated, respectively. Due to the presence of Ni-P alloy coating, the wettability of liquid filler metal on the composites was improved obviously and its contact angle was only 21°. The formation of Al3Ni2 and Al3(CuNi)2 intermetallic compounds indicated that well metallurgical bonding occurred along the 6063Al matrix alloy/Ni-P alloy layer/filler metal foil interfaces by mutual diffusion and dissolution. And the joint shear strength increased with increasing the brazing temperature from 838 to 843 K or prolonging the soaking time from 15 to 35 min, while it decreased a lot because of corrosion occurring in the 6063Al matrix at high brazing temperature of 848 K. Sound joints with maximum shear strength of 112.5 MPa were obtained at 843 K for soaking time of 35 min. In this research, the beneficial effect of surface metallization by Ni-P alloy deposits on improving wettability on SiCp/Al-MMCs was demonstrated, and capable welding parameters were broadened as well.
Perceived Benefits and Barriers of a Community-Based Diabetes Prevention and Management Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Shawley-Brzoska, Samantha; Misra, Ranjita

2018-03-13

This study examined the perceptions of benefits of and barriers to participating in a community-based diabetes program to improve program effectiveness. The Diabetes Prevention and Management (DPM) program was a twenty-two session, 1-year program, modeled after the evidence-based National Diabetes Prevention Program and AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors framework. Community-based participatory research approach was used to culturally tailor the curriculum. Participants included overweight or obese adults with dysglycemia. A benefits and barriers survey was developed to gather information on participants' perception of the program, as well as information on demographics and health literacy levels. Eighty-nine adults participated in the DPM program (73% females; 62% diabetic; 77% had adequate health literacy); 79% of participants completed the benefits and barriers survey. Principal component analysis indicated two components representing benefits (Cronbach's α = 0.83) and barriers (α = 0.65). The majority perceived high benefits and low barriers to program participation; benefits included helpful interaction with health coach or program leader (73%), improved lifestyle modification (65%) due to the program, and satisfaction with the program (75%). Open-ended questions confirmed themes related to benefits of program participation, suggestion for programmatic improvements as well as barriers to participation. Participant feedback could be used to guide interventions and tailor future program implementation.
NiCoBP-doped carbon nanotube hybrid: A novel oxidase mimetic system for highly efficient electrochemical immunoassay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Bing; He, Yu; Liu, Bingqian; Tang, Dianping, E-mail: dianping.tang@fzu.edu.cn

2014-12-03

Highlights: • We report a new oxidase mimetic system for highly efficient electrochemical immunoassay. • NiCoBP-doped carbon nanotube hybrids were used as the nanocatalysts. • NiCoBP-doped carbon nanotube hybrids were used as the mimic oxidase. - Abstract: NiCoBP-doped multi-walled carbon nanotube (NiCoBP–MWCNT) was first synthesized by using induced electroless-plating method and functionalized with the biomolecules for highly efficient electrochemical immunoassay of prostate-specific antigen (PSA, used as a model analyte). We discovered that the as-synthesized NiCoBP–MWCNT had the ability to catalyze the glucose oxidization with a stable and well-defined redox peak. The catalytic current increased with the increment of the immobilized NiCoBP–MWCNT on the electrode. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) were employed to characterize the as-prepared NiCoBP–MWCNT. Using the NiCoBP–MWCNT-conjugated anti-PSA antibody as the signal-transduction tag, a new enzyme-free electrochemical immunoassay protocol could be designed for the detection of target PSA on the capture antibody-functionalized immunosensing interface. Experimental results revealed that the designed immunoassay system could exhibit good electrochemical responses toward target PSA, and allowed the detection of PSA at a concentration as low as 0.035 ng mL{sup −1}. More importantly, the NiCoBP-MWCNT-based oxidase mimetic system could be further extended for the monitoring of other low-abundance proteins or disease-related biomarkers by tuning the target antibody.
Barriers to implementing evidence-based clinical guidelines: A survey of early adopters

Science.gov (United States)

Spallek, Heiko; Song, Mei; Polk, Deborah E; Bekhuis, Tanja; Frantsve-Hawley, Julie; Aravamudhan, Krishna

2010-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study is to identify barriers that early-adopting dentists perceive as common and challenging when implementing recommendations from evidence-based (EB) clinical guidelines. Method This is a cross-sectional study. Dentists who attended the 2008 Evidence-based Dentistry Champion Conference were eligible for inclusion. Forty-three dentists (34%) responded to a 22-item questionnaire administered online. Two investigators independently coded and categorized responses to open-ended items. Descriptive statistics were computed to assess the frequency of barriers and perceived challenges. Results The most common barriers to implementation are difficulty in changing current practice model, resistance and criticism from colleagues, and lack of trust in evidence or research. Barriers perceived as serious problems have to do with lack of up-to-date evidence, lack of clear answers to clinical questions, and contradictory information in the scientific literature. Conclusions Knowledge of barriers will help improve translation of biomedical research for dentists. Information in guidelines needs to be current, clear, and simplified for use at chairside; dentists’ fears need to be addressed. PMID:21093800
An experimental study on the effect of aqueous hypophosphite pre-treatment used on an Al-alloy substrate before electroless Ni plating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szirmai, G.; Toeroek, T.I.

2009-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. A new surface pre-treatment method is under development for electroless nickel plating, which appears to be an effective and environmentally benign treatment for the following deposition of a sound and high quality surface nickel coating with good adhesion. The aluminium substrate is immersed in a mildly acidic solution (lactic acid) of sodium hypophosphite in order to modify the passive surface and make it suitable for the reductive chemical precipitation of the nickel-phosphorus nuclei from the electroless nickel plating bath. During this novel pre-treatment procedure the surface adsorption of the hypophosphite anions might play an important role, therefore, several advanced surface testing and analytical techniques (SEM-EPMA-EDXRS, TEM, XPS) were applied in order to monitor and characterize the surface reactions and adsorption phenomena taking place during the pre-treatment. For the XPS study a home built XPS machine was applied.The Al excited XPS (studying P 2s, P 2p, O 1s, C 1s, Al 2p, Ni 2p photoelectron lines) proved to be one of the most powerful technique in the identification of the chemical species formed and present on the surfaces examined in this study. Acknowledgements One of the authors J.T. is indebted for the support of the Hungarian Science Foundation OTKA: (No K67873).
An improved in vitro blood-brain barrier model: rat brain endothelial cells co-cultured with astrocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, N Joan; Dolman, Diana E M; Drndarski, Svetlana; Fredriksson, Sarah M

2012-01-01

In vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models using primary cultured brain endothelial cells are important for establishing cellular and molecular mechanisms of BBB function. Co-culturing with BBB-associated cells especially astrocytes to mimic more closely the in vivo condition leads to upregulation of the BBB phenotype in the brain endothelial cells. Rat brain endothelial cells (RBECs) are a valuable tool allowing ready comparison with in vivo studies in rodents; however, it has been difficult to obtain pure brain endothelial cells, and few models achieve a transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER, measure of tight junction efficacy) of >200 Ω cm(2), i.e. the models are still relatively leaky. Here, we describe methods for preparing high purity RBECs and neonatal rat astrocytes, and a co-culture method that generates a robust, stable BBB model that can achieve TEER >600 Ω cm(2). The method is based on >20 years experience with RBEC culture, together with recent improvements to kill contaminating cells and encourage BBB differentiation.Astrocytes are isolated by mechanical dissection and cell straining and are frozen for later co-culture. RBECs are isolated from 3-month-old rat cortices. The brains are cleaned of meninges and white matter and enzymatically and mechanically dissociated. Thereafter, the tissue homogenate is centrifuged in bovine serum albumin to separate vessel fragments from other cells that stick to the myelin plug. The vessel fragments undergo a second enzyme digestion to separate pericytes from vessels and break down vessels into shorter segments, after which a Percoll gradient is used to separate capillaries from venules, arterioles, and single cells. To kill remaining contaminating cells such as pericytes, the capillary fragments are plated in puromycin-containing medium and RBECs grown to 50-60% confluence. They are then passaged onto filters for co-culture with astrocytes grown in the bottom of the wells. The whole procedure takes ∼2
Innovation based on value co-creation: An alternative for Brazilian wine?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borges Martiele Cortes

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Brazilian wine industry has been facing obstacles such as competition and high tax rates. Innovation is an alternative towards this scenario being it a major factor for any company's survival and growth in the market. Besides this, technological advances and access to information provide consumers with a larger number of choices and knowledge for an informed decision making. Despite differentiation efforts consumers did not obtain satisfaction. Customer interaction provides another way to generate innovation from its involvement in the production process (co-creation of value. The research was held in an awarded winery located in Bento Gonçalves (Brazil with the objective of understanding how the process of value co-creation between Brazilian award-winning wineries and consumers influences innovation generation. It is an exploratory and qualitative study collected through in-depth interviews with a semi-structured script. The winery identifies beneficial effects in the production process resulting from interactions because it narrows the bond with the consumer creating a better understanding of the consumers as well as develop a more tailored offer regarding value. The innovations generated based on co-creation can be taken as an alternative to imposed barriers in the current Brazilian wine sector.
Performance of Cobalt-Based Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Catalysts Using Dielectric-Barrier Discharge Plasma as an Alternative to Thermal Calcination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Suli; Huang Chengdu; Lv Jing; Li Zhenhua

2012-01-01

Co-based catalysts were prepared by using dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) plasma as an alternative method to conventional thermal calcination. The characterization results of N 2 -physisorption, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the catalysts prepared by DBD plasma had a higher specific surface area, lower reduction temperature, smaller particle size and higher cobalt dispersion as compared to calcined catalysts. The DBD plasma method can prevent the sintering and aggregation of active particles on the support due to the decreased treatment time (0.5 h) at lower temperature compared to the longer thermal calcination at higher temperature (at 500° C for 5 h). As a result, the catalytic performance of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis on DBD plasma treated Co/SiO 2 catalyst showed an enhanced activity, C 5+ selectivity and catalytic stability as compared to the conventional thermal calcined Co/SiO 2 catalyst.
Fabrication and characterization of Ni-decorated h-BN powders with ChCl-EG ionic liquid as addition by electroless deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qionglian; Ru, Juanjian; Song, Peng; Hu, Mingyu; Feng, Jing

2018-05-01

Ni-decorated h-BN powders are fabricated with ChCl-EG as additive via electroless plating in the paper. As comparison, the different additive concentration of choline chloride-ethylene glycol (ChCl-EG) ionic liquid (0 g l-1, 30 g l-1, 60 g l-1, 90 g l-1) is presented. The effects of ChCl-EG concentration are studied, including the surface morphologies, phase analysis of Ni-decorated h-BN powders and the residual Ni2+ concentration is measured in electroless plating bath. It is demonstrated that the deposition phenomena of nickel particles on h-BN surface is changed with the addition of ChCl-EG. When the concentration of ChCl-EG is 30 g l-1, the Ni particles on h-BN surface are in dispersed and spheroid state with the average size of 10-1000 nm. It can be found that 30 g l-1 ChCl-EG is conducive to the arise of deposition phenomena, which is the formation of the single nickel particle on h-BN surface. Besides, more Ni particles are deposited on h-BN surface with the increase of nickel plating times, which is characterized with scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Furthermore, the deposition phenomenon and growth mechanism are proposed without and with ChCl-EG as additive to further elaborate the formation of Ni particles on h-BN surface.
Fabrication and characterization of Ni-decorated h-BN powders with ChCl-EG ionic liquid as addition by electroless deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qionglian; Ru, Juanjian; Song, Peng; Hu, Mingyu; Feng, Jing

2018-05-01

Ni-decorated h-BN powders are fabricated with ChCl-EG as additive via electroless plating in the paper. As comparison, the different additive concentration of choline chloride-ethylene glycol (ChCl-EG) ionic liquid (0 g l -1 , 30 g l -1 , 60 g l -1 , 90 g l -1 ) is presented. The effects of ChCl-EG concentration are studied, including the surface morphologies, phase analysis of Ni-decorated h-BN powders and the residual Ni 2+ concentration is measured in electroless plating bath. It is demonstrated that the deposition phenomena of nickel particles on h-BN surface is changed with the addition of ChCl-EG. When the concentration of ChCl-EG is 30 g l -1 , the Ni particles on h-BN surface are in dispersed and spheroid state with the average size of 10-1000 nm. It can be found that 30 g l -1 ChCl-EG is conducive to the arise of deposition phenomena, which is the formation of the single nickel particle on h-BN surface. Besides, more Ni particles are deposited on h-BN surface with the increase of nickel plating times, which is characterized with scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Furthermore, the deposition phenomenon and growth mechanism are proposed without and with ChCl-EG as additive to further elaborate the formation of Ni particles on h-BN surface.
Electroless Deposition of Palladium on Macroscopic 3D-Printed Polymers with Dense Microlattice Architectures for Development of Multifunctional Composite Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Christopher G.; Mills, Bernice E.; Nishimoto, Ryan K.; Robinson, David B.

2017-01-01

A simple procedure has been developed to create palladium (Pd) films on the surface of several common polymers used in commercial fused deposition modeling (FDM) and stereolithography (SLA) based three-dimensional (3D) printing by an electroless deposition process. The procedure can be performed at room temperature, with equipment less expensive than many 3D printers, and occurs rapidly enough to achieve full coverage of the film within a few minutes. 3D substrates composed of dense logpile or cubic lattices with part sizes in the mm to cm range, and feature sizes as small as 150 μm were designed and printed using commercially available 3D printers. The deposition procedure was successfully adapted to show full coverage in the lattice substrates. As a result, the ability to design, print, and metallize highly ordered three-dimensional microscale structures could accelerate development of a range of optimized chemical and mechanical engineering systems.
Electroless nickel plating of arc discharge synthesized carbon nanotubes for metal matrix composites

Science.gov (United States)

Jagannatham, M.; Sankaran, S.; Prathap, Haridoss

2015-01-01

Electroless nickel (EN) plating was performed on arc discharge synthesized multiwalled carbon nanotubes for various deposition times. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy characterization techniques are used to identify the presence of nickel deposition on the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the degree of graphitization. The results indicate that impurities are less in the purified CNTs as compared to raw carbon soot. Increasing deposition time up to 60 min increases uniform deposition of nickel throughout the length of the CNTs. However, for deposition time longer than 60 min, nickel particles are seen separated from the surface of the CNTs. Uniformly coated nickel CNTs throughout their length are potential candidates for reinforcements in composite materials. Magnetic properties of the nickel coated CNTs, with deposition time of 30 and 60 min were also evaluated. The magnetic saturation of nickel coated CNTs with deposition time of 30 min is less compared to nickel coated CNTs with deposition time of 60 min.
Performance comparison of small-pixel CdZnTe radiation detectors with gold contacts formed by sputter and electroless deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, S. J.; Baker, M. A.; Duarte, D. D.; Schneider, A.; Seller, P.; Sellin, P. J.; Veale, M. C.; Wilson, M. D.

2017-06-01

Recent improvements in the growth of wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT), has enabled spectroscopic X/γ-ray imaging detectors to be developed. These detectors have applications covering homeland security, industrial analysis, space science and medical imaging. At the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) a promising range of spectroscopic, position sensitive, small-pixel Cd(Zn)Te detectors have been developed. The challenge now is to improve the quality of metal contacts on CdZnTe in order to meet the demanding energy and spatial resolution requirements of these applications. The choice of metal deposition method and fabrication process are of fundamental importance. Presented is a comparison of two CdZnTe detectors with contacts formed by sputter and electroless deposition. The detectors were fabricated with a 74 × 74 array of 200 μm pixels on a 250 μm pitch and bump-bonded to the HEXITEC ASIC. The X/γ-ray emissions from an 241Am source were measured to form energy spectra for comparison. It was found that the detector with contacts formed by electroless deposition produced the best uniformity and energy resolution; the best pixel produced a FWHM of 560 eV at 59.54 keV and 50% of pixels produced a FWHM better than 1.7 keV . This compared with a FWHM of 1.5 keV for the best pixel and 50% of pixels better than 4.4 keV for the detector with sputtered contacts.
Electroless deposition of nickel-boron coatings using low frequency ultrasonic agitation: Effect of ultrasonic frequency on the coatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, L; Bains, N; Vitry, V; Cobley, A J

2017-05-01

The effect of ultrasound on the properties of Nickel-Boron (NiB) coatings was investigated. NiB coatings were fabricated by electroless deposition using either ultrasonic or mechanical agitation. The deposition of Ni occurred in an aqueous bath containing a reducible metal salt (nickel chloride), reducing agent (sodium borohydride), complexing agent (ethylenediamine) and stabilizer (lead tungstate). Due to the instability of the borohydride in acidic, neutral and slightly alkaline media, pH was controlled at pH 12±1 in order to avoid destabilizing the bath. Deposition was performed in three different configurations: one with a classical mechanical agitation at 300rpm and the other two employing ultrasound at a frequency of either 20 or 35kHz. The microstructures of the electroless coatings were characterized by a combination of optical Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The chemistry of the coatings was determined by ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectrometry) after dissolution in aqua regia. The mechanical properties of the coatings were established by a combination of roughness measurements, Vickers microhardness and pin-on-disk tribology tests. Lastly, the corrosion properties were analysed by potentiodynamic polarization. The results showed that low frequency ultrasonic agitation could be used to produce coatings from an alkaline NiB bath and that the thickness of coatings obtained could be increased by over 50% compared to those produced using mechanical agitation. Although ultrasonic agitation produced a smoother coating and some alteration of the deposit morphology was observed, the mechanical and corrosion properties were very similar to those found when using mechanical agitation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Energy level alignment symmetry at Co/pentacene/Co interfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Popinciuc, M.; Jonkman, H. T.; van Wees, B. J.

2006-01-01

We have employed x-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopies (XPS and UPS) to study the energy level alignment and electronic structure at the Co/pentacene/Co interfaces. In the case of pentacene deposition on Co we found an interfacial dipole of about 1.05 eV and a hole injection barrier of

A study on the corrosion and erosion behavior of electroless nickel and TiAlN/ZrN duplex coatings on ductile iron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Chung-Kwei [School of Dental Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan (China); Hsu, Cheng-Hsun, E-mail: chhsu@ttu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Engineering, Tatung University, Taipei 104, Taiwan (China); College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Yin-Hwa [Department of Materials Engineering, Tatung University, Taipei 104, Taiwan (China); Ou, Keng-Liang [College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan (China); Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan (China); Lee, Sheng-Long [Research Center for Biomedical Devices and Prototyping Production, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan (China)

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Electroless nickel was used as an interlayer for TiAlZrN-coated ductile iron. • The duplex coatings evidently improved corrosion resistance of ductile iron. • The duplex coated ductile iron showed a good erosion resistance. - Abstract: This study utilized electroless nickel (EN) and cathodic arc evaporation (CAE) technologies to deposit protective coatings onto ductile iron. Polarization corrosion tests were performed in 3.5 wt.% sodium chloride, and also erosion tests were carried out by using Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} particles (∼177 μm in size and Mohr 7 scale) of about 5 g. Surface morphologies of the corroded and eroded specimens were observed separately. To further understand the coating effects on both the corrosive and erosive behavior of ductile iron, coating structure, morphology, and adhesion were analyzed using X-ray diffractormeter, scanning electron microscopy, and Rockwell-C indenter, respectively. The results showed that the EN exhibited an amorphous structure while the CAE-TiAlN/ZrN coating was a multilayered nanocrystalline. When the TiAlN/ZrN coated specimen with EN interlayer could effectively increase the adhesion strength between the CAE coating and substrate. Consequently, the combination of TiAlN/ZrN and EN delivered a better performance than did the monolithic EN or TiAlN/ZrN for both corrosion and erosion protection.
A study on the corrosion and erosion behavior of electroless nickel and TiAlN/ZrN duplex coatings on ductile iron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chung-Kwei; Hsu, Cheng-Hsun; Cheng, Yin-Hwa; Ou, Keng-Liang; Lee, Sheng-Long

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Electroless nickel was used as an interlayer for TiAlZrN-coated ductile iron. • The duplex coatings evidently improved corrosion resistance of ductile iron. • The duplex coated ductile iron showed a good erosion resistance. - Abstract: This study utilized electroless nickel (EN) and cathodic arc evaporation (CAE) technologies to deposit protective coatings onto ductile iron. Polarization corrosion tests were performed in 3.5 wt.% sodium chloride, and also erosion tests were carried out by using Al 2 O 3 particles (∼177 μm in size and Mohr 7 scale) of about 5 g. Surface morphologies of the corroded and eroded specimens were observed separately. To further understand the coating effects on both the corrosive and erosive behavior of ductile iron, coating structure, morphology, and adhesion were analyzed using X-ray diffractormeter, scanning electron microscopy, and Rockwell-C indenter, respectively. The results showed that the EN exhibited an amorphous structure while the CAE-TiAlN/ZrN coating was a multilayered nanocrystalline. When the TiAlN/ZrN coated specimen with EN interlayer could effectively increase the adhesion strength between the CAE coating and substrate. Consequently, the combination of TiAlN/ZrN and EN delivered a better performance than did the monolithic EN or TiAlN/ZrN for both corrosion and erosion protection
Piezotronically modified double Schottky barriers in ZnO varistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Raidl, Nadine; Supancic, Peter; Danzer, Robert; Hofstätter, Michael

2015-03-25

Double Schottky barriers in ZnO are modified piezotronically by the application of mechanical stresses. New effects such as the enhancement of the potential barrier height and the increase or decrease of the natural barrier asymmetry are presented. Also, an extended model for the piezotronic modification of double Schottky barriers is given. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Recent Advances in Gas Barrier Thin Films via Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polymers and Platelets.

Science.gov (United States)

Priolo, Morgan A; Holder, Kevin M; Guin, Tyler; Grunlan, Jaime C

2015-05-01

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly has emerged as the leading non-vacuum technology for the fabrication of transparent, super gas barrier films. The super gas barrier performance of LbL deposited films has been demonstrated in numerous studies, with a variety of polyelectrolytes, to rival that of metal and metal oxide-based barrier films. This Feature Article is a mini-review of LbL-based multilayer thin films with a 'nanobrick wall' microstructure comprising polymeric mortar and nano-platelet bricks that impart high gas barrier to otherwise permeable polymer substrates. These transparent, water-based thin films exhibit oxygen transmission rates below 5 × 10(-3) cm(3) m(-2) day(-1) atm(-1) and lower permeability than any other barrier material reported. In an effort to put this technology in the proper context, incumbent technologies such as metallized plastics, metal oxides, and flake-filled polymers are briefly reviewed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Planar InP-based Schottky barrier diodes for terahertz applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Jingtao; Yang Chengyue; Ge Ji; Jin Zhi

2013-01-01

Based on characteristics such as low barrier and high electron mobility of lattice matched In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As layer, InP-based Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) exhibit the superiorities in achieving a lower turn-on voltage and series resistance in comparison with GaAs ones. Planar InP-based SBDs have been developed in this paper. Measurements show that a low forward turn-on voltage of less than 0.2 V and a cutoff frequency of up to 3.4 THz have been achieved. The key factors of the diode such as series resistance and the zero-biased junction capacitance are measured to be 3.32 Ω; and 9.1 fF, respectively. They are highly consistent with the calculated values. The performances of the InP-based SBDs in this work, such as low noise and low loss, are promising for applications in the terahertz mixer, multiplier and detector circuits. (semiconductor devices)
Effect of a Semi-Purified Oligosaccharide-Enriched Fraction from Caprine Milk on Barrier Integrity and Mucin Production of Co-Culture Models of the Small and Large Intestinal Epithelium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alicia M. Barnett

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Caprine milk contains the highest amount of oligosaccharides among domestic animals, which are structurally similar to human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs. This suggests caprine milk oligosaccharides may offer similar protective and developmental effects to that of HMOs. However, to date, studies using oligosaccharides from caprine milk have been limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine the impact of a caprine milk oligosaccharide-enriched fraction (CMOF on barrier function of epithelial cell co-cultures of absorptive enterocytes (Caco-2 cells and mucus-secreting goblet cells (HT29-MTX cells, that more closely simulate the cell proportions found in the small (90:10 and large intestine (75:25. Treatment of epithelial co-cultures with 0.4, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/mL of CMOF was shown to have no effect on metabolic activity but did enhance cell epithelial barrier integrity as measured by trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER, in a dose-dependent manner. The CMOF at the maximum concentration tested (4.0 mg/mL enhanced TEER, mucin gene expression and mucin protein abundance of epithelial co-cultures, all of which are essential components of intestinal barrier function.
Effect of a Semi-Purified Oligosaccharide-Enriched Fraction from Caprine Milk on Barrier Integrity and Mucin Production of Co-Culture Models of the Small and Large Intestinal Epithelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, Alicia M; Roy, Nicole C; McNabb, Warren C; Cookson, Adrian L

2016-05-06

Caprine milk contains the highest amount of oligosaccharides among domestic animals, which are structurally similar to human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). This suggests caprine milk oligosaccharides may offer similar protective and developmental effects to that of HMOs. However, to date, studies using oligosaccharides from caprine milk have been limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine the impact of a caprine milk oligosaccharide-enriched fraction (CMOF) on barrier function of epithelial cell co-cultures of absorptive enterocytes (Caco-2 cells) and mucus-secreting goblet cells (HT29-MTX cells), that more closely simulate the cell proportions found in the small (90:10) and large intestine (75:25). Treatment of epithelial co-cultures with 0.4, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mg/mL of CMOF was shown to have no effect on metabolic activity but did enhance cell epithelial barrier integrity as measured by trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER), in a dose-dependent manner. The CMOF at the maximum concentration tested (4.0 mg/mL) enhanced TEER, mucin gene expression and mucin protein abundance of epithelial co-cultures, all of which are essential components of intestinal barrier function.
Nb and Pd co-doped La0.57Sr0.38Co0.19Fe0.665Nb0.095Pd0.05O3-δ as a stable, high performance electrode for barrier-layer-free Y2O3-ZrO2 electrolyte of solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kongfa; He, Shuai; Li, Na; Cheng, Yi; Ai, Na; Chen, Minle; Rickard, William D. A.; Zhang, Teng; Jiang, San Ping

2018-02-01

La0.6Sr0.2Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) is the most intensively investigated high performance cathode for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), but strontium segregation and migration at the electrode/electrolyte interface is a critical issue limiting the electrocatalytic activity and stability of LSCF based cathodes. Herein, we report a Nb and Pd co-doped LSCF (La0.57Sr0.38Co0.19Fe0.665Nb0.095Pd0.05O3-δ, LSCFNPd) perovskite as stable and active cathode on a barrier-layer-free anode-supported yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte cell using direct assembly method without pre-sintering at high temperatures. The cell exhibits a peak power density of 1.3 W cm-2 at 750 °C and excellent stability with no degradation during polarization at 500 mA cm-2 and 750 °C for 175 h. Microscopic and spectroscopic analysis show that the electrochemical polarization promotes the formation of electrode/electrolyte interface in operando and exsolution of Pd/PdO nanoparticles. The Nb doping in the B-site of LSCF significantly reduces the Sr surface segregation, enhancing the stability of the cathode, while the exsoluted Pd/PdO nanoparticles increases the electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction. The present study opens up a new route for the development of cobaltite-based perovskite cathodes with high activity and stability for barrier-layer-free YSZ electrolyte based IT-SOFCs.
A Study on Characterization of Light-Induced Electroless Plated Ni Seed Layer and Silicide Formation for Solar Cell Application

Science.gov (United States)

Takaloo, Ashkan Vakilipour; Joo, Seung Ki; Es, Firat; Turan, Rasit; Lee, Doo Won

2018-03-01

Light-induced electroless plating (LIEP) is an easy and inexpensive method that has been widely used for seed layer deposition of Nickel/Copper (Ni/Cu)-based metallization in the solar cell. In this study, material characterization aspects of the Ni seed layer and Ni silicide formation at different bath conditions and annealing temperatures on the n-side of a silicon diode structure have been examined to achieve the optimum cell contacts. The effects of morphology and chemical composition of Ni film on its electrical conductivity were evaluated and described by a quantum mechanical model. It has been found that correlation exists between the theoretical and experimental conductivity of Ni film. Residual stress and phase transformation of Ni silicide as a function of annealing temperature were evaluated using Raman and XRD techniques. Finally, transmission line measurement (TLM) technique was employed to determine the contact resistance of Ni/Si stack after thermal treatment and to understand its correlation with the chemical-structural properties. Results indicated that low electrical resistive mono-silicide (NiSi) phase as low as 5 mΩ.cm2 was obtained.
How easy is CO2 fixation by M-C bond containing complexes (M = Cu, Ni, Co, Rh, Ir)?

KAUST Repository

Nolan, Steve; Cavallo, Luigi; Poater, Albert; Vummaleti, Sai V. C.; Talarico, Giovanni

2015-01-01

A comparison between different M–C bonds (M = Cu(I), Ni(II), Co(I), Rh(I) and Ir(I)) has been reported by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations to explore the role of the metal in the fixation or incorporation of CO2 into such complexes. The systems investigated are various metal based congeners of the Ir-complex 8 [(cod)(IiPr)Ir-CCPh], with a ligand scaffold based on cod and IiPr ligands (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene; IiPr = 1,3-bis(isopropyl)imidazol-2-ylidene). The results of this study show that the calculated CO2 insertion barriers follow the trend: Cu(I) (20.8 kcal mol−1) < Rh(I) (30.0 kcal mol−1) < Co(I) (31.3 kcal mol−1) < Ir(I) (37.5 kcal mol−1) < Ni(II) (45.4 kcal mol−1), indicating that the Cu(I) based analogue is the best CO2 fixer, while Ni(II) is the worst in the studied series.
How easy is CO2 fixation by M-C bond containing complexes (M = Cu, Ni, Co, Rh, Ir)?

KAUST Repository

Nolan, Steve

2015-11-27

A comparison between different M–C bonds (M = Cu(I), Ni(II), Co(I), Rh(I) and Ir(I)) has been reported by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations to explore the role of the metal in the fixation or incorporation of CO2 into such complexes. The systems investigated are various metal based congeners of the Ir-complex 8 [(cod)(IiPr)Ir-CCPh], with a ligand scaffold based on cod and IiPr ligands (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene; IiPr = 1,3-bis(isopropyl)imidazol-2-ylidene). The results of this study show that the calculated CO2 insertion barriers follow the trend: Cu(I) (20.8 kcal mol−1) < Rh(I) (30.0 kcal mol−1) < Co(I) (31.3 kcal mol−1) < Ir(I) (37.5 kcal mol−1) < Ni(II) (45.4 kcal mol−1), indicating that the Cu(I) based analogue is the best CO2 fixer, while Ni(II) is the worst in the studied series.
Microwave absorption property of the diatomite coated by Fe-CoNiP films

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Zhenqiang; Cai, Jun; Xu, Yonggang; Zhang, Deyuan

2015-08-01

A bio-absorbent of Fe-CoNiP coated on the diatomite was fabricated by way of electroless plating of CoNiP and subsequent chemical vapor deposition of Fe. The surface morphology and composition of the above-mentioned diatomite particles at different stage were characterized with the scanning electron microscopy and the energy spectrum analysis respectively, and the results showed that the diatomite was successfully coated with CoNoP and Fe (carbony iron). The complex permittivity and permeability of composites filled with the bio-absorbent and paraffin was measured in frequency range of 2-18 GHz, and then the microwave reflection loss (RL) and the shielding effectiveness (SE) were calculated. The results showed that the permittivity and the permeability were both enlarged as Fe films were coated onto the CoNiP-coated diatomite, which was attributed to the excellent electromagnetic property of carbonyl irons. The composites made with the Fe-CoNiP diatomite had a better absorbing property (minimum RL -11.0 dB) as well as the shielding property (maximum SE 5.6 dB) at thickness 2 mm. It indicated the absorption property was mainly due to the attenuation on the microwave, and the Fe-CoNiP diatomite could be an effective absorbent with low-density.
Barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well-based solar-cell structures

Science.gov (United States)

Mohaidat, Jihad M.; Shum, Kai; Wang, W. B.; Alfano, R. R.

1994-01-01

The barrier potential design criteria in multiple-quantum-well (MQW)-based solar-cell structures is reported for the purpose of achieving maximum efficiency. The time-dependent short-circuit current density at the collector side of various MQW solar-cell structures under resonant condition was numerically calculated using the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The energy efficiency of solar cells based on the InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As and GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW structues were compared when carriers are excited at a particular solar-energy band. Using InAs/Ga(y)In(1-y)As MQW structures it is found that a maximum energy efficiency can be achieved if the structure is designed with barrier potential of about 450 meV. The efficiency is found to decline linearly as the barrier potential increases for GaAs/Al(x)Ga(1-x)As MQW-structure-based solar cells.
Chip-based human liver-intestine and liver-skin co-cultures--A first step toward systemic repeated dose substance testing in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Maschmeyer, Ilka; Hasenberg, Tobias; Jaenicke, Annika; Lindner, Marcus; Lorenz, Alexandra Katharina; Zech, Julie; Garbe, Leif-Alexander; Sonntag, Frank; Hayden, Patrick; Ayehunie, Seyoum; Lauster, Roland; Marx, Uwe; Materne, Eva-Maria

2015-09-01

Systemic repeated dose safety assessment and systemic efficacy evaluation of substances are currently carried out on laboratory animals and in humans due to the lack of predictive alternatives. Relevant international regulations, such as OECD and ICH guidelines, demand long-term testing and oral, dermal, inhalation, and systemic exposure routes for such evaluations. So-called "human-on-a-chip" concepts are aiming to replace respective animals and humans in substance evaluation with miniaturized functional human organisms. The major technical hurdle toward success in this field is the life-like combination of human barrier organ models, such as intestine, lung or skin, with parenchymal organ equivalents, such as liver, at the smallest biologically acceptable scale. Here, we report on a reproducible homeostatic long-term co-culture of human liver equivalents with either a reconstructed human intestinal barrier model or a human skin biopsy applying a microphysiological system. We used a multi-organ chip (MOC) platform, which provides pulsatile fluid flow within physiological ranges at low media-to-tissue ratios. The MOC supports submerse cultivation of an intact intestinal barrier model and an air-liquid interface for the skin model during their co-culture with the liver equivalents respectively at (1)/100.000 the scale of their human counterparts in vivo. To increase the degree of organismal emulation, microfluidic channels of the liver-skin co-culture could be successfully covered with human endothelial cells, thus mimicking human vasculature, for the first time. Finally, exposure routes emulating oral and systemic administration in humans have been qualified by applying a repeated dose administration of a model substance - troglitazone - to the chip-based co-cultures. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Detection and Tracking of Road Barrier Based on Radar and Vision Sensor Fusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taeryun Kim

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The detection and tracking algorithms of road barrier including tunnel and guardrail are proposed to enhance performance and reliability for driver assistance systems. Although the road barrier is one of the key features to determine a safe drivable area, it may be recognized incorrectly due to performance degradation of commercial sensors such as radar and monocular camera. Two frequent cases among many challenging problems are considered with the commercial sensors. The first case is that few tracks of radar to road barrier are detected due to material type of road barrier. The second one is inaccuracy of relative lateral position by radar, thus resulting in large variance of distance between a vehicle and road barrier. To overcome the problems, the detection and estimation algorithms of tracks corresponding to road barrier are proposed. Then, the tracking algorithm based on a probabilistic data association filter (PDAF is used to reduce variation of lateral distance between vehicle and road barrier. Finally, the proposed algorithms are validated via field test data and their performance is compared with that of road barrier measured by lidar.
Collection of Ni-bearing material from electroless plating waste by magnetic separation with HTS bulk magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oka, T.; Fukazawa, H.; Fukui, S.; Ogawa, J.; Sato, T.; Ooizumi, M.; Tsujimura, M.; Yokoyama, K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: ► The magnetic separation for Ni compounds was conducted by HTS bulk magnet. ► The coarse Ni-sulfate crystals were formed from the Ni-phosphite precipitates. ► Ni-sulfate crystals was separated from the mixture of Ni-sulfate and Ni-phosphite compounds. -- Abstract: The magnetic separation experiment to collect the Ni compounds from the waste liquid of electroless plating processes was conducted in the open-gradient magnetic separation process with the high temperature superconducting bulk magnet system. The magnetic pole containing Gd-based bulk superconductors was activated to 3.45 T at 35 K in the static magnetic field of 5 T with use of a superconducting solenoid magnet. The coarse Ni-sulfate crystals were formed by adding the concentrated sulfuric acid to the Ni-phosphite precipitates which yielded from the plating waste liquid by controlling the temperature and the pH value. The open-gradient magnetic separation technique was employed to separate the Ni-sulfate crystals from the mixture of the Ni-sulfate and Ni-phosphite compounds by the difference between their magnetic properties. And we succeeded in collecting Ni-sulfate crystals preferentially to the Ni-phosphite by attracting them to the magnetic pole soon after the Ni-sulfate crystals began to grow
Collection of Ni-bearing material from electroless plating waste by magnetic separation with HTS bulk magnet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oka, T., E-mail: okat@eng.niigata-u.ac.jp [Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi-Ninocho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181 (Japan); Fukazawa, H.; Fukui, S.; Ogawa, J.; Sato, T.; Ooizumi, M. [Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi-Ninocho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181 (Japan); Tsujimura, M. [Aichi Giken Co., 50-1 Takeshita, Hitotugi-cho, Kariya, Aichi 448-0003 (Japan); Yokoyama, K. [Ashikaga Institute of Technology, 268-1 Ohmae-cho, Ashikaga, Tochigi 326-8558 (Japan)

2014-01-15

Highlights: ► The magnetic separation for Ni compounds was conducted by HTS bulk magnet. ► The coarse Ni-sulfate crystals were formed from the Ni-phosphite precipitates. ► Ni-sulfate crystals was separated from the mixture of Ni-sulfate and Ni-phosphite compounds. -- Abstract: The magnetic separation experiment to collect the Ni compounds from the waste liquid of electroless plating processes was conducted in the open-gradient magnetic separation process with the high temperature superconducting bulk magnet system. The magnetic pole containing Gd-based bulk superconductors was activated to 3.45 T at 35 K in the static magnetic field of 5 T with use of a superconducting solenoid magnet. The coarse Ni-sulfate crystals were formed by adding the concentrated sulfuric acid to the Ni-phosphite precipitates which yielded from the plating waste liquid by controlling the temperature and the pH value. The open-gradient magnetic separation technique was employed to separate the Ni-sulfate crystals from the mixture of the Ni-sulfate and Ni-phosphite compounds by the difference between their magnetic properties. And we succeeded in collecting Ni-sulfate crystals preferentially to the Ni-phosphite by attracting them to the magnetic pole soon after the Ni-sulfate crystals began to grow.
Barrier versus tilt exchange gate operations in spin-based quantum computing

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Yun-Pil; Tahan, Charles

2018-04-01

We present a theory for understanding the exchange interaction between electron spins in neighboring quantum dots, either by changing the detuning of the two quantum dots or independently tuning the tunneling barrier between quantum dots. The Hubbard model and a more realistic confining-potential model are used to investigate how the tilting and barrier control affect the effective exchange coupling and thus the gate fidelity in both the detuning and symmetric regimes. We show that the exchange coupling is less sensitive to the charge noise through tunnel barrier control (while allowing for exchange coupling operations on a sweet spot where the exchange interaction has zero derivative with respect to the detuning). Both GaAs and Si quantum dots are considered, and we compare our results with experimental data showing qualitative agreements. Our results answer the open question of why barrier gates are preferable to tilt gates for exchange-based gate operations.
Tribological Performance Optimization of Electroless Ni-P-W Coating Using Weighted Principal Component Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Roy

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The present investigation is an experimental approach to deposit electroless Ni-P-W coating on mild steel substrate and find out the optimum combination of various tribological performances on the basis of minimum friction and wear, using weighted principal component analysis (WPCA. In this study three main tribological parameters are chosen viz. load (A, speed (B and time(C. The responses are coefficient of friction and wear depth. Here Weighted Principal Component Analysis (WPCA method is adopted to convert the multi-responses into single performance index called multiple performance index (MPI and Taguchi L27 orthogonal array is used to design the experiment and to find the optimum combination of tribological parameters for minimum coefficient of friction and wear depth. ANOVA is performed to find the significance of the each tribological process parameters and their interactions. The EDX analysis, SEM and XRD are performed to study the composition and structural aspects.
Gliovascular and cytokine interactions modulate brain endothelial barrier in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaitanya, Ganta V; Cromer, Walter E; Wells, Shannon R; Jennings, Merilyn H; Couraud, P Olivier; Romero, Ignacio A; Weksler, Babette; Erdreich-Epstein, Anat; Mathis, J Michael; Minagar, Alireza; Alexander, J Steven

2011-11-23

The glio-vascular unit (G-unit) plays a prominent role in maintaining homeostasis of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and disturbances in cells forming this unit may seriously dysregulate BBB. The direct and indirect effects of cytokines on cellular components of the BBB are not yet unclear. The present study compares the effects of cytokines and cytokine-treated astrocytes on brain endothelial barrier. 3-dimensional transwell co-cultures of brain endothelium and related-barrier forming cells with astrocytes were used to investigate gliovascular barrier responses to cytokines during pathological stresses. Gliovascular barrier was measured using trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER), a sensitive index of in vitro barrier integrity. We found that neither TNF-α, IL-1β or IFN-γ directly reduced barrier in human or mouse brain endothelial cells or ECV-304 barrier (independent of cell viability/metabolism), but found that astrocyte exposure to cytokines in co-culture significantly reduced endothelial (and ECV-304) barrier. These results indicate that the barrier established by human and mouse brain endothelial cells (and other cells) may respond positively to cytokines alone, but that during pathological conditions, cytokines dysregulate the barrier forming cells indirectly through astrocyte activation involving reorganization of junctions, matrix, focal adhesion or release of barrier modulating factors (e.g. oxidants, MMPs). © 2011 Chaitanya et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Spin-polarized inelastic tunneling through insulating barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Y; Tran, M; Jaffrès, H; Seneor, P; Deranlot, C; Petroff, F; George, J-M; Lépine, B; Ababou, S; Jézéquel, G

2009-05-01

Spin-conserving hopping transport through chains of localized states has been evidenced by taking benefit of the high degree of spin-polarization of CoFeB-MgO-CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions. In particular, our data show that relatively thick MgO barriers doped with boron favor the activation of spin-conserving inelastic channels through a chain of three localized states and leading to reduced magnetoresistance effects. We propose an extension of the Glazman-Matveev theory to the case of ferromagnetic reservoirs to account for spin-polarized inelastic tunneling through nonmagnetic localized states embedded in an insulating barrier.
Electroless formation of silver nanoaggregates: An experimental and molecular dynamics approach

KAUST Repository

Gentile, Francesco T.

2014-02-20

The ability to manipulate matter to create non-conventional structures is one of the key issues of material science. The understanding of assembling mechanism at the nanoscale allows us to engineer new nanomaterials, with physical properties intimately depending on their structure.This paper describes new strategies to obtain and characterise metal nanostructures via the combination of a top-down method, such as electron beam lithography, and a bottom-up technique, such as the chemical electroless deposition. We realised silver nanoparticle aggregates within well-defined patterned holes created by electron beam lithography on silicon substrates. The quality characteristics of the nanoaggregates were verified by using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy imaging. Moreover, we compared the experimental findings to molecular dynamics simulations of nanoparticles growth. We observed a very high dependence of the structure characteristics on the pattern nanowell aspect ratio. We found that high-quality metal nanostructures may be obtained in patterns with well aspect ratio close to one, corresponding to a maximum diameter of 50 nm, a limit above which the fabricated structures become less regular and discontinuous. When regular shapes and sizes are necessary, as in nanophotonics, these results suggest the pattern characteristics to obtain isolated, uniform and reproducible metal nanospheres. © 2014 Taylor & Francis.
Assessment study for multi-barrier system used in radioactive borate waste isolation based on Monte Carlo simulations.

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Bayoumi, T A; Reda, S M; Saleh, H M

2012-01-01

Radioactive waste generated from the nuclear applications should be properly isolated by a suitable containment system such as, multi-barrier container. The present study aims to evaluate the isolation capacity of a new multi-barrier container made from cement and clay and including borate waste materials. These wastes were spiked by (137)Cs and (60)Co radionuclides to simulate that waste generated from the primary cooling circuit of pressurized water reactors. Leaching of both radionuclides in ground water was followed and calculated during ten years. Monte Carlo (MCNP5) simulations computed the photon flux distribution of the multi-barrier container, including radioactive borate waste of specific activity 11.22KBq/g and 4.18KBq/g for (137)Cs and (60)Co, respectively, at different periods of 0, 15.1, 30.2 and 302 years. The average total flux for 100cm radius of spherical cell was 0.192photon/cm(2) at initial time and 2.73×10(-4)photon/cm(2) after 302 years. Maximum waste activity keeping the surface radiation dose within the permissible level was calculated and found to be 56KBq/g with attenuation factors of 0.73cm(-1) and 0.6cm(-1) for cement and clay, respectively. The average total flux was 1.37×10(-3)photon/cm(2) after 302 years. Monte Carlo simulations revealed that the proposed multi-barrier container is safe enough during transportation, evacuation or rearrangement in the disposal site for more than 300 years. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Theoretical study of formic acid: A new look at the origin of the planar Z conformation and C-O rotational barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirao, Hajime

2008-01-01

The E and Z rotamers of formic acid (HCOOH) and its barrier to internal rotation about the C-O bond were computationally explored at the HF/6-311 + G**, B3LYP/cc-pVTZ, and CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ levels of theory. All calculations yielded similar results consistent with experimental observations. Subsequent analysis of the interaction between formate ion (HCOO - ) and proton (H + ) within formic acid demonstrated a direct correlation between the changes in fragment interaction energy and the total energy of formic acid upon rotation. To obtain further insights into the interaction, energy decomposition analysis based on the reactive bond orbital (RBO) method was carried out using the 6-311 + G** basis set. The analysis showed the electrostatic effect constitutes a major component that gives rise to the interaction energy variation along the rotation path. Thus, the electrostatic environment of HCOO - can be viewed as the key factor determining the Z ground state and C-O rotational barrier of formic acid. The anisotropic electrostatic environment of formate that favors planar conformations of formic acid may be due to the in-plane distribution of carbonyl lone pairs, and the larger electrostatic attraction in the Z form appears to come from a secondary electrostatic interaction between the proton and the distal oxygen. At the rotational transition state, the O-H bond was not exactly perpendicular to the molecular plane, but slightly tilted toward the E side, which can also be explained by the electrostatic hypothesis. Charge-transfer stabilization was smallest in the Z conformation, but it gradually increased upon rotation to a maximum at the E conformation. Therefore, charge - transfer does not explain the geometry of formic acid. The important role of the electrostatic effect was also observed in in-plane rotation of the O-H bond
Preparation of graphene-enhanced nickel-phosphorus composite films by ultrasonic-assisted electroless plating

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Yu, Qian; Zhou, Tianfeng; Jiang, Yonggang; Yan, Xing; An, Zhonglie; Wang, Xibin; Zhang, Deyuan; Ono, Takahito

2018-03-01

To improve the mechanical properties of nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) mold material for glass molding, an ultrasonic-assisted electroless plating method is proposed for the synthesis of graphene-enhanced nickel-phosphorus (G-Ni-P) composite films on heat-resistant stainless steel (06Cr25Ni20). Graphene flakes are prepared by an electrochemical exfoliation method. The surface roughness of the as-plated G-Ni-P composite plating is Ra 2.84 μm, which is higher than that of the Ni-P plating deposited using the same method. After annealing at 400 ºC for 2 h, the main phase of the G-Ni-P composite is transformed to crystalline Ni3P with an average grain size of 32.8 nm. The Vickers hardness and Young's modulus of the G-Ni-P composite are increased by 8.0% and 8.2% compared with the values of Ni-P, respectively. The detailed plating process is of great significance for the fabrication of G-Ni-P mold materials with enhanced mechanical properties.
Investigation on cell biocompatible behaviors of polyaniline film fabricated via electroless surface polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Sheng; Wang Jinqing; Zhang Dong; Zhang Puliang; Ou Junfei; Liu Bin; Yang Shengrong

2010-01-01

Considering for the potential application in tissue engineering, polyaniline (PANi) film was fabricated via a two-step route: a self-assembled monolayer of C 6 H 5 NHC 3 H 6 Si(OMe) 3 was firstly formed on the single-crystal Si substrate; the conducting PANi film was then prepared through electroless surface polymerization of the aniline molecules on the aniline monolayer-bearing silane surface in an acidic aqueous solution. The formation of PANi film on Si surface was confirmed by characterizations of X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and specular reflectance Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) spectrum, etc. At last, the proliferation behaviors of PC-12 cells on the PANi film surface were studied by the [3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] (MTT) colorimetric assays, acridine orange fluorometric staining, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, etc. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared PANi film provides high ability for cell proliferation, exhibiting promising potentials as surface coating to cultivate neuronal cells for applications in the tissue engineering.
Communication: The Al + CO2 → AlO + CO reaction: Experiment vs. theory

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhi; Moore, Kevin B.; Schaefer, Henry F.

2017-11-01

Based on their highly sophisticated crossed-beam experimental studies of the Al + CO2 → AlO + CO reaction, Honma and Hirata have directly challenged the results of earlier theoretical studies of this system. We report high level theoretical studies of this system. It is shown that, consistent with Honma-Hirata experimental conclusions, the previous theoretical prediction of a substantial barrier height for this reaction was incorrect. However, for the structures of the possible intermediates, in agreement with the 1992 theoretical study of Sakai, we find striking disagreement with the experimental conclusion that the O-C-O moiety is nearly linear. The energies of the three entrance channel intermediates lie 14.4, 15.2, and 16.4 kcal mol-1 below separated Al + CO2.
A systematic review on barriers, facilities, knowledge and attitude toward evidence-based medicine in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morteza Ghojazadeh

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Evidence-based medicine (EBM is the ability and skill in using and integration of the best up-to-date evidences. The aim of this study was a systematic review of barriers, facilities, knowledge and attitude of EBM in Iran. Methods: In this study, database and manual search was used with keywords such as, "evidence-based, EBM, evidence-based nursing, evidence-based practice, evidence-based care, evidence-based activities, evidence-based education" and their combination with the keywords of the barrier, facilitator, attitude, awareness, prospective, knowledge, practice and Iran. The databases of SID (Scientific information database, Magiran, MEDLIB, PubMed, Google scholar, IranMedex and CINAHL (Cumulative index to nursing and allied health literature were used for data collection. Results: Finally, 28 papers were included in this study. The lack of facilities, time and skill in research methodology were the most important barriers to EBM. The most and least important factors were orderly creating ample opportunity and detecting needs and problems. The degree of familiarity with the terminology of evidence-based performance was low (44.2%. The textbooks have been considered as the most significant source of obtaining information. The level of awareness, knowledge, and evidence-based performance was less than 50.0%. Conclusion: There are many various barriers in use of EBM and healthcare providers despite the positive attitude toward EBM had a low level knowledge in EBM setting. Consideration of the importance of EBM proper planning and effective intervention are necessary to removing the barriers and increase the knowledge of healthcare providers.
EFFECT OF pH ON ELECTROLESS Ni-P COATING OF CONDUCTIVE AND NON-CONDUCTIVE MATERIALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subrata Roy

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Electroless nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P coating of carbon steel as well as a polypropylene substrate was conducted using sodium hypophosphite as a reducing agent in alkaline media. The influence of pH on coating appearances and the properties of the coatings for both steel and the polypropylene substrate were studied. A nickel-phosphorus coating of good appearance was obtained in the pH range between 5.5 and 12.5 on the carbon steel substrate and between 8.5 and 12 on the polypropylene substrate. The percentage of Ni content in the coating increased with increasing pH of the bath solution. A smooth, uniform microstructure was found in the coating deposited in relatively lower pH solutions compared to higher pH baths. The microhardness of the Ni-P coating decreased with an increasing percentage Ni content in the deposit.
Electrical and mechanical properties of Bi-2223/Ag/barrier/Ag composite tapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovac, P.; Husek, I.; Goemoery, F.; Oduleye, O.O.; Alford, N.McN.; Pachla, W.; Diduszko, R.

2000-01-01

Bi-2223/Ag/barrier/Ag single-core tapes with various oxide barrier materials (BaZrO 3 , SrCO 3 , ZrO 2 and Al 2 O 3 ) have been prepared by PIT. The I-V curves and ac susceptibility measurements have been performed for tapes with identical heat treatment history. Young's moduli of these tape samples have been evaluated by three-point bending and the structure of barrier powders and BSCCO cores was analysed by SEM and XRD, respectively. It was found that the shape of I-V curves, the current transfer lengths and the mechanical properties of tapes are all affected by the oxide barrier type and the barrier thickness, as well as by its porosity and uniformity. This is because the oxide barrier controls the oxygen diffusion during the tape heat treatment and simultaneously the HTS phase formation kinetics, its purity and content within the superconducting core. On the base of the results obtained for single-core tapes, two kinds of multifilamentary composite were made and tested. (author)
Quantitative Transmission Electron Microscopy of Nanoparticles and Thin-Film Formation in Electroless Metallization of Polymeric Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, Aniruddha; Heinrich, Helge; Kuebler, Stephen; Grabill, Chris; Bhattacharya, Aniket

2011-03-01

Gold nanoparticles(Au-NPs) act as nucleation sites for electroless deposition of silver on functionalized SU8 polymeric surfaces. Here we report the nanoscale morphology of Au and Ag nanoparticles as studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Scanning TEM with a high-angle annular dark-field detector is used to obtain atomic number contrast. From the intensity-calibrated plan-view scanning TEM images we determine the mean thickness and the volume distribution of the Au-NPs on the surface of the functionalized polymer. We also report the height and the radius distribution of the gold nanoparticles obtained from STEM images taking into consideration the experimental errors. The cross sectional TEM images yield the density and the average distance of the Au and Ag nanoparticles on the surface of the polymer. Supported by grant NSF, Chemistry Division.
Formation Process of Eosin Y-Adsorbing ZnO Particles by Electroless Deposition and Their Photoelectric Conversion Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaya, Satoshi; Nishikiori, Hiromasa; Mizusaki, Hideaki; Wagata, Hajime; Teshima, Katsuya

2015-06-03

The thin films consisting of crystalline ZnO particles were prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes by electroless deposition. The particles were deposited from an aqueous solution containing zinc nitrate, dimethyamine-borane, and eosin Y at 328 K. As the Pd particles were adsorbed on the substrate, not only the eosin Y monomer but also the dimer and debrominated species were rapidly adsorbed on the spherical ZnO particles, which were aggregated and formed secondary particles. On the other hand, in the absence of the Pd particles, the monomer was adsorbed on the flake-shaped ZnO particles, which vertically grew on the substrate surface and had a high crystallinity. The photoelectric conversion efficiency was higher for the ZnO electrodes containing a higher amount of the monomer during light irradiation.
Impact of commercial cigarette smoke condensate on brain tissue co-cultured with astrocytes and blood-brain barrier endothelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seon-Bong; Kim, Ju-Hyeong; Cho, Myung-Haing; Choe, Eun-Sang; Kim, Kwang-Sik; Shim, Soon-Mi

2017-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of two commercial cigarette smoke condensates (CCSC) on oxidative stress and cell cytotoxicity in human brain (T98G) or astrocytes (U-373 MG) in the presence of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). Cell viability of mono-culture of T98G or U-373 MG was markedly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, and T98G was more susceptible than U-373 MG to CCSC exposure. Cytotoxicity was less prominent when T98G was co-cultured with HBMEC than when T98G was co-cultured with U-373 MG. Significant reduction in trans-epithelial electric resistance (TEER), a biomarker of cellular integrity was noted in HBMEC co-cultured with T98G (HBMEC-T98G co-culture) and U-373 MG co-cultured with T98G (U-373 MG-T98G co-culture) after 24 or 48 hr CCSC exposure, respectively. TEER value of U-373 MG co-cultured with T98G (79-84%) was higher than HBMEC co-cultured with T98G (62-63%) within 120-hr incubation with CCSC. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by CCSC in mono-culture of T98G and U-373 MG reached highest levels at 4 and 16 mg/ml, respectively. ROS production by T98G fell when co-cultured with HBMEC or U-373MG. These findings suggest that adverse consequences of CCSC treatment on brain cells may be protected by blood-brain barrier or astrocytes, but with chronic exposure toxicity may be worsened due to destruction of cellular integrity.
"There is no carnival without samba": Revealing barriers hampering biodiversity-based R&D and eco-design in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Jabbour, Charbel Jose Chiappetta; Jugend, Daniel; Jabbour, Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa; Govindan, Kannan; Kannan, Devika; Leal Filho, Walter

2018-01-15

Considering the unique relevance of Brazilian biodiversity, this research aims to investigate the main barriers to biodiversity-based R&D and eco-design development in a leading national company which has been commended for its innovation and sustainability. The methodology for this research was based on on-location visits, in-depth interviews, and consensus building among R&D, sustainability, and quality managers. A multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was adopted through interpretive structural modelling (ISM), a method that assists decision makers to transform complex models with unclear data into structural models. Some of the most influential barriers to biodiversity-based eco-design initiatives are "lack of legal incentive", "not enough demand from the market", and "not enough available knowledge/scientific data." The most relevant barrier was "no legal incentive" from government. Consequently, managers should concentrate their efforts in tackling those barriers that may affect other barriers known as 'key barriers'. Government should work decisively toward promoting a framework of legal incentives for bio-based eco-design; otherwise, metaphorically, "there is not carnival without the samba singer who pushes the rhythm". The results given here reveal the barriers for bio-based eco-design in a Brazilian leading company, and this is the first work combining ISM to barriers to biodiversity R&D and eco-design. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Theoretical evidence of PtSn alloy efficiency for CO oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dupont, Céline; Jugnet, Yvette; Loffreda, David

2006-07-19

The efficiency of PtSn alloy surfaces toward CO oxidation is demonstrated from first-principles theory. Oxidation kinetics based on atomistic density-functional theory calculations shows that the Pt3Sn surface alloy exhibits a promising catalytic activity for fuel cells. At room temperature, the corresponding rate outstrips the activity of Pt(111) by several orders of magnitude. According to the oxidation pathways, the activation barriers are actually lower on Pt3Sn(111) and Pt3Sn/Pt(111) surfaces than on Pt(111). A generalization of Hammer's model is proposed to elucidate the key role of tin on the lowering of the barriers. Among the energy contributions, a correlation is evidenced between the decrease of the barrier and the strengthening of the attractive interaction energy between CO and O moieties. The presence of tin modifies also the symmetry of the transition states which are composed of a CO adsorbate on a Pt near-top position and an atomic O adsorption on an asymmetric mixed PtSn bridge site. Along the reaction pathways, a CO2 chemisorbed surface intermediate is obtained on all the surfaces. These results are supported by a thorough vibrational analysis including the coupling with the surface phonons which reveals the existence of a stretching frequency between the metal substrate and the CO2 molecule.
Thermal barrier coatings issues in advanced land-based gas turbines

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, W. P.; Lee, W. Y.; Wright, I. G.

1995-01-01

The Department of Energy's Advanced Turbine System (ATS) program is aimed at forecasting the development of a new generation of land-based gas turbine systems with overall efficiencies significantly beyond those of current state-of-the-art machines, as well as greatly increased times between inspection and refurbishment, improved environmental impact, and decreased cost. The proposed duty cycle of ATS turbines will require the use of different criteria in the design of the materials for the critical hot gas path components. In particular, thermal barrier coatings will be an essential feature of the hot gas path components in these machines. While such coatings are routinely used in high-performance aircraft engines and are becoming established in land-based turbines, the requirements of the ATS turbine application are sufficiently different that significant improvements in thermal barrier coating technology will be necessary. In particular, it appears that thermal barrier coatings will have to function on all airfoil sections of the first stage vanes and blades to provide the significant temperature reduction required. In contrast, such coatings applied to the blades and vances of advanced aircraft engines are intended primarily to reduce air cooling requirements and extend component lifetime; failure of those coatings can be tolerated without jeopardizing mechanical or corrosion performance. A major difference is that in ATS turbines these components will be totally reliant on thermal barrier coatings which will, therefore, need to be highly reliable even over the leading edges of first stage blades. Obviously, the ATS program provides a very challenging opportunity for TBC's, and involves some significant opportunities to extend this technology.
Transport properties of Dirac electrons in graphene based double velocity-barrier structures in electric and magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Lei; Li, Yu-Xian; Liu, Jian-Jun

2012-01-01

Using transfer matrix method, transport properties in graphene based double velocity-barrier structures under magnetic and electric fields are numerically studied. It is found that velocity barriers for the velocity ratio (the Fermi velocity inside the barrier to that outside the barrier) less than one (or for the velocity ratio greater than one) have properties similar to electrostatic wells (or barriers). The velocity barriers for the velocity ratio greater than one significantly enlarge the resonant tunneling region of electrostatic barriers. In the presence of magnetic field, the plateau width of the Fano factor with a Poissonian value shortens (or broadens) for the case of the velocity ratio less than one (or greater than one). When the Fermi energy is equal to the electrostatic barrier height, for different values of the velocity ratio, both the conductivities and the Fano factors remain fixed. -- Highlights: ► We model graphene based velocity-barrier structures in electric and magnetic fields. ► Velocity barrier for ξ 1) have property similar to electrostatic well (barrier). ► Velocity barrier for ξ>1 enlarge the resonant tunneling region of electrostatic barrier. ► The plateau width of Fano factor shortens (or broadens) for the case of ξ 1). ► The conductivity remains fixed at the point of E F =U 0 for different values of ξ.
Upcrowding energy co-operatives - Evaluating the potential of crowdfunding for business model innovation of energy co-operatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Dilger, Mathias Georg; Jovanović, Tanja; Voigt, Kai-Ingo

2017-08-01

Practice and theory have proven the relevance of energy co-operatives for civic participation in the energy turnaround. However, due to a still low awareness and changing regulation, there seems an unexploited potential of utilizing the legal form 'co-operative' in this context. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the crowdfunding implementation in the business model of energy co-operatives in order to cope with the mentioned challenges. Based on a theoretical framework, we derive a Business Model Innovation (BMI) through crowdfunding including synergies and differences. A qualitative study design, particularly a multiple-case study of energy co-operatives, was chosen to prove the BMI and to reveal barriers. The results show that although most co-operatives are not familiar with crowdfunding, there is strong potential in opening up predominantly local structures to a broader group of members. Building on this, equity-based crowdfunding is revealed to be suitable for energy co-operatives as BMI and to accompany other challenges in the same way. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ketamine nano-delivery based on poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Hirano, Sota; Bovi, Michele; Romeo, Alessandro; Guzzo, Flavia; Chiamulera, Cristiano; Perduca, Massimiliano

2018-04-01

This work describes a novel method for the generation of a ketamine nano-delivery, to improve brain blood barrier permeability and increase drug therapeutic window as anaesthetic, analgesic and potential antidepressant. The approach herein described is based on ketamine-loaded poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles coupled to an apolipoprotein E (ApoE) peptide for delivery to the central nervous system. PLGA particles were synthesized with amount of drug, coupled with the ApoE peptide on the surface, and validated by physical characterization. The produced nanodevice showed a good colloidal stability in water, confirmed by zeta potential measurements, with a diameter in the range of 185-205 nm. The ketamine encapsulation was verified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses obtaining an encapsulation efficiency up to 21.2 ± 3.54%. Once the occurrence of ApoE peptide functionalization was confirmed with fluorescence spectroscopy, the thermal stability and morphological information were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry and further dynamic light scattering measurements. The spherical shape and a rough nanoparticles surface were observed by atomic force microscopy. The reliability of this approach may be further developed as a protocol to be used to generate PLGA nanoparticles greater than 100 nm able to better penetrate blood brain barrier and release a neuroactive molecule at lower doses.
Influence of layer compositions and annealing conditions on complete formation of ternary PdAgCu alloys prepared by sequential electroless and electroplating methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sumrunronnasak, Sarocha [Graduate Program of Petrochemistry and Polymer Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Tantayanon, Supawan, E-mail: supawan.t@chula.ac.th [Green Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Kiatgamolchai, Somchai [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2017-01-01

PdAgCu ternary alloy membranes were synthesized by the sequential electroless plating of Pd following by electroplating of Ag and Cu onto stainless steel substrate. The composition of the composite was varied by changing the deposition times. The fabricated layers were annealed at the temperatures between 500 and 600 °C for 20–60 h. The Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to investigate the element distribution in the membrane which provided the insight on membrane alloying process. Complete formation of the alloy could be obtained when the Pd composition was greater than a critical value of 60 wt%, and Ag and Cu contents were in the range of 18–30 wt% and 2–13 wt%, respectively. Deposition times of Ag and Cu were found to affect the completion of alloy formation. Excess amount of the deposited Cu particularly tended to segregate on the surface of the membrane. - Highlights: • Ternary PdAgCu alloy membranes were successfully prepared by the sequential electroless and electroplating methods. • The average Pd composition required to form alloy was found to be approximately at least 60%wt. • The alloy region was achieved for f Pd 60–73 wt%, Cu 18–30 wt% and Ag 2–13 wt%. • Suitable annealing temperature in the range of 500–600 °C for an adequate period of treating time (20–60 h).

Evidence-based dentistry for planning restorative treatments: barriers and potential solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Afrashtehfar, K I; Eimar, H; Yassine, R; Abi-Nader, S; Tamimi, F

2017-11-01

Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) can help provide the best treatment option for every patient, however, its implementation in restorative dentistry is very limited. This study aimed at assessing the barriers preventing the implementation of EBD among dental undergraduate and graduate students in Montreal, and explore possible solutions to overcome these barriers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by means of a paper format self-administrated questionnaire distributed among dental students. The survey assessed the barriers and potential solutions for implementation of an evidence-based practice. Sixty-one students completed the questionnaire. Forty-one percent of respondents found evidence-based literature to be the most reliable source of information for restorative treatment planning, however, only 16% used it. They considered that finding reliable information was difficult and they sometimes encountered conflicting information when consulting different sources. Dental students had positive attitudes towards the need for better access to evidence-based literature to assist learning and decision making in restorative treatment planning and to improve treatment outcomes. Even for dentists trained in EBD, online searching takes too much time, and even though it can provide information of better quality than personal intuition, it might not be enough to identify the best available evidence. Even though dental students are aware of the importance of EBD in restorative dentistry they rarely apply the concept, mainly due to time constraints. For this reason, implementation of EBD would probably require faster access to evidence-based knowledge. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Evidence-based practice among speech-language pathologists: attitudes, utilization, and barriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zipoli, Richard P; Kennedy, Marianne

2005-08-01

A total of 240 speech-language pathologists responded to a questionnaire examining attitudes toward and use of research and evidence-based practice (EBP). Perceived barriers to EBP were also explored. Positive attitudes toward research and EBP were reported. Attitudes were predicted by exposure to research and EBP practice during graduate training and the clinical fellowship year (CFY). Clinical experience and opinions of colleagues were used to guide decision making more frequently than research studies or clinical practice guidelines. Only exposure to research and EBP during the CFY predicted use of evidence-based resources. Respondents reported a decline in exposure to research and EBP as they moved from graduate training into the CFY. A lack of time was perceived as a barrier to EBP.
Influence of chemical composition of CoFeB on tunneling magnetoresistance and microstructure in polycrystalline CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsunekawa, Koji; Choi, Young-Suk; Nagamine, Yoshinori; Djayaprawira, David D.; Takeuchi, Takashi; Kitamoto, Yoshitaka

2006-01-01

We report, for the first time, the correlation between tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and the microstructure of polycrystalline CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with various Co/Fe ratios in the (CoFe) 81 B 19 reference and free layers. It is found that the Co/Fe ratio in the (CoFe) 81 B 19 reference layer strongly affects the (001) out-of-plane texture of the MgO tunnel barrier, resulting in the variation in TMR ratio. Further microstructure characterization of the magnetic tunnel junction with a higher TMR ratio and a stronger (001) out-of-plane texture in the MgO tunnel barrier reveals a grain-to-grain lattice match between the crystallized bcc CoFeB reference layer and MgO with a 45deg rotational epitaxial relationship, that is, CoFeB(001)[110]//MgO(001)[100]. (author)
Monitoring long-term evolution of engineered barrier systems using magnets: Magnetic response.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigonat, N; Isnard, O; Harley, S L; Butler, I B

2018-01-05

Remote and non-destructive monitoring of the stability and performance of Engineered Barrier Systems for Geological Disposal Facility of is gaining considerable importance in establishing the safety cases for Higher Activity Wastes disposal. This study offers an innovative use of mineral magnetism for monitoring groundwater saturation of the barrier. Four mixtures of permanent magnets (Nd-Fe-B, coated and uncoated; SmCo and AlNiCo) and bentonite were reacted for 4, 8 and 12 months with mildly-saline, high-pH leachates, representing the fluids saturating a time-evolved engineered barrier. Coupled hysteresis and thermomagnetic analyses demonstrate how Nd-Fe-B feature a time-dependent transition from square-like ferromagnetic to superparamagnetic loop via pot-bellied and wasp-waist loops, whereas SmCo and AlNiCo do not show so extensive corrosion-related variations of the intrinsic and extrinsic magnetic properties. This study allowed to identify magnetic materials suitable for shorter- (Nd-Fe-B) and longer-term (SmCo and AlNiCo) monitoring purposes. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Facilitators and barriers of medication adherence in pediatric liver and kidney transplant recipients: a mixed-methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Claes, Anouck; Decorte, Anneloes; Levtchenko, Elena; Knops, Noel; Dobbels, Fabienne

2014-12-01

Many young transplant patients (≤11 years old) struggle to take their immunosuppressive and co-medications correctly, yet it remains unclear which factors positively or negatively affect medication adherence. Research studies on determinants in this age group are scarce, have methodological flaws, and focus exclusively on immunosuppressants or on barriers rather than on facilitators. This study used a consecutive mixed-methods (qualitative + quantitative) design. Semistructured interviews with parents of 10 pediatric liver or kidney transplant recipients 2 to 11 years old on adherence facilitators and barriers were conducted, complemented by quantification of adherence to the immunosuppressants and co-medications, and completion of the "immunosuppressive medication adherence barriers" self-report instrument. A median of 19 (range, 10-29) barriers was reported: the most commonly encountered were forgetfulness (70%), vomiting (70%), bad taste (60%), and interruptions in routine (60%). Parents reported a median of 15 facilitators (range, 6-26), including using practical aids (100%), having medication with you at all times (100%), having to take fewer medications (80%), and experiencing fewer regimen changes over time (80%). No clear distinction between immunosuppressants or co-medications was made. This study provides several new insights based on peer experience to support future patients and their parents in medication adherence.
Electroless plating of Ni–B film as a binder-free highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrazine oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen, Xiao-Ping; Dai, Hong-Bin, E-mail: mshbdai@scut.edu.cn; Wu, Lin-Song; Wang, Ping, E-mail: mspwang@scut.edu.cn

2017-07-01

Graphical abstract: A Ni–B film was grown on Ni foam to form a binder-free highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrazine oxidation in alkaline medium. The newly-developed Ni–B/Ni foam electrocatalyst may promote the practical application of hydrazine as a viable energy carrier for fuel cells. - Highlights: • A Ni–B film grown on Ni foam electrocatalyst is prepared by the electrless plating. • The Ni–B film shows high activity and stability for N{sub 2}H{sub 4} electrooxidation reaction. • The improved catalytic property is ascribed to B-tuned electronic structure of Ni. • The resultant catalyst may promote application of N{sub 2}H{sub 4} as a viable energy carrier. - Abstract: Hydrazine is a promising energy carrier for fuel cells owing to its combined advantages of high theoretical cell voltage, high-power density, and no greenhouse gas emission. By using an electroless plating process, we have prepared a robust Ni–B film grown on Ni foam that is highly effective for hydrazine electrooxidation in alkaline media. The effects of reaction temperature, concentrations of hydrous hydrazine and sodium hydroxide in the fuel solution on performance of hydrazine electrooxidation reaction are investigated. The mechanistic reason for the property advantage of as-prepared Ni–B/Ni foam catalyst over the relevant catalysts is discussed based on careful kinetics studies and characterization. The facile synthesis of Ni-based catalyst with high activity and good stability is of clear significance for the development of hydrous hydrazine as a viable energy carrier.
Electroless plating of Ni–B film as a binder-free highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrazine oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Xiao-Ping; Dai, Hong-Bin; Wu, Lin-Song; Wang, Ping

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: A Ni–B film was grown on Ni foam to form a binder-free highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrazine oxidation in alkaline medium. The newly-developed Ni–B/Ni foam electrocatalyst may promote the practical application of hydrazine as a viable energy carrier for fuel cells. - Highlights: • A Ni–B film grown on Ni foam electrocatalyst is prepared by the electrless plating. • The Ni–B film shows high activity and stability for N_2H_4 electrooxidation reaction. • The improved catalytic property is ascribed to B-tuned electronic structure of Ni. • The resultant catalyst may promote application of N_2H_4 as a viable energy carrier. - Abstract: Hydrazine is a promising energy carrier for fuel cells owing to its combined advantages of high theoretical cell voltage, high-power density, and no greenhouse gas emission. By using an electroless plating process, we have prepared a robust Ni–B film grown on Ni foam that is highly effective for hydrazine electrooxidation in alkaline media. The effects of reaction temperature, concentrations of hydrous hydrazine and sodium hydroxide in the fuel solution on performance of hydrazine electrooxidation reaction are investigated. The mechanistic reason for the property advantage of as-prepared Ni–B/Ni foam catalyst over the relevant catalysts is discussed based on careful kinetics studies and characterization. The facile synthesis of Ni-based catalyst with high activity and good stability is of clear significance for the development of hydrous hydrazine as a viable energy carrier.
Effect of Rake Angle During Machining of Micro Grooves on Electroless Nickel Plated Die Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezaur Rahman, K.M.; Rahman, M.

2005-01-01

This study attempts to evaluate the performance of two single crystal diamond tools with different rake angle (0 0 and -15 0 ) during micro grooving on electroless nickel plated die materials. It was found that the 0 0 rake diamond tool has superior performance compared to the -15 0 rake angle tool. The negative rake tool experienced very high thrust force, and severe chipping on the flank face was evident after a short cutting distance of 3.13 km. On the other hand, the 0 0 rake tool machined satisfactorily up to 50 km without any significant tool wear. While machining with the -15 0 rake tool, significant change in surface roughness with spindle speed was observed compared to the 0 0 rake tool. With increasing infeed rate variation in surface roughness was evident only with the -15 0 rake tool. Steep change in roughness with machining distance was also observed while machining with the negative rake tool. (authors)
Fabrication of biomimetic superhydrophobic surface on engineering materials by a simple electroless galvanic deposition method.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xianghui; Zhang, Zhaozhu; Yang, Jin

2010-03-02

We have reported an easy means in this paper to imitate the "lotus leaf" by constructing a superhydrophobic surface through a process combining both electroless galvanic deposition and self-assembly of n-octadecanethiol. Superhydrophobicity with a static water contact angle of about 169 +/- 2 degrees and a sliding angle of 0 +/- 2 degrees was achieved. Both the surface chemical compositions and morphological structures were analyzed. We have obtained a feather-like surface structure, and the thickness of the Ag film is about 10-30 microm. The stability of the superhydrophobic surface was tested under the following three conditions: (1) pH value from 1 to 13; (2) after freezing treatment at -20 degrees C; (3) at ambient temperature. It shows a notable stability in that the contact angle of the sample still remained higher than 150 degrees in different conditions. It can be concluded that our approach can provide an alternative way to fabricate stable superhydrophobic materials.
OPTIMIZATION OF THE CATHODE LONG-TERM STABILITY IN MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dr. Ralph E. White

2001-03-31

SS 304 was encapsulated with thin layers of Co-Ni by an electroless deposition process. The corrosion behavior of SS304 and Co-Ni-SS304 was investigated in molten carbonate under cathode gas atmosphere with electrochemical and surface characterization tools. Surface modification of SS304 reduced the dissolution of chromium and nickel into the molten carbonate melt. Composition of the corrosion scale formed in case of Co-Ni-SS304 is different from SS304 and shows the presence of Co and Ni oxides while the latter shows the presence of lithium ferrite. Polarization resistance for oxygen reduction reaction and conductivity of corrosion values for the corrosion scales were obtained using impedance analysis and current-potential plots. The results indicated lower polarization resistance for oxygen reduction reaction in the case of Co-Ni-SS304 when compared to SS304. Also, the conductivity of the corrosion scales was considerably higher in case of Co-Ni-SS304 than the SS304. This study shows that modifying the current collector surface with Co-Ni coatings leads to the formation of oxide scales with improved barrier properties and electronic conductivity.
Electroless preparation and characterization of Ni-B nanoparticles supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their catalytic activity towards hydrogenation of styrene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Zheng; Li, Zhilin [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Institute of Carbon Fibers and Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Wang, Feng, E-mail: wangf@mail.buct.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Institute of Carbon Fibers and Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Liu, Jingjun; Ji, Jing [State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Institute of Carbon Fibers and Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Park, Ki Chul [Institute of Carbon Science and Technology (ICST), Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano-shi, Nagano 380-8553 (Japan); Endo, Morinobu [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano-shi, Nagano 380-8553 (Japan)

2012-02-15

Graphical abstract: The MWCNT/Ni-B catalyst has been successfully prepared by an electroless deposition process. The Ni-B nanoparticles on the supporter are amorphous and are well-distributed. The catalytic conversion towards hydrogenation of styrene shows excellent catalytic activity of the obtained materials. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A two-step treatment of MWCNTs enabled the homogeneous growth of Ni-B nanoparticles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ni-B nanoparticles were amorphous with an average size of 60 nm. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There were electron transfer between Ni and B. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The catalyst had excellent catalytic activity towards hydrogenation of styrene. -- Abstract: Nickel-boron (Ni-B) nanoparticles supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were successfully synthesized through an electroless deposition process using the plating bath with sodium borohydride as a reducing agent. The structural and morphological analyses using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy have shown that the Ni-B nanoparticles deposited on the sidewalls of MWCNTs are fine spheres comprised of amorphous structure with the morphologically unique fine-structure like flowers, and homogenously dispersed with a narrow particle size distribution centered at around 60 nm diameter. The catalytic activity of MWCNT/Ni-B nanoparticles was evaluated with respect to hydrogenation of styrene. The hydrogenation catalyzed by MWCNT-supported Ni-B nanoparticles has been found to make styrene selectively converted into ethylbenzene. The highest conversion reaches 99.8% under proper reaction conditions, which demonstrates the high catalytic activity of MWCNT/Ni-B nanoparticles.
Processing of aluminum matrix composites by electroless plating and melt infiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, C.A.; Bourassa, A.-M.; Drew, R.A.L.

2000-01-01

Reduction of the SiC/ Al interaction and enhancement of wetting between reinforcements and molten aluminum was obtained by modifying the ceramic surface with deposition of nickel and copper coatings. The preparation of nickel- and copper-coated ceramic particles as precursors for MMC fabrication was studied. Al 2 O 3 and SiC powders were successfully coated with Ni and Cu using electroless metal plating. Uniform and continuous metal films were deposited on both, alumina and silicon carbide powders XRD showed that the Ni-P deposit was predominantly amorphous, while the copper deposit was essentially polycrystalline. Infiltration results showed that the use of the coated powders enhances the wettability between the matrix and ceramic phase when processing particulate MMCs by a vacuum infiltration technique, giving a porosity-free composite with a homogeneously distributed reinforcing phase. The coating promoted easy metal flow through the preform, compared to the non-infiltration behavior of the uncoated counterpart samples XRD microstructural analysis of the composites indicates the formation of intermetallic phases such as CuAl 2 , in the case of copper coating, and NiAl and NiAl 3 when nickel-coated powders are infiltrated. Metallization of the ceramics minimizes the interfacial reaction of the SiC/Al composites and promotes wetting of Al 2 O 3 reinforcements with liquid aluminum. Copyright (2000) AD-TECH - International Foundation for the Advancement of Technology Ltd
Natural reducing agents for electroless nanoparticle deposition: Mild synthesis of metal/carbon nanostructured microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duffy, Paul; Reynolds, Lyndsey A.; Sanders, Stephanie E.; Metz, Kevin M.; Colavita, Paula E.

2013-01-01

Composite materials are of interest because they can potentially combine the properties of their respective components in a manner that is useful for specific applications. Here, we report on the use of coffee as a low-cost, green reductant for the room temperature formation of catalytically active, supported metal nanoparticles. Specifically, we have leveraged the reduction potential of coffee in order to grow Pd and Ag nanoparticles at the surface of porous carbon microspheres synthesized via ultraspray pyrolysis. The metal nanoparticle-on-carbon microsphere composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). To demonstrate the catalytic activity of Pd/C and Ag/C materials, Suzuki coupling reactions and nitroaromatic reduction reactions were employed, respectively. - Highlights: • Natural reductants were used as green electroless deposition reagents. • Room temperature synthesis of supported Ag and Pd nanoparticles was achieved. • Carbon porous microspheres were used as supports. • Synthesis via natural reductants yielded catalytically active nanoparticles.
Perceived gender-based barriers to careers in academic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Cochran, Amalia; Hauschild, Tricia; Elder, William B; Neumayer, Leigh A; Brasel, Karen J; Crandall, Marie L

2013-08-01

Women represent roughly 50% of US medical students and one third of US surgery residents. Within academic surgery departments, however, women are disproportionately underrepresented, particularly at senior levels. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that female surgeons perceive different barriers to academic careers relative to their male colleagues. A modified version of the Career Barriers Inventory-Revised was administered to senior surgical residents and early-career surgical faculty members at 8 academic medical centers using an online survey tool. Likert-type scales were used to measure respondents' agreement with each survey item. Fisher's exact test was used to identify significant differences on the basis of gender. Respondents included 70 women (44 residents, 26 faculty members) and 84 men (41 residents, 43 faculty members). Women anticipated or perceived active discrimination in the form of being treated differently and experiencing negative comments about their sex, findings that differed notably from those for male counterparts. Sex-based negative attitudes inhibited the career aspirations of female surgeons. The presence of overt and implicit bias resulted in a sense that sex is a barrier to female surgeons' career development in academic surgery. No differences were observed between male and female respondents with regard to career preparation or structural barriers. Female academic surgeons experience challenges that are perceived to differ from their male counterparts. Women who participated in this study reported feeling excluded from the dominant culture in departments of surgery. This study may help guide transformative initiatives within academic surgery departments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Optimization of wear behavior of electroless Ni-P-W coating under dry and lubricated conditions using genetic algorithm (GA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arkadeb Mukhopadhyay

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The present study aims to investigate the tribological behavior of Ni-P-W coating under dry and lubricated condition. The coating is deposited onto mild steel (AISI 1040 specimens by the electroless method using a sodium hypophosphite based alkaline bath. Coating characterization is done to investigate the effect of microstructure on its performance. The change in microhardness is observed to be quite significant after annealing the deposits at 400°C for 1h. A pin–on–disc type tribo-tester is used to investigate the tribological behavior of the coating under dry and lubricated conditions. The experimental design formulation is based on Taguchi’s orthogonal array. The design parameters considered are the applied normal load, sliding speed and sliding duration while the response parameter is wear depth. Multiple regression analysis is employed to obtain a quadratic model of the response variables with the main design parameters under considerations. A high value of coefficient of determination of 95.3% and 87.5% of wear depth is obtained under dry and lubricated conditions, respectively which indicate good correlation between experimental results and the multiple regression models. Analysis of variance at a confidence level of 95% shows that the models are statistically significant. Finally, the quadratic equations are used as objective functions to obtain the optimal combination of tribo testing parameters for minimum wear depth using genetic algorithm (GA.
Quasi-Two-Dimensional Magnetism in Co-Based Shandites

Science.gov (United States)

Kassem, Mohamed A.; Tabata, Yoshikazu; Waki, Takeshi; Nakamura, Hiroyuki

2016-06-01

We report quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) itinerant electron magnetism in the layered Co-based shandites. Comprehensive magnetization measurements were performed using single crystals of Co3Sn2-xInxS2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) and Co3-yFeySn2S2 (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.5). The magnetic parameters of both systems; the Curie temperature TC, effective moment peff and spontaneous moment ps; exhibit almost identical variations against the In- and Fe-concentrations, indicating significance of the electron count on the magnetism in the Co-based shandite. The ferromagnetic-nonmagnetic quantum phase transition is found around xc ˜ 0.8. Analysis based on the extended Q2D spin fluctuation theory clearly reveals the highly Q2D itinerant electron character of the ferromagnetism in the Co-based shandites.
Electroless porous silicon formation applied to fabrication of boron–silica–glass cantilevers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teva, J; Davis, Z J; Hansen, O

2010-01-01

This work describes the characterization and optimization of anisotropic formation of porous silicon in large volumes (0.5–1 mm 3 ) of silicon by an electroless wet etching technique. The main goal is to use porous silicon as a sacrificial volume for bulk micromachining processes, especially in cases where etching of the full wafer thickness is needed. The porous silicon volume is formed by a metal-assisted etching in a wet chemical solution composed of hydrogen peroxide (30%), hydrofluoric acid (40%) and ethanol. This paper focuses on optimizing the etching conditions in terms of maximizing the etching rate and reproducibility of the etching. In addition to that, a study of the morphology of the pore that is obtained by this technique is presented. The results from the characterization of the process are applied to the fabrication of boron–silica–glass cantilevers that serve as a platform for bio-chemical sensors. The porous silicon volume is formed in an early step of the fabrication process, allowing easy handling of the wafer during all of the micromachining processes in the process flow. In the final process step, the porous silicon is quickly etched by immersing the wafer in a KOH solution
High-cycle fatigue behavior of Co-based superalloy 9CrCo at elevated temperatures

OpenAIRE

Wan, Aoshuang; Xiong, Junjiang; Lyu, Zhiyang; Li, Kuang; Du, Yisen; Chen, Kejiao; Man, Ziyu

2016-01-01

A modified model is developed to characterize and evaluate high-cycle fatigue behavior of Co-based superalloy 9CrCo at elevated temperatures by considering the stress ratio effect. The model is informed by the relationship surface between maximum nominal stress, stress ratio and fatigue life. New formulae are derived to deal with the test data for estimating the parameters of the proposed model. Fatigue tests are performed on Co-based superalloy 9CrCo subjected to constant amplitude loading a...
Al-based anti-corrosion and T-permeation barrier development for future DEMO blankets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauss, W.; Konys, J.; Holstein, N.; Zimmermann, H.

2011-01-01

In the Helium-Cooled-Liquid-Lead (HCLL) design of Test-Blanket-Modules (TBM's) for a future fusion power plant Pb-15.7Li is used as liquid breeder which is in direct contact with the structure material, e.g. EUROFER steel. Compatibility testing showed that high corrosion attack appears and that the dissolved steel components form precipitates with a high risk of system blockages. A reliable operation needs coatings as corrosion barriers. The earlier developed Hot-Dip Aluminisation (HDA) process has shown that Al-based scales can act as anti-corrosion as well as T-permeation barriers. Meanwhile two advanced electro-chemically based processes for deposition of Al-scales were successfully developed. The first (ECA = Electro-Chemical Al-deposition) is working with an organic electrolyte and the second one (ECX = Electro-Chemical-X-metal-deposition) is based on ionic liquids. Coatings in the μm-range were deposited homogeneously with exact controllable thicknesses. Metallurgical investigations showed the successful generation of protective scales and compatibility testing demonstrated the barrier function.
Al-based anti-corrosion and T-permeation barrier development for future DEMO blankets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krauss, W., E-mail: wolfgang.krauss@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann von Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Konys, J.; Holstein, N.; Zimmermann, H. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann von Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2011-10-01

In the Helium-Cooled-Liquid-Lead (HCLL) design of Test-Blanket-Modules (TBM's) for a future fusion power plant Pb-15.7Li is used as liquid breeder which is in direct contact with the structure material, e.g. EUROFER steel. Compatibility testing showed that high corrosion attack appears and that the dissolved steel components form precipitates with a high risk of system blockages. A reliable operation needs coatings as corrosion barriers. The earlier developed Hot-Dip Aluminisation (HDA) process has shown that Al-based scales can act as anti-corrosion as well as T-permeation barriers. Meanwhile two advanced electro-chemically based processes for deposition of Al-scales were successfully developed. The first (ECA = Electro-Chemical Al-deposition) is working with an organic electrolyte and the second one (ECX = Electro-Chemical-X-metal-deposition) is based on ionic liquids. Coatings in the {mu}m-range were deposited homogeneously with exact controllable thicknesses. Metallurgical investigations showed the successful generation of protective scales and compatibility testing demonstrated the barrier function.

Effect Of Low-Temperature Annealing On The Properties Of Ni-P Amorphous Alloys Deposited Via Electroless Plating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Guanlin

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Amorphous Ni-P alloys were prepared via electroless plating and annealing at 200°C at different times to obtain different microstructures. The effects of low-temperature annealing on the properties of amorphous Ni-P alloys were studied. The local atomic structure of the annealed amorphous Ni-P alloys was analyzed by calculating the atomic pair distribution function from their X-ray diffraction patterns. The results indicate that the properties of the annealed amorphous Ni-P alloys are closely related to the order atomic cluster size. However, these annealed Ni-P alloys maintained their amorphous structure at different annealing times. The variation in microhardness is in agreement with the change in cluster size. By contrast, the corrosion resistance of the annealed alloys in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution increases with the decrease in order cluster size.
Anisotropic sensor and memory device with a ferromagnetic tunnel barrier as the only magnetic element.

Science.gov (United States)

Lόpez-Mir, L; Frontera, C; Aramberri, H; Bouzehouane, K; Cisneros-Fernández, J; Bozzo, B; Balcells, L; Martínez, B

2018-01-16

Multiple spin functionalities are probed on Pt/La 2 Co 0.8 Mn 1.2 O 6 /Nb:SrTiO 3 , a device composed by a ferromagnetic insulating barrier sandwiched between non-magnetic electrodes. Uniquely, La 2 Co 0.8 Mn 1.2 O 6 thin films present strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of magnetocrystalline origin, property of major interest for spintronics. The junction has an estimated spin-filtering efficiency of 99.7% and tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) values up to 30% at low temperatures. This remarkable angular dependence of the magnetoresistance is associated with the magnetic anisotropy whose origin lies in the large spin-orbit interaction of Co 2+ which is additionally tuned by the strain of the crystal lattice. Furthermore, we found that the junction can operate as an electrically readable magnetic memory device. The findings of this work demonstrate that a single ferromagnetic insulating barrier with strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy is sufficient for realizing sensor and memory functionalities in a tunneling device based on TAMR.
Appearance of a conductive carbonaceous coating in a CO2 dielectric barrier discharge and its influence on the electrical properties and the conversion efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belov, Igor; Paulussen, Sabine; Bogaerts, Annemie

2016-01-01

This work examines the properties of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor, built for CO 2 decomposition, by means of electrical characterization, optical emission spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The discharge, formed in an electronegative gas (such as CO 2 , but also O 2 ), exhibits clearly different electrical characteristics, depending on the surface conductivity of the reactor walls. An asymmetric current waveform is observed in the metal-dielectric (MD) configuration, with sparse high-current pulses in the positive half-cycle (HC) and a more uniform regime in the negative HC. This indicates that the discharge is operating in two alternating regimes with rather different properties. At high CO 2 conversion regimes, a conductive coating is deposited on the dielectric. This so-called coated MD configuration yields a symmetric current waveform, with current peaks in both the positive and negative HCs. In a double-dielectric (DD) configuration, the current waveform is also symmetric, but without current peaks in both the positive and negative HC. Finally, the DD configuration with conductive coating on the inner surface of the outer dielectric, i.e. so-called coated DD, yields again an asymmetric current waveform, with current peaks in the negative HC. These different electrical characteristics are related to the presence of the conductive coating on the dielectric wall of the reactor and can be explained by an increase of the local barrier capacitance available for charge transfer. The different discharge regimes affect the CO 2 conversion, more specifically, the CO 2 conversion is lowest in the clean DD configuration. It is somewhat higher in the coated DD configuration, and still higher in the MD configuration. The clean and coated MD configuration, however, gave similar CO 2 conversion. These results indicate that the conductivity of the dielectric reactor walls can highly promote the development of the high-amplitude discharge current pulses and
Conductance of graphene based normal-superconductor junction with double magnetic barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Abdollahipour, B.; Mohebalipour, A.; Maleki, M. A.

2018-05-01

We study conductance of a graphene based normal metal-superconductor junction with two magnetic barriers. The magnetic barriers are induced via two applied magnetic fields with the same magnitudes and opposite directions accompanied by an applied electrostatic potential. We solve Dirac-Bogoliubov-De-Gennes (DBdG) equation to calculate conductance of the junction. We find that applying the magnetic field leads to suppression of the Andreev reflection and conductance for all energies. On the other hand, we observe a crossover from oscillatory to tunneling behavior of the conductance as a function of the applied potential by increasing the magnetic field.
Susceptibility of CoFeB/AlOx/Co Magnetic Tunnel Junctions to Low-Frequency Alternating Current

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan-Tsung Chen

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This investigation studies CoFeB/AlOx/Co magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ in the magnetic field of a low-frequency alternating current, for various thicknesses of the barrier layer AlOx. The low-frequency alternate-current magnetic susceptibility (χac and phase angle (θ of the CoFeB/AlOx/Co MTJ are determined using an cac analyzer. The driving frequency ranges from 10 to 25,000 Hz. These multilayered MTJs are deposited on a silicon substrate using a DC and RF magnetron sputtering system. Barrier layer thicknesses are 22, 26, and 30 Å. The X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD include a main peak at 2θ = 44.7° from hexagonal close-packed (HCP Co with a highly (0002 textured structure, with AlOx and CoFeB as amorphous phases. The full width at half maximum (FWHM of the Co(0002 peak, decreases as the AlOx thickness increases; revealing that the Co layer becomes more crystalline with increasing thickness. χac result demonstrates that the optimal resonance frequency (fres that maximizes the χac value is 500 Hz. As the frequency increases to 1000 Hz, the susceptibility decreases rapidly. However, when the frequency increases over 1000 Hz, the susceptibility sharply declines, and almost closes to zero. The experimental results reveal that the mean optimal susceptibility is 1.87 at an AlOx barrier layer thickness of 30 Å because the Co(0002 texture induces magneto-anisotropy, which improves the indirect CoFeB and Co spin exchange-coupling strength and the χac value. The results concerning magnetism indicate that the magnetic characteristics are related to the crystallinity of Co.
Investigation of aluminised steel as a barrier to tritium using accelerator-based and hydrogen permeation techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sokhi, R S; Forcey, K S; Ross, D K; Earwaker, L G [Birmingham Univ. (UK). School of Physics and Space Research

1989-04-01

Aluminised steel has been proposed as a barrier to tritium permeation in fusion reactors. The properties of these materials as tritium barriers have been studied using accelerator-based techniques and hydrogen permeation methods. The aluminide layers has been characterised by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) techniques using the 3 MV Dynamitron accelerator based at the School of Physics and Space Research Radiation Centre. The effectiveness of the aluminide layer as a tritium barrier has been measured directly by a conventional permeation apparatus over a range of temperatures. The effect of high temperatures on the structure of the aluminide layer has been examined. Any correlation between the composition of the layer and its effectiveness as a tritium barrier is also discussed. (orig.).
Therapeutic benefits of enhancing permeability barrier for atopic eczema

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Man

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The regulatory role of epidermal permeability barrier function in cutaneous inflammation has been well appreciated. While barrier disruption induces cutaneous inflammation, improvement of permeability barrier function alleviates inflammation. Studies have demonstrated that improvement of epidermal permeability barrier function not only prevents the development of atopic eczema, but also delays the relapse of these diseases. Moreover, enhancing the epidermal permeability barrier also alleviates atopic eczema. Furthermore, co-applications of barrier enhancing products with glucocorticoids can increase the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the adverse effects of glucocorticoids in the treatment of atopic eczema. Therefore, utilization of permeability barrier enhancing products alone or in combination with glucocorticoids could be a valuable approach in the treatment of atopic eczema. In this review, we discuss the benefits of improving the epidermal permeability barrier in the management of atopic eczema.
Magnetron sputtered gadolinia-doped ceria diffusion barriers for metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sønderby, Steffen; Klemensø, Trine; Christensen, Bjarke H.

2014-01-01

Gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) thin films are deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in an industrial-scale setup and implemented as barrier layers between the cathode and electrolyte in metal-based solid oxide fuel cells consisting of a metal support, an electrolyte of ZrO2 co-doped with Sc2O3...
Energy consumption and CO2 emissions of industrial process technologies. Saving potentials, barriers and instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleiter, Tobias; Schlomann, Barbara; Eichhammer, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

Which contribution can the increase of energy efficiency achieve in the industry energy for the energy transition in Germany? To answer this question a model-based analysis of existing energy efficiency potentials of the energy-intensive industries is performed, which account for about 70% of the total energy demand of the industry. Based on this industry for each sector are instruments proposed for the implementation of the calculated potential and to overcome the existing barriers. [de
Transparent Barrier Urethanes Based on Polyethylene Soft Segments

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Beck

2000-01-01

...%. Flexible, transparent materials were produced. The mechanical and barrier properties of these urethanes were evaluated for comparison with the performance of traditional flexible barrier materials (e.g., butyl rubber...
Super Oxygen and Improved Water Vapor Barrier of Polypropylene Film with Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Nanocoatings.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yixuan; Tzeng, Ping; Grunlan, Jaime C

2016-06-01

Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) is widely used in packaging. Although its orientation increases mechanical strength and clarity, BOPP suffers from a high oxygen transmission rate (OTR). Multilayer thin films are deposited from water using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. Polyethylenimine (PEI) is combined with either poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) or vermiculite (VMT) clay to impart high oxygen barrier. A 30-bilayer PEI/VMT nanocoating (226 nm thick) improves the OTR of 17.8 μm thick BOPP by more than 30X, rivaling most inorganic coatings. PEI/PAA multilayers achieve comparable barrier with only 12 bilayers due to greater thickness, but these films exhibit increased oxygen permeability at high humidity. The PEI/VMT coatings actually exhibit improved oxygen barrier at high humidity (and also improve moisture barrier by more than 40%). This high barrier BOPP meets the criteria for sensitive food and some electronics packaging applications. Additionally, this water-based coating technology is cost effective and provides an opportunity to produce high barrier polypropylene film on an industrial scale. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Hanford protective barriers program: Status of asphalt barrier studies - FY 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeman, H.D.; Gee, G.W.

1989-11-01

The Hanford Protective Barrier Program is evaluating alternate barriers to provide a means of meeting stringent water infiltration requirements. One type of alternate barrier being considered is an asphalt-based layer, 1.3 to 15 cm thick. Evaluations of these barriers were initiated in FY 1988, and, based on laboratory studies, two asphalt formulations were selected for further testing in small-tube lysimeters: a hot rubberized asphalt and an admixture of cationic asphalt emulsion and concrete sand containing 24 wt% residual asphalt. Eight lysimeters containing asphalt seals were installed as part of the Small Tube Lysimeter Test Facility on the Hanford Site. Two control lysimeters containing Hanford sand with a surface gravel treatment were also installed for comparison. 5 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab
Study on fusion potential barrier in heavy ion reactions based on the dynamical model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Junlong; Wu Xizhen; Li Zhuxia; Wang Ning; Liu Fuhu

2004-01-01

Based on an improved quantum molecular dynamics model the static and dynamic potential in the entrance channel of synthesis of superheavy nuclei are studied. The dependence of the static potential (and driving potential) on mass-asymmetry is obtained. From this study authors find out that the mass-symmetric system seems to be difficult to fuse and the fusing system with the largest driving potential could be the optimal choice of the projectile-target combination. By comparing the static potential barrier with the dynamic one authors find that the latter one is lower than former one obviously, and that the dynamical potential barrier is entrance energy dependent. The maximum and minimum of dynamic potential barriers approach to the diabatic (sudden approximation) and the adiabatic static potential barriers, respectively
Two very long chain fatty acid acyl-CoA synthetase genes, acs-20 and acs-22, have roles in the cuticle surface barrier in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eriko Kage-Nakadai

Full Text Available In multicellular organisms, the surface barrier is essential for maintaining the internal environment. In mammals, the barrier is the stratum corneum. Fatty acid transport protein 4 (FATP4 is a key factor involved in forming the stratum corneum barrier. Mice lacking Fatp4 display early neonatal lethality with features such as tight, thick, and shiny skin, and a defective skin barrier. These symptoms are strikingly similar to those of a human skin disease called restrictive dermopathy. FATP4 is a member of the FATP family that possesses acyl-CoA synthetase activity for very long chain fatty acids. How Fatp4 contributes to skin barrier function, however, remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we characterized two Caenorhabditis elegans genes, acs-20 and acs-22, that are homologous to mammalian FATPs. Animals with mutant acs-20 exhibited defects in the cuticle barrier, which normally prevents the penetration of small molecules. acs-20 mutant animals also exhibited abnormalities in the cuticle structure, but not in epidermal cell fate or cell integrity. The acs-22 mutants rarely showed a barrier defect, whereas acs-20;acs-22 double mutants had severely disrupted barrier function. Moreover, the barrier defects of acs-20 and acs-20;acs-22 mutants were rescued by acs-20, acs-22, or human Fatp4 transgenes. We further demonstrated that the incorporation of exogenous very long chain fatty acids into sphingomyelin was reduced in acs-20 and acs-22 mutants. These findings indicate that C. elegans Fatp4 homologue(s have a crucial role in the surface barrier function and this model might be useful for studying the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying human skin barrier and relevant diseases.
Pumped shot noise in adiabatically modulated graphene-based double-barrier structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Rui; Lai, Maoli

2011-11-16

Quantum pumping processes are accompanied by considerable quantum noise. Based on the scattering approach, we investigated the pumped shot noise properties in adiabatically modulated graphene-based double-barrier structures. It is found that compared with the Poisson processes, the pumped shot noise is dramatically enhanced where the dc pumped current changes flow direction, which demonstrates the effect of the Klein paradox.
Pumped shot noise in adiabatically modulated graphene-based double-barrier structures

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Rui; Lai, Maoli

2011-11-01

Quantum pumping processes are accompanied by considerable quantum noise. Based on the scattering approach, we investigated the pumped shot noise properties in adiabatically modulated graphene-based double-barrier structures. It is found that compared with the Poisson processes, the pumped shot noise is dramatically enhanced where the dc pumped current changes flow direction, which demonstrates the effect of the Klein paradox.
Method for identifying drivers, barriers and synergies related to the deployment of a CO2 pipeline network : A case study for the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berghout, Niels; Cabal, Helena; Gouveia, João Pedro; van den Broek, Machteld; Faaij, André

2015-01-01

This paper provides a method to identify drivers, barriers and synergies (DBS) related to the deployment of a CO2 pipeline network. The method was demonstrated for the West Mediterranean region (WMR) (i.e. Spain, Portugal and Morocco). The method comprises a literature review, analysis of
The impact of reducing financial barriers on utilisation of a primary health care facility in Rwanda

Science.gov (United States)

Dhillon, Ranu S.; Bonds, Matthew H.; Fraden, Max; Ndahiro, Donald; Ruxin, Josh

2011-01-01

This study investigates the impact of subsidising community-based health insurance (mutuelle) enrolment, removing point-of-service co-payments, and improving service delivery on health facility utilisation rates in Mayange, a sector of rural Rwanda of approximately 25,000 people divided among five ‘imidugudu’ or small villages. While comprehensive service upgrades were introduced in the Mayange Health Centre between April 2006 and February 2007, utilisation rates remained similar to comparison sites. Between February 2007 and April 2007, subsidies for mutuelle enrolment established virtually 100% coverage. Immediately after co-payments were eliminated in February 2007, patient visits levelled at a rate triple the previous value. Regression analyses using data from Mayange and two comparison sites indicate that removing financial barriers resulted in about 0.6 additional annual visits for curative care per capita. Although based on a single local pilot, these findings suggest that in order to achieve improved health outcomes, key short-term objectives include improved service delivery and reduced financial barriers. Based on this pilot, higher utilisation rates may be affected if broader swaths of the population are enrolled in mutuelle and co-payments are eliminated. Health leaders in Rwanda should consider further studies to determine if the impact of eliminating co-payments and increasing subsidies for mutuelle enrolment as seen in Mayange holds at greater levels of scale. Broader studies to better elucidate the impact of enrolment subsidies and co-payment subsidies on utilisation, health outcomes, and costs would also provide policy insights. PMID:21732708
A chiral microwave absorbing absorbent of Fe–CoNiP coated on spirulina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Yonggang, E-mail: xuyonggang221@163.com [Science and Technology on Electromagnetic Scattering Laboratory, Shanghai, 200438 (China); Yuan, Liming [Science and Technology on Electromagnetic Scattering Laboratory, Shanghai, 200438 (China); Zhang, Deyuan [School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191 (China)

2015-11-15

A chiral bio-absorbent of Fe–CoNiP coated on the spirulina was fabricated by the electroless and chemical vapor decomposition. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the spirulina cells particle morphology. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were done to analyze the particle crystal grain structure. The permittivity and permeability was measured by a vector network analyzer in frequency 8–18 GHz, and the reflection loss (RL) was calculated. The results showed the carbonyl iron particles (CIPs) and CoNiP were bonded to the spirulina surface, the permittivity and permeability could be enlarged as Fe films coated on the particles compared with the CoNiP spirulina, it was attributed to the excellent electromagnetic property of CIPs. The chiral Fe–CoNiP composites had a better absorbing property at 8–18 GHz than the CoNiP spirulina composite, the RL was −16.26 dB at 10.48 GHz, the absorbing band was 9.5–11.5 GHz of RL less than −10 dB, which indicated the Fe–CoNiP spirulina could be an effective absorbent used in 8–18 GHz. - Highlights: • Absorbers filled with Fe–CoNiP coating on the spirulina were fabricated. • The permittivity and permeability increased as CIPs coated. • The Fe material enhanced the electromagnetic property. • The spirulina coated Fe–CoNiP was effective in 8–18 GHz.
CO and CO2 dual-gas detection based on mid-infrared wideband absorption spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Ming; Zhong, Guo-qiang; Miao, Shu-zhuo; Zheng, Chuan-tao; Wang, Yi-ding

2018-03-01

A dual-gas sensor system is developed for CO and CO2 detection using a single broadband light source, pyroelectric detectors and time-division multiplexing (TDM) technique. A stepper motor based rotating system and a single-reflection spherical optical mirror are designed and adopted for realizing and enhancing dual-gas detection. Detailed measurements under static detection mode (without rotation) and dynamic mode (with rotation) are performed to study the performance of the sensor system for the two gas samples. The detection period is 7.9 s in one round of detection by scanning the two detectors. Based on an Allan deviation analysis, the 1σ detection limits under static operation are 3.0 parts per million (ppm) in volume and 2.6 ppm for CO and CO2, respectively, and those under dynamic operation are 9.4 ppm and 10.8 ppm for CO and CO2, respectively. The reported sensor has potential applications in various fields requiring CO and CO2 detection such as in the coal mine.

Performing a local barrier operation

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, Charles J; Blocksome, Michael A; Ratterman, Joseph D; Smith, Brian E

2014-03-04

Performing a local barrier operation with parallel tasks executing on a compute node including, for each task: retrieving a present value of a counter; calculating, in dependence upon the present value of the counter and a total number of tasks performing the local barrier operation, a base value, the base value representing the counter's value prior to any task joining the local barrier; calculating, in dependence upon the base value and the total number of tasks performing the local barrier operation, a target value of the counter, the target value representing the counter's value when all tasks have joined the local barrier; joining the local barrier, including atomically incrementing the value of the counter; and repetitively, until the present value of the counter is no less than the target value of the counter: retrieving the present value of the counter and determining whether the present value equals the target value.
Electrical resistivity and dielectric properties of helical microorganism cells coated with silver by electroless plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cai, Jun, E-mail: jun_cai@buaa.edu.cn [Bionic and Micro/Nano/Bio Manufacturing Technology Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China); Lan, Mingming; Zhang, Deyuan; Zhang, Wenqiang [Bionic and Micro/Nano/Bio Manufacturing Technology Research Center, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China)

2012-09-01

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We use the microorganism cells as forming templates to fabricate the bio-based conductive particles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The microorganism cells selected as forming templates are Spirulina platens, which are of natural helical shape and high aspect ratio. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The sliver-coated Spirulina cells are a kind of lightweight conductive particles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The composites containing sliver-coated Spirulina cells exhibit a lower percolation value. - Abstract: In this paper, microorganism cells (Spirulina platens) were used as forming templates for the fabrication of the helical functional particles by electroless silver plating process. The morphologies and ingredients of the coated Spirulina cells were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer. The crystal structures were characterized by employing the X-ray diffraction. The electrical resistivity and dielectric properties of samples containing different volume faction of sliver-coated Spirulina cells were measured and investigated by four-probe meter and vector network analyzer. The results showed that the Spirulina cells were successfully coated with a uniform silver coating and their initial helical shapes were perfectly kept. The electrical resistivity and dielectric properties of the samples had a strong dependence on the volume content of sliver-coated Spirulina cells and the samples could achieve a low percolation value owing to high aspect ratio and preferable helical shape of Spirulina cells. Furthermore, the conductive mechanism was analyzed with the classic percolation theory, and the values of {phi}{sub c} and t were obtained.
Fabrication of Hydrophobic Surface on Wood Veneer via Electroless Nickel Plating Combined with Chemical Corrosion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaojun Tang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Birch veneers were coated with Ni-P films by a combined process of KBH4 activation and electroless plating. The plated veneers were further chemically corroded to obtain hydrophobic surfaces on wood. The effect of chemical corrosion on the contact angle of the veneers was investigated. The hydrophobic veneers were characterized by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and X-ray diffraction (XRD. The surface contact angle of birch veneer before and after it was plated with Ni-P alloy coating was 41º and 121º, respectively. The contact angle reached 136.7º when the nickel-coated veneers were corroded in CuSO4 aqueous solution for 30 min. XPS analysis showed that Cu0 cluster doped with little CuO formed on the corroded surface of Ni-P alloy film after chemical corrosion. SEM and XRD showed that rough copper clusters formed on the surface of the wood veneer and revealed the reason of the surface hydrophobicity. This study provides a new pathway for fabricating hydrophobic wood.
CuZn Alloy- Based Electrocatalyst for CO2 Reduction

KAUST Repository

Alazmi, Amira

2014-06-01

ABSTRACT CuZn Alloy- Based Electrocatalyst for CO2 Reduction Amira Alazmi Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major greenhouse gases and its emission is a significant threat to global economy and sustainability. Efficient CO2 conversion leads to utilization of CO2 as a carbon feedstock, but activating the most stable carbon-based molecule, CO2, is a challenging task. Electrochemical conversion of CO2 is considered to be the beneficial approach to generate carbon-containing fuels directly from CO2, especially when the electronic energy is derived from renewable energies, such as solar, wind, geo-thermal and tidal. To achieve this goal, the development of an efficient electrocatalyst for CO2 reduction is essential. In this thesis, studies on CuZn alloys with heat treatments at different temperatures have been evaluated as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction. It was found that the catalytic activity of these electrodes was strongly dependent on the thermal oxidation temperature before their use for electrochemical measurements. The polycrystalline CuZn electrode without thermal treatment shows the Faradaic efficiency for CO formation of only 30% at applied potential ~−1.0 V vs. RHE with current density of ~−2.55 mA cm−2. In contrast, the reduction of oxide-based CuZn alloy electrode exhibits 65% Faradaic efficiency for CO at lower applied potential about −1.0 V vs. RHE with current density of −2.55 mA cm−2. Furthermore, stable activity was achieved over several hours of the reduction reaction at the modified electrodes. Based on electrokinetic studies, this improvement could be attributed to further stabilization of the CO2•− on the oxide-based Cu-Zn alloy surface.
Conductance of graphene-based double-barrier nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Setare, M R [Department of Campus of Bijar, University of Kurdistan, Bijar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jahani, D, E-mail: Rezakord@ipm.co, E-mail: Dariush110@gmail.co [Department of Physics, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2010-12-22

The effect of a mass gap on the conductance of graphene double-barrier heterojunctions is studied. By obtaining the 2D expression for the electronic transport of the low energy excitations of pure graphene through double-barrier systems, it is found that the conductivity of these structures does not depend on the type of charge carriers in the zones of the electric field. However, a finite induced gap in the graphene spectrum makes conductivity dependent on the energy band index. We also discuss a few controversies concerning double-barrier systems stemming from an improper choice of the scattering angle. Then it is observed that, for some special values of the incident energy and potential's height, graphene junctions behave like left-handed materials, resulting in a maximum value for the conductivity.
Conductance of graphene-based double-barrier nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Setare, M R; Jahani, D

2010-01-01

The effect of a mass gap on the conductance of graphene double-barrier heterojunctions is studied. By obtaining the 2D expression for the electronic transport of the low energy excitations of pure graphene through double-barrier systems, it is found that the conductivity of these structures does not depend on the type of charge carriers in the zones of the electric field. However, a finite induced gap in the graphene spectrum makes conductivity dependent on the energy band index. We also discuss a few controversies concerning double-barrier systems stemming from an improper choice of the scattering angle. Then it is observed that, for some special values of the incident energy and potential's height, graphene junctions behave like left-handed materials, resulting in a maximum value for the conductivity.
Conductance of graphene-based double-barrier nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Setare, M R; Jahani, D

2010-12-22

The effect of a mass gap on the conductance of graphene double-barrier heterojunctions is studied. By obtaining the 2D expression for the electronic transport of the low energy excitations of pure graphene through double-barrier systems, it is found that the conductivity of these structures does not depend on the type of charge carriers in the zones of the electric field. However, a finite induced gap in the graphene spectrum makes conductivity dependent on the energy band index. We also discuss a few controversies concerning double-barrier systems stemming from an improper choice of the scattering angle. Then it is observed that, for some special values of the incident energy and potential's height, graphene junctions behave like left-handed materials, resulting in a maximum value for the conductivity.
CoFea: A Novel Approach to Spam Review Identification Based on Entropy and Co-Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Zhang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of electronic commerce, spam reviews are rapidly growing on the Internet to manipulate online customers’ opinions on goods being sold. This paper proposes a novel approach, called CoFea (Co-training by Features, to identify spam reviews, based on entropy and the co-training algorithm. After sorting all lexical terms of reviews by entropy, we produce two views on the reviews by dividing the lexical terms into two subsets. One subset contains odd-numbered terms and the other contains even-numbered terms. Using SVM (support vector machine as the base classifier, we further propose two strategies, CoFea-T and CoFea-S, embedded with the CoFea approach. The CoFea-T strategy uses all terms in the subsets for spam review identification by SVM. The CoFea-S strategy uses a predefined number of terms with small entropy for spam review identification by SVM. The experiment results show that the CoFea-T strategy produces better accuracy than the CoFea-S strategy, while the CoFea-S strategy saves more computing time than the CoFea-T strategy with acceptable accuracy in spam review identification.
Photochemical reduction of CO{sub 2} to fuels and chemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DuBois, D. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Eisenberg, R. [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States); Fujita, E. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)

1996-09-01

Photochemical reduction of CO{sub 2} represents a potentially useful approach to developing a sustainable source of carbon-based chemicals, fuels, and materials. In this report the present status of photochemical CO{sub 2} reduction is assessed, areas that need to be better understood for advancement are identified, and approaches to overcoming barriers are suggested. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this field, assessments of three closely interrelated areas are given including integrated photochemical systems for catalytic CO{sub 2} reduction, thermal catalytic CO{sub 2} reactions, and electrochemical CO{sub 2} reduction. The report concludes with a summary and assessment of potential impacts of this area on chemical and energy technologies.
Reducing Barriers to Care in the Office-Based Health Care Setting for Children With Autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Bultas, Margaret W; McMillin, Stephen Edward; Zand, Debra H

2016-01-01

The purpose of this survey-design research study was to evaluate the usefulness of a researcher-developed tool designed to improve office-based health care services and to assess the barriers and resources affecting office-based health care services for children with autism spectrum disorder. Fifty-four health care providers (HCPs) and 59 parents participated in the study. HCPs reported child behaviors, communication, and fears as barriers to providing care, whereas parents reported child behavior, sensory issues, and feelings of a disconnect with the HCP as barriers. HCPs identified the parent as a key resource. Parent-identified resources included provider adaptations to the patient, including slowing down the delivery of care and environmental adaptations to the office. In addition, both HCPs and parents indicated that the researcher-developed tool would be useful in reducing barriers during the HCE. Reducing barriers and improving health care interactions during delivery of care for children with autism spectrum disorder has the potential to improve health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Multi-layered electroless Ni-P coatings on powder-sintered Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zhong; Ng, Alice; Yi Jianzhang; Chen Xingfu

2006-01-01

This paper has shown a successful protective coating scheme for powder-sintered Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet using multi-layered electroless nickel (EN) deposition. A low-phosphorus nickel layer is plated with an alkaline EN solution first, followed by a high-phosphorus nickel layer plated with an acidic solution. An additional topcoat by medium-phosphorus nickel on the high-phosphorus coating is also explored. It is shown that the high-phosphorus nickel layer coated in acidic solution provides the best corrosion protection because of its dense amorphous structure. The medium phosphorus topcoat is also dense and is able to provide reasonable corrosion resistance. The low-phosphorus layer itself does not have enough corrosion resistance; its main role is to provide an intermediate coating on the powder-sintered magnet. X-ray diffraction measurement shows that the low-phosphorus coating consists of nano-crystallines, and the high- and the medium-phosphorus coatings are dominated by amorphous structure. Microscopic observation and scratch test on these composite coatings demonstrate good adhesion between the magnet and the coatings. Remanence and coercivity of the plated magnet decrease with the applied coatings, but measured values are still very attractive for practical applications among known hard magnets
Digital Manufacturing of Selective Porous Barriers in Microchannels Using Multi-Material Stereolithography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Tae Kim

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We have developed a sequential stereolithographic co-printing process using two different resins for fabricating porous barriers in microfluidic devices. We 3D-printed microfluidic channels with a resin made of poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate (MW = 258 (PEG-DA-258, a UV photoinitiator, and a UV sensitizer. The porous barriers were created within the microchannels in a different resin made of either PEG-DA (MW = 575 (PEG-DA-575 or 40% (w/w in water PEG-DA (MW = 700 (40% PEG-DA-700. We showed selective hydrogen ion diffusion across a 3D-printed PEG-DA-575 porous barrier in a cross-channel diffusion chip by observing color changes in phenol red, a pH indicator. We also demonstrated the diffusion of fluorescein across a 3D-printed 40% PEG-DA-700 porous barrier in a symmetric-channel diffusion chip by measuring fluorescence intensity changes across the porous barrier. Creating microfluidic chips with integrated porous barriers using a semi-automated 3D printing process shortens the design and processing time, avoids assembly and bonding complications, and reduces manufacturing costs compared to micromolding processes. We believe that our digital manufacturing method for fabricating selective porous barriers provides an inexpensive, simple, convenient and reproducible route to molecule delivery in the fields of molecular filtration and cell-based microdevices.
Nitrogen-based catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO.

Science.gov (United States)

Tornow, Claire E; Thorson, Michael R; Ma, Sichao; Gewirth, Andrew A; Kenis, Paul J A

2012-12-05

The synthesis and application of carbon-supported, nitrogen-based organometallic silver catalysts for the reduction of CO(2) is studied using an electrochemical flow reactor. Their performance toward the selective formation of CO is similar to the performance achieved when using Ag as the catalyst, but comparatively at much lower silver loading. Faradaic efficiencies of the organometallic catalyst are higher than 90%, which are comparable to those of Ag. Furthermore, with the addition of an amine ligand to Ag/C, the partial current density for CO increases significantly, suggesting a possible co-catalyst mechanism. Additional improvements in activity and selectivity may be achieved as greater insight is obtained on the mechanism of CO(2) reduction and on how these complexes assemble on the carbon support.
Large magnetocurrents in double-barrier tunneling transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.H.; Jun, K.-I.; Shin, K.-H.; Park, S.Y.; Hong, J.K.; Rhie, K.; Lee, B.C.

2005-01-01

Magnetic tunneling transistors (MTT) with double tunneling barriers are fabricated. The structure of the transistor is AFM/FM/I/FM/I/FM/AFM, and ferromagnetic layers serve as the emitter, base and collector. This double-barrier tunneling transistor (DBTT) has an advantage of controlling the potential between the base and collector, compared to the Schottky-barrier-based base and collector of MTT. We found that the collector current density of DBTT is at least 10 3 times larger than that of conventional MTT, since tunneling through AlO x barrier provides much larger current density than that through Schottky barrier
Geological characterization of CO{sub 2} storage sites: lessons from Sleipner, Northern North Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R.A. Chadwick; P. Zweigel; U. Gregersen; G.A. Kirby; S. Holloway; P.N. Johannessen [British Geological Survey, Keyworth (United Kingdom). Kingsley Dunham Centre

2003-07-01

The paper aims to draw some generic conclusions on reservoir characterization based on the Sleipner operation in the North Sea where CO{sub 2} is being injected into the Utsira Sand, a saline aquifer. Regional mapping and petrophysical characterization of the reservoir, based on 2D seismic and well data, enable gross storage potential to be evaluated. Site specific injection studies, however, require precision depth mapping based on 3D seismic data and detailed knowledge of reservoir stratigraphy. Stratigraphical and structural permeability barriers, difficult to detect prior to CO{sub 2} injection, can radically affect CO{sub 2} migration within the aquifer. 5 refs., 5 figs.
Breaching barriers to collaboration in public spaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinemann, Trine; Mitchell, Robb

2014-01-01

Technology provoking disparate individuals to collaborate or share experiences in the public space faces a difficult barrier, namely the ordinary social order of urban places. We employed the notion of the breaching experiment to explore how this barrier might be overcome. We analyse responses...... of life in public spaces. Arising from this, we argue for the importance of qualities such as availability, facilitation, perspicuous settings, and perspicuous participants to encourage and support co-located strangers to collaborate and share experiences....
Open noise barriers based on sonic crystals. Advances in noise control in transport infraestructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peiro Torres, M.P.; Redondo Pastor, J.; Bravo Plana-Sala, J.M.; Sanchez Perez, J.V.

2016-07-01

Noise control is an environmental problem of first magnitude nowadays. In this work, we present a new concept of acoustic screen designed to control the specific noise generated by transport infrastructures, based on new materials called sonic crystals. These materials are formed by arrangements of acoustic scatterers in air, and provide a new and different mechanism in the fight against noise from those of the classical screens. This mechanism is usually called multiple scattering and is due to their structuring in addition to their physical properties. Due to the separation between scatterers, these barriers are transparent to air and water allowing a reduction on their foundations. Tests carried out in a wind tunnel show a reduction of 42% in the overturning momentum compared to classical barriers. The acoustical performance of these barriers is shown in this work, explaining the new characteristics provided in the control of noise. Finally, an example of these barriers is presented and classified according to acoustic standardization tests. The acoustic barrier reported in this work provides a high technological solution in the field of noise control. (Author)
Use of co-combustion bottom ash to design an acoustic absorbing material for highway noise barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arenas, Celia; Leiva, Carlos; Vilches, Luis F.; Cifuentes, Héctor

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The particle size of bottom ash influenced the acoustic behavior of the barrier. • The best sound absorption coefficients were measured for larger particle sizes. • The maximum noise absorption is displaced to lower frequencies for higher thickness. • A noise barrier was designed with better properties than commercial products. • Recycling products from bottom ash no present leaching and radioactivity problems. - Abstract: The present study aims to determine and evaluate the applicability of a new product consisting of coal bottom ash mixed with Portland cement in the application of highway noise barriers. In order to effectively recycle the bottom ash, the influence of the grain particle size of bottom ash, the thickness of the panel and the combination of different layers with various particle sizes have been studied, as well as some environmental properties including leachability (EN-12457-4, NEN-7345) and radioactivity tests. Based on the obtained results, the acoustic properties of the final composite material were similar or even better than those found in porous concrete used for the same application. According to this study, the material produced presented no environmental risk
Use of co-combustion bottom ash to design an acoustic absorbing material for highway noise barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arenas, Celia; Leiva, Carlos; Vilches, Luis F. [University of Seville, School of Industrial Engineering, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, E-41092 Seville (Spain); Cifuentes, Héctor, E-mail: bulte@us.es [University of Seville, School of Industrial Engineering, Continuum Mechanics and Structural Analysis Department, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, E-41092 Seville (Spain)

2013-11-15

Highlights: • The particle size of bottom ash influenced the acoustic behavior of the barrier. • The best sound absorption coefficients were measured for larger particle sizes. • The maximum noise absorption is displaced to lower frequencies for higher thickness. • A noise barrier was designed with better properties than commercial products. • Recycling products from bottom ash no present leaching and radioactivity problems. - Abstract: The present study aims to determine and evaluate the applicability of a new product consisting of coal bottom ash mixed with Portland cement in the application of highway noise barriers. In order to effectively recycle the bottom ash, the influence of the grain particle size of bottom ash, the thickness of the panel and the combination of different layers with various particle sizes have been studied, as well as some environmental properties including leachability (EN-12457-4, NEN-7345) and radioactivity tests. Based on the obtained results, the acoustic properties of the final composite material were similar or even better than those found in porous concrete used for the same application. According to this study, the material produced presented no environmental risk.
Structure sensitivity of CO dissociation on Rh surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mavrikakis, Manos; Baumer, M.; Freund, H.J.

2002-01-01

than the flat surface, but the effect is considerably weaker than the effect of surface structure on the dissociation barrier. Our findings are compared with available experimental data, and the consequences for CO activation in methanation and Fischer-Tropsch reactions are discussed.......Using periodic self-consistent density functional calculations it is shown that the barrier for CO dissociation is similar to120 kJ/mol lower on the stepped Rh(211) surface than on the close-packed Rh(111) surface. The stepped surface binds molecular CO and the dissociation products more strongly...

Integrin-based diffusion barrier separates membrane domains enabling the formation of microbiostatic frustrated phagosomes

Science.gov (United States)

Maxson, Michelle E; Naj, Xenia; O'Meara, Teresa R; Plumb, Jonathan D; Cowen, Leah E

2018-01-01

Candida albicans hyphae can reach enormous lengths, precluding their internalization by phagocytes. Nevertheless, macrophages engulf a portion of the hypha, generating incompletely sealed tubular phagosomes. These frustrated phagosomes are stabilized by a thick cuff of F-actin that polymerizes in response to non-canonical activation of integrins by fungal glycan. Despite their continuity, the surface and invaginating phagosomal membranes retain a strikingly distinct lipid composition. PtdIns(4,5)P2 is present at the plasmalemma but is not detectable in the phagosomal membrane, while PtdIns(3)P and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 co-exist in the phagosomes yet are absent from the surface membrane. Moreover, endo-lysosomal proteins are present only in the phagosomal membrane. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching revealed the presence of a diffusion barrier that maintains the identity of the open tubular phagosome separate from the plasmalemma. Formation of this barrier depends on Syk, Pyk2/Fak and formin-dependent actin assembly. Antimicrobial mechanisms can thereby be deployed, limiting the growth of the hyphae. PMID:29553370
Production and characterization of nickel nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes by electroless and its application to hydrogen storage; Produccion y caracterizacion de nanoparticulas de niquel sobre nanotubos de carbono por electroless y su aplicacion en el almacenamiento de hidrogeno

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueroa-Torres, Mayra Zyzlila; Dominguez-Rios, Carlos [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico); Cabanas-Moreno, Jose Gerardo; Suarez-Alcantara, Karina [Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ESFM-IPN, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Aguilar-Elguezabal, Alfredo [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados, Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico)

2009-09-15

The search for an appropriate storage system for the transportation industry to enable implementing the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier has become a strategic research concern. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are potentially interesting materials for the storage of hydrogen. This work investigates the deposition condition for dispersing nickel nanoparticles in one single step using the electroless technique on the surface of carbon nanotubes. It also studied the influence on the ability to store hydrogen. The materials were characterized using sweep electron and transmission microscopy. The surface areas of the materials were determined with nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The hydrogen storage capacity was studied at a temperature of 77 K and atmospheric pressure, as well as at 303 K and pressures of de 0.1-5 MPa. The results show that highly dispersed spherical nickel nanoparticles were obtained on carbon nanotubes with an average size of 3-9 nm. The addition of nickel on carbon nanotubes significantly improves the hydrogen storage capacity, finding that at 303 K and 5 MPa the increment factor was as much as twice that of nanotubes without nickel. [Spanish] La busqueda de un sistema de almacenamiento apropiado para la industria del transporte se ha convertido en un tema estrategico de investigacion para poder implementar el uso del hidrogeno como portador de energia. Los nanotubos de carbono (NTC) son materiales potencialmente interesantes en el almacenamiento de hidrogeno. En este trabajo se investigaron las condiciones de deposito para dispersar en un solo paso nanoparticulas de niquel por la tecnica de electroless sobre la superficie de los nanotubos de carbono y se estudio su influencia en la capacidad de almacenamiento de hidrogeno. Los materiales se caracterizaron por microscopia electronica de barrido y transmision. Mediante isotermas de adsorcion de nitrogeno se determino el area superficial de los materiales. La capacidad de almacenamiento de hidrogeno se
Graphene-based stretchable and transparent moisture barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Won, Sejeong; Van Lam, Do; Lee, Jin Young; Jung, Hyun-June; Hur, Min; Kim, Kwang-Seop; Lee, Hak-Joo; Kim, Jae-Hyun

2018-03-01

We propose an alumina-deposited double-layer graphene (2LG) as a transparent, scalable, and stretchable barrier against moisture; this barrier is indispensable for foldable or stretchable organic displays and electronics. Both the barrier property and stretchability were significantly enhanced through the introduction of 2LG between alumina and a polymeric substrate. 2LG with negligible polymeric residues was coated on the polymeric substrate via a scalable dry transfer method in a roll-to-roll manner; an alumina layer was deposited on the graphene via atomic layer deposition. The effect of the graphene layer on crack generation in the alumina layer was systematically studied under external strain using an in situ micro-tensile tester, and correlations between the deformation-induced defects and water vapor transmission rate were quantitatively analyzed. The enhanced stretchability of alumina-deposited 2LG originated from the interlayer sliding between the graphene layers, which resulted in the crack density of the alumina layer being reduced under external strain.
Perceived barriers to completing an e-learning program on evidence-based medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Légaré, France; Labrecque, Michel; Frémont, Pierre; Cauchon, Michel; Desmartis, Marie

2007-01-01

The Continuing Professional Development Center of the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University offers an internet-based program on evidence-based medicine (EBM). After one year, only three physicians out of the 40 who willingly paid to register had completed the entire program. This descriptive study aimed to identify physicians' beliefs regarding their completion of this online program. Using theoretical concepts from the Theory of Planned Behaviour, a semi-structured telephone interview guide was developed to assess respondents' attitudes, perceived subjective norms, perceived obstacles and facilitating conditions with respect to completing this internet-based program. Three independent reviewers performed content analysis of the interview transcripts to obtain an appropriate level of reliability. Findings were shared and organised according to theoretical categories of beliefs. A total of 35 physicians (88% response rate) were interviewed. Despite perceived advantages to completing the internet-based program, barriers remained, especially those related to physicians' perceptions of time constraints. Lack of personal discipline and unfamiliarity with computers were also perceived as important barriers. This study offers a theoretical basis to understand physicians' beliefs towards completing an internet-based continuing medical education (CME) program on EBM. Based upon respondents' insights, several modifications were carried out to enhance the uptake of the program by physicians and, therefore, its implementation.
Modeling Plasma-based CO2 and CH4 Conversion in Mixtures with N2, O2 and H2O: the Bigger Plasma Chemistry Picture

KAUST Repository

Wang, Weizong

2018-01-18

Due to the unique properties of plasma technology, its use in gas conversion applications is gaining significant interest around the globe. Plasma-based CO2 and CH4 conversion have become major research areas. Many investigations have already been performed regarding the single component gases, i.e. CO2 splitting and CH4 reforming, as well as for two component mixtures, i.e. dry reforming of methane (CO2/CH4), partial oxidation of methane (CH4/O2), artificial photosynthesis (CO2/H2O), CO2 hydrogenation (CO2/H2), and even first steps towards the influence of N2 impurities have been taken, i.e. CO2/N2 and CH4/N2. In this feature article we briefly discuss the advances made in literature for these different steps from a plasma chemistry modeling point of view. Subsequently, we present a comprehensive plasma chemistry set, combining the knowledge gathered in this field so far, and supported with extensive experimental data. This set can be used for chemical kinetics plasma modeling for all possible combinations of CO2, CH4, N2, O2 and H2O, to investigate the bigger picture of the underlying plasmachemical pathways for these mixtures in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma. This is extremely valuable for the optimization of existing plasma-based CO2 conversion and CH4 reforming processes, as well as for investigating the influence of N2, O2 and H2O on these processes, and even to support plasma-based multi-reforming processes.
Atmospheric pressure plasma produced inside a closed package by a dielectric barrier discharge in Ar/CO2 for bacterial inactivation of biological samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiper, A S; Chen, W; Stamate, E; Mejlholm, O; Dalgaard, P

2011-01-01

The generation and evaluation of a dielectric barrier discharge produced inside a closed package made of a commercially available packaging film and filled with gas mixtures of Ar/CO 2 at atmospheric pressure is reported. The discharge parameters were analysed by electrical measurements and optical emission spectroscopy in two modes of operation: trapped gas atmosphere and flowing gas atmosphere. Gas temperature was estimated using the OH(A-X) emission spectrum and the rotational temperature reached a saturation level after a few minutes of plasma running. The rotational temperature was almost three times higher in the Ar/CO 2 plasma compared with an Ar plasma. The efficiency of the produced plasma for the inactivation of bacteria on food inside the closed package was investigated.
Bimolecular reaction of CH3 + CO in solid p-H2: Infrared absorption of acetyl radical (CH3CO) and CH3-CO complex

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Prasanta; Lee, Yuan-Pern

2014-06-01

We have recorded infrared spectra of acetyl radical (CH3CO) and CH3-CO complex in solid para-hydrogen (p-H2). Upon irradiation at 248 nm of CH3C(O)Cl/p-H2 matrices, CH3CO was identified as the major product; characteristic intense IR absorption features at 2990.3 (ν9), 2989.1 (ν1), 2915.6 (ν2), 1880.5 (ν3), 1419.9 (ν10), 1323.2 (ν5), 836.6 (ν7), and 468.1 (ν8) cm-1 were observed. When CD3C(O)Cl was used, lines of CD3CO at 2246.2 (ν9), 2244.0 (ν1), 1866.1 (ν3), 1046.7 (ν5), 1029.7 (ν4), 1027.5 (ν10), 889.1 (ν6), and 723.8 (ν7) cm-1 appeared. Previous studies characterized only three vibrational modes of CH3CO and one mode of CD3CO in solid Ar. In contrast, upon photolysis of a CH3I/CO/p-H2 matrix with light at 248 nm and subsequent annealing at 5.1 K before re-cooling to 3.2 K, the CH3-CO complex was observed with characteristic IR features at 3165.7, 3164.5, 2150.1, 1397.6, 1396.4, and 613.0 cm-1. The assignments are based on photolytic behavior, observed deuterium isotopic shifts, and a comparison of observed vibrational wavenumbers and relative IR intensities with those predicted with quantum-chemical calculations. This work clearly indicates that CH3CO can be readily produced from photolysis of CH3C(O)Cl because of the diminished cage effect in solid p-H2 but not from the reaction of CH3 + CO because of the reaction barrier. Even though CH3 has nascent kinetic energy greater than 87 kJ mol-1 and internal energy ˜42 kJ mol-1 upon photodissociation of CH3I at 248 nm, its energy was rapidly quenched so that it was unable to overcome the barrier height of ˜27 kJ mol-1 for the formation of CH3CO from the CH3 + CO reaction; a barrierless channel for formation of a CH3-CO complex was observed instead. This rapid quenching poses a limitation in production of free radicals via bimolecular reactions in p-H2.
Product qualification: a barrier to point-of-care microfluidic-based diagnostics?

Science.gov (United States)

Tantra, Ratna; van Heeren, Henne

2013-06-21

One of the most exciting applications of microfluidics-based diagnostics is its potential use in next generation point-of-care (POC) devices. Many prototypes are already in existence, but, as of yet, few have achieved commercialisation. In this article, we consider the issue surrounding product qualification as a potential barrier to market success. The study discusses, in the context of POC microfluidics-based diagnostics, what the generic issues are and potential solutions. Our findings underline the need for a community-based effort that is necessary to speed up the product qualification process.
Aroma barrier properties of sodium caseinate-based films.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabra, Maria José; Hambleton, Alicia; Talens, Pau; Debeaufort, Fréderic; Chiralt, Amparo; Voilley, Andrée

2008-05-01

The mass transport of six different aroma compounds (ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, 2-hexanone, 1-hexanol, and cis-3-hexenol) through sodium caseinate-based films with different oleic acid (OA)/beeswax (BW) ratio has been studied. OA is less efficient than BW in reducing aroma permeability, which can be attributed to its greater polarity. Control film (without lipid) and films prepared with 0:100 OA/BW ratio show the lowest permeability. OA involves a decrease in aroma barrier properties of the sodium caseinate-based films due to its plasticization ability. Preferential sorption and diffusion occurs through OA instead of caseinate matrix and/or BW. The efficiency of sodium caseinate-based films to retain or limit aroma compound transfers depend on the affinity of the volatile compound to the films, which relates physicochemical interaction between volatile compound and film. Specific interactions (aroma compound-hydrocolloid and aroma compound-lipid) induce structural changes during mass transfer.
Stuck in tradition - A qualitative study on barriers for implementation of evidence-based nutritional care perceived by nursing staff

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O Connell, Malene Barfod; Jensen, Pia Søe; Andersen, Signe Lindgård

2018-01-01

-based practice. Barriers for nutritional care are grounded in lack of knowledge among nursing staff and insufficient collaboration between nursing staff and the doctors. There is a need for nutritional education for the nursing staff and better support from the organisation to help nursing staff provide evidence......AIM: To explore the barriers for nutritional care as perceived by nursing staff at an acute orthopedic ward, aiming to implement evidence-based nutritional care. BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate that nurses recognize nutritional care as important, but interventions are often lacking....... These studies show that a range of barriers influence the attempt to optimize nutritional care. Before the implementation of evidence-based nutritional care, we examined barriers for nutritional care among the nursing staff. DESIGN: Qualitative study. METHODS: Four focus groups with thirteen members...
Metallization of Kevlar fibers with gold.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Brian K; Li, Yunfeng; Cammarata, V; Broughton, R; Mills, G

2011-06-01

Electrochemical gold plating processes were examined for the metallization of Kevlar yarn. Conventional Sn(2+)/Pd(2+) surface activation coupled with electroless Ni deposition rendered the fibers conductive enough to serve as cathodes for electrochemical plating. The resulting coatings were quantified gravimetrically and characterized via adhesion tests together with XRD, SEM, TEM; the coatings effect on fiber strength was also probed. XRD data showed that metallic Pd formed during surface activation whereas amorphous phases and trace amounts of pure Ni metal were plated via the electroless process. Electrodeposition in a thiosulfate bath was the most efficient Au coating process as compared with the analogous electroless procedure, and with electroplating using a commercial cyanide method. Strongly adhering coatings resulted upon metallization with three consecutive electrodepositions, which produced conductive fibers able to sustain power outputs in the range of 1 W. On the other hand, metallization affected the tensile strength of the fiber and defects present in the metal deposits make questionable the effectiveness of the coatings as protective barriers. © 2011 American Chemical Society
Electroless Ni-B plating for electrical contact applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dervos, C. T.

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Electroless Ni-B plating has been tried on steel substrate in an effort to employ low-cost starting materials for electrical contacts or connectors. By selected conditions of heat treatment in a high vacuum environment the plating can acquire Cr-equivalent hardness without the effluents of the hard chromium plating process. The surfaces were characterized under scanning electron microscope and by XRD. The fabricated materials were tested under corrosion conditions by polarization measurements. Semispherical nickel plated steel joints were tested in a computer controlled contact make-break apparatus, under simultaneous application of a mechanical and a low-voltage electrical load for 20,000 cycles. After heat treatment the plating acquires a crystalline structure with very good adhesion to the substrate material. Corrosion decreases and increased hardness is obtained. The surface is also characterized by good electrical properties during aging accelerated tests.

Se ha investigado la deposición de Ni-B por vía química sobre un substrato de acero, con el fin de poder emplear materiales de bajo coste para los contactos o conectores eléctricos. Mediante condiciones específicas de tratamiento térmico en un ambiente de alto vacío, la deposición puede alcanzar durezas equivalentes al cromo (Cr sin los efluentes del proceso de cromado duro. Las superficies se caracterizaron en el microscopio electrónico de barrido y mediante DRX. Los materiales fabricados se ensayaron bajo condiciones de corrosión utilizando mediciones de polarización. Se ensayaron las juntas semiesféricas de acero niquelado en un equipo de contactos controlado por ordenador bajo la aplicación simultánea de una carga mecánica y de una carga eléctrica de bajo voltaje durante 20.000 ciclos. Después del tratamiento térmico, el recubrimiento adquiere una estructura cristalina con muy buena adherencia al material del substrato. Se consigue una menor corrosión y mayor
Hydrogel-based sensor for CO2 measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Herber, S.; Olthuis, Wouter; Bergveld, Piet; van den Berg, Albert

2004-01-01

A hydrogel-based sensor is presented for CO2 measurements. The sensor consists of a pressure sensor and porous silicon cover. A pH-sensitive hydrogel is confined between the two parts. Furthermore the porous cover contains a bicarbonate solution and a gaspermeable membrane. CO2 reacts with the
Reliability enhancement due to in-situ post-oxidation of sputtered MgO barrier in double MgO barrier magnetic tunnel junction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chikako Yoshida

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We have investigated the effects of in-situ post-oxidation (PO of a sputtered MgO barrier in a double-MgO-barrier magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ and found that the short error rate was significantly reduced, the magnetoresistance (MR ratio was increased approximately 18%, and the endurance lifetime was extend. In addition, we found that the distribution of breakdown number (a measure of endurance exhibits trimodal characteristics, which indicates competition between extrinsic and intrinsic failures. This improvement in reliability might be related to the suppression of Fe and Co diffusion to the MgO barrier, as revealed by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS analysis.
Trajectory-based understanding of the quantum-classical transition for barrier scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Chia-Chun

2018-06-01

The quantum-classical transition of wave packet barrier scattering is investigated using a hydrodynamic description in the framework of a nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The nonlinear equation provides a continuous description for the quantum-classical transition of physical systems by introducing a degree of quantumness. Based on the transition equation, the transition trajectory formalism is developed to establish the connection between classical and quantum trajectories. The quantum-classical transition is then analyzed for the scattering of a Gaussian wave packet from an Eckart barrier and the decay of a metastable state. Computational results for the evolution of the wave packet and the transmission probabilities indicate that classical results are recovered when the degree of quantumness tends to zero. Classical trajectories are in excellent agreement with the transition trajectories in the classical limit, except in some regions where transition trajectories cannot cross because of the single-valuedness of the transition wave function. As the computational results demonstrate, the process that the Planck constant tends to zero is equivalent to the gradual removal of quantum effects originating from the quantum potential. This study provides an insightful trajectory interpretation for the quantum-classical transition of wave packet barrier scattering.
Preparing Dental Students and Residents to Overcome Internal and External Barriers to Evidence-Based Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Brandon G; Johnson, Thomas M; Erley, Kenneth J; Topolski, Richard; Rethman, Michael; Lancaster, Douglas D

2016-10-01

In recent years, evidence-based dentistry has become the ideal for research, academia, and clinical practice. However, barriers to implementation are many, including the complexity of interpreting conflicting evidence as well as difficulties in accessing it. Furthermore, many proponents of evidence-based care seem to assume that good evidence consistently exists and that clinicians can and will objectively evaluate data so as to apply the best evidence to individual patients' needs. The authors argue that these shortcomings may mislead many clinicians and that students should be adequately prepared to cope with some of the more complex issues surrounding evidence-based practice. Cognitive biases and heuristics shape every aspect of our lives, including our professional behavior. This article reviews literature from medicine, psychology, and behavioral economics to explore the barriers to implementing evidence-based dentistry. Internal factors include biases that affect clinical decision making: hindsight bias, optimism bias, survivor bias, and blind-spot bias. External factors include publication bias, corporate bias, and lack of transparency that may skew the available evidence in the peer-reviewed literature. Raising awareness of how these biases exert subtle influence on decision making and patient care can lead to a more nuanced discussion of addressing and overcoming barriers to evidence-based practice.
Permeability of PEGylated immunoarsonoliposomes through in vitro blood brain barrier-medulloblastoma co-culture models for brain tumor therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shehri, Abdulghani; Favretto, Marco E; Ioannou, Panayiotis V; Romero, Ignacio A; Couraud, Pierre-Olivier; Weksler, Babette Barbash; Parker, Terry L; Kallinteri, Paraskevi

2015-03-01

Owing to restricted access of pharmacological agents into the brain due to blood brain barrier (BBB) there is a need: 1. to develop a more representative 3-D-co-culture model of tumor-BBB interaction to investigate drug and nanoparticle transport into the brain for diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation. 2. to address the lack of new alternative methods to animal testing according to replacement-reduction-refinement principles. In this work, in vitro BBB-medulloblastoma 3-D-co-culture models were established using immortalized human primary brain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3). hCMEC/D3 cells were cultured in presence and in absence of two human medulloblastoma cell lines on Transwell membranes. In vitro models were characterized for BBB formation, zonula occludens-1 expression and permeability to dextran. Transferrin receptors (Tfr) expressed on hCMEC/D3 were exploited to facilitate arsonoliposome (ARL) permeability through the BBB to the tumor by covalently attaching an antibody specific to human Tfr. The effect of anticancer ARLs on hCMEC/D3 was assessed. In vitro BBB and BBB-tumor co-culture models were established successfully. BBB permeability was affected by the presence of tumor aggregates as suggested by increased permeability of ARLs. There was a 6-fold and 8-fold increase in anti-Tfr-ARL uptake into VC312R and BBB-DAOY co-culture models, respectively, compared to plain ARLs. The three-dimensional models might be appropriate models to study the transport of various drugs and nanocarriers (liposomes and immunoarsonoliposomes) through the healthy and diseased BBB. The immunoarsonoliposomes can be potentially used as anticancer agents due to good tolerance of the in vitro BBB model to their toxic effect.
Filamentary and diffuse barrier discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kogelschatz, U.

2001-01-01

Barrier discharges, sometimes also referred to as dielectric-barrier discharges or silent discharges, are characterized by the presence of at least one insulating layer in contact with the discharge between two planar or cylindrical electrodes connected to an ac power supply. The main advantage of this type of electrical discharge is, that non-equilibrium plasma conditions in atmospheric-pressure gases can be established in an economic and reliable way. This has led to a number of important applications including industrial ozone generation, surface modification of polymers, plasma chemical vapor deposition, excitation of CO 2 lasers, excimer lamps and, most recently, large-area flat plasma display panels. Depending on the application, the width of the discharge gap can range from less than 0.1 mm to about 100 mm and the applied frequency from below line frequency to several gigahertz. Typical materials used for the insulating layer (dielectric barrier) are glass, quartz, ceramics but also thin enamel or polymer layers
Facile synthesis of dendritic Cu by electroless reaction of Cu-Al alloys in multiphase solution

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ying; Liang, Shuhua; Yang, Qing; Wang, Xianhui

2016-11-01

Two-dimensional nano- or micro-scale fractal dendritic coppers (FDCs) were synthesized by electroless immersing of Cu-Al alloys in hydrochloric acid solution containing copper chloride without any assistance of template or surfactant. The FDC size increases with the increase of Al content in Cu-Al alloys immersed in CuCl2 + HCl solution. Compared to Cu40Al60 and Cu45Al55 alloys, the FDC shows hierarchical distribution and homogeneous structures using Cu17Al83 alloy as the starting alloy. The growth direction of the FDC is , and all angles between the trunks and branches are 60°. Nanoscale Cu2O was found at the edge of FDC. Interestingly, nanoporous copper (NPC) can also be obtained through Cu17Al83 alloy. Studies showed that the formation of FDC depended on two key factors: the potential difference between CuAl2 intermetallic and α-Al phase of dual-phase Cu-Al alloys; a replacement reaction that usually occurs in multiphase solution. The electrochemical experiment further proved that the multi-branch dendritic structure is very beneficial to the proton transfer in the process of catalyzing methanol.
Option-Based Estimation of the Price of Co-Skewness and Co-Kurtosis Risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Peter; Fournier, Mathieu; Fournier, Mathieu

-neutral second moments, and the price of co-kurtosis risk corresponds to the spread between the physical and the risk-neutral third moments. The option-based estimates of the prices of risk lead to reasonable values of the associated risk premia. An out-of-sample analysis of factor models with co-skewness and co......We show that the prices of risk for factors that are nonlinear in the market return are readily obtained using index option prices. We apply this insight to the price of co-skewness and co-kurtosis risk. The price of co-skewness risk corresponds to the spread between the physical and the risk......-kurtosis risk indicates that the new estimates of the price of risk improve the models performance. Models with higher-order market moments also robustly outperform standard competitors such as the CAPM and the Fama-French model....

Option-Based Estimation of the Price of Co-Skewness and Co-Kurtosis Risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Peter; Fournier, Mathieu; Jacobs, Kris

-neutral second moments, and the price of co-kurtosis risk corresponds to the spread between the physical and the risk-neutral third moments. The option-based estimates of the prices of risk lead to reasonable values of the associated risk premia. An out-of-sample analysis of factor models with co-skewness and co......We show that the prices of risk for factors that are nonlinear in the market return are readily obtained using index option prices. We apply this insight to the price of co-skewness and co-kurtosis risk. The price of co-skewness risk corresponds to the spread between the physical and the risk......-kurtosis risk indicates that the new estimates of the price of risk improve the models' performance. Models with higher-order market moments also robustly outperform standard competitors such as the CAPM and the Fama-French model....
Collective phenomena in volume and surface barrier discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Kogelschatz, U.

2010-11-01

Barrier discharges are increasingly used as a cost-effective configuration to produce non-equilibrium plasmas at atmospheric pressure. This way, copious amounts of electrons, ions, free radicals and excited species can be generated without significant heating of the background gas. In most applications the barrier is made of dielectric material. Major applications utilizing mainly dielectric barriers include ozone generation, surface cleaning and modification, polymer and textile treatment, sterilization, pollution control, CO2 lasers, excimer lamps, plasma display panels (flat TV screens). More recent research efforts are devoted to biomedical applications and to plasma actuators for flow control. Sinusoidal feeding voltages at various frequencies as well as pulsed excitation schemes are used. Volume as well as surface barrier discharges can exist in the form of filamentary, regularly patterned or diffuse, laterally homogeneous discharges. The physical effects leading to collective phenomena in volume and surface barrier discharges are discussed in detail. Special attention is paid to self-organization of current filaments and pattern formation. Major similarities of the two types of barrier discharges are elaborated.
Measuring solvent barrier properties of paper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollström, Roger; Saarinen, Jarkko J; Toivakka, Martti; Räty, Jukka

2012-01-01

New methods for measuring barrier properties against solvents, acids and bases on dispersion coated paper were developed and investigated. Usability, reliability and repeatability were compared both between the new methods and with the standardized method for measuring barrier properties against water vapor. Barrier properties could be measured with all methods and the results obtained by the different methods were in correlation with each other. A qualitative method based on a trace color provided an indicative result, whereas further developed methods also took into account the durability. The effective barrier lifetime could be measured by measuring the conductivity through the substrate as a function of time, or by utilizing a glass prism where the change in refractive index caused by penetrated liquid was monitored, also as a function of time. Barrier properties against water and humidity were also measured and were found not to be predictors for barrier properties against either solvents, or acids or bases, which supports the need to develop new methods
Enhanced catalytic activity of the nanostructured Co-W-B film catalysts for hydrogen evolution from the hydrolysis of ammonia borane.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chao; Wang, Dan; Wang, Yan; Li, Guode; Hu, Guijuan; Wu, Shiwei; Cao, Zhongqiu; Zhang, Ke

2018-08-15

In this work, nanostructured Co-W-B films are successfully synthesized on the foam sponge by electroless plating method and employed as the catalysts with enhanced catalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution from the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH 3 BH 3 , AB) at room temperature. The particle size of the as-prepared Co-W-B film catalysts is varied by adjusting the depositional pH value to identify the most suitable particle size for hydrogen evolution of AB hydrolysis. The Co-W-B film catalyst with the particle size of about 67.3 nm shows the highest catalytic activity and can reach a hydrogen generation rate of 3327.7 mL min -1 g cat -1 at 298 K. The activation energy of the hydrolysis reaction of AB is determined to be 32.2 kJ mol -1 . Remarkably, the as-obtained Co-W-B film is also a reusable catalyst preserving 78.4% of their initial catalytic activity even after 5 cycles in hydrolysis of AB at room temperature. Thus, the enhanced catalytic activity illustrates that the Co-W-B film is a promising catalyst for AB hydrolytic dehydrogenation in fuel cells and the related fields. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Emu oil-based lotion effects on neonatal skin barrier during transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zanardo V

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Vincenzo Zanardo,1 David Giarrizzo,2 Francesca Volpe,1 Lara Giliberti,1 Gianluca Straface1 1Division of Perinatal Medicine, Policlinico Abano Terme, Abano Terme, 2CALANTHA Physiology of Lactation Laboratory, Padua, Italy Abstract: Both appropriate hydration and skin surface pH are fundamental in preventing baby skin barrier damage during transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life. However, effects of topical moisturizers on neonatal stratum corneum temperature, pH, hydration, and elasticity have not been scientifically evaluated in vivo. We checked 31 full-term breastfeeding neonates by non-invasive bioengineering method, which is able to evaluate the basal skin barrier (left heel, and assessed at 6±1 hours after birth, and at 1 and 24 hours after emu oil-based topical treatment. The basal skin barrier of right heel (no oil exposure of each newborn was considered as control. We found that a single application of an emu oil-based lotion was effective in improving heel stratum corneum hydration, which increases both skin pH and elasticity without any effect on temperature. Further studies are needed to confirm long-term beneficial effects of this treatment in a very sensitive patient population. Keywords: skin barrier, neonate, emu oil-based lotion, topical treatment
Study of calcium carbonate and sulfate co-precipitation

KAUST Repository

Zarga, Y.

2013-06-01

Co-precipitation of mineral based salts in scaling is still not well understood and/or thermodynamically well defined in the water industry. This study focuses on investigating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and sulfate mixed precipitation in scaling which is commonly observed in industrial water treatment processes including seawater desalination either by thermal-based or membrane-based processes. Co-precipitation kinetics were studied carefully by monitoring several parameters simultaneously measured, including: pH, calcium and alkalinity concentrations as well as quartz microbalance responses. The CaCO3 germination in mixed precipitation was found to be different than that of simple precipitation. Indeed, the co-precipitation of CaCO3 germination time was not anymore related to supersaturation as in a simple homogenous precipitation, but was significantly reduced when the gypsum crystals appeared first. On the other hand, the calcium sulfate crystals appear to reduce the energetic barrier of CaCO3 nucleation and lead to its precipitation by activating heterogeneous germination. However, the presence of CaCO3 crystals does not seem to have any significant effect on gypsum precipitation. IR spectroscopy and the Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) were used to identify the nature of scales structures. Gypsum was found to be the dominant precipitate while calcite and especially vaterite were found at lower proportions. These analyses showed also that gypsum crystals promote calcite crystallization to the detriment of other forms. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
Can Dutch co-generation survive threats of the liberalisation of the energy markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battjes, J.J.; Rijkers, F.A.M.

2000-07-01

The paper presents an analysis of the effects of liberalisation of the Dutch energy markets on the future development of combined heat and power generation (co-generation) in the Netherlands. First, it reviews the historical growth in co-generation in the Netherlands and the supportive policy measures that have contributed to this growth. Second, the liberalisation process of the Dutch electricity market and the Dutch gas market is described. Subsequently, we discuss the impacts of these new market structures on co-generation by using two scenarios for the Dutch energy markets. Our assessment of the impacts is mainly focused on the cost-effectiveness of co-generation projects. We determine the key aspects that influence the cost-effectiveness of a co-generation project and analyse some of the calculations for different small-scale and large-scale co-generation projects. Based on the results, we conclude that investments in new co-generation plants are unlikely in the short term and the existing plants can barely produce with a positive cash flow. As many parties have an interest in reducing the negative effects of a liberalised energy market on co-generation, approaches are sought to improve the cost-effectiveness of co-generation in the Netherlands. We describe several optional supportive measures for co-generation mainly resulting from the determination of the barriers for co-generation. Moreover, Dutch authorities have already responded to these barriers by preparing policy measures such as investment subsidies and exemption from the energy tax. 2 refs
New Insight in Loss of Gut Barrier during Major Non-Abdominal Surgery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joep P M Derikx

Full Text Available Gut barrier loss has been implicated as a critical event in the occurrence of postoperative complications. We aimed to study the development of gut barrier loss in patients undergoing major non-abdominal surgery.Twenty consecutive children undergoing spinal fusion surgery were included. This kind of surgery is characterized by long operation time, significant blood loss, prolonged systemic hypotension, without directly leading to compromise of the intestines by intestinal manipulation or use of extracorporeal circulation. Blood was collected preoperatively, every two hours during surgery and 2, 4, 15 and 24 hours postoperatively. Gut mucosal barrier was assessed by plasma markers for enterocyte damage (I-FABP, I-BABP and urinary presence of tight junction protein claudin-3. Intestinal mucosal perfusion was measured by gastric tonometry (P(rCO2, P(r-aCO2-gap. Plasma concentration of I-FABP, I-BABP and urinary expression of claudin-3 increased rapidly and significantly after the onset of surgery in most children. Postoperatively, all markers decreased promptly towards baseline values together with normalisation of MAP. Plasma levels of I-FABP, I-BABP were significantly negatively correlated with MAP at (1/2 hour before blood sampling (-0.726 (p<0.001, -0.483 (P<0.001, respectively. Furthermore, circulating I-FABP correlated with gastric mucosal P(rCO2, P(r-aCO2-gap measured at the same time points (0.553 (p = 0.040, 0.585 (p = 0.028, respectively.This study shows the development of gut barrier loss in children undergoing major non-abdominal surgery, which is related to preceding hypotension and mesenterial hypoperfusion. These data shed new light on the potential role of peroperative circulatory perturbation and intestinal barrier loss.
New Insight in Loss of Gut Barrier during Major Non-Abdominal Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Derikx, Joep P. M.; van Waardenburg, Dick A.; Thuijls, Geertje; Willigers, Henriëtte M.; Koenraads, Marianne; van Bijnen, Annemarie A.; Heineman, Erik; Poeze, Martijn; Ambergen, Ton; van Ooij, André; van Rhijn, Lodewijk W.; Buurman, Wim A.

2008-01-01

Background Gut barrier loss has been implicated as a critical event in the occurrence of postoperative complications. We aimed to study the development of gut barrier loss in patients undergoing major non-abdominal surgery. Methodology/Principal Findings Twenty consecutive children undergoing spinal fusion surgery were included. This kind of surgery is characterized by long operation time, significant blood loss, prolonged systemic hypotension, without directly leading to compromise of the intestines by intestinal manipulation or use of extracorporeal circulation. Blood was collected preoperatively, every two hours during surgery and 2, 4, 15 and 24 hours postoperatively. Gut mucosal barrier was assessed by plasma markers for enterocyte damage (I-FABP, I-BABP) and urinary presence of tight junction protein claudin-3. Intestinal mucosal perfusion was measured by gastric tonometry (PrCO2, Pr-aCO2-gap). Plasma concentration of I-FABP, I-BABP and urinary expression of claudin-3 increased rapidly and significantly after the onset of surgery in most children. Postoperatively, all markers decreased promptly towards baseline values together with normalisation of MAP. Plasma levels of I-FABP, I-BABP were significantly negatively correlated with MAP at ½ hour before blood sampling (−0.726 (p<0.001), −0.483 (P<0.001), respectively). Furthermore, circulating I-FABP correlated with gastric mucosal PrCO2, Pr-aCO2-gap measured at the same time points (0.553 (p = 0.040), 0.585 (p = 0.028), respectively). Conclusions/Significance This study shows the development of gut barrier loss in children undergoing major non-abdominal surgery, which is related to preceding hypotension and mesenterial hypoperfusion. These data shed new light on the potential role of peroperative circulatory perturbation and intestinal barrier loss. PMID:19088854
Precision requirements for space-based X(CO2) data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, C.E.; Crisp, D.; Miller, C.E.; Salawitch, J.; Sander, S.P.; Sen, B.; Toon, C.; DeCola, P.L.; Olsen, S.C.; Randerson, J.T.; Michalak, A.M.; Alkhaled, A.; Michalak, A.M.; Rayner, P.; Jacob, D.J.; Suntharalingam, P.; Wofsy, S.C.; Jacob, D.J.; Suntharalingam, P.; Wofsy, S.C.; Jones, D.B.A.; Denning, A.S.; Nicholls, M.E.; O'Brien, D.; Doney, S.C.; Pawson, S.; Pawson, S.; Connor, B.J.; Fung, I.Y.; Tans, P.; Wennberg, P.O.; Yung, Y.L.; Law, R.M.

2007-01-01

Precision requirements are determined for space-based column-averaged CO 2 dry air mole fraction X(CO 2 ) data. These requirements result from an assessment of spatial and temporal gradients in X(CO 2 ), the relationship between X(CO 2 ) precision and surface CO 2 flux uncertainties inferred from inversions of the X(CO 2 ) data, and the effects of X(CO 2 ) biases on the fidelity of CO 2 flux inversions. Observational system simulation experiments and synthesis inversion modeling demonstrate that the Orbiting Carbon Observatory mission design and sampling strategy provide the means to achieve these X(CO 2 ) data precision requirements. (authors)
News from the editors of Fluids and Barriers of the CNS.

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Drewes, Lester R; Jones, Hazel C; Keep, Richard F

2014-01-01

This editorial announces a new affiliation between Fluids and Barriers of the CNS (FBCNS) and the International Brain Barriers Society (IBBS) with mutual benefits to the journal and to society members. This is a natural progression from the appointment of two new Co-Editors in Chief: Professor Lester Drewes and Professor Richard Keep in 2013. FBCNS provides a unique and specialist platform for the publication of research in the expanding fields of brain barriers and brain fluid systems in both health and disease.
Barriers to electricity load shift in companies: A survey-based exploration of the end-user perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsthoorn, Mark; Schleich, Joachim; Klobasa, Marian

2015-01-01

As countries move toward larger shares of renewable electricity, the slow diffusion of active electricity load management should concern energy policy makers and users alike. Active load management can increase capacity factors and thereby reduce the need for new capacity, improve reliability, and lower electricity prices. This paper conceptually and empirically explores barriers to load shift in industry from an end-user perspective. An online survey, based on a taxonomy of barriers developed in the realm of energy efficiency, was carried out among manufacturing sites in mostly Southern Germany. Findings suggest that the most important barriers are risk of disruption of operations, impact on product quality, and uncertainty about cost savings. Of little concern are access to capital, lack of employee skills, and data security. Statistical tests suggest that companies for which electricity has higher strategic value rate financial and regulatory risk higher than smaller ones. Companies with a continuous production process report lower barrier scores than companies using batch or just-in-time production. A principal component analysis clusters the barriers and multivariate analysis with the factor scores confirms the prominence of technical risk as a barrier to load shift. The results provide guidance for policy making and future empirical studies. - Highlights: • We quantitatively assess barriers to load shift adoption among manufacturing firms. • Conceptually, we build on the literature on barriers to energy efficiency. • The most important barriers are interference with production and with product quality. • Companies with a continuous production process report lower barrier scores. • The barriers to load shift may be organized in distinct clusters via principal component analysis
Ionic-Liquid-Based CO2 Capture Systems: Structure, Interaction and Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Shaojuan; Zhang, Xiangping; Bai, Lu; Zhang, Xiaochun; Wang, Hui; Wang, Jianji; Bao, Di; Li, Mengdie; Liu, Xinyan; Zhang, Suojiang

2017-07-26

The inherent structure tunability, good affinity with CO 2 , and nonvolatility of ionic liquids (ILs) drive their exploration and exploitation in CO 2 separation field, and has attracted remarkable interest from both industries and academia. The aim of this Review is to give a detailed overview on the recent advances on IL-based materials, including pure ILs, IL-based solvents, and IL-based membranes for CO 2 capture and separation from the viewpoint of molecule to engineering. The effects of anions, cations and functional groups on CO 2 solubility and selectivity of ILs, as well as the studies on degradability of ILs are reviewed, and the recent developments on functionalized ILs, IL-based solvents, and IL-based membranes are also discussed. CO 2 separation mechanism with IL-based solvents and IL-based membranes are explained by combining molecular simulation and experimental characterization. Taking into consideration of the applications and industrialization, the recent achievements and developments on the transport properties of IL fluids and the process design of IL-based processes are highlighted. Finally, the future research challenges and perspectives of the commercialization of CO 2 capture and separation with IL-based materials are posed.
Fabrication of AIN/cU Composites Using Electroless Plating and Evaluation of Their Thermal Properties according to AIN Particle Size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Sung Chul; Han, Jun Hyun [Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Se-Hyun [Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hye Sung [Pusan National University, Miryang (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jun Hyun [Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

AIN/Cu composite powders with a core-shell structure were synthesized by a new technique using electroless plating of Cu on AIN particles and consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Dependence of the thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the AIN/Cu composites on the particle size of AIN were studied. The thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion were significantly dependent on the existence of both boundary pores surrounding the Cu-coated AIN particles and the internal pores of the AIN particles. In order to eliminate the pores, the temperature and pressure of SPS were increased and the AIN particles were heat-treated at high temperature. Adoption of the core-shell AIN/Cu composite powders facilitated the fabrications of AIN/Cu composites with low porosity and uniform distribution in the AIN in Cu matrix.
Decorating Waste Cloth via Industrial Wastewater for Tube-Type Flexible and Wearable Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yun-Hai; Yuan, Shuang; Bao, Di; Yin, Yan-Bin; Zhong, Hai-Xia; Zhang, Xin-Bo; Yan, Jun-Min; Jiang, Qing

2017-04-01

To turn waste into treasure, a facile and cost-effective strategy is developed to revive electroless nickel plating wastewater and cotton-textile waste toward a novel electrode substrate. Based on the substrate, a binder-free PB@GO@NTC electrode is obtained, which exhibits superior electrochemical performance. Moreover, for the first time, a novel tube-type flexible and wearable sodium-ion battery is successfully fabricated. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Phase characterization of Re-based diffusion barrier layer on Nb substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiarti, Eni; Wang, Youngmin; Hashimoto, Naoyuki; Ohnuki, Somei; Narita, Toshio

2011-01-01

An electron microscopy phase characterization was carried out for a Re-based diffusion barrier layer, which was deposited on the Nb substrate used as an ultra high temperature material. The coating process produced three layers; an outer Cr(Re) layer, an intermediate Cr-Nb-Re layer, and an inner Nb(Re) layer. The Cr-Nb-Re layer is considered to act as a diffusion barrier layer between the substrate and the outer Cr(Re) reservoir layer. The Cr(Re) and Nb(Re) layers are in single phase with a similar bcc structures, but they are different in structure from the intermediate layer, which is composed of a dual phase of Re 63 Cr 20 Nb 17 with a cubic structure and Nb 42 Re 33 Cr 25 with a hexagonal structure determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in this study. (author)
Proton radioactivity: the case for 53m Co proton-emitter isomer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavares, O.A.P.; Medeiros, E.L.

2010-01-01

The partial proton emission half-life for 53m Co unstable isomer is re-examined in the framework of a semiempirical model based on tunneling through a Coulomb-plus centrifugal- plus-overlapping potential barrier within the spherical nucleus approximation. It is shown that the known measured half-life value of 17 s is compatible with a large prolate shape for 53m Co proton emitter and a high angular momentum ι = 11 assigned to the proton transition to the ground-state of 52 Fe. (author)
Barrier Properties and Structural Study of Nanocomposite of HDPE/Montmorillonite Modified with Polyvinylalcohol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María C. Carrera

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this work was studied the permeation of CO2 in films of high-density polyethylene (HDPE and organoclay modified with polyvinylalcohol (MMTHDTMA/PVA obtained from melt blending. Permeation study showed that the incorporation of the modified organoclay generates a significant effect on the barrier properties of HDPE. When a load of 2 wt% of MMTHDTMA/PVA was incorporated in the polymer matrix, the flow of CO2 decreased 43.7% compared to pure polyethylene. The results of TEM showed that clay layers were dispersed in the polymeric matrix, obtaining an exfoliated-structure nanocomposite. The thermal stability of nanocomposite was significantly enhanced with respect to the pristine HDPE. DSC results showed that the crystallinity was maintained as the pure polymeric matrix. Consequently, the decrease of permeability was attributable only to the effect of tortuosity generated by the dispersion of MMTHDTMA/PVA. Notably the mechanical properties remain equal to those of pure polyethylene, but with an increase in barrier properties to CO2. This procedure allows obtaining nanocomposites of HDPE with a good barrier property to CO2 which would make it competitive in the use of packaging.
Development and Study of Electrochemical Promotion Systems for CO2 Capture and Valorization in Combustion Gases. PROMOCAP Project Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, E.; Cillero, D.; Martinez, P. J.; Morales, A.; San Vicente, G.; Diego, G. de; Sanchez, J. M.

2014-01-01

The ultimate goal of the project PROMOCAP was the development and study of electrochemical promotion systems for the capture and valorization of CO 2 in combustion flue gases. To achieve this objective, electrocatalysts consisting of tubes or monoliths of solid electrolyte (K-βAl 2 O 3 or YSZ), coated by the corresponding active metal (Pt, Pd, Ni, Cu, Fe-TiO 2 , Pt-Ru - C, Pt-C, etc.), were prepared using both conventional (painting) and improved (dip-coating, electroless or spray-coating) procedures. Both physico-chemical and volt amperometric characterization of the electrocatalysts was carried out both as prepared and after use in electro promoted CO 2 capture and valorization processes (study of chemisorption, reaction, inhibition, deactivation phenomena, etc.). Pilot plant studies were carried out under realistic conditions for identifying the best electro catalyst and the operating conditions more suitable for CO 2 electro promoted capture and valorization. Finally, the electrocatalysts identified as the most promising for electro promoted CO 2 capture (Pt/K-βAl 2 O 3 ) and valorization (Cu/K-βAl 2 O 3 ) were prepared using the developed optimized procedures and their behavior over multiple cycles of electro promoted CO 2 capture and in long term operation against electro promoted CO 2 hydrogenation, respectively, was studied under real or realistic conditions. (Author)
Comparison of sodium borohydride hydrolysis kinetics on Co-based nanocomposite catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hristov, Georgi; Chorbadzhiyska, Elitsa; Mitov, Mario; Rashkov, Rashko; Hubenova, Yolina

2011-01-01

In this study, we compared the results, obtained with several Co-based nanocomposites (CoMnB, CoNiMnB and CoNiMoW) produced by electrodeposition on Ni-foam, as catalysts for the sodium borohydride hydrolysis reaction. Based on the comparative analyses, we propose CoNiMnB electrodeposits as most suitable catalysts for development of Hydrogen-on-Demand (HOD) system, while CoNiMoW ones as potential anodes for Direct Borohydride Fuel Cells (DBFCs). Keywords: Hydrogen-on-Demand (HOD), Nanocomposites, Hydrolysis, Catalyst, Kinetic

Barriers to Office-Based Mental Health Care and Interest in E-Communication With Providers: A Survey Study.

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Rai, Minnie; Vigod, Simone N; Hensel, Jennifer M

2016-08-01

With rising availability and use of Internet and mobile technology in society, the demand and need for its integration into health care is growing. Despite great potential within mental health care and growing uptake, there is still little evidence to guide how these tools should be integrated into traditional care, and for whom. To examine factors that might inform how e-communication should be implemented in our local outpatient mental health program, including barriers to traditional office-based care, patient preferences, and patient concerns. We conducted a survey in the waiting room of our outpatient mental health program located in an urban, academic ambulatory hospital. The survey assessed (1) age, mobile phone ownership, and general e-communication usage, (2) barriers to attending office-based appointments, (3) preferences for, and interest in, e-communication for mental health care, and (4) concerns about e-communication use for mental health care. We analyzed the data descriptively and examined associations between the presence of barriers, identifying as a social media user, and interest level in e-communication. Respondents (N=68) were predominantly in the age range of 25-54 years. The rate of mobile phone ownership was 91% (62/68), and 59% (40/68) of respondents identified as social media users. There was very low existing use of e-communication between providers and patients, with high levels of interest endorsed by survey respondents. Respondents expressed an interest in using e-communication with their provider to share updates and get feedback, coordinate care, and get general information. In regression analysis, both a barrier to care and identifying as a social media user were significantly associated with e-communication interest (P=.03 and P=.003, respectively). E-communication interest was highest among people who both had a barrier to office-based care and were a social media user. Despite high interest, there were also many concerns
Base Metal Co-Fired Multilayer Piezoelectrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisheng Gao

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Piezoelectrics have been widely used in different kinds of applications, from the automobile industry to consumer electronics. The novel multilayer piezoelectrics, which are inspired by multilayer ceramic capacitors, not only minimize the size of the functional parts, but also maximize energy efficiency. Development of multilayer piezoelectric devices is at a significant crossroads on the way to achieving low costs, high efficiency, and excellent reliability. Concerning the costs of manufacturing multilayer piezoelectrics, the trend is to replace the costly noble metal internal electrodes with base metal materials. This paper discusses the materials development of metal co-firing and the progress of integrating current base metal chemistries. There are some significant considerations in metal co-firing multilayer piezoelectrics: retaining stoichiometry with volatile Pb and alkaline elements in ceramics, the selection of appropriate sintering agents to lower the sintering temperature with minimum impact on piezoelectric performance, and designing effective binder formulation for low pO2 burnout to prevent oxidation of Ni and Cu base metal.
Barriers to Physical Activity on University Student

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Jajat; Sultoni, K.; Suherman, A.

2017-03-01

The purpose of the research is to analyze the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students based on physical activity level. An internet-based survey was conducted. The participants were 158 University students from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Barriers to Physical Activity Quiz (BPAQ) were used to assessed the factors that become barriers to physical activity in university students. IPAQ (short form) were used to assessed physical activity level. The results show there was no differences BPAQ based on IPAQ level. But when analyzed further based on seven factors barriers there are differences in factors “social influence and lack of willpower” based IPAQ level. Based on this it was concluded that the “influence from other and lack of willpower” an inhibiting factor on students to perform physical activity.
Preparation of highly dispersed PEM fuel cell catalysts using electroless deposition methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beard, K.D.; Schaal, M.T.; Van Zee, J.W.; Monnier, J.R. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Swearingen Engineering Center, 301 South Main Street, Columbia, SC 29208 (United States)

2007-03-30

A methodology for the electroless deposition (ED) of PtCl{sub 6}{sup 2-} using dimethylamine borane (DMAB) on a Rh-seeded carbon support has been developed for electrochemical and fuel cell applications. This procedure required seeding the carbon with a Rh-precursor catalyst via wet impregnation prior to the exposure of an aqueous ED bath containing PtCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}, DMAB, and sodium citrate (complexing/stabilizing agent). Kinetic parameters that affect the extent and rate of PtCl{sub 6}{sup 2-} deposition include concentrations of PtCl{sub 6}{sup 2-}, DMAB, and sodium citrate as well as pH and concentrations of Rh seed sites. A linear relationship between rate and extent of PtCl{sub 6}{sup 2-} deposition and DMAB and Rh concentrations was found while the citrate concentration had little effect on rate and a modest effect on extent. Lastly, extent of PtCl{sub 6}{sup 2-} deposition showed a maximum with respect to pH. Characterization of the Rh-seeded, carbon support by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the Rh particle diameters remain constant at 33-43 Aa as the Rh weight loading increases from 0.4% to 2.2% to 4.4%. Further, after deposition of similar loadings of Pt, TEM analysis shows Pt particle diameters decrease with increasing Rh loading, since equal amounts of Pt were deposited on greater numbers of Rh seed particles. This pattern suggests a shell-core geometry, where Pt is deposited more or less uniformly around a Rh core. (author)
CO-CO coupling on Cu facets: Coverage, strain and field effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandberg, Robert B.; Montoya, Joseph H.; Chan, Karen; Nørskov, Jens K.

2016-01-01

We present a DFT study on the effect of coverage, strain, and electric field on CO-CO coupling energetics on Cu (100), (111), and (211). Our calculations indicate that CO-CO coupling is facile on all three facets in the presence of a cation-induced electric field in the Helmholtz plane, with the lowest barrier on Cu(100). The CO dimerization pathway is therefore expected to play a role in C_2 formation at potentials negative of the Cu potential of zero charge, corresponding to CO_2/CO reduction conditions at high pH. Both increased *CO coverage and tensile strain further improve C-C coupling energetics on Cu (111) and (211). Since CO dimerization is facile on all 3 Cu facets, subsequent surface hydrogenation steps may also play an important role in determining the overall activity towards C_2 products. Adsorption of *CO, *H, and *OH on the 3 facets were investigated with a Pourbaix analysis. Here, the (211) facet has the largest propensity to co-adsorb *CO and *H, which would favor surface hydrogenation following CO dimerization.
Nature-based care opportunities and barriers in oncology contexts: a modified international e-Delphi survey.

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Blaschke, Sarah; O'Callaghan, Clare C; Schofield, Penelope

2017-10-16

To develop recommendations regarding opportunities and barriers for nature-based care in oncology contexts using a structured knowledge generation process involving relevant healthcare and design experts. Four-round modified electronic Delphi study. Oncology patients' nature-based recommendations, uncovered in preceding qualitative investigation, were included in the first round for the expert participants' consideration. Key items (opportunities and barriers) were developed using data aggregation and synthesis, followed by item prioritisation and 10-point Likert scale ranking (1=not important, 10=very important). Descriptive statistics were calculated to assess items of highest importance representing expert recommendations. Online Delphi process constituting an electronic international survey. A purposive sample of 200 potential panellists (recruitment target n=40) comprising healthcare practitioners, managers, designers, architects and researchers were invited to participate; experts were identified via research networks, snowballing and systematic literature review. 38 experts across seven countries (Australia, USA, UK, New Zealand, Canada, Denmark and Sweden) returned questionnaire 1, which determined consent and acceptance for participation. Initial response rate was 19%, and subsequent response rates were 84%, 82% and 84% for rounds 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The Delphi panel developed recommendations consisting of 10 opportunities and 10 barriers. The following opportunities were rated to be of highest importance: window views from clinical areas onto nature; outdoor settings, gardens and courtyards with easy and effortless access; and nature-based physical exercise adapted to patient requirements. Highest-rated barriers for nature-based oncology care included lack of knowledge and awareness about benefits of nature engagement and inaccessibility, not considering access requirements for the very sick and frail. Experts suggested and agreed on a set of
Hydronium-Induced Switching between CO2 Electroreduction Pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Seifitokaldani, Ali; Gabardo, Christine M; Burdyny, Thomas; Dinh, Cao-Thang; Edwards, Jonathan P; Kibria, Md Golam; Bushuyev, Oleksandr S; Kelley, Shana O; Sinton, David; Sargent, Edward H

2018-03-21

Over a broad range of operating conditions, many CO 2 electroreduction catalysts can maintain selectivity toward certain reduction products, leading to materials and surfaces being categorized according to their products; here we ask, is product selectivity truly a property of the catalyst? Silver is among the best electrocatalysts for CO in aqueous electrolytes, where it reaches near-unity selectivity. We consider the hydrogenations of the oxygen and carbon atoms via the two proton-coupled-electron-transfer processes as chief determinants of product selectivity; and find using density functional theory (DFT) that the hydronium (H 3 O + ) intermediate plays a key role in the first oxygen hydrogenation step and lowers the activation energy barrier for CO formation. When this hydronium influence is removed, the activation energy barrier for oxygen hydrogenation increases significantly, and the barrier for carbon hydrogenation is reduced. These effects make the formate reaction pathway more favorable than CO. Experimentally, we then carry out CO 2 reduction in highly concentrated potassium hydroxide (KOH), limiting the hydronium concentration in the aqueous electrolyte. The product selectivity of a silver catalyst switches from entirely CO under neutral conditions to over 50% formate in the alkaline environment. The simulated and experimentally observed selectivity shift provides new insights into the role of hydronium on CO 2 electroreduction processes and the ability for electrolyte manipulation to directly influence transition state (TS) kinetics, altering favored CO 2 reaction pathways. We argue that selectivity should be considered less of an intrinsic catalyst property, and rather a combined product of the catalyst and reaction environment.
The effect of tobacco smoke exposure on the generation of reactive oxygen species and cellular membrane damage using co-culture model of blood brain barrier with astrocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Seung-Beom; Choe, Eun Sang; Kim, Kwang-Sik; Shim, Soon-Mi

2017-06-01

Brain tissue is known to be vulnerable to the exposure by tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke can induce generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing inflammatory activity and blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of tobacco smoke on cell cytotoxicity, generation of ROS, and cellular membrane damage in astrocytes and BBB using a co-culture system. Cell viability of U373MG cells was reduced in a dose-dependent manner, ranging from 96.7% to 40.3% by tobacco smoke condensate (TSC). Cell viability of U373MG co-cultured with human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) was 104.9% at the IC 50 value of TSC. Trans-epithelial electric resistance values drastically decreased 80% following 12-h incubation. The value was maintained until 48 h and then increased at 72-h incubation (85%). It then decreased to 75% at 120 h. Generation of ROS increased in a dose-dependent manner, ranging from 102.7% to 107.9%, when various concentrations of TSC (4-16 mg/mL) were administered to the U373MG monoculture. When TSC was added into U373MG co-cultured with HBMECs, production of ROS ranged from 101.7% to 102.6%, slightly increasing over 12 h. Maximum exposure-generated ROS of 104.8% was reached at 24 h. Cell cytotoxicity and oxidative stress levels in the U373MG co-culture model system with HBMECs were lower than U373MG monoculture. HBMECs effectively acted as a barrier to protect the astrocytes (U373MG) from toxicity of TSC.
Self-assembled synthesis of 3D Cu(In1 − xGax)Se2 nanoarrays by one-step electroless deposition into ordered AAO template

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Bin; Zheng, Maojun; Xiong, Zuzhou; Zhu, Changqing; Li, Hong; Wang, Faze; Shen, Wenzhong; Zhou, Tao; Ma, Li

2014-01-01

Quaternary nanostructured Cu(In 1 − x Ga x )Se 2 (CIGS) arrays were successfully fabricated via a novel and simple solution-based protocol on the electroless deposition method, using a flexible, highly ordered anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) substrate. This method does not require electric power, complicated sensitization processes, or complexing agents, but provides nearly 100% pore fill factor to AAO templates. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images show that we obtained uniformly three-dimensional nanostructured CIGS arrays, and we can tailor the diameter and wall thicknesses of the nanostructure by adjusting the pore diameter of the AAO and metal Mo layer. Their chemical composition was determined by energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis, which is very close to the stoichiometric value. The Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further confirm the formation of nanostructured CIGS with prominent chalcopyrite structure. The nanostructured CIGS arrays can support the design of low-cost, highlight-trapping, and enhanced carrier collection nanostructured solar cells. (paper)
Paving the Way to Successful Implementation: Identifying Key Barriers to Use of Technology-Based Therapeutic Tools for Behavioral Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramsey, Alex; Lord, Sarah; Torrey, John; Marsch, Lisa; Lardiere, Michael

2016-01-01

This study aimed to identify barriers to use of technology for behavioral health care from the perspective of care decision makers at community behavioral health organizations. As part of a larger survey of technology readiness, 260 care decision makers completed an open-ended question about perceived barriers to use of technology. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), qualitative analyses yielded barrier themes related to characteristics of technology (e.g., cost and privacy), potential end users (e.g., technology literacy and attitudes about technology), organization structure and climate (e.g., budget and infrastructure), and factors external to organizations (e.g., broadband accessibility and reimbursement policies). Number of reported barriers was higher among respondents representing agencies with lower annual budgets and smaller client bases relative to higher budget, larger clientele organizations. Individual barriers were differentially associated with budget, size of client base, and geographic location. Results are discussed in light of implementation science frameworks and proactive strategies to address perceived obstacles to adoption and use of technology-based behavioral health tools.
Magnetic properties of Co-based multilayers with layer-alloyed modulations

Science.gov (United States)

Poulopoulos, P.; Angelakeris, M.; Niarchos, D.; Krishnan, R.; Porte, M.; Batas, C.; Flevaris, N. K.

1995-07-01

Various types of Co-based multilayers such as Pt mCo n, Pt m[CoPt] n, Co m[CoPd] n and Co m[CoPt] n were prepared by e-gun evaporation. Strong perpendicular anisotropy with considerable coercivity of ˜ 1 kOe was found for PtCo samples with thin Co layers. Moreover, the magnetization of Pt m[CoPt] n samples was found to approach that of pure Co and in the case of n > 5 enhancement of 30% or more exhibited. Magnetic properties were found to be strongly influenced by variations of modulation parameters.
Development and Study of Electrochemical Promotion Systems for CO{sub 2} Capture and Valorization in Combustion Gases. PROMOCAP Project Final Report; Desarrollo y Estudio de Sistemas de Promocion Electroquimica para la Captura y Valorizacion de CO{sub 2} en Gases de Combustion. Informe Final Proyecto PROMOCAP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz, E.; Cillero, D.; Martinez, P. J.; Morales, A.; San Vicente, G.; Diego, G. de; Sanchez, J. M.

2014-02-01

The ultimate goal of the project PROMOCAP was the development and study of electrochemical promotion systems for the capture and valorization of CO{sub 2} in combustion flue gases. To achieve this objective, electrocatalysts consisting of tubes or monoliths of solid electrolyte (K-{beta}Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} or YSZ), coated by the corresponding active metal (Pt, Pd, Ni, Cu, Fe-TiO{sub 2}, Pt-Ru - C, Pt-C, etc.), were prepared using both conventional (painting) and improved (dip-coating, electroless or spray-coating) procedures. Both physico-chemical and volt amperometric characterization of the electrocatalysts was carried out both as prepared and after use in electro promoted CO{sub 2} capture and valorization processes (study of chemisorption, reaction, inhibition, deactivation phenomena, etc.). Pilot plant studies were carried out under realistic conditions for identifying the best electro catalyst and the operating conditions more suitable for CO{sub 2} electro promoted capture and valorization. Finally, the electrocatalysts identified as the most promising for electro promoted CO{sub 2} capture (Pt/K-{beta}Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and valorization (Cu/K-{beta}Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) were prepared using the developed optimized procedures and their behavior over multiple cycles of electro promoted CO{sub 2} capture and in long term operation against electro promoted CO{sub 2} hydrogenation, respectively, was studied under real or realistic conditions. (Author)
A density functional theory study on the carbon chain growth of ethanol formation on Cu-Co (111) and (211) surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Bohua; Dong, Xiuqin; Yu, Yingzhe; Wen, Guobin; Zhang, Minhua

2017-08-01

Calculations based on the first-principle density functional theory were carried out to study the most controversial reactions in ethanol formation from syngas on Cu-Co surfaces: CO dissociation mechanism and the key reactions of carbon chain growth of ethanol formation (HCO insertion reactions) on four model surfaces (Cu-Co (111) and (211) with Cu-rich or Co-rich surfaces) to investigate the synergy of the Cu and Co components since the complete reaction network of ethanol formation from syngas is a huge computational burden to calculate on four Cu-Co surface models. We investigated adsorption of important species involved in these reactions, activation barrier and reaction energy of H-assisted dissociation mechanism, directly dissociation of CO, and HCO insertion reactions (CHx + HCO → CHxCHO (x = 1-3)) on four Cu-Co surface models. It was found that reactions on Cu-rich (111) and (211) surfaces all have lower activation barrier in H-assisted dissociation and HCO insertion reactions, especially CH + HCO → CHCHO reaction. The PDOS of 4d orbitals of surface Cu and Co atoms of all surfaces were studied. Analysis of d-band center of Cu and Co atoms and the activation barrier data suggested the correlation between electronic property and catalytic performance. Cu-Co bimetallic with Cu-rich surface allows Co to have higher catalytic activity through the interaction of Cu and Co atom. Then it will improve the adsorption of CO and catalytic activity of Co. Thus it is more favorable to the carbon chain growth in ethanol formation. Our study revealed the factors influencing the carbon chain growth in ethanol production and explained the internal mechanism from electronic property aspect.
High temperature deformation mechanisms of L12-containing Co-based superalloys

Science.gov (United States)

Titus, Michael Shaw

Ni-based superalloys have been used as the structural material of choice for high temperature applications in gas turbine engines since the 1940s, but their operating temperature is becoming limited by their melting temperature (Tm =1300degrees C). Despite decades of research, no viable alternatives to Ni-based superalloys have been discovered and developed. However, in 2006, a ternary gamma' phase was discovered in the Co-Al-W system that enabled a new class of Co-based superalloys to be developed. These new Co-based superalloys possess a gamma-gamma' microstructure that is nearly identical to Ni-based superalloys, which enables these superalloys to achieve extraordinary high temperature mechanical properties. Furthermore, Co-based alloys possess the added benefit of exhibiting a melting temperature of at least 100degrees C higher than commercial Ni-based superalloys. Superalloys used as the structural materials in high pressure turbine blades must withstand large thermomechanical stresses imparted from the rotating disk and hot, corrosive gases present. These stresses induce time-dependent plastic deformation, which is commonly known as creep, and new superalloys must possess adequate creep resistance over a broad range of temperature in order to be used as the structural materials for high pressure turbine blades. For these reasons, this research focuses on quantifying high temperature creep properties of new gamma'-containing Co-based superalloys and identifying the high temperature creep deformation mechanisms. The high temperature creep properties of new Co- and CoNi-based alloys were found to be comparable to Ni-based superalloys with respect to minimum creep rates and creep-rupture lives at 900degrees C up to the solvus temperature of the gamma' phase. Co-based alloys exhibited a propensity for extended superlattice stacking fault formation in the gamma' precipitates resulting from dislocation shearing events. When Ni was added to the Co-based compositions
Barriers Inhibiting Inquiry-Based Science Teaching and Potential Solutions: Perceptions of Positively Inclined Early Adopters

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgerald, Michael; Danaia, Lena; McKinnon, David H.

2017-07-01

In recent years, calls for the adoption of inquiry-based pedagogies in the science classroom have formed a part of the recommendations for large-scale high school science reforms. However, these pedagogies have been problematic to implement at scale. This research explores the perceptions of 34 positively inclined early-adopter teachers in relation to their implementation of inquiry-based pedagogies. The teachers were part of a large-scale Australian high school intervention project based around astronomy. In a series of semi-structured interviews, the teachers identified a number of common barriers that prevented them from implementing inquiry-based approaches. The most important barriers identified include the extreme time restrictions on all scales, the poverty of their common professional development experiences, their lack of good models and definitions for what inquiry-based teaching actually is, and the lack of good resources enabling the capacity for change. Implications for expectations of teachers and their professional learning during educational reform and curriculum change are discussed.
Magnetoresistance in Co/AlO sub x /Co tunnel junction arrays

CERN Document Server

Urech, M; Haviland, D B

2002-01-01

Lateral arrays of Co/AlO sub x /Co junctions with dimensions down to 60 nm and inter-junction separations approx 60-100 nm have been fabricated and analyzed for possible coherent tunneling effects. Extra attention is paid to avoid uncertainties due to inconsistencies in switching and/or resistance of successive barriers. We observe approx 10% magnetoresistance enhancement at moderate bias in double junctions that cannot be accounted for by a simple model of two resistsors in series.
Overcoming barriers to implementation of evidence-based practice concepts in athletic training education: perceptions of select educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Manspeaker, Sarah; Van Lunen, Bonnie

2011-01-01

The need to include evidence-based practice (EBP) concepts in entry-level athletic training education is evident as the profession transitions toward using evidence to inform clinical decision making. To evaluate athletic training educators' experience with implementation of EBP concepts in Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)-accredited entry-level athletic training education programs in reference to educational barriers and strategies for overcoming these barriers. Qualitative interviews of emergent design with grounded theory. Undergraduate CAATE-accredited athletic training education programs. Eleven educators (3 men, 8 women). The average number of years teaching was 14.73 ± 7.06. Interviews were conducted to evaluate perceived barriers and strategies for overcoming these barriers to implementation of evidence-based concepts in the curriculum. Interviews were explored qualitatively through open and axial coding. Established themes and categories were triangulated and member checked to determine trustworthiness. Educators identified 3 categories of need for EBP instruction: respect for the athletic training profession, use of EBP as part of the decision-making toolbox, and third-party reimbursement. Barriers to incorporating EBP concepts included time, role strain, knowledge, and the gap between clinical and educational practices. Suggested strategies for surmounting barriers included identifying a starting point for inclusion and approaching inclusion from a faculty perspective. Educators must transition toward instruction of EBP, regardless of barriers present in their academic programs, in order to maintain progress with other health professions' clinical practices and educational standards. Because today's students are tomorrow's clinicians, we need to include EBP concepts in entry-level education to promote critical thinking, inspire potential research interest, and further develop the available body of knowledge in our
Barriers to energy efficiency in small industry clusters: Multi-criteria-based prioritization using the analytic hierarchy process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagesha, N.; Balachandra, P.

2006-01-01

The small scale industry (SSI) is an important component of Indian economy and a majority of SSI units tend to exist in geographical clusters. Energy efficiency is crucial for the survival and growth of energy intensive SSI clusters, not only to improve their competitiveness through cost reduction but also to minimize adverse environmental impacts. However, this is easier said than done due to the presence of a variety of barriers. The identification of relevant barriers and their appropriate prioritization in such clusters is a prerequisite to effectively tackle them. This paper identifies relevant barriers to energy efficiency and their dimensions in SSI clusters. Further, the barriers are prioritized based on the perceptions and experiences of entrepreneurs, the main stakeholders of SSIs, using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The field data from two energy intensive clusters of foundry and brick and tile in Karnataka (a state in India) reveal that the prioritization remained the same despite differences in the relative weights of barrier groups. The financial and economic barrier (FEB) and behavioural and personal barrier (BPB) have emerged as the top two impediments to energy efficiency improvements
Barriers to patient portal access among veterans receiving home-based primary care: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishuris, Rebecca G; Stewart, Max; Fix, Gemmae M; Marcello, Thomas; McInnes, D Keith; Hogan, Timothy P; Boardman, Judith B; Simon, Steven R

2015-12-01

Electronic, or web-based, patient portals can improve patient satisfaction, engagement and health outcomes and are becoming more prevalent with the advent of meaningful use incentives. However, adoption rates are low, particularly among vulnerable patient populations, such as those patients who are home-bound with multiple comorbidities. Little is known about how these patients view patient portals or their barriers to using them. To identify barriers to and facilitators of using My HealtheVet (MHV), the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patient portal, among Veterans using home-based primary care services. Qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews. We conducted a content analysis informed by grounded theory. Fourteen Veterans receiving home-based primary care, surrogates of two of these Veterans, and three home-based primary care (HBPC) staff members. We identified five themes related to the use of MHV: limited knowledge; satisfaction with current HBPC care; limited computer and Internet access; desire to learn more about MHV and its potential use; and value of surrogates acting as intermediaries between Veterans and MHV. Despite their limited knowledge of MHV and computer access, home-bound Veterans are interested in accessing MHV and using it as an additional point of care. Surrogates are also potential users of MHV on behalf of these Veterans and may have different barriers to and benefits from use. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Performance evaluation of intermediate cover soil barrier for removal of heavy metals in landfill leachate.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Kazuyuki; Anegawa, Aya; Endo, Kazuto; Yamada, Masato; Ono, Yusaku; Ono, Yoshiro

2008-11-01

This pilot-scale study evaluated the use of intermediate cover soil barriers for removing heavy metals in leachate generated from test cells for co-disposed fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators, ash melting plants, and shredder residue. Cover soil barriers were mixtures of Andisol (volcanic ash soil), waste iron powder, (grinder dust waste from iron foundries), and slag fragments. The cover soil barriers were installed in the test cells' bottom layer. Sorption/desorption is an important process in cover soil bottom barrier for removal of heavy metals in landfill leachate. Salt concentrations such as those of Na, K, and Ca in leachate were extremely high (often greater than 30 gL(-1)) because of high salt content in fly ash from ash melting plants. Concentrations of all heavy metals (nickel, manganese, copper, zinc, lead, and cadmium) in test cell leachates with a cover soil barrier were lower than those of the test cell without a cover soil barrier and were mostly below the discharge limit, probably because of dilution caused by the amount of leachate and heavy metal removal by the cover soil barrier. The cover soil barriers' heavy metal removal efficiency was calculated. About 50% of copper, nickel, and manganese were removed. About 20% of the zinc and boron were removed, but lead and cadmium were removed only slightly. Based on results of calculation of the Langelier saturation index and analyses of core samples, the reactivity of the cover soil barrier apparently decreases because of calcium carbonate precipitation on the cover soil barriers' surfaces.

Atmospheric pressure plasma produced inside a closed package by a dielectric barrier discharge in Ar/CO2 for bacterial inactivation of biological samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chiper, Alina Silvia; Chen, Weifeng; Mejlholm, Ole

2011-01-01

The generation and evaluation of a dielectric barrier discharge produced inside a closed package made of a commercially available packaging film and filled with gas mixtures of Ar/CO2 at atmospheric pressure is reported. The discharge parameters were analysed by electrical measurements and optical...... emission spectroscopy in two modes of operation: trapped gas atmosphere and flowing gas atmosphere. Gas temperature was estimated using the OH(A–X) emission spectrum and the rotational temperature reached a saturation level after a few minutes of plasma running. The rotational temperature was almost three...
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer Patients Delivered via Internet: Qualitative Study of Patient and Therapist Barriers and Facilitators.

Science.gov (United States)

Compen, Félix R; Bisseling, Else M; Schellekens, Melanie Pj; Jansen, Ellen Tm; van der Lee, Marije L; Speckens, Anne Em

2017-12-18

The number of patients living with cancer is growing, and a substantial number of patients suffer from psychological distress. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) seem effective in alleviating psychological distress. Unfortunately, several cancer patients find it difficult, if not impossible, to attend a group-based course. Internet-based MBIs (eMBIs) such as Internet-based mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT) may offer solutions. However, it is yet to be studied what facilitators and barriers cancer patients experience during eMBCT. This study aimed to explore facilitators and barriers of individual asynchronous therapist-assisted eMBCT as experienced by both patients and therapists. Patients with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses suffering from psychological distress were offered eMBCT. This 9-week intervention mirrored the group-based MBCT protocol and included weekly asynchronous written therapist feedback. Patients were granted access to a website that contained the eMBCT protocol and a secured inbox, and they were asked to practice and fill out diaries on which the therapist provided feedback. In total, 31 patients participated in an individual posttreatment interview on experienced facilitators and barriers during eMBCT. Moreover, eight therapists were interviewed. The data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis to identify barriers and facilitators in eMBCT. Both patients and therapists mentioned four overarching themes as facilitators and barriers: treatment setting (the individual and Internet-based nature of the treatment), treatment format (how the treatment and its guidance were organized and delivered), role of the therapist, and individual patient characteristics. The eMBCT provided flexibility in when, where, and how patients and therapists engage in MBCT. Future studies should assess how different eMBCT designs could further improve barriers that were found. ©Félix R Compen, Else M Bisseling, Melanie PJ Schellekens, Ellen TM
Clays in natural and engineered barriers for radioactive waste confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The meeting covers all topics concerning natural argillaceous geological barriers and the clay material based engineered barrier systems, investigated by means of: laboratory experiments on clay samples (new analytical developments), in situ experiments in underground research laboratories, mock-up demonstrations, natural analogues, as well as numerical modelling and global integration approaches (including up-scaling processes and treatment of uncertainties). The works presented deal with: examples of broad research programs (national or international) on the role of natural and artificial clay barriers for radionuclide confinement; clay-based repository concepts: repository designs, including technological and safety issues related to the use of clay for nuclear waste confinement; geology and clay characterisation: mineralogy, sedimentology, paleo-environment, diagenesis, dating techniques, discontinuities in rock clay, fracturing, self sealing processes, role of organic matter and microbiological processes; geochemistry: pore water geochemistry, clay thermodynamics, chemical retention, geochemical modelling, advanced isotopic geochemistry; mass transfer: water status and hydraulic properties in low permeability media, pore space geometry, water, solute and gas transfer processes, colloid mediated transport, large scale movements, long-term diffusion; alteration processes: oxidation effects, hydration-dehydration processes, response to thermal stress, iron-clay interactions, alkaline perturbation; geomechanics: thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of clay, rheological models, EDZ characterisation and evolution, coupled behaviour and models (HM, THM, THMC). A particular interest is given to potential contributions coming from fields of activities other than radioactive waste management, which take advantage of the confinement properties of the clay barrier (oil and gas industries, gas geological storage, CO 2 geological sequestration, chemical waste isolation
Clays in natural and engineered barriers for radioactive waste confinement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

The meeting covers all topics concerning natural argillaceous geological barriers and the clay material based engineered barrier systems, investigated by means of: laboratory experiments on clay samples (new analytical developments), in situ experiments in underground research laboratories, mock-up demonstrations, natural analogues, as well as numerical modelling and global integration approaches (including up-scaling processes and treatment of uncertainties). The works presented deal with: examples of broad research programs (national or international) on the role of natural and artificial clay barriers for radionuclide confinement; clay-based repository concepts: repository designs, including technological and safety issues related to the use of clay for nuclear waste confinement; geology and clay characterisation: mineralogy, sedimentology, paleo-environment, diagenesis, dating techniques, discontinuities in rock clay, fracturing, self sealing processes, role of organic matter and microbiological processes; geochemistry: pore water geochemistry, clay thermodynamics, chemical retention, geochemical modelling, advanced isotopic geochemistry; mass transfer: water status and hydraulic properties in low permeability media, pore space geometry, water, solute and gas transfer processes, colloid mediated transport, large scale movements, long-term diffusion; alteration processes: oxidation effects, hydration-dehydration processes, response to thermal stress, iron-clay interactions, alkaline perturbation; geomechanics: thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of clay, rheological models, EDZ characterisation and evolution, coupled behaviour and models (HM, THM, THMC). A particular interest is given to potential contributions coming from fields of activities other than radioactive waste management, which take advantage of the confinement properties of the clay barrier (oil and gas industries, gas geological storage, CO{sub 2} geological sequestration, chemical waste isolation
Market barriers to welfare product innovations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Binnekamp, M.H.A.; Ingenbleek, P.T.M.

2006-01-01

New products that are based on higher animal welfare standards encounter several barriers on the road to market acceptance. The authors focus on the Dutch poultry sector and distinguish between retailer and consumer barriers. Retailer barriers include the powerful position of retailers, the price
Mapping Remote and Multidisciplinary Learning Barriers: Lessons from "Challenge-Based Innovation" at CERN

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Matilde Bisballe; Utriainen, Tuuli Maria; Steinert, Martin

2018-01-01

This paper presents the experienced difficulties of students participating in the multidisciplinary, remote collaborating engineering design course challenge-based innovation at CERN. This is with the aim to identify learning barriers and improve future learning experiences. We statistically analyse the rated differences between distinct design…
Preparation, characterization and wear behavior of carbon coated magnesium alloy with electroless plating nickel interlayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Yan; Li, Zhuguo; Feng, Kai; Guo, Xingwu; Zhou, Zhifeng; Dong, Jie; Wu, Yixiong

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The carbon film with nickel interlayer (Ni + C coating) is deposited on GW83. • In Ni + C composite coating the carbon coating has good adhesion with the nickel interlayer. • The wear track of Ni + C coating is narrower compared to the bare one. • The wear resistance of GW83 is greatly improved by the Ni + C coating. - Abstract: Poor wear resistance of rare earth magnesium alloys has prevented them from wider application. In this study, composite coating (PVD carbon coating deposited on electroless plating nickel interlayer) is prepared to protect GW83 magnesium alloys against wear. The Ni + C composite coating has a dense microstructure, improved adhesion strength and hardness due to the effective support of Ni interlayer. The wear test result shows that the Ni + C composite coating can greatly prolong the wear life of the magnesium alloy. The wear track of the Ni + C coated magnesium alloy is obviously narrower and shows less abrasive particles as compared with the bare one. Abrasive wear is the wear mechanism of the coatings at the room temperature. In conclusion, the wear resistance of the GW83 magnesium alloy can be greatly improved by the Ni + C composite coating
HRE-Pond Cryogenic Barrier Technology Demonstration: Pre- and Post-Barrier Hydrologic Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moline, G.R.

1999-01-01

The Homogeneous Reactor Experiment (HRE) Pond is the site of a former impoundment for radioactive wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in east Tennessee. The pond received radioactive wastes from 1957 to 1962, and was subsequently drained, filled with soil, and covered with an asphalt cap. The site is bordered to the east and south by an unnamed stream that contains significant concentrations of radioactive contaminants, primarily 90 Sr. Because of the proximity of the stream to the HRE disposal site and the probable flow of groundwater from the site to the stream, it was hypothesized that the HRE Pond has been a source of contamination to the creek. The HRE-Pond was chosen as the site of a cryogenic barrier demonstration to evaluate this technology as a means for rapid, temporary isolation of contaminants in the type of subsurface environment that exists on the ORR. The cryogenic barrier is created by the circulation of liquid CO 2 through a system of thermoprobes installed in boreholes which are backfilled with sand. The probes cool the subsurface, creating a vertical ice wall by freezing adjacent groundwater, effectively surrounding the pond on four sides. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the hydrologic conditions within and around the pond prior to, during, and after the cryogenic barrier emplacement. The objectives were (1) to provide a hydrologic baseline for post-banner performance assessment, (2) to confirm that the pond is hydraulically connected to the surrounding sediments, (3) to determine the likely contaminant exit pathways from the pond, and (4) to measure changes in hydrologic conditions after barrier emplacement in order to assess the barrier performance. Because relatively little information about the subsurface hydrology and the actual configuration of the pond existed, data from multiple sources was required to reconstruct this complex system
A multi-institutional study of the perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncombe, Daphne C

2018-03-01

To examine perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence-based practice among nurses working in psychiatric, geriatric, hospital and community settings in The Bahamas. It is evident from previous studies that a number of factors exist which either obstruct or promote the utilisation of research evidence in nursing practice. Identifying these factors is vital to the successful uptake of evidence-based practice in nursing. Descriptive, comparative study. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. A stratified random sample (n = 100) of registered nurses participated; 5-point Likert-like scales were used to examine nurses' perceptions of barriers and facilitators of evidence-based practice. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics and to compare responses of nurses. Participants were predominantly female (98.4%), in the 25 to implement evidence-based practice previously. The greatest barriers identified were as follows: "Inadequate resources for implementing research findings" (85.2%; n = 52) and "Inadequate training in research methods" (83.6%; n = 51). The top facilitators identified were as follows: "Training in research methods" (88.5%; n = 54) and "Organisational policies and protocols that are evidence-based" (86.9%; n = 53). Nurses generally expressed that they required additional training in research and evidence-based practice concepts. Although some nurses had a desire to implement evidence-based practice to provide quality care and improve patient outcomes, many expressed that they lacked the required resources. The study draws attention to the need for prioritisation of evidence-based practice both at institutional and governmental levels. Successful adoption of evidence-based practice implies combined efforts of nurses, healthcare providers and policymakers. Further research is needed to determine the best method for successfully incorporating evidence-based practice into nursing
Giant magnetoresistance of hysteresis-free Cu/Co-based multilayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huetten, A.; Hempel, T.; Schepper, W.; Kleineberg, U.; Reiss, G.

2001-01-01

It has been demonstrated that hysteresis-free multilayers based on {Cu/Co} and {Cu/Ni 57 Co 43 } can be experimentally realized obtaining room temperature GMR effect amplitudes from 6.5% up to 20%. A critical window for the layer thickness for hysteresis-free GMR curves can be achieved for both systems, ranging from 0.38 to 0.45 nm and 0.59 to 0.7 nm, respectively. The corresponding sensitivities range from 0.075 up to 0.114%/Oe, but are still below that of normal {Cu/Co} multilayers. Hysteresis-free multilayers based on these systems are stable up to 180 deg. C upon isochronal annealing. It is shown that hysteresis-free {Cu/Co or Ni 57 Co 43 }-multilayers are neither a solution to achieve good temperature stability nor a higher sensitivity compared with normal ones and hence are not candidates for application
Reaction mechanism of CO oxidation on Cu2O(111): A density functional study

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Bao-Zhen; Chen, Wen-Kai; Xu, Yi-Jun

2010-10-01

The possible reaction mechanisms for CO oxidation on the perfect Cu2O(111) surface have been investigated by performing periodic density functional theoretical calculations. We find that Cu2O(111) is able to facilitate the CO oxidation with different mechanisms. Four possible mechanisms are explored (denoted as MER1, MER2, MLH1, and MLH2, respectively): MER1 is CO(gas)+O2(ads)-->CO2(gas) MER2 is CO(gas)+O2(ads)-->CO3(ads)-->O(ads)+CO2(gas) MLH1 refers to CO(ads)+O2(ads)-->O(ads)+CO2(ads) and MLH2 refers to CO(ads)+O2(ads)-->OOCO(ads)-->O(ads)+CO2(ads). Our transition state calculations clearly reveal that MER1 and MLH2 are both viable; but MER1 mechanism preferentially operates, in which only a moderate energy barrier (60.22 kJ/mol) needs to be overcome. When CO oxidation takes place along MER2 path, it is facile for CO3 formation, but is difficult for its decomposition, thereby CO3 species can stably exist on Cu2O(111). Of course, the reaction of CO with lattice O of Cu2O(111) is also considered. However, the calculated barrier is 600.00 kJ/mol, which is too large to make the path feasible. So, we believe that on Cu2O(111), CO reacts with adsorbed O, rather than lattice O, to form CO2. This is different from the usual Mars-van Krevene mechanism. The present results enrich our understanding of the catalytic oxidation of CO by copper-based and metal-oxide catalysts.
Relationships between duration of practice, educational level, and perception of barriers to implement evidence-based practice among critical care nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Carswella

2015-12-01

Globally, a greater emphasis has been placed on the delivery of safe, patient-centered, evidence-based nursing care. As point-of-care providers, critical care nurses play a key role in ensuring that patients receive the safest, most effective treatment available. In order to deliver scientific-based care, critical care nurses must stay abreast of the current trends, as well as engage in the evidence-based practice process. This study aimed to describe research activities, to identify barriers to implement evidence-based practice and to explore professional factors related to the use of evidence-based practice among critical care nurses at three teaching hospitals in south-eastern United States. A survey design and convenience sampling method was used. A sample of 30 critical care staff nurses participated in the study. A 61-item online questionnaire composed of a demographic survey - BARRIERS scale - and Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire was used. Simple descriptive statistics, Pearson's product moment correlations, and independent-sample t test procedures were used to analyze the data. Critical care nurses' reported positive attitudes, but viewed knowledge and use of evidence-based practice less favorably. These results may indicate that having a positive attitude towards evidence-based practice does not necessarily translate to knowledge and use of the evidence-based practice process in clinical practice. An unwillingness to change and time constraints were identified as the top barriers to use evidence-based practice in this study. Perceptions of barriers to use evidence-based practice were higher in those critical care nurses who had less practical experience and educational preparation. The results suggest that critical care nurses possess the foundation to engage in the evidence-based practice process; however, their knowledge, practice, and attitudes just need to be cultivated and strengthened. Understanding the nurses' professional factors, current use
Surface and interface analysis of PVD Al-O-N and {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} diffusion barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cremer, R.; Witthaut, M.; Reichert, K.; Neuschuetz, D. [Technische Hochschule Aachen (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Metallurgie der Kernbrennstoffe und Theoretische Huettenkunde

1999-10-01

The suitability of PVD films of {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and of ternary Al-O-N as diffusion barriers between a nickel based superalloy CMSX-4 and NiCoCrAlY for a possible application in gas turbines was investigated. Therefore, an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film and, alternatively, an Al-O-N film were deposited on CMSX-4 at 100 C substrate temperature by means of reactive magnetron sputtering ion plating (MSIP). After characterization of composition and structure of the films by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD), a NiCoCrAlY coating was deposited onto the diffusion barriers and, for comparison, directly onto CMSX-4 by MSIP as well. The composites were annealed for 4 h at 1100 C under inert atmosphere. Wavelength dispersive X-ray (WDX) element mappings and line-scans of the cross-sectional cut served to evaluate the suitability of the films as diffusion barriers. After detachment of the coatings from the substrate, the phase stabilities of the two metastable phases {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and Al-O-N were determined by means of grazing incidence XRD. Without a diffusion barrier, enhanced interdiffusion was observed. Analyses of the composite with the {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} interlayer revealed diffusion of Ti and Ta from the substrate into the NiCoCrAlY coating. No interdiffusion of Ni, Ti, Ta, and Cr could be detected in case of the ternary Al-O-N film. Whereas the ternary Al-O-N film remained in the as-deposited X-ray amorphous structure after annealing, a phase change from the {gamma} to the {alpha} modification could be observed in case of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film, presumably responsible for its lower efficiency as a diffusion barrier. (orig.)
Electroless oxidation of diamond surfaces in ceric and ferricyanide solutions: An easy way to produce 'C-O' functional groups

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simon, N., E-mail: nathalie.simon@uvsq.f [Institut Lavoisier de Versailles, UMR 8180, Universite de Versailles-St-Quentin en Yvelines, 45 avenue des Etats Unis, 78000 Versailles (France); Charrier, G.; Etcheberry, A. [Institut Lavoisier de Versailles, UMR 8180, Universite de Versailles-St-Quentin en Yvelines, 45 avenue des Etats Unis, 78000 Versailles (France)

2010-08-01

Despite many works are devoted to oxidation of diamond surfaces, it is still a challenge, to successfully produce well defined 'C-O' functions, particularly for functionalization purposes. In this paper we describe and compare, for the first time, the 'electroless' oxidation of as-deposited polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) films in ceric and ferricyanide solutions at room temperature. Both reactions efficiently generate oxygen functionalities on BDD surface. While a higher amount of 'C-O' moieties is produced with Ce{sup 4+} as oxidizing agent, the use of ferricyanide specie seems the most interesting to specifically generate hydroxyl groups. Additionally, this easy to perform oxidative method appears not damaging for diamond surfaces and adapted to conductive or non-conductive materials. The resulting surfaces were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle and capacitance-voltage analysis.
Pattern-based information portal for business plan co-creation

Science.gov (United States)

Bontchev, Boyan; Ruskov, Petko; Tanev, Stoyan

2011-03-01

Creation of business plans helps entrepreneurs in managing identification of business opportunities and committing necessary resources for process evolution. Applying patterns in business plan creation facilitates the identification of effective solutions that were adopted in the past and may provide a basis for adopting similar solutions in the future within given business context. The article presents the system design of an information portal for business plan co-creation based on patterns. The portal is going to provide start-up and entrepreneurs with ready-to-modify business plan patterns in order to help them in development of effective and efficient business plans. It will facilitate entrepreneurs in co-experimenting and co-learning more frequently and faster. Moreover, the paper focuses on the software architecture of the pattern based portal and explains the functionality of its modules, namely the pattern designer, pattern repository services and agent-based pattern implementers. It explains their role for business process co-creation, storing and managing patterns described formally, and selecting patterns best suited for specific business case. Thus, innovative entrepreneurs will be guided by the portal in co-writing winning business plans and staying competitive in the present day dynamic globalized environment.
Needs and gaps in the development of aluminum-based corrosion and T-permeation barriers for DEMO blankets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wulf, Sven-Erik, E-mail: sven-erik.wulf@kit.edu; Krauss, Wolfgang; Konys, Jürgen

2015-10-15

Highlights: • New processes for barriers based on electroplating introduced in the last years. • New processes ECA and ECX able to overcome former fabrication problems. • Scales by ECA showed long-term compatibility in flowing Pb–Li (>12,000 h). • Further fusion relevant characterization and optimization of scales is required. • Qualification of T-permeation properties is urgently needed. - Abstract: Low-activation-ferritic–martensitic (RAFM) steels are candidates for structural materials in different blanket designs foreseen for DEMO and partly for TBM's tested in ITER. In all designs the liquid breeder Pb–15.7Li is in direct contact with the structural material, and thus two major topics – corrosion and T-permeation – influence the reliable, safe and economical application of such combination of breeder and structural material. As bare RAFM steels exhibit high corrosion rates of up to 400 μm/h in flowing Pb–15.7Li, Al-based coatings made by different coating processes were developed during the last 15 years and showed promising results in protecting RAFM steels from corrosion and T-permeation reduction. Especially barriers made by HDA, and electroplating (ECA, ECX), proved their ability to protect Eurofer against corrosion in flowing Pb–15.7Li. However, available T-permeation data for coated RAFM steels are rare and partly ambiguous for these coatings. This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art of aluminum-based barrier development and points out gaps and needs in future scale characterization and T-permeation barrier development. Additionally, necessary qualification steps on the path toward a reliable fabrication route are presented that is required to produce aluminum-based corrosion and T-permeation barriers on RAFM steels for blanket applications in future fusion reactors like DEMO.
High-cycle fatigue behavior of Co-based superalloy 9CrCo at elevated temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan Aoshuang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A modified model is developed to characterize and evaluate high-cycle fatigue behavior of Co-based superalloy 9CrCo at elevated temperatures by considering the stress ratio effect. The model is informed by the relationship surface between maximum nominal stress, stress ratio and fatigue life. New formulae are derived to deal with the test data for estimating the parameters of the proposed model. Fatigue tests are performed on Co-based superalloy 9CrCo subjected to constant amplitude loading at four stress ratios of −1, −0.3, 0.5 and 0.9 in three environments of room temperature (i.e., about 25 °C and elevated temperatures of 530 °C and 620 °C, and the interaction mechanisms between the elevated temperature and stress ratio are deduced and compared with each other from fractographic studies. Finally, the model is applied to experimental data, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed model. It is shown that new model has good correlation with experimental results.
Barriers impeding serologic screening for celiac disease in clinically high-prevalence populations

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Celiac disease is present in ~1% of the general population in the United States and Europe. Despite the availability of inexpensive serologic screening tests, ~85% of individuals with celiac disease remain undiagnosed and there is an average delay in diagnosis of symptomatic individuals with celiac disease that ranges from ~5.8-11 years. This delay is often attributed to the use of a case-based approach for detection rather than general population screening for celiac disease, and deficiencies at the level of health care professionals. This study aimed to assess if patient-centered barriers have a role in impeding serologic screening for celiac disease in individuals from populations that are clinically at an increased risk for celiac disease. Methods 119 adults meeting study inclusion criteria for being at a higher risk for celiac disease were recruited from the general population. Participants completed a survey/questionnaire at the William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease that addressed demographic information, celiac disease related symptoms (gastrointestinal and extraintestinal), family history, co-morbid diseases and conditions associated with celiac disease, and patient-centered barriers to screening for celiac disease. All participants underwent serologic screening for celiac disease using the IgA tissue transglutaminase antibody (IgA tTG) and, if positive, testing for IgA anti-endomysial antibody (IgA EMA) as a confirmatory test. Results Two barriers to serologic testing were significant across the participant pool. These were participants not knowing they were at risk for celiac disease before learning of the study, and participants not knowing where to get tested for celiac disease. Among participants with incomes less than $25,000/year and those less than the median age, not having a doctor to order the test was a significant barrier, and this strongly correlated with not having health insurance. Symptoms and co
Barriers and Strategies to Engaging Our Community-Based Preceptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Graziano, Scott C; McKenzie, Margaret L; Abbott, Jodi F; Buery-Joyner, Samantha D; Craig, LaTasha B; Dalrymple, John L; Forstein, David A; Hampton, Brittany S; Page-Ramsey, Sarah M; Pradhan, Archana; Wolf, Abigail; Hopkins, Laura

2018-03-26

This article, from the "To the Point" series that is prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, is a review of commonly cited barriers to recruiting and retaining community-based preceptors in undergraduate medical education and potential strategies to overcome them. Community-based preceptors have traditionally served as volunteer, nonsalaried faculty, with academic institutions relying on intrinsic teaching rewards to sustain this model. However, increasing numbers of learners, the burdens of incorporating the electronic medical record in practice, and increasing demands for clinical productivity are making recruitment and retention of community-based preceptors more challenging. General challenges to engaging preceptors, as well as those unique to women's health, are discussed. Potential solutions are reviewed, including alternative recruitment strategies, faculty development to emphasize efficient teaching practices in the ambulatory setting, offers of online educational resources, and opportunities to incorporate students in value-added roles. Through examples cited in this review, clerkship directors and medical school administrators should have a solid foundation to actively engage their community-based preceptors.
Novel field-effect schottky barrier transistors based on graphene-MoS 2 heterojunctions

KAUST Repository

Tian, He; Tan, Zhen; Wu, Can; Wang, Xiaomu; Mohammad, Mohammad Ali; Xie, Dan; Yang, Yi; Wang, Jing; Li, Lain-Jong; Xu, Jun; Ren, Tian-Ling

2014-01-01

0.5-20 cm2/V.s). Here, we report a novel field-effect Schottky barrier transistors (FESBT) based on graphene-MoS2 heterojunction (GMH), where the characteristics of high mobility from graphene and high on-off ratio from MoS2 are properly balanced

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