Plastic flexible films waste management - A state of art review.

Science.gov (United States)

Horodytska, O; Valdés, F J; Fullana, A

2018-04-21

Plastic flexible films are increasingly used in many applications due to their lightness and versatility. In 2014, the amount of plastic films represented 34% of total plastic packaging produced in UK. The flexible film waste generation rises according to the increase in number of applications. Currently, in developed countries, about 50% of plastics in domestic waste are films. Moreover, about 615,000 tonnes of agricultural flexible waste are generated in the EU every year. A review of plastic films recycling has been conducted in order to detect the shortcomings and establish guidelines for future research. This paper reviews plastic films waste management technologies from two different sources: post-industrial and post-consumer. Clean and homogeneous post-industrial waste is recycled through closed-loop or open-loop mechanical processes. The main differences between these methods are the quality and the application of the recycled materials. Further research should be focused on closing the loops to obtain the highest environmental benefits of recycling. This could be accomplished through minimizing the material degradation during mechanical processes. Regarding post-consumer waste, flexible films from agricultural and packaging sectors have been assessed. The agricultural films and commercial and industrial flexible packaging are recycled through open-loop mechanical recycling due to existing selective waste collection routes. Nevertheless, the contamination from the use phase adversely affects the quality of recycled plastics. Therefore, upgrading of current washing lines is required. On the other hand, household flexible packaging shows the lowest recycling rates mainly because of inefficient sorting technologies. Delamination and compatibilization methods should be further developed to ensure the recycling of multilayer films. Finally, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies on waste management have been reviewed. A lack of thorough LCA on plastic films waste

Influence of thickness on properties of plasticized oat starch films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melicia Cintia Galdeano

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of thickness (between 80 and 120 µm on apparent opacity, water vapor permeability and mechanical properties (tensile and puncture of oat starch films plasticized with glycerol, sorbitol, glycerol:sorbitol mixture, urea and sucrose. Films were stored under 11, 57, 76 and 90% relative humidity (RH to study the mechanical properties. It was observed that the higher the thickness, the higher was the opacity values. Films without the plasticizer were more opaque in comparison with the plasticized ones. Glycerol:sorbitol films presented increased elongation with increasing thickness at all RH. Puncture force showed a strong dependence on the film thickness, except for the films plasticized with sucrose. In general, thickness did not affect the water permeability.

Electrically insulating films deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti by reactive CVD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J.H.

1998-04-01

In the design of liquid-metal blankets for magnetic fusion reactors, corrosion resistance of structural materials and the magnetohydrodynamic forces and their influence on thermal hydraulics and corrosion are major concerns. Electrically insulating CaO films deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti exhibit high-ohmic insulator behavior even though a small amount of vanadium from the alloy become incorporated into the film. However, when vanadium concentration in the film is > 15 wt.%, the film becomes conductive. When the vanadium concentration is high in localized areas, a calcium vanadate phase that exhibits semiconductor behavior can form. The objective of this study is to evaluate electrically insulating films that were deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti by a reactive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. To this end, CaO and Ca-V-O coatings were produced on vanadium alloys by CVD and by a metallic-vapor process to investigate the electrical resistance of the coatings. The authors found that the Ca-V-O films exhibited insulator behavior when the ratio of calcium concentration to vanadium concentration R in the film > 0.9, and semiconductor or conductor behavior when R 0.98 were exposed in liquid lithium. Based on these studies, they conclude that semiconductor behavior occurs if a conductive calcium vanadate phase is present in localized regions in the CaO coating

Specular Andreev reflection in thin films of topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, Leyla; Asgari, Reza

2016-05-01

We theoretically reveal the possibility of specular Andreev reflection in a thin film topological insulator normal-superconductor (N/S) junction in the presence of a gate electric field. The probability of specular Andreev reflection increases with the electric field, and electron-hole conversion with unit efficiency happens in a wide experimentally accessible range of the electric field. We show that perfect specular Andreev reflection can occur for all angles of incidence with a particular excitation energy value. In addition, we find that the thermal conductance of the structure displays exponential dependence on the temperature. Our results reveal the potential of the proposed topological insulator thin-film-based N/S structure for the realization of intraband specular Andreev reflection.

Feasibility study of the separation of chlorinated films from plastic packaging wastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Mallampati Srinivasa; Yamaguchi, Takefumi; Okuda, Tetsuji; Tsai, Tsung-Yueh; Nakai, Satoshi; Nishijima, Wataru; Okada, Mitsumasa

2010-04-01

This study describes the possible separation of chlorinated plastic films (PVC and PVDC) from other heavy plastic packaging waste (PPW) by selective twist formation and gravity separation. Twists formation was mechanically induced in chlorinated plastic films, whereas twist formation did not occur in PS and PET films. After twist formation, all the films had the apparent density of less than 1.0g/cm(3) and floated in water even though the true density was more than 1.0g/cm(3). However, the apparent density of the PS and the PET films increased with agitation to more than 1.0g/cm(3), whereas that of chlorinated plastic films was kept less than 1.0g/cm(3). The main reason would be the air being held inside the chlorinated plastic films which was difficult to be removed by agitation. Simple gravity separation after twist formation was applied for artificial film with 10wt.% of the chlorinated films and real PPW films with 9wt.% of the chlorinated films. About 76wt.% of the artificial PPW films and 75wt.% of real PPW films after the removal of PP and PE were recovered as settling fraction with 4.7wt.% and 3.0wt.% of chlorinated plastic films, respectively. These results indicate that simple gravity separation process after twist formation can be used to reduce the chlorinated plastic concentration from mixed heavy PPW films. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feasibility study of the separation of chlorinated films from plastic packaging wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reddy, Mallampati Srinivasa; Yamaguchi, Takefumi; Okuda, Tetsuji; Tsai, Tsung-Yueh; Nakai, Satoshi; Nishijima, Wataru; Okada, Mitsumasa

2010-01-01

This study describes the possible separation of chlorinated plastic films (PVC and PVDC) from other heavy plastic packaging waste (PPW) by selective twist formation and gravity separation. Twists formation was mechanically induced in chlorinated plastic films, whereas twist formation did not occur in PS and PET films. After twist formation, all the films had the apparent density of less than 1.0 g/cm 3 and floated in water even though the true density was more than 1.0 g/cm 3 . However, the apparent density of the PS and the PET films increased with agitation to more than 1.0 g/cm 3 , whereas that of chlorinated plastic films was kept less than 1.0 g/cm 3 . The main reason would be the air being held inside the chlorinated plastic films which was difficult to be removed by agitation. Simple gravity separation after twist formation was applied for artificial film with 10 wt.% of the chlorinated films and real PPW films with 9 wt.% of the chlorinated films. About 76 wt.% of the artificial PPW films and 75 wt.% of real PPW films after the removal of PP and PE were recovered as settling fraction with 4.7 wt.% and 3.0 wt.% of chlorinated plastic films, respectively. These results indicate that simple gravity separation process after twist formation can be used to reduce the chlorinated plastic concentration from mixed heavy PPW films.

Physicochemical properties of sugar palm starch film: Effect of concentration and plasticizer type

Science.gov (United States)

Prasetyo, D. J.; Apriyana, W.; Jatmiko, T. H.; Hernawan; Hayati, S. N.; Rosyida, V. T.; Pranoto, Y.; Poeloengasih, C. D.

2017-07-01

In order to find the best formula for capsule shell production, this present work dealt with exploring physicochemical properties of sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) starch film as a function of different kinds and various concentrations of plasticizers. The films were prepared by casting method at different formula: starch 9-11%, glycerol or sorbitol 35-45% and polyethylene-glycol 400 (PEG 400) 5-9%. Appearance, thickness, retraction ratio, moisture content, swelling behavior and solubility of the film in water were analyzed. Both glycerol and sorbitol are compatible with starch matrix. On the contrary, PEG 400 did not form a film with suitable characteristics. The result reveals that glycerol- and sorbitol-plasticized films appeared translucent, homogenous, smooth and slightly brown in all formulas. Different type and concentration of plasticizers altered the physicochemical of film in different ways. The sorbitol-plasticized film had lower moisture content (≤ 10%) than that of glycerol-plasticized film (≥ 18%). In contrast, film plasticized with sorbitol showed higher solubility in water (28-35%) than glycerol-plasticized film (22-28%). As the concentration of both plasticizers increased, there was an increasing tendency on thickness and solubility in water. Conversely, retraction ratio and swelling degree decreased when both plasticizers concentration increased. In conclusion, the sorbitol-plasticized film showed a potency to be developed as hard capsule material.

Dispersion of borax in plastic is excellent fire-retardant heat insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, H.; Hughes, J.; Schmitz, F.

1967-01-01

A mix of borax powder and a chlorinated anhydrous polyester resin yields a plastic composition that is fire-retardant, yields a minimum of toxic gases when heated, and exhibits high thermal insulating properties. This composition can be used as a coating or can be converted into laminated or cast shapes.

Fluxons in thin-film superconductor-insulator superlattices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sakai, S.; Bodin, P.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1993-01-01

In a system of thin alternating layers of superconductors and insulators the equations describing static and dynamic fluxon solutions are derived. The approach, represented by a useful compact matrix form, is intended to describe systems fabricated for example of niobium or niobium-nitride thin...... films; in the limit of ultrathin superconductor films it may give a model for describing fluxon motion in layered high-Tc superconductors. Numerical examples of current versus voltage curves to be expected in such an experiment are presented. Journal of Applied Physics is copyrighted by The American...

Theory of bulk-surface coupling in topological insulator films

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Kush; Garate, Ion

2014-12-01

We present a quantitative microscopic theory of the disorder- and phonon-induced coupling between surface and bulk states in doped topological insulator films. We find a simple mathematical structure for the surface-to-bulk scattering matrix elements and confirm the importance of bulk-surface coupling in transport and photoemission experiments, assessing its dependence on temperature, carrier density, film thickness, and particle-hole asymmetry.

Properties of plasticized composite films prepared from nanofibrillated cellulose and birch wood xylan

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Natanya Majbritt Louie; Blomfeldt, Thomas O. J.; Hedenqvist, Mikael S.

2012-01-01

was combined with nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and films were cast with and without glycerol, sorbitol or methoxypolyethylene glycol (MPEG) as plasticizers. Microscopy revealed some NFC agglomeration in the composite films as well as a layered nanocellulose structure. Equilibrium moisture content...... in plasticized films increased with glycerol content but was independent of xylan:NFC ratio in unplasticized films. Sorbitol- and MPEG-plasticized films showed equilibrium moisture contents of approximately 10 wt% independent of plasticizer content. Tensile testing revealed increases in tensile strength...... with increased NFC content in the xylan:NFC composition range from 50:50 to 80:20 and plasticizer addition generally provided less brittle films. The oxygen permeability of unplasticized xylan-NFC films fell into a range which was similar to that for previously measured pure NFC films and was statistically...

Morphology and thermal properties of PLA films plasticized with aliphatic oligoesters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inacio, Erika M.; Dias, Marcos L.; Lima, Maria Celiana P.

2015-01-01

The addition of plasticizers to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the known ways of changing its ductility, making possible the modification of its mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, it was synthesized two biodegradable aliphatic oligoesters: oligo(trimethylene sebacate) (OST) and oligo(trimethylene malonate) (OMT), and these oligomers were used as plasticizer in cast films of commercial film grade PLA at concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 wt% of each plasticizer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate the morphology and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was also used aiming the evaluation of the thermal properties of these films. The PLA films containing no plasticizer showed an amorphous behavior, and the addition of PMT on the PLA films acted, simultaneously, decreasing the Tg, and rising the material's crystallinity. In contrast, the increased addition of OST to the PLA films did not change the Tg, and equally, did not have a significant changes in the material's crystallinity. Therefore, it was possible to observe the effect of the concentration of oligomers on the crystallinity of the films as well as the no plasticizer effect of the OST. (author)

Magnetic-field induced semimetal in topological crystalline insulator thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezawa, Motohiko

2015-01-01

We investigate electromagnetic properties of a topological crystalline insulator (TCI) thin film under external electromagnetic fields. The TCI thin film is a topological insulator indexed by the mirror-Chern number. It is demonstrated that the gap closes together with the emergence of a pair of gapless cones carrying opposite chirarities by applying in-plane magnetic field. A pair of gapless points have opposite vortex numbers. This is a reminiscence of a pair of Weyl cones in 3D Weyl semimetal. We thus present an a magnetic-field induced semimetal–semiconductor transition in 2D material. This is a giant-magnetoresistance, where resistivity is controlled by magnetic field. Perpendicular electric field is found to shift the gapless points and also renormalize the Fermi velocity in the direction of the in-plane magnetic field. - Highlights: • The band structure of topological crystalline insulator thin films can be controlled by applying in-plane magnetic field. • At the gap closing magnetic field, a pair of gapless cones carrying opposite chirarities emerge. • A pair of gapless points have opposite vortex numbers. • This is a reminiscence of a pair of Weyl cones in 3D Weyl semimetal. • A magnetic-field induced semimetal–semiconductor transition occurs in 2D material

Magnetic-field induced semimetal in topological crystalline insulator thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ezawa, Motohiko, E-mail: ezawa@ap.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2015-06-19

We investigate electromagnetic properties of a topological crystalline insulator (TCI) thin film under external electromagnetic fields. The TCI thin film is a topological insulator indexed by the mirror-Chern number. It is demonstrated that the gap closes together with the emergence of a pair of gapless cones carrying opposite chirarities by applying in-plane magnetic field. A pair of gapless points have opposite vortex numbers. This is a reminiscence of a pair of Weyl cones in 3D Weyl semimetal. We thus present an a magnetic-field induced semimetal–semiconductor transition in 2D material. This is a giant-magnetoresistance, where resistivity is controlled by magnetic field. Perpendicular electric field is found to shift the gapless points and also renormalize the Fermi velocity in the direction of the in-plane magnetic field. - Highlights: • The band structure of topological crystalline insulator thin films can be controlled by applying in-plane magnetic field. • At the gap closing magnetic field, a pair of gapless cones carrying opposite chirarities emerge. • A pair of gapless points have opposite vortex numbers. • This is a reminiscence of a pair of Weyl cones in 3D Weyl semimetal. • A magnetic-field induced semimetal–semiconductor transition occurs in 2D material.

‘White revolution’ to ‘white pollution’—agricultural plastic film mulch in China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, E. K.; He, W. Q.; Yan, C. R.

2014-09-01

Plastic film mulching has played an important role in Chinese agriculture due to its soil warming and moisture conservation effects. With the help of plastic film mulch technology, grain and cash crop yields have increased by 20-35% and 20-60%, respectively. The area of plastic film coverage in China reached approximately 20 million hectares, and the amount of plastic film used reached 1.25 million tons in 2011. While producing huge benefits, plastic film mulch technology has also brought on a series of pollution hazards. Large amounts of residual plastic film have detrimental effects on soil structure, water and nutrient transport and crop growth, thereby disrupting the agricultural environment and reducing crop production. To control pollution, the Chinese government urgently needs to elevate plastic film standards. Meanwhile, research and development of biodegradable mulch film and multi-functional mulch recovery machinery will help promote effective control and management of residual mulch pollution.

Effect of Plasticizers on Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of Chitosan-Gelatin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Manshor, N. Mohammed; Rezali, M. I.; Jai, J.; Yahya, A.

2018-05-01

Composite chitosan-gelatin films were produced to investigate the effect of plasticizer and composition of chitosan and gelatin on physicochemical and mechanical properties of the films. The films were prepared according to ratio of chitosan: gelatin of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1. For each film, glycerol, sorbitol and sucrose were added as plasticizer. The film forming solution was poured on a glass plate and dried for 12 hours in an oven at 60°C. The highest tensile strength was 4.04 MPa for films of ratio 2:1 plasticized with glycerol compared to sorbitol and sucrose which were 3.94 MPa and 3.84 MPa, respectively. However, films plasticized with sorbitol at ratio of 1:2 had the highest percent elongation which was 68.20%, followed by glycerol and sucrose which were 26.51% and 24.08%, respectively.

Unusual metal-insulator transition in disordered ferromagnetic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muttalib, K.A.; Wölfle, P.; Misra, R.; Hebard, A.F.

2012-01-01

We present a theoretical interpretation of recent data on the conductance near and farther away from the metal-insulator transition in thin ferromagnetic Gd films of thickness b≈2-10 nm. For increasing sheet resistances a dimensional crossover takes place from d=2 to d=3 dimensions, since the large phase relaxation rate caused by scattering of quasiparticles off spin wave excitations renders the dephasing length L φ ≲b at strong disorder. The conductivity data in the various regimes obey fractional power-law or logarithmic temperature dependence. One observes weak localization and interaction induced corrections at weaker disorder. At strong disorder, near the metal-insulator transition, the data show scaling and collapse onto two scaling curves for the metallic and insulating regimes. We interpret this unusual behavior as proof of two distinctly different correlation length exponents on both sides of the transition.

Radiation processing in the plastics industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, C.B.

1988-01-01

The interaction of ionizing radiation with organic substrates to produce useful physical and chemical changes is the basis of the radiation processing industry for plastics. Electron beam (EB) accelerators dominate the industry; however, there are a few small applications that use gamma radiation. The five general product categories that account for over 95% of the worldwide EB capacity used for plastics production are the following: wire and cable insulation; heat-shrinkable film, tubes and pipes; radiation-curable coatings; rubber products; and polyolefin foam. A total of 6.1% of the yearly production of these products in the United States is EB treated. The United States accounts for 59% of the total worldwide EB capacity of 20.5 MW (1984), followed by Europe (16%) and Japan (15%). There are 469 to 479 individual EB units worldwide used for the production of plastics and rubber. The average annual rate of growth (AARG) for the EB processing of plastics in Japan, from 1977 to 1987, was 13.3%. The AARG for Japan has decreased from 20% for 1977 to 198, to 6.4% for 1984 to 1987. Radiation cross-linking, of power cable insulation (cable rating ≥75 kV), thick polyolefin and rubber sheet (≥15 mm), and thick-walled tubing is one fo the potential applications for a 5- to 10-MeV EB system. Other products such as coatings, films and wire insulation may be economically EB-treated using a 5 to 10 MeV accelerator, if several layers of the product could be irradiated simultaneously. Two general product categories that require more study to determine the potential of high-energy EB processing are moulded plastics and composite materials. 32 refs

Experience from using plastic film in radon measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joensson, G.

1999-01-01

Plastic film is a useful detector of radon gas. The method of detection of the gas is used for several decades to measure radon concentrations both indoors and in soil. Experiences from radon measurements in Sweden indoors, in soil and in water using the plastic film Kodak LR 115-II are discussed in this report. Some examples are given from various projects. One example is taken from a large scale mapping of indoor radon levels in houses, where the building material is the main source of radon. In another example the measurements from a large scale soil radon mapping are discussed. The use of the plastic film for measurements of radon levels in water is also discussed. All the investigations are made in order to give the authorities concerned information of the radon situation and to study the connection between high indoor radon levels and various types of cancers

Giant magneto-optical Kerr effect and universal Faraday effect in thin-film topological insulators.

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Wang-Kong; MacDonald, A H

2010-07-30

Topological insulators can exhibit strong magneto-electric effects when their time-reversal symmetry is broken. In this Letter we consider the magneto-optical Kerr and Faraday effects of a topological insulator thin film weakly exchange coupled to a ferromagnet. We find that its Faraday rotation has a universal value at low frequencies θF=tan(-1)α, where α is the vacuum fine structure constant, and that it has a giant Kerr rotation θK=π/2. These properties follow from a delicate interplay between thin-film cavity confinement and the surface Hall conductivity of a topological insulator's helical quasiparticles.

Preparation of A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saion, E.B.; Shaari, A.H.; Watt, D.E.

1992-01-01

A-150 tissue-equivalent (TE) plastic is widely used as a wall material for tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCS) used in experimental microdosimetry. The objective of this note is to give a technical account of how A-150 TE plastic film can be fabricated in the laboratory from commercially available A-150 TE plastic. (author)

Measurement of full-field deformation induced by a dc electrical field in organic insulator films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boudou L.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Digital image correlation method (DIC using the correlation coefficient curve-fitting for full-field surface deformation measurements of organic insulator films is investigated in this work. First the validation of the technique was undertaken. The computer-generated speckle images and the measurement of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE of aluminium are used to evaluate the measurement accuracy of the technique. In a second part the technique is applied to measure the mechanical deformation induced by electrical field application to organic insulators. For that Poly(ethylene naphthalene 2,6-dicarboxylate (PEN thin films were subjected to DC voltage stress and DIC provides the full-field induced deformations of the test films. The obtained results show that the DIC is a practical and robust tool for better comprehension of mechanical behaviour of the organic insulator films under electrical stress.

Material properties of plasticized hardwood xylans for potential application as oxygen barrier films.

Science.gov (United States)

Gröndahl, Maria; Eriksson, Lisa; Gatenholm, Paul

2004-01-01

Free films based on glucuronoxylan isolated from aspen wood were prepared by casting from aqueous solutions and drying in a controlled environment. Addition of xylitol or sorbitol facilitated film formation and thus examination of the material properties of these films. The mechanical properties of the films were evaluated using tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis in a controlled ambient relative humidity. The strain at break increased, and the stress at break and Young's modulus of the films decreased with increasing amounts of xylitol and sorbitol due to plasticization. At high amount of plasticizer, it was found that films with xylitol gave lower extensibility. Wide-angle X-ray scattering analysis showed that xylitol crystallized in a distinct phase, which we believe contributes to the more brittle behavior of these films. The effect of the plasticizers on the glass transition temperature was determined using dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. An increased amount of plasticizer shifted the glass transition to lower temperatures. The effect of moisture on the properties of plasticized films was investigated using water vapor sorption isotherms and by humidity scans in dynamic mechanical analysis. Sorption isotherms showed a transition from type II to type III when adding plasticizer. The films showed low oxygen permeability and thus have a potential application in food packaging.

Enhanced superconductivity and superconductor to insulator transition in nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Shilpam; Amaladass, E.P. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Sharma, Neha [Surface & Nanoscience Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Harimohan, V. [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Amirthapandian, S. [Materials Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Mani, Awadhesh, E-mail: mani@igcar.gov.in [Condensed Matter Physics Division, Materials Science Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102 (India)

2017-06-01

Disorder driven superconductor to insulator transition via intermediate metallic regime is reported in nano-crystalline thin films of molybdenum. The nano-structured thin films have been deposited at room temperature using DC magnetron sputtering at different argon pressures. The grain size has been tuned using deposition pressure as the sole control parameter. A variation of particle sizes, room temperature resistivity and superconducting transition has been studied as a function of deposition pressure. The nano-crystalline molybdenum thin films are found to have large carrier concentration but very low mobility and electronic mean free path. Hall and conductivity measurements have been used to understand the effect of disorder on the carrier density and mobilities. Ioffe-Regel parameter is shown to correlate with the continuous metal-insulator transition in our samples. - Highlights: • Thin films of molybdenum using DC sputtering have been deposited on glass. • Argon background pressure during sputtering was used to tune the crystallite sizes of films. • Correlation in deposition pressure, disorder and particle sizes has been observed. • Disorder tuned superconductor to insulator transition along with an intermediate metallic phase has been observed. • Enhancement of superconducting transition temperature and a dome shaped T{sub C} vs. deposition pressure phase diagram has been observed.

Magnetic field induced superconductor-insulator transitions for ultra-thin Bi films on the different underlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makise, K; Kawaguti, T; Shinozaki, B

2009-01-01

This work shows the experimental results of the superconductor-insulator (S-I) transition for ultra-thin Bi films in magnetic fields. The quench-condensed (q-c) Bi film onto insulating underlayers have been interpreted to be homogeneous. In contrast, the Bi film without underlayers has been regarded as a granular film. The electrical transport properties of ultra-thin metal films near the S-I transition depend on the structure of the film. In order to confirm the effect of the underlayer to the homogeneity of the superconducting films, we investigate the characteristics of S-I transitions of q-c nominally homogeneous Bi films on underlayers of two insulating materials, SiO, and Sb. Under almost the same deposition condition except for the material of underlayer, we prepared the Bi films by repeating the additional deposition and performed in-situ electrical measurement. It is found that the transport properties near the S-I transitions show the remarkable difference between two films on different underlayers. As for Bi films on SiO, it turned out that the temperature dependence of resistance per square R sq (T) of the field-tuned transition and the thickness-tuned transition shows similar behavior; it was a thermally activated form. On the other hand, the R sq (T) of Bi films on Sb for thickness-tuned S-I transition showed logarithmic temperature dependence, but that for field-tuned S-I transition showed a thermally activated form.

Plasticizer effect on the properties of biodegradable blend film from rice starch-chitosan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thawien Bourtoom

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The properties of biodegradable blend film from rice starch-chitosan with different plasticizers were determined. Three plasticizers comprising sorbitol (SOR, glycerol (GLY and polyethylene glycol (PEG were studied over a range of concentration from 20 to 60%. Increasing concentration of these plasticizers resulted in decreased tensile strength (TS concomitant with an increase in elongation at break (E, water vapor permeability (WVP and film solubility (FS. SOR plasticized films were the most brittle, with the highest tensile strength (TS, 26.06 MPa. However, its effect on WVP was low (5.45 g.mm/m2.day.kPa. In contrast, GLY and PEG plasticized films had a flexible structure contradictory to a low TS (14.31MPa and 16.14MPa, respectively providing a high WVP (14.52 g.mm/m2.day.kPa and 14.69 g.mm/m2.day.kPa, respectively. SOR plasticized films, demonstrated little higher FS compared to PEG and GLY plasticized films but not significant different (p<0.05. The color of biodegradable blend film from rice starch-chitosan was more affected by the concentration of the plasticizer used than by its type. Nine moisture sorption models were applied to experimental data. Moisture content of the film increased at elevated water activity. The time to reach equilibrium moisture content (EMC was about 20-24 days at lower humidity and 13-16 days at higher humidities. The EMC of glycerol and sorbitol rice starchchitosan biodegradable blend films showed a logarithmic increase at above 0.59 aw and reached the highest moisture content of 51.46% and 42.97 % at 0.95 aw, whereas PEG rice starch-chitosan biodegradable blend films did not show much increase in moisture content.

Design study of plastic film heat exchanger

Science.gov (United States)

Guyer, E. C.; Brownell, D. L.

1986-02-01

This report presents the results of an effort to develop and design a unique thermoplastic film heat exchanger for use in an industrial heat pump evaporator system and other energy recovery applications. The concept for the exchanger is that of individual heat exchange elements formed by two adjoining and freely hanging plastic films. Liquid flows downward in a regulated fashion between the films due to the balance of hydrostatic and frictional forces. The fluid stream on the outside of film may be a free-falling liquid film, a condensing gas, or a noncondensing gas. The flow and structural principles are similar to those embodied in an earlier heat exchange system developed for use in waste water treatment systems (Sanderson). The design allows for high heat transfer rates while working within the thermal and structural limitations of thermoplastic materials. The potential of this new heat exchanger design lies in the relatively low cost of plastic film and the high inherent corrosion and fouling resistance. This report addresses the selection of materials, the potential heat transf er performance, the mechanical design and operation of a unit applied in a low pressure steam recovery system, and the expected selling price in comparison to conventional metallic shell and tube heat exchangers.

Low-Temperature Fabrication of Robust, Transparent, and Flexible Thin-Film Transistors with a Nanolaminated Insulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jeong Hyun; Park, Junhong; Lee, Myung Keun; Park, Jeong Woo; Jeon, Yongmin; Shin, Jeong Bin; Nam, Minwoo; Kim, Choong-Ki; Choi, Yang-Kyu; Choi, Kyung Cheol

2018-05-09

The lack of reliable, transparent, and flexible electrodes and insulators for applications in thin-film transistors (TFTs) makes it difficult to commercialize transparent, flexible TFTs (TF-TFTs). More specifically, conventional high process temperatures and the brittleness of these elements have been hurdles in developing flexible substrates vulnerable to heat. Here, we propose electrode and insulator fabrication techniques considering process temperature, transmittance, flexibility, and environmental stability. A transparent and flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)/Ag/ITO (IAI) electrode and an Al 2 O 3 /MgO (AM)-laminated insulator were optimized at the low temperature of 70 °C for the fabrication of TF-TFTs on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The optimized IAI electrode with a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq exhibited the luminous transmittance of 85.17% and maintained its electrical conductivity after exposure to damp heat conditions because of an environmentally stable ITO capping layer. In addition, the electrical conductivity of IAI was maintained after 10 000 bending cycles with a tensile strain of 3% because of the ductile Ag film. In the metal/insulator/metal structure, the insulating and mechanical properties of the optimized AM-laminated film deposited at 70 °C were significantly improved because of the highly dense nanolaminate system, compared to those of the Al 2 O 3 film deposited at 70 °C. In addition, the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) was used as the active channel for TF-TFTs because of its excellent chemical stability. In the environmental stability test, the ITO, a-IGZO, and AM-laminated films showed the excellent environmental stability. Therefore, our IGZO-based TFT with IAI electrodes and the 70 °C AM-laminated insulator was fabricated to evaluate robustness, transparency, flexibility, and process temperature, resulting in transfer characteristics comparable to those of an IGZO-based TFT with a 150 °C Al 2 O 3

Application of β plastic film thickness gauge in automatic production of agricultural film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Longzhi; Guo Juhao

1996-01-01

The author briefly explains the importance of agricultural film at home, and mainly explains the measuring principles of plastic film thickness, the design of β detector, the temperature compensation technology and the design of automatic control device

Pixels Intensity Evolution to Describe the Plastic Films Deformation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan C. Briñez-De León

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This work proposes an approach for mechanical behavior description in the plastic film deformation using techniques for the images analysis, which are based on the intensities evolution of fixed pixels applied to an images sequence acquired through polarizing optical assembly implemented around the platform of the plastic film deformation. The pixels intensities evolution graphs, and mechanical behavior graphic of the deformation has dynamic behaviors zones which could be associated together.

Edge states and integer quantum Hall effect in topological insulator thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Song-Bo; Lu, Hai-Zhou; Shen, Shun-Qing

2015-08-25

The integer quantum Hall effect is a topological state of quantum matter in two dimensions, and has recently been observed in three-dimensional topological insulator thin films. Here we study the Landau levels and edge states of surface Dirac fermions in topological insulators under strong magnetic field. We examine the formation of the quantum plateaux of the Hall conductance and find two different patterns, in one pattern the filling number covers all integers while only odd integers in the other. We focus on the quantum plateau closest to zero energy and demonstrate the breakdown of the quantum spin Hall effect resulting from structure inversion asymmetry. The phase diagrams of the quantum Hall states are presented as functions of magnetic field, gate voltage and chemical potential. This work establishes an intuitive picture of the edge states to understand the integer quantum Hall effect for Dirac electrons in topological insulator thin films.

Linear magnetoresistance and surface to bulk coupling in topological insulator thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sourabh; Gopal, R K; Sarkar, Jit; Pandey, Atul; Patel, Bhavesh G; Mitra, Chiranjib

2017-12-20

We explore the temperature dependent magnetoresistance of bulk insulating topological insulator thin films. Thin films of Bi 2 Se 2 Te and BiSbTeSe 1.6 were grown using the pulsed laser deposition technique and subjected to transport measurements. Magnetotransport measurements indicate a non-saturating linear magnetoresistance (LMR) behavior at high magnetic field values. We present a careful analysis to explain the origin of LMR taking into consideration all the existing models of LMR. Here we consider that the bulk insulating states and the metallic surface states constitute two parallel conduction channels. Invoking this, we were able to explain linear magnetoresistance behavior as a competition between these parallel channels. We observe that the cross-over field, where LMR sets in, decreases with increasing temperature. We propose that this cross-over field can be used phenomenologically to estimate the strength of surface to bulk coupling.

Superconductor-Metal-Insulator transition in two dimensional Ta thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sun-Gyu; Kim, Eunseong

2013-03-01

Superconductor-insulator transition has been induced by tuning film thickness or magnetic field. Recent electrical transport measurements of MoGe, Bi, Ta thin films revealed an interesting intermediate metallic phase which intervened superconducting and insulating phases at certain range of magnetic field. Especially, Ta thin films show the characteristic IV behavior at each phase and the disorder tuned intermediate metallic phase [Y. Li, C. L. Vicente, and J. Yoon, Physical Review B 81, 020505 (2010)]. This unexpected metallic phase can be interpreted as a consequence of vortex motion or contribution of fermionic quasiparticles. In this presentation, we report the scaling behavior during the transitions in Ta thin film as well as the transport measurements in various phases. Critical exponents v and z are obtained in samples with wide ranges of disorder. These results reveal new universality class appears when disorder exceeds a critical value. Dynamical exponent z of Superconducting sample is found to be 1, which is consistent with theoretical prediction of unity. z in a metallic sample is suddenly increased to be approximately 2.5. This critical exponent is much larger than the value found in other system and theoretical prediction. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Research Foundation of Korea through the Creative Research Initiatives.

Preparation and Characterization of HPMC/PVP Blend Films Plasticized with Sorbitol

OpenAIRE

Somashekarappa, H.; Prakash, Y.; Hemalatha, K.; Demappa, T.; Somashekar, R.

2013-01-01

The aim of this present work is to investigate the effect of plasticizers like Sorbitol on microstructural and mechanical properties of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blend films. The pure blend and plasticized blend films were prepared by solution casting method and investigated using wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) method. WAXS analysis confirms that the plasticizers can enter into macromolecular blend structure and destroy the crystallinity of the f...

Gelatin films plasticized with a simulated biodiesel coproduct stream

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2009-04-01

Full Text Available In order to explore the possibility of substituting an unrefined biodiesel coproduct stream (BCS for refined glycerol as a polymer plasticizer we have prepared cast gelatin films plasticized with a simulated BCS, i.e., mixtures of glycerol and some of the typical components found in BCS (methyl linoleate, methyl oleate, linoleic acid, and oleic acid. We measured the tensile properties as a function of plasticizer composition, and analyzed the specific effect of each individual component on tensile properties. We found that it is the unrecovered alkyl esters that largely determine the tensile properties, and that BCS can be successfully used to plasticize cast gelatin films as long as the BCS contains 11 parts by weight, or less, of unrecovered alkyl esters per 100 parts glycerol.

Chromium-induced ferromagnetism with perpendicular anisotropy in topological crystalline insulator SnTe (111) thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fei; Zhang, Hongrui; Jiang, Jue; Zhao, Yi-Fan; Yu, Jia; Liu, Wei; Li, Da; Chan, Moses H. W.; Sun, Jirong; Zhang, Zhidong; Chang, Cui-Zu

2018-03-01

Topological crystalline insulator is a recently discovered topological phase of matter. It possesses multiple Dirac surface states, which are protected by the crystal symmetry. This is in contrast to the time-reversal symmetry that is operative in the well-known topological insulators. In the presence of a Zeeman field and/or strain, the multiple Dirac surface states are gapped. The high-Chern-number quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state is predicted to emerge if the chemical potential resides in all the Zeeman gaps. Here, we use molecular-beam epitaxy to grow 12 double-layer (DL) pure and Cr-doped SnTe (111) thin film on heat-treated SrTi O3 (111) substrate using a quintuple layer of insulating (Bi0.2Sb0.8 ) 2T e3 topological insulator as a buffer film. The Hall traces of Cr-doped SnTe film at low temperatures display square hysteresis loops indicating long-range ferromagnetic order with perpendicular anisotropy. The Curie temperature of the 12 DL S n0.9C r0.1Te film is ˜110 K. Due to the chemical potential crossing the bulk valence bands, the anomalous Hall resistance of 12 DL S n0.9C r0.1Te film is substantially lower than the predicted quantized value (˜1 /4 h /e2 ). It is possible that with systematic tuning the chemical potential via chemical doping and electrical gating, the high-Chern-number QAH state can be realized in the Cr-doped SnTe (111) thin film.

Effects of reductive annealing on insulating polycrystalline thin films of Nb-doped anatase TiO2: recovery of high conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakao, Shoichiro; Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2016-01-01

We studied the effects of reductive annealing on insulating polycrystalline thin films of anatase Nb-doped TiO 2 (TNO). The insulating TNO films were intentionally fabricated by annealing conductive TNO films in oxygen ambient at 400 °C. Reduced free carrier absorption in the insulating TNO films indicated carrier compensation due to excess oxygen. With H 2 -annealing, both carrier density and Hall mobility recovered to the level of conducting TNO, demonstrating that the excess oxygen can be efficiently removed by the annealing process without introducing additional scattering centers. (paper)

Ferroelectricity and Piezoelectricity in Free-Standing Polycrystalline Films of Plastic Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Jun; Yoneyama, Naho; Yokokura, Seiya; Takahashi, Yukihiro; Miura, Atsushi; Kitamura, Noboru; Inabe, Tamotsu

2018-01-10

Plastic crystals represent a unique compound class that is often encountered in molecules with globular structures. The highly symmetric cubic crystal structure of plastic crystals endows these materials with multiaxial ferroelectricity that allows a three-dimensional realignment of the polarization axes of the crystals, which cannot be achieved using conventional molecular ferroelectric crystals with low crystal symmetry. In this work, we focused our attention on malleability as another characteristic feature of plastic crystals. We have synthesized the new plastic/ferroelectric ionic crystals tetramethylammonium tetrachloroferrate(III) and tetramethylammonium bromotrichloroferrate(III), and discovered that free-standing translucent films can be easily prepared by pressing powdered samples of these compounds. The thus obtained polycrystalline films exhibit ferroelectric polarization switching and a relatively large piezoelectric response at room temperature. The ready availability of functional films demonstrates the practical utility of such plastic/ferroelectric crystals, and considering the vast variety of possible constituent cations and anions, a wide range of applications should be expected for these unique and attractive functional materials.

Phase coexistence in the metal-insulator transition of a VO2 thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Y.J.; Koo, C.H.; Yang, J.S.; Kim, Y.S.; Kim, D.H.; Lee, J.S.; Noh, T.W.; Kim, Hyun-Tak; Chae, B.G.

2005-01-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) shows a metal-insulator transition (MIT) near room temperature, accompanied by an abrupt resistivity change. Since the MIT of VO 2 is known to be a first order phase transition, it is valuable to check metallic and insulating phase segregation during the MIT process. We deposited (100)-oriented epitaxial VO 2 thin films on R-cut sapphire substrates. From the scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) spectra, we could distinguish metallic and insulating regions by probing the band gap. Optical spectroscopic analysis also supported the view that the MIT in VO 2 occurs through metal and insulator phase coexistence

Thermal Characteristics of Plastic Film Tension in Roll-to-Roll Gravure Printed Electronics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kui He

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In the printing section of a roll-to-roll gravure printed electronics machine, the plastic film tension is directly associated with the product quality. The temperature distribution of the plastic film in the printing section is non-uniform, because of the higher drying temperature and the lower room temperature. Furthermore, the drying temperature and the room temperature are not constants in industrial production. As the plastic film is sensitive to temperature, the temperature of the plastic film will affects the web tension in the printing section. In this paper, the thermal characteristics of the plastic film tension in roll-to-roll gravure printed electronics are studied in order to help to improve the product quality. First, the tension model including the factor of temperature is derived based on the law of mass conservation. Then, some simulations and experiments are carried out in order to in-depth research the effects of the drying temperature and room temperature based on the relations between system inputs and outputs. The results show that the drying temperature and room temperature have significant influences on the web tension. The research on the thermal characteristics of plastic film tension would benefit the tension control accuracy for further study.

Physical stability and moisture sorption of aqueous chitosan-amylose starch films plasticized with polyols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cervera, Mirna Fernández; Karjalainen, Milja; Airaksinen, Sari

2004-01-01

The short-term stability and the water sorption of films prepared from binary mixtures of chitosan and native amylose maize starch (Hylon VII) were evaluated using free films. The aqueous polymer solutions of the free films contained 2% (w/w) film formers, glycerol, or erythritol as a plasticizer...... in the crystallinity of the films are evident within a 3-month period of storage, and the changes in the solid state are dependent on the plasticizer and storage conditions. When stored at ambient conditions for 3 months, the aqueous chitosan-amylose starch films plasticized with erythritol exhibited a partly...

Plasticizing Effects of Polyamines in Protein-Based Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Sabbah

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Zeta potential and nanoparticle size were determined on film forming solutions of native and heat-denatured proteins of bitter vetch as a function of pH and of different concentrations of the polyamines spermidine and spermine, both in the absence and presence of the plasticizer glycerol. Our results showed that both polyamines decreased the negative zeta potential of all samples under pH 8.0 as a consequence of their ionic interaction with proteins. At the same time, they enhanced the dimension of nanoparticles under pH 8.0 as a result of macromolecular aggregations. By using native protein solutions, handleable films were obtained only from samples containing either a minimum of 33 mM glycerol or 4 mM spermidine, or both compounds together at lower glycerol concentrations. However, 2 mM spermidine was sufficient to obtain handleable film by using heat-treated samples without glycerol. Conversely, brittle materials were obtained by spermine alone, thus indicating that only spermidine was able to act as an ionic plasticizer. Lastly, both polyamines, mainly spermine, were found able to act as “glycerol-like” plasticizers at concentrations higher than 5 mM under experimental conditions at which their amino groups are undissociated. Our findings open new perspectives in obtaining protein-based films by using aliphatic polycations as components.

Insulation structure of thermonuclear device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Takayuki; Usami, Saburo; Tsukamoto, Hideo; Kikuchi, Mitsuru

1998-01-01

The present invention provides an insulating structure of a thermonuclear device, in which insulation materials between toroidal coils are not broken even if superconductive toroidal coils are used. Namely, a tokamak type thermonuclear device of an insulating structure type comprises superconductive toroidal coils for confining plasmas arranged in a circular shape directing the center each at a predetermined angle, and the toroidal coils are insulated from each other. The insulation materials are formed by using a biaxially oriented fiber reinforced plastics. The contact surface of the toroidal coils and the insulating materials are arranged so that they are contact at a woven surface of the fiber reinforced plastics. Either or both of the contact surfaces of the fiber reinforced plastics and the toroidal coils are coated with a high molecular compound having a low friction coefficient. With such a constitution, since the interlayer shearing strength of the biaxially oriented fiber reinforced plastics is about 1/10 of the compression strength, the shearing stress exerted on the insulation material is reduced. Since a static friction coefficient on the contact surface is reduced to provide a structure causing slipping, shearing stress does not exceeds a predetermined limit. As a result, breakage of the insulation materials between the toroidal coils can be prevented. (I.S.)

Absorbed Dose Distributions in Small Copper Wire Insulation due to Multiple-Sided Irradiations by 0.4 MeV Electrons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miller, Arne; McLaughlin, W. L.; Pedersen, Walther Batsberg

1979-01-01

When scanned electron beams are used to crosslink polymeric insulation of wire and cable, an important goal is to achieve optimum uniformity of absorbed dose distributions. Accurate measurements of dose distributions in a plastic dosimeter simulating a typical insulating material (polyethylene......) surrounding a copper wire core show that equal irradiations from as few as four sides give approximately isotropy and satisfactorily uniform energy depositions around the wire circumference. Electron beams of 0.4 MeV maximum energy were used to irradiate wires having a copper core of 1.0 mm dia....... and insulation thicknesses between 0.4 and 0.8 mm. The plastic dosimeter simulating polyethylene insulations was a thin radiochromic polyvinyl butyral film wrapped several times around the copper wire, such that when unwrapped and analyzed optically on a scanning microspectrophotometer, high-resolution radial...

Plastic Materials for Insulating Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, S. F.; Grossman, S. J.

1987-01-01

Discusses the production and use of polymer materials as thermal insulators. Lists several materials that provide varying degrees of insulation. Describes the production of polymer foam and focuses on the major applications of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, and polyisocyanurate foam. (TW)

Rheological and structural characterisation of film-forming solutions and biodegradable edible film made from kefiran as affected by various plasticizer types.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemlou, Mehran; Khodaiyan, Faramarz; Oromiehie, Abdulrasoul

2011-11-01

The rheological properties of kefiran film-forming solutions, as well as the structural characterisation of the resulting films, were investigated as a function of various plasticizer types. The behaviours of the storage (G') and loss (G″) moduli as a function of frequency were typical of gel-like material, with the G' higher than the G″. Kefiran-based films, which may find application as edible films, were prepared by a casting and solvent-evaporation method. Possible interaction between the adjacent chains in the kefiran polymer and various plasticizers was proven by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The crystallinity of plasticized kefiran film was also analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD); this revealed an amorphous-crystalline structure. These results were explained by the film's microstructure, which was analysed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The present study has helped determine possible interactions of kefiran, plasticizer and water molecules in determining film properties. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

α-sealed transfer device and portable plastic film sealers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Zhujun; Shan Ruixia

1990-04-01

An α transfer device which can be operated remotely is presented. The device is able to perform sealed transfer of radioactive articles from a hot cell or shielded glove box to the outside and non-radioactive articles from the outside to a hot cell or shielded glove box by using bag sealing technology. The structure of the transfer device is simple. Its operation is safe and reliable. The sealing performance of the device is very good (for alpha). The use of this transfer device will greatly reduce α contamination of the building and creates a favourable condition for operating radioactive materials in an undivided area. The portable heat sealing device is also a necessary tool in bag sealing technology and α-sealed transfer. Two types of portable plastic film sealers have been developed. Their structure is simple. The operation of the portable plastic film sealers is easy. Their performance is also excellent. Both the α-sealed transfer device and portable plastic film sealers are very useful to the reprocessing plant of nuclear fuel

Biodegradation of compostable and oxodegradable plastic films by backyard composting and bioaugmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Quecholac-Piña, Xochitl; García-Rivera, Mariel Anel; Espinosa-Valdemar, Rosa María; Vázquez-Morillas, Alethia; Beltrán-Villavicencio, Margarita; Cisneros-Ramos, Adriana de la Luz

2017-11-01

Plastics are widely used in the production of short-life products, which are discarded producing an accumulation of these materials and problems due to their persistence in the environment and waste management systems. Degradable plastics (compostable, oxodegradable) have been presented as an alternative to decrease the negative effect of plastic waste. In this research, the feasibility of degrading a commercially available compostable film and oxodegradable polyethylene, with and without previous abiotic oxidation, is assessed in a home composting system. Reactors (200 L) were used to degrade the plastic films along with a mixture of organic food waste (50 %), mulch (25 %), and dry leaves (25 %), amended with yeast and a solution of brown sugar to increase the speed of the process. The presence of the plastic film did not affect the composting process, which showed an initial increase in temperature and typical profiles for moisture content, pH, with a final C/N of 17.4. After 57 days, the compostable plastic has decreased its mechanical properties in more than 90 %, while the oxodegradable film did not show significant degradation if it was not previously degraded by UV radiation. The use of these plastics should be assessed against the prevailing waste management system in each city or country. In the case of Mexico, which lacks the infrastructure for industrial composting, home composting could be an option to degrade compostable plastics along organic waste. However, more testing is needed in order to set the optimal parameters of the process.

Helium ion beam induced electron emission from insulating silicon nitride films under charging conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Petrov, Yu. V.; Anikeva, A. E.; Vyvenko, O. F.

2018-06-01

Secondary electron emission from thin silicon nitride films of different thicknesses on silicon excited by helium ions with energies from 15 to 35 keV was investigated in the helium ion microscope. Secondary electron yield measured with Everhart-Thornley detector decreased with the irradiation time because of the charging of insulating films tending to zero or reaching a non-zero value for relatively thick or thin films, respectively. The finiteness of secondary electron yield value, which was found to be proportional to electronic energy losses of the helium ion in silicon substrate, can be explained by the electron emission excited from the substrate by the helium ions. The method of measurement of secondary electron energy distribution from insulators was suggested, and secondary electron energy distribution from silicon nitride was obtained.

Plasticization of Poly (lactic) acid Film as a Potential Coating Material

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ping; Li, Hua; Liu, Qingsong; Dong, Hongbiao; Duan, Yafei; Zhang, Jiasong

2018-01-01

PLA-based composite films with different plasticizers, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Tributyl citrate (TBC), were prepared using a solvent casting method and their machanical, water absorbency and NO3 --N permeability properties were tested. Tensile strength, elongation at break, water absorbency and NO3 --N permeability of neat PLA film were 1.99 ± 0.04 MPa, 2.7 ± 0.46%, 29.33 ± 0.3% and 216.03 ± 19.92 mg·L-1·m-2·h-1, respectively. After the addition of plasticizers the tensile strength were decreased, tensile strength of flims added 40wt% TBC and PEG decreased by 59.3% and 52.26%. While the elongation at break of the PLA film gradually increased. The elongation at break reached the value of 23.96±0.48% and 38.55±1.66% for the films added PEG and TBC respectively at the concentration of 40wt%. Water absorbency decreased as the increase of plasticizers. The NO3 --N permeability attained a maximum of 300.05±10.47 and 270.97±14.54 mg·L-1·m-2·h-1 for films added PEG and TBC at the concentration of 10 wt % respectively. Considered the NO3 --N permeability, PEG at 10wt% seemed the better plasticizer for PLA used in control release of fertilizer.

Long-ranged interactions in thin TiN films at the superconductor-insulator transition?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kronfeldner, Klaus; Strunk, Christoph [Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Regensburg (Germany); Baturina, Tatyana [A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

2015-07-01

We measured IV-characteristics and magnetoresistance of square TiN-films in the vicinity of the disorder-tuned superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) for different sizes (5 μm to 240 μm). While the films are superconducting at zero magnetic field, at finite fields a SIT occurs. The resistance shows thermally activated behaviour on both sides of the SIT. Deep in the superconducting regime the activation energy grows linear with the sample size as expected for a size-independent critical current density. Closer to the SIT the activation energy becomes clearly size independent. On the insulating side the magnetoresistance maximum and the activation energy both grow logarithmically with sample size which is consistent with a size-limited charge BKT (Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless) scenario. In order to test for the presence of long-ranged interactions in our films, we investigate the influence of a topgate. It is expected to screen the possible long-ranged interactions as the distance of the film to the gate is much shorter than the electrostatic screening length deduced from the size-dependent activation energy.

Improving the Performance of a Semitransparent BIPV by Using High-Reflectivity Heat Insulation Film

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huei-Mei Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, standard semitransparent photovoltaic (PV modules can largely replace architectural glass installed in the windows, skylights, and facade of a building. Their main features are power generation and transparency, as well as possessing a heat insulating effect. Through heat insulation solar glass (HISG encapsulation technology, this study improved the structure of a typical semitransparent PV module and explored the use of three types of high-reflectivity heat insulation films to form the HISG building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV systems. Subsequently, the authors analyzed the influence of HISG structures on the optical, thermal, and power generation performance of the original semitransparent PV module and the degree to which enhanced performance is possible. The experimental results indicated that the heat insulation performance and power generation of HISGs were both improved. Selecting an appropriate heat insulation film so that a larger amount of reflective solar radiation is absorbed by the back side of the HISG can yield greater enhancement of power generation. The numerical results conducted in this study also indicated that HISG BIPV system not only provides the passive energy needed for power loading in a building, but also decreases the energy consumption of the HVAC system in subtropical and temperate regions.

Spin accumulation in disordered topological insulator ultrathin films

Science.gov (United States)

Siu, Zhuo Bin; Ho, Cong Son; Tan, Seng Ghee; Jalil, Mansoor B. A.

2017-08-01

Topological insulator (TI) ultrathin films differ from the more commonly studied semi-infinite bulk TIs in that the former possess both top and bottom surfaces where the surface states localized at different surfaces can couple to one another across the finite thickness of the film. In the presence of an in-plane magnetization, the TI thin films display two distinct phases depending on which of the inter-surface coupling or the magnetization is stronger. In this work, we consider a Bi2Se3 TI thin film system with an in-plane magnetization and numerically calculate the resulting spin accumulation on both surfaces of the film due to an in-plane electric field to linear order. We describe a numerical scheme for performing the Kubo formula calculation in which we include impurity scattering and vertex corrections. We find that the sums of the spin accumulation over the two surfaces in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the magnetization and in the out of plane direction are antisymmetric in Fermi energy around the charge neutrality point and are non-vanishing only when the symmetry between the top and bottom TI surfaces is broken. The impurity scattering, in general, diminishes the magnitude of the spin accumulation.

The Effects of plasticizers and palmitic acid toward the properties of the carrageenan Film

Science.gov (United States)

Heru Wibowo, Atmanto; Listiyawati, Oktaviana; Purnawan, Candra

2016-02-01

Varied plasticizers and palmitic acid additive have been added in the carrageenan film. The film was made by mixing of the carrageenan and plasticizers (glycerol, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol) with composition of 92:3, 90:6, 87:9, 84:12, 81:15(%w/w) and in the presence of palmitic acid as additive with 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% of total weight. Casting method was used for the film molding and drying at 60oC with the oven for 12 hours. To investigate the effects of plasticizers and additive, some mechanical tests on film were performed. The test result concludes that plasticizers in the film decreased the tensile strength and increased the elongation break of the carrageenan film. The additive of palmitic acid decreased the tensile strength of the carrageenan film and also decreased the-the water absorbance of the film. The highest tensile strength of films made was with the formulation of carrageenan: PEG with composition of 92:3 (% w/w). The highest elongation break of the film was for carrageenan:PVA with the composition of 81: 15 (%w/w) and carrageenan:palmitic acid:PEG with the composition of 92: 3: 1 (%w/w). The lowest water absorption of the film was achieved for carrageenan:PVA:palmitic acid with the composition of 87: 3: 5 (%w/w).

EFFECT OF PLASTICIZERS ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF EDIBLE FILM FROM JANENG STARCH – CHITOSAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narlis Juandi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The interest in the development of edible and biodegradable films has increased because it is every day more evident that non degradable are doing much damage to the environment. In this research, edible films were based on blends of janeng starch in different proportions, added of palm oil or glycerol, which were used as plasticizers. The objective was to study the effect of two different plasticizers, palm oil and glycerol of edible film from janeng starch–chitosan on the mechanical properties and FTIR spectra. Increasing concentration of glycerol as plasticizer resulted tend to increased tensile strength and elongation at break. The tensile strength and elongation at break values for palm oil is higher than glycerol as plasticizer at the same concentration. FTIR spectra show the process of making edible film from janeng starch–chitosan with palm oil or glycerol as plasticizers are physically mixing in the presence of hydrogen interactions between chains.

Topological Insulator State in Thin Bismuth Films Subjected to Plane Tensile Strain

Science.gov (United States)

Demidov, E. V.; Grabov, V. M.; Komarov, V. A.; Kablukova, N. S.; Krushel'nitskii, A. N.

2018-03-01

The results of experimental examination of galvanomagnetic properties of thin bismuth films subjected to plane tensile strain resulting from the difference in thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate material and bismuth are presented. The resistivity, the magnetoresistance, and the Hall coefficient were studied at temperatures ranging from 5 to 300 K in magnetic fields as strong as 0.65 T. Carrier densities were calculated. A considerable increase in carrier density in films thinner than 30 nm was observed. This suggests that surface states are more prominent in thin bismuth films on mica substrates, while the films themselves may exhibit the properties of a topological insulator.

Effects of plasticizers on sorption and optical properties of gum cordia based edible film.

Science.gov (United States)

Haq, Muhammad Abdul; Jafri, Feroz Alam; Hasnain, Abid

2016-06-01

The present study aimed to characterize a biodegradable film produced from the polysaccharide of an indigenous plant Cordia myxa. Effect of plasticizer type (Glycerol, Sorbitol, PEG200 and PEG 400) and concentration (0-30 %) was studied on sorption and optical properties of the casted film. Increase in plasticizer concentration resulted in increase in equilibrium moisture content of the film and was supported by GAB model of sorption indicating that isotherms were of Type II. The monolayer value increased with the increase in plasticizer concentration with a peak of 0.93 g.g-1 for glycerol. Addition of plasticizers improved the total color (ΔE) with glycerol showing the highest effects. All films showed resistance to UV light in the range of 280-200 nm. The polysaccharide of the fruit of C.myxa can be used to prepare an edible film with improved properties as compared to other available edible coatings.

Electric controlling of surface metal-insulator transition in the doped BaTiO3 film

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Xun

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Based on first-principles calculations, the BaTiO3(BTO film with local La-doping is studied. For a selected concentration and position of doping, the surface metal-insulator transition occurs under the applied electric field, and the domain appears near the surface for both bipolar states. Furthermore, for the insulated surface state, i.e., the downward polarization state in the doped film, the gradient bandgap structure is achieved, which favors the absorption of solar energy. Our investigation can provide an alternative avenue in modification of surface property and surface screening effect in polar materials.

Electron-lattice energy relaxation in laser-excited thin-film Au-insulator heterostructures studied by ultrafast MeV electron diffraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolowski-Tinten, K; Shen, X; Zheng, Q; Chase, T; Coffee, R; Jerman, M; Li, R K; Ligges, M; Makasyuk, I; Mo, M; Reid, A H; Rethfeld, B; Vecchione, T; Weathersby, S P; Dürr, H A; Wang, X J

2017-09-01

We apply time-resolved MeV electron diffraction to study the electron-lattice energy relaxation in thin film Au-insulator heterostructures. Through precise measurements of the transient Debye-Waller-factor, the mean-square atomic displacement is directly determined, which allows to quantitatively follow the temporal evolution of the lattice temperature after short pulse laser excitation. Data obtained over an extended range of laser fluences reveal an increased relaxation rate when the film thickness is reduced or the Au-film is capped with an additional insulator top-layer. This behavior is attributed to a cross-interfacial coupling of excited electrons in the Au film to phonons in the adjacent insulator layer(s). Analysis of the data using the two-temperature-model taking explicitly into account the additional energy loss at the interface(s) allows to deduce the relative strength of the two relaxation channels.

A physicochemical study of sugar palm (Arenga Pinnata) starch films plasticized by glycerol and sorbitol

Science.gov (United States)

Poeloengasih, Crescentiana D.; Pranoto, Yudi; Hayati, Septi Nur; Hernawan, Rosyida, Vita T.; Prasetyo, Dwi J.; Jatmiko, Tri H.; Apriyana, Wuri; Suwanto, Andri

2016-02-01

The present work explores the physicochemical characteristics of sugar palm starch film for a potential hard capsule purpose. Sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) starch films were plasticized with glycerol or sorbitol in various concentrations (30% up to 50% w/w starch). Their effects on physicochemical properties of the films were investigated. The results showed that sugar palm starch was successfully developed as the main material of film using casting method. Incorporation of both glycerol or sorbitol affected the properties of films in different ways. It was found that thickness and solubility increased as plasticizer concentration increased, whereas retraction ratio, swelling degree and swelling thickness decreased with the increased plasticizer concentration.

Morphology and thermal properties of PLA films plasticized with aliphatic oligoesters; Morfologia e propriedades termicas de filmes de PLA plastificados com oligoesteres alifaticos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inacio, Erika M.; Dias, Marcos L., E-mail: erika.minacio@ima.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Lima, Maria Celiana P. [Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), Duque de Caxias, RJ (Brazil)

2015-07-01

The addition of plasticizers to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the known ways of changing its ductility, making possible the modification of its mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, it was synthesized two biodegradable aliphatic oligoesters: oligo(trimethylene sebacate) (OST) and oligo(trimethylene malonate) (OMT), and these oligomers were used as plasticizer in cast films of commercial film grade PLA at concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 wt% of each plasticizer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate the morphology and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was also used aiming the evaluation of the thermal properties of these films. The PLA films containing no plasticizer showed an amorphous behavior, and the addition of PMT on the PLA films acted, simultaneously, decreasing the Tg, and rising the material's crystallinity. In contrast, the increased addition of OST to the PLA films did not change the Tg, and equally, did not have a significant changes in the material's crystallinity. Therefore, it was possible to observe the effect of the concentration of oligomers on the crystallinity of the films as well as the no plasticizer effect of the OST. (author)

Metal-insulator transitions in IZO, IGZO, and ITZO films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makise, Kazumasa, E-mail: makise@nict.go.jp [National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492 (Japan); Hidaka, Kazuya; Ezaki, Syohei; Asano, Takayuki; Shinozaki, Bunju [Department of Physics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 810-8560 (Japan); Tomai, Shigekazu; Yano, Koki; Nakamura, Hiroaki [Central Research Laboratories, Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd, Chiba 299-0293 (Japan)

2014-10-21

In this study, we measured the low-temperature resistivity of amorphous two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) indium-zinc oxide, indium-gallium-zinc oxide, and indium-tin-zinc oxide films with a wide range of carrier densities. To determine their critical characteristics at the metal-insulator transition (MIT), we used the Ioffe–Regel criterion. We found that the MIT occurs in a narrow range between k{sub F}ℓ =0.13 and k{sub F}ℓ =0.25, where k{sub F} and ℓ are the Fermi wave number and electron mean free path, respectively. For films in the insulating region, we analyzed ρ(T) using a procedure proposed by Zabrodskii and Zinov'eva. This analysis confirmed the occurrence of Mott and Efros–Shklovskii (ES) variable-range hopping. The materials studied show crossover behavior from exp(T{sub Mott}/T){sup 1/4} or exp(T{sub Mott}/T){sup 1/3} for Mott hopping conduction to exp(T{sub ES}/T){sup 1/2} for ES hopping conduction with decreasing temperature. For both 2D and 3D materials, we found that the relationship between T{sub Mott} and T{sub ES} satisfies T{sub ES}∝T{sub Mott}{sup 2/3}.

Starch behaviors and mechanical properties of starch blend films with different plasticizers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen Vu, Hoang Phuong; Lumdubwong, Namfone

2016-12-10

The main objective of the study was to gain insight into structural and mechanical starch behaviors of the plasticized starch blend films. Mechanical properties and starch behaviors of cassava (CS)/and mungbean (MB) (50/50, w/w) starch blend films containing glycerol (Gly) or sorbitol (Sor) at 33% weight content were investigated. It was found that tensile strength TS and %E of the Gly-CSMB films were similar to those of MB films; but%E of all Sor-films was identical. TS of plasticized films increased when AM content and crystallinity increased. When Sor was substituted for Gly, crystallinity of starch films and their TS increased. The CSMB and MB films had somewhat a similar molecular profile and comparable mechanical properties. Therefore, it was proposed the starch molecular profile containing amylopectin with high M¯w, low M¯w of amylose, and the small size of intermediates may impart the high TS and%E of starch films. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical and biological treatments of polyethylene-rice starch plastic films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Naggar, Manal M.A., E-mail: mmelnaggar@yahoo.com [Microbiology Lab., National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria (Egypt); Farag, Magdy Gh. [Development Plastic Center, Victoria, Alexandria (Egypt)

2010-04-15

This study aimed to produce an industrial applicable thermo-stable {alpha}-amylase from marine Bacillus amyloliquefaciens which isolated and selected according to its significant enzyme production. The effect of different pH values and temperatures on the bacterial growth and the enzyme production was estimated using an experimental statistical design; maximum amylase production and bacterial growth was obtained at pH 7.0 and 50 deg. C. Some biodegradable polyethylene rice starch plastic films (PERS-P) were manufactured using 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% starch concentrations. The biodegradability (reduction in the plastic elongation%) was tested using the exposure to UV radiation at {lambda}{sub 300-400nm} (intensity of about 1000 W/m{sup 2}) and the produced B. amyloliquefaciens thermo-stable {alpha}-amylase. A significant reduction in the elongation% of these biodegradable plastics was observed in both cases especially on testing the 10% PERS-P; they showed a reduction of 26% and 20%, respectively, compared to the untreated plastic films (180 {+-} 5).

Physical and biological treatments of polyethylene-rice starch plastic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Naggar, Manal M.A.; Farag, Magdy Gh.

2010-01-01

This study aimed to produce an industrial applicable thermo-stable α-amylase from marine Bacillus amyloliquefaciens which isolated and selected according to its significant enzyme production. The effect of different pH values and temperatures on the bacterial growth and the enzyme production was estimated using an experimental statistical design; maximum amylase production and bacterial growth was obtained at pH 7.0 and 50 deg. C. Some biodegradable polyethylene rice starch plastic films (PERS-P) were manufactured using 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% starch concentrations. The biodegradability (reduction in the plastic elongation%) was tested using the exposure to UV radiation at λ 300-400nm (intensity of about 1000 W/m 2 ) and the produced B. amyloliquefaciens thermo-stable α-amylase. A significant reduction in the elongation% of these biodegradable plastics was observed in both cases especially on testing the 10% PERS-P; they showed a reduction of 26% and 20%, respectively, compared to the untreated plastic films (180 ± 5).

Metal-insulator transition in SrTi1−xVxO3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Man; Wolf, Stuart A.; Lu, Jiwei

2013-01-01

Epitaxial SrTi 1−x V x O 3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) thin films were grown on (001)-oriented (LaAlO 3 ) 0.3 (Sr 2 AlTaO 6 ) 0.7 (LSAT) substrates using the pulsed electron-beam deposition technique. The transport study revealed a temperature driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) at 95 K for x = 0.67. The films with higher vanadium concentration (x > 0.67) were metallic corresponding to a Fermi liquid system. In the insulating phase (x < 0.67), the resistivity behavior was governed by Mott's variable range hopping mechanism. The possible mechanisms for the induced MIT are discussed, including the effects of electron correlation, lattice distortion, and Anderson localization

MIS field effect transistor with barium titanate thin film as a gate insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Firek, P., E-mail: pfirek@elka.pw.edu.p [Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics, Warsaw University of Technology, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warsaw (Poland); Werbowy, A.; Szmidt, J. [Institute of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics, Warsaw University of Technology, Koszykowa 75, 00-662 Warsaw (Poland)

2009-11-25

The properties of barium titanate (BaTiO{sub 3}, BT) like, e.g. high dielectric constant and resistivity, allow it to find numerous applications in field of microelectronics. In this work silicon metal insulator semiconductor field effect transistor (MISFET) structures with BaTiO{sub 3} (containing La{sub 2}O{sub 3} admixture) thin films in a role of gate insulator were investigated. The films were produced by means of radio frequency plasma sputtering (RF PS) of sintered BaTiO{sub 3} + La{sub 2}O{sub 3} (2 wt.%) target. In the paper transfer and output current-voltage (I-V), transconductance and output conductance characteristics of obtained transistors are presented and discussed. Basic parameters of these devices like, e.g. threshold voltage (V{sub TH}), are determined and discussed.

Electron tunneling studies of ultrathin films near the superconductor-to-insulator transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valles, J.M. Jr.; Garno, J.P.

1994-01-01

Electron tunneling measurements on ultrathin quench-condensed films near the superconductor-to-insulator (SI) transition reveal that the superconducting state degrades with increasing normal state sheet resistance, R □ , in a manner that depends strongly on film morphology. In homogeneously disordered films, the superconducting energy gap Δ 0 decreases continuously and appears to go to zero at the SI transition. In granular films the transport properties degrade while Δ 0 remains constant. Measurements in the normal state reveal disorder enhanced e - -e - interaction corrections to the density of states. These effects are strong and depend on morphology in a manner that is consistent with their playing an important role in driving the SI transition. (orig.)

Preparation and structural characterization of FeCo epitaxial thin films on insulating single-crystal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, Tsutomu; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2010-01-01

FeCo epitaxial films were prepared on MgO(111), SrTiO 3 (111), and Al 2 O 3 (0001) single-crystal substrates by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of insulating substrate material on the film growth process and the structures were investigated. FeCo(110) bcc films grow on MgO substrates with two type domains, Nishiyama-Wassermann (NW) and Kurdjumov-Sachs (KS) relationships. On the contrary, FeCo films grown on SrTiO 3 and Al 2 O 3 substrates include FeCo(111) bcc crystal in addition to the FeCo(110) bcc crystals with NW and KS relationships. The FeCo(111) bcc crystal consists of two type domains whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other. The out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of FeCo(110) bcc and FeCo(111) bcc crystals formed on the insulating substrates are in agreement with those of the bulk Fe 50 Co 50 (at. %) crystal with small errors ranging between +0.2% and +0.4%, showing that the strains in the epitaxial films are very small.

Strain-enhanced optical absorbance of topological insulator films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brems, Mathias Rosdahl; Paaske, Jens; Lunde, Anders Mathias

2018-01-01

Topological insulator films are promising materials for optoelectronics due to a strong optical absorption and a thickness-dependent band gap of the topological surface states. They are superior candidates for photodetector applications in the THz-infrared spectrum, with a potential performance...... thickness, the surface-state band gap, and thereby the optical absorption, can be effectively tuned by the application of uniaxial strain epsilon(zz), leading to a divergent band-edge absorbance for epsilon(zz) greater than or similar to 6%. Shear strain breaks the crystal symmetry and leads...

Plastic film materials for dosimetry of very large absorbed doses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McLaughlin, W.L.; Miller, Arne; Abdel-Rahim, F.

1985-01-01

Most plastic films have limited response ranges for dosimetry because of radiation-induced brittleness, degradation, or saturation of the signal used for analysis (e.g. spectrophotometry) at high doses. There are, however, a few types of thin plastic films showing linearity of response even up...... to doses as high as 2 × 106 Gy (200 Mrad) without severe loss of mechanical properties. Among many candidate film types tested, those showing such resistance to radiation damage and continued response at such high doses are polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, dyed polyvinylchloride......, the dyed polychlorostyrenes show essentially the same response to radiation-processing gamma-ray fields and to very high-intensity electron beams, and a relatively stable absorption spectrum at wavelengths for dosimetry analysis in the visible spectral region of ≈430 nm....

Effect of Plasticizer Type on Tensile Property and In Vitro Indomethacin Release of Thin Films Based on Low-Methoxyl Pectin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pensak Jantrawut

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study developed the interests of low-methoxyl pectin (LMP together with plasticizers for the preparation of elastic thin films. The effect of different plasticizer types (glycerol: Gly; sorbitol: Sor; propylene glycol: PG; and polyethylene glycol 300: PEG 300 and concentrations (20–40% w/w on mechanical and thermal properties of LMP films as well as on in vitro release of indomethacin were evaluated. Without any plasticizer, a brittle LMP film with low tensile strength and % elongation at break was obtained. Addition of plasticizers from 20% to 40% caused reduction in the tensile strength and Young’s modulus values, whereas percent elongation was increased. Forty percent Gly-plasticized and PG-plasticized films were selected to deliver indomethacin in comparison with non-plasticized film. No significant difference in indomethacin release profiles was displayed between the films. The analysis of indomethacin release model indicated that more than one drug release mechanism from the film formulation was involved and possibly the combination of both diffusion and erosion. Even though indomethacin incorporated in non-plasticized film showed similar release profile, Gly or PG should be added to enhanced film flexibility and decrease film brittleness.

In situ Raman spectroscopy of topological insulator BiTe films with varying thickness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, C.; Zhu, X.; Nilsson, Louis

2013-01-01

Topological insulators (TIs) are a new state of quantum matter with a band gap in bulk and conducting surface states. In this work, the Raman spectra of topological insulator Bi2Te3 films prepared by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) have been measured by an in situ ultrahigh vacuum (UHV...... effects and symmetry breaking. In addition, an obvious change was observed at 3 QL when a Dirac cone formed. These results offer some new information about the novel quantum states of TIs....

Fabrication of Al2O3 Nano-Structure Functional Film on a Cellulose Insulation Polymer Surface and Its Space Charge Suppression Effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Hao

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Cellulose insulation polymer (paper/pressboard has been widely used in high voltage direct current (HVDC transformers. One of the most challenging issues in the insulation material used for HVDC equipment is the space charge accumulation. Effective ways to suppress the space charge injection/accumulation in insulation material is currently a popular research topic. In this study, an aluminium oxide functional film was deposited on a cellulose insulation pressboard surface using reactive radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering. The sputtered thin film was characterized by the scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, and X-ray diffraction (XRD. The influence of the deposited functional film on the dielectric properties and the space charge injection/accumulation behaviour was investigated. A preliminary exploration of the space charge suppression effect is discussed. SEM/EDS, XPS, and XRD results show that the nano-structured Al2O3 film with amorphous phase was successfully fabricated onto the fibre surface. The cellulose insulation pressboard surface sputtered by Al2O3 film has lower permittivity, conductivity, and dissipation factor values in the lower frequency (<103 Hz region. The oil-impregnated sputtered pressboard presents an apparent space-charge suppression effect. Compared with the pressboard sputtered with Al2O3 film for 90 min, the pressboard sputtered with Al2O3 film for 60 min had a better space charge suppression effect. Ultra-small Al2O3 particles (<10 nm grew on the surface of the larger nanoparticles. The nano-structured Al2O3 film sputtered on the fibre surface could act as a functional barrier layer for suppression of the charge injection and accumulation. This study offers a new perspective in favour of the application of insulation pressboard with a nano-structured function surface against space charge injection/accumulation in HVDC equipment.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ECO-COMPATIBLE PLASTIC FILMS FOR SOIL SOLARIZATION: FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Margiotta

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Soil solarization relies on solar radiation being converted to heat for the killing of soilborne pathogens. On one hand, this technique can be considered as an environmentally-friendly way to manage soilborne pests, as an alternative of methyl bromide phased-out in 2005, than using chemicals. On the other hand, high employment of traditional plastic sheets in agriculture causes the production of enormous quantities of waste, whose inappropriate management might have negative effects on the environment. In order to determine a reduction of the charge of plastic waste and to facilitate the waste disposal, one of the most interesting approaches, from an environmental point of view, lies in the location of innovatory plastic films such as co-extruded ultrathin films, which are able to reduce the plastic quantity to be managed, and biodegradable laminates, which after a first usage, will spontaneously start up a degradation process that avoids their collection and their consequent disposal. Beside the ecological proprieties of these innovative films, it is necessary to study their technical and agronomical behavior in order to determine their efficiency and the possibility to be used in place of the traditional plastic films. This paper represents a review of the researches carrier out by the Technical Economics Department of the University of Basilicata (Italy in the last years (1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003 on the technical performances of some innovative plastic films used for soil solarization.

Preparation Nano-Structure Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE Functional Film on the Cellulose Insulation Polymer and Its Effect on the Breakdown Voltage and Hydrophobicity Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Hao

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Cellulose insulation polymer is an important component of oil-paper insulation, which is widely used in power transformer. The weight of the cellulose insulation polymer materials is as high as tens of tons in the larger converter transformer. Excellent performance of oil-paper insulation is very important for ensuring the safe operation of larger converter transformer. An effective way to improve the insulation and the physicochemical property of the oil impregnated insulation pressboard/paper is currently a popular research topic. In this paper, the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE functional film was coated on the cellulose insulation pressboard by radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering to improve its breakdown voltage and the hydrophobicity properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS results show that the nano-structure PTFE functional film was successfully fabricated on the cellulose insulation pressboard surface. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD present that the nanoscale size PTFE particles were attached to the pressboard surface and it exists in the amorphous form. Atomic force microscopy (AFM shows that the sputtered pressboard surface is still rough. The rough PTFE functional film and the reduction of the hydrophilic hydroxyl of the surface due to the shielding effect of PTFE improve the breakdown and the hydrophobicity properties of the cellulose insulation pressboard obviously. This paper provides an innovative way to improve the performance of the cellulose insulation polymer.

Plastic-Film Mulching for Enhanced Water-Use Efficiency and Economic Returns from Maize Fields in Semiarid China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Peng; Wei, Ting; Cai, Tie; Ali, Shahzad; Han, Qingfang; Ren, Xiaolong; Jia, Zhikuan

2017-01-01

Film mulch has gradually been popularized to increase water availability to crops for improving and stabilizing agricultural production in the semiarid areas of Northwest China. To find more sustainable and economic film mulch methods for alleviating drought stress in semiarid region, it is necessary to test optimum planting methods in same cultivation conditions. A field experiment was conducted during 2013 and 2014 to evaluate the effects of different plastic film mulch methods on soil water, soil temperature, water use efficiency (WUE), yield and revenue. The treatments included: (i) the control, conventional flat planting without plastic film mulch (CK); (ii) flat planting with maize rows (60 cm spacing) on plastic film mulch (70 cm wide); (iii) furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by consecutive plastic film-mulched ridges (each 50 cm wide and 15 cm tall); (iv) furrow planting of maize (60 cm spacing), separated by alternating large and small plastic film-mulched ridges (large ridges: 70 cm wide and 15 cm tall, small ridges 50 cm wide and 10 cm tall); and (v) furrow-flat planting of maize (60 cm spacing) with a large plastic film-mulched ridge (60 cm wide and 15 cm tall) alternating with a flat without plastic film-mulched space (60 cm wide). Topsoil temperature (5-25 cm) was significantly ( p plastic film mulch than the control (CK), and resulted in greater soil water storage (0-200 cm) up to 40 days after planting. Maize grain yield and WUE were significantly ( p < 0.05) higher with the furrow planting methods (consecutive film-mulched ridges and alternating film-mulched ridges) than the check in both years. Maize yield was, on average, 29% ( p < 0.05) greater and 28% ( p < 0.05) greater with these furrow planting methods, while the average WUE increased by 22.8% ( p < 0.05) with consecutive film-mulched ridges and 21.1% ( p < 0.05) with alternating film-mulched ridges. The 2-year average net income increased by 1559, 528, and 350 Chinese Yuan

Effect of Plasticizer Type and Concentration on Tensile, Thermal and Barrier Properties of Biodegradable Films Based on Sugar Palm (Arenga pinnata Starch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammed L. Sanyang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The use of starch based films as a potential alternative choice to petroleum derived plastics is imperative for environmental waste management. This study presents a new biopolymer (sugar palm starch for the preparation of biodegradable packaging films using a solution casting technique. The effect of different plasticizer types (glycerol (G, sorbitol (S and glycerol-sorbitol (GS combination with varying concentrations (0, 15, 30 and 45, w/w% on the tensile, thermal and barrier properties of sugar palm starch (SPS films was evaluated. Regardless of plasticizer types, the tensile strength of plasticized SPS films decreased, whereas their elongation at break (E% increased as the plasticizer concentrations were raised. However, the E% for G and GS-plasticized films significantly decreased at a higher plasticizer concentration (45% w/w due to the anti-plasticization effect of plasticizers. Change in plasticizer concentration showed an insignificant effect on the thermal properties of S-plasticized films. The glass transition temperature of SPS films slightly decreased as the plasticizer concentration increased from 15% to 45%. The plasticized films exhibited increased water vapor permeability values from 4.855 × 10−10 to 8.70 × 10−10 g·m−1·s−1·Pa−1, irrespective of plasticizer types. Overall, the current study manifested that plasticized sugar palm starch can be regarded as a promising biopolymer for biodegradable films.

Cuprous sulfide as a film insulation for superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, G.R.; Uphoff, J.H.; Vecchio, P.D.

1982-01-01

The LCP test coil utilizes a conductor of forced-flow design having 486 strands of multifilametary Nb 3 Sn compacted in a stainless steel sheath. The impetus for the work reported here stemmed from the need for some form of insulation for those strands to prevent sintering during reaction and to reduce ac losses. The work reported here experimented with cuprous sulfide coatings at various coating rates and thicknesses. Two solenoids that were wound with cuprous sulfide-coated wires and heat-treated at 700 degrees C were found to demonstrate that the film is effective in providing turn-to-turn insulation for less than about 0.5V between turns. The sulfide layer provided a metal-semiconductor junction which became conducting at roughly 0.5V. Repeated cycling of the coil voltage in excess of that value produced no damage to the sulfide layer. The junction provided self-protection for the coil as long as the upper allowable current density in the sulfide was not exceeded. No training was apparent up to 6.4 T

Metal-insulator transition in nanocomposite VO{sub x} films formed by anodic electrodeposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsui, Lok-kun; Lu, Jiwei; Zangari, Giovanni, E-mail: gz3e@virginia.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, 395 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States); Hildebrand, Helga; Schmuki, Patrik [Department for Materials Science LKO, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Martensstr. 7, D-91058 Erlangen (Germany)

2013-11-11

The ability to grow VO{sub 2} films by electrochemical methods would open a low-cost, easily scalable production route to a number of electronic devices. We have synthesized VO{sub x} films by anodic electrodeposition of V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, followed by partial reduction by annealing in Ar. The resulting films are heterogeneous, consisting of various metallic/oxide phases and including regions with VO{sub 2} stoichiometry. A gradual metal insulator transition with a nearly two order of magnitude change in film resistance is observed between room temperature and 140 °C. In addition, the films exhibit a temperature coefficient of resistance of ∼ −2.4%/ °C from 20 to 140 °C.

Defect design of insulation systems for photovoltaic modules

Science.gov (United States)

Mon, G. R.

1981-01-01

A defect-design approach to sizing electrical insulation systems for terrestrial photovoltaic modules is presented. It consists of gathering voltage-breakdown statistics on various thicknesses of candidate insulation films where, for a designated voltage, module failure probabilities for enumerated thickness and number-of-layer film combinations are calculated. Cost analysis then selects the most economical insulation system. A manufacturing yield problem is solved to exemplify the technique. Results for unaged Mylar suggest using fewer layers of thicker films. Defect design incorporates effects of flaws in optimal insulation system selection, and obviates choosing a tolerable failure rate, since the optimization process accomplishes that. Exposure to weathering and voltage stress reduces the voltage-withstanding capability of module insulation films. Defect design, applied to aged polyester films, promises to yield reliable, cost-optimal insulation systems.

Stability of low-carrier-density topological-insulator Bi2Se3 thin films and effect of capping layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salehi, Maryam; Brahlek, Matthew; Koirala, Nikesh; Moon, Jisoo; Oh, Seongshik; Wu, Liang; Armitage, N. P.

2015-01-01

Although over the past number of years there have been many advances in the materials aspects of topological insulators (TIs), one of the ongoing challenges with these materials is the protection of them against aging. In particular, the recent development of low-carrier-density bulk-insulating Bi 2 Se 3 thin films and their sensitivity to air demands reliable capping layers to stabilize their electronic properties. Here, we study the stability of the low-carrier-density Bi 2 Se 3 thin films in air with and without various capping layers using DC and THz probes. Without any capping layers, the carrier density increases by ∼150% over a week and by ∼280% over 9 months. In situ-deposited Se and ex situ-deposited poly(methyl methacrylate) suppress the aging effect to ∼27% and ∼88%, respectively, over 9 months. The combination of effective capping layers and low-carrier-density TI films will open up new opportunities in topological insulators

The X-ray sensitivity of semi-insulating polycrystalline CdZnTe thick films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Won, Jae Ho; Kim, Ki Hyun; Suh, Jong Hee; Cho, Shin Hang; Cho, Pyong Kon; Hong, Jin Ki; Kim, Sun Ung

2008-01-01

The X-ray sensitivity is one of the important parameters indicating the detector performance. The X-ray sensitivity of semi-insulating polycrystalline CdZnTe:Cl thick films was investigated as a function of electric field, mean photon energy, film thickness, and charge carrier transport parameters and, compared with another promising detector materials. The X-ray sensitivities of the polycrystalline CdZnTe films with 350 μm thickness were about 2.2 and 6.2 μC/cm 2 /R in the ohmic-type and Schottky-type detector at 0.83 V/μm, respectively

Bionanocomposite films based on plasticized PLA-PHB/cellulose nanocrystal blends.

Science.gov (United States)

Arrieta, M P; Fortunati, E; Dominici, F; López, J; Kenny, J M

2015-05-05

Optically transparent plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA) based bionanocomposite films intended for food packaging were prepared by melt blending. Materials were plasticized with 15wt% of acetyl(tributyl citrate) (ATBC) to improve the material processability and to obtain flexibile films. Poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) was used to increase PLA crystallinity. The thermal stability of the PLA-PHB blends was improved by the addition of 5 wt% of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) or modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) synthesized from microcrystalline cellulose. The combination of ATBC and cellulose nanocrystals, mainly the better dispersed CNCs, improved the interaction between PLA and PHB. Thus, an improvement on the oxygen barrier and stretchability was achieved in PLA-PHB-CNCs-ATBC which also displayed somewhat UV light blocking effect. All bionanocomposite films presented appropriate disintegration in compost suggesting their possible applications as biodegradable packaging materials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanical and barrier properties of starch-based films plasticized with two- or three component deep eutectic solvents.

Science.gov (United States)

Zdanowicz, Magdalena; Johansson, Caisa

2016-10-20

The aim of this work was to prepare two- and three-components deep eutectic solvents (DES) and investigate their potential as starch plasticizers. Starch/DES films were prepared via casting method. Mechanical properties, water vapor- and oxygen transmission rates were measured; additionally contact angle and moisture sorption were determined and FTIR analysis was applied on the films. Native potato starch and hydroxypropylated and oxidized starch (HOPS) with common plasticizers (e.g. polyols, urea) and DES were studied. Moreover, influence of three methods of DES introduction and concentration of plasticizer on the films properties were compared. HOPS films were prepared by two methods: as non-cured and cured samples. Some of DESs containing citrate anion exhibited crosslinking ability of polysaccharide matrix. Non-cured HOPS/DES films exhibited more favourable mechanical and barrier properties than cured analogue films. Samples prepared with unmodified potato starch had higher mechanical and barrier properties than films made with HOPS. Starch-based films plasticized with novel DESs with parallel crosslinking activity exhibited satisfactory mechanical and barrier properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of thin plastic films at cryogenic temperatures

Science.gov (United States)

Lark, R. F.; Hoggatt, J. T.; Wiedekamp, K. E.; Shdo, J. G.

1972-01-01

Commercially available plastic film materials that remain flexible at cryogenic temperatures and resist failures caused by folds and wrinkles created during expulsion were investigated for use in expulsion bladders for liquefied gases. Compatible adhesive systems, fabrication techniques, and results of impact and dynamic loading tests are summarized.

The measurement of longwave radiation properties upon plastic films used in greenhouses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horiguchi, I.; Tani, H.; Sugaya, H.

1982-01-01

Due to the rising cost of heating oils in recent years, the subject of heat conservation on a greenhouse has become more important. In this aspect, the plastic films used for reducing heat losses must have low transmittance property for longwave radiation, also need to have low emissivity. The properties of plastic films which affect on the transfer of energy are important. The paper discusses the measurements of reflectance, transmittance, and emissivity of longwave radiation (thermal radiation) upon various plastic films used for crop protection in agriculture, particularly in a greenhouse. New measuring methods for reflectance and emissivity were presented, and the previous transmittance calculations (Hagiwara and Horiguchi, 1972) were improved by using newly obtained reflectance values. The transmittance values obtained from the present study are about 2-5 percent larger than the values obtained from the previous study. The reason for the discrepancy may be due to the negligence of the reflectance term in the previous calculation. (author)

Integrated Multilayer Insulation

Science.gov (United States)

Dye, Scott

2009-01-01

Integrated multilayer insulation (IMLI) is being developed as an improved alternative to conventional multilayer insulation (MLI), which is more than 50 years old. A typical conventional MLI blanket comprises between 10 and 120 metallized polymer films separated by polyester nets. MLI is the best thermal- insulation material for use in a vacuum, and is the insulation material of choice for spacecraft and cryogenic systems. However, conventional MLI has several disadvantages: It is difficult or impossible to maintain the desired value of gap distance between the film layers (and consequently, it is difficult or impossible to ensure consistent performance), and fabrication and installation are labor-intensive and difficult. The development of IMLI is intended to overcome these disadvantages to some extent and to offer some additional advantages over conventional MLI. The main difference between IMLI and conventional MLI lies in the method of maintaining the gaps between the film layers. In IMLI, the film layers are separated by what its developers call a micro-molded discrete matrix, which can be loosely characterized as consisting of arrays of highly engineered, small, lightweight, polymer (typically, thermoplastic) frames attached to, and placed between, the film layers. The term "micro-molded" refers to both the smallness of the frames and the fact that they are fabricated in a process that forms precise small features, described below, that are essential to attainment of the desired properties. The term "discrete" refers to the nature of the matrix as consisting of separate frames, in contradistinction to a unitary frame spanning entire volume of an insulation blanket.

The Influence of Thermic Plastic Films on Vegetative and Reproductive Growth of Iceberg Lettuce 'Dublin'

OpenAIRE

Wael M. Semida; P. Hadley; W. Sobeih; N. A. El-Sawah; M. A. S. Barakat

2013-01-01

Photoselective plastic films with thermic properties are now available so that greenhouses clad with such plastics exhibit a higher degree of “Greenhouse Effect” with a consequent increase in night time temperature. In this study, we investigate the potential benefits of a range of thermic plastic films used as greenhouse cover materials on the vegetative and reproductive growth and development of Iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L). Transplants were grown under thermic fi...

Structure-property relation in HPMC polymer films plasticized with Sorbitol

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, Y.; Somashekarappa, H.; Mahadevaiah, Somashekar, R.

2013-06-01

A correlation study on physical and mechanical properties of Hydroxy propyl-methylcellulose (HPMC) polymer films plasticized with different weight ratio of Sorbitol, prepared using solution casting method, was carried out using wide angle X-ray technique and universal testing machine. It is found that the crystallanity decreases as the concentration of Sorbitol increases up to a certain concentration and there afterwards increases. Measured Physical Properties like tensile strength decreases and elongation (%) increases indicating increase in the flexibility of the films. These observations confirm the correlation between microstructal parameters and mechanical properties of films. These films are suitable for packaging food products.

Impact of Ultraviolet-Blocking Plastic Films on Insect Vectors of Virus Diseases Infesting Crisp Lettuce

OpenAIRE

Díaz Desani, Beatriz M.; Biurrun, R.; Moreno, Aránzazu; Nebreda, Miguel; Fereres, Alberto

2006-01-01

Ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing plastic films are being used as a photoselective barrier to control insect vectors and associated virus diseases in different horticultural crops. A 2-year experiment was carried out in northeastern Spain (Navarra) to evaluate the impact of a UV-blocking film (AD-IR AV) on the population density of insect pests and the spread of insect-transmitted virus diseases associated with head lettuce [Lactuca sativa (L.)]. Results showed that the UV-absorbing plastic film did...

Direct Fabrication of Inkjet-Printed Dielectric Film for Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitors

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Cheng-Lin; Kao, Hsuan-ling; Wu, Yung-Hsien; Chang, Li-Chun; Cheng, Chun-Hu

2018-01-01

In this study, an inkjet-printed dielectric film that used a polymer-based SU-8 ink was fabricated for use in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor. Thermal treatment of the inkjet-printed SU-8 polymer film affected its surface morphology, chemical structure, and surface wettability. A 20-min soft-bake at 60°C was applied to eliminate inkjet-printed bubbles and ripples. The ultraviolet-exposed SU-8 polymer film was crosslinked at temperatures between 120°C and 220°C and became disordered at 270°C, demonstrated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. A maximum SU-8 polymer film hard-bake temperature of 120°C was identified, and a printing process was subsequently employed because the appropriate water contact angle of the printed film was 79°. Under the appropriate inkjet printing conditions, the two-transmission-line method was used to extract the dielectric and electrical properties of the SU-8 polymer film, and the electrical behavior of the fabricated MIM capacitor was also characterized.

Soil solarization in open air with experimental and biodegradable plastic films [Apulia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russo, G.; Scarascia Mugnozza, G.; Frisullo, S.

2004-01-01

The use of biodegradable materials is a sustainable solution to the problem of high amounts of plastic films that must be disposed for soil solarization, since biodegradable films can be degraded directly in soil. The comparison of Mater-B biodegradable film with EVA and Polydac film for soil solarization and phythopatological tests in field is the aim of the present research. Experimental field tests were carried out in Borgo Cervaro (FG) in June and July 2002. A data logger connected with sensors was used to measure and collect climatic parameters. During field tests, climatic parameters and soil temperatures at different depth for soil under the different materials were evaluated. The performances of plastic materials were investigated measuring laceration and tensile strength and radiometric properties every 15 days. Soil samples were analysed in order to verify the reduction of infesting load of soilborne pathogens during soil solarization. The tests, although affected by adverse climatic conditions, show the capacity of the biodegradable film to obtain similar performances compared to traditional films. The traditional films produced higher temperatures in soil, longer duration and a higher number of hours with temperature higher than 40 deg C. Phytopathological results showed a higher sterilising effect for EVA and Polydac films in comparison to the Mater-B one [it

Metal-insulator transition in tin doped indium oxide (ITO thin films: Quantum correction to the electrical conductivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deepak Kumar Kaushik

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tin doped indium oxide (ITO thin films are being used extensively as transparent conductors in several applications. In the present communication, we report the electrical transport in DC magnetron sputtered ITO thin films (prepared at 300 K and subsequently annealed at 673 K in vacuum for 60 minutes in low temperatures (25-300 K. The low temperature Hall effect and resistivity measurements reveal that the ITO thin films are moderately dis-ordered (kFl∼1; kF is the Fermi wave vector and l is the electron mean free path and degenerate semiconductors. The transport of charge carriers (electrons in these disordered ITO thin films takes place via the de-localized states. The disorder effects lead to the well-known ‘metal-insulator transition’ (MIT which is observed at 110 K in these ITO thin films. The MIT in ITO thin films is explained by the quantum correction to the conductivity (QCC; this approach is based on the inclusion of quantum-mechanical interference effects in Boltzmann’s expression of the conductivity of the disordered systems. The insulating behaviour observed in ITO thin films below the MIT temperature is attributed to the combined effect of the weak localization and the electron-electron interactions.

Metal-insulator transition in tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films: Quantum correction to the electrical conductivity

Science.gov (United States)

Kaushik, Deepak Kumar; Kumar, K. Uday; Subrahmanyam, A.

2017-01-01

Tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films are being used extensively as transparent conductors in several applications. In the present communication, we report the electrical transport in DC magnetron sputtered ITO thin films (prepared at 300 K and subsequently annealed at 673 K in vacuum for 60 minutes) in low temperatures (25-300 K). The low temperature Hall effect and resistivity measurements reveal that the ITO thin films are moderately dis-ordered (kFl˜1; kF is the Fermi wave vector and l is the electron mean free path) and degenerate semiconductors. The transport of charge carriers (electrons) in these disordered ITO thin films takes place via the de-localized states. The disorder effects lead to the well-known `metal-insulator transition' (MIT) which is observed at 110 K in these ITO thin films. The MIT in ITO thin films is explained by the quantum correction to the conductivity (QCC); this approach is based on the inclusion of quantum-mechanical interference effects in Boltzmann's expression of the conductivity of the disordered systems. The insulating behaviour observed in ITO thin films below the MIT temperature is attributed to the combined effect of the weak localization and the electron-electron interactions.

Field-tuned superconductor-insulator transitions and Hall resistance in thin polycrystalline MoN films

Science.gov (United States)

Makise, Kazumasa; Ichikawa, Fusao; Asano, Takayuki; Shinozaki, Bunju

2018-02-01

We report on the superconductor-insulator transitions (SITs) of disordered molybdenum nitride (MoN) thin films on (1 0 0) MgO substrates as a function of the film thickness and magnetic fields. The T c of the superconducting MoN films, which exhibit a sharp superconducting transition, monotonically decreases as the normal state R sq increases with a decreasing film thickness. For several films with different thicknesses, we estimate the critical field H c and the product zν  ≃  0.6 of the dynamical exponent z and the correlation length exponent ν using a finite scaling analysis. The value of this product can be explained by the (2  +  1) XY model. We found that the Hall resistance ΔR xy (H) is maximized when the magnetic field satisfies H HP(T) \\propto |1  -  T/T C0| in the superconducting state and also in the normal states owning to the superconducting fluctuation corresponding to the ghost critical magnetic field. We measured the Hall conductivity δσ xy (H)  =  σ xy (H)  -  σ xyn and fit the Gaussian approximation theory for δσ xy (H) to the experimental data. Agreement between the data and the theory beyond H c suggests the survival of the Cooper pair in the insulating region of the SIT.

Tc depression and superconductor-insulator transition in molybdenum nitride thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, F.; Makise, K.; Tsuneoka, T.; Maeda, S.; Shinozaki, B.

2018-03-01

We have studied that the Tc depression and the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in molybdenum nitride (MoN) thin films. Thin films were fabricated by reactive DC magnetron sputtering method onto (100) MgO substrates in the mixture of Ar and N2 gases. Several dozen MoN thin films were prepared in the range of 3 nm < thickness d < 60 nm. The resistance was measured by a DC four-probe technique. It is found that Tc decreases from 6.6 K for thick films with increase of the normal state sheet resistance {R}{{sq}}{{N}} and experimental data were fitted to the Finkel’stein formula using the bulk superconducting transition temperature Tc 0 = 6.45 K and the elastic scattering time of electron τ = 1.6 × 10‑16 s. From this analysis the critical sheet resistance Rc is found about 2 kΩ, which is smaller than the quantum sheet resistance R Q. This value of Rc is almost the same as those for 2D NbN films. The value of τ for MoN films is also the similar value for NbN films 1.0 × 10‑16 s, while Tc 0 is different from that for NbN films 14.85 K. It is indicated that the mechanism of SIT for MoN films is similar to that of NbN films, while the mean free path ℓ for MoN films is larger than that for NbN films.

Edible Film from Polyblend of Ginger Starch, Chitosan, and Sorbitol as Plasticizer

Science.gov (United States)

Sariningsih, N.; Putra, Y. P.; Pamungkas, W. P.; Kusumaningsih, T.

2018-03-01

Polyblend ginger starch/chitosan based edible film has been succesfully prepared and characterized. The purpose of this research was to produce edible film from polyblend of ginger starch, chitosan, and sorbitol as plasticizer. The resulted edible film were characterized by using FTIR, TGA and UTM. Edible film of ginger starch had OH vibration (3430 cm-1). Besides, edible film had elongation up to 15.63%. The thermal degradation of this material reached 208°C indicating high termal stability. The water uptake of the edible film was 42.85%. It concluded that edible film produce in this research has potential as a packaging.

Pattern formation in plastic liquid films on elastomers by ratcheting.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiangshui; Yang, Jiawei; Jin, Lihua; Clarke, David R; Suo, Zhigang

2016-04-20

Plastic liquids, also known as Bingham liquids, retain their shape when loads are small, but flow when loads exceed a threshold. We discovered that plastic liquid films coated on elastomers develop wavy patterns under cyclic loads. As the number of cycles increases, the wavelength of the patterns remains unchanged, but the amplitude of the patterns increases and then saturates. Because the patterns develop progressively under cyclic loads, we call this phenomenon as "patterning by ratcheting". We observe the phenomenon in plastic liquids of several kinds, and studied the effects of thickness, the cyclic frequency of the stretch, and the range of the stretch. Finite element simulations show that the ratcheting phenomenon can occur in materials described by a commonly used model of elastic-plastic deformation.

Reduction of heat insulation upon soaking of the insulation layer

Science.gov (United States)

Achtliger, J.

1983-09-01

Improved thermal protection of hollow masonry by introduction of a core insulation between the inner and outer shell is discussed. The thermal conductivity of insulation materials was determined in dry state and after soaking by water with different volume-related moisture contents. The interpolated thermal conductivity values from three measured values at 10 C average temperature are presented as a function of the pertinent moisture content. Fills of expanded polystyrene, perlite and granulated mineral fibers, insulating boards made of mineral fibers and in situ cellular plastics produced from urea-formaldehyde resin were investigated. Test results show a confirmation of thermal conductivity values for insulating materials in hollow masonry.

Panels of microporous insulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McWilliams, J.A.; Morgan, D.E.; Jackson, J.D.J.

1990-08-07

Microporous thermal insulation materials have a lattice structure in which the average interstitial dimension is less than the mean free path of the molecules of air or other gas in which the material is arranged. This results in a heat flow which is less than that attributable to the molecular heat diffusion of the gas. According to this invention, a method is provided for manufacturing panels of microporous thermal insulation, in particular such panels in which the insulation material is bonded to a substrate. The method comprises the steps of applying a film of polyvinyl acetate emulsion to a non-porous substrate, and compacting powdery microporous thermal insulation material against the film so as to cause the consolidated insulation material to bond to the substrate and form a panel. The polyvinyl acetate may be applied by brushing or spraying, and is preferably allowed to dry prior to compacting the insulation material. 1 fig.

Reflectance study on the metal-insulator transition driven by crystallinity change in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Shinuk; Park, Sungheum; Lee, Kwanghee

2005-01-01

We report optical reflectance, R(ω), studies on free-standing films of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxy thiophene)/poly(style ne sulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) measured over a range from 0.02 - 5.0 eV. When the PEDOT-PSS films were prepared at an elevated temperature of 60 .deg. C, the films exhibit an increased dc-conductivity (σ dc ∼ 104 S/cm) and an optical conductivity, σ(ω), in the intraband transitions below 1.0 eV as compared with the films prepared at room temperature (σ dc ∼ 47 S/cm). Detailed analysis of σ(ω) in terms of the 'localization-modified Drude (LMD) model' demonstrated that the heat-treated PEDOT-PSS was a disordered metal near the metal-insulator transition (MIT) while the as-grown films could be better described as a Fermi glass on the insulating side of MIT. The heat-annealing process increased the degree of crystallinity of the films, thereby inducing a MIT near the critical limit.

Influence of colorant and film thickness on thermal aging characteristics of oxo-biodegradable plastic bags

Science.gov (United States)

Leuterio, Giselle Lou D.; Pajarito, Bryan B.; Domingo, Carla Marie C.; Lim, Anna Patricia G.

2016-05-01

Functional, lightweight, strong and cheap plastic bags incorporated with pro-oxidants undergo accelerated degradation under exposure to heat and oxygen. This work investigated the effect of colorant and film thickness on thermal aging characteristics of commercial oxo-biodegradable plastic bag films at 70 °C. Degradation is monitored through changes in infrared absorption, weight, and tensile properties of thermally aged films. The presence of carbonyl band in infrared spectrum after 672 h of thermal aging supports the degradation behavior of exposed films. Results show that incorporation of colorant and increasing thickness exhibit low maximum weight uptake. Titanium dioxide as white colorant in films lowers the susceptibility of films to oxygen uptake but enhances physical degradation. Higher amount of pro-oxidant loading also contributes to faster degradation. Opaque films are characterized by low tensile strength and high elastic modulus. Decreasing the thickness contributes to lower tensile strength of films. Thermally aged films with colorant and low thickness promote enhanced degradation.

Fruit sphere microenvironments and berry phenolic content of Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L. cultivated under rain-shelter systems with coloured plastic film

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang-Fei MENG

Full Text Available Abstract Rain-shelter cultivation has been proven an important cultivation method for grape-plantings in continental monsoon climate zones, of which white plastic films are the most common shelter material. However, while this method and material reduces the occurrence of the disease, it can also decrease the grape berry quality. Five colours (including red, yellow, blue, purple, and white of plastic films were covered above Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L. grapevine rows before veraison. Rain-shelter cultivation reduced air temperature, wind speed, and total solar radiation and enhanced relative humidity in the fruit sphere of grapevines. For each particular colour plastic film, the irradiance of its corresponding spectrum band in the canopy of vines was higher than with other colour plastic films. Meanwhile, the blue plastic film treatment significantly promoted the accumulation of total phenolics, anthocyanins, flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic acids more than the other colours of plastic films. Blue plastic films are more beneficial for berry quality promotion of wine grapes, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, under rain-shelter cultivation in continental monsoon climate zones.

Thickness oscillations of the transport properties in n-type Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulator thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogacheva, E.I., E-mail: rogacheva@kpi.kharkov.ua [National Technical University “Kharkov Polytechnic Institute”, 21 Frunze Street, Kharkov 61002 (Ukraine); Budnik, A.V.; Sipatov, A.Yu.; Nashchekina, O.N. [National Technical University “Kharkov Polytechnic Institute”, 21 Frunze Street, Kharkov 61002 (Ukraine); Fedorov, A.G. [Institute for Single Crystals of NAS of Ukraine, 60 Lenin Prospect, Kharkov 61001 (Ukraine); Dresselhaus, M.S.; Tang, S. [Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2015-11-02

The dependences of the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and Hall coefficient on the thickness (d = 20–155 nm) of the n-type thin films grown on the glass substrates by the thermal evaporation in vacuum of the n-type Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulator crystals have been measured. It has been established that these dependences have an oscillatory character with a substantial amplitude. The obtained results are interpreted in terms of quantum size effects, taking into account the peculiar properties of the surface layers of the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} films connected with the topological insulator nature of the bismuth telluride. - Highlights: • The thickness dependences of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films kinetic coefficients were obtained. • The dependences have oscillatory character with a substantial undamped amplitude. • The oscillation period increases with decreasing film thickness. • The oscillations are attributed to electron confinement in the film growth direction. • It is suggested that topological surface layer affects quantum processes in films.

Localized etching of an insulator film coated on a copper wire using an atmospheric-pressure microplasma jet.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshiki, Hiroyuki

2007-04-01

Atmospheric-pressure microplasma jets (APmicroPJs) of Ar and ArO(2) gases were generated from the tip of a stainless steel surgical needle having outer and inner diameters of 0.4 and 0.2 mm, respectively, with a rf excitation of 13.56 MHz. The steel needle functions both as a powered electrode and a gas nozzle. The operating power is 1.2-6 W and the corresponding peak-to-peak voltage Vp.p. is about 1.5 kV. The APmicroPJ was applied to the localized etching of a polyamide-imide insulator film (thickness of 10 microm) of a copper winding wire of 90 microm diameter. The insulator film around the copper wire was completely removed by the irradiated plasma from a certain direction without fusing the wire. The removal time under the Ar APmicroPJ irradiation was only 3 s at a rf power of 4 W. Fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscope images reveal that good selectivity of the insulator film to the copper wire was achieved. In the case of ArO(2) APmicroPJ irradiation with an O(2) concentration of 10% or more, the removed copper surface was converted to copper monoxide CuO.

Localized etching of an insulator film coated on a copper wire using an atmospheric-pressure microplasma jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshiki, Hiroyuki

2007-01-01

Atmospheric-pressure microplasma jets (APμPJs) of Ar and Ar/O 2 gases were generated from the tip of a stainless steel surgical needle having outer and inner diameters of 0.4 and 0.2 mm, respectively, with a rf excitation of 13.56 MHz. The steel needle functions both as a powered electrode and a gas nozzle. The operating power is 1.2-6 W and the corresponding peak-to-peak voltage Vp.p. is about 1.5 kV. The APμPJ was applied to the localized etching of a polyamide-imide insulator film (thickness of 10 μm) of a copper winding wire of 90 μm diameter. The insulator film around the copper wire was completely removed by the irradiated plasma from a certain direction without fusing the wire. The removal time under the Ar APμPJ irradiation was only 3 s at a rf power of 4 W. Fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscope images reveal that good selectivity of the insulator film to the copper wire was achieved. In the case of Ar/O 2 APμPJ irradiation with an O 2 concentration of 10% or more, the removed copper surface was converted to copper monoxide CuO

Metal-oxide assisted surface treatment of polyimide gate insulators for high-performance organic thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sohee; Ha, Taewook; Yoo, Sungmi; Ka, Jae-Won; Kim, Jinsoo; Won, Jong Chan; Choi, Dong Hoon; Jang, Kwang-Suk; Kim, Yun Ho

2017-06-14

We developed a facile method for treating polyimide-based organic gate insulator (OGI) surfaces with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by introducing metal-oxide interlayers, called the metal-oxide assisted SAM treatment (MAST). To create sites for surface modification with SAM materials on polyimide-based OGI (KPI) surfaces, the metal-oxide interlayer, here amorphous alumina (α-Al 2 O 3 ), was deposited on the KPI gate insulator using spin-coating via a rapid sol-gel reaction, providing an excellent template for the formation of a high-quality SAM with phosphonic acid anchor groups. The SAM of octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) was successfully treated by spin-coating onto the α-Al 2 O 3 -deposited KPI film. After the surface treatment by ODPA/α-Al 2 O 3 , the surface energy of the KPI thin film was remarkably decreased and the molecular compatibility of the film with an organic semiconductor (OSC), 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-C 10 ), was increased. Ph-BTBT-C 10 molecules were uniformly deposited on the treated gate insulator surface and grown with high crystallinity, as confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The mobility of Ph-BTBT-C 10 thin-film transistors (TFTs) was approximately doubled, from 0.56 ± 0.05 cm 2 V -1 s -1 to 1.26 ± 0.06 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , after the surface treatment. The surface treatment of α-Al 2 O 3 and ODPA significantly decreased the threshold voltage from -21.2 V to -8.3 V by reducing the trap sites in the OGI and improving the interfacial properties with the OSC. We suggest that the MAST method for OGIs can be applied to various OGI materials lacking reactive sites using SAMs. It may provide a new platform for the surface treatment of OGIs, similar to that of conventional SiO 2 gate insulators.

Current-induced metal-insulator transition in VO x thin film prepared by rapid-thermal-annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Choong-Rae; Cho, SungIl; Vadim, Sidorkin; Jung, Ranju; Yoo, Inkyeong

2006-01-01

The phenomenon of metal-insulator transition (MIT) in polycrystalline VO x thin films and their preparations have been studied. The films were prepared by sputtering of vanadium thin films succeeded by Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA) in oxygen ambient at 500 deg. C. Crystalline, compositional, and morphological characterizations reveal a continuous change of phase from vanadium metal to the highest oxide phase, V 2 O 5 , with the time of annealing. Electrical MIT switching has been observed in these films. Sweeping mode, electrode area, and temperature dependent MIT has been studied in Pt/VO x /Pt vertical structure. The important parameters for MIT in VO x have been found to be the current density and the electric field, which depend on carrier density in the films

Local Plasticity of Al Thin Films as Revealed by X-Ray Microdiffraction

Science.gov (United States)

Spolenak, R.; Brown, W. L.; Tamura, N.; MacDowell, A. A.; Celestre, R. S.; Padmore, H. A.; Valek, B.; Bravman, J. C.; Marieb, T.; Fujimoto, H.; Batterman, B. W.; Patel, J. R.

2003-03-01

Grain-to-grain interactions dominate the plasticity of Al thin films and establish effective length scales smaller than the grain size. We have measured large strain distributions and their changes under plastic strain in 1.5-μm-thick Al0.5%Cu films using a 0.8-μm-diameter white x-ray probe at the Advanced Light Source. Strain distributions arise not only from the distribution of grain sizes and orientation, but also from the differences in grain shape and from stress environment. Multiple active glide plane domains have been found within single grains. Large grains behave like multiple smaller grains even before a dislocation substructure can evolve.

Dye film dosimetry for radiation processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphreys, J.C.; McLaughlin, W.L.

1981-01-01

Commercially available plastic films containing dyes or dye precursors are convenient dosimeters and imaging media for electron beams or photons used for industrial radiation processing. As ''grainless'' imaging systems having thicknesses down to a few micrometers, they provide high spatial resolution for determining detailed absorbed dose distributions through microdensitometric analysis. The radiation absorption properties of these systems are adjusted by changing film composition so that the dosimeter materials can be made to simulate the material of interest undergoing irradiation. Other advantages include long-term stability, dose-rate independence, and ease of use and calibration. Radiochromic dye films with thicknesses varying from 0.005 to 1 mm are presently used to monitor electron-beam or gamma-ray doses from 10 to 10 5 Gy (10 3 to 10 7 rad), typical of those encountered in medical applications, radiation curing of polymeric composites, wire and cable insulation, shrinkable plastic tubing and film, as well as sterilization of medical supplies and treatment of municipal and industrial wastes. An NBS calibration service to industry involves the traceability of standard 60 Co gamma ray absorbed dose measurements by means of these films employed as transfer standards

Thermatically sealed double window panes with distended plastic film between them. Termoruder med lag af plastfilm udspaendt mellem glassene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lund Nielsen, B.

1988-05-15

On the basis of a literary study this report examines improved methods of calculating the U-value and the solar factor for double glazings with plastic films suspended vertically in the air gap. The methods take into account that plastic film is capable of transmitting infrared radiation. Annex 1 includes copies of computer programs developed during the project. The programs calculate the U-value and the solar factor of glazings according to the above improved methods. The report further includes sections about the coating of glass and plastics and of the aging of plastic film. (author) 13 refs.

Soil contamination by phthalate esters in Chinese intensive vegetable production systems with different modes of use of plastic film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jun; Luo, Yongming; Teng, Ying; Ma, Wenting; Christie, Peter; Li, Zhengao

2013-01-01

The concentrations of six priority phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in intensively managed suburban vegetable soils in Nanjing, east China, were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The total PAE concentrations in the soils ranged widely from 0.15 to 9.68 mg kg −1 with a median value of 1.70 mg kg −1 , and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) were the most abundant phthalate esters. Soil PAE concentrations depended on the mode of use of plastic film in which PAEs were incorporated as plasticizing agents and both the plastic film and poultry manure appeared to be important sources of soil PAEs. Vegetables in rotation with flooded rice led to lower concentrations of PAEs in soil. The results indicate that agricultural plastic film can be an important source of soil PAE contamination and further research is required to fully elucidate the mechanisms of PAE contamination of intensive agricultural soils with different use modes of use of plastic film. -- Highlights: •Phthalate esters in soils from suburban intensive vegetable production systems were investigated. •Phthalate levels and risks of the vegetable soils with different plastic film use modes were examined. •Sources of phthalate esters in vegetable production soils were analyzed. -- PAE contamination of intensively managed vegetable soils varied widely depending on the mode of use of plastic film in different production systems

Effects of No-tillage Combined with Reused Plastic Film Mulching on Maize Yield and Irrigation Water Productivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SU Yong-zhong

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of reused plastic film mulching and no-tillage on maize yield and irriga-tion water productivity(IWP in the marginal oasis in the middle of Hexi Corridor region of northwestern China. The aim is to provide an alternative tillage and cultivation pattern for reducing plastic film pollution, saving cost and increasing income, and improving resource use efficiency. The field experiment was carried out in three soils with different textures and fertility levels. Three treatments for each soil were set up:(1 conventional tillage,winter irrigation, and new plastic mulching cultivation(NM;(2 no tillage, less winter irrigation and reused plastic mulching cultivation (RM;(3 no tillage, less winter irrigation and reused plastic mulching combined with straw mulching (RMS. The results showed that the average daily soil temperature in the two reused plastic mulching treatment(RM and RMS during maize sowing and elongation stage was lower 0.6~1.0℃(5 cm depth and 0.5~0.8℃(15 cm depth than that in the NM. This result suggested that no tillage and reused plastic mulching cultivation still had the effect of increasing soil temperature. Maize grain yield in the RM was reduced by 4.4%~10.6% compared with the conventional cultivation(NM, while the net income increased due to saving in plastic film and tillage ex-penses. There was no significant difference in maize grain yield between the RMS and NM treatment, but the net income in the RMS was in-creased by 12.5%~17.1% than that in the NM. Compared with the NM, the two reused plastic film mulching treatments (RM and RMS decreased the volume of winter irrigation, but maize IWP increased. Soil texture and fertility level affected significantly maize nitrogen uptake and IWP. In the arid oases with the shortage of water resources, cultivation practices of conservation tillage with recycle of plastic film is an ideal option for saving cost and increasing income

Large-grain polycrystalline silicon film by sequential lateral solidification on a plastic substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yong-Hae; Chung, Choong-Heui; Yun, Sun Jin; Moon, Jaehyun; Park, Dong-Jin; Kim, Dae-Won; Lim, Jung Wook; Song, Yoon-Ho; Lee, Jin Ho

2005-01-01

A large-grain polycrystalline silicon film was obtained on a plastic substrate by sequential lateral solidification. With various combinations of sputtering powers and Ar working gas pressures, the conditions for producing dense amorphous silicon (a-Si) and SiO 2 films were optimized. The successful crystallization of the a-Si film is attributed to the production of a dense a-Si film that has low argon content and can endure high-intensity laser irradiation

Effect of aging on the microstructure of plasticized cornstarch films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rossana M.S.M. Thiré

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Aging of cornstarch films prepared by casting was investigated. Water and glycerol-plasticized cornstarch films were stored at 50% relative humidity over a period of 330 days. Aging was followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD and atomic force microscopy (AFM. XRD spectra indicated development of B-type crystallinity even for fresh films and that the crystallinity index increased from 0.06 to 0.28 as a function of storage time. AFM images of 270-day-old films revealed that the general morphology and the overall roughness have not changed due to aging. AFM phase contrast images at higher magnification showed an increasing number of ordered domains at the surface of these films, which may be attributed to recrystallization of amylose. No morphological change was observed at least at the surface of the granular region, which is enriched in amylopectin.

Thin film transistors on plastic substrates with reflective coatings for radiation protection

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Jesse D [Fairfield, CA; Theiss, Steven D [Woodbury, MN; Carey, Paul G [Mountain View, CA; Smith, Patrick M [San Ramon, CA; Wickbold, Paul [Walnut Creek, CA

2006-09-26

Fabrication of silicon thin film transistors (TFT) on low-temperature plastic substrates using a reflective coating so that inexpensive plastic substrates may be used in place of standard glass, quartz, and silicon wafer-based substrates. The TFT can be used in large area low cost electronics, such as flat panel displays and portable electronics such as video cameras, personal digital assistants, and cell phones.

Influence of ionizing radiation and use of plasticizers on the mechanical properties and barrier properties of biodegradable films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponce, Patricia; Parra, Duclerc F.; Carr, Laura G.; Sato, Juliana S.; Lugao, Ademar B.

2005-01-01

This work reports the influence of radiation and plasticizers on the barrier properties [water vapour permeability (WVP)] and mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation) of edible films made of starch. These films were prepared with 4 g of starch/100 mL of water; 2-10 g polyethylene glycol (PEG)/100 g starch; and at natural pH. Tensile strength and percentage elongation were measured using a Mechanical Universal Testing Machine Instron 4400R and the water vapour permeability was determined according to ASTM E96-80 (ASTM, 1989). The mechanical properties of starch films are influenced by the plasticizer concentration. An increase in PEG content showed a considerable increase in elongation percentage and a decrease in the tensile strength of the films, also increase the permeability of the films in water. After irradiation, the barrier properties [water vapour permeability (WVP)] and mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation) of the films were improved due to chemical reactions among polymer molecules. The films were irradiated at room temperature with gamma radiation. Irradiated starch cassava films with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as plasticizer have good flexibility and low water permeability, which indicate potential application as edible films (author)

Insulating materials for cables: state of the technology and future developments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blechschmidt, H H [Hessische Elektrizitaets-A.G., Darmstadt (Germany, F.R.)

1977-02-01

This article gives a summary of old and new insulating materials for electrical cables. The electrical properties of some polymer insulating materials (PVC, polyethelene (PE), polymerised polyethelene (VPE), polypropylene) are compared in a table with the properties of paper insulation. The changeover from oiled paper to plastic insulation is almost complete for low voltage cables. Soft PVC is the dominant insulating material in this field. For medium voltage cables (10 kV and 20 kV supplies) and for high voltage cables (60 kV and 110 kV supplies) there is a trend to plastic PE/VPE, because these insulating materials have better electrical properties than PVC.

Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films: Impacts on Soil Microbial Communities and Ecosystem Functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sreejata Bandopadhyay

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Agricultural plastic mulch films are widely used in specialty crop production systems because of their agronomic benefits. Biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs offer an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional polyethylene (PE mulch. Unlike PE films, which need to be removed after use, BDMs are tilled into soil where they are expected to biodegrade. However, there remains considerable uncertainty about long-term impacts of BDM incorporation on soil ecosystems. BDMs potentially influence soil microbial communities in two ways: first, as a surface barrier prior to soil incorporation, indirectly affecting soil microclimate and atmosphere (similar to PE films and second, after soil incorporation, as a direct input of physical fragments, which add carbon, microorganisms, additives, and adherent chemicals. This review summarizes the current literature on impacts of plastic mulches on soil biological and biogeochemical processes, with a special emphasis on BDMs. The combined findings indicated that when used as a surface barrier, plastic mulches altered soil microbial community composition and functioning via microclimate modification, though the nature of these alterations varied between studies. In addition, BDM incorporation into soil can result in enhanced microbial activity and enrichment of fungal taxa. This suggests that despite the fact that total carbon input from BDMs is minuscule, a stimulatory effect on microbial activity may ultimately affect soil organic matter dynamics. To address the current knowledge gaps, long term studies and a better understanding of impacts of BDMs on nutrient biogeochemistry are needed. These are critical to evaluating BDMs as they relate to soil health and agroecosystem sustainability.

Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films: Impacts on Soil Microbial Communities and Ecosystem Functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandopadhyay, Sreejata; Martin-Closas, Lluis; Pelacho, Ana M; DeBruyn, Jennifer M

2018-01-01

Agricultural plastic mulch films are widely used in specialty crop production systems because of their agronomic benefits. Biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) offer an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional polyethylene (PE) mulch. Unlike PE films, which need to be removed after use, BDMs are tilled into soil where they are expected to biodegrade. However, there remains considerable uncertainty about long-term impacts of BDM incorporation on soil ecosystems. BDMs potentially influence soil microbial communities in two ways: first, as a surface barrier prior to soil incorporation, indirectly affecting soil microclimate and atmosphere (similar to PE films) and second, after soil incorporation, as a direct input of physical fragments, which add carbon, microorganisms, additives, and adherent chemicals. This review summarizes the current literature on impacts of plastic mulches on soil biological and biogeochemical processes, with a special emphasis on BDMs. The combined findings indicated that when used as a surface barrier, plastic mulches altered soil microbial community composition and functioning via microclimate modification, though the nature of these alterations varied between studies. In addition, BDM incorporation into soil can result in enhanced microbial activity and enrichment of fungal taxa. This suggests that despite the fact that total carbon input from BDMs is minuscule, a stimulatory effect on microbial activity may ultimately affect soil organic matter dynamics. To address the current knowledge gaps, long term studies and a better understanding of impacts of BDMs on nutrient biogeochemistry are needed. These are critical to evaluating BDMs as they relate to soil health and agroecosystem sustainability.

Quantum Hall effect on top and bottom surface states of topological insulator (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 films.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshimi, R; Tsukazaki, A; Kozuka, Y; Falson, J; Takahashi, K S; Checkelsky, J G; Nagaosa, N; Kawasaki, M; Tokura, Y

2015-04-14

The three-dimensional topological insulator is a novel state of matter characterized by two-dimensional metallic Dirac states on its surface. To verify the topological nature of the surface states, Bi-based chalcogenides such as Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3 and their combined/mixed compounds have been intensively studied. Here, we report the realization of the quantum Hall effect on the surface Dirac states in (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 films. With electrostatic gate-tuning of the Fermi level in the bulk band gap under magnetic fields, the quantum Hall states with filling factor ±1 are resolved. Furthermore, the appearance of a quantum Hall plateau at filling factor zero reflects a pseudo-spin Hall insulator state when the Fermi level is tuned in between the energy levels of the non-degenerate top and bottom surface Dirac points. The observation of the quantum Hall effect in three-dimensional topological insulator films may pave a way toward topological insulator-based electronics.

Temperature-dependent plastic hysteresis in highly confined polycrystalline Nb films

Science.gov (United States)

Waheed, S.; Hao, R.; Zheng, Z.; Wheeler, J. M.; Michler, J.; Balint, D. S.; Giuliani, F.

2018-02-01

In this study, the effect of temperature on the cyclic deformation behaviour of a confined polycrystalline Nb film is investigated. Micropillars encapsulating a thin niobium interlayer are deformed under cyclic axial compression at different test temperatures. A distinct plastic hysteresis is observed for samples tested at elevated temperatures, whereas negligible plastic hysteresis is observed for samples tested at room temperature. These results are interpreted using planar discrete dislocation plasticity incorporating slip transmission across grain boundaries. The effect of temperature-dependent grain boundary energy and dislocation mobility on dislocation penetration and, consequently, the size of plastic hysteresis is simulated to correlate with the experimental results. It is found that the decrease in grain boundary energy barrier caused by the increase in temperature does not lead to any appreciable change in the cyclic response. However, dislocation mobility significantly affects the size of plastic hysteresis, with high mobilities leading to a larger hysteresis. Therefore, it is postulated that the experimental observations are predominantly caused by an increase in dislocation mobility as the temperature is increased above the critical temperature of body-centred cubic niobium.

Light scattering by epitaxial VO{sub 2} films near the metal-insulator transition point

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lysenko, Sergiy, E-mail: sergiy.lysenko@upr.edu; Fernández, Felix; Rúa, Armando; Figueroa, Jose; Vargas, Kevin; Cordero, Joseph [Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00681 (United States); Aparicio, Joaquin [Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico-Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico 00732 (United States); Sepúlveda, Nelson [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824 (United States)

2015-05-14

Experimental observation of metal-insulator transition in epitaxial films of vanadium dioxide is reported. Hemispherical angle-resolved light scattering technique is applied for statistical analysis of the phase transition processes on mesoscale. It is shown that the thermal hysteresis strongly depends on spatial frequency of surface irregularities. The transformation of scattering indicatrix depends on sample morphology and is principally different for the thin films with higher internal elastic strain and for the thicker films where this strain is suppressed by introduction of misfit dislocations. The evolution of scattering indicatrix, fractal dimension, surface power spectral density, and surface autocorrelation function demonstrates distinctive behavior which elucidates the influence of structural defects and strain on thermal hysteresis, twinning of microcrystallites, and domain formation during the phase transition.

Study of Ho-doped Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulator thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrison, S. E. [Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Collins-McIntyre, L. J.; Zhang, S. L.; Chen, Y. L.; Hesjedal, T., E-mail: Thorsten.Hesjedal@physics.ox.ac.uk [Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Baker, A. A. [Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Figueroa, A. I.; Laan, G. van der [Magnetic Spectroscopy Group, Diamond Light Source, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Kellock, A. J.; Pushp, A.; Parkin, S. S. P. [IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120 (United States); Harris, J. S. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2015-11-02

Breaking time-reversal symmetry through magnetic doping of topological insulators has been identified as a key strategy for unlocking exotic physical states. Here, we report the growth of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films doped with the highest magnetic moment element Ho. Diffraction studies demonstrate high quality films for up to 21% Ho incorporation. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry reveals paramagnetism down to 2 K with an effective magnetic moment of ∼5 μ{sub B}/Ho. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows that the topological surface state remains intact with Ho doping, consistent with the material's paramagnetic state. The large saturation moment achieved makes these films useful for incorporation into heterostructures, whereby magnetic order can be introduced via interfacial coupling.

Enhancement of Moisture Protective Properties and Stability of Pectin through Formation of a Composite Film: Effects of Shellac and Plasticizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Luangtana-Anan, Manee; Soradech, Sitthiphong; Saengsod, Suthep; Nunthanid, Jurairat; Limmatvapirat, Sontaya

2017-12-01

The aim of this investigation was to develop the high moisture protective ability and stable pectin through the design of composite films based on varying shellac concentrations. A film casting method was applied to prepare a free film. The moisture protective properties and mechanical properties were investigated. The findings was the composite films exhibited the reductions in the hydrophilicity, water vapor permeability, and the moisture content compared with pectin films. The single and composite films were then study for their stability at 40 °C and 75% RH for 90 d. Among the concentrations of shellac, 50% (w/w) could improve stability in terms of moisture protection after 90 d of storage, whereas lower concentrations of shellac (10% to 40%) could not achieve this. However, the higher shellac content also contributed to weaker mechanical properties. The mechanical improvement and stability of composite films with the incorporation of plasticizers were further investigated. Polyethylene glycol 400 and diethyl phthalate at a concentration of 10% were used. The results indicated that both plasticizers could enhance the mechanical characteristics and had a slight effect on moisture protection. The stability of pectin in terms of moisture protective properties could, therefore, be modified through the fabrication of composite films with hydrophobic polymers, that is, shellac and the addition of proper plasticizers to enhance mechanical properties, which could offer wide applications for edible film in food, agro, and pharmaceutical industries. The composite film with 50% shellac could improve moisture protective properties of pectin film. Adding a plasticizer could build up the higher mechanical characteristics of composite film. Stability of pectin could be modified by fabrication of composite films with proper content of shellac and plasticizer. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Capturing Plastic Surgery on Film-Making Reconstruction Visible.

Science.gov (United States)

Lunger, Alexander; Ismail, Tarek; Sarraf, Namita; Epple, Christian; Schaefer, Kristin Marit; Schaefer, Dirk J

2017-09-01

The Swiss Plastic Surgery Association (https://plasticsurgery.ch/en/) decided to produce a corporate video to illustrate the concept of "plastic surgery of confidence" to the public. We show the diversity of specializations and the vast range of tasks that surgeons passionately handle day in and day out. We wanted to convey 2 main messages: first, that plastic surgery is more than just cosmetic surgery, and second, that plastic surgery in Switzerland is synonymous with quality and confidence. We selected 17 topics that we felt had good filmic potential and would best explain to the public what plastic surgery is about. This included the selection of appropriate patients, experts, and locations from all over the country. We thought it crucial to show the initial preoperative situation, as only in this case would the achievement of reconstruction be evident and comprehensive to the layman audience. The actual production was filmed in 5 different locations and took 5 days of shooting. We recorded 17 surgeons, 9 patients, and about 30 voluntary background actors. From 23 hours of footage, we created a 7 minute, 22 second corporate video, recorded in 3 of the Swiss national languages. The video was presented to the public online in June 2016, on the same day as the National Open Day of Plastic Surgery in Switzerland. The video is available online. We evaluated the impact of the video using a questionnaire for lay people and observed that it could substantially improve the perception of our specialty, especially regarding the reconstructive aspect. We feel that a freely available corporate video is a very useful means to promote plastic surgery and help patients better understand what it is all about.

The effect of heat and mass transfer on the cellular plastic insulation and the long-term aging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan Youchen [VTT Building Technology, Espoo (Finland). Building Physics, Building Services and Fire Technology

1997-12-31

To produce environmental-friendly products, foamed plastic industries are facing the challenge to replace the traditional blowing agents chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) with zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) alternatives. After a series of studies were completed, more understandings and new findings have been achieved with respect to the rigid closed-cell cellular plastic insulations or foamed plastic insulations (FPIs). The mechanism of heat transfer within the FPIs was examined. A new formula for calculating the solid polymer matrix thermal conductivity has been deduced based on the law of energy conservation and Fourier equation of heat conduction. All the parameters involved in this formula can be easily measured. By comparing the simulation results with measurements, the Brokaw equation is recommended for the prediction of the thermal conductivity of a cell-gas mixture. The foamed plastic deformation was also discussed. A new model has been established for predicting the elastic modulus of the foamed plastics. In comparison to the published measurements, it was found that the new model gives fairly good results. A diffusion chamber has been designed and constructed for measuring the gaseous transport properties within the FPIs. To overcome the difficulties of the traditional method, a new measurement procedure and post test data treatment have been suggested. The measurement accuracy is equivalent to the traditional method with an exception of much short time being required. The diffusion coefficients of CO{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, and N{sub 2} within five n-pentane/CO{sub 2} based polyurethane (PUR) foams have been obtained from the diffusion chamber tests. Measurements showed that the relationship between the gaseous diffusion coefficients within FPIs and temperature follows the Arrhenius type. No identical relationship between diffusion coefficients and foam density was reached. To predict the long-term aging property of CFC-free foamed plastic insulations, a two

Development of thermoplastic starch blown film by incorporating plasticized chitosan.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Khanh Minh; Yoksan, Rangrong

2015-01-22

The objective of the present work was to improve blown film extrusion processability and properties of thermoplastic starch (TPS) film by incorporating plasticized chitosan, with a content of 0.37-1.45%. The effects of chitosan on extrusion processability and melt flow ability of TPS, as well as that on appearance, optical properties, thermal properties, viscoelastic properties and tensile properties of the films were investigated. The possible interactions between chitosan and starch molecules were evaluated by FTIR and XRD techniques. Chitosan and starch molecules could interact via hydrogen bonds, as confirmed from the blue shift of OH bands and the reduction of V-type crystal formation. Although the incorporation of chitosan caused decreased extensibility and melt flow ability, as well as increased yellowness and opacity, the films possessed better extrusion processability, increased tensile strength, rigidity, thermal stability and UV absorption, as well as reduced water absorption and surface stickiness. The obtained TPS/chitosan-based films offer real potential application in the food industry, e.g. as edible films. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation-resistant plastic insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sturm, B.J.; Parkinson, W.W.

1975-01-01

A high molecular weight organic composition useful as an electric insulator in radiation fields is provided and comprises normally a solid polymer of an organic compound having a specific resistance greater than 10 19 ohm-cm and containing phenyl groups and 1 to 7.5 weight percent of a high molecular weight organic phosphite. In one embodiment the composition comprises normally solid polystyrene having 7.5 weight percent tris-β-chloroethyl phosphite as an additive; the composition exhibited an increase in the post-irradiation resistivity of over an order of magnitude over the post-irradiation resistivity of pure polystyrene. (Patent Office Record)

Basic Strain Gradient Plasticity Theories with Application to Constrained Film Deformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Hutchinson, John W.

2011-01-01

films: the compression or extension of a finite layer joining rigid platens. Full elastic-plastic solutions are obtained for the same problem based on a finite element method devised for the new class of flow theories. Potential difficulties and open issues associated with the new class of flow theories......A family of basic rate-independent strain gradient plasticity theories is considered that generalize conventional J(2) deformation and flow theories of plasticity to include a dependence on strain gradients in a simple way. The theory builds on three recent developments: the work of Gudmundson (J....... Mech. Phys. Solids 52 (2004), 1379-1406) and Gurtin and Anand (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 57 (2009), 405-421), proposing constitutive relations for flow theories consistent with requirements of positive plastic dissipation; the work of Fleck and Willis (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 57 (2009), 161-177 and 1045...

Acoustic phonon dynamics in thin-films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glinka, Yuri D.; Babakiray, Sercan; Johnson, Trent A.; Holcomb, Mikel B.; Lederman, David

2015-01-01

Transient reflectivity traces measured for nanometer-sized films (6–40 nm) of the topological insulator Bi 2 Se 3 revealed GHz-range oscillations driven within the relaxation of hot carriers photoexcited with ultrashort (∼100 fs) laser pulses of 1.51 eV photon energy. These oscillations have been suggested to result from acoustic phonon dynamics, including coherent longitudinal acoustic phonons in the form of standing acoustic waves. An increase of oscillation frequency from ∼35 to ∼70 GHz with decreasing film thickness from 40 to 15 nm was attributed to the interplay between two different regimes employing traveling-acoustic-waves for films thicker than 40 nm and the film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAWR) modes for films thinner than 40 nm. The amplitude of oscillations decays rapidly for films below 15 nm thick when the indirect intersurface coupling in Bi 2 Se 3 films switches the FBAWR regime to that of the Lamb wave excitation. The frequency range of coherent longitudinal acoustic phonons is in good agreement with elastic properties of Bi 2 Se 3

Evaluation of retail fresh meat packagings covered with stretch films of plasticized PVC and non-PVC alternatives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Jens Højslev; Togeskov, P.; Hallas, J.

2004-01-01

The characteristics and performance of several non-PVC stretch films were compared to those of plasticized PVC. Initially the main polymer components Of the film were identified by infrared spectrometry and differential scanning calorimetry. The differences between films in mechanical properties......, such as puncture resistance and tensile strength, varied about a factor of two, while the differences in elongation at break were considerably higher. Plasticized PVC showed properties somewhere in the middle. The water vapour transmission was highest for PVC, while its permeability to oxygen was the lowest...

Metal-insulator transition in SrTi{sub 1−x}V{sub x}O{sub 3} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu, Man [Department of Physics, University of Virginia, 382 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States); Wolf, Stuart A. [Department of Physics, University of Virginia, 382 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, 395 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States); Lu, Jiwei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, 395 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States)

2013-11-25

Epitaxial SrTi{sub 1−x}V{sub x}O{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) thin films were grown on (001)-oriented (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 6}){sub 0.7} (LSAT) substrates using the pulsed electron-beam deposition technique. The transport study revealed a temperature driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) at 95 K for x = 0.67. The films with higher vanadium concentration (x > 0.67) were metallic corresponding to a Fermi liquid system. In the insulating phase (x < 0.67), the resistivity behavior was governed by Mott's variable range hopping mechanism. The possible mechanisms for the induced MIT are discussed, including the effects of electron correlation, lattice distortion, and Anderson localization.

Isolation of Native Soil Microorganisms with Potential for Breaking Down Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films Used in Agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Bailes, Graham; Lind, Margaret; Ely, Andrew; Powell, Marianne; Moore-Kucera, Jennifer; Miles, Carol; Inglis, Debra; Brodhagen, Marion

2013-01-01

Fungi native to agricultural soils that colonized commercially available biodegradable mulch (BDM) films were isolated and assessed for potential to degrade plastics. Typically, when formulations of plastics are known and a source of the feedstock is available, powdered plastic can be suspended in agar-based media and degradation determined by visualization of clearing zones. However, this approach poorly mimics in situ degradation of BDMs. First, BDMs are not dispersed as small particles throughout the soil matrix. Secondly, BDMs are not sold commercially as pure polymers, but rather as films containing additives (e.g. fillers, plasticizers and dyes) that may affect microbial growth. The procedures described herein were used for isolates acquired from soil-buried mulch films. Fungal isolates acquired from excavated BDMs were tested individually for growth on pieces of new, disinfested BDMs laid atop defined medium containing no carbon source except agar. Isolates that grew on BDMs were further tested in liquid medium where BDMs were the sole added carbon source. After approximately ten weeks, fungal colonization and BDM degradation were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Isolates were identified via analysis of ribosomal RNA gene sequences. This report describes methods for fungal isolation, but bacteria also were isolated using these methods by substituting media appropriate for bacteria. Our methodology should prove useful for studies investigating breakdown of intact plastic films or products for which plastic feedstocks are either unknown or not available. However our approach does not provide a quantitative method for comparing rates of BDM degradation. PMID:23712218

Isolation of native soil microorganisms with potential for breaking down biodegradable plastic mulch films used in agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailes, Graham; Lind, Margaret; Ely, Andrew; Powell, Marianne; Moore-Kucera, Jennifer; Miles, Carol; Inglis, Debra; Brodhagen, Marion

2013-05-10

Fungi native to agricultural soils that colonized commercially available biodegradable mulch (BDM) films were isolated and assessed for potential to degrade plastics. Typically, when formulations of plastics are known and a source of the feedstock is available, powdered plastic can be suspended in agar-based media and degradation determined by visualization of clearing zones. However, this approach poorly mimics in situ degradation of BDMs. First, BDMs are not dispersed as small particles throughout the soil matrix. Secondly, BDMs are not sold commercially as pure polymers, but rather as films containing additives (e.g. fillers, plasticizers and dyes) that may affect microbial growth. The procedures described herein were used for isolates acquired from soil-buried mulch films. Fungal isolates acquired from excavated BDMs were tested individually for growth on pieces of new, disinfested BDMs laid atop defined medium containing no carbon source except agar. Isolates that grew on BDMs were further tested in liquid medium where BDMs were the sole added carbon source. After approximately ten weeks, fungal colonization and BDM degradation were assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Isolates were identified via analysis of ribosomal RNA gene sequences. This report describes methods for fungal isolation, but bacteria also were isolated using these methods by substituting media appropriate for bacteria. Our methodology should prove useful for studies investigating breakdown of intact plastic films or products for which plastic feedstocks are either unknown or not available. However our approach does not provide a quantitative method for comparing rates of BDM degradation.

Electric-field driven insulator-metal transition and tunable magnetoresistance in ZnO thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Le; Chen, Shanshan; Chen, Xiangyang; Ye, Zhizhen; Zhu, Liping

2018-04-01

Electrical control of the multistate phase in semiconductors offers the promise of nonvolatile functionality in the future semiconductor spintronics. Here, by applying an external electric field, we have observed a gate-induced insulator-metal transition (MIT) with the temperature dependence of resistivity in ZnO thin films. Due to a high-density carrier accumulation, we have shown the ability to inverse change magnetoresistance in ZnO by ionic liquid gating from 10% to -2.5%. The evolution of photoluminescence under gate voltage was also consistent with the MIT, which is due to the reduction of dislocation. Our in-situ gate-controlled photoluminescence, insulator-metal transition, and the conversion of magnetoresistance open up opportunities in searching for quantum materials and ZnO based photoelectric devices.

Giant spin Hall angle from topological insulator BixSe(1 - x) thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Dc, Mahendra; Jamali, Mahdi; Chen, Junyang; Hickey, Danielle; Zhang, Delin; Zhao, Zhengyang; Li, Hongshi; Quarterman, Patrick; Lv, Yang; Mkhyon, Andre; Wang, Jian-Ping

Investigation on the spin-orbit torque (SOT) from large spin-orbit coupling materials has been attracting interest because of its low power switching of the magnetization and ultra-fast driving of the domain wall motion that can be used in future spin based memory and logic devices. We investigated SOT from topological insulator BixSe(1 - x) thin film in BixSe(1 - x) /CoFeB heterostructure by using the dc planar Hall method, where BixSe(1 - x) thin films were prepared by a unique industry-compatible deposition process. The angle dependent Hall resistance was measured in the presence of a rotating external in-plane magnetic field at bipolar currents. The spin Hall angle (SHA) from this BixSe(1 - x) thin film was found to be as large as 22.41, which is the largest ever reported at room temperature (RT). The giant SHA and large spin Hall conductivity (SHC) make this BixSe(1 - x) thin film a very strong candidate as an SOT generator in SOT based memory and logic devices.

Soil contamination by phthalate esters in Chinese intensive vegetable production systems with different modes of use of plastic film.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Luo, Yongming; Teng, Ying; Ma, Wenting; Christie, Peter; Li, Zhengao

2013-09-01

The concentrations of six priority phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in intensively managed suburban vegetable soils in Nanjing, east China, were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The total PAE concentrations in the soils ranged widely from 0.15 to 9.68 mg kg(-1) with a median value of 1.70 mg kg(-1), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) were the most abundant phthalate esters. Soil PAE concentrations depended on the mode of use of plastic film in which PAEs were incorporated as plasticizing agents and both the plastic film and poultry manure appeared to be important sources of soil PAEs. Vegetables in rotation with flooded rice led to lower concentrations of PAEs in soil. The results indicate that agricultural plastic film can be an important source of soil PAE contamination and further research is required to fully elucidate the mechanisms of PAE contamination of intensive agricultural soils with different use modes of use of plastic film. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spin-Orbit Torque-Assisted Switching in Magnetic Insulator Thin Films with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mingzhong

As an in-plane charge current flows in a heavy metal film with spin-orbit coupling, it produces a torque that can induce magnetization switching in a neighboring ferromagnetic metal film. Such spin-orbit torque (SOT)-induced switching has been studied extensively in recent years and has shown higher efficiency than switching using conventional spin-transfer torque. This presentation reports the SOT-assisted switching in heavy metal/magnetic insulator systems.1 The experiments made use of Pt/BaFe12O19 bi-layered structures. Thanks to its strong spin-orbit coupling, Pt has been widely used to produce pure spin currents in previous studies. BaFe12O19 is an M-type barium hexagonal ferrite and is often referred as BaM. It is one of the few magnetic insulators with strong magneto-crystalline anisotropy and shows an effective uniaxial anisotropy field of about 17 kOe. It's found that the switching response in the BaM film strongly depends on the charge current applied to the Pt film. When a constant magnetic field is applied in the film plane, the charge current in the Pt film can switch the normal component of the magnetization (M⊥) in the BaM film between the up and down states. The current also dictates the up and down states of the remnant magnetization when the in-plane field is reduced to zero. When M⊥ is measured by sweeping an in-plane field, the response manifests itself as a hysteresis loop, which evolves in a completely opposite manner if the sign of the charge current is flipped. When the coercivity is measured by sweeping an out-of-plane field, its value can be reduced or increased by as much as about 500 Oe if an appropriate charge current is applied. 1. P. Li, T. Liu, H. Chang, A. Kalitsov, W. Zhang, G. Csaba, W. Li, D. Richardson, A. Demann, G. Rimal, H. Dey, J. S. Jiang, W. Porod, S. Field, J. Tang, M. C. Marconi, A. Hoffmann, O. Mryasov, and M. Wu, Nature Commun. 7:12688 doi: 10.1038/ncomms12688 (2016).

Pentacene based thin film transistors with high-k dielectric Nd2O3 as a gate insulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarma, R.; Saikia, D.

2010-01-01

We have investigated the pentacene based Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFTs) with high-k dielectric Nd 2 O 3 . Use of high dielectric constant (high-k) gate insulator Nd 2 O 3 reduces the threshold voltage and sub threshold swing of the OTFTs. The calculated threshold voltage -2.2V and sub-threshold swing 1V/decade, current ON-OFF ratio is 1.7 X 10 4 and mobility is 0.13cm 2 /V.s. Pentacene film is deposited on Nd 2 O 3 surface using two step deposition method. Deposited pentacene film is found poly crystalline in nature. (author)

Test for the presence of long-ranged Coulomb interactions in thin TiN films near the superconductor-insulator transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kronfeldner, Klaus; Strunk, Christoph [Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, University of Regensburg (Germany); Baturina, Tatyana [A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS (Russian Federation)

2016-07-01

We have measured the conductance of square shaped TiN films on the superconducting and the insulating side of the superconductor/insulator transition. The conductance shows thermally activated behaviour with an activation energy k{sub B}T{sub 0}(L) ∝ lnL, with L being the lateral size of the squares. Such behavior is consistent with 2D long-ranged Coulomb interactions with a large electrostatic screening length Λ ≅ 200 μm. To independently test whether long ranged Coulomb interactions can be responsible for the observed size dependence we compare R(T,B) of a large TiN film in the critical region with and without a screening Pd layer in a distance t ∼ 60 nm to the TiN film. The screening Pd-layer is expected to reduce the activation energy from ∝ ln [min(L,Λ)] to ∝ ln(t) and the thermally activated resistance in films with L >or similar Λ by the large number Λ/t ≅ 3000. In contrast, our experiment showed no significant reduction of R(T) and T{sub 0}. This suggests that the measured size dependent conductance of our TiN film is not related to long-ranged Coulomb interactions.

Effect of Sorbitol Plasticizer on the Structure and Properties of Melt Processed Polyvinyl Alcohol Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Huafeng; Liu, Di; Yao, Yuanyuan; Ma, Songbai; Zhang, Xing; Xiang, Aimin

2017-12-01

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) possesses wide applications as food packaging materials, but is difficult to melt process for its strong inter/intra hydrogen bonding. In this work, flexible PVA films with different content of sorbitol plasticizers were prepared by melt processing with the assistance of water. And the influence of sorbitol plasticizer content on the crystallinity, optical transparency, water-retaining capability, mechanical properties, thermal stability and oxygen and water permeability were investigated. The results indicated that sorbitol dramatically improved the melt processing ability of PVA. Sorbitol could interact with PVA to form strong hydrogen bonding interactions, which would decrease the original hydrogen bonding of the matrix, resulting in the decrease of crystallinity degrees. The glass transition, melting and crystallization peak temperatures decreased with the increase of sorbitol. All the films exhibited fine optical transparency. The water retaining capability were improved with the increase of sorbitol. Especially, an increase in elongation at break and decrease in Young's modulus and tensile strength were observed indicating good plasticizing effect of sorbitol on PVA films. In addition, the PVA films prepared in this work exhibited fine barrier properties against oxygen and water, suggesting wide application potential as packaging materials. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Wet etching rates of InGaZnO for the fabrication of transparent thin-film transistors on plastic substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Chang, Chienliu; Shih, Wen-Pin; Dai, Ching-Liang

2010-01-01

The wet etch process for amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO or a-InGaZnO) by using various etchants is reported. The etch rates of a-IGZO, compared to another indium-based oxides including indium gallium oxide (IGO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), and indium tin oxide (ITO), are measured by using acetic acid, citric acid, hydrochloric acid, perchloric acid, and aqua ammonia as etchants, respectively. In our experimental results, the etch rate of the transparent oxide semiconductor (TOS) films by using acid solutions ranked accordingly from high to low are IZO, IGZO, IGO and ITO. Comparatively, the etch rate of the TOS films by using alkaline ammonia solution ranked from high to low are IGZO, IZO, IGO and ITO, in that order. Using the proposed wet etching process with high etch selectivity, bottom-gate-type thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on a-IGZO channels and Y 2 O 3 gate-insulators were fabricated by radio-frequency sputtering on plastic substrates. The wet etch processed TFT with 30 μm gate length and 120 μm gate width exhibits a saturation mobility of 46.25 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , a threshold voltage of 1.3 V, a drain current on-off ratio > 10 6 , and subthreshold gate voltage swing of 0.29 V decade -1 . The performance of the TFTs ensures the applicability of the wet etching process for IGZO to electronic devices on organic polymer substrates.

Light Trapping in Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells on Plastic Substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, M.M.

2013-01-01

In the search for sustainable energy sources, solar energy can fulfil a large part of the growing demand. The biggest threshold for large-scale solar energy harvesting is the solar panel price. For drastic cost reductions, roll-to-roll fabrication of thin film silicon solar cells using plastic

Quantum capacitance of an ultrathin topological insulator film in a magnetic field

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.; Sabeeh, K.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2013-01-01

We present a theoretical study of the quantum magnetocapacitance of an ultrathin topological insulator film in an external magnetic field. The study is undertaken to investigate the interplay of the Zeeman interaction with the hybridization between the upper and lower surfaces of the thin film. Determining the density of states, we find that the electron-hole symmetry is broken when the Zeeman and hybridization energies are varied relative to each other. This leads to a change in the character of the magnetocapacitance at the charge neutrality point. We further show that in the presence of both Zeeman interaction and hybridization the magnetocapacitance exhibits beating at low and splitting of the Shubnikov de Haas oscillations at high perpendicular magnetic field. In addition, we address the crossover from perpendicular to parallel magnetic field and find consistency with recent experimental data.

Quantum capacitance of an ultrathin topological insulator film in a magnetic field

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.

2013-02-12

We present a theoretical study of the quantum magnetocapacitance of an ultrathin topological insulator film in an external magnetic field. The study is undertaken to investigate the interplay of the Zeeman interaction with the hybridization between the upper and lower surfaces of the thin film. Determining the density of states, we find that the electron-hole symmetry is broken when the Zeeman and hybridization energies are varied relative to each other. This leads to a change in the character of the magnetocapacitance at the charge neutrality point. We further show that in the presence of both Zeeman interaction and hybridization the magnetocapacitance exhibits beating at low and splitting of the Shubnikov de Haas oscillations at high perpendicular magnetic field. In addition, we address the crossover from perpendicular to parallel magnetic field and find consistency with recent experimental data.

Stability Study of Flexible 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynylpentacene Thin-Film Transistors with a Cross-Linked Poly(4-vinylphenol/Yttrium Oxide Nanocomposite Gate Insulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Hyuk Kwon

2016-03-01

Full Text Available We investigated the electrical and mechanical stability of flexible 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylehtynylpentacene (TIPS-pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs that were fabricated on polyimide (PI substrates using cross-linked poly(4-vinylphenol (c-PVP and c-PVP/yttrium oxide (Y2O3 nanocomposite films as gate insulators. Compared with the electrical characteristics of TIPS-pentacene TFTs with c-PVP insulators, the TFTs with c-PVP/Y2O3 nanocomposite insulators exhibited enhancements in the drain current and the threshold voltage due to an increase in the dielectric capacitance. In electrical stability experiments, a gradual decrease in the drain current and a negative shift in the threshold voltage occurred during prolonged bias stress tests, but these characteristic variations were comparable for both types of TFT. On the other hand, the results of mechanical bending tests showed that the characteristic degradation of the TIPS-pentacene TFTs with c-PVP/Y2O3 nanocomposite insulators was more critical than that of the TFTs with c-PVP insulators. In this study, the detrimental effect of the nanocomposite insulator on the mechanical stability of flexible TIPS-pentacene TFTs was found to be caused by physical adhesion of TIPS-pentacene molecules onto the rough surfaces of the c-PVP/Y2O3 nanocomposite insulator. These results indicate that the dielectric and morphological properties of polymeric nanocomposite insulators are significant when considering practical applications of flexible electronics operated at low voltages.

Infrared-transmittance tunable metal-insulator conversion device with thin-film-transistor-type structure on a glass substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takayoshi Katase

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Infrared (IR transmittance tunable metal-insulator conversion was demonstrated on a glass substrate by using thermochromic vanadium dioxide (VO2 as the active layer in a three-terminal thin-film-transistor-type device with water-infiltrated glass as the gate insulator. Alternative positive/negative gate-voltage applications induce the reversible protonation/deprotonation of a VO2 channel, and two-orders of magnitude modulation of sheet-resistance and 49% modulation of IR-transmittance were simultaneously demonstrated at room temperature by the metal-insulator phase conversion of VO2 in a non-volatile manner. The present device is operable by the room-temperature protonation in an all-solid-state structure, and thus it will provide a new gateway to future energy-saving technology as an advanced smart window.

Specific migration of di-(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA) from plasticized PVC film: results from an enforcement campaign

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Jens Højslev; Breindahl, T.

1998-01-01

Units. Initially, all films were screened for the migration into isooctane (exposed 2 h at 40 degrees C) of DEHA and other potentially present low molecular weight plasticizers using full scanning mass spectrometry. Films showing a substantial migration of DEHA were further tested with olive oil...... according to the declared field of application (exposed for 10 days at 40 degrees C). In 47 of the 49 films the migrate contained a substantial amount of DEHA. In 46 films the migration exceeded the specific migration limit of 3 mg/dm(2) after use of the relevant reduction factor given in legislation......) and these films were deemed to be illegal according to their present declared field of application as given by their labelling. In a few cases, some migration of the plasticizer di-n-butyl phthalate was seen....

Effects of No-tillage Combined with Reused Plastic Film Mulching on Maize Yield and Irrigation Water Productivity

OpenAIRE

SU Yong-zhong; ZHANG Ke; LIU Ting-na; WANG Ting

2016-01-01

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of reused plastic film mulching and no-tillage on maize yield and irriga-tion water productivity(IWP) in the marginal oasis in the middle of Hexi Corridor region of northwestern China. The aim is to provide an alternative tillage and cultivation pattern for reducing plastic film pollution, saving cost and increasing income, and improving resource use efficiency. The field experiment was carried out in three soils with different texture...

Probing Dirac fermion dynamics in topological insulator Bi2Se3 films with a scanning tunneling microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Can-Li; Wang, Lili; He, Ke; Ji, Shuai-Hua; Chen, Xi; Ma, Xu-Cun; Xue, Qi-Kun

2015-05-01

Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy have been used to investigate the femtosecond dynamics of Dirac fermions in the topological insulator Bi2Se3 ultrathin films. At the two-dimensional limit, bulk electrons become quantized and the quantization can be controlled by the film thickness at a single quintuple layer level. By studying the spatial decay of standing waves (quasiparticle interference patterns) off steps, we measure directly the energy and film thickness dependence of the phase relaxation length lϕ and inelastic scattering lifetime τ of topological surface-state electrons. We find that τ exhibits a remarkable (E - EF)(-2) energy dependence and increases with film thickness. We show that the features revealed are typical for electron-electron scattering between surface and bulk states.

Improvement of thermal stability of nano-granular TMR films by using a Mg-Al-O insulator matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Kanie, S.; Koyama, S.

2018-05-01

A new metal-insulator nano-granular tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) film made of (Fe-Co)-(Mg-Al-O) has been investigated. It is confirmed that the film has granular structure in which crystal Fe-Co granules are surrounded by an amorphous Mg-Al-O matrix. A large MR ratio of 11.8 % at room temperature is observed for a 42 vol.%(Fe0.6Co0.4)-(Mg-Al-O) film annealed at 395 °C. The electrical resistivity increases rapidly by annealing at above the changing point (500 °C). The changing point is about 300 °C higher than that of conventional (Fe-Co)-(Mg-F) nano-granular TMR films. The 42 vol.%(Fe0.6Co0.4)-(Mg-Al-O) film also exhibits less degradation in the MR ratio at high annealing temperatures such as 600 °C. These results suggest the (Fe-Co)-(Mg-Al-O) film is superior to the (Fe-Co)-(Mg-F) film in thermal stability.

Towards a new thickness-independent gamma radiation plastic film dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, Marli Barbosa; Araujo, Patricia L.; Araujo, Elma S.

2013-01-01

A 100% national single-use gamma radiation plastic film dosimeter is presented in this work. A new approach for the development of this material allowed a step forward in the performance of poly (methyl metacrylate) films (PMMA) colored with bromothymol blue (BTB) acid-base indicator. We manage to improve dosimeter performance by introducing a gamma radiation insensitive dye to compensate film thickness variations. By doing so, we were able to obtain consistent dose-response correlations within a set of samples presenting 46 to 110 micrometers in thickness. Hence, our PMMA/BTB-P film dosimeter is suitable to measure absorbed dose in the 2-100kGy range even when film thickness undergoes more than 100% of variation. In addition, dose response data remain practically unaltered for four months after the exposure, when dosimeter films are kept in dark conditions and under refrigeration. The radiation effects on the optical properties were evaluated for Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometric analysis. Data of characteristic dose-response correlation in terms of changes in the maximum UV-Vis absorption due to radiation, and stability in time are also described. This potential new product is a promising tool for industrial radiation facilities, especially in gamma sterilization of medical supplies. (author)

Sintering effect on the optoelectronic characteristics of HgSe nanoparticle films on plastic substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Kwangsub; Cho, Kyoungah; Kim, Sangsig

2010-01-01

The optoelectronic characteristics of HgSe nanoparticle films spin-coated on flexible plastic substrates are investigated under the illumination of 1.3 μm wavelength light. The sintering process improves the optoelectronic characteristics of the HgSe nanoparticle films. The photocurrent of the sintered HgSe nanoparticle films under the illumination of 1.3 μm wavelength light is approximately 20 times larger in magnitude than that of the non-sintered films in air at room temperature. Moreover, the endurance of the flexible optoelectronic device investigated by the continuous substrate bending test reveals that the photocurrent efficiency changes negligibly up to 250 cycles.

Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115 on ham steak by tea bioactive compounds incorporated into chitosan-coated plastic films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vodnar Dan C

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The consumer demands for better quality and safety of food products have given rise to the development and implementation of edible films. The use of antimicrobial films can be a promising tool for controlling L. monocytogenes on ready to eat products. The aim of this study was to develop effective antimicrobial films incorporating bioactive compounds from green and black teas into chitosan, for controlling L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115 on vacuum-packaged ham steak. The effectiveness of these antimicrobial films was evaluated at room temperature (20°C for 10 days and at refrigerated temperature (4°C for 8 weeks. Results The HPLC results clearly show that relative concentrations of catechins and caffeine in green tea ranked EGCG>EGC>CAF>ECG>EC>C while in black tea extracts ranked CAF>EGCG>ECG>EGC>EC>C. The chitosan-coated plastic films incorporating green tea and black tea extracts shows specific markers identified by FTIR. Incorporating natural extracts into chitosan showed that the growth of L monocytogenes ATCC 19115 was inhibited. The efficacy of antimicrobial effect of tea extracts incorporated into chitosan-coated plastic film was dose dependent. However, chitosan-coated films without addition of tea extracts did not inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115. Chitosan-coated plastic films incorporating 4% Green tea extract was the most effective antimicrobial, reducing the initial counts from 3.2 to 2.65 log CFU/cm2 during room temperature storage and from 3.2 to 1–1.5 log CFU/cm2 during refrigerated storage. Conclusions Incorporation of tea extracts into the chitosan-coated films considerably enhanced their effectiveness against L. monocytogenes ATCC 19115. 4% Green tea incorporated into chitosan-coated plastic film had a better antilisterial effect than 2% green tea or 2% and 4% black tea. Data from this study would provide new formulation options for developing antimicrobial packaging films using tea

Thermal degradation and plasticizing mechanism of poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with a novel cardanol derived plasticizer

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, J.; Nie, X. A.; Jiang, J. C.; Zhou, Y. H.

2018-01-01

A natural plasticizer cardanol derivatives glycidyl ether (CGE) was synthesized and employed as a plasticizer for the poly(vinyl chloride). The effect of CGE on thermal degradation of PVC films and its plasticizing mechanism were firstly reported. The molecular structure of CGE was characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal properties, degradation properties and compatibility of the PVC films were investigated by Differential scanning calorimeter analysis (DSC), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and FTIR, respectively. Compared with the commercial plasticizers dioctylphthalate (DOP), CGE can endow PVC film with a decrease of 4.31 °C in glass transition temperature (Tg), an increase of 24.01 °C and 25.53 °C in 10% weight loss (T 10) and 50% weight loss (T 50) respectively, and a higher activetion energy of thermal degradation (Ea ).

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HDPE PLASTIC FILM FOR HERBICIDE CONTAINER USING FLY ASH CLASS F AS FILLER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yatim Lailun Ni’mah

2010-06-01

Full Text Available High Density Polyethylene (HDPE plastic plays an important role in various applications, for example, it can be used as a container (bottle. Petrokimia Kayaku Company, a branch of Petrokimia Company of Gresik, produces herbicides using HDPE plastic bottles as their container. Those plastic bottles undergo degradation (kempot for certain period of time. The aim of this research is to characterize and to synthesize the HDPE plastic film with class F fly ash as filler. The results expected from this research are producing the plastic with a better properties and durability. This research was initiated by taking the sample of HDPE plastic bottle and herbicides (containing Gramakuat, on active material parakuat dichloride at Petrokimia Kayaku Company. Both the initial HDPE and the degraded bottles was analyzed their tensile strength and Fourier Transform-Infra Red (FTIR spectral. The next step was to synthesize the HDPE plastic film using class F fly ash as filler and a coupling agent. The filler concentrations were 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20wt %. The best result was 5% filler concentration with tensile strength of 27.7 lbs. This HDPE film was then subjected to degradation test using pyridine solution with various concentrations (1%, 3% and 5% for two weeks, thermal degradation at 100 °C for two weeks and chemical resistance by xylene with soak time variation of 24 h, 98 h and 168 h. The result of degradations test show that the value of tensile strength was decreased with the increase of filler consentration. The chemical resistance, however, was increased.   Keywords: degradation, filler, fly ash, HDPE, Herbicide

Surface modification of polyimide gate insulators for solution-processed 2,7-didecyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C10-BTBT) thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Kwang-Suk; Kim, Won Soo; Won, Jong-Myung; Kim, Yun-Ho; Myung, Sung; Ka, Jae-Won; Kim, Jinsoo; Ahn, Taek; Yi, Mi Hye

2013-01-21

The surface property of a polyimide gate insulator was successfully modified with an n-octadecyl side-chain. Alkyl chain-grafted poly(amic acid), the polyimide precursor, was synthesized using the diamine comonomer with an alkyl side-chain. By adding a base catalyst to the poly(amic acid) coating solution, the imidization temperature of the spin-coated film could be reduced to 200 °C. The 350 nm-thick polyimide film had a dielectric constant of 3.3 at 10 kHz and a leakage current density of less than 8.7 × 10(-10) A cm(-2), while biased from 0 to 100 V. To investigate the potential of the alkyl chain-grafted polyimide film as a gate insulator for solution-processed organic thin-film transistors (TFTs), we fabricated C(10)-BTBT TFTs. C(10)-BTBT was deposited on the alkyl chain-grafted polyimide gate insulator by spin-coating, forming a well-ordered crystal structure. The field-effect mobility and the on/off current ratio of the TFT device were measured to be 0.20-0.56 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) and >10(5), respectively.

Desorption modeling of hydrophobic organic chemicals from plastic sheets using experimentally determined diffusion coefficients in plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hwang; Byun, Da-Eun; Kim, Ju Min; Kwon, Jung-Hwan

2018-01-01

To evaluate rate of migration from plastic debris, desorption of model hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) from polyethylene (PE)/polypropylene (PP) films to water was measured using PE/PP films homogeneously loaded with the HOCs. The HOCs fractions remaining in the PE/PP films were compared with those predicted using a model characterized by the mass transfer Biot number. The experimental data agreed with the model simulation, indicating that HOCs desorption from plastic particles can generally be described by the model. For hexachlorocyclohexanes with lower plastic-water partition coefficients, desorption was dominated by diffusion in the plastic film, whereas desorption of chlorinated benzenes with higher partition coefficients was determined by diffusion in the aqueous boundary layer. Evaluation of the fraction of HOCs remaining in plastic films with respect to film thickness and desorption time showed that the partition coefficient between plastic and water is the most important parameter influencing the desorption half-life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Degradation of biodegradable plastic mulch films in soil environment by phylloplane fungi isolated from gramineous plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Koitabashi, Motoo; Noguchi, Masako T; Sameshima-Yamashita, Yuka; Hiradate, Syuntaro; Suzuki, Ken; Yoshida, Shigenobu; Watanabe, Takashi; Shinozaki, Yukiko; Tsushima, Seiya; Kitamoto, Hiroko K

2012-08-02

To improve the biodegradation of biodegradable plastic (BP) mulch films, 1227 fungal strains were isolated from plant surface (phylloplane) and evaluated for BP-degrading ability. Among them, B47-9 a strain isolated from the leaf surface of barley showed the strongest ability to degrade poly-(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) and poly-(butylene succinate) (PBS) films. The strain grew on the surface of soil-mounted BP films, produced breaks along the direction of hyphal growth indicated that it secreted a BP-degrading enzyme, and has directly contributing to accelerating the degradation of film. Treatment with the culture filtrate decomposed 91.2 wt%, 23.7 wt%, and 14.6 wt% of PBSA, PBS, and commercially available BP polymer blended mulch film, respectively, on unsterlized soil within 6 days. The PCR-DGGE analysis of the transition of soil microbial community during film degradation revealed that the process was accompanied with drastic changes in the population of soil fungi and Acantamoeba spp., as well as the growth of inoculated strain B47-9. It has a potential for application in the development of an effective method for accelerating degradation of used plastics under actual field conditions.

Poly(4-vinylphenol-co-methyl methacrylate) / titanium dioxide nanocomposite gate insulators for 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene thin-film transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xue; Park, Jiho; Baang, Sungkeun; Park, Jaehoon [Hallym University, Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of); Piao, Shanghao; Kim, Sohee; Choi, Hyoungjin [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-12-15

Poly(4-vinylphenol-co-methyl methacrylate) / titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanocomposite insulators were fabricated for application in 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-Pn) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The capacitance of the fabricated capacitors with this nanocomposite insulator increased with increasing content of the high-dielectric-constant TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles. Nonetheless, particle aggregates, which were invariably produced in the insulator at higher TiO{sub 2} contents, augmented gate-leakage currents during device operation while the rough surface of the insulator obstructed charge transport in the conducting channel of the TIPS-Pn TFTs. These results suggest a significant effect of the morphological characteristics of nanocomposite insulators on TFT performance, as well as on their dielectric properties. Herein, the optimal particle composition was determined to be approximately 1.5 wt%, which contributed to characteristic improvements in the drain current, field-effect mobility, and threshold voltage of TIPS-Pn TFTs.

Effects of cryogenic reactor irradiation on organic insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Teruo

1995-01-01

Insulators for the superconducting magnets of fusion reactor are classified as electrical and thermal insulators for which tough organic materials will be used. When the magnet is exposed by fast neutrons and gamma-rays from plasma in a fusion reactor, the fusion reactor systems will cause fatal damage by the degradation of insulators. Therefore, it is necessary to select materials resistant irradiation damage for use as insulators. Electrical and mechanical tests were carried out at 4.2 K without warmup after the reactor irradiation at 5 K. The effects of reactor irradiation at the dose of 10 7 Gy on epoxy resins (bisphenol-A), G-10 CR, VL-E 200 and G-11 CR caused large decreases in mechanical strength. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyimide and phenol novolac resins, which were used to laminate reinforced plastics with glass-cloth against irradiation, showed good resistance. Effects of cryogenic reactor irradiation on several organic materials and epoxy laminate-reinforced plastics with glass-cloth and Kevlar-cloth were also discussed. (author)

Microstructure and molecular interaction in glycerol plasticized chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) blending films

Science.gov (United States)

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan (CS) blended films plasticized by glycerol were investigated using mechanical testing, atomic force microscopy (AFM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FTIR spectroscopy, with primary emphasis on the effects of the glycerol content and the molecular weig...

Quantum coherent transport in SnTe topological crystalline insulator thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assaf, B. A.; Heiman, D. [Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States); Katmis, F.; Moodera, J. S. [Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Wei, P. [Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Satpati, B. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India); Zhang, Z. [Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States); Bennett, S. P.; Harris, V. G. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States)

2014-09-08

Topological crystalline insulators (TCI) are unique systems where a band inversion that is protected by crystalline mirror symmetry leads to a multiplicity of topological surface states. Binary SnTe is an attractive lead-free TCI compound; the present work on high-quality thin films provides a route for increasing the mobility and reducing the carrier density of SnTe without chemical doping. Results of quantum coherent magnetotransport measurements reveal a multiplicity of Dirac surface states that are unique to TCI. Modeling of the weak antilocalization shows variations in the extracted number of carrier valleys that reflect the role of coherent intervalley scattering in coupling different Dirac states on the degenerate TCI surface.

Intrinsic Rashba-like splitting in asymmetric Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} heterogeneous topological insulator films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xiaofei; Guo, Wanlin, E-mail: wlguo@nuaa.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Mechanical Structures and Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices (MOE), Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China)

2014-08-25

We show by density functional theory calculations that asymmetric hetero-stacking of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} films can modulate the topological surface states. Due to the structure inversion asymmetry, an intrinsic Rashba-like splitting of the conical surface bands is aroused. While such splitting in homogeneous Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}-class topological insulators can be realized in films with more than three quintuple layers under external electric fields, the hetero-stacking breaks the limit of thickness for preserving the topological nature into the thinnest two quintuple layers. These results indicate that the hetero-stacking can serve as an efficient strategy for spin-resolved band engineering of topological insulators.

Thin-film composite materials as a dielectric layer for flexible metal-insulator-metal capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Jitendra N; Meena, Jagan Singh; Wu, Chung-Shu; Tiwari, Rajanish N; Chu, Min-Ching; Chang, Feng-Chih; Ko, Fu-Hsiang

2010-09-24

A new organic-organic nanoscale composite thin-film (NCTF) dielectric has been synthesized by solution deposition of 1-bromoadamantane and triblock copolymer (Pluronic P123, BASF, EO20-PO70-EO20), in which the precursor solution has been achieved with organic additives. We have used a sol-gel process to make a metal-insulator-metal capacitor (MIM) comprising a nanoscale (10 nm-thick) thin-film on a flexible polyimide (PI) substrate at room temperature. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope revealed that the deposited NCTFs were crack-free, uniform, highly resistant to moisture absorption, and well adhered on the Au-Cr/PI. The electrical properties of 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF were characterized by dielectric constant, capacitance, and leakage current measurements. The 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF on the PI substrate showed a low leakage current density of 5.5 x 10(-11) A cm(-2) and good capacitance of 2.4 fF at 1 MHz. In addition, the calculated dielectric constant of 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF was 1.9, making them suitable candidates for use in future flexible electronic devices as a stable intermetal dielectric. The electrical insulating properties of 1-bromoadamantane-P123 NCTF have been improved due to the optimized dipole moments of the van der Waals interactions.

Thermal conductivity of thin insulating films determined by tunnel magneto-Seebeck effect measurements and finite-element modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Huebner, Torsten; Martens, Ulrike; Walowski, Jakob; Münzenberg, Markus; Thomas, Andy; Reiss, Günter; Kuschel, Timo

2018-06-01

In general, it is difficult to access the thermal conductivity of thin insulating films experimentally by electrical means. Here, we present a new approach utilizing the tunnel magneto-Seebeck effect (TMS) in combination with finite-element modeling (FEM). We detect the laser-induced TMS and the absolute thermovoltage of laser-heated magnetic tunnel junctions with 2.6 nm thin barriers of MgAl2O4 (MAO) and MgO, respectively. A second measurement of the absolute thermovoltage after a dielectric breakdown of the barrier grants insight into the remaining thermovoltage of the stack. Thus, the pure TMS without any parasitic Nernst contributions from the leads can be identified. In combination with FEM via COMSOL, we are able to extract values for the thermal conductivity of MAO (0.7 W (K · m)‑1) and MgO (5.8 W (K · m)‑1), which are in very good agreement with theoretical predictions. Our method provides a new promising way to extract the experimentally challenging parameter of the thermal conductivity of thin insulating films.

Density functional study of BiSbTeSe{sub 2} topological insulator thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohammadpourrad, Zahra; Abolhassani, Mohammadreza [Department of Physics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-08-15

In this work, using density functional theory calculations, we have investigated the band topology of bulk BiSbTeSe{sub 2} and its thin film electronic properties in several thicknesses. It is one member of the quaternary compounds Bi{sub 2-x}Sb{sub x}Te{sub 3-y}Se{sub y} (BSTS) with the best intrinsic bulk insulating behavior. Based on our calculations we have found that a band inversion at Γ-point is induced when spin-orbit coupling is turned on, with an energy gap of about 0.318 eV. The film thickness has an effect on the surface states such that a gap opens at Dirac point in 6 quintuple-layers film and with decrease in thickness, the magnitude of the gap increases. The atomic contributions have been mapped out for the first few layers of thin films to demonstrate the surface states. The relative charge density has been calculated layer-wise and the penetration depth of the surface states into the bulk region is found to be about 2.5-3.5 quintuple layers, depending on the termination species of thin films. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A Sustainable Performance Assessment Framework for Plastic Film Supply Chain Management from a Chinese Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiuping Xu

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Academics’ and practitioners’ interest in sustainable supply chain management has received great concern in recent years. The application of biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP plastic film has had a significant influence on the economic, environmental and social performance of supply chain management. However, research on the integration of these three sustainable dimensions is still rare in this field. In this paper, we identify sustainability criteria based on a triple bottom line approach (economic benefit, environmental protection and social responsibility from the supply chain perspective, develop a hybrid multi-criteria decision making framework to evaluate the criteria and select alternatives and apply the proposed approach to a real case study at a focal BOPP plastic film company in China. In the framework, a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP is used to determine the performance criteria weights and a fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS is applied to rank the alternatives. The case study finds that the economic dimension was the most important aspect with environmental second and social third. The results also verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework. This paper develops an effective and systematic approach for decision makers to conduct evaluations and select optimal alternatives for focal plastic film companies.

Poly-crystallinity of indium-tin-oxide films improved by using simultaneous ion beam and heat treatment of the plastic substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Phil Kook; Kim, Tae Hyung; Choi, Suk Won; Gwag, Jin Seog

2012-01-01

The combined treatment effects of an ion beam with directionality and heat of a low temperature on a plastic substrate was investigated as a method to increase the electrical conductivity of indium tinoxide (ITO) films deposited on plastic substrate surfaces at low temperatures. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) surface treatment by using an ion beam at low temperature (120 .deg. C), which can be applied to plastic substrates, improves the conductivity of ITO films. X-ray diffraction indicates that ITO films deposited on PET surfaces treated simultaneously by using an ion beam and heat of a low temperature have an almost polycrystalline structure even though they have small amorphous party on. As a supplementary measurement, the contact angle showed that the polycrystalline structure was due to a self-assembly effect at the PET surfaces. Consequently, the electrical conductivity of an ITO film deposited by using the proposed technique is three times higher than that of an ITO film treated only with heat of low temperature due to the improved polycrystalline structure.

Poly-crystallinity of indium-tin-oxide films improved by using simultaneous ion beam and heat treatment of the plastic substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Phil Kook; Kim, Taehyung; Choi, Suk-Won; Gwag, Jin Seog

2012-08-01

The combined treatment effects of an ion beam with directionality and heat of a low temperature on a plastic substrate was investigated as a method to increase the electrical conductivity of indiumtin-oxide (ITO) films deposited on plastic substrate surfaces at low temperatures. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) surface treatment by using an ion beam at low temperature (120 °C), which can be applied to plastic substrates, improves the conductivity of ITO films. X-ray diffraction indicates that ITO films deposited on PET surfaces treated simultaneously by using an ion beam and heat of a low temperature have an almost polycrystalline structure even though they have small amorphous party on. As a supplementary measurement, the contact angle showed that the polycrystalline structure was due to a self-assembly effect at the PET surfaces. Consequently, the electrical conductivity of an ITO film deposited by using the proposed technique is three times higher than that of an ITO film treated only with heat of low temperature due to the improved polycrystalline structure.

Investigation of the ferroelectric switching behavior of P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA blended films for synaptic device applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, E J; Kim, K A; Yoon, S M

2016-01-01

Synaptic plasticity can be mimicked by electronic synaptic devices. By using ferroelectric thin films as gate insulator for thin-film transistors (TFT), channel conductance can be defined as the synaptic plasticity, and gradually modulated by the variations in amounts of aligned ferroelectric dipoles. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)]-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blended films are chosen and their switching kinetics are investigated by using the Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi model. The switching time for ferroelectric polarization is sensitively influenced by the amplitude of applied electric field and volumetric ratio of ferroelectric beta-phases in the P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA films. The switching time of the P(VDF-TrFE) increases with decreasing the pulse amplitude and/or the ratio of ferroelectric beta-phases by incorporation of PMMA. The activation electric field is also found to increase as the increase in blended amount of PMMA. Synapse TFTs are fabricated using the P(VDF-TrFE)-PMMA as gate insulator and In-Ga-Zn-O active channels. The drain currents of the synapse TFTs gradually increased when the voltage pulse signals with given duration are repeatedly applied. This suggests that the synaptic weights can be modulated by the number of external pulse signals, and that the proposed synapse TFT can be applied for mimicking the operations of bio-synapses. (paper)

Plastic flow and preferred orientation in molybdenum and zirconium films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Window, B.

1989-01-01

X-ray diffraction measurements on samples of molybdenum and zirconium growth with ion assistance at low temperatures support the occurrence of plastic flow during growth, provided the level of bombardment is high enough. As the energy of the argon ions was increased, the lattice strain in the growth direction increased to a maximum before decreasing slowly. That this is a plastic flow transition is shown by the independence of the maximum strain on preparation conditions and by the changes in microstructure. In particular, the grain size in the growth direction decreased and the preferred orientation favored the usual wire drawing textures of these metals. For the zirconium films this involved a change in preferred orientation from a (00.2) to a (10.0) texture. A reduction in strain is observed at high bombardment levels

High-Temperature Electrical Insulation Behavior of Alumina Films Prepared at Room Temperature by Aerosol Deposition and Influence of Annealing Process and Powder Impurities

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, Michael; Leupold, Nico; Exner, Jörg; Kita, Jaroslaw; Moos, Ralf

2018-04-01

Alumina (Al2O3) is a widely used material for highly insulating films due to its very low electrical conductivity, even at high temperatures. Typically, alumina films have to be sintered far above 1200 °C, which precludes the coating of lower melting substrates. The aerosol deposition method (ADM), however, is a promising method to manufacture ceramic films at room temperature directly from the ceramic raw powder. In this work, alumina films were deposited by ADM on a three-electrode setup with guard ring and the electrical conductivity was measured between 400 and 900 °C by direct current measurements according to ASTM D257 or IEC 60093. The effects of film annealing and of zirconia impurities in the powder on the electrical conductivity were investigated. The conductivity values of the ADM films correlate well with literature data and can even be improved by annealing at 900 °C from 4.5 × 10-12 S/cm before annealing up to 5.6 × 10-13 S/cm after annealing (measured at 400 °C). The influence of zirconia impurities is very low as the conductivity is only slightly elevated. The ADM-processed films show a very good insulation behavior represented by an even lower electrical conductivity than conventional alumina substrates as they are commercially available for thick-film technology.

Physical processes in high field insulating liquid conduction

Science.gov (United States)

Mazarakis, Michael; Kiefer, Mark; Leckbee, Joshua; Anderson, Delmar; Wilkins, Frank; Obregon, Robert

2017-10-01

In the power grid transmission where a large amount of energy is transmitted to long distances, High Voltage DC (HVDC) transmission of up to 1MV becomes more attractive since is more efficient than the counterpart AC. However, two of the most difficult problems to solve are the cable connections to the high voltage power sources and their insulation from the ground. The insulating systems are usually composed of transformer oil and solid insulators. The oil behavior under HVDC is similar to that of a weak electrolyte. Its behavior under HVDC is dominated more by conductivity than dielectric constant. Space charge effects in the oil bulk near high voltage electrodes and impeded plastic insulators affect the voltage oil hold-off. We have constructed an experimental facility where we study the oil and plastic insulator behavior in an actual HVDC System. Experimental results will be presented and compared with the present understanding of the physics governing the oil behavior under very high electrical stresses. Sandia National Laboratories managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. D.O.E., NNSA under contract DE-NA-0003525.

Structural properties and sensing characteristics of high-k Ho2O3 sensing film-based electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Tung-Ming; Huang, Ming-De

2011-01-01

Highlights: → We report the structural properties and sensing characteristics of Ho 2 O 3 sensing membranes deposited on Si substrates by reactive sputtering. → We applied X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy to study the structural and morphological features of these films after they had been subjected to annealing at various temperatures (700 deg. C, 800 deg. C, and 900 deg. C). → The Ho 2 O 3 electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor device annealed at 800 deg. C exhibited a higher sensitivity, a lower hysteresis voltage, and a smaller drift rate than other annealing temperatures. - Abstract: In this study, we report a Ho 2 O 3 electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) device films deposited on Si substrates through reactive sputtering. The effect of thermal annealing (700, 800, and 900 deg. C) on the structural and surface properties of Ho 2 O 3 sensing film was investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. We found that the EIS device with a Ho 2 O 3 sensing film annealed at 800 deg. C exhibited a higher sensitivity of ∼57 mV/pH, a lower hysteresis voltage of 2.68 mV, and a smaller drift rate of 2.83 mV h -1 compared to those at other annealing conditions. This improvement can be attributed to the well-crystallized Ho 2 O 3 structure and the large surface roughness.

Characterization and ageing study of poly(lactic acid) films plasticized with oligomeric lactic acid

OpenAIRE

Burgos, Nuria; Martino, Verónica P.; Jiménez, Alfonso

2013-01-01

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was melt-blended with a bio-based oligomeric lactic acid (OLA) plasticizer at different concentrations between 15 wt% and 25 wt% in order to enhance PLA ductility and to get a fully biodegradable material with potential application in films manufacturing. OLA was an efficient plasticizer for PLA, as it caused a significant decrease on glass transition temperature (Tg) while improving considerably ductile properties. Only one Tg value was observed in all cases and no ap...

Nonlinear optical observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmons in thin-film topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Glinka, Yuri D.; Babakiray, Sercan; Johnson, Trent A.; Holcomb, Mikel B.; Lederman, David

2016-09-01

Low-energy collective electronic excitations exhibiting sound-like linear dispersion have been intensively studied both experimentally and theoretically for a long time. However, coherent acoustic plasmon modes appearing in time-domain measurements are rarely observed due to Landau damping by the single-particle continua. Here we report on the observation of coherent acoustic Dirac plasmon (CADP) modes excited in indirectly (electrostatically) opposite-surface coupled films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. Using transient second-harmonic generation, a technique capable of independently monitoring the in-plane and out-of-plane electron dynamics in the films, the GHz-range oscillations were observed without corresponding oscillations in the transient reflectivity. These oscillations were assigned to the transverse magnetic and transverse electric guided CADP modes induced by the evanescent guided Lamb acoustic waves and remained Landau undamped due to fermion tunnelling between the opposite-surface Dirac states.

Inkjet-Printed Organic Transistors Based on Organic Semiconductor/Insulating Polymer Blends.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yoon-Jung; Park, Yeong Don; Lee, Wi Hyoung

2016-08-02

Recent advances in inkjet-printed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are reviewed in this article. Organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are attractive ink candidates for enhancing the jetting properties, inducing uniform film morphologies, and/or controlling crystallization behaviors of organic semiconductors. Representative studies using soluble acene/insulating polymer blends as an inkjet-printed active layer in OFETs are introduced with special attention paid to the phase separation characteristics of such blended films. In addition, inkjet-printed semiconducting/insulating polymer blends for fabricating high performance printed OFETs are reviewed.

Improvements in the reliability of a-InGaZnO thin-film transistors with triple stacked gate insulator in flexible electronics applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Hua-Mao [Department of Photonics & Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chang, Ting-Chang, E-mail: tcchang3708@gmail.com [Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Department of Photonics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Advanced Optoelectronics Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (China); Tai, Ya-Hsiang [Department of Photonics & Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chen, Kuan-Fu [Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chiang, Hsiao-Cheng [Department of Photonics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Liu, Kuan-Hsien [Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Lee, Chao-Kuei [Department of Photonics, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Lin, Wei-Ting; Cheng, Chun-Cheng; Tu, Chun-Hao; Liu, Chu-Yu [Advanced Technology Research Center, AU Optronics Corp, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China)

2015-11-30

This study examined the impact of the low-temperature stacking gate insulator on the gate bias instability of a-InGaZnO thin film transistors in flexible electronics applications. Although the quality of SiN{sub x} at low process/deposition temperature is better than that of SiO{sub x} at similarly low process/deposition temperature, there is still a very large positive threshold voltage (V{sub th}) shift of 9.4 V for devices with a single low-temperature SiN{sub x} gate insulator under positive gate bias stress. However, a suitable oxide–nitride–oxide-stacked gate insulator exhibits a V{sub th} shift of only 0.23 V. This improvement results from the larger band offset and suitable gate insulator thickness that can effectively suppress carrier trapping behavior. - Highlights: • The cause of the bias instability for a low-temperature gate insulator is verified. • A triple-stacked gate insulator was fabricated. • A suitable triple stacked gate insulator shows only 0.23 V threshold voltage shift.

Electronic reconstruction at the interface between the Mott insulator LaVO{sub 3} and the band insulator SrTiO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stuebinger, Martin; Gabel, Judith; Gagel, Philipp; Sing, Michael; Claessen, Ralph [Universitaet Wuerzburg, Physikalisches Institut and Roentgen Center for Complex Material Systems (RCCM), 97074 Wuerzburg (Germany)

2016-07-01

Akin to the well known oxide heterostructure LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} (LAO/STO) the formation of a conducting interface is found between the strongly correlated, polar Mott insulator LaV{sup 3+}O{sub 3} (LVO) and the non-polar band insulator STO. Since LaV{sup 3+}O{sub 3} tends to overoxidize to the thermodynamically more favourable LaV{sup 5+}O{sub 4} phase when exposed to air, a suitable passivation is required. Therefore, we have employed pulsed laser deposition thin film growth of LVO films with a crystalline LAO capping layer. In situ photoemission measurements of samples before and after being exposed to air show that the V oxidation state can indeed be stabilized by the LAO capping layer. By transport measurements, we identify an insulator-to-metal transition at a combined LAO/LVO overlayer thickness of 4 to 5 unit cells. With LVO being a Mott insulator, passivation by the LAO capping opens the opportunity to study a band-filling controlled Mott insulator to metal transition induced by a purely electrostatic mechanism without interfering overoxidation of the LVO film.

Effect of plastic strain on shape memory characteristics in sputter-deposited Ti-Ni thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomura, K.

1995-01-01

The plastic strain which is introduced during cooling and heating under a constant stress has an influence upon the transformation and deformation characteristics of sputter-deposited Ti-Ni shape memory alloy thin films. With increasing the accumulated plastic strain, Ms rises and recovery strain increases. The changes in such characteristics are due to the internal stress field that is formed by plastic deformation. However, the change in Ms in Ti-50.5at%Ni is larger than that in Ti-48.9at%Ni, although the plastic strain in the former is lower than that in the latter. In order to understand this point, the effective internal stresses were estimated in both alloys; the internal stress in the former is more effectively created by the introduction of plastic strain than in the latter. (orig.)

Modification and structuring of conducting polymer films on insulating substrates by ion beam treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asmus, T.; Wolf, Gerhard K.

2000-01-01

Besides the commonly used procedures of UV-, X-ray and electron beam lithography, surface structuring by ion beam processes represents an alternative route to receive patterns in the nanometre-micrometre scale. In this work we focused on changes of surface properties of the polymer materials induced by ion irradiation and on reproducing hexagonal and square patterns in the micrometre scale. To achieve a better understanding of modification and structuring of insulating and conducting polymers by ion beam treatment we investigated effects of 14 keV Ar + bombardment on thin films of doped conducting polyethoxithiophene (PEOT) and polyethylenedioxithiophene (PEDT) on polyethersulfone (PES) as insulating substrate within the fluence range from 10 14 to 10 17 ions/cm 2 . Changes of surface properties like wettability, solubility, topology and electrochemical behaviour have been studied by contact angle technique, AFM/LFM, cyclovoltammetry and electrochemical microelectrode. By irradiation through copper masks structured patterns were achieved. These patterns can be converted by galvanic or electroless copper deposition in structured metal layers

Broadband and wide angle near-unity absorption in graphene-insulator-metal thin film stacks

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, H. J.; Zheng, G. G.; Chen, Y. Y.; Xu, L. H.

2018-05-01

Broadband unity absorption in graphene-insulator-metal (GIM) structures is demonstrated in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) spectra. The spectral characteristics possess broadband absorption peaks, by simply choosing a stack of GIM, while no nanofabrication steps and patterning are required, and thus can be easily fabricated to cover a large area. The electromagnetic (EM) waves can be entirely trapped and the absorption can be greatly enhanced are verified with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) methods. The position and the number of the absorption peak can be totally controlled by adjusting the thickness of the insulator layer. The proposed absorber maintains high absorption (above 90%) for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations, and for angles of incidence up to 80°. This work opens up a promising approach to realize perfect absorption (PA) with ultra-thin film, which could implicate many potential applications in optical detection and optoelectronic devices.

Compact gas-insulated transformer. Fourteenth quarterly report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-08-01

Objective is to develop a compact, more efficient, quieter transformer which does not rely on mineral oil insulation. Compressed SF/sub 6/ is used as the external insulation and polymer film as the insulation between turns. A separate liquid cooling system is also provided. This document reports progress made in design, mechanical, dielectric, short circuit, thermal, materials, prototype, accessories, commercialization, and system studies. (DLC)

Formation of sterilized edible-films based on caseinates: Effects of calcium and plasticizers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mezgheni, E.; D'Aprano, G.; Lacroix, M.

1998-01-01

Gamma-irradiation was used to produce free-standing sterilized edible films based on caseinate. The effect of calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) and two plasticizers, namely propylene glycol (PG) and triethylene glycol (TEG) were investigated, as well as the effect of the irradiation on both the gel formation and mechanical properties of the resulting films. Gamma-irradiation provoked formation of bityrosine, i.e. crosslinks, accounting for the increase of the puncture strength of films. The presence of PG or TEG enhanced the formation of crosslinks, leading to an improved mechanical strength of films. TEG was found to interact more favorably with the caseinate than PG, being responsible for the improved film extensibility. Addition of CA 2+ caused the formation of gels. The breaking strength of gels was directly related to the concentration of Ca 2+ , while the puncture strength of films was found to be almost independent. Moreover, high irradiation dose seemed to affect the protein structure, accounting for the decrease of the breaking strength of gels and for the depreciation of the mechanical behavior of films

Insulating characteristics of polyvinyl alcohol for integrated electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Etten, Eliana A.; Ximenes, Eder S.; Tarasconi, Lucas T.; Garcia, Irene T.S.; Forte, Maria M.C.; Boudinov, Henri

2014-01-01

The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of molecular weight, hydrolysis degree, and cross-link on the performance of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) when applied as dielectric material in organic field effect transistors. For this purpose, metal–insulator-structures and polymeric films were characterized. The polymer structure was analyzed by thermogravimetry and calorimetry, and the electrical characterization of the films was performed through current–voltage and capacitance–voltage curves; and dielectric spectrometry. Cross-linkage, followed by hydrolysis degree, presented the major impact on polymer properties, due to the strong influence on chain mobility. The chain mobility increases the dielectric response and decreases the insulation capacity, generating the need to compromise between these two properties. The largest drawback encountered was the high sensitivity of the films to ambient humidity. The best performance of the organic insulator was obtained from cross-linked films made of an incompletely hydrolyzed PVA. - Highlights: • Effect of molecular weight, hydrolysis and cross-link on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) dielectric • Cross-linkage, followed by hydrolysis, showed the major impact on properties. • Cross-linkage followed by hydrolysis showed the strongest effect on chain mobility. • Best dielectric performance: cross-linked films made of incompletely hydrolyzed PVA • Largest drawback is the high sensitivity of the films to ambient humidity

In-Ga-Zn-oxide thin-film transistors with Sb2TeOx gate insulators fabricated by reactive sputtering using a metallic Sb2Te target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheong, Woo-Seok

2011-01-01

Using reactive sputtering, we made transparent amorphous Sb 2 TeO x thin films from a metallic Sb 2 Te target in an oxidizing atmosphere. In-Ga-Zn-oxide thin-film transistors (IGZO TFTs) with Sb 2 TeO x gate insulators deposited at room temperature showed a large hysteresis with a counter clockwise direction, which was caused by mobile charges in the gate insulators. The problems of the mobile charges was solved by using Sb 2 TeO x films formed at 250 .deg. C. After the IGZO TFT had been annealed at 200 .deg. C for 1 hour in an O 2 ambient, the mobility of the IGZO TFT was 22.41 cm 2 /Vs, and the drain current on-off ratio was ∼10 8 .

Degradation of biodegradable plastic mulch films in soil environment by phylloplane fungi isolated from gramineous plants

OpenAIRE

Koitabashi, Motoo; Noguchi, Masako T; Sameshima-Yamashita, Yuka; Hiradate, Syuntaro; Suzuki, Ken; Yoshida, Shigenobu; Watanabe, Takashi; Shinozaki, Yukiko; Tsushima, Seiya; Kitamoto, Hiroko K

2012-01-01

To improve the biodegradation of biodegradable plastic (BP) mulch films, 1227 fungal strains were isolated from plant surface (phylloplane) and evaluated for BP-degrading ability. Among them, B47-9 a strain isolated from the leaf surface of barley showed the strongest ability to degrade poly-(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) and poly-(butylene succinate) (PBS) films. The strain grew on the surface of soil-mounted BP films, produced breaks along the direction of hyphal growth ind...

Handleable shapes of thermal insulation material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hughes, J. T.

1989-01-17

Handleable and machineable shapes of thermal insulation material are made by compacting finely divided thermal insulation material into the cells of a reinforcing honeycomb insulation material into the cells of a reinforcing honeycomb structure. The finely divided thermal insulation material may be, for example, silica aerogel, pyrogenic silica, carbon black, silica gel, volatilised silica, calcium silicate, vermiculate or perlite, or finely divided metal oxides such as alumina or titania. The finely divided thermal insulation material may include an infra-red opacifier and/or reinforcing fibres. The reinforcing honeycomb structure may be made from, for example, metals such as aluminium foil, inorganic materials such as ceramics, organic materials such as plastics materials, woven fabrics or paper. A rigidiser may be employed. The shapes of thermal insulation material are substantially rigid and may be machines, for example by mechanical or laser cutting devices, or may be formed, for example by rolling, into curved or other shaped materials. 12 figs.

Inkjet-Printed Organic Transistors Based on Organic Semiconductor/Insulating Polymer Blends

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yoon-Jung; Park, Yeong Don; Lee, Wi Hyoung

2016-01-01

Recent advances in inkjet-printed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are reviewed in this article. Organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are attractive ink candidates for enhancing the jetting properties, inducing uniform film morphologies, and/or controlling crystallization behaviors of organic semiconductors. Representative studies using soluble acene/insulating polymer blends as an inkjet-printed active layer in OFETs are introduced with special attention paid to the phase separation characteristics of such blended films. In addition, inkjet-printed semiconducting/insulating polymer blends for fabricating high performance printed OFETs are reviewed. PMID:28773772

Occurrence and risk assessment of phthalate esters (PAEs) in vegetables and soils of suburban plastic film greenhouses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Chen, Gangcai; Christie, Peter; Zhang, Manyun; Luo, Yongming; Teng, Ying

2015-08-01

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are suspected of having adverse effects on human health and have been frequently detected in soils and vegetables. The present study investigated their occurrence and composition in plastic film greenhouse soil-vegetable systems and assessed their potential health risks to farmers exposed to these widespread pollutants. Six priority control phthalates, namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP), were determined in 44 plastic film greenhouse vegetables and corresponding soils. Total PAEs ranged from 0.51 to 7.16mgkg(-1) in vegetables and 0.40 to 6.20mgkg(-1) in soils with average concentrations of 2.56 and 2.23mgkg(-1), respectively. DnBP, DEHP and DnOP contributed more than 90% of the total PAEs in both vegetables and soils but the proportions of DnBP and DnOP in vegetables were significantly (p3.00mgkg(-1) but were plastic film greenhouses. Health risks were mainly by exposure through vegetable consumption and soil ingestion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Xylan Blending Films with 1,2,3,4-Butane Tetracarboxylic Acid as a New Plasticizer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cun-dian Gao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Miscible, biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA/xylan blending films were firstly prepared in the range of the PVA/xylan weight ratio from 1 : 2 to 3 : 1 by casting method using 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA as a new plasticizer. The properties of blending films as functions of PVA/xylan weight ratio and BTCA amount were discussed. XRD and FT-IR were applied to characterize the blending films. Experimental results indicated that tensile strength (TS and elongation at break (EAB of blending films decreased along with the decrease of the PVA/xylan weight ratio. Both of TS and EAB firstly increased and then decreased as the amount of BTCA was increased. More importantly, blending films were biodegraded almost by 41% with an addition of 10% BTCA in blending films within 30 days in soil. For all hydroxyl functionalized polymers (xylan and PVA, their molecular interactions and miscibility with BTCA endowed blending films with the biocompatibility and biodegradability. Therefore, these blending films are environmentally friendly materials which could be applied as biodegradable plastics for food packaging and agricultural applications.

Fabrication of amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistor with solution processed SrZrO3 gate insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Takanori; Oikawa, Kento; Hoga, Takeshi; Uraoka, Yukiharu; Uchiyama, Kiyoshi

2017-10-01

In this paper, we describe a method of fabrication of thin film transistors (TFTs) with high dielectric constant (high-k) gate insulator by a solution deposition. We chose a solution processed SrZrO3 as a gate insulator material, which possesses a high dielectric constant of 21 with smooth surface. The IGZO-TFT with solution processed SrZrO3 showed good switching property and enough saturation features, i.e. field effect mobility of 1.7cm2/Vs, threshold voltage of 4.8V, sub-threshold swing of 147mV/decade, and on/off ratio of 2.3×107. Comparing to the TFTs with conventional SiO2 gate insulator, the sub-threshold swing was improved by smooth surface and high field effect due to the high dielectric constant of SrZrO3. These results clearly showed that use of solution processed high-k SrZrO3 gate insulator could improve sub-threshold swing. In addition, the residual carbon originated from organic precursors makes TFT performances degraded.

Electric-field induced spin accumulation in the Landau level states of topological insulator thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Siu, Zhuo Bin; Chowdhury, Debashree; Basu, Banasri; Jalil, Mansoor B. A.

2017-08-01

A topological insulator (TI) thin film differs from the more typically studied thick TI system in that the former has both a top and a bottom surface where the states localized at both surfaces can couple to one other across the finite thickness. An out-of-plane magnetic field leads to the formation of discrete Landau level states in the system, whereas an in-plane magnetization breaks the angular momentum symmetry of the system. In this work, we study the spin accumulation induced by the application of an in-plane electric field to the TI thin film system where the Landau level states and inter-surface coupling are simultaneously present. We show, via Kubo formula calculations, that the in-plane spin accumulation perpendicular to the magnetization due to the electric field vanishes for a TI thin film with symmetric top and bottom surfaces. A finite in-plane spin accumulation perpendicular to both the electric field and magnetization emerges upon applying either a differential magnetization coupling or a potential difference between the two film surfaces. This spin accumulation results from the breaking of the antisymmetry of the spin accumulation around the k-space equal-energy contours.

Use of plastic films for weed control during field establishment of micropropagated hardwoods

Science.gov (United States)

J. W. Van Sambeek; John E. Preece; Carl A. Huetteman; Paul L. Roth

1995-01-01

This study compares the use of plastic films to conventional methods for establishing hardwoods on a recently cultivated old field site using 1-year-old micropropagated plantlets of white ash (Fraxinus americana L.) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.). After one growing season in the field, height of plantlets with all weed...

Conductive plastic film electrodes for Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatment : A proof of principle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roodenburg, B.; Haan, S.W.H. de; Boxtel, L.B.J. van; Hatt, V.; Wouters, P.C.; Coronel, P.; Ferreira, J.A.

2010-01-01

Nowadays Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatment of food needs to be performed prior to packaging, either hygienic or aseptic packaging is necessary. New techniques for PEF treatment after packaging can be considered when plastic conductive (film) electrodes can be integrated within the package, so

Plastic-Film Mulching for Enhanced Water-Use Efficiency and Economic Returns from Maize Fields in Semiarid China

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Peng; Wei, Ting; Cai, Tie; Ali, Shahzad; Han, Qingfang; Ren, Xiaolong; Jia, Zhikuan

2017-01-01

Film mulch has gradually been popularized to increase water availability to crops for improving and stabilizing agricultural production in the semiarid areas of Northwest China. To find more sustainable and economic film mulch methods for alleviating drought stress in semiarid region, it is necessary to test optimum planting methods in same cultivation conditions. A field experiment was conducted during 2013 and 2014 to evaluate the effects of different plastic film mulch methods on soil wate...

Effects of Ion Beam Irradiation on Nanoscale InOx Cooper-Pair Insulators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srdjan Milosavljević

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the effects of irradiating indium oxide films of nanoscale thickness by ion beams, when these films are in the Cooper-pair insulator state. Radiation effects are predicted on the basis of Monte Carlo simulations of ion transport. Results of numerical experiments are interpreted within the theoretical model of a Cooper-pair insulator. The study suggests that radiation-induced changes in InOx films exposed to ion beams could significantly alter their current-voltage characteristics and that a transition to a metallic state is possible, due to radiation-induced perturbation of the fine-tuned granular structure. Furthermore, incident and displaced ions can break up enough Cooper pairs in InOx films to cause dissolution of this specific insulating state.

Heat Loads Due To Small Penetrations In Multilayer Insulation Blankets

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, W. L.; Heckle, K. W.; E Fesmire, J.

2017-12-01

The main penetrations (supports and piping) through multilayer insulation systems for cryogenic tanks have been previously addressed by heat flow measurements. Smaller penetrations due to fasteners and attachments are now experimentally investigated. The use of small pins or plastic garment tag fasteners to ease the handling and construction of multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets goes back many years. While it has long been understood that penetrations and other discontinuities degrade the performance of the MLI blanket, quantification of this degradation has generally been lumped into gross performance multipliers (often called degradation factors or scale factors). Small penetrations contribute both solid conduction and radiation heat transfer paths through the blanket. The conduction is down the stem of the structural element itself while the radiation is through the hole formed during installation of the pin or fastener. Analytical models were developed in conjunction with MLI perforation theory and Fourier’s Law. Results of the analytical models are compared to experimental testing performed on a 10 layer MLI blanket with approximately 50 small plastic pins penetrating the test specimen. The pins were installed at ∼76-mm spacing inches in both directions to minimize the compounding of thermal effects due to localized compression or lateral heat transfer. The testing was performed using a liquid nitrogen boil-off calorimeter (Cryostat-100) with the standard boundary temperatures of 293 K and 78 K. Results show that the added radiation through the holes is much more significant than the conduction down the fastener. The results are shown to be in agreement with radiation theory for perforated films.

Inter- and intragranular plasticity mechanisms in ultrafine-grained Al thin films: An in situ TEM study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mompiou, F.; Legros, M.; Boé, A.; Coulombier, M.; Raskin, J.-P.; Pardoen, T.

2013-01-01

The nature of the elementary deformation mechanisms in small-grained metals has been the subject of numerous recent studies. In the submicron range, mechanisms other than intragranular dislocation mechanisms, such as grain boundary (GB)-based mechanisms, are active and can explain the deviations from the Hall–Petch law. Here, we report observations performed during in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) tensile tests on initially dislocation-free Al thin films with a mean grain size around 250 nm prepared by microfabrication techniques. Intergranular plasticity is activated at the onset of plasticity. It consists of the motion of dislocations in the GB plane irrespective of the GB character. Surface imperfections, such as GB grooves, are supposed to trigger intergranular plasticity. At larger deformations, the motion of the intergranular dislocations leads to GB sliding and eventually cavitation. In the meantime, GB stress-assisted migration and dislocation emission inside the grain from GB sources have also been observed. The observation of these different mechanisms during the deformation provides an important insight into the understanding of the mechanical properties of metallic thin films.

Ultra-thin films of polysilsesquioxanes possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as gate insulator for organic field-effect transistors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakahara, Yoshio; Kawa, Haruna; Yoshiki, Jun; Kumei, Maki; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Oi, Fumio; Yamakado, Hideo; Fukuda, Hisashi; Kimura, Keiichi

2012-01-01

Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as an organic moiety of the side chain were synthesized by sol–gel condensation copolymerization of the corresponding trialkoxysilanes. The ultra-thin PSQ film with a radical initiator and a cross-linking agent was prepared by a spin-coating method, and the film was cured integrally at low temperatures of less than 120 °C through two different kinds of polymeric reactions, which were radical polymerization of vinyl groups and sol–gel condensation polymerization of terminated silanol and alkoxy groups. The obtained PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to acetone, which is a good solvent of PSQ before polymerization. It became clear by atomic force microscopy observation that the surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. Furthermore, pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with the PSQ film as a gate insulator showed typical p-channel enhancement mode operation characteristics and therefore the ultra-thin PSQ film has the potential to be applicable for solution-processed OFET systems. - Highlights: ► Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups were synthesized. ► The ultra-thin PSQ film could be cured at low temperatures of less than 120 °C. ► The PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to organic solvent. ► The surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. ► Pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor with the PSQ film was fabricated.

Investigations of the dynamics and growth of insulator films by high resolution helium atom scattering. Final report, May 1, 1985--April 30, 1997

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Safron, S.A.; Skofronick, J.G.

1997-07-01

Over the twelve years of this grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, DE-FG05-85ER45208, the over-reaching aims of this work have been to explore and to attempt to understand the fundamental physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces. The instrument we have employed m in this work is high-resolution helium atom scattering (HAS) which we have become even more convinced is an exceptionally powerful and useful tool for surface science. One can follow the evolution of the development and progress of the experiments that we have carried out by the evolution of the proposal titles for each of the four three-year periods. At first, m in 1985-1988, the main objective of this grant was to construct the HAS instrument so that we could begin work on the surface vibrational dynamics of crystalline materials; the title was {open_quotes}Helium Atom-Surface Scattering Apparatus for Studies of Crystalline Surface Dynamics{close_quotes}. Then, as we became more interested m in the growth of films and interfaces the title m in 1988-1991 became {open_quotes}Helium Atom Surface Spectroscopy: Surface Lattice Dynamics of Insulators, Metal and Metal Overlayers{close_quotes}. In 1991-1994, we headed even more m in this direction, and also recognized that we should focus more on insulator materials as very few techniques other than helium atom scattering could be applied to insulators without causing surface damage. Thus, the proposal title became {open_quotes}Helium Atom-Surface Scattering: Surface Dynamics of Insulators, Overlayers and Crystal Growth{close_quotes}. M in the final period of this grant the title ended up {open_quotes}Investigations of the Dynamics and Growth of Insulator Films by High Resolution Helium Atom Scattering{close_quotes} m in 1994-1997. The list of accomplishments briefly discussed in this report are: tests of the shell model; multiphoton scattering; physisorbed monolayer films; other surface phase transitions; and surface magnetic effects.

The overall heat transfer of greenhouses covered with PE [polyethylene film] and PVC [polyvinyl chloride film] single layer: The heat insulation efficiency of greenhouses and their covering materials (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minagawa, H.; Tachibana, K.

1982-01-01

Overall heat transfer of polyethylene film (PE) and polyvinyl chloride film (PVC) were measured in the experimental greenhouses with hot-air heaters on the clear and on the cloudy nights during the period Nov. 1979 to Jan. 1980. Both films are 0.1 mm thick and have different physical properties for long-wave radiation. The heat insulation efficiency of the greenhouses covered with PE and PVC single layer was investigated, and the ratio of floor area to covering area for the experimental greenhouses, which is one of the indices for the heat insulation efficiency of greenhouses, was also taken into consideration. The results are as follows: 1. Using the ratio of the overall heat transfer and the overall heat transfer coefficients for the heat insulation efficiency, the PE-house revealed to be less efficient than the PVC-house. This can be due to PE being more transparent to long-wave radiation than PVC. The advantage in the PVC-house, however, decreased with the increasing of the inside-outside air temperature difference (Figs. 3 and 5). 2. The overall heat transfer coefficients of both greenhouses depended on the inside-outside temperature difference. As the temperature difference increased, the overall heat transfer coefficients decreased (Fig. 5). 3. The overall heat transfer coefficients of both greenhouses were smaller on the cloudy nights than that on the clear nights. When the condensation occurred at the interior film surface, the heat insulation efficiency of both greenhouses was increased, resulting in the decrease of the coefficient. The efficiency of the PE-house was more affected than the PVC-house when the condensation occurred (Figs. 6 and 7). 4. When the inside-outside air temperature difference was small, convective heat transferred from the outside air to the outside cover surface. With an increase in the inside-outside air temperature difference, convective heat flow occurred from the outside cover surface to the outside air. This phenomenon was

Nonvolatile memory thin-film transistors using biodegradable chicken albumen gate insulator and oxide semiconductor channel on eco-friendly paper substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, So-Jung; Jeon, Da-Bin; Park, Jung-Ho; Ryu, Min-Ki; Yang, Jong-Heon; Hwang, Chi-Sun; Kim, Gi-Heon; Yoon, Sung-Min

2015-03-04

Nonvolatile memory thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated on paper substrates were proposed as one of the eco-friendly electronic devices. The gate stack was composed of chicken albumen gate insulator and In-Ga-Zn-O semiconducting channel layers. All the fabrication processes were performed below 120 °C. To improve the process compatibility of the synthethic paper substrate, an Al2O3 thin film was introduced as adhesion and barrier layers by atomic layer deposition. The dielectric properties of biomaterial albumen gate insulator were also enhanced by the preparation of Al2O3 capping layer. The nonvolatile bistabilities were realized by the switching phenomena of residual polarization within the albumen thin film. The fabricated device exhibited a counterclockwise hysteresis with a memory window of 11.8 V, high on/off ratio of approximately 1.1 × 10(6), and high saturation mobility (μsat) of 11.5 cm(2)/(V s). Furthermore, these device characteristics were not markedly degraded even after the delamination and under the bending situration. When the curvature radius was set as 5.3 cm, the ION/IOFF ratio and μsat were obtained to be 5.9 × 10(6) and 7.9 cm(2)/(V s), respectively.

Absorption of surface acoustic waves by topological insulator thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, L. L.; Xu, W.

2014-01-01

We present a theoretical study on the absorption of the surface acoustic waves (SAWs) by Dirac electrons in topological insulator (TI) thin films (TITFs). We find that due to momentum and energy conservation laws, the absorption of the SAWs in TITFs can only be achieved via intra-band electronic transitions. The strong absorption can be observed up to sub-terahertz frequencies. With increasing temperature, the absorption intensity increases significantly and the cut-off frequency is blue-shifted. More interestingly, we find that the absorption of the SAWs by the TITFs can be markedly enhanced by the tunable subgap in the Dirac energy spectrum of the TI surface states. Such a subgap is absent in conventional two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) and in the gapless Dirac 2DEG such as graphene. This study is pertinent to the exploration of the acoustic properties of TIs and to potential application of TIs as tunable SAW devices working at hypersonic frequencies

Accelerated life test of an ONO stacked insulator film for a silicon micro-strip detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuno, Shoji; Ikeda, Hirokazu; Saitoh, Yutaka

1996-01-01

We have used to acquire the signal through an integrated capacitor for a silicon micro-strip detector. When we have been using a double-sided silicon micro-strip detector, we have required a long-term stability and a high feasibility for the integrated capacitor. An oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) insulator film was theoretically expected to have a superior nature in terms of long term reliability. In order to test long term reliability for integrated capacitor of a silicon micro-strip detector, we made a multi-channel measuring system for capacitors

Plastic properties of thin films on substrates as measured by submicron indentation hardness and substrate curvature techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doerner, M.F.; Gardner, D.S.; Nix, W.D.

1986-01-01

Substrate curvature and submicron indentation measurements have been used recently to study plastic deformation in thin films on substrates. In the present work both of these techniques have been employed to study the strength of aluminum and tungsten thin films on silicon substrates. In the case of aluminum films on silicon substrates, the film strength is found to increase with decreasing thickness. Grain size variations with film thickness do not account for the variations in strength. Wafer curvature measurements give strengths higher than those predicted from hardness measurements suggesting the substrate plays a role in strengthening the film. The observed strengthening effect with decreased thickness may be due to image forces on dislocations in the film due to the elastically stiffer silicon substrate. For sputtered tungsten films, where the substrate is less stiff than the film, the film strength decreases with decreasing film thickness

(ajst) effects of ground insulation and greenhouse

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NORBERT OPIYO AKECH

and quality of biogas generation from dairy cattle dung. The effects ... Therefore ground insulation of plastic biogas digester under greenhouse conditions significantly enhances ..... The low values obtained did not suggest failure of the system ...

Poly(4-vinylphenol) gate insulator with cross-linking using a rapid low-power microwave induction heating scheme for organic thin-film-transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Ching-Lin; Shang, Ming-Chi; Hsia, Mao-Yuan; Wang, Shea-Jue; Huang, Bohr-Ran; Lee, Win-Der

2016-03-01

A Microwave-Induction Heating (MIH) scheme is proposed for the poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) gate insulator cross-linking process to replace the traditional oven heating cross-linking process. The cross-linking time is significantly decreased from 1 h to 5 min by heating the metal below the PVP layer using microwave irradiation. The necessary microwave power was substantially reduced to about 50 W by decreasing the chamber pressure. The MIH scheme is a good candidate to replace traditional thermal heating for cross-linking of PVP as the gate insulator for organic thin-film-transistors.

Synthesis of ultrathin polymer insulating layers by initiated chemical vapour deposition for low-power soft electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Hanul; Seong, Hyejeong; Shin, Woo Cheol; Park, Won-Tae; Kim, Mincheol; Lee, Seungwon; Bong, Jae Hoon; Noh, Yong-Young; Cho, Byung Jin; Yoo, Seunghyup; Im, Sung Gap

2015-06-01

Insulating layers based on oxides and nitrides provide high capacitance, low leakage, high breakdown field and resistance to electrical stresses when used in electronic devices based on rigid substrates. However, their typically high process temperatures and brittleness make it difficult to achieve similar performance in flexible or organic electronics. Here, we show that poly(1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trivinyl cyclotrisiloxane) (pV3D3) prepared via a one-step, solvent-free technique called initiated chemical vapour deposition (iCVD) is a versatile polymeric insulating layer that meets a wide range of requirements for next-generation electronic devices. Highly uniform and pure ultrathin films of pV3D3 with excellent insulating properties, a large energy gap (>8 eV), tunnelling-limited leakage characteristics and resistance to a tensile strain of up to 4% are demonstrated. The low process temperature, surface-growth character, and solvent-free nature of the iCVD process enable pV3D3 to be grown conformally on plastic substrates to yield flexible field-effect transistors as well as on a variety of channel layers, including organics, oxides, and graphene.

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.

Nanoparticles from Degradation of Biodegradable Plastic Mulch

Science.gov (United States)

Flury, Markus; Sintim, Henry; Bary, Andy; English, Marie; Schaefer, Sean

2017-04-01

Plastic mulch films are commonly used in crop production. They provide multiple benefits, including control of weeds and insects, increase of soil and air temperature, reduction of evaporation, and prevention of soil erosion. The use of plastic mulch film in agriculture has great potential to increase food production and security. Plastic mulch films must be retrieved and disposed after usage. Biodegradable plastic mulch films, who can be tilled into the soil after usage offer great benefits as alternative to conventional polyethylene plastic. However, it has to be shown that the degradation of these mulches is complete and no micro- and nanoparticles are released during degradation. We conducted a field experiment with biodegradable mulches and tested mulch degradation. Mulch was removed from the field after the growing season and composted to facilitate degradation. We found that micro- and nanoparticles were released during degradation of the mulch films in compost. This raises concerns about degradation in soils as well.

Electrical transport and capacitance characteristics of metal-insulator-metal structures using hexagonal and cubic boron nitride films as dielectrics

Science.gov (United States)

Teii, Kungen; Kawamoto, Shinsuke; Fukui, Shingo; Matsumoto, Seiichiro

2018-04-01

Metal-insulator-metal capacitor structures using thick hexagonal and cubic boron nitride (hBN and cBN) films as dielectrics are produced by plasma jet-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, and their electrical transport and capacitance characteristics are studied in a temperature range of 298 to 473 K. The resistivity of the cBN film is of the order of 107 Ω cm at 298 K, which is lower than that of the hBN film by two orders of magnitude, while it becomes the same order as the hBN film above ˜423 K. The dominant current transport mechanism at high fields (≥1 × 104 V cm-1) is described by the Frenkel-Poole emission and thermionic emission models for the hBN and cBN films, respectively. The capacitance of the hBN film remains stable for a change in alternating-current frequency and temperature, while that of the cBN film has variations of at most 18%. The dissipation factor as a measure of energy loss is satisfactorily low (≤5%) for both films. The origin of leakage current and capacitance variation is attributed to a high defect density in the film and a transition interlayer between the substrate and the film, respectively. This suggests that cBN films with higher crystallinity, stoichiometry, and phase purity are potentially applicable for dielectrics like hBN films.

Effect that radiation exerts to insulation breakdown of heat resistant polymer materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Shigetaka; Baba, Makoto; Noto, Fumitoshi; Ruike, Mitsuo.

1990-01-01

Artificial satellites are always exposed to cosmic rays which contain the radiations which do not reach the ground, therefore, the radiation resistance of the polymer insulators for cables and others used in such environment becomes a problem. Also the polymer insulator materials used for nuclear facilities require excellent radiation resistance. It is important to examine the effect that radiation exerts to electric insulation characteristics from the viewpoint of material development. In this paper, the insulation breakdown characteristics of heat resistant polymer films and the mini-cables made for trial of heat resistant polymer materials in the case without irradiation and in the case of gamma ray irradiation, and the results of the structural analysis are reported. The specimens tested, the experimental method and the results are described. The insulation breakdown strength of PFA and FEP films lowered from 0.15-0.2 MGy, but that of PEEK film did not change up to 5 MGy. It was found that fluorine group resins were apt to deteriorate by oxidation as dose increased. (K.I.)

The model of metal-insulator phase transition in vanadium oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vikhnin, V.S.; Lysenko, S.; Rua, A.; Fernandez, F.; Liu, H.

2005-01-01

Thermally induced metal-insulator phase transitions (PT) in VO 2 thin films are studied theoretically and experimentally. The hysteresis phenomena in the region of the transition for different type thin films were investigated. The phenomenological model of the PT is suggested. The charge transfer-lattice instability in VO 2 metallic phase is considered as basis of the first order metal-insulator PT in VO 2 . The charge transfer is treated as an order parameter

Electromagnetic waves in a topological insulator thin film stack: helicon-like wave mode and photonic band structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Jun-ichi

2013-09-09

We theoretically explore the electromagnetic modes specific to a topological insulator superlattice in which topological and conventional insulator thin films are stacked periodically. In particular, we obtain analytic formulas for low energy mode that corresponds to a helicon wave, as well as those for photonic bands. We illustrate that the system can be modeled as a stack of quantum Hall layers whose conductivity tensors alternately change signs, and then we analyze the photonic band structures. This subject is a natural extension of a previous study by Tselis et al., which took into consideration a stack of identical quantum Hall layers but their discussion was limited into a low energy mode. Thus we provide analytic formulas for photonic bands and compare their features between the two systems. Our central findings in the topological insulator superlattice are that a low energy mode corresponding to a helicon wave has linear dispersion instead of the conventional quadratic form, and that a robust gapless photonic band appears although the system considered has spacial periodicity. In addition, we demonstrate that the photonic bands agree with the numerically calculated transmission spectra.

Ultra-thin films of polysilsesquioxanes possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as gate insulator for organic field-effect transistors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakahara, Yoshio; Kawa, Haruna [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, 930 Sakae-dani, Wakayama 640-8510 (Japan); Yoshiki, Jun [Division of Information and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran 050-8585 (Japan); Kumei, Maki; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Oi, Fumio [Konishi Chemical IND. Co., LTD., 3-4-77 Kozaika, Wakayama 641-0007 (Japan); Yamakado, Hideo [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, 930 Sakae-dani, Wakayama 640-8510 (Japan); Fukuda, Hisashi [Division of Engineering for Composite Functions, Faculty of Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran 050-8585 (Japan); Kimura, Keiichi, E-mail: kkimura@center.wakayama-u.ac.jp [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, 930 Sakae-dani, Wakayama 640-8510 (Japan)

2012-10-01

Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as an organic moiety of the side chain were synthesized by sol-gel condensation copolymerization of the corresponding trialkoxysilanes. The ultra-thin PSQ film with a radical initiator and a cross-linking agent was prepared by a spin-coating method, and the film was cured integrally at low temperatures of less than 120 Degree-Sign C through two different kinds of polymeric reactions, which were radical polymerization of vinyl groups and sol-gel condensation polymerization of terminated silanol and alkoxy groups. The obtained PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to acetone, which is a good solvent of PSQ before polymerization. It became clear by atomic force microscopy observation that the surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. Furthermore, pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with the PSQ film as a gate insulator showed typical p-channel enhancement mode operation characteristics and therefore the ultra-thin PSQ film has the potential to be applicable for solution-processed OFET systems. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups were synthesized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The ultra-thin PSQ film could be cured at low temperatures of less than 120 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to organic solvent. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor with the PSQ film was fabricated.

Plasticity enhancement mechanisms in refractory metals and intermetallics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibala, R.; Chang, H.; Czarnik, C.M.; Edwards, K.M.; Misra, A.

1993-01-01

Plasticity enhancement associated with surface films and precipitates or dispersoids in bcc refractory metals is operative in ordered intermetallic compounds. Some results are given for NiAl and MoSi 2 -based materials. The monotonic and cyclic plasticity of NiAl at room temperature can be enhanced by surface films. Ductile second phases also enhance the plasticity of NiAl. MoSi 2 exhibits similar effects of surface films and dispersoids, but primarily at elevated temperatures. The plasticity enhancement is associated with enhanced dislocation generation from constrained deformation at the film-substrate or precipitate/dispersoid-matrix interface of the composite systems

Metal-Insulator Phase Transition in thin VO2 films: A Look from the Far Infrared Side

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Peter Uhd; Fischer, B. M.; Thoman, A.

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) displays a well-known metal-insulator (MI) transition at atemperature of 68oC. The MI transition in VO2 has been studied extensively by a widerange of optical, electrical, structural, and magnetic measurements. In spite of this there isstill some controversy about the nature...... temperature hysteresis of the far-infrared transmission through thethin film with temperature. Interestingly the temperature-dependent transmissionamplitude shows a markedly different switching temperature than the transmission phase.This effect has not been observed before, and is very important...

[Effects of plastic film mulching and nitrogen application rate on net global warming potential in semiarid rain-fed maize cropland].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jian Can; Wang, Ze Lin; Yue, Shan Chao; Li, Shi Qing

2018-04-01

A one-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of plastic film mulching (FM) and nitrogen application rates applied to rain-fed maize fields on net global warming potential (Net GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) at the Changwu Agricultural and Ecological Experimental Station. Both GWP and GHGI were affected by the plastic film mulching and nitrogen application rate. Under the FM treatment, maize yield ranged from 1643 to 16699 kg·hm -2 , the net GWP (CO 2 -eq) ranged from 595 to 4376 kg·hm -2 ·a -1 , and the GHGI (CO 2 -eq) ranged from 213 to 358 kg·t -1 . The grain yield of maize, net GWP and GHGI for the UM (no mulching) treatment were 956 to 8821 kg·hm -2 , 342 to 4004 kg·hm -2 ·a -1 and 204 to 520 kg·t -1 , respectively. The results suggested that plastic film mulching could simultaneously improve grain yield and decrease GHGI in rain-fed cropland along with nitrogen fertilizer of 250 kg·hm -2 .

Pengaruh Penggunaan Plastic Wrap Terhadap Core Temperature Pasien Pediatrik 1-3 Tahun Yang Menjalani Operasi Palatoplasty

OpenAIRE

Mikhail Averoes; Suwarman; Eri Surahman

2013-01-01

The decrease rate of body temperature can be reduced by passive insulation by covering the body with certain materials which have poor heat conductivity (insulator). Insulator material which is wrapped on the body can prevent the process of convection, conduction and evaporation so that the degree of heat loss was reduced on average 30%. One material that can be used as an insulator is the plastic. This study was conducted to assess the effect of plastic wrap on the core temperature of pediat...

Waxes and plastic film in relation to the shelf life of yellow passion fruit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mota Wagner Ferreira da

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The high perishability of the yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa reduces its postharvest conservation and availability, mainly for in natura consumption. These losses of quality and commercial value occur due to the high respiration and loss of water. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of a modified atmosphere - wax emulsions and plastic film - on the shelf life of the yellow passion fruit. Plastic film (Cryovac D-955, 15 mum thickness reduced fresh weight loss and fruit wilting, kept higher fruit and rind weight and higher pulp osmotic potential over the storage period. However, it was not efficient in the control of rottenness. Sparcitrus wax (22-23% polyethylene/maleyc resin caused injury to the fruit, high fruit weight losses and wilting and resulted in lower pulp osmotic potential; this wax lead to a higher concentration of acid and a lower relation of soluble solids/acidity. Among the tested waxes, Fruit Wax (18-21% carnauba wax was the best, promoting reduced weight loss, wilting and rottenness.

Sharpness and intensity modulation of the metal-insulator transition in ultrathin VO2 films by interfacial structure manipulation

Science.gov (United States)

McGee, Ryan; Goswami, Ankur; Pal, Soupitak; Schofield, Kalvin; Bukhari, Syed Asad Manzoor; Thundat, Thomas

2018-03-01

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) undergoes a structural transformation from monoclinic (insulator) to tetragonal (metallic) upon heating above 340 K, accompanied by abrupt changes to its electronic, optical, and mechanical properties. Not only is this transition scientifically intriguing, but there are also numerous applications in sensing, memory, and optoelectronics. Here we investigate the effect different substrates and the processing conditions have on the characteristics metal-insulator transition (MIT), and how the properties can be tuned for specific applications. VO2 thin films were grown on c -plane sapphire (0001) and p-type silicon by pulsed laser deposition. High-resolution x-ray diffraction along with transmission electron microscopy reveals textured epitaxial growth on sapphire by domain-matching epitaxy, while the presence of a native oxide layer on silicon prevented any preferential growth resulting in a polycrystalline film. An orientation relationship of (010)VO2|| (0001)Al 2O3 was established for VO2 grown on sapphire, while no such relationship was found for VO2 grown on silicon. Surface-energy minimization is the driving force behind grain growth, as the lowest energy VO2 plane grew on silicon, while on sapphire the desire for epitaxial growth was dominant. Polycrystallinity of films grown on silicon caused a weaker and less prominent MIT than observed on sapphire, whose MIT was higher in magnitude and steeper in slope. The position of the MIT was shown to depend on the competing effects of misfit strain and grain growth. Higher deposition temperatures caused an increase in the MIT, while compressive strain resulted in a decreased MIT.

Antimicrobial, Rheological, and Thermal Properties of Plasticized Polylactide Films Incorporated with Essential Oils to Inhibit Staphylococcus aureus and Campylobacter jejuni.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Jasim; Hiremath, Nikhil; Jacob, Harsha

2016-02-01

Polylactide (PLA) is the most mature biobased and biodegradable polymer. Due to its inherent brittleness, the polymer cannot be used as a packaging material without plasticizer. An attempt was made to develop antimicrobial plasticized PLA film by incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) and 3 essential oils (EO), namely cinnamon, garlic, and clove by solvent casting method. Physical, thermal, and rheological properties of those films were evaluated for practical applications whereas the antimicrobial properties were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Campylobacter jejuni-pathogens related to poultry industry. Both PEG and EOs led to the formation of flexible PLA/PEG/EO films with significant drop in the glass transition temperature (Tg ), and mechanical property. Time-temperature superposition (TTS) principle was employed to melt rheology of EO-based films at selected temperature, and rheological moduli superimposed well in an extended frequency range. Among EOs, cinnamon and clove oil-based films (PLA/PEG/CIN and PLA/PEG/CLO) exhibited a complete zone of inhibition against C. jejuni at the maximum concentration (1.6 mL per 2 g PLA/PEG blend) whereas the garlic oil-based film (PLA/PEG/GAR) had the lowest activity. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Thick film hydrogen sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffheins, Barbara S.; Lauf, Robert J.

1995-01-01

A thick film hydrogen sensor element includes an essentially inert, electrically-insulating substrate having deposited thereon a thick film metallization forming at least two resistors. The metallization is a sintered composition of Pd and a sinterable binder such as glass frit. An essentially inert, electrically insulating, hydrogen impermeable passivation layer covers at least one of the resistors.

Influence of oxygen flow rate on metal-insulator transition of vanadium oxide thin films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Xu; Liu, Xinkun; Li, Haizhu; Huang, Mingju [Henan University, Key Lab of Informational Opto-Electronical Materials and Apparatus, School of Physics and Electronics, Kaifeng (China); Zhang, Angran [South China Normal University, Institute of Electronic Paper Displays, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, Guangzhou (China)

2017-03-15

High-quality vanadium oxide (VO{sub 2}) films have been fabricated on Si (111) substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition method. The sheet resistance of VO{sub 2} has a significant change (close to 5 orders of magnitude) in the process of the metal-insulator phase transition (MIT). The field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) results show the grain size of VO{sub 2} thin films is larger with the increase of oxygen flow. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate the thin films fabricated at different oxygen flow rates grow along the (011) crystalline orientation. As the oxygen flow rate increases from 3 sccm to 6 sccm, the phase transition temperature of the films reduces from 341 to 320 K, the width of the thermal hysteresis loop decreases from 32 to 9 K. The thin films fabricated in the condition of 5 sccm have a high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) -3.455%/K with a small resistivity of 2.795 ρ/Ω cm. (orig.)

Harnessing the metal-insulator transition for tunable metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Charipar, Nicholas A.; Charipar, Kristin M.; Kim, Heungsoo; Bingham, Nicholas S.; Suess, Ryan J.; Mathews, Scott A.; Auyeung, Raymond C. Y.; Piqué, Alberto

2017-08-01

The control of light-matter interaction through the use of subwavelength structures known as metamaterials has facilitated the ability to control electromagnetic radiation in ways not previously achievable. A plethora of passive metamaterials as well as examples of active or tunable metamaterials have been realized in recent years. However, the development of tunable metamaterials is still met with challenges due to lack of materials choices. To this end, materials that exhibit a metal-insulator transition are being explored as the active element for future metamaterials because of their characteristic abrupt change in electrical conductivity across their phase transition. The fast switching times (▵t < 100 fs) and a change in resistivity of four orders or more make vanadium dioxide (VO2) an ideal candidate for active metamaterials. It is known that the properties associated with thin film metal-insulator transition materials are strongly dependent on the growth conditions. For this work, we have studied how growth conditions (such as gas partial pressure) influence the metalinsulator transition in VO2 thin films made by pulsed laser deposition. In addition, strain engineering during the growth process has been investigated as a method to tune the metal-insulator transition temperature. Examples of both the optical and electrical transient dynamics facilitating the metal-insulator transition will be presented together with specific examples of thin film metamaterial devices.

Determination of Insulator-to-Semiconductor Transition in Sol-Gel Oxide Semiconductors Using Derivative Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Woobin; Choi, Seungbeom; Kim, Kyung Tae; Kang, Jingu; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

2015-12-23

We report a derivative spectroscopic method for determining insulator-to-semiconductor transition during sol-gel metal-oxide semiconductor formation. When an as-spun sol-gel precursor film is photochemically activated and changes to semiconducting state, the light absorption characteristics of the metal-oxide film is considerable changed particularly in the ultraviolet region. As a result, a peak is generated in the first-order derivatives of light absorption ( A' ) vs. wavelength (λ) plots, and by tracing the peak center shift and peak intensity, transition from insulating-to-semiconducting state of the film can be monitored. The peak generation and peak center shift are described based on photon-energy-dependent absorption coefficient of metal-oxide films. We discuss detailed analysis method for metal-oxide semiconductor films and its application in thin-film transistor fabrication. We believe this derivative spectroscopy based determination can be beneficial for a non-destructive and a rapid monitoring of the insulator-to-semiconductor transition in sol-gel oxide semiconductor formation.

Poly(4-vinylphenol gate insulator with cross-linking using a rapid low-power microwave induction heating scheme for organic thin-film-transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Lin Fan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A Microwave-Induction Heating (MIH scheme is proposed for the poly(4-vinylphenol (PVP gate insulator cross-linking process to replace the traditional oven heating cross-linking process. The cross-linking time is significantly decreased from 1 h to 5 min by heating the metal below the PVP layer using microwave irradiation. The necessary microwave power was substantially reduced to about 50 W by decreasing the chamber pressure. The MIH scheme is a good candidate to replace traditional thermal heating for cross-linking of PVP as the gate insulator for organic thin-film-transistors.

Flexibility of the Indium Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Film Deposited Onto the Plastic Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Kai Lu

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we utilize the RF magnetron sputtering system to deposit the indium tin oxide (ITO conductive transparent film with low resistivity and high light transmittance to the polyethylene tetephthalate (PET plastic substrate and measure the film’s bending property and reliability at different tensile/compressive strain bending curvatures as well as the flexibility after cycling bending. The results show that the critical curvatures corresponded to the significant increase in the resistance of the 150 nm-thick ITO film deposited onto the PET substrate under tensile and compressive stress areO 14.1 mm and 5.4 mm, respectively. By observing the film’s surface crack and morphology, we can further discover that the critical curvature of the crack generated when the film is bent is quite consistent with the critical curvature at which the conductivity property degrades, and the film can withstand a higher compressive strain bending. In addition, the resistance and adhesion behavior of the film almost is unchanged after cycling bent for 1000 times with the curvature below the critical curvature.

Medium-scale carbon nanotube thin-film integrated circuits on flexible plastic substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Qing; Kim, Hoon-sik; Pimparkar, Ninad; Kulkarni, Jaydeep P; Wang, Congjun; Shim, Moonsub; Roy, Kaushik; Alam, Muhammad A; Rogers, John A

2008-07-24

The ability to form integrated circuits on flexible sheets of plastic enables attributes (for example conformal and flexible formats and lightweight and shock resistant construction) in electronic devices that are difficult or impossible to achieve with technologies that use semiconductor wafers or glass plates as substrates. Organic small-molecule and polymer-based materials represent the most widely explored types of semiconductors for such flexible circuitry. Although these materials and those that use films or nanostructures of inorganics have promise for certain applications, existing demonstrations of them in circuits on plastic indicate modest performance characteristics that might restrict the application possibilities. Here we report implementations of a comparatively high-performance carbon-based semiconductor consisting of sub-monolayer, random networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes to yield small- to medium-scale integrated digital circuits, composed of up to nearly 100 transistors on plastic substrates. Transistors in these integrated circuits have excellent properties: mobilities as high as 80 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), subthreshold slopes as low as 140 m V dec(-1), operating voltages less than 5 V together with deterministic control over the threshold voltages, on/off ratios as high as 10(5), switching speeds in the kilohertz range even for coarse (approximately 100-microm) device geometries, and good mechanical flexibility-all with levels of uniformity and reproducibility that enable high-yield fabrication of integrated circuits. Theoretical calculations, in contexts ranging from heterogeneous percolative transport through the networks to compact models for the transistors to circuit level simulations, provide quantitative and predictive understanding of these systems. Taken together, these results suggest that sub-monolayer films of single-walled carbon nanotubes are attractive materials for flexible integrated circuits, with many potential areas of

Silicon on insulator self-aligned transistors

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Anthony M.

2003-11-18

A method for fabricating thin-film single-crystal silicon-on-insulator (SOI) self-aligned transistors. Standard processing of silicon substrates is used to fabricate the transistors. Physical spaces, between the source and gate, and the drain and gate, introduced by etching the polysilicon gate material, are used to provide connecting implants (bridges) which allow the transistor to perform normally. After completion of the silicon substrate processing, the silicon wafer is bonded to an insulator (glass) substrate, and the silicon substrate is removed leaving the transistors on the insulator (glass) substrate. Transistors fabricated by this method may be utilized, for example, in flat panel displays, etc.

Evaluating electrically insulating films deposited on V-4% Cr-4% Ti by reactive CVD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, J.H.; Cho, W.D. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)

1997-04-01

Previous CaO coatings on V-4%Cr-4%Ti exhibited high-ohmic insulator behavior even though a small amount of vanadium from the alloy was incorporated in the coating. However, when the vanadium concentration in the coatings is > 15 wt%, the coating becomes conductive. When the vanadium concentration is high in localized areas, a calcium vanadate phase that exhibits semiconductor behavior can form. To explore this situation, CaO and Ca-V-O coatings were produced on vanadium alloys by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and by a metallic-vapor process to investigate the electrical resistance of the coatings. Initially, the vanadium alloy specimens were either charged with oxygen in argon that contained trace levels of oxygen, or oxidized for 1.5-3 h in a 1% CO-CO{sub 2} gas mixture or in air to form vanadium oxide at 625-650{degrees}C. Most of the specimens were exposed to calcium vapor at 800-850{degrees}C. Initial and final weights were obtained to monitor each step, and surveillance samples were removed for examination by optical and scanning electron microscopy and electron-energy-dispersive and X-ray diffraction analysis; the electrical resistivity was also measured. The authors found that Ca-V-O films exhibited insulator behavior when the ratio of calcium concentration to vanadium concentration R in the film was > 0.9, and semiconductor or conductor behavior for R < 0.8. However, in some cases, semiconductor behavior was observed when CaO-coated samples with R > 0.98 were exposed in liquid lithium. Based on these studies, the authors conclude that semiconductor behavior occurs if a conductive calcium vanadate phase is present in localized regions in the CaO coating.

Plastic for indicating a radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hori, Y.; Yoshikawa, N.; Ohmori, S.

1975-01-01

A plastic film suitable for indicating radiation dose contains a chlorine polymer, at least one acid sensitive coloring agent and a plasticizer. The film undergoes a distinct change of color in response to a given radiation dose, the degree of change proportional to the total change. These films may be stored for a long period without loss of sensitivity, and have good color stability after irradiation. (auth)

Optical conductivity of topological insulator thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, L. L.; Xu, W.; Peeters, F. M.

2015-01-01

We present a detailed theoretical study on the optoelectronic properties of topological insulator thin film (TITFs). The k·p approach is employed to calculate the energy spectra and wave functions for both the bulk and surface states in the TITF. With these obtained results, the optical conductivities induced by different electronic transitions among the bulk and surface states are evaluated using the energy-balance equation derived from the Boltzmann equation. We find that for Bi 2 Se 3 -based TITFs, three characteristic regimes for the optical absorption can be observed. (i) In the low radiation frequency regime (photon energy ℏω<200 meV), the free-carrier absorption takes place due to intraband electronic transitions. An optical absorption window can be observed. (ii) In the intermediate radiation frequency regime (200<ℏω<300 meV), the optical absorption is induced mainly by interband electronic transitions from surface states in the valance band to surface states in the conduction band and an universal value σ 0 =e 2 /(8ℏ) for the optical conductivity can be obtained. (iii) In the high radiation frequency regime (ℏω>300 meV), the optical absorption can be achieved via interband electronic transitions from bulk and surface states in the valance band to bulk and surface states in the conduction band. A strong absorption peak can be observed. These interesting findings indicate that optical measurements can be applied to identify the energy regimes of bulk and surface states in the TITF

Synthesis of indium nanoclusters and formation of thin film contacts on plastic substrates for organic and flexible electronics applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Frank F; Bulkowski, Michal; Hsieh, K C

2007-01-01

In this work, we described the processes of synthesizing free-standing indium nanoclusters using inverse micelles and microemulsions as well as synthesizing organic-encapsulated indium nanoclusters using alkanethiols as the organic encapsulants. The synthesized organic-encapsulated indium nanoclusters have demonstrated the feasibilities to be used as plastic compatible soft metal contacts for emerging organic devices. The homogeneously distributed indium nanoclusters with sizes of 10-30 nm have been fabricated on a few different plastic substrates. By changing the alkanethiol carbon chain length and the sizes of the indium nanoclusters, the annealing temperature required to form low-resistance indium thin film conductors has been reduced to 80-100 deg. C, which is acceptable for a variety of organic thin films

Spin Seebeck effect in insulating epitaxial γ−Fe2O3 thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Jiménez-Cavero

2017-02-01

Full Text Available We report the fabrication of high crystal quality epitaxial thin films of maghemite (γ−Fe2O3, a classic ferrimagnetic insulating iron oxide. Spin Seebeck effect (SSE measurements in γ−Fe2O3/Pt bilayers as a function of sample preparation conditions and temperature yield a SSE coefficient of 0.5(1 μV/K at room temperature. Dependence on temperature allows us to estimate the magnon diffusion length in maghemite to be in the range of tens of nanometers, in good agreement with that of conducting iron oxide magnetite (Fe3O4, establishing the relevance of spin currents of magnonic origin in magnetic iron oxides.

[Effects of different colored plastic film mulching and planting density on dry matter accumulation and yield of spring maize.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lin Lin; Sun, Shi Jun; Chen, Zhi Jun; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Xu Dong; Chi, Dao Cai

2018-01-01

In order to investigate the effect of different colored plastic film mulching and planting density on spring maize dry matter accumulation and yield in the rain-fed area of the Northeast China, a complete combination field experiment which was comprised by three types of mulching (non-mulching, transparent plastic film mulching and black plastic film mulching) and five densities (60000, 67500, 75000, 82500 and 90000 plants·hm -2 ), was conducted to analyze the water and heat effect, dry matter accumulation and yield of spring maize (Liangyu 99). The results showed that, compared with the other mulching treatments, the black plastic film mulching treatment significantly increased the maize dry matter accumulation and maize biomass by 3.2%-8.2%. In mature stage, the biomass increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing plant density. When planting density was 82500 plants·hm -2 , the biomass was the highest, which was 5.2%-28.3% higher than that of other plant density treatments. The mean soil temperature in prophase of transparent plastic film mulching treatment was 0.4-2.7 ℃ higher than that of other treatments, which accelerated the maize growth process and augmented the dry matter transportation amount (T), dry matter transportation efficiency (TE) and contribution rate of dry matter transportation to the grain yield (TC) of maize stalk and leaf. The T, TE, TC of leaf and leaf-stalk under 60000 plants·hm -2 treatment were the highest. The highest T, TE, TC of stalk were observed under 75000 plants·hm -2 treatment. In heading period, the water consumption and daily water consumption intensity of maize under the treatment of black film mulching were the largest, which were 9.4%-10.6% and 10.6%-24.5% higher than that of other mulching treatments, respectively. The highest water consumption and daily water consumption intensity were both obtained under 90000 plants·hm -2 treatment, which increased by 6.8%-15.7% and 7.0%-20.0% compared with other

Mechanisms of oxygen permeation through plastic films and barrier coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Wilski, Stefan; Wipperfürth, Jens; Jaritz, Montgomery; Kirchheim, Dennis; Mitschker, Felix; Awakowicz, Peter; Dahlmann, Rainer; Hopmann, Christian

2017-10-01

Oxygen and water vapour permeation through plastic films in food packaging or other applications with high demands on permeation are prevented by inorganic barrier films. Most of the permeation occurs through small defects (visualized by etching with reactive oxygen in a capacitively coupled plasma and subsequent SEM imaging. In this work, defects in SiO x -coatings deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are investigated and the mass transport through the polymer is simulated in a 3D approach. Calculations of single defects showed that there is no linear correlation between the defect area and the resulting permeability. The influence of adjacent defects in different distances was observed and led to flow reduction functions depending on the defect spacing and defect area. A critical defect spacing where no interaction between defects occurs was found and compared to other findings. According to the superposition principle, the permeability of single defects was added up and compared to experimentally determined oxygen permeation. The results showed the same trend of decreasing permeability with decreasing defect densities.

Ferroelectric domain inversion and its stability in lithium niobate thin film on insulator with different thicknesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, Guang-hao; Bai, Yu-hang; Cui, Guo-xin; Li, Chen; Qiu, Xiang-biao; Wu, Di; Lu, Yan-qing, E-mail: yqlu@nju.edu.cn [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Geng, De-qiang [Jinan Jingzheng Electronics Co., Ltd., Jinan 250100 (China)

2016-07-15

Ferroelectric domain inversion and its effect on the stability of lithium niobate thin films on insulator (LNOI) are experimentally characterized. Two sets of specimens with different thicknesses varying from submicron to microns are selected. For micron thick samples (∼28 μm), domain structures are achieved by pulsed electric field poling with electrodes patterned via photolithography. No domain structure deterioration has been observed for a month as inspected using polarizing optical microscopy and etching. As for submicron (540 nm) films, large-area domain inversion is realized by scanning a biased conductive tip in a piezoelectric force microscope. A graphic processing method is taken to evaluate the domain retention. A domain life time of 25.0 h is obtained and possible mechanisms are discussed. Our study gives a direct reference for domain structure-related applications of LNOI, including guiding wave nonlinear frequency conversion, nonlinear wavefront tailoring, electro-optic modulation, and piezoelectric devices.

Intrinsic conduction through topological surface states of insulating Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} epitaxial thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoefer, Katharina; Becker, Christoph; Rata, Diana; Thalmeier, Peter; Tjeng, Liu Hao [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); Swanson, Jesse [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)

2015-07-01

Topological insulators represent a new state of matter that open up new opportunities to create unique quantum particles. Many exciting experiments have been proposed by theory, yet, the main obstacle for their execution is material quality and cleanliness of the experimental conditions. The presence of tiny amounts of defects in the bulk or contaminants at the surface already mask these phenomena. We present the preparation, structural and spectroscopic characterisation of MBE-grown Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films that are insulating in the bulk. Moreover, temperature dependent four-point-probe resistivity measurements of the Dirac states on surfaces that are intrinsically clean were conducted. The total amount of surface charge carries is in the order of 10{sup 12} cm{sup -2} and mobilities up to 4600 cm{sup 2}/Vs are observed. Importantly, these results are achieved by carrying out the preparation and characterisation all in-situ under ultra-high-vacuum conditions.

Topological crystalline insulator PbxSn1-xTe thin films on SrTiO3 (001 with tunable Fermi levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua Guo

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In this letter, we report a systematic study of topological crystalline insulator PbxSn1-xTe (0 < x < 1 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO3(001. Two domains of PbxSn1-xTe thin films with intersecting angle of α ≈ 45° were confirmed by reflection high energy diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES. ARPES study of PbxSn1-xTe thin films demonstrated that the Fermi level of PbTe could be tuned by altering the temperature of substrate whereas SnTe cannot. An M-shaped valance band structure was observed only in SnTe but PbTe is in a topological trivial state with a large gap. In addition, co-evaporation of SnTe and PbTe results in an equivalent variation of Pb concentration as well as the Fermi level of PbxSn1-xTe thin films.

Solvent-assisted microstructural evolution and enhanced performance of porous ZnO films for plastic dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ohashi, Hitomi; Hagiwara, Manabu; Fujihara, Shinobu

2017-02-01

A low-temperature process for fabricating porous ZnO films on plastic, indium tin oxide-coated polyethylene naphthalate substrates is developed for their use in dye-sensitized solar cells. A special attention is paid to modification of microscopic morphologies for enhancing interparticle connection. ZnO films having two kinds of macroscopic morphologies (flower-like particles and densely packed nanoparticles) are fabricated at temperatures below the heatproof temperature of the substrate, and subsequently immersed in mixed solvents composed of water and ethanol at 90 °C. The immersion leads to the growth of constituting ZnO particles and also the evolution of interparticle connection, depending on solvent compositions. The cell performance is largely improved especially in a short-circuit current density and a power conversion efficiency. The immersion effect is more remarkable for the cell using the densely packed ZnO film, with a 62% increase in the current density and an 84% increase in the conversion efficiency. In consequence, our plastic N719-sensitized ZnO cell shows the conversion efficiency as high as 4.1%.

Aluminum nitride insulating films for MOSFET devices

Science.gov (United States)

Lewicki, G. W.; Maserjian, J.

1972-01-01

Application of aluminum nitrides as electrical insulator for electric capacitors is discussed. Electrical properties of aluminum nitrides are analyzed and specific use with field effect transistors is defined. Operational limits of field effect transistors are developed.

Influence of magnetic disorders on quantum anomalous Hall effect in magnetic topological insulator films beyond the two-dimensional limit

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Yanxia; Xu, Fuming; Cheung, King Tai; Sun, Qing-feng; Wang, Jian; Yao, Yugui

2018-04-01

Quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) has been experimentally realized in magnetic topological insulator (MTI) thin films fabricated on magnetically doped {({{Bi}},{{Sb}})}2{{{Te}}}3. In an MTI thin film with the magnetic easy axis along the normal direction (z-direction), orientations of magnetic dopants are randomly distributed around the magnetic easy axis, acting as magnetic disorders. With the aid of the non-equilibrium Green's function and Landauer–Büttiker formalism, we numerically study the influence of magnetic disorders on QAHE in an MTI thin film modeled by a three-dimensional tight-binding Hamiltonian. It is found that, due to the existence of gapless side surface states, QAHE is protected even in the presence of magnetic disorders as long as the z-component of magnetic moment of all magnetic dopants are positive. More importantly, such magnetic disorders also suppress the dissipation of the chiral edge states and enhance the quality of QAHE in MTI films. In addition, the effect of magnetic disorders depends very much on the film thickness, and the optimal influence is achieved at certain thickness. These findings are new features for QAHE in three-dimensional systems, not present in two-dimensional systems.

Pentiptycene-based polyurethane with enhanced mechanical properties and CO2-plasticization resistance for thin film gas separation membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pournaghshband Isfahani, Ali; Sadeghi, Morteza; Wakimoto, Kazuki; Shrestha, Binod Babu; Bagheri, Rouhollah; Sivaniah, Easan; Ghalei, Behnam

2018-04-30

Development of thin film composite (TFC) membranes offers an opportunity to achieve the permeability/selectivity requirements for optimum CO2 separation performance. However, the durability and performance of thin film gas separation membranes are mostly challenged by weak mechanical properties and high CO2 plasticization. Here, we designed new polyurethane (PU) structures with bulky aromatic chain extenders that afford preferred mechanical properties for ultra-thin film formation. An improvement of about 1500% in Young's modulus and 600% in hardness was observed for pentiptycene-based PUs compared to typical PU membranes. Single (CO2, H2, CH4, and N2) and mixed (CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4) gas permeability tests were performed on the PU membranes. The resulting TFC membranes showed a high CO2 permeance up to 1400 GPU (10-6 cm3(STP) cm-2s-1 cmHg-1) and the CO2/N2 and CO2/H2 selectivities of about 22 and 2.1, respectively. The enhanced mechanical properties of pentiptycene-based PUs results in high performance thin membranes with the similar selectivity of the bulk polymer. The thin film membranes prepared from pentiptycene-based PUs also showed a two-fold enhanced plasticization resistance compared to non-pentiptycene containing PU membranes.

High-performance flexible thin-film transistors fabricated using print-transferrable polycrystalline silicon membranes on a plastic substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Guoxuan; Yuan, Hao-Chih; Ma, Zhenqiang; Yang, Hongjun; Zhou, Weidong

2011-01-01

Inexpensive polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) with large grain size is highly desirable for flexible electronics applications. However, it is very challenging to directly deposit high-quality poly-Si on plastic substrates due to processing constrictions, such as temperature tolerance and residual stress. In this paper, we present our study on poly-Si membranes that are stress free and most importantly, are transferrable to any substrate including a low-temperature polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. We formed poly-Si-on-insulator by first depositing small-grain size poly-Si on an oxidized Si wafer. We then performed high-temperature annealing for recrystallization to obtain larger grain size. After selective doping on the poly-Si-on-insulator, buried oxide was etched away. By properly patterning the poly-Si layer, residual stress in the released poly-Si membranes was completely relaxed. The flat membrane topology allows the membranes to be print transferred to any substrates. High-performance TFTs were demonstrated on the transferred poly-Si membranes on a PET substrate

Proceedings of the 1993 non-fluorocarbon insulation, refrigeration and air conditioning technology workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-09-01

Sessions included: HFC blown polyurethanes, carbon dioxide blown foam and extruded polystyrenes, plastic foam insulations, evacuated panel insulation, refrigeration and air conditioning, absorption and adsorption and stirling cycle refrigeration, innovative cooling technologies, and natural refrigerants. Selected papers have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

Formation and dielectric properties of polyelectrolyte multilayers studied by a silicon-on-insulator based thin film resistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Neff, Petra A; Wunderlich, Bernhard K; Klitzing, Regine V; Bausch, Andreas R

2007-03-27

The formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) is investigated using a silicon-on-insulator based thin film resistor which is sensitive to variations of the surface potential. The buildup of the PEMs at the silicon oxide surface of the device can be observed in real time as defined potential shifts. The influence of polymer charge density is studied using the strong polyanion poly(styrene sulfonate), PSS, combined with the statistical copolymer poly(diallyl-dimethyl-ammoniumchloride-stat-N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide), P(DADMAC-stat-NMVA), at various degrees of charge (DC). The multilayer formation stops after a few deposition steps for a DC below 75%. We show that the threshold of surface charge compensation corresponds to the threshold of multilayer formation. However, no reversion of the preceding surface charge was observed. Screening of polyelectrolyte charges by mobile ions within the polymer film leads to a decrease of the potential shifts with the number of layers deposited. This decrease is much slower for PEMs consisting of P(DADMAC-stat-NMVA) and PSS as compared to PEMs consisting of poly(allylamine-hydrochloride), PAH, and PSS. From this, significant differences in the dielectric constants of the polyelectrolyte films and in the concentration of mobile ions within the films can be derived.

Functional Properties of Plasticized Bio-Based Poly(Lactic Acid)_Poly(Hydroxybutyrate) (PLA_PHB) Films for Active Food Packaging

OpenAIRE

Burgos, Nuria; Armentano, Ilaria; Fortunati, Elena; Dominici, Franco; Luzi, Francesca; Fiori, Stefano; Cristofaro, Francesco; Visai, Livia; Jiménez, Alfonso; Kenny, José María

2017-01-01

Fully bio-based and biodegradable active films based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blended with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and incorporating lactic acid oligomers (OLA) as plasticizers and carvacrol as active agent were extruded and fully characterized in their functional properties for antimicrobial active packaging. PLA_PHB films showed good barrier to water vapor, while the resistance to oxygen diffusion decreased with the addition of OLA and carvacrol. Their overall migration in aqueous f...

High performance top-gated indium–zinc–oxide thin film transistors with in-situ formed HfO{sub 2} gate insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Yang, E-mail: yang_song@brown.edu [Department of Physics, Brown University, 182 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02912 (United States); Zaslavsky, A. [Department of Physics, Brown University, 182 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02912 (United States); School of Engineering, Brown University, 184 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02912 (United States); Paine, D.C. [School of Engineering, Brown University, 184 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02912 (United States)

2016-09-01

We report on top-gated indium–zinc–oxide (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) with an in-situ formed HfO{sub 2} gate dielectric insulator. Building on our previous demonstration of high-performance IZO TFTs with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/HfO{sub 2} gate dielectric, we now report on a one-step process, in which Hf is evaporated onto the 20 nm thick IZO channel, forming a partially oxidized HfO{sub x} layer, without any additional insulator in-between. After annealing in air at 300 °C, the in-situ reaction between partially oxidized Hf and IZO forms a high quality HfO{sub 2} gate insulator with a low interface trapped charge density N{sub TC} ~ 2.3 × 10{sup 11} cm{sup −2} and acceptably low gate leakage < 3 × 10{sup −7} A/cm{sup 2} at gate voltage V{sub G} = 1 V. The annealed TFTs with gate length L{sub G} = 50 μm have high mobility ~ 95 cm{sup 2}/V ∙ s (determined via the Y-function technique), high on/off ratio ~ 10{sup 7}, near-zero threshold voltage V{sub T} = − 0.02 V, and a subthreshold swing of 0.062 V/decade, near the theoretical limit. The on-current of our proof-of-concept TFTs is relatively low, but can be improved by reducing L{sub G}, indicating that high-performance top-gated HfO{sub 2}-isolated IZO TFTs can be fabricated using a single-step in-situ dielectric formation approach. - Highlights: • High-performance indium–zinc–oxide (IZO) thin film transistors (TFTs). • Single-step in-situ dielectric formation approach simplifies fabrication process. • During anneal, reaction between HfO{sub x} and IZO channel forms a high quality HfO{sub 2} layer. • Gate insulator HfO{sub 2} shows low interface trapped charge and small gate leakage. • TFTs have high mobility, near-zero threshold voltage, and a low subthreshold swing.

Platinum/titanium bilayer deposited on polymer film as efficient counter electrodes for plastic dye-sensitized solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikegami, M.; Miyoshi, K.; Miyasaka, T.; Teshima, K.; Wei, T. C.; Wan, C. C.; Wang, Y. Y.

2007-01-01

A surface-rich platinum/titanium bilayer was deposited on poly(ethylene naphthalate) film by vacuum sputtering as counterelectrode for plastic dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Compared to the electrodes made of pure Pt layer, this electrode maintained similar electrochemical catalytic effect at relative low Pt usage. Current-voltage characteristics of the plastic DSSC at this stage stand at 0.69 V on V OC , 9.97 mA/cm 2 on I SC , 0.69 on fill factor, and 4.31% cell efficiency under AM1.5, 100 mW/cm 2 illumination

Tests on coatings made of plastic wraps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radomil, M; Boubela, L

1980-01-01

Testing is a necessity to evaluate the quality of plastic wrappings used as pipe coatings. Many foreign producers indicate the quality of their products by specifying the physical properties of either insulating wraps (their fracture propagation, water-vapor penetrability, electrical resistance, etc.) or the primer with reference to a relevant foreign standard. In principle, therefore none of the insulating materials available are proved with regard to the actual operating properties of the entire insulating system - the corresponding primer and the laminated polyethylene wrap. Because of the need for total system testing, the Fuel Research Institute cooperated with Transitni Plynovod in determining the optimum system to recommend for insulation mechanically applied in the field.

Ultrathin film, high specific power InP solar cells on flexible plastic substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiu, K.-T.; Zimmerman, Jeramy; Wang Hongyu; Forrest, Stephen R.

2009-01-01

We demonstrate ultrathin-film, single-crystal InP Schottky-type solar cells mounted on flexible plastic substrates. The lightly p-doped InP cell is grown epitaxially on an InP substrate via gas source molecular beam epitaxy. The InP substrate is removed via selective chemical wet-etching after the epitaxial layers are cold-welded to a 25 μm thick Kapton sheet, followed by the deposition of an indium tin oxide top contact that forms the Schottky barrier with InP. The power conversion efficiency under 1 sun is 10.2±1.0%, and its specific power is 2.0±0.2 kW/kg. The ultrathin-film solar cells can tolerate both tensile and compressive stress by bending over a <1 cm radius without damage.

A 350 mK, 9 T scanning tunneling microscope for the study of superconducting thin films on insulating substrates and single crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamlapure, Anand; Saraswat, Garima; Ganguli, Somesh Chandra; Bagwe, Vivas; Raychaudhuri, Pratap; Pai, Subash P

2013-12-01

We report the construction and performance of a low temperature, high field scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operating down to 350 mK and in magnetic fields up to 9 T, with thin film deposition and in situ single crystal cleaving capabilities. The main focus lies on the simple design of STM head and a sample holder design that allows us to get spectroscopic data on superconducting thin films grown in situ on insulating substrates. Other design details on sample transport, sample preparation chamber, and vibration isolation schemes are also described. We demonstrate the capability of our instrument through the atomic resolution imaging and spectroscopy on NbSe2 single crystal and spectroscopic maps obtained on homogeneously disordered NbN thin film.

Plasticity mechanisms in ultrafine grained freestanding aluminum thin films revealed by in-situ transmission electron microscopy nanomechanical testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Idrissi, Hosni; Kobler, Aaron; Amin-Ahmadi, Behnam; Schryvers, Dominique; Coulombier, Michael; Pardoen, Thomas; Galceran, Montserrat; Godet, Stéphane; Raskin, Jean-Pierre; Kübel, Christian

2014-01-01

In-situ bright field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nanomechanical tensile testing and in-situ automated crystallographic orientation mapping in TEM were combined to unravel the elementary mechanisms controlling the plasticity of ultrafine grained Aluminum freestanding thin films. The characterizations demonstrate that deformation proceeds with a transition from grain rotation to intragranular dislocation glide and starvation plasticity mechanism at about 1% deformation. The grain rotation is not affected by the character of the grain boundaries. No grain growth or twinning is detected

Plasticity mechanisms in ultrafine grained freestanding aluminum thin films revealed by in-situ transmission electron microscopy nanomechanical testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Idrissi, Hosni, E-mail: hosni.idrissi@ua.ac.be [EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Sainte Barbe 2, B-1348 Louvain-La-Neuve (Belgium); Kobler, Aaron [Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) and Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Joint Research Laboratory Nanomaterials (KIT and TUD) at Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUD), Petersenstr. 32, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Amin-Ahmadi, Behnam; Schryvers, Dominique [EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Coulombier, Michael; Pardoen, Thomas [Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Sainte Barbe 2, B-1348 Louvain-La-Neuve (Belgium); Galceran, Montserrat; Godet, Stéphane [Matters and Materials Department, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 50 Av. FD Roosevelt CP194/03, 1050 Brussels (Belgium); Raskin, Jean-Pierre [Information and Communications Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), Microwave Laboratory, Université catholique de Louvain, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Kübel, Christian [Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) and Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2014-03-10

In-situ bright field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) nanomechanical tensile testing and in-situ automated crystallographic orientation mapping in TEM were combined to unravel the elementary mechanisms controlling the plasticity of ultrafine grained Aluminum freestanding thin films. The characterizations demonstrate that deformation proceeds with a transition from grain rotation to intragranular dislocation glide and starvation plasticity mechanism at about 1% deformation. The grain rotation is not affected by the character of the grain boundaries. No grain growth or twinning is detected.

The electrical characteristics of solid insulators for 154 kV class HTS transformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheon, H.G.; Choi, J.H.; Pang, M.S.; Kim, W.J.; Kim, S.H.

2011-01-01

HTS transformer, without any loss of insulation lifetime due to the reduction in terms of size and weight, can increase the overload capacity, and have some benefits such as the improvement in efficiency, minimization of environmental pollution, and convenient spatial arrangement, which contribute a lot to electric power system operation. However, for practical insulation design of the HTS transformer, it is necessary to establish the research on electrical properties LN 2 as well as solid insulators. These solid insulators have been used as main insulations for HTS transformer. In this paper, we discussed breakdown and V-t characteristics of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) and pressboard in LN 2 .

Plastic relaxation of GeSi/Si(001) films grown by molecular-beam epitaxy in the presence of the Sb surfactant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolkhovityanov, Yu. B.; Deryabin, A. S.; Gutakovskii, A. K.; Kolesnikov, A. V.; Sokolov, L. V.

2007-01-01

Plastically relaxed GeSi films with the Ge fraction equal to 0.29-0.42 and thickness as large as 0.5 μm were grown on Si (001) substrates using the low-temperature (350 deg. C) buffer Si layer and Sb as a surfactant. It is shown that introduction of Sb that smoothens the film surface at the stage of pseudomorphic growth lowers the density of threading dislocations in the plastically relaxed heterostructure by 1-1.5 orders of magnitude and also reduces the final roughness of the surface. The root-mean-square value of roughness smaller than 1 nm was obtained for a film with the Ge content of 0.29 and the density of threading dislocations of about 10 6 cm -2 . It is assumed that the effect of surfactant is based on the fact that the activity of surface sources of dislocations is reduced in the presence of Sb

Mechanisms of oxygen permeation through plastic films and barrier coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilski, Stefan; Wipperfürth, Jens; Jaritz, Montgomery; Kirchheim, Dennis; Dahlmann, Rainer; Hopmann, Christian; Mitschker, Felix; Awakowicz, Peter

2017-01-01

Oxygen and water vapour permeation through plastic films in food packaging or other applications with high demands on permeation are prevented by inorganic barrier films. Most of the permeation occurs through small defects (<3 µ m) in the barrier coating. The defects were visualized by etching with reactive oxygen in a capacitively coupled plasma and subsequent SEM imaging. In this work, defects in SiO x -coatings deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are investigated and the mass transport through the polymer is simulated in a 3D approach. Calculations of single defects showed that there is no linear correlation between the defect area and the resulting permeability. The influence of adjacent defects in different distances was observed and led to flow reduction functions depending on the defect spacing and defect area. A critical defect spacing where no interaction between defects occurs was found and compared to other findings. According to the superposition principle, the permeability of single defects was added up and compared to experimentally determined oxygen permeation. The results showed the same trend of decreasing permeability with decreasing defect densities. (paper)

[Effects of plastic film mulching and rain harvesting modes on chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, yield and water use efficiency of dryland maize].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shang-Zhong; Fan, Ting-Lu; Wang, Yong; Zhao, Gang; Wang, Lei; Tang, Xiao-Ming; Dang, Yi; Zhao, Hui

2014-02-01

The differences on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, yield and water use efficiency of dryland maize were compared among full plastic film mulching on double ridges and planting in catchment furrows (FFDRF), half plastic film mulching on double ridges and planting in catchment furrows (HFDRF), plastic film mulching on ridge and planting in film-side (FS), and flat planting with no plastic film mulching (NM) under field conditions in dry highland of Loess Plateau in 2007-2012. The results showed that fluorescence yield (Fo), the maximum fluorescence yield (Fm), light-adapted fluorescence yield when PS II reaction centers were totally open (F), light-adapted fluorescence yield when PS II reaction centers closed (Fm'), the maximal photochemical efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm), the actual photochemical efficiency of PS II in the light (Phi PS II), the relative electron transport rate (ETR), photochemical quenching (qP) and non-photochemical quenching (qN) in maize leaves of FFDRF were higher than that of control (NM), and the value of 1-qP was lower than that of control, at 13:00, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters values of FFDRF was significantly higher than control, which were increased by 5.3%, 56.8%, 10.7%, 36.3%, 23.6%, 56.7%, 64.4%, 45.5%, 23.6% and -55.6%, respectively, compared with the control. Yield and water use efficiency of FFDRF were the highest in every year no matter dry year, normal year, humid year and hail disaster year. Average yield and water use efficiency of FFDRF were 12,650 kg x hm(-2) and 40.4 kg x mm(-1) x hm(-2) during 2007-2012, increased by 57.8% and 61.6% compared with the control, respectively, and also significantly higher compared with HFDRF and PS. Therefore, it was concluded that FFDRF had significantly increased the efficiency of light energy conversion and improved the production capacity of dryland maize.

Superconductor-insulator transitions in 2D: the experimental situation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markovic, N.; Christiansen, C.; Mack, A.; Goldman, A.M.

2000-01-01

Superconductor-insulator (SI) transitions in ultrathin films have attracted significant attention over the last decade because of the possibility that they are quantum phase transitions. Magnetic field, film thickness, or carrier concentration can be used as control parameters. The bosonic pictures of these transitions proposed some years ago are only in qualitative agreement with experiment. In particular, the critical resistance appears not to be universal, and there are variations in the values of critical exponents. It has been concluded that in real films fermionic degrees of freedom must be taken into account. There are also indications that the phase diagram may include a significant metallic phase separating the superconducting and insulating phases, and that the transition may have a significant percolative aspect. The experimental situation will be broadly reviewed with attention paid to issues relating to materials and measurements. (orig.)

Electrical insulator requirements for mirror fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Condit, R.H.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.

1977-01-01

The requirements for mirror fusion electrical insulators are discussed. Insulators will be required at the neutral beam injectors, injector power supplies, direct converters, and superconducting magnets. Insulators placed at the neutral beam injectors will receive the greatest radiation exposure, 10 14 to 10 16 neutrons/m 2 .s and 0.3 to 3 Gy/s (10 5 to 10 6 R/h) of gamma rays, with shielding. Direct converter insulators may receive the highest temperature (up to 1300 0 K), but low voltage holding requirements. Insulators made from organic materials (e.g., plastics) for the magnet coils may be satisfactory. Immediate conductivity increases of all insulators result from gamma irradiation. With an upper limit to gamma flux exposures of 300 Gy/s in a minimally shielded region, the conductivity could reach 10 -6 S/m. Damage from neutron irradiation may not be serious during several years' exposure. Surface changes in ceramics at the neutral beam injector may be serious. The interior of the injector will contain atomic hydrogen, and sputtering may transfer material away from or onto the ceramic insulators. Unknown and potentially damaging interactions between irradiation, electric fields, temperature gradients, cycling of temperature, surface and joint reactions, sputtering, polarization, and electrotransport in the dielectrics are of concern. Materials research to deal with these problems is needed

Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity Emulated in Modified Graphene Oxide Electrolyte Gated IZO-Based Thin-Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yi; Wen, Juan; Guo, Liqiang; Wan, Xiang; Du, Peifu; Feng, Ping; Shi, Yi; Wan, Qing

2016-11-09

Emulating neural behaviors at the synaptic level is of great significance for building neuromorphic computational systems and realizing artificial intelligence. Here, oxide-based electric double-layer (EDL) thin-film transistors were fabricated using 3-triethoxysilylpropylamine modified graphene oxide (KH550-GO) electrolyte as the gate dielectrics. Resulting from the EDL effect and electrochemical doping between mobile protons and the indium-zinc-oxide channel layer, long-term synaptic plasticity was emulated in our devices. Synaptic functions including long-term memory, synaptic temporal integration, and dynamic filters were successfully reproduced. In particular, spike rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP), one of the basic learning rules of long-term plasticity in the neural network where the synaptic weight changes according to the rate of presynaptic spikes, was emulated in our devices. Our results may facilitate the development of neuromorphic computational systems.

Structural and proximity-induced ferromagnetic properties of topological insulator-magnetic insulator heterostructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zilong Jiang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The spontaneously broken time reversal symmetry can lead to the formation of an energy gap in the Dirac spectrum of the surface states of a topological insulator (TI which can consequently give rise to a variety of interesting phenomena potentially useful for spintronics. In this work, we couple a non-magnetic TI to a high Curie temperature TC magnetic insulator to induce strong exchange interaction via the proximity effect. We have successfully grown 5 quintuple layer thick ternary TI (BixSb1-x2Te3 films on atomically flat yttrium iron garnet (YIG film with the combination of molecular beam epitaxy and pulsed laser deposition, in which the Fermi level position relative to the Dirac point is varied by controlling the Bi:Sb ratio. The anomalous Hall effect (AHE and suppressed weak antilocalization (WAL measured under out of plane magnetic fields reveal that the TI surface in contact with YIG is magnetized. Our high-quality (BixSb1-x2Te3/Y IG heterostructure provides a tunable system for exploring the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE at higher temperatures in TI-based spintronic devices.

Plastics: Friend or foe?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O P Gupta

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Plastics has been playing a very significant role in our life. Being light weight, inexpensive and heving good insulating properties it is being used in all aspects of life, from clothes to contact lenses and from mobile phones to automobiles as well as in medical equipments, However it is not biodegradable, and while degrading to fragments it gets converted in to microplastics and nanoplastics The plastic waste is being recognized as an environmental hazard, since these micr- and nanoplastics find way from landfills to water and foods, It is said that we are not only using, but we are eating, drinking and even braething the plastics. These microplastics in body release certain hazardous chemicals and found to be disrupting functions of certain endocrine organs. Whether the rising prevalence of Diabetes, thyroid disorders or infirtility etc., are realated to the plastics?

Frontier molecular orbitals of a single molecule adsorbed on thin insulating films supported by a metal substrate: electron and hole attachment energies.

Science.gov (United States)

Scivetti, Iván; Persson, Mats

2017-09-06

We present calculations of vertical electron and hole attachment energies to the frontier orbitals of a pentacene molecule absorbed on multi-layer sodium chloride films supported by a copper substrate using a simplified density functional theory (DFT) method. The adsorbate and the film are treated fully within DFT, whereas the metal is treated implicitly by a perfect conductor model. We find that the computed energy gap between the highest and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals-HOMO and LUMO -from the vertical attachment energies increases with the thickness of the insulating film, in agreement with experiments. This increase of the gap can be rationalised in a simple dielectric model with parameters determined from DFT calculations and is found to be dominated by the image interaction with the metal. We find, however, that this simplified model overestimates the downward shift of the energy gap in the limit of an infinitely thick film.

Spin-transport-phenomena in metals, semiconductors, and insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Althammer, Matthias Klaus

2012-07-19

Assuming that one could deterministically inject, transport, manipulate, store and detect spin information in solid state devices, the well-established concepts of charge-based electronics could be transferred to the spin realm. This thesis explores the injection, transport, manipulation and storage of spin information in metallic conductors, semiconductors, as well as electrical insulators. On the one hand, we explore the spin-dependent properties of semiconducting zinc oxide thin films deposited via laser-molecular beam epitaxy (laser-MBE). After demonstrating that the zinc oxide films fabricated during this thesis have excellent structural, electrical, and optical properties, we investigate the spin-related properties by optical pump/probe, electrical injection/optical detection, and all electrical spin valve-based experiments. The two key results from these experiments are: (i) Long-lived spin states with spin dephasing times of 10 ns at 10 K related to donor bound excitons can be optically addressed. (ii) The spin dephasing times relevant for electrical transport-based experiments are {<=} 2 ns at 10 K and are correlated with structural quality. On the other hand we focus on two topics of current scientific interest: the comparison of the magnetoresistance to the magnetothermopower of conducting ferromagnets, and the investigation of pure spin currents generated in ferromagnetic insulator/normal metal hybrid structures. We investigate the magnetoresistance and magnetothermopower of gallium manganese arsenide and Heusler thin films as a function of external magnetic field orientation. Using a series expansion of the resistivity and Seebeck tensors and the inherent symmetry of the sample's crystal structure, we show that a full quantitative extraction of the transport tensors from such experiments is possible. Regarding the spin currents in ferromagnetic insulator/normal metal hybrid structures we studied the spin mixing conductance in yttrium iron garnet

Ion beam sputter deposited TiAlN films for metal-insulator-metal (Ba,Sr)TiO3 capacitor application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.-Y.; Wang, S.-C.; Chen, J.-S.; Huang, J.-L.

2008-01-01

The present study evaluated the feasibility of TiAlN films deposited using the ion beam sputter deposition (IBSD) method for metal-insulator-metal (MIM) (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 (BST) capacitors. The BST films were crystallized at temperatures above 650 deg. C. TiAlN films deposited using the IBSD method were found having smooth surface and low electrical resistivity at high temperature conditions. TiAlN films showed a good diffusion barrier property against BST components. The J-E (current density-electric field) characteristics of Al/BST/TiAlN capacitors were good, with a high break down electric field of ± 2.5 MV/cm and a leakage current density of about 1 x 10 -5 A/cm 2 at an applied field of ± 0.5 MV/cm. Thermal stress and lateral oxidation that occurred at the interface damaged the capacitor stacking structure. Macro holes that dispersed on the films resulted in higher leakage current and inconsistent J-E characteristics. Vacuum annealing with lower heating rate and furnace cooling, and a Ti-Al adhesion layer between TiAlN and the SiO 2 /Si substrate can effectively minimize the stress effect. TiAlN film deposited using IBSD can be considered as a potential electrode and diffusion barrier material for MIM BST capacitors

Long-term Performance of PVC and CSPE Cables used in Nuclear Power Plants: the Effect of Degradation and Plasticizer migration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekelund, Maria

2009-10-01

Enormous amounts of low voltage cables installed in a Swedish nuclear power plant are reaching their expected lifetimes. Since the cables are crucial to operational safety, it is of great importance that the actual condition of the installed cables is determined. In this study, cables based on poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) were examined with respect to the degradation mechanisms responsible for the ageing of the insulation. This was achieved by studying samples that underwent accelerated ageing by different analytical methods, such as indenter modulus measurements, tensile testing, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and liquid chromatography, to assess the condition of the cables. The results were unambiguous; the main deterioration mechanism differed for the jacket and the core insulation. The immediate increase in stiffness of the jacket insulation suggests that loss of plasticizer was the dominant cause for degradation. The core insulation on the other hand showed much smaller changes in the mechanical properties due to thermal ageing with an activation energy of the change in the indenter modulus matching that of the dehydrochlorination process. The electrical functionality during high-energy line break accident was correlated to the mechanical properties of the cable and this correlation was used to establish a lifetime criterion. The mechanical data showed Arrhenius temperature dependence with activation energies of 80 kJ/mol and 100 kJ/mol for the jacketing and 130 kJ/mol for the core insulation. These activation energies were used to extrapolate the lifetimes to service temperatures (20 deg C to 50 deg C). Plasticizer migration was determined as the lifetime controlling mechanism at the service temperatures. Experimental data, obtained by extraction of DEHP followed by liquid chromatography, were analysed by numerical methods to gain a better understanding of the migration. The analysis showed

Long-term Performance of PVC and CSPE Cables used in Nuclear Power Plants: the Effect of Degradation and Plasticizer migration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ekelund, Maria

2009-10-15

Enormous amounts of low voltage cables installed in a Swedish nuclear power plant are reaching their expected lifetimes. Since the cables are crucial to operational safety, it is of great importance that the actual condition of the installed cables is determined. In this study, cables based on poly(vinyl chloride) plasticized with di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) were examined with respect to the degradation mechanisms responsible for the ageing of the insulation. This was achieved by studying samples that underwent accelerated ageing by different analytical methods, such as indenter modulus measurements, tensile testing, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and liquid chromatography, to assess the condition of the cables. The results were unambiguous; the main deterioration mechanism differed for the jacket and the core insulation. The immediate increase in stiffness of the jacket insulation suggests that loss of plasticizer was the dominant cause for degradation. The core insulation on the other hand showed much smaller changes in the mechanical properties due to thermal ageing with an activation energy of the change in the indenter modulus matching that of the dehydrochlorination process. The electrical functionality during high-energy line break accident was correlated to the mechanical properties of the cable and this correlation was used to establish a lifetime criterion. The mechanical data showed Arrhenius temperature dependence with activation energies of 80 kJ/mol and 100 kJ/mol for the jacketing and 130 kJ/mol for the core insulation. These activation energies were used to extrapolate the lifetimes to service temperatures (20 deg C to 50 deg C). Plasticizer migration was determined as the lifetime controlling mechanism at the service temperatures. Experimental data, obtained by extraction of DEHP followed by liquid chromatography, were analysed by numerical methods to gain a better understanding of the migration. The analysis showed

Dextrose modified flexible tasar and muga fibroin films for wound healing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, Chandra Mohan; Purwar, Roli; Gupta, Anuradha; Sharma, Deepak

2017-01-01

This paper is focused on preparation and characterization of regenerated muga and tasar fibroin flexible films from cocoon using ionic liquid. These flexible muga and tasar fibroin films were prepared by incorporating dextrose (5 to 15% w/w) as plasticizer. The mechanical, thermal, physical, morphological and biological properties of dextrose plasticized muga and tasar fibroin films were characterized. These plasticized films showed higher elongation at break as well as water holding capacity as compared to the un-plasticized films. The surface roughness and water absorbance capacity of the dextrose plasticized films were higher than un-plasticized films, which results in improved adherence and proliferation of L929 fibroblast cells. Gentamicin loaded plasticized muga and tasar fibroin films showed slightly higher rate of release as compared to un-plasticized films. The biodegradability of dextrose plasticized films was significantly higher as compared to their respective counterpart. The regeneration of flexible muga and tasar silk fibroin films pave the way to expand potential use of non-mulberry in the field of biomedical such as wound dressing. - Highlights: • Cocoon extracted muga and tasar fibroin have regenerated as flexible films. • Dextrose acts as plasticizer in muga and tasar fibroin films. • Films show good mechanical integrity, water absorption, biocompatibility over the un-plasticized films. • These flexible films are found to be promising candidates for wound healing.

Dextrose modified flexible tasar and muga fibroin films for wound healing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Srivastava, Chandra Mohan [Department of Applied Chemistry and Polymer Technology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad, Daulatpur Bawana Road, Delhi 110042 (India); Purwar, Roli, E-mail: roli.purwar@dce.edu [Department of Applied Chemistry and Polymer Technology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad, Daulatpur Bawana Road, Delhi 110042 (India); Gupta, Anuradha; Sharma, Deepak [Department of Pharmaceutics, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031 (India)

2017-06-01

This paper is focused on preparation and characterization of regenerated muga and tasar fibroin flexible films from cocoon using ionic liquid. These flexible muga and tasar fibroin films were prepared by incorporating dextrose (5 to 15% w/w) as plasticizer. The mechanical, thermal, physical, morphological and biological properties of dextrose plasticized muga and tasar fibroin films were characterized. These plasticized films showed higher elongation at break as well as water holding capacity as compared to the un-plasticized films. The surface roughness and water absorbance capacity of the dextrose plasticized films were higher than un-plasticized films, which results in improved adherence and proliferation of L929 fibroblast cells. Gentamicin loaded plasticized muga and tasar fibroin films showed slightly higher rate of release as compared to un-plasticized films. The biodegradability of dextrose plasticized films was significantly higher as compared to their respective counterpart. The regeneration of flexible muga and tasar silk fibroin films pave the way to expand potential use of non-mulberry in the field of biomedical such as wound dressing. - Highlights: • Cocoon extracted muga and tasar fibroin have regenerated as flexible films. • Dextrose acts as plasticizer in muga and tasar fibroin films. • Films show good mechanical integrity, water absorption, biocompatibility over the un-plasticized films. • These flexible films are found to be promising candidates for wound healing.

Review of Agricultural Plastic Mulching and Its Residual Pollution and Prevention Measures In China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

YAN Chang-rong

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Agricultural plastic film mulching is one of important technologies, but the plastic film pollution has been a serious issue for agri-cultural sustainable development in China. System analysis of this technique and its residue pollution and control ways have vital practicalsignificance for rational application of agricultural plastil film. In this paper, on the basis of our previous work,agricultural plastic filmmulching, its residue pollution and control technologies were concluded. Some important conclusions were found that, the amount of plasticfilm and mulching area had kept increasing with annual increasing rate about 8% since the 80s of the 20th century. From 1991 to 2011, thedensity of plastic film utilized increased 3-10 times, but it has very sharply different spatial pattern in different province. In general, the northand west China has high value, and the increase rate is also huge in the past 20 years. The crops of utilized mulching plastic film have extendedfrom cash crops to grain crops, and the order of crop area is followed by maize, vegetable, cotton, tobacco and peanut. The main functions ofmulching plastic film are keeping soil moisture and increasing soil temperature, against weeds and insect. At the same time, its side effectsappear with continuous utilization. The main problems are residues left in soil to destroy soil structure, impress soil permeability, impede seedgermination as well as water and nutrients uptaking, and block crop root system development. It has very serious pollution for the field utilizedplastic mulching film for long term. The residual amount in soil is about 71.9-259.1 kg·hm-2, and has sharply spatial difference. The residualamount in soil. In Northwest China, is more serious than that in North China and Southwest China. Because of difference of tillage and appli-canon ways, there are great differences on the area and shape of the plastic film piece left in soil. The main types of shapes are flaky

Ge-on-Si films obtained by epitaxial growing: edge dislocations and their participation in plastic relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolkhovityanov, Yu B; Sokolov, L V

2012-01-01

Pure edge 90° misfit dislocations (MDs) are the most effective linear defects that combine the substrate and the film with different lattice parameters. A system consisting of a nonstressed film and a substrate approaches the perfect case in terms of the structural transition from one lattice parameter to the other if imperfections in the form of an ordered network of edge MDs are located exclusively at the interface, while threading dislocations are practically absent. The path to this perfect case goes through studying the possibilities of creating such an ordered network of edge MDs. The mechanism of formation of edge MDs proposed previously by Kvam et al (1990 J. Mater. Res. 5 1900) is discussed. This mechanism involves induced formation of a complementary pair of 60° MDs whose coalescence at the interface creates an edge MD. Some publications are presented, which demonstrate on the basis of experimental data that this mechanism under certain conditions can be the basic mechanism responsible for plastic relaxation of Ge-on-Si films. A cardinal method for decreasing the number of defects at the initial stages of growth of Ge/Si heterosystems is a set of procedures that allow a specified number of MDs to be inserted into the stressed film earlier than conditions of spontaneous nucleation of MDs from the film surface in the 2D–3D transition occur. When the low-temperature/high-temperature strategy of growth is used, the low-temperature GeSi seed layer tuned with respect to the growth temperature, composition and thickness can serve as a source of 60° dislocations, which facilitate earlier formation of edge MDs at the initial stage of plastic relaxation of the GeSi or Ge main layer. Results of some recent publications that report reaching high structural perfection of thin (∼1 µm and less) Ge-on-Si films are discussed. The proposed explanation of these results is based on postulates of controlled insertion of MDs and formation of edge MDs by the model of

Plastic condoms.

Science.gov (United States)

1968-01-01

Only simple equipment, simple technology and low initial capital investment are needed in their manufacture. The condoms can be made by people who were previously unskilled or only semi-skilled workers. Plastic condoms differ from those made of latex rubber in that the nature of the plastic film allows unlimited shelf-life. Also, the plastic has a higher degree of lubricity than latex rubber; if there is a demand for extra lubrication in a particular market, this can be provided. Because the plastic is inert, these condoms need not be packaged in hermetically sealed containers. All these attributes make it possible to put these condoms on the distributors' shelves in developing countries competitively with rubber condoms. The shape of the plastic condom is based on that of the lamb caecum, which has long been used as luxury-type condom. The plastic condom is made from plastic film (ethylene ethyl acrilate) of 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm.) thickness. In addition, a rubber ring is provided and sealed into the base of the condom for retention during coitus. The advantage of the plastic condom design and the equipment on which it is made is that production can be carried out either in labour-intensive economy or with varying degrees of mechanization and automation. The uniform, finished condom if made using previously untrained workers. Training of workers can be done in a matter of hours on the two machines which are needed to produce and test the condoms. The plastic film is provided on a double wound roll, and condom blanks are prepared by means of a heat-sealing die on the stamping machine. The rubber rings are united to the condom blanks on an assembly machine, which consists of a mandrel and heat-sealing equipment to seal the rubber ring to the base of the condom. Built into the assembly machine is a simple air-testing apparatus that can detect the smallest pinhole flaw in a condom. The manufacturing process is completed by unravelling the condom from the assembly

Solarização do solo com filmes plásticos com e sem aditivo estabilizador de luz ultravioleta Soil solarization with plastic films with and without UV light stabilizers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedito C. Barros

2004-06-01

menor nos tratamentos com plástico contendo aditivo. A viabilidade de P. aphanidermatum foi reduzida em todos os tratamentos solarizados, independente do plástico utilizado. Houve aumento no pH, na saturação por bases (V% e nos teores de NH4+ (190%, Mn (94,6% e Mg2+ (18%, dos solos solarizados. Também as plantas de alface colhidas nessas parcelas apresentaram maiores teores de Zn (43%, Mg2+ (12% e K+ (4%. Em Mogi das Cruzes foram observados aumentos nos teores de Mn (236% e Cu (18% nos solos solarizados e nas plantas colhidas nesses tratamentos (aumento de 99% para Mn e de 27% para Cu. A incidência da podridão de esclerotínia foi reduzida de 27,7% na testemunha para índices inferiores a 1% nas parcelas solarizadas com os diferentes filmes plásticos. O plástico sem aditivo estabilizador de luz ultravioleta partiu-se durante ambos os experimentos, após 60 e 90 dias de exposição ao ambiente, sendo considerado inadequado para a solarização, mas não houve diferença entre os plásticos para nenhum atributo avaliado.Three plastic films [low-density polyethylene (LDPE plastic films, 100 mm thick, produced by Nortène Plásticos Ltda] were evaluated in their adequacy for soil solarization:. a LDPE with UV light stabilizer additive, based on hindered amine; b LDPE with half load of the same additive, c without additive, and d a control treatment without plastic mulch. Two experiments were set up from January to February 2000, in Mogi das Cruzes and Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil. After solarization, a lettuce crop was grown in both experiments. Chemical analyses were performed in soil samples and in the harvested lettuce heads of all plots. Weed infestation and the fresh weight of the harvested lettuce heads were assessed. In Piracicaba the soils were analyzed for microbiological properties and the viability of Pythium aphanidermatum was evaluated. In Mogi das Cruzes incidence of lettuce drop, caused by Sclerotinia minor, was assessed. The mean soil

ANALISA FAKTOR PENYEBAB KEGAGALAN MESIN GRINDER PADA PROSES PRODUKSI PLASTIC FILM DI PT. MUTIARA HEXAGON

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imam Hidayat

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Bila suatu mesin memiliki tingkat kegagalan yang tinggi, maka perlu dilakukan analisis mengenai  penyebab  –  penyebab  kegagalan  tersebut  hingga  ke  akar  permasalahannya sehingga dapat menentukan tindakan yang sesuai untuk meningkatkan kinerja suatu mesin. PT. Mutiara Hexagon merupakan sebuah perusahaan yang bergerak dibidang industri pembuatan plastik  kemasan.  Dalam  line  pembuatan lembaran film  diperlukan mesin  CPP  (Cast  Poly Propylene Machine dan mesin grinder dalam prosesnya. Pada penelitian yang dilakukan di PT. Mutiara Hexagon, terdapat beberapa kegagalan yang terjadi pada mesin grinder pada proses produksi plastic film, sehingga menyebabkan seluruh line pada divisi film mengalami downtime. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk melakukan analisa mengenai faktor penyebab kegagalan mesin grinder, penulis melakukan observasi secara langsung dan melihat proses produksi plastic film.Penulis menggunakan metode Failure Effect and Mode Analysis (FMEA dan Fault Tree Analysis (FTA. Penerapan analisis Failure Effect and  Mode Analysis (FMEA dapat menentukan sejauh mana tingkat kegagalan terjadi. Dari hasil analisis FMEA kemudian dapat dilanjutkan dengan menggunakan Fault Tree Analysis (FTA guna mengetahui lebih lanjut penyebab-penyebab dasar suatu kegagalan.Dari hasil perhitungan nilai Risk Priority Number (RPN pada tiap-tiap kegagalan yang terjadi  diantaranya yang  paling  tinggi  adalah kegagalan mesin  grinder rusak  dengan nilai kegagalannya mencapai 120. Kemudian dianalisa penyebab kegagalan tersebut dengan menggunakan metode FTA di dapatkan minimal cut sets yaitu: as grinder patah, katup hisap blower terbuka terlalu besar, kegagalan pada motor blower, baut pada dudukan pisau patah, pisau tumpul dan human error. Berdasarkan nilai probabilitas masing-masing cut set didapatkan nilai probabilitas kegagalan grinder periode 1 Juni 2012 -1 Juni 2013 mencapai 60%.

A coupled atomistics and discrete dislocation plasticity simulation of nanoindentation into single crystal thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Ronald E.; Shilkrot, L.E.; Curtin, William A.

2004-01-01

The phenomenon of 2D nanoindentation of circular 'Brinell' indenter into a single crystal metal thin film bonded to a rigid substrate is investigated. The simulation method is the coupled atomistics and discrete dislocation (CADD) model recently developed by the authors. The CADD model couples a continuum region containing any number of discrete dislocations to an atomistic region, and permits accurate, automatic detection and passing of dislocations between the atomistic and continuum regions. The CADD model allows for a detailed study of nanoindentation to large penetration depths (up to 60 A here) using only a small region of atoms just underneath the indenter where dislocation nucleation, cross-slip, and annihilation occur. Indentation of a model hexagonal aluminum crystal shows: (i) the onset of homogeneous dislocation nucleation at points away from the points of maximum resolved shear stress; (ii) size-dependence of the material hardness, (iii) the role of dislocation dissociation on deformation; (iv) reverse plasticity, including nucleation of dislocations on unloading and annihilation; (v) permanent deformation, including surface uplift, after full unloading; (vi) the effects of film thickness on the load-displacement response; and (vii) the differences between displacement and force controlled loading. This application demonstrates the power of the CADD method in capturing both long-range dislocation plasticity and short-range atomistic phenomena. The use of CADD permits for a clear study of the physical and mechanical influence of both complex plastic flow and non-continuum atomistic-level processes on the macroscopic response of material under indentation loading

Bulk contribution to magnetotransport properties of low-defect-density Bi2Te3 topological insulator thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Ngabonziza, P.; Wang, Y.; Brinkman, A.

2018-04-01

An important challenge in the field of topological materials is to carefully disentangle the electronic transport contribution of the topological surface states from that of the bulk. For Bi2Te3 topological insulator samples, bulk single crystals and thin films exposed to air during fabrication processes are known to be bulk conducting, with the chemical potential in the bulk conduction band. For Bi2Te3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy, we combine structural characterization (transmission electron microscopy), chemical surface analysis as function of time (x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and magnetotransport analysis to understand the low defect density and record high bulk electron mobility once charge is doped into the bulk by surface degradation. Carrier densities and electronic mobilities extracted from the Hall effect and the quantum oscillations are consistent and reveal a large bulk carrier mobility. Because of the cylindrical shape of the bulk Fermi surface, the angle dependence of the bulk magnetoresistance oscillations is two dimensional in nature.

Effects of ground insulation and greenhouse microenvironment on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was conducted at Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya to establish the potential of plastic digester to produce biogas under natural and greenhouse microenvironment. The specific objectives were to evaluate the effects of greenhouse and ground insulation on the rate and quality of biogas generation. A greenhouse ...

Investigation into Plastic Cards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neringa Stašelytė

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The article examines the strength of laminating plastic cards at different lamination temperatures. For investigation purposes, two types of plastic substrate and films have been used. Laminate strength has been tested (CMYK to establish the impact of colours on the strength of laminate. The paper compares inks supplied by two different producers. The colour characteristics of CIE L*a*b* space before and after the lamination process have been found. According to lamination strength and characteristics of the colours, the most suitable inks, temperature and films have been chosen.

Imaging Nanometer Phase Coexistence at Defects During the Insulator-Metal Phase Transformation in VO2 Thin Films by Resonant Soft X-ray Holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidas, Luciana; Günther, Christian M; Miller, Timothy A; Pfau, Bastian; Perez-Salinas, Daniel; Martínez, Elías; Schneider, Michael; Gührs, Erik; Gargiani, Pierluigi; Valvidares, Manuel; Marvel, Robert E; Hallman, Kent A; Haglund, Richard F; Eisebitt, Stefan; Wall, Simon

2018-05-18

We use resonant soft X-ray holography to image the insulator-metal phase transition in vanadium dioxide with element and polarization specificity and nanometer spatial resolution. We observe that nanoscale inhomogeneity in the film results in spatial-dependent transition pathways between the insulating and metallic states. Additional nanoscale phases form in the vicinity of defects which are not apparent in the initial or final states of the system, which would be missed in area-integrated X-ray absorption measurements. These intermediate phases are vital to understand the phase transition in VO 2 , and our results demonstrate how resonant imaging can be used to understand the electronic properties of phase-separated correlated materials obtained by X-ray absorption.

Fabrication of highly crystalline oxide thin films on plastics: Sol–gel transfer technique involving high temperature process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiromitsu Kozuka

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Si(100 substrates were coated with a polyimide (PI–polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP mixture film, and an alkoxide-derived TiO2 gel film was deposited on it by spin-coating. The gel films were fired under various conditions with final annealing at 600–1000 °C. The PI–PVP layer was completely decomposed at such high temperatures while the TiO2 films survived on Si(100 substrates without any damages. When the final annealing temperature was raised, the crystalline phase changed from anatase to rutile, and the crystallite size and the refractive index of the films tended to increase. The TiO2 films thus fired on Si(100 substrates were transferred to polycarbonate (PC substrates by melting the surface of the plastic substrate either in a near-infrared image furnace or on a hot plate under a load. Cycles of deposition and firing were found to be effective in achieving successful transfer even for the films finally annealed at 1000 °C. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses on the film/Si(100 interface suggested that the residual carbon or carbides at the interface could be a possible factor, but not a necessary and decisive factor that allows the film transfer.

Dextrose modified flexible tasar and muga fibroin films for wound healing applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Chandra Mohan; Purwar, Roli; Gupta, Anuradha; Sharma, Deepak

2017-06-01

This paper is focused on preparation and characterization of regenerated muga and tasar fibroin flexible films from cocoon using ionic liquid. These flexible muga and tasar fibroin films were prepared by incorporating dextrose (5 to 15% w/w) as plasticizer. The mechanical, thermal, physical, morphological and biological properties of dextrose plasticized muga and tasar fibroin films were characterized. These plasticized films showed higher elongation at break as well as water holding capacity as compared to the un-plasticized films. The surface roughness and water absorbance capacity of the dextrose plasticized films were higher than un-plasticized films, which results in improved adherence and proliferation of L929 fibroblast cells. Gentamicin loaded plasticized muga and tasar fibroin films showed slightly higher rate of release as compared to un-plasticized films. The biodegradability of dextrose plasticized films was significantly higher as compared to their respective counterpart. The regeneration of flexible muga and tasar silk fibroin films pave the way to expand potential use of non-mulberry in the field of biomedical such as wound dressing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chromium–niobium co-doped vanadium dioxide films: Large temperature coefficient of resistance and practically no thermal hysteresis of the metal–insulator transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenichi Miyazaki

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We investigated the effects of chromium (Cr and niobium (Nb co-doping on the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR and the thermal hysteresis of the metal–insulator transition of vanadium dioxide (VO2 films. We determined the TCR and thermal-hysteresis-width diagram of the V1−x−yCrxNbyO2 films by electrical-transport measurements and we found that the doping conditions x ≳ y and x + y ≥ 0.1 are appropriate for simultaneously realizing a large TCR value and an absence of thermal hysteresis in the films. By using these findings, we developed a V0.90Cr0.06Nb0.04O2 film grown on a TiO2-buffered SiO2/Si substrate that showed practically no thermal hysteresis while retaining a large TCR of 11.9%/K. This study has potential applications in the development of VO2-based uncooled bolometers.

Wall Thickness Measurement Of Insulated Pipe By Tangential Radiography Technique Using Ir 192

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soedarjo

2000-01-01

Insulation pipe wall thickness by tangential radiography technique has been carried out using 41 Curie Iridium 192 source has activity for two carbon steel pipes. The outer diameter of the first pipe is 90 mm, wall thickness is 75.0 mm, source film film distance is 609.5 mm, source tangential point of insulation is 489.5 mm and exposure time 3 minute and 25 second. From the calculation, the first pipe thickness is found to be 12.54 mm and for the second pipe is 8.42 mm. The thickness is due to inaccuracy in reading the pipe thickness on radiography film and the geometry distortion radiation path

Deposition of SiC x H y O z thin film on epoxy resin by nanosecond pulsed APPJ for improving the surface insulating performance

Science.gov (United States)

Qing, XIE; Haofan, LIN; Shuai, ZHANG; Ruixue, WANG; Fei, KONG; Tao, SHAO

2018-02-01

Non-thermal plasma surface modification for epoxy resin (EP) to improve the insulation properties has wide application prospects in gas insulated switchgear and gas insulated transmission line. In this paper, a pulsed Ar dual dielectrics atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) was used for SiC x H y O z thin film deposition on EP samples. The film deposition was optimized by varying the treatment time while other parameters were kept at constants (treatment distance: 10 mm, precursor flow rate: 0.6 l min-1, maximum instantaneous power: 3.08 kW and single pulse energy: 0.18 mJ). It was found that the maximum value of flashover voltages for negative and positive voltage were improved by 18% and 13% when the deposition time was 3 min, respectively. The flashover voltage reduced as treatment time increased. Moreover, all the surface conductivity, surface charge dissipation rate and surface trap level distribution reached an optimal value when thin film deposition time was 3 min. Other measurements, such as atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscope for EP surface morphology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for EP surface compositions, optical emission spectra for APPJ deposition process were carried out to better understand the deposition processes and mechanisms. The results indicated that the original organic groups (C-H, C-C, C=O, C=C) were gradually replaced by the Si containing inorganic groups (Si-O-Si and Si-OH). The reduction of C=O in ester group and C=C in p-substituted benzene of the EP samples might be responsible for shallowing the trap level and then enhancing the flashover voltage. However, when the plasma treatment time was longer than 3 min, the significant increase of the surface roughness might increase the trap level depth and then deteriorate the flashover performance.

Effects of Structural and Electronic Disorder in Topological Insulator Sb2Te3 Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Korzhovska, Inna

Topological quantum matter is a unique and potentially transformative protectorate against disorder-induced backscattering. The ultimate disorder limits to the topological state, however, are still not known - understanding these limits is critical to potential applications in the fields of spintronics and information processing. In topological insulators spin-orbit interaction and time-reversal-symmetry invariance guarantees - at least up to a certain disorder strength - that charge transport through 2D gapless Dirac surface states is robust against backscattering by non-magnetic disorder. Strong disorder may destroy topological protection and gap out Dirac surface states, although recent theories predict that under severe electronic disorder a quantized topological conductance might yet reemerge. Very strong electronic disorder, however, is not trivial to install and quantify, and topological matter under such conditions thus far has not been experimentally tested. This thesis addresses the behavior of three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator (TI) films in a wide range of structural and electronic disorder. We establish strong positional disorder in thin (20-50 nm) Sb2Te 3 films, free of extrinsic magnetic dopants. Sb 2Te3 is a known 2nd generation topological insulator in the low-disorder crystalline state. It is also a known phase-change material that undergoes insulator-to-metal transition with the concurrent orders of magnitude resistive drop, where a huge range of disorder could be controllably explored. In this work we show that even in the absence of magnetic dopants, disorder may induce spin correlations detrimental to the topological state. Chapter 1 contains a brief introduction to the topological matter and describes the role played by disorder. This is followed by theory considerations and a survey of prior experimental work. Next we describe the motivation for our experiments and explain the choice of the material. Chapter 2 describes deposition

A photochemical approach designed to improve the coating of nanoscale silver films onto food plastic wrappings intended to control bacterial hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mustatea, Gabriel; Vidal, Loïc; Calinescu, Ioan; Dobre, Alina; Ionescu, Mariana; Balan, Lavinia

2015-01-01

Plasmonic silver film was directly generated on a variety of substrates through a facile and environmentally friendly method, which involves a UV-photoreduction process without any reducing or stabilizing agent and requiring no thermal step. Top-coated films of unprotected silver nanoparticles (3–11 nm) were generated from hydroalcoholic AgNO 3 solution and directly on glass substrates or food packaging plastic wraps, low density polyethylene film, and polyvinyl chloride. The natural antibacterial activity of the material was evaluated. The correlation between silver migration and antimicrobial activity of silver-functionalized substrates against pure strains of gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) was demonstrated. By way of illustration, food plastic wraps top-coated in this way exhibited a high antibacterial activity. The metal nanoparticle film obtained in this way was characterized and the influence of several parameters (fluence, exposure, silver nitrate concentration, and nature of the free radicals generator) on their formation was studied. Moreover, by shaping the actinic beam with an appropriate device, it is very easy to pattern the brown yellow silver nanofilm or to print messages in plain text

A photochemical approach designed to improve the coating of nanoscale silver films onto food plastic wrappings intended to control bacterial hazards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mustatea, Gabriel [University Politehnica of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science (Romania); Vidal, Loïc [Institut de Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse, CNRS UMR 7361 (France); Calinescu, Ioan [University Politehnica of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science (Romania); Dobre, Alina; Ionescu, Mariana [National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources – IBA Bucharest (Romania); Balan, Lavinia, E-mail: lavinia.balan@uha.fr [Institut de Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse, CNRS UMR 7361 (France)

2015-01-15

Plasmonic silver film was directly generated on a variety of substrates through a facile and environmentally friendly method, which involves a UV-photoreduction process without any reducing or stabilizing agent and requiring no thermal step. Top-coated films of unprotected silver nanoparticles (3–11 nm) were generated from hydroalcoholic AgNO{sub 3} solution and directly on glass substrates or food packaging plastic wraps, low density polyethylene film, and polyvinyl chloride. The natural antibacterial activity of the material was evaluated. The correlation between silver migration and antimicrobial activity of silver-functionalized substrates against pure strains of gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) was demonstrated. By way of illustration, food plastic wraps top-coated in this way exhibited a high antibacterial activity. The metal nanoparticle film obtained in this way was characterized and the influence of several parameters (fluence, exposure, silver nitrate concentration, and nature of the free radicals generator) on their formation was studied. Moreover, by shaping the actinic beam with an appropriate device, it is very easy to pattern the brown yellow silver nanofilm or to print messages in plain text.

A photochemical approach designed to improve the coating of nanoscale silver films onto food plastic wrappings intended to control bacterial hazards

Science.gov (United States)

Mustatea, Gabriel; Vidal, Loïc; Calinescu, Ioan; Dobre, Alina; Ionescu, Mariana; Balan, Lavinia

2015-01-01

Plasmonic silver film was directly generated on a variety of substrates through a facile and environmentally friendly method, which involves a UV-photoreduction process without any reducing or stabilizing agent and requiring no thermal step. Top-coated films of unprotected silver nanoparticles (3-11 nm) were generated from hydroalcoholic AgNO3 solution and directly on glass substrates or food packaging plastic wraps, low density polyethylene film, and polyvinyl chloride. The natural antibacterial activity of the material was evaluated. The correlation between silver migration and antimicrobial activity of silver-functionalized substrates against pure strains of gram-negative bacteria ( Escherichia coli) and gram-positive bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus) was demonstrated. By way of illustration, food plastic wraps top-coated in this way exhibited a high antibacterial activity. The metal nanoparticle film obtained in this way was characterized and the influence of several parameters (fluence, exposure, silver nitrate concentration, and nature of the free radicals generator) on their formation was studied. Moreover, by shaping the actinic beam with an appropriate device, it is very easy to pattern the brown yellow silver nanofilm or to print messages in plain text.

Weak antilocalization in a three-dimensional topological insulator based on a high-mobility HgTe film

Science.gov (United States)

Savchenko, M. L.; Kozlov, D. A.; Kvon, Z. D.; Mikhailov, N. N.; Dvoretsky, S. A.

2016-09-01

The anomalous magnetoresistance (AMR) caused by the weak antilocalization effects in a three-dimensional topological insulator based on a strained mercury telluride film is experimentally studied. It is demonstrated that the obtained results are in a good agreement with the universal theory of Zduniak, Dyakonov, and Knap. It is found that the AMR in the bulk band gap is far below that expected for the system of Dirac fermions. Such a discrepancy can assumingly be related to a nonzero effective mass of Dirac fermions. The filling of energy bands in the bulk is accompanied by a pronounced increase in the AMR. This is a signature of the weak coupling between the surface and bulk charge carriers.

Electrical and structural properties of CaF sub 2 films

CERN Document Server

Kim, D Y; Yi, J S

1999-01-01

Fluoride films have many practical applications such as gate insulators for thin-film transistors(TFTs), anti-reflection coatings, and optical waveguides. We have investigated fluoride films as gate insulators for TFT applications. Most of gate oxide films of TFTs, like SiO sub 2 , Ta sub 2 O sub 5 , Al sub 2 O sub 3 , and SiO sub x , exhibited problems with the trap charge density, lattice mismatch, and interface states, As a way of circumventing these problems in conventional gate insulators, we investigated CaF sub 2 which has a low interface trap charge density and lattice constant similar to that of the Si surface. We were able to achieve almost epitaxial CaF sub 2 film growth in the (200) plane on a (100) p-type Si substrate. Investigations of the structural properties of CaF sub 2 films for various substrate temperatures resulted in the best lattice mismatch of 0.7 % and an average surface roughness of 8.4 A. The C-V results for the Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) structure of the CaF sub 2 films s...

Insulator layer formation in MgB2 SIS junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimakage, H.; Tsujimoto, K.; Wang, Z.; Tonouchi, M.

2005-01-01

The dependence of current-voltage characteristics on thin film deposition conditions was investigated using MgB 2 /AlN/NbN SIS junctions. By increasing the substrate temperature in AlN insulator deposition, the current density decreased and the normal resistance increased. The results indicated that an additional insulator layer between the MgB 2 and AlN formed, either before or during the AlN deposition. The thickness of the additional insulator layer was increased with an increase in the AlN deposition temperature. From the dependence of current density on the thickness of AlN in low temperature depositions, the thickness of the additional insulator layer was estimated to be 1-1.5 nm when the AlN insulator was deposited from 0.14 to 0.7 nm. Moreover, with the current density of MgB 2 /AlN/MgB 2 SIS junctions, further insulator layer formation was confirmed

Starch/polyester films: simultaneous optimisation of the properties for the production of biodegradable plastic bags

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. B. Olivato

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Blends of starch/polyester have been of great interest in the development of biodegradable packaging. A method based on multiple responses optimisation (Desirability was used to evaluate the properties of tensile strength, perforation force, elongation and seal strength of cassava starch/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT blown films produced via a one-step reactive extrusion using tartaric acid (TA as a compatibiliser. Maximum results for all the properties were set as more desirable, with an optimal formulation being obtained which contained (55:45 starch/PBAT (88.2 wt. (%, glycerol (11.0 wt. (% and TA (0.8 wt. (%. Biodegradable plastic bags were produced using the film with this formulation, and analysed according to the standard method of the Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT. The bags exhibited a 45% failure rate in free-falling dart impact tests, a 10% of failure rate in dynamic load tests and no failure in static load tests. These results meet the specifications set by the standard. Thus, the biodegradable plastic bags fabricated with an optimised formulation could be useful as an alternative to those made from non-biodegradable materials if the nominal capacity declared for this material is considered.

Ion beam sputter deposited TiAlN films for metal-insulator-metal (Ba,Sr)TiO{sub 3} capacitor application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, S.-Y. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Wang, S.-C. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Southern Taiwan University of Technology, No. 1, Nantai St, Yung-Kang City, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Chen, J.-S. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Huang, J.-L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan, Taiwan (China)], E-mail: jlh888@mail.ncku.edu.tw

2008-09-01

The present study evaluated the feasibility of TiAlN films deposited using the ion beam sputter deposition (IBSD) method for metal-insulator-metal (MIM) (Ba,Sr)TiO{sub 3} (BST) capacitors. The BST films were crystallized at temperatures above 650 deg. C. TiAlN films deposited using the IBSD method were found having smooth surface and low electrical resistivity at high temperature conditions. TiAlN films showed a good diffusion barrier property against BST components. The J-E (current density-electric field) characteristics of Al/BST/TiAlN capacitors were good, with a high break down electric field of {+-} 2.5 MV/cm and a leakage current density of about 1 x 10{sup -5} A/cm{sup 2} at an applied field of {+-} 0.5 MV/cm. Thermal stress and lateral oxidation that occurred at the interface damaged the capacitor stacking structure. Macro holes that dispersed on the films resulted in higher leakage current and inconsistent J-E characteristics. Vacuum annealing with lower heating rate and furnace cooling, and a Ti-Al adhesion layer between TiAlN and the SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate can effectively minimize the stress effect. TiAlN film deposited using IBSD can be considered as a potential electrode and diffusion barrier material for MIM BST capacitors.

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 topological insulators on GaAs (111 substrates: a potential route to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoquan Zeng

2013-07-01

Full Text Available High quality Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 topological insulators films were epitaxially grown on GaAs (111 substrate using solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Their growth and behavior on both vicinal and non-vicinal GaAs (111 substrates were investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is found that non-vicinal GaAs (111 substrate is better than a vicinal substrate to provide high quality Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 films. Hall and magnetoresistance measurements indicate that p type Sb2Te3 and n type Bi2Te3 topological insulator films can be directly grown on a GaAs (111 substrate, which may pave a way to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction on the same substrate, compatible with the fabrication process of present semiconductor optoelectronic devices.

Effects of Adopting Different Kinds of Collecting Method for Years on Film Residual Coefficient and Maize Yields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TANG Wen-xue

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Wide usage of mulching technology has increased crop yields, but the large amounts of mulching film residue resulting from widespread use of plastic film in China has brought about a series of pollution hazards. Based on a 4-year (2011-2014 long-term experiment, the effects of different kinds of collecting mothod (zero plastic film residues, conventional plastic film residues, whole plastic film residues remainded on plastic film residues, residual coefficient and maize yield were explored. Plastic film residues mainly remained in 0~10 cm, 10~20 cm soil layers. In 0~30 cm soil layers, the two types of mulch residues (>25 cm2, 4~25 cm2 under zero plastic film residues treatment were much less than conventional plastic film residues and whole plastic film residues remainded treatments, no significant differences were observed in the mulch residues (2 among 3 treatments. After maize harvest, the amount of plastic film residues under zero plastic film residues, conventional plastic film residues and whole plastic film residues remainded treatments were 52.71, 80.85 kg·hm-2 and 152.65 kg·hm-2, respectively, the residual coefficient for zero plastic film residues, conventional plastic film residues and whole plastic film residues remainded treatments were -9.45%, 8.53% and 54.42%, respectively. The stem diameter, ear length, ear width, ear row number, grain number per row and 100-grain weight of maize decreased with the increase of residual film amount. Compared with the conventional plastic film residues, the mean grain yield of whole plastic film residues remainded treatment decreased by 15.08%, whereas the zero plastic film residues treatment increased by 4.70%. The plastic film residues, residual coefficient and maize yield were comprehensively analyzed, the conventional plastic film residues practice should be adopted currently without appropriate plastic film residues collector. But from the long-term development, we should speed up the

Pengaruh Penggunaan Plastic Wrap Terhadap Core Temperature Pasien Pediatrik 1-3 Tahun Yang Menjalani Operasi Palatoplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikhail Averoes

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The decrease rate of body temperature can be reduced by passive insulation by covering the body with certain materials which have poor heat conductivity (insulator. Insulator material which is wrapped on the body can prevent the process of convection, conduction and evaporation so that the degree of heat loss was reduced on average 30%. One material that can be used as an insulator is the plastic. This study was conducted to assess the effect of plastic wrap on the core temperature of pediatric aged 1 to 3 years who underwent cleft palate surgery. The study was conducted on 30 pediatric patients, aged 1-3 years, with ASA I physical status who underwent cleft surgery with general anesthesia. Patients were divided into two groups. One group used plastic wrap to be wrapped on the body, and another is the control group. Rectal temperature was recorded during anesthesia. Research data was tested statistically by the Mann-Whitney test. The results of statistical calculation indicated that the average core temperature during anesthesia in plastic wrap group was higher than the control group with a significant result (p <0.001. The average core temperature in the plastic wrap is 36.17° C (0.31° C which is higher than the control group (35.88° C (0.43° C. It can be concluded that the use of plastic wrap causes temperature reduction degree to be lower than the control group. The degree in plastic wrap group is 0.8 °C while the degree in control group is 1.2°C in the control group (p <0.005.

Plastic-film mulching and urea types affect soil CO2 emissions and grain yield in spring maize on the Loess Plateau, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qiaofei; Chen, Yu; Li, Weiwei; Liu, Yang; Han, Juan; Wen, Xiaoxia; Liao, Yuncheng

2016-06-22

A 2-year field experiment was conducted on maize (Zea mays L.) to explore effective ways to decrease soil CO2 emissions and increase grain yield. Treatments established were: (1) no mulching with urea, (2) no mulching with controlled release fertiliser (CRF), (3) transparent plastic-film mulching (PMt) with urea, (4) PMt with CRF, (5) black plastic-film mulching (PMb) with urea, and (6) PMb with CRF. During the early growth stages, soil CO2 emissions were noted as PMt > PMb > no mulching, and this order was reversed in the late growth stages. This trend was the result of topsoil temperature dynamics. There were no significant correlations noted between soil CO2 emissions and soil temperature and moisture. Cumulative soil CO2 emissions were higher for the PMt than for the PMb, and grain yield was higher for the PMb treatments than for the PMt or no mulching treatments. The CRF produced higher grain yield and inhibited soil CO2 emissions. Soil CO2 emissions per unit grain yield were lower for the BC treatment than for the other treatments. In conclusion, the use of black plastic-film mulching and controlled release fertiliser not only increased maize yield, but also reduced soil CO2 emissions.

Nanoscale electron transport at the surface of a topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Sebastian; Bobisch, Christian A.

2016-04-01

The use of three-dimensional topological insulators for disruptive technologies critically depends on the dissipationless transport of electrons at the surface, because of the suppression of backscattering at defects. However, in real devices, defects are unavoidable and scattering at angles other than 180° is allowed for such materials. Until now, this has been studied indirectly by bulk measurements and by the analysis of the local density of states in close vicinity to defect sites. Here, we directly measure the nanoscale voltage drop caused by the scattering at step edges, which occurs if a lateral current flows along a three-dimensional topological insulator. The experiments were performed using scanning tunnelling potentiometry for thin Bi2Se3 films. So far, the observed voltage drops are small because of large contributions of the bulk to the electronic transport. However, for the use of ideal topological insulating thin films in devices, these contributions would play a significant role.

Quantum transport in new two-dimensional heterostructures: Thin films of topological insulators, phosphorene

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, Leyla; Zare, Moslem; Asgari, Reza

2018-06-01

The unusual features of the charge and spin transport characteristics are investigated in new two-dimensional heterostructures. Intraband specular Andreev reflection is realized in a topological insulator thin film normal/superconducting junction in the presence of a gate electric field. Perfect specular electron-hole conversion is shown for different excitation energy values in a wide experimentally available range of the electric field and also for all angles of incidence when the excitation energy has a particular value. It is further demonstrated that the transmission probabilities of the incoming electrons from different spin subbands to the monolayer phosphorene ferromagnetic/normal/ferromagnetic (F/N/F) hybrid structure have different behavior with the angle of incidence and perfect transmission occurs at defined angles of incidence to the proposed structure with different length of the N region, and different alignments of magnetization vectors. Moreover, the sign change of the spin-current density is demonstrated by tuning the chemical potential and exchange field of the F region.

Building ceramics with improved thermal insulation parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rzepa Karol

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One of the most important performance characteristics of masonry units is their high thermal insulation. There are many different ways to improve this parameter, however the most popular methods in case of ceramic masonry units are: addition of pore-creating raw materials and application of proper hole pattern. This study was an attempt to improve thermal insulation of ceramics by applying thermal insulation additives. Perlite dust created as a subgrain from expansion of perlite rock was used. Perlite subgrain is not very popular among consumers, that’s why it’s subjected to granulation to obtain coarse grain. The authors presented concept of direct application of perlite dust for the production of building ceramics with improved thermal insulation. Fineness of this additive is asset for molding of ceramic materials from plastic masses. Based on the results it was found that about 70% perlite by volume can be added to obtain material with a coefficient of heat conductivity of 0,37 W/mK. Higher content of this additive in ceramic mass causes deterioration of its rheological properties. Mass loses its plasticity, it tears up and formed green bodies are susceptible to deformation. During sintering perlite takes an active part in compaction process. Higher sintering dynamics is caused by: high content of alkali oxides in perlite and glass nature of perlite. Alkali oxides generate creation of liquid phase which intensifies mass compaction processes. Active role of perlite in sintering process causes good connection of its grains with clay groundwork which is important factor for mechanical parameters of ceramic materials. It was also noted that addition of perlite above 40% by volume of mass effectively neutralized negative effect of efflorescence in ceramic materials.

High performance inkjet-printed metal oxide thin film transistors via addition of insulating polymer with proper molecular weight

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Dawei; Chen, Cihai; Zhang, Jun; Wu, Xiaomin; Chen, Huipeng; Guo, Tailiang

2018-01-01

Fabrication of metal oxide thin film transistor (MOTFT) arrays using the inkjet printing process has caused tremendous interest for low-cost and large-area flexible electronic devices. However, the inkjet-printed MOTFT arrays usually exhibited a non-uniform geometry due to the coffee ring effect, which restricted their commercial application. Therefore, in this work, a strategy is reported to control the geometry and enhance device performance of inkjet-printed MOTFT arrays by the addition of an insulating polymer to the precursor solution prior to film deposition. Moreover, the impact of the polymer molecular weight (MW) on the geometry, chemical constitution, crystallization, and MOTFT properties of inkjet-printed metal oxide depositions was investigated. The results demonstrated that with an increase of MW of polystyrene (PS) from 2000 to 200 000, the coffee ring was gradually faded and the coffee ring effect was completely eliminated when MW reached 200 000, which is associated with the enhanced viscosity with the insulating polymer, providing a high resistance to the outward capillary flow, which facilitated the depinning of the contact line, leading to the elimination of the coffee ring. More importantly, the carrier mobility increased significantly from 4.2 cm2 V-1 s-1 up to 13.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 as PS MW increased from 2000 to 200 000, which was about 3 times that of the pristine In2O3 TFTs. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that PS doping of In2O3 films not only frustrated crystallization but also altered chemical constitution by enhancing the formation of the M-O structure, both of which facilitated the carrier transport. These results demonstrated that the simple polymer additive process provides a promising method that can efficiently control the geometry of MO arrays during inkjet printing and maximize the device performance of MOTFT arrays, which showed great potential for the application in next

Spin-transfer torque generated by a topological insulator

KAUST Repository

Mellnik, A. R.

2014-07-23

Magnetic devices are a leading contender for the implementation of memory and logic technologies that are non-volatile, that can scale to high density and high speed, and that do not wear out. However, widespread application of magnetic memory and logic devices will require the development of efficient mechanisms for reorienting their magnetization using the least possible current and power. There has been considerable recent progress in this effort; in particular, it has been discovered that spin-orbit interactions in heavy-metal/ferromagnet bilayers can produce strong current-driven torques on the magnetic layer, via the spin Hall effect in the heavy metal or the Rashba-Edelstein effect in the ferromagnet. In the search for materials to provide even more efficient spin-orbit-induced torques, some proposals have suggested topological insulators, which possess a surface state in which the effects of spin-orbit coupling are maximal in the sense that an electron\\' s spin orientation is fixed relative to its propagation direction. Here we report experiments showing that charge current flowing in-plane in a thin film of the topological insulator bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) at room temperature can indeed exert a strong spin-transfer torque on an adjacent ferromagnetic permalloy (Ni81Fe19) thin film, with a direction consistent with that expected from the topological surface state. We find that the strength of the torque per unit charge current density in Bi 2Se3 is greater than for any source of spin-transfer torque measured so far, even for non-ideal topological insulator films in which the surface states coexist with bulk conduction. Our data suggest that topological insulators could enable very efficient electrical manipulation of magnetic materials at room temperature, for memory and logic applications. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

70 °C synthesis of high-Sn content (25%) GeSn on insulator by Sn-induced crystallization of amorphous Ge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Toko, K., E-mail: toko@bk.tsukuba.ac.jp; Oya, N.; Suemasu, T. [Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Saitoh, N.; Yoshizawa, N. [Electron Microscope Facility, TIA, AIST, 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8569 (Japan)

2015-02-23

Polycrystalline GeSn thin films are fabricated on insulating substrates at low temperatures by using Sn-induced crystallization of amorphous Ge (a-Ge). The Sn layer stacked on the a-Ge layer (100-nm thickness each) had two roles: lowering the crystallization temperature of a-Ge and composing GeSn. Slow annealing at an extremely low temperature of 70 °C allowed for a large-grained (350 nm) GeSn layer with a lattice constant of 0.590 nm, corresponding to a Sn composition exceeding 25%. The present investigation paves the way for advanced electronic optical devices integrated on a flexible plastic substrate as well as on a Si platform.

Thermal insulation of fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubrovcak, P.; Pec, V.; Pitonak, J.

1978-01-01

The claim of the invention concerns thermal insulation of fuel elements heated for measurement of uranium fuel physical properties. For this, layers of aluminium film and of glass fibre are wound onto the inner tube of the element cladding. The space between the inner and the outer tubes is evacuated and the tubes are spaced using spacer wires. (M.S.)

Quantum spin Hall effect in IV-VI topological crystalline insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Safaei, S.; Galicka, M.; Kacman, P.; Buczko, R.

2015-06-01

We envision that the quantum spin Hall effect should be observed in (111)-oriented thin films of SnSe and SnTe topological crystalline insulators. Using a tight-binding approach supported by first-principles calculations of the band structures, we demonstrate that in these films the energy gaps in the two-dimensional band spectrum depend in an oscillatory fashion on the layer thickness. These results as well as the calculated topological invariant indexes and edge state spin polarizations show that for films ˜20-40 monolayers thick a two-dimensional topological insulator phase appears. In this range of thicknesses in both SnSe and SnTe, (111)-oriented films edge states with Dirac cones with opposite spin polarization in their two branches are obtained. While in the SnTe layers a single Dirac cone appears at the projection of the {\\boldsymbol{}}\\bar{Γ } point of the two-dimensional Brillouin zone, in the SnSe (111)-oriented layers three Dirac cones at {\\boldsymbol{}}\\bar{M} points projections are predicted.

Spin-dependent Peltier effect in 3D topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Sengupta, Parijat; Kubis, Tillmann; Povolotskyi, Michael; Klimeck, Gerhard

2013-03-01

The Peltier effect represents the heat carrying capacity of a certain material when current passes through it. When two materials with different Peltier coefficients are placed together, the Peltier effect causes heat to flow either towards or away from the interface between them. This work utilizes the spin-polarized property of 3D topological insulator (TI) surface states to describe the transport of heat through the spin-up and spin-down channels. It has been observed that the spin channels are able to carry heat independently of each other. Spin currents can therefore be employed to supply or extract heat from an interface between materials with spin-dependent Peltier coefficients. The device is composed of a thin film of Bi2Se3 sandwiched between two layers of Bi2Te3. The thin film of Bi2Se3serves both as a normal and topological insulator. It is a normal insulator when its surfaces overlap to produce a finite band-gap. Using an external gate, Bi2Se3 film can be again tuned in to a TI. Sufficiently thick Bi2Te3 always retain TI behavior. Spin-dependent Peltier coefficients are obtained and the spin Nernst effect in TIs is shown by controlling the temperature gradient to convert charge current to spin current.

THE EFFECT OF PLASTICIZER CONTENT AND DISACCHARIDE TYPE ON THE MECHANICAL, BARRIER AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF BOVINE GELATIN-BASED FILMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PEDRO GUERRERO1

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Gelatins are regarded as alternative raw materials to prepare films for food packaging. However, the improvement of their mechanical and water barrier properties is necessary in order to obtain useful materials in service conditions. To improve these functional properties, two strategies have been carried out in this work. First, glycerol was added as plasticizer to increase the flexibility of the films. Second, lactose or sucrose was added to react with gelatin and increase water resistance of gelatin-based films. Commercial gelatin, glycerol and lactose or sucrose were employed in this work and processing of the films was carried out by solution casting. All gelatin films obtained were transparent and flexible. Moreover, the hydrophobic character of the films was increased and the film solubility was decreased by the addition of glycerol and disaccharides. As was observed via FTIR, the changes were due to the interactions between gelatin and glycerol and Maillard reaction between gelatin and disaccharides.

Radiochromic Plastic Films for Accurate Measurement of Radiation Absorbed Dose and Dose Distributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McLaughlin, W. L.; Miller, Arne; Fidan, S.

1977-01-01

of dose rate (1–1014 rad s−1). Upon irradiation of the film, the profile of the radiation field is registered as a permanent colored image of the dose distribution. Unlike most other types of dyed plastic dose meters, the optical density produced by irradiation is in most cases stable for periods...... of many polymeric systems in industrial radiation processing. The result is that errors due to energy dependence of response of the radiation sensor are effectively reduced, since the spectral sensitivity of the dose meter matches that of the polymer of interest, over a wide range of photon and electron...

Voltage-Controlled Spray Deposition of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on Semiconducting and Insulating Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Maulik, Subhodip; Sarkar, Anirban; Basu, Srismrita; Daniels-Race, Theda

2018-05-01

A facile, cost-effective, voltage-controlled, "single-step" method for spray deposition of surfactant-assisted dispersed carbon nanotube (CNT) thin films on semiconducting and insulating substrates has been developed. The fabrication strategy enables direct deposition and adhesion of CNT films on target samples, eliminating the need for substrate surface functionalization with organosilane binder agents or metal layer coatings. Spray coating experiments on four types of sample [bare silicon (Si), microscopy-grade glass samples, silicon dioxide (SiO2), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)] under optimized control parameters produced films with thickness ranging from 40 nm to 6 μm with substantial surface coverage and packing density. These unique deposition results on both semiconducting and insulator target samples suggest potential applications of this technique in CNT thin-film transistors with different gate dielectrics, bendable electronics, and novel CNT-based sensing devices, and bodes well for further investigation into thin-film coatings of various inorganic, organic, and hybrid nanomaterials on different types of substrate.

Growth and characterization of MnGa thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy on BiSb topological insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Duy Khang, Nguyen Huynh; Ueda, Yugo; Yao, Kenichiro; Hai, Pham Nam

2017-10-01

We report on the crystal growth as well as the structural and magnetic properties of Bi0.8Sb0.2 topological insulator (TI)/MnxGa1-x bi-layers grown on GaAs(111)A substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. By optimizing the growth conditions and Mn composition, we were able to grow MnxGa1-x thin films on Bi0.8Sb0.2 with the crystallographic orientation of Bi0.8Sb0.2(001)[1 1 ¯ 0]//MnGa (001)[100]. Using magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy, we detected both the L10 phase ( x 0.6 ) of MnxGa1-x. For 0.50 ≤ x ≤ 0.55 , we obtained ferromagnetic L10-MnGa thin films with clear perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, which were confirmed by MCD hysteresis, anomalous Hall effect as well as superconducting quantum interference device measurements. Our results show that the BiSb/MnxGa1-x bi-layer system is promising for perpendicular magnetization switching using the giant spin Hall effect in TIs.

A new approach to film dosimetry for high-energy photon beams using organic plastic scintillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeo, I.J.; Wang, C.-K.C.; Burch, S.E.

1999-01-01

Successful radiotherapy relies on accurate dose measurement. Traditional dosimeters such as ion chambers, TLDs and diodes have disadvantages such as relatively long measurement time and poor spatial resolution. These drawbacks become more serious problems for dynamic beams (i.e. with the use of dynamic wedges or even the intensity modulation technique). X-ray film, an integrating dosimeter, may not be associated with the above disadvantages and problems. However, there are several major issues regarding use of x-ray film for routine dosimetry, including the over-response of the film to low-energy photons, variations in the dose response curve (nonlinearity), lack of reproducibility due to variation in processing, etc. This paper addresses the first problem. That is, x-ray film over-responds to low-energy photons (energies below 400 keV), and thus generates unacceptably inaccurate dosimetric data compared with ion-chamber data. To overcome the over-response problem of x-ray film in a phantom, a scintillation method has been investigated. In this method, a film is sandwiched by two plastic scintillation screens to enhance the film response to upstream electrons, and therefore minimize the over-response caused by low-energy photons. The sandwiched system was tested with a 4 MV linac beam. The result shows that, depending on the uniformity of the scintillation screens, the depth-dose distribution obtained from the sandwich system can be made to agree well with that obtained from ion chambers. However, the required high degree of uniformity remains a challenge for the scintillation screen manufacturers. (author)

Direct observation of the lattice precursor of the metal-to-insulator transition in V2O3 thin films by surface acoustic waves

Science.gov (United States)

Kündel, J.; Pontiller, P.; Müller, C.; Obermeier, G.; Liu, Z.; Nateprov, A. A.; Hörner, A.; Wixforth, A.; Horn, S.; Tidecks, R.

2013-03-01

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line is used to study the metal-to-insulator (MI) transition of V2O3 thin films deposited on a piezoelectric LiNbO3 substrate. Effects contributing to the sound velocity shift of the SAW which are caused by elastic properties of the lattice of the V2O3 films when changing the temperature are separated from those originating from the electrical conductivity. For this purpose the electric field accompanying the elastic wave of the SAW has been shielded by growing the V2O3 film on a thin metallic Cr interlayer (coated with Cr2O3), covering the piezoelectric substrate. Thus, the recently discovered lattice precursor of the MI transition can be directly observed in the experiments, and its fine structure can be investigated.

Sol-gel antireflective coating on plastics

Science.gov (United States)

Ashley, Carol S.; Reed, Scott T.

1990-01-01

An antireflection film made from a reliquified sol-gel hydrolyzation, condensation polymeric reaction product of a silicon, alkoxides and/or metal alkoxides, or mixtures thereof. The film is particularly useful for coating plastics.

Gamma radiation effects in packaging for sterilization of health products and their constituents paper and plastic film

Science.gov (United States)

B. G. Porto, Karina Meschini; Napolitano, Celia Marina; Borrely, Sueli Ivone

2018-01-01

The integrity of materials containing packaging (natural or synthetic polymers) is essential to keep the aseptic condition of commercialized products (health care products, food and pharmaceuticals). The objective of this paper was to study gamma radiation effects (25 kGy, 40 kGy and 50 kGy) on the main properties of paper and multilayer films (polyester and polyethylene). Paper and multilayer films are components of packaging (pouches) for radiation sterilization containing medical equipment or products. Paper was the more radiation sensitive among the studied materials and radiation effects were more pronounced at brightness, pH, tearing resistance, bursting strength and tensile strength. Concerning plastic film, no pinholes were induced by radiation and the effects on the tensile strength were not significant. Although the seal strength packaging (pouches) decreased according to increasing dose, the sealing integrity was preserved.

Investigation of Rapid Low-Power Microwave-Induction Heating Scheme on the Cross-Linking Process of the Poly(4-vinylphenol) for the Gate Insulator of Pentacene-Based Thin-Film Transistors

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Ching-Lin; Shang, Ming-Chi; Wang, Shea-Jue; Hsia, Mao-Yuan; Lee, Win-Der; Huang, Bohr-Ran

2017-01-01

In this study, a proposed Microwave-Induction Heating (MIH) scheme has been systematically studied to acquire suitable MIH parameters including chamber pressure, microwave power and heating time. The proposed MIH means that the thin indium tin oxide (ITO) metal below the Poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) film is heated rapidly by microwave irradiation and the heated ITO metal gate can heat the PVP gate insulator, resulting in PVP cross-linking. It is found that the attenuation of the microwave energy decreases with the decreasing chamber pressure. The optimal conditions are a power of 50 W, a heating time of 5 min, and a chamber pressure of 20 mTorr. When suitable MIH parameters were used, the effect of PVP cross-linking and the device performance were similar to those obtained using traditional oven heating, even though the cross-linking time was significantly decreased from 1 h to 5 min. Besides the gate leakage current, the interface trap state density (Nit) was also calculated to describe the interface status between the gate insulator and the active layer. The lowest interface trap state density can be found in the device with the PVP gate insulator cross-linked by using the optimal MIH condition. Therefore, it is believed that the MIH scheme is a good candidate to cross-link the PVP gate insulator for organic thin-film transistor applications as a result of its features of rapid heating (5 min) and low-power microwave-irradiation (50 W). PMID:28773101

Investigation of Rapid Low-Power Microwave-Induction Heating Scheme on the Cross-Linking Process of the Poly(4-vinylphenol for the Gate Insulator of Pentacene-Based Thin-Film Transistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Lin Fan

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, a proposed Microwave-Induction Heating (MIH scheme has been systematically studied to acquire suitable MIH parameters including chamber pressure, microwave power and heating time. The proposed MIH means that the thin indium tin oxide (ITO metal below the Poly(4-vinylphenol (PVP film is heated rapidly by microwave irradiation and the heated ITO metal gate can heat the PVP gate insulator, resulting in PVP cross-linking. It is found that the attenuation of the microwave energy decreases with the decreasing chamber pressure. The optimal conditions are a power of 50 W, a heating time of 5 min, and a chamber pressure of 20 mTorr. When suitable MIH parameters were used, the effect of PVP cross-linking and the device performance were similar to those obtained using traditional oven heating, even though the cross-linking time was significantly decreased from 1 h to 5 min. Besides the gate leakage current, the interface trap state density (Nit was also calculated to describe the interface status between the gate insulator and the active layer. The lowest interface trap state density can be found in the device with the PVP gate insulator cross-linked by using the optimal MIH condition. Therefore, it is believed that the MIH scheme is a good candidate to cross-link the PVP gate insulator for organic thin-film transistor applications as a result of its features of rapid heating (5 min and low-power microwave-irradiation (50 W.

Thermal Insulation System for Non-Vacuum Applications Including a Multilayer Composite

Science.gov (United States)

Fesmire, James E. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

The thermal insulation system of the present invention is for non-vacuum applications and is specifically tailored to the ambient pressure environment with any level of humidity or moisture. The thermal insulation system includes a multilayered composite including i) at least one thermal insulation layer and at least one compressible barrier layer provided as alternating, successive layers, and ii) at least one reflective film provided on at least one surface of the thermal insulation layer and/or said compressible barrier layer. The different layers and materials and their combinations are designed to provide low effective thermal conductivity for the system by managing all modes of heat transfer. The thermal insulation system includes an optional outer casing surrounding the multilayered composite. The thermal insulation system is particularly suited for use in any sub-ambient temperature environment where moisture or its adverse effects are a concern. The thermal insulation system provides physical resilience against damaging mechanical effects including compression, flexure, impact, vibration, and thermal expansion/contraction.

Dose errors due to charge storage in electron irradiated plastic phantoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galbraith, D.M.; Rawlinson, J.A.; Munro, P.

1984-01-01

Commercial plastics used for radiation dosimetry are good electrical insulators. Used in electron beams, these insulators store charge and produce internal electric fields large enough to measurably alter the electron dose distribution in the plastic. The reading per monitor unit from a cylindrical ion chamber imbedded in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or polystyrene phantom will increase with accumulated electron dose, the increase being detectable after about 20 Gy of 6-MeV electrons. The magnitude of the effect also depends on the type of the plastic, the thickness of the plastic, the wall thickness of the detector, the diameter and depth of the hole in the plastic, the energy of the electron beam, and the dose rate used. Effects of charge buildup have been documented elsewhere for very low energy electrons at extremely high doses and dose rates. Here we draw attention to the charging effects in plastics at the dose levels encountered in therapy dosimetry where ion chamber or other dosimeter readings may easily increase by 5% to 10% and where a phantom, once charged, will also affect subsequent readings taken in 60 Co beams and high-energy electron and x-ray beams for periods of several days to many months. It is recommended that conducting plastic phantoms replace PMMA and polystyrene phantoms in radiation dosimetry

High-conductance low-voltage organic thin film transistor with locally rearranged poly(3-hexylthiophene) domain by current annealing on plastic substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Zingway; Tsai, Hsing-Wang; Lai, Hsin-Cheng

2016-02-01

The organic material based thin film transistors (TFTs) are attractive for flexible optoelectronics applications due to the ability of lager area fabrication by solution and low temperature process on plastic substrate. Recently, the research of organic TFT focus on low operation voltage and high output current to achieve a low power organic logic circuit for optoelectronic device,such as e-paper or OLED displayer. To obtain low voltage and high output current, high gate capacitance and high channel mobility are key factors. The well-arranged polymer chain by a high temperature postannealing, leading enhancement conductivity of polymer film was a general method. However, the thermal annealing applying heat for all device on the substrate and may not applicable to plastic substrate. Therefore, in this work, the low operation voltage and high output current of polymer TFTs was demonstrated by locally electrical bias annealing. The poly(styrene-comethyl methacrylate) (PS-r-PMMA) with ultra-thin thickness is used as gate dielectric that the thickness is controlled by thermal treatment after spin coated on organic electrode. In electrical bias-annealing process, the PS-r- PMMA is acted a heating layer. After electrical bias-annealing, the polymer TFTs obtain high channel mobility at low voltage that lead high output current by a locally annealing of P3HT film. In the future, the locally electrical biasannealing method could be applied on plastic substrate for flexible optoelectronic application.

Nano-Ceramic Coated Plastics

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Junghyun

2013-01-01

Plastic products, due to their durability, safety, and low manufacturing cost, are now rapidly replacing cookware items traditionally made of glass and ceramics. Despite this trend, some still prefer relatively expensive and more fragile ceramic/glassware because plastics can deteriorate over time after exposure to foods, which can generate odors, bad appearance, and/or color change. Nano-ceramic coatings can eliminate these drawbacks while still retaining the advantages of the plastic, since the coating only alters the surface of the plastic. The surface coating adds functionality to the plastics such as self-cleaning and disinfectant capabilities that result from a photocatalytic effect of certain ceramic systems. These ceramic coatings can also provide non-stick surfaces and higher temperature capabilities for the base plastics without resorting to ceramic or glass materials. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are the candidates for a nano-ceramic coating to deposit on the plastics or plastic films used in cookware and kitchenware. Both are wide-bandgap semiconductors (3.0 to 3.2 eV for TiO2 and 3.2 to 3.3 eV for ZnO), so they exhibit a photocatalytic property under ultraviolet (UV) light. This will lead to decomposition of organic compounds. Decomposed products can be easily washed off by water, so the use of detergents will be minimal. High-crystalline film with large surface area for the reaction is essential to guarantee good photocatalytic performance of these oxides. Low-temperature processing (nano-ceramic coatings (TiO2, ZnO) on plastic materials (silicone, Teflon, PET, etc.) that can possess both photocatalytic oxide properties and flexible plastic properties. Processing cost is low and it does not require any expensive equipment investment. Processing can be scalable to current manufacturing infrastructure.

Nanostructured hydrophobic DC sputtered inorganic oxide coating for outdoor glass insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dave, V. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India); Institute Instrumentation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India); Gupta, H.O. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India); Chandra, R., E-mail: ramesfic@gmail.com [Institute Instrumentation Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Roorkee 247667 (India)

2014-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Deposition of contamination on outdoor glass insulators and its physical and economical consequences were discussed. • Synthesis of nanostructured hydrophobic HfO{sub 2} film on glass as a remedial measure by varying DC sputtering power. • Investigated and correlated structural, optical, electrical and hydrophobic properties of HfO{sub 2} films with respect to power. • Optimum results were obtained at a 50 W DC sputtering power. - Abstract: We report the structural, optical and electrical properties of nanostructured hydrophobic inorganic hafnium oxide coating for outdoor glass insulator using DC sputtering technique to combat contamination problem. The properties were studied as a function of DC power. The characterization of the films was done using X-ray diffraction, EDS, surface profilometer, AFM, impedance analyser and water contact angle measurement system. The DC power was varied from 30 to 60 W and found to have a great impact on the properties of hafnium oxide. All the deposited samples were polycrystalline with nanostructured hydrophobic surfaces. The intensity of crystallinity of the film was found to be dependent on sputtering power and hydrophobicity was correlated to the nanoscale roughness of the films. The optical property reveals 80% average transmission for all the samples. The refractive index was found in the range of 1.85–1.92, near to the bulk value. The band gap calculated from transmission data was >5.3 eV for all deposited samples ensuring dielectric nature of the films. Surface energy calculated by two methods was found minimum for the film deposited at 50 W sputtering power. The resistivity was also high enough (∼10{sup 4} Ω cm) to hinder the flow of leakage current through the film. The dielectric constant (ε) was found to be thickness dependent and also high enough (ε{sub max} = 23.12) to bear the large electric field of outdoor insulators.

Formation of conductive and reflective silver nanolayers on plastic films via ion doping and solid–liquid interfacial reduction at ambient temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Guanghui; Wu, Dezhen; Zhao, Yuan; Liu, Wei; Wu, Zhanpeng

2013-01-01

Conductive and reflective silver layers on both sides of polyimide films have been prepared by doping silver–ammonia ions into the surfaces of polyimide film, and subsequent solid–liquid interfacial reduction, during which double diffusion of silver ions and newly formed silver crystals occurred between the interfaces of polyimide films and the aqueous reducing surroundings. The newly formed silver nanoparticles could migrate and aggregate onto both sides of substrate films, forming continuous and compact silver layers that result in excellent conductivity, i.e. ∼0.6 and 0.5 Ω/sq on the upside and downside surfaces, respectively. The surface reflectivity could be detected up to 80% on the downside and 90% on the upside surface as well. The effects of the silver contents and reducing conditions on the morphologies and properties have been investigated comprehensively, and the two-side properties differences were discussed. A convictive relationship between the morphologies and properties has been established, providing reliable and general guidance in terms of preparation of inorganic nanoparticles on plastic substrates. This novel and simple strategy can be extended to fabricate many other metal, metal oxide and metal sulfide nanoparticles on plastic substrates, using proper oxidants or sulfions to replace the diverse reductants. The films were characterized by inductively coupled plasma, contact angle measurement, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, four-point probe instrument and ultraviolet spectrophotometry

The plasticity of clays

Science.gov (United States)

Group, F.F.

1905-01-01

(1) Sand injures plasticity little at first because the grains are suspended in a plastic mass. It is only when grains are abundant enough to come in contact with their neighbors, that the effect becomes serious, and then both strength and amount of possible flow are injured. (2) Certain rare organic colloids increase the plasticity by rendering the water viscous. (3) Fineness also tends to increase plasticity. (4) Plane surfaces (plates) increase the amount of possible flow. They also give a chance for lubrication by thinner films, thus increasing the friction of film, and the strength of the whole mass. The action of plates is thus twofold ; but fineness may be carried to such an extent as to break up plate-like grains into angular fragments. The beneficial effects of plates are also decreased by the fact that each is so closely surrounded by others in the mass. (5) Molecular attraction is twofold in increasing plasticity. As the attraction increases, the coherence and strength of the mass increase, and the amount of possible deformation before crumbling also increases. Fineness increases this action by requiring more water. Colloids and crystalloids in solution may also increase the attraction. It is thus seen to be more active than any other single factor.

Antireflection coatings on plastics deposited by plasma ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In the ophthalmic industry, plastic lenses are rapidly displacing glass lenses ... Moreover, the plasma polymerization process allows deposition of optical films at room temperature, essential for plastics. ... Bulletin of Materials Science | News.

Improved cable insulation for superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anerella, M.; Ghosh, A.K.; Kelly, E.; Schmalzle, J.; Willen, E.; Fraivillig, J.; Ochsner, J.; Parish, D.J.

1993-01-01

Several years ago, Brookhaven joined with DuPont in a cooperative effort to develop improved cable insulation for SSC superconducting dipole magnets. The effort was supported by the SSC Central Design Group and later the SSC Laboratory. It was undertaken because turn-to-turn and midplane shorts were routinely being experienced during the assembly of magnets with coils made of the existing Kapton/Fiberglass (K/FG) system of Kapton film overwrapped with epoxy-impregnated fiberglass tape. Dissection of failed magnets showed that insulation disruption and punch-through was occurring near the inner edges of turns close to the magnet midplane. Coil pressures of greater than 17 kpsi were sufficient to disrupt the insulation at local high spots where wires in neighboring turns crossed one another and where the cable had been strongly compacted in the keystoning operation during cable manufacture. In the joint development program, numerous combinations of polyimide films manufactured by DuPont with varying configurations and properties (including thickness) were subjected to tests at Brookhaven. Early tests were bench trials using wrapped cable samples. The most promising candidates were used in coils and many of these assembled and tested as magnets in both the SSC and RHIC magnet programs currently underway. The Kapton CI (CI) system that has been adopted represents a suitable compromise of numerous competing factors. It exhibits improved performance in the critical parameter of compressive punch-through resistance as well as other advantages over the K/FG system

Improved cable insulation for superconducting magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anerella, M.; Ghosh, A.K.; Kelly, E.; Schmalzle, J.; Willen, E.; Fraivillig, J.; Ochsner, J.; Parish, D.J.

1993-01-01

Several years ago, Brookhaven joined with DuPont in a cooperative effort to develop improved cable insulation for SSC superconducting dipole magnets. The effort was supported by the SSC Central Design Group and later the SSC Laboratory. It was undertaken because turn-to-turn and midplane shorts were routinely being experienced during the assembly of magnets with coils made of the existing Kapton/fiberglass (K/FG) system of Kapton film overwrapped with epoxy-impregnated fiberglass tape. Dissection of failed magnets showed that insulation disruption and punch-through was occurring near the inner edges of turns close to the magnet midplane. Coil pressures of greater than 17 kpsi were sufficient to disrupt the insulation at local high spots where the cable had been strongly compacted in the keystoning operation during cable manufacture. In the joint development program, numerous combinations of polyimide films manufactured by DuPont with varying configurations and properties (including thickness) were subjected to tests at Brookhaven. Early tests were bench trials using wrapped cable samples. The most promising candidates were used in coils and many of these promising candidates were used in coils and many of these assembled and tested as magnets in both the SSC and RHIC magnet programs currently underway. The Kapton CI (CI) system that has been adopted represents a suitable compromise of numerous competing factors. It exhibits improved performance in the critical parameter of compressive punch-through resistance as well as other advantages over the K/FG system

Irradiation effect of the insulating materials for fusion superconducting magnets at cryogenic temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Koji; Akiyama, Yoko; Nishijima, Shigehiro

2017-09-01

In ITER, superconducting magnets should be used in such severe environment as high fluence of fast neutron, cryogenic temperature and large electromagnetic forces. Insulating material is one of the most sensitive component to radiation. So radiation resistance on mechanical properties at cryogenic temperature are required for insulating material. The purpose of this study is to evaluate irradiation effect of insulating material at cryogenic temperature by gamma-ray irradiation. Firstly, glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) and hybrid composite were prepared. After irradiation at room temperature (RT) or liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT, 77 K), interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and glass-transition temperature (Tg) measurement were conducted. It was shown that insulating materials irradiated at room temperature were much degraded than those at cryogenic temperature.

Biodegradable plastics derived from micro-fibrillated cellulose fiber and chitosan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishiyama, M.; Hosokawa, J.; Yoshihara, K.; Kubo, T.; Kabeya, H.; Endo, T. [Shikoku National Industrial Research Inst., Kagawa (Japan)

1995-12-25

We have been carrying out studies to develop biodegradable plastics from natural polysaccharides. We have found that a combination of micro-fibrillated cellulose fiber and chitosan produces a useful material that can be used to form biodegradable film and moldings. Cellulose-chitosan composite film demonstrate higher strength than general purpose plastic films, and wet strength peaks when chitosan content is 10-20%. The relatively small amount of chitosan needed is economically convenient because chitosan is more expensive than cellulose. This film biodegrade well in soil, completely dissolving and disappearing in two months. Biodegradability is influenced by the temperature used in thermal treatment the film, the quantity of acid groups in the cellulose, and other factors. These characteristics will be used to control decomposition. Since cellulose-chitosan-plastics are not thermoplastics, we have been working on joint research with companies to produce films, nonwoven fabrics and foams. We discuss here the properties and application of these composite moldings. 4 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.

Reduced water vapor transmission rates of low-temperature solution-processed metal oxide barrier films via ultraviolet annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Seonuk; Jeong, Yong Jin; Baek, Yonghwa; Kim, Lae Ho; Jang, Jin Hyuk; Kim, Yebyeol [POSTECH Organic Electronics Laboratory, Polymer Research Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); An, Tae Kyu [Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 50 Daehak-Ro, Chungju (Korea, Republic of); Nam, Sooji, E-mail: sjnam15@etri.re.kr [Information Control Device Section, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Se Hyun, E-mail: shkim97@yu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Jaeyoung, E-mail: jyjang15@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chan Eon, E-mail: cep@postech.ac.kr [POSTECH Organic Electronics Laboratory, Polymer Research Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-31

Highlights: • Sol-gel-derived aluminum oxide thin films were prepared using ultraviolet (UV) annealing. • UV irradiation dramatically promoted the densification of AlO{sub x} during the annealing stage, thereby forming a close-packed AlO{sub x} film. • The resulting AlO{sub x} films deposited on polymer substrates exhibited good water vapor blocking properties with low water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs). - Abstract: Here, we report the fabrication of low-temperature sol-gel-derived aluminum oxide (AlO{sub x}) films via ultraviolet (UV) annealing and the investigation of their water vapor blocking properties by measuring the water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs). The UV annealing process induced the formation of a dense metal-oxygen-metal bond (Al-O-Al structure) at low temperatures (<200 °C) that are compatible with commercial plastic substrates. The density of the UV-annealed AlO{sub x} thin film at 180 °C was comparable to that of AlO{sub x} thin films that have been thermally annealed at 350 °C. Furthermore, the UV-annealed AlO{sub x} thin films exhibited a high optical transparency in the visible region (>99%) and good electrical insulating properties (∼10{sup −7} A/cm{sup 2} at 2 MV/cm). Finally, we confirmed that a dense AlO{sub x} thin film was successfully deposited onto the plastic substrate via UV annealing at low temperatures, leading to a substantial reduction in the WVTRs. The Ca corrosion test was used to measure the WVTRs of AlO{sub x} thin films deposited onto polyethylene naphthalate or polyimide substrates, determined to be 0.0095 g m{sup −2} day{sup −1} (25 °C, 50% relative humidity) and 0.26 g m{sup −2} day{sup −1}, respectively.

Tetradymites as thermoelectrics and topological insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Heremans, Joseph P.; Cava, Robert J.; Samarth, Nitin

2017-10-01

Tetradymites are M2X3 compounds — in which M is a group V metal, usually Bi or Sb, and X is a group VI anion, Te, Se or S — that crystallize in a rhombohedral structure. Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 are archetypical tetradymites. Other mixtures of M and X elements produce common variants, such as Bi2Te2Se. Because tetradymites are based on heavy p-block elements, strong spin-orbit coupling greatly influences their electronic properties, both on the surface and in the bulk. Their surface electronic states are a cornerstone of frontier work on topological insulators. The bulk energy bands are characterized by small energy gaps, high group velocities, small effective masses and band inversion near the centre of the Brillouin zone. These properties are favourable for high-efficiency thermoelectric materials but make it difficult to obtain an electrically insulating bulk, which is a requirement of topological insulators. This Review outlines recent progress made in bulk and thin-film tetradymite materials for the optimization of their properties both as thermoelectrics and as topological insulators.

Molecular beam epitaxial growth of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulators on GaAs (111) substrates: a potential route to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Zhaoquan; Morgan, Timothy A.; Li, Chen; Hirono, Yusuke; Hu, Xian; Hawkridge, Michael E.; Benamara, Mourad; Salamo, Gregory J. [Arkansas Institute for Nanoscale Material Sciences and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Fan, Dongsheng; Yu, Shuiqing [Arkansas Institute for Nanoscale Material Sciences and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Zhao, Yanfei [International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China); Lee, Joon Sue [The Center for Nanoscale Science and Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Wang, Jian [International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China); The Center for Nanoscale Science and Department of Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Wang, Zhiming M. [Arkansas Institute for Nanoscale Material Sciences and Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Engineering Research Center for Semiconductor Integrated Technology, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100083 (China)

2013-07-15

High quality Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulators films were epitaxially grown on GaAs (111) substrate using solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Their growth and behavior on both vicinal and non-vicinal GaAs (111) substrates were investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is found that non-vicinal GaAs (111) substrate is better than a vicinal substrate to provide high quality Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} films. Hall and magnetoresistance measurements indicate that p type Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and n type Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} topological insulator films can be directly grown on a GaAs (111) substrate, which may pave a way to fabricate topological insulator p-n junction on the same substrate, compatible with the fabrication process of present semiconductor optoelectronic devices.

Proposal for the award of a contract for the supply of polyimide film for cable and ground insulation of the LHC superconducting magnets

CERN Document Server

1999-01-01

This document concerns the award of a contract for the supply of up to 79 tonnes of polyimide film, of three different types, for cable and ground insulation of the LHC superconducting magnets. A call for tenders (IT-2679/LHC/LHC) was sent on 21 September 1999 to two firms in Japan and one firm in the USA. By the closing date, CERN had received three tenders. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a contract with the firm KANEKA (JP), the lowest bidder, for the supply of 79 tonnes of polyimide film of three different types for an amount of 5 425 541 USD (8 123 284 Swiss francs) for the polyimide film produced in the USA, not subject to revision, and 725 726 546 Japanese yen (10 109 020 Swiss francs) for the polyimide film produced in Japan, not subject to revision, with an option for the supply of up to 20% additional polyimide film of each type, for an amount of 1 085 108 USD (1 624 657 Swiss francs) and 145 145 309 Japanese yen (2 021 804 Swiss francs) respectively, not subject to r...

Fabrication and characterization of NiO based metal-insulator-metal diode using Langmuir-Blodgett method for high frequency rectification

Science.gov (United States)

Azad, Ibrahim; Ram, Manoj K.; Goswami, D. Yogi; Stefanakos, Elias

2018-04-01

Thin film metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes have attracted significant attention for use in infrared energy harvesting and detection applications. As demonstrated over the past decades, MIM or metal-insulator-insulator-metal (MIIM) diodes can operate at the THz frequencies range by quantum tunneling of electrons. The aim of this work is to synthesize required ultra-thin insulating layers and fabricate MIM diodes using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. The nickel stearate (NiSt) LB precursor film was deposited on glass, silicon (Si), ITO glass and gold coated silicon substrates. The photodesorption (UV exposure) and the thermodesorption (annealing at 100 °C and 350 °C) methods were used to remove organic components from the NiSt LB film and to achieve a uniform homogenous nickel oxide (NiO) film. These ultrathin NiO films were characterized by EDS, AFM, FTIR and cyclic voltammetry methods, respectively. The MIM diode was fabricated by depositing nickel (Ni) on the NiO film, all on a gold (Au) plated silicon (Si) substrate. The current (I)-voltage (V) characteristics of the fabricated diode were studied to understand the conduction mechanism assumed to be tunneling of electron through the ultra-thin insulating layer. The sensitivity of the diode was measured to be as high as 35 V-1. The diode resistance was ˜100 ohms (at a bias voltage of 0.60 V), and the rectification ratio was about 22 (for a signal voltage of ±200 mV). At the bias point, the diode response demonstrated significant non-linearity and high asymmetry, which are very desirable characteristics for applications in infrared detection and harvesting.

Optimization of mass of plastic scintillator film for flow-cell based tritium monitoring: a Monte Carlo study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, Arup Singha; Palani Selvam, T.; Raman, Anand; Raja, V.; Chaudhury, Probal

2014-01-01

Over the years, various types of tritium-in-air monitors have been designed and developed based on different principles. Ionization chamber, proportional counter and scintillation detector systems are few among them. A plastic scintillator based, flow-cell type online tritium-in-air monitoring system was developed for online monitoring of tritium in air. The value of the scintillator mass inside the cell-volume, which maximizes the response of the detector system, should be obtained to get maximum efficiency. The present study is aimed to optimize the amount of mass of the plastic scintillator film for the flow-cell based tritium monitoring instrument so that maximum efficiency is achieved. The Monte Carlo based EGSnrc code system has been used for this purpose

Chiral topological excitons in a Chern band insulator

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ke; Shindou, Ryuichi

2017-10-01

A family of semiconductors called Chern band insulators are shown to host exciton bands with nonzero topological Chern integers and chiral exciton edge modes. Using a prototypical two-band Chern insulator model, we calculate a cross-correlation function to obtain the exciton bands and their Chern integers. The lowest exciton band acquires Chern integers such as ±1 and ±2 in the electronic Chern insulator phase. The nontrivial topology can be experimentally observed both by a nonlocal optoelectronic response of exciton edge modes and by a phase shift in the cross-correlation response due to the bulk mode. Our result suggests that magnetically doped HgTe, InAs/GaSb quantum wells, and (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin films are promising candidates for a platform of topological excitonics.

Conformally encapsulated multi-electrode arrays with seamless insulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tabada, Phillipe J.; Shah, Kedar G.; Tolosa, Vanessa; Pannu, Satinderall S.; Tooker, Angela; Delima, Terri; Sheth, Heeral; Felix, Sarah

2016-11-22

Thin-film multi-electrode arrays (MEA) having one or more electrically conductive beams conformally encapsulated in a seamless block of electrically insulating material, and methods of fabricating such MEAs using reproducible, microfabrication processes. One or more electrically conductive traces are formed on scaffold material that is subsequently removed to suspend the traces over a substrate by support portions of the trace beam in contact with the substrate. By encapsulating the suspended traces, either individually or together, with a single continuous layer of an electrically insulating material, a seamless block of electrically insulating material is formed that conforms to the shape of the trace beam structure, including any trace backings which provide suspension support. Electrical contacts, electrodes, or leads of the traces are exposed from the encapsulated trace beam structure by removing the substrate.

Uranium exploration in Pakistan using alpha sensitive plastic films (ASPF)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qureshi, A.A.; Khan, H.A. (Pakistan Inst. of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan). Health Physics Div.); Samad Beg, M.A.; Ahmed, Fazal (Atomic Energy Minerals Centre, Lahore (Pakistan))

1988-01-01

The Alpha Sensitive Plastic Film (ASPF) technique has been successfully developed in Pakistan. Studies concerning optimisation of tube size, exposure time, position of detector in tube, etching conditions, type of detector, etc. have been done in the laboratory. Some studies like effects of depth, size and grade of ore body and water table were carried out in the field. The application of this technique was fairly successful in sandstone areas. Based on this technique, subsurface uranium occurrences were established in D.G. Khan and Isa Khel. The ASPF-results were confirmed by subsequent drilling and other methods. The technique has been found to be workable and inexpensive. It has been found to supplement the conventional exploration methods, and if applied as a part of normal exploration programme may reduce overall project cost substantially. This paper briefly describes the methodology, parameters, applications and results of the ASPF technique in the field of uranium prospecting and exploration in Pakistan. (author).

First principles description of the insulator-metal transition in europium monoxide

KAUST Repository

Wang, Hao

2012-02-01

Europium monoxide, EuO, is a ferromagnetic insulator. Its electronic structure under pressure and doping is investigated by means of density functional theory. We employ spin polarized electronic structure calculations including onsite electron-electron interaction for the localized Eu 4f and 5d electrons. Our results show that under pressure the ferromagnetism is stable, both for hydrostatic and uniaxial pressure, while the compound undergoes an insulator-metal transition. The insulator-metal transition in O deficient and Gd doped EuO is reproduced for an impurity concentration of 6.25%. A 10 monolayer thick EuO(1 0 0) thin film is predicted to be an insulator with a narrow band gap of 0.08 eV. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of gamma radiation (60Co) on the main physical and chemical properties of health care packaging and their compounds paper and multilayer plastic film, used for health products sterilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porto, Karina Meschini Batista Geribello

2013-01-01

Gamma radiation is one of the technologies applied for the sterilization of packaging systems containing products for health. During sterilization process it is critical that the properties of packages are maintained. In this study two samples of commercial pouch packaging comprised of surgical grade paper on one side and the other side multilayer plastic film were irradiated with gamma rays. The following doses were applied 25 kGy (1,57 kGy/h) and 50 kGy (1,48 kGy/h). One packaging sample was paper formed by softwood fibers and multilayer plastic film based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/polyethylene (PE). The second type of paper sample was made by a mixture of softwood and hardwood fibers and multilayer plastic film based on polyethylene terephthalate (ethylene) (PET)/polypropylene (PP). The effects of radiation on the physical and chemical properties of papers and multilayer plastic films, as well as the properties of the package were studied. The paper was the more radiation sensitive among the studied materials and radiation effects were more pronounced at brightness, pH, tearing resistance, bursting strength and tensile strength. Nonetheless, worst comparatively effects were noted on the sample made by a mixture of softwood and hardwood fibers. The porosity of paper was enhanced by 50 kGy. In the case of plastic films, radiation effects on tensile strength was the most pronounced property for both samples. In the case of the packaging the sealing resistance decreased with radiation. The effects observed for the treatment at 50 kGy were more pronounced when compared to 25 kGy. This last is the dose which is usually applied to sterilize health products. A dosimetry study was performed during irradiation at 25 kGy, 40 kGy and 50 kGy and its importance may be reported by the average dose variation 20 %. (author)

Phyllosphere yeasts rapidly break down biodegradable plastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitamoto, Hiroko K; Shinozaki, Yukiko; Cao, Xiao-Hong; Morita, Tomotake; Konishi, Masaaki; Tago, Kanako; Kajiwara, Hideyuki; Koitabashi, Motoo; Yoshida, Shigenobu; Watanabe, Takashi; Sameshima-Yamashita, Yuka; Nakajima-Kambe, Toshiaki; Tsushima, Seiya

2011-11-29

The use of biodegradable plastics can reduce the accumulation of environmentally persistent plastic wastes. The rate of degradation of biodegradable plastics depends on environmental conditions and is highly variable. Techniques for achieving more consistent degradation are needed. However, only a few microorganisms involved in the degradation process have been isolated so far from the environment. Here, we show that Pseudozyma spp. yeasts, which are common in the phyllosphere and are easily isolated from plant surfaces, displayed strong degradation activity on films made from poly-butylene succinate or poly-butylene succinate-co-adipate. Strains of P. antarctica isolated from leaves and husks of paddy rice displayed strong degradation activity on these films at 30°C. The type strain, P. antarctica JCM 10317, and Pseudozyma spp. strains from phyllosphere secreted a biodegradable plastic-degrading enzyme with a molecular mass of about 22 kDa. Reliable source of biodegradable plastic-degrading microorganisms are now in our hands.

Phyllosphere yeasts rapidly break down biodegradable plastics

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

The use of biodegradable plastics can reduce the accumulation of environmentally persistent plastic wastes. The rate of degradation of biodegradable plastics depends on environmental conditions and is highly variable. Techniques for achieving more consistent degradation are needed. However, only a few microorganisms involved in the degradation process have been isolated so far from the environment. Here, we show that Pseudozyma spp. yeasts, which are common in the phyllosphere and are easily isolated from plant surfaces, displayed strong degradation activity on films made from poly-butylene succinate or poly-butylene succinate-co-adipate. Strains of P. antarctica isolated from leaves and husks of paddy rice displayed strong degradation activity on these films at 30°C. The type strain, P. antarctica JCM 10317, and Pseudozyma spp. strains from phyllosphere secreted a biodegradable plastic-degrading enzyme with a molecular mass of about 22 kDa. Reliable source of biodegradable plastic-degrading microorganisms are now in our hands. PMID:22126328

Thermoelectric Transport by Surface States in Bi2Se3-Based Topological Insulator Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Long-Long; Xu Wen

2015-01-01

We develop a tractable theoretical model to investigate the thermoelectric (TE) transport properties of surface states in topological insulator thin films (TITFs) of Bi 2 Se 3 at room temperature. The hybridization between top and bottom surface states in the TITF plays a significant role. With the increasing hybridization-induced surface gap, the electrical conductivity and electron thermal conductivity decrease while the Seebeck coefficient increases. This is due to the metal-semiconductor transition induced by the surface-state hybridization. Based on these TE transport coefficients, the TE figure-of-merit ZT is evaluated. It is shown that ZT can be greatly improved by the surface-state hybridization. Our theoretical results are pertinent to the exploration of the TE transport properties of surface states in TITFs and to the potential application of Bi 2 Se 3 -based TITFs as high-performance TE materials and devices. (paper)

STUDY CONCERNING THE INFLUENCE OF CERTAIN HYDROPHILIC AUXILIARIES ON THE PROPERTIES OF THE PLASTICIZED POLYVINYL CHLORIDE POROUS FILMS Part II-HYGIENIC PROPERTIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BĂLĂU MÎNDRU Tudorel

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper was to obtain certain PVC films with improved hygienic properties, with applications both in the artificial leather industry and in other domains. This was done by introducing certain hydrophilic auxiliaries with free chemical functions into the chemical structure of the PVC films, such as: collagen hydrolysates (CH, hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (HTPDMS and nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE. The use of these hydrophilic auxiliaries combined with the action of the high frequency electric fields (H.F.E.F. allows the attainment of cellular structures where the walls of the cells obtained from the expanding process display an enhanced humidity absorption. The collagen hydrolysates used to obtain the plasticized PVC porous films was obtained by electrolytic hydrolysis starting from Chamois leather powder waste resulting from buffing operation, according to a methodology described in a previous paper. The first part of this study was concerned with the influence of the addition of hydrophilic agents upon the moisture sorption of the plasticized PVC porous films. In this paper, there was investigated the water vapour and air permeability as well as the water vapour absorption of the porous films expanded in the H.F.E.F. in correlation with the nature and the recipe variant of the hydrophilic auxiliaries. The results highlighted the fact that the use of certain combinations of hydrophilic agents led to obtaining materials with adequate hygienic properties.

Effect of Polylactic Acid-Degradable Film Mulch on Soil Temperature and Cotton Yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Ni

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Concern on biodegradable plastic film is increasing because of pollution problems caused by the plastic films currently used. The objective of this field experiment is to evaluate the effect of two thicknesses of polyactic acid-degradable film on soil temperature and cotton yield. The results showed that small holes appeared in the polyactic acid-degradable film at 17~22 d after it was installed. Burst period appeared about 60 d after installation. Splits were observed in the polyactic acid-degradable film at 130 d after installation. Soil temperatures rose slowly under polyactic acid-degradable film during the cotton seedling stage. Daytime soil temperatures were 0.8℃ and 6.2℃ lower under 18μm and 15μm thick polyactic acid-degradable film than non-degradable plastic film(CK, respectively. Nighttime soil temperatures under the polyactic acid-degradable film were about 1℃ warmer than CK. There was no significant difference in cotton yields between the 18μm polyactic acid degradable film treatment and CK. In contrast, yields in the 15μm degradable plastic film treatment were 8.9% less than that in CK. This study indicated that 18μm polyactic acid degradable plastic film had good degradability and no negative effect on cotton growth. The 18μm polyactic acid degradable plastic film can replace ordinary plastic film in agricultural production.

All-Aluminum Thin Film Transistor Fabrication at Room Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rihui Yao

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Bottom-gate all-aluminum thin film transistors with multi conductor/insulator nanometer heterojunction were investigated in this article. Alumina (Al2O3 insulating layer was deposited on the surface of aluminum doping zinc oxide (AZO conductive layer, as one AZO/Al2O3 heterojunction unit. The measurements of transmittance electronic microscopy (TEM and X-ray reflectivity (XRR revealed the smooth interfaces between ~2.2-nm-thick Al2O3 layers and ~2.7-nm-thick AZO layers. The devices were entirely composited by aluminiferous materials, that is, their gate and source/drain electrodes were respectively fabricated by aluminum neodymium alloy (Al:Nd and pure Al, with Al2O3/AZO multilayered channel and AlOx:Nd gate dielectric layer. As a result, the all-aluminum TFT with two Al2O3/AZO heterojunction units exhibited a mobility of 2.47 cm2/V·s and an Ion/Ioff ratio of 106. All processes were carried out at room temperature, which created new possibilities for green displays industry by allowing for the devices fabricated on plastic-like substrates or papers, mainly using no toxic/rare materials.

Enhanced thermoelectric power in ultrathin topological insulators with magnetic doping

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.

2014-09-07

We derive analytical expressions for the magnetic moment and orbital magnetization as well as for the corresponding thermal conductivity and thermoelectric power of a topological insulator film. We demonstrate enhancement of the thermoelectric transport for decreasing film thickness and for application of an exchange field due to the tunable band gap. Combining hybridization and exchange field is particularly suitable for heat to electric energy conversion and thermoelectric cooling.

Enhanced thermoelectric power in ultrathin topological insulators with magnetic doping

KAUST Repository

Tahir, M.; Manchon, Aurelien; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2014-01-01

We derive analytical expressions for the magnetic moment and orbital magnetization as well as for the corresponding thermal conductivity and thermoelectric power of a topological insulator film. We demonstrate enhancement of the thermoelectric transport for decreasing film thickness and for application of an exchange field due to the tunable band gap. Combining hybridization and exchange field is particularly suitable for heat to electric energy conversion and thermoelectric cooling.

Thin-film VO2 submillimeter-wave modulators and polarizers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, J.C.C.; Fetterman, H.R.; Bachner, F.J.; Zavracky, P.M.; Parker, C.D.

1977-01-01

Submillimeter-wave modulators and switchable polarizers have been fabricated from VO 2 thin films deposited on sapphire substrates. By passing electric current pulses through elements made from these films, the films can be thermally cycled through the insulator-to-metal transition that occurs in VO 2 at about 65 degreeC. In the insulating state, the films are found to have negligible effect on the transmission at submillimeter wavelengths, while above the phase transition the transmission is strongly reduced by the free-electron effects characteristic of a metal. Other possible applications of such switchable VO 2 elements include variable bandpass filters and diffraction grating beam-steering devices

The scanning probe microscopy study of thin polymer films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harron, H.R.

1995-08-01

Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy were used systematically to investigate the morphology, uniformity, coverage and structure of the thin films of several commercially important insulating polymers. Despite the poorly conducting nature of the polymer sample, detailed and convincing images of this class of materials were achieved by STM without the need to coat the samples with a conductive layer. The polymer regions of the sample were further investigated by the use of surface profiling with 'line scans'. The fluctuations of the amplitude therein enabled important film characteristics to be assessed. An environmental stage was designed for the STM to enable the effect of various vapour-sample interactions to be observed during the imaging process. Using the data from the environmental stage in addition to the surface profiling with line scans, an insight into the conduction mechanism and image interpretation was gained. Results suggest that the water content of the sample and its immediate surroundings is an important factor in achieving reliable STM images in air. The initial study culminated with the observation by STM alone of the plasticizer induced crystallization of uncoated PC thin films. The 'amorphous' PC films were observed before crystallization and small ordered regions in roughly the same proportion as that predicted by diffraction studies [Prietschk, 1959 and Schnell, 1964] were imaged. This has never been observed by a microscopy technique. Furthermore, images of the crystalline film contained elongated units that were attributed to the lamellae formations that form the basic building blocks of polymer spherulites. The study continued with the AFM imaging of the growth of crystalline entities in a PC film, without the need for harsh sample treatment or metal coating. A method of casting and crystallizing the films was developed such that the growth was predominantly in two dimensions and consequently ideal for observation by

Thickness dependent quantum oscillations of transport properties in topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogacheva, E. I.; Budnik, A. V.; Sipatov, A. Yu.; Nashchekina, O. N. [National Technical University “Kharkov Polytechnic Institute,” 21 Frunze St., Kharkov 61002 (Ukraine); Dresselhaus, M. S. [Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

2015-02-02

The dependences of the electrical conductivity, the Hall coefficient, and the Seebeck coefficient on the layer thickness d (d = 18−600 nm) of p-type topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films grown by thermal evaporation in vacuum on glass substrates were obtained at room temperature. In the thickness range of d = 18–100 nm, sustained oscillations with a substantial amplitude were revealed. The observed oscillations are well approximated by a harmonic function with a period Δd = (9.5 ± 0.5) nm. At d > 100 nm, the transport coefficients practically do not change as d is increased. The oscillations of the kinetic properties are attributed to the quantum size effects due to the hole confinement in the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} quantum wells. The results of the theoretical calculations of Δd within the framework of a model of an infinitely deep potential well are in good agreement with the experimental results. It is suggested that the substantial amplitude of the oscillations and their sustained character as a function of d are connected with the topologically protected gapless surface states of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and are inherent to topological insulators.

A Solution-Doped Polymer Semiconductor:Insulator Blend for Thermoelectrics

KAUST Repository

Kiefer, David; Yu, Liyang; Fransson, Erik; Gó mez, André s; Primetzhofer, Daniel; Amassian, Aram; Campoy-Quiles, Mariano; Mü ller, Christian

2016-01-01

Poly(ethylene oxide) is demonstrated to be a suitable matrix polymer for the solution-doped conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene). The polarity of the insulator combined with carefully chosen processing conditions permits the fabrication of tens of micrometer-thick films that feature a fine distribution of the F4TCNQ dopant:semiconductor complex. Changes in electrical conductivity from 0.1 to 0.3 S cm−1 and Seebeck coefficient from 100 to 60 μV K−1 upon addition of the insulator correlate with an increase in doping efficiency from 20% to 40% for heavily doped ternary blends. An invariant bulk thermal conductivity of about 0.3 W m−1 K−1 gives rise to a thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT ∼ 10−4 that remains unaltered for an insulator content of more than 60 wt%. Free-standing, mechanically robust tapes illustrate the versatility of the developed dopant:semiconductor:insulator ternary blends.

A Solution-Doped Polymer Semiconductor:Insulator Blend for Thermoelectrics

KAUST Repository

Kiefer, David

2016-09-01

Poly(ethylene oxide) is demonstrated to be a suitable matrix polymer for the solution-doped conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene). The polarity of the insulator combined with carefully chosen processing conditions permits the fabrication of tens of micrometer-thick films that feature a fine distribution of the F4TCNQ dopant:semiconductor complex. Changes in electrical conductivity from 0.1 to 0.3 S cm−1 and Seebeck coefficient from 100 to 60 μV K−1 upon addition of the insulator correlate with an increase in doping efficiency from 20% to 40% for heavily doped ternary blends. An invariant bulk thermal conductivity of about 0.3 W m−1 K−1 gives rise to a thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT ∼ 10−4 that remains unaltered for an insulator content of more than 60 wt%. Free-standing, mechanically robust tapes illustrate the versatility of the developed dopant:semiconductor:insulator ternary blends.

Two-phase behavior in strained thin films of hole-doped manganites

OpenAIRE

Biswas, Amlan; Rajeswari, M.; Srivastava, R. C.; Li, Y. H.; Venkatesan, T.; Greene, R. L.; Millis, A. J.

1999-01-01

We present a study of the effect of biaxial strain on the electrical and magnetic properties of thin films of manganites. We observe that manganite films grown under biaxial compressive strain exhibit island growth morphology which leads to a non-uniform distribution of the strain. Transport and magnetic properties of these films suggest the coexistence of two different phases, a metallic ferromagnet and an insulating antiferromagnet. We suggest that the high strain regions are insulating whi...

Morphology and thermal properties of PLA films plasticised with aliphatic oligoesters; Morfologia e propriedades termicas de filmes de PLA plastificados com oligoesteres alifaticos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inacio, Erika M.; Dias, Marcos L., E-mail: erika.minacio@ima.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Lima, Maria Celiana P. [Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), Duque de Caxias, RJ (Brazil)

2013-07-01

The addition of plasticizers to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the known ways of changing its ductility, making possible the modification of its mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, it was synthesized two biodegradable aliphatic oligoesters: oligo(trimethylene sebacate) (OST) and oligo(trimethylene malonate) (OMT), and these oligomers were used as plasticizer in cast films of commercial film grade PLA at concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 wt% of each plasticizer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate the morphology and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was also used aiming the evaluation of the thermal properties of these films. The PLA films containing no plasticizer showed an amorphous behavior, and the addition of PMT on the PLA films acted, simultaneously, decreasing the Tg, and rising the material's crystallinity. In contrast, the increased addition of OST to the PLA films did not change the Tg, and equally, did not have a significant changes in the material's crystallinity. Therefore, it was possible to observe the effect of the concentration of oligomers on the crystallinity of the films as well as the no plasticizer effect of the OST. (author)

Photo-induced insulator-metal transition in Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition: Effect of thickness dependent structural and transport properties

Science.gov (United States)

Elovaara, Tomi; Huhtinen, Hannu; Majumdar, Sayani; Paturi, Petriina

2016-09-01

We report photo-induced colossal magnetoresistive insulator-metal transition (IMT) in Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3 thin films under much reduced applied magnetic field. The colossal effect was studied as a function of film thickness and thus with variable structural properties. Thorough structural, magnetic and magnetotransport characterization under light shows that the highest effect on the transition field can be obtained in the thinnest film (38 nm). However, due to the substrate induced strain of this film the required magnetic field for IMT is quite high. The best crystalline properties of the 110 nm film lead to the lowest IMT field under light and 109% change in resistance at 10 K. With increasing thickness, the film properties start to move more toward the bulk material and, hence, IMT is no more observed under the applied field of 9 T. Our results indicate that for obtaining large photo-induced CMR, the best epitaxial quality of thin films is essential.

Reorganization energy upon charging a single molecule on an insulator measured by atomic force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Fatayer, Shadi; Schuler, Bruno; Steurer, Wolfram; Scivetti, Ivan; Repp, Jascha; Gross, Leo; Persson, Mats; Meyer, Gerhard

2018-05-01

Intermolecular single-electron transfer on electrically insulating films is a key process in molecular electronics1-4 and an important example of a redox reaction5,6. Electron-transfer rates in molecular systems depend on a few fundamental parameters, such as interadsorbate distance, temperature and, in particular, the Marcus reorganization energy7. This crucial parameter is the energy gain that results from the distortion of the equilibrium nuclear geometry in the molecule and its environment on charging8,9. The substrate, especially ionic films10, can have an important influence on the reorganization energy11,12. Reorganization energies are measured in electrochemistry13 as well as with optical14,15 and photoemission spectroscopies16,17, but not at the single-molecule limit and nor on insulating surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), with single-charge sensitivity18-22, atomic-scale spatial resolution20 and operable on insulating films, overcomes these challenges. Here, we investigate redox reactions of single naphthalocyanine (NPc) molecules on multilayered NaCl films. Employing the atomic force microscope as an ultralow current meter allows us to measure the differential conductance related to transitions between two charge states in both directions. Thereby, the reorganization energy of NPc on NaCl is determined as (0.8 ± 0.2) eV, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide the atomistic picture of the nuclear relaxations on charging. Our approach presents a route to perform tunnelling spectroscopy of single adsorbates on insulating substrates and provides insight into single-electron intermolecular transport.

Defects reduction of Ge epitaxial film in a germanium-on-insulator wafer by annealing in oxygen ambient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwang Hong Lee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A method to remove the misfit dislocations and reduce the threading dislocations density (TDD in the germanium (Ge epilayer growth on a silicon (Si substrate is presented. The Ge epitaxial film is grown directly on the Si (001 donor wafer using a “three-step growth” approach in a reduced pressure chemical vapour deposition. The Ge epilayer is then bonded and transferred to another Si (001 handle wafer to form a germanium-on-insulator (GOI substrate. The misfit dislocations, which are initially hidden along the Ge/Si interface, are now accessible from the top surface. These misfit dislocations are then removed by annealing the GOI substrate. After the annealing, the TDD of the Ge epilayer can be reduced by at least two orders of magnitude to <5 × 106 cm−2.

Growing and testing mycelium bricks as building insulation materials

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Yangang; Brewer, Matthew; El-Gharabawy, Hoda; Griffith, Gareth; Jones, Phil

2018-02-01

In order to improve energy performance of buildings, insulation materials (such as mineral glass and rock wools, or fossil fuel-based plastic foams) are being used in increasing quantities, which may lead to potential problem with materials depletions and landfill disposal. One sustainable solution suggested is the use of bio-based, biodegradable materials. A number of attempts have been made to develop biomaterials, such as sheep wood, hemcrete or recycled papers. In this paper, a novel type of bio insulation materials - mycelium is examined. The aim is to produce mycelium materials that could be used as insulations. The bio-based material was required to have properties that matched existing alternatives, such as expanded polystyrene, in terms of physical and mechanical characteristics but with an enhanced level of biodegradability. The testing data showed mycelium bricks exhibited good thermal performance. Future work is planned to improve growing process and thermal performance of the mycelium bricks.

Effects of Adopting Different Kinds of Collecting Method for Years on Film Residual Coefficient and Maize Yields

OpenAIRE

TANG Wen-xue; MA Zhong-ming; WEI Tao

2017-01-01

Wide usage of mulching technology has increased crop yields, but the large amounts of mulching film residue resulting from widespread use of plastic film in China has brought about a series of pollution hazards. Based on a 4-year (2011-2014) long-term experiment, the effects of different kinds of collecting mothod (zero plastic film residues, conventional plastic film residues, whole plastic film residues remainded) on plastic film residues, residual coefficient and maize yield were explored....

Response comparative study of Rn-222 alpha particles track monitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Osvaldo Luiz dos Santos

2010-01-01

This work was a comparative study between the responses of three monitors, the NRPB, an acrylic monitor (in thin film geometry) and the aluminum monitor (also thin film geometry) in controlled and mixed environment. The experiments consisted on placing the monitors in a plastic tube, with a radio-226 source internal. Only internal CR-39 plastic detectors were analyzed in this work. It was found that the monitors in thin film geometry had activities response of approximately 15% less than the NRPB monitors. All monitors responded the same way when in controlled environment. Related to the type of material, conductive plastic or dielectric (insulator) plastic, the NRPB, in environments without ventilation, responded in the same way. (author)

Superconducting thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hebard, A.F.; Vandenberg, J.M.

1982-01-01

This invention relates to granular metal and metal oxide superconducting films formed by ion beam sputter deposition. Illustratively, the films comprise irregularly shaped, randomly oriented, small lead grains interspersed in an insulating lead oxide matrix. The films are hillock-resistant when subjected to thermal cycling and exhibit unusual josephson-type switching characteristics. Depending on the oxygen content, a film may behave in a manner similar to that of a plurality of series connected josephson junctions, or the film may have a voltage difference in a direction parallel to a major surface of the film that is capable of being switched from zero voltage difference to a finite voltage difference in response to a current larger than the critical current

Determination of structural and mechanical properties, diffractometry, and thermal analysis of chitosan and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC films plasticized with sorbitol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jefferson Rotta

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this work, the structural, mechanical, diffractometric, and thermal parameters of chitosan-hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC films plasticized with sorbitol were studied. Solutions of HPMC (2% w/v in water and chitosan (2% w/v in 2% acetic acid solution were prepared. The concentration of sorbitol used was 10% (w/w to both polymers. This solutions were mixed at different proportions (100/0; 70/30; 50/50; 30/70, and 0/100 of chitosan and HPMC, respectively, and 20 mL was cast in Petri dishes for further analysis of dried films. The miscibility of polymers was assessed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA. The results obtained indicate that the films are not fully miscible at a dry state despite the weak hydrogen bonding between the polymer functional groups.

Electronic structure and insulating gap in epitaxial VO2 polymorphs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinbuhm Lee

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Determining the origin of the insulating gap in the monoclinic V O2(M1 is a long-standing issue. The difficulty of this study arises from the simultaneous occurrence of structural and electronic transitions upon thermal cycling. Here, we compare the electronic structure of the M1 phase with that of single crystalline insulating V O2(A and V O2(B thin films to better understand the insulating phase of VO2. As these A and B phases do not undergo a structural transition upon thermal cycling, we comparatively study the origin of the gap opening in the insulating VO2 phases. By x-ray absorption and optical spectroscopy, we find that the shift of unoccupied t2g orbitals away from the Fermi level is a common feature, which plays an important role for the insulating behavior in VO2 polymorphs. The distinct splitting of the half-filled t2g orbital is observed only in the M1 phase, widening the bandgap up to ∼0.6 eV. Our approach of comparing all three insulating VO2 phases provides insight into a better understanding of the electronic structure and the origin of the insulating gap in VO2.

Hidden landscapes in thin film topological insulators: between order and disorder, 2D and 3D, normal and topological phases

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Seongshik

Topological insulator (TI) is one of the rare systems in the history of condensed matter physics that is initiated by theories and followed by experiments. Although this theory-driven advance helped move the field quite fast despite its short history, apparently there exist significant gaps between theories and experiments. Many of these discrepancies originate from the very fact that the worlds readily accessible to theories are often far from the real worlds that are available in experiments. For example, the very paradigm of topological protection of the surface states on Z2 TIs such as Bi2Se3, Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, etc, is in fact valid only if the sample size is infinite and the crystal momentum is well-defined in all three dimensions. On the other hand, many widely studied forms of TIs such as thin films and nano-wires have significant confinement in one or more of the dimensions with varying level of disorders. In other words, many of the real world topological systems have some important parameters that are not readily captured by theories, and thus it is often questionable how far the topological theories are valid to real systems. Interestingly, it turns out that this very uncertainty of the theories provides additional control knobs that allow us to explore hidden topological territories. In this talk, I will discuss how these additional knobs in thin film topological insulators reveal surprising, at times beautiful, landscapes at the boundaries between order and disorder, 2D and 3D, normal and topological phases. This work is supported by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation's EPiQS Initiative (GBMF4418).

Development of radiophotometric dosemeters with high sensitivity using plastic scintillators as a light intensifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesquita, C.H. de; Hamada, M.M.

1987-01-01

Rectangular plates of plastic scintillators are developed and their effect as light converter evaluated, when used as film-holder in conventional photography dosemeters. In this dosemeter, the radiation that not interacts in the photographic film can be detected by light photons generation in the plastic scintillators, sensitizing the film. (C.G.C.) [pt

Thick film magnetic nanoparticulate composites and method of manufacture thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xinqing (Inventor); Zhang, Yide (Inventor); Ge, Shihui (Inventor); Zhang, Zongtao (Inventor); Yan, Dajing (Inventor); Xiao, Danny T. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

Thick film magnetic/insulating nanocomposite materials, with significantly reduced core loss, and their manufacture are described. The insulator coated magnetic nanocomposite comprises one or more magnetic components, and an insulating component. The magnetic component comprises nanometer scale particles (about 1 to about 100 nanometers) coated by a thin-layered insulating phase. While the intergrain interaction between the immediate neighboring magnetic nanoparticles separated by the insulating phase provides the desired soft magnetic properties, the insulating material provides high resistivity, which reduces eddy current loss.

Effect of heating cast kafirin films on their functional properties

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Byaruhanga, YB

2007-01-01

Full Text Available of heated plasticized films showed more wrinkled structures compared to non-heated films, whereas the non-plasticized films appeared more brittle with heating. The results indicate that heat-induced intermolecular disulfide cross-linking was involved...

Preparation and characterization of milk protein films and their application for packaging of Cheddar cheese.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagh, Y R; Pushpadass, Heartwin A; Emerald, F Magdaline Eljeeva; Nath, B Surendra

2014-12-01

Casein and whey protein concentrate (WPC) films, plasticized with glycerol and sorbitol independently, were prepared by casting. The film thickness, water vapour and oxygen permeation and tensile and moisture sorption properties of the films were determined. The tensile strength (TS), tensile strain (TE) and elastic modulus (EM) of the films ranged from 0.71 to 4.58 MPa, 19.22 to 66.63 % and 2.05 to 6.93 MPa, respectively. The film properties were influenced by the type of biopolymer (casein and whey protein concentrate), plasticizer and its concentration. Increasing the plasticizer concentration, increased the film thickness, TE and water vapour permeability (WVP), but decreased the TS and EM. As the concentration of plasticizer increased to the highest level, the film thickness increased from 0.168 to 0.305 mm for glycerol-plasticized films and from 0.251 to 0.326 mm for sorbitol-plasticized films. The film thickness increased because the amount of plasticizer in the film network increased and the amount of biopolymer remained same. Casein films showed superior tensile properties as compared to WPC films. The WVP of both casein and WPC films lied between 3.87 and 13.97 g.mm./(m(2).h.kPa). The moisture sorption isotherms of both films were typical of high-protein material, and were adequately described by the GAB model. The oxygen permeability of casein films was relatively lower than that of WPC films, regardless of the plasticizer used. The sensory data revealed that the organoleptic quality of Cheddar cheese was unaffected by milk-protein film packaging.

Characteristics of low-resistivity aluminum-doped zinc oxide films deposited at room temperature by off-axis radio-frequency sputtering on flexible plastic substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li-Min; Wang, Chih-Yi; Jheng, Ciao-Ren; Wu, Syu-Jhan; Sai, Chen-Kai; Lee, Ya-Ju; Chiang, Ching-Yu; Shew, Bor-Yuan

2016-08-01

The crystalline structure, morphology, composition, electrical transport, and optical properties of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films are studied for applications in transparent electronics and optoelectronic devices. AZO thin films of c-axis-oriented growth and with different thickness were deposited on PET flexible plastic substrates at room temperature by rf magnetron sputtering. A larger grain size with a decreased strain ɛ value is observed in a thicker film, while changes in composition for films with different thicknesses are insignificant. Moreover, the resistivity of film decreases with increasing thickness, and the low-temperature electrical transport properties can be described by the scenario of quantum corrections to conductivity. With the room-temperature growth conditions, the resistivity of 4.5 × 10-4 Ω cm, carrier concentration of 6.4 × 1020 cm-3, and transmittance of 80 % for the 1100-nm-thick film are obtained. In addition, the optical bandgap energy decreases with increasing film thickness, which can be attributed to the bandgap renormalization and crystallite size effects.

Starch films from a novel (Pachyrhizus ahipa) and conventional sources: Development and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López, Olivia V.; García, María A.

2012-01-01

Biodegradable films from ahipa, cassava and corn native starches were developed by casting method and their physicochemical, mechanical and barrier properties were analyzed taking into account the different starch botanical sources. Filmogenic suspensions were prepared; their rheological behaviors were studied and all of them exhibited film-forming ability. However, mechanical assays demonstrated that unplasticized films were too rigid, limiting their technological applications. Thus, 1.5% w/w of glycerol as plasticizer was added to filmogenic suspensions and film flexibility and extensibility were improved, this effect was more significant for ahipa and cassava starch films. Furthermore, thickness, moisture content and water solubility of the developed films were increased when plasticizer was incorporated. Glycerol addition reduced film water vapor permeability and the lowest reduction corresponded to cassava starch films due to the high viscosity of its filmogenic suspensions. Plasticized starch films resulted to be UV radiation barriers; ahipa starch films had the lowest light absorption capacity and higher transparency than cassava and corn starch films. Dynamic-mechanical analysis indicated that plasticized films were partially miscible systems exhibiting two relaxations, one attributed to the starch-rich phase and the other to the glycerol-rich one. Likewise, it could be demonstrated that glycerol exerted a major plasticizing effect on ahipa starch matrixes. Highlights: ► Ahipa, cassava and corn starch films were developed by casting method. ► Glycerol effect on film mechanical behavior was major for tuberous starch films. ► Ahipa starch films resulted to be more transparent with lower UV absorption capacity. ► Plasticized films were partially miscible systems: with a glycerol-rich and a starch-rich phase. ► Glycerol exerted a major plasticizing effect on ahipa starch films.

Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride as lateral heat spreader in electrically insulating packaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao, Jie; Huang, Shirong; Zhang, Yong; Lu, Xiuzhen; Yuan, Zhichao; Jeppson, Kjell; Liu, Johan; Edwards, Michael; Fu, Yifeng

2016-01-01

The need for electrically insulating materials with a high in-plane thermal conductivity for lateral heat spreading applications in electronic devices has intensified studies of layered hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films. Due to its physicochemical properties, h-BN can be utilised in power dissipating devices such as an electrically insulating heat spreader material for laterally redistributing the heat from hotspots caused by locally excessive heat flux densities. In this study, two types of boron nitride based heat spreader test structures have been assembled and evaluated for heat dissipation. The test structures separately utilised a few-layer h-BN film with and without graphene enhancement drop coated onto the hotspot test structure. The influence of the h-BN heat spreader films on the temperature distribution across the surface of the hotspot test structure was studied at a range of heat flux densities through the hotspot. It was found that the graphene-enhanced h-BN film reduced the hotspot temperature by about 8–10 °C at a 1000 W cm −2 heat flux density, a temperature decrease significantly larger than for h-BN film without graphene enhancement. Finite element simulations of the h-BN film predict that further improvements in heat spreading ability are possible if the thermal contact resistance between the film and test chip are minimised. (paper)

Effect of cellulose reinforcement on the properties of organic acid modified starch microparticles/plasticized starch bio-composite films.

Science.gov (United States)

Teacă, Carmen-Alice; Bodîrlău, Ruxanda; Spiridon, Iuliana

2013-03-01

The present paper describes the preparation and characterization of polysaccharides-based bio-composite films obtained by the incorporation of 10, 20 and 30 wt% birch cellulose (BC) within a glycerol plasticized matrix constituted by the corn starch (S) and chemical modified starch microparticles (MS). The obtained materials (coded as MS/S, respectively MS/S/BC) were further characterized. FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to evidence structural and crystallinity changes in starch based films. Morphological, thermal, mechanical, and water resistance properties were also investigated. Addition of cellulose alongside modified starch microparticles determined a slightly improvement of the starch-based films water resistance. Some reduction of water uptake for any given time was observed mainly for samples containing 30% BC. Some compatibility occurred between MS and BC fillers, as evidenced by mechanical properties. Tensile strength increased from 5.9 to 15.1 MPa when BC content varied from 0 to 30%, while elongation at break decreased significantly. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the performance of organic thin film transistors formed on a vacuum flash-evaporated acrylate insulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ding, Z., E-mail: ziqian.ding@materials.ox.ac.uk; Abbas, G. A.; Assender, H. E. [Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom); Morrison, J. J.; Sanchez-Romaguera, V.; Yeates, S. G. [School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom); Taylor, D. M. [School of Electronic Engineering, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 1UT (United Kingdom)

2013-12-02

A systematic investigation has been undertaken, in which thin polymer buffer layers with different ester content have been spin-coated onto a flash-evaporated, cross-linked diacrylate gate-insulator to form bottom-gate, top-contact organic thin-film transistors. The highest device mobilities, ∼0.65 cm{sup 2}/V s and ∼1.00 cm{sup 2}/V s for pentacene and dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT), respectively, were only observed for a combination of large-grain (∼1–2 μm) semiconductor morphology coupled with a non-polar dielectric surface. No correlation was found between semiconductor grain size and dielectric surface chemistry. The threshold voltage of pentacene devices shifted from −10 V to −25 V with decreasing surface ester content, but remained close to 0 V for DNTT.

Unexpected metal-insulator transition in thick Ca1-xSrxVO3 film on SrTiO3 (100) single crystal

Science.gov (United States)

Takayanagi, Makoto; Tsuchiya, Takashi; Namiki, Wataru; Ueda, Shigenori; Minohara, Makoto; Horiba, Koji; Kumigashira, Hiroshi; Terabe, Kazuya; Higuchi, Tohru

2018-03-01

Epitaxial Ca1-xSrxVO3 (0 ≦ x ≦ 1) thin films were grown on (100)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by using the pulsed laser deposition technique. In contrast to the previous report that metal-insulator transition (MIT) in Ca1-xSrxVO3 (CSVO) was achieved only for extremely thin films (several nm thick), MIT was observed at 39, 72, and 113 K for films with a thickness of 50 nm. The electronic structure was investigated by hard and soft X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HX-PES and SX-PES). The difference between these PES results was significant due to the variation in an escape depth of photoelectrons of PES. While HX-PES showed that the V 2p3/2 spectra consisted of four peaks (V5+, V4+, V3+, and V2+/1+), SX-PES showed only three peaks (V5+, V4+, and V3+). This difference can be caused by a strain from the substrate, which leads to the chemical disorder (V5+, V4+, V3+, and V2+/1+). The thin film near the substrate is affected by the strain. The positive magnetoresistance is attributed to the effect of electron-electron interactions in the disorder system. Therefore, the emergence of MIT can be explained by the electron-electron interactions from the chemical disorder due to the strain.

Degradation studies on plasticised PVC films submitted to gamma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinhas, Gloria Maria; Souto-Maior, Rosa Maria; Lapa, Camila Maria; Almeida, Yeda Medeiros Bastos de

2003-01-01

Poly (vinyl chloride), PVC, is a rigid polymer and for several of its applications must be compounded with plasticizing agents. The plasticizers minimize the dipolar interactions, which exist between the polymer's chains, promoting their mobility. In this work we studied the properties of PVC/plasticizer systems submitted to different doses of gamma radiation. We have used four commercial plasticizers among them di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, DEHP, which is present in a great number of commercial applications. The PVC/plasticizer systems have been studied as films made by the solvent evaporation technique. Irradiated and non-irradiated films have been characterized by viscosimetric analysis, mechanical essays and infrared spectroscopy. The results have shown that the rigid, non plasticized, PVC film presented the greatest degradation index, while among the plasticised films the one which presented the larger degradation index due to chain scission was the DEHP plasticised PVC. (author)

Advances in Thermal Insulation. Vacuum Insulation Panels and Thermal Efficiency to Reduce Energy Usage in Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thorsell, Thomas

2012-07-01

We are coming to realize that there is an urgent need to reduce energy usage in buildings and it has to be done in a sustainable way. This thesis focuses on the performance of the building envelope; more precisely thermal performance of walls and super insulation material in the form of vacuum insulation. However, the building envelope is just one part of the whole building system, and super insulators have one major flaw: they are easily adversely affected by other problems in the built environment. Vacuum Insulation Panels are one fresh addition to the arsenal of insulation materials available to the building industry. They are composite material with a core and an enclosure which, as a composite, can reach thermal conductivities as low as 0.004 W/(mK). However, the exceptional performance relies on the barrier material preventing gas permeation, maintaining a near vacuum into the core and a minimized thermal bridge effect from the wrapping of barrier material round the edge of a panel. A serpentine edge is proposed to decrease the heat loss at the edge. Modeling and testing shows a reduction of 60 % if a reasonable serpentine edge is used. A diffusion model of permeation through multilayered barrier films with metallization coatings was developed to predict ultimate service life. The model combines numerical calculations with analytical field theory allowing for more precise determination than current models. The results using the proposed model indicate that it is possible to manufacture panels with lifetimes exceeding 50 years with existing manufacturing. Switching from the component scale to the building scale; an approach of integrated testing and modeling is proposed. Four wall types have been tested in a large range of environments with the aim to assess the hydrothermal nature and significance of thermal bridges and air leakages. The test procedure was also examined as a means for a more representative performance indicator than R-value (in USA). The